Wag Talk Header
Wag Zone Urban Dog Retreat's Monthly "Wagazine"
309 Mansfield Pl.  North Vancouver BC V7J 1E4  |  604.982.WAGZ(9249)   |   www.wagzone.ca
Volume 5, Number 1
February 2012
In This Issue
Hyper Dogs
Active Toys
License Reminder
   Lucas and Juno
In the News...
  
 


A Rescue Dog and a Dying Boy   

 

There's something special about a rescued pet; it's as if he senses he's been given a second chance at life. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., Juno has taken on the role of rescuer to four- year-old Lucas Hembree. 

 

 Read the article >>>   

 


Yappy Birthday!
Yappy Birthday to...

  

Feb-01-TickerK
Feb-01-SierraM
Feb-02-EmmaF/S
Feb-02-DaisyM
Feb-02-MeikaM
Feb-02-MollyB
Feb-02-SashaS
Feb-03-PulloO
Feb-04-LunaK
Feb-05-BuzzS
Feb-06-LuluH
Feb-09-CooperS
Feb-10-MiaB
Feb-11-ToodlesM
Feb-13-AnwenT
Feb-13-BanditW
Feb-14-DominoR
Feb-14-HarperB
Feb-14-LouieT
Feb-14-ShastaE
Feb-14-ValentineH
Feb-15-GunnerD
Feb-16-MauiR
Feb-16-SophieB
Feb-16-CooperH
Feb-18-CodyL
Feb-18-CharlieB
Feb-19-SadieH
Feb-21-SidneyC
Feb-22-QuincyM
Feb-23-WinstonS
Feb-23-CharlieK
Feb-26-LindenA
Feb-28-TiggerC
Feb-28-ChrissyT
Feb-28-DannyD
  
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Greetings!  

A belated Happy New Year to you all!

January's Wag Talk got lost in the construction of our new playroom that will allow a safe space for our littlest of guests to play, as well as a means for our clients, current and prospective, to view their dogs at play from a safe and more quiet vantage point. All that's needed now is an adjustment to our fences and we're fully good to go. That hasn't stopped us from beginning on the next and most exciting project that Wag Zone has had to date... the renovation of our storage room upstairs into a full-service Grooming Suite! We are aiming to be finished by early spring so be on the lookout in future editions of Wag Talk for our Grand Opening announcement!

This month, we're highlighting another Ian Dunbar article, this time on handling the hyper dog - something we at Wag Zone can completely relate to! We're also introducing you to a couple of new additions to our retail selection that are fantastic for keeping your dog busy and his mind engaged. Lastly, just a reminder to those who may have missed the January 31 deadline - time to license your dog!  
  Pup Smarts
  
Turning Hyperactivity to Happy Activity  

 

Dog Daycare and hyper go together like peanut butter and jelly. Nothing like the low-to-the-ground "scootchie-butt" racing, happy faced waggers bounding around our playrooms. Fun for us. Not so fun when that hyperactivity extends to home life. Here's a great article by one of our favorite dog behaviorists, Ian Dunbar, that helps turn hyper-activity to happy activity.

HyperDog 
Puppies are naturally noisy and hyperactive. Puppies are exuberant when greeting, playing, and when expressing friendliness and Bull Dog with his feet in the airappeasement. However, adult dogs are noisy and hyperactive because they are untrained and have unintentionally been encouraged to act that way. For example, eagerly jumping puppies are petted by people, who later get angry when the dog jumps up as an adult. The dog's only crime? It grew!

 

Sadly, adult dogs receive considerable abuse for expressing their enthusiasm and exuberance. For example, "The Trainers from the Dark Side" recommend teaching a dog not to jump up by shouting at the dog; squirting him in the face with water or lemon juice; swatting him on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper; yanking on the dog's leash; hanging the dog by its choke-collar; squeezing the dog's front paws; treading on his hind paws; kneeing the dog in the chest; or flipping the dog over backwards. Surely these methods are a bit cruel for a dog that's just trying to say hello. Indeed, in the words of Confucius, "There is no need to use an axe to remove a fly from the forehead of a friend." Why not just teach dogs to sit when greeting people?

 

Be smart. Be kind. Teach your puppy (or adult dog) to settle down and shush when requested and how to greet people in a mannerly fashion. Both dog noise and exuberance may be controlled and channeled into appropriate outlets.

 

Sit and Settle Down
Lure-reward train your puppy or dog to come, sit, and lie down. Simple instructions such as "Sit" and "Lie down" are extremely effectively solutions for nearly all doggy activity problems. Rather than telling the pup "No, no, no!" and "NO!" for everything she does that annoys you, simply ask her to lie down, and then praise and reward her for doing so. If she lies down obediently, she cannot run around the living room, chase her tail, chase the cat, hump the cat, jump on the furniture, jump up and down in the car, run out the front door, or chase and jump on children. Lying down and most behavior problems are mutually exclusive; your dog cannot lie down and misbehave at the same time. Take the initiative and direct your puppy's behavior by teaching her to lie down on request.

 

Rather than feeding your puppy from a bowl, weigh out his kibble in the morning and use individual pieces as lures and rewards during oodles of five-second training interludes throughout the day. Practice in every room of the house, in the car (while stationary), and on walks. Pause every 25 yards and instruct your puppy to perform a series of body positions: for example, sit-down-sit-stand-down-stand. Within just a couple of days you'll have a totally different dog.

