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Doberman Undómiel chews on pumpkin

Enrichment (Productivity, Sanity) in a Time of Social Distancing

    woman seated in