 

Happy PittReward training methods also work wonders with out-of-control adolescent and adult dogs. Hold a piece of kibble in your hand but don't give it to your dog. Stand perfectly still and give no instructions; simply watch to see what your dog does. Characteristically, the dog will run through his entire behavior repertoire. Your dog will wiggle, circle, twirl, jump-up, lick, paw, back-up, bark, and then eventually he will sit or lie down. Praise him and offer the piece of kibble as soon as he sits (or lies down-your choice). Then take a gigantic step (to reactivate Rover), and stand still with another piece of kibble in your hand. Repeat the above sequence until Rover sits immediately after you take each step and then begin to progressively increase the delay before offering the kibble. Maybe count out the seconds in "good dogs" -"Good dog one, good dog two, good dog three, etc." If Rover breaks his sit while you are counting, simple turn your back on him, take a three-second timeout, and repeat the sequence again. In no time at all you will be able to count out 20 "good dogs" as Rover sits and stays calmly, looking up at you expectantly.

 

Move from room to room repeating this exercise. When walking Rover, stand still every 25 yards and wait for him to sit, then praise him and continue the walk. After hand-feeding your dog just one meal in this fashion indoors and on one long walk with sits every 25-yards, you'll have a calmer and much more attentive dog.

 

Jumping Up
Jumping up deserves a special mention because it is the cause of so much frustration and abuse. Right from the outset, teach your puppy to sit when greeting people. Sitting is the obvious theoretical solution because a dog cannot sit and jump up at the same time. However, it may initially be difficult to teach your dog to sit when greeting people because he is so excited that he doesn't hear what you say. Consequently, you will need to troubleshoot his training.

 

Barking Shiba InuFirst practice sits (as described above) in locations where your dog normally greets people, e.g., on-leash outdoors, and especially indoors by the front door. Then invite over ten friends for a dog training party. Today your dog's dinner will be hand-fed by guests at the front door and by friends on a walk. After eventually getting your dog to sit to greet the first guest, praise your dog and have the guest offer a piece of kibble. Then ask the guest to leave and ring the doorbell again. In fact, repeat front-door greetings until your dog greets the first guest in a mannerly fashion three times in a row. Then repeat the process with the other nine guests. In one training party you will probably practice over a hundred front-door greetings.  

 

Then ask your all your guests to leave one at a time and walk round the block. Put your dog on leash and walk around the block in the opposite direction. As you approach each person, instruct your dog to sit. Praise him when he does so and have the person offer a couple of pieces of kibble. After five laps, you will have practiced 50 sidewalk greetings. Now your dog will be ready to sit to greet bona fide guests at home and strangers on the street.

 

Put Doggy Enthusiasm and Activity on Cue
To be fair to your dog, make sure that she has ample opportunity to let off steam in an acceptable fashion. Sign up for flyball and agility classes. Play fetch with tennis balls and Frisbees and do yo-yo recalls (back and forth between two people) in the park. Formalize "crazy time"-train your dog to jump for bubbles, or play "tag" and chase your dog around the house. And maybe train your dog that it is acceptable to jump up on cue-to give you a welcome-home hug.

 

... or bring him into daycare and let us get those "ya-yas" out for you.  

In The Zone
  
Product Focus: Kibble Nibble & Twist & Treat 

 

Kibble NibbleBusy Buddy Kibble Nibble

The Kibble Nibble activity ball is a great tool for mentally and physically stimulating your dog. Fill this ball with treats or kibble and the adjustable "Treat Meters" randomly release the yummies as the ball rolls around.

The Kibble Nibble's durable construction will hold up to lots of play time. Rubber bumpers minimize noise and marks on walls and floors and give the egg-shaped ball a fun, unpredictable roll to keep your pup even more entertained. It unscrews for easy loading and clean up and is dishwasher safe.     

 

Available in two sizes:   

 

X-Small/Small:       $14.50

Medium/Large:      $20.50

 

  

Twist & Treat

Another great way to keep your dog engaged and occupied, the Twist 'n Treat is the first and only 2-piece adjustable rubber treat dispensing toy. You can adjust the rate that the treats are released to match the interest and ability of your dog.  

 

Twist and Treat
When you first introduce the toy to your dog, it's a good idea to leave enough space in the opening to allow treats to fall our regularly, so your dog can "win the game." Once your dog plays successfully with the Twist 'n Treat, you can screw the opening tighter to extend the length of play. The adjustable opening allows the Twist 'n Treat to be filled with a variety of hard, soft, and smear-able treats.

Made of natural rubber, this product is not recommended for hard chewers.

Available in three sizes:

Small:        $9.50
Medium:    $12.50
Large:       $18.50  
Heard at the Hydrant   
Is Your Beagle Legal?   

 

It's that time of year again! If you haven't already purchased your dog's 2012 License, now's the time to do it!
 
Why a License? 
Dog with LicenseIf you own a dog in the City or District of North Vancouver*, you are required by law to get it a license. Beyond being the law, it's added protection for your pet. Dogs who get lost and are not wearing a license have a much more difficult time being reunited with their owners. Finally, your licensing fees go towards helping less fortunate pets stay safe and find loving homes. 

Licence Fees 
Spayed or Neutered dogs: $36 per year
Un-spayed / Un-neutered dogs: $76 per year  

Renewing Online 
To make it easy, both the City and District of North Vancouver offer online dog license renewals, so if you have received your renewal notice and have your account number and a credit card, simply click below and get your pet set for the New Year:

City of North Vancouver Dog License Renewal
 
Renewing In Person  
If you wish to license a new dog or renew your existing license, you may also do so in person:  
 
City of North Vancouver 
City Hall - 141 West 14th Street 
Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm  
604-983-7316. 
 
District of North Vancouver 
District Hall - 355 W. Queens Road; or 
District Animal Shelter - 299 Mansfield Place 

* Dogs residing on First Nations land are not required to be licensed.  
Woof!

Robina & the Pack @
Wag Zone Urban Dog Retreat, Ltd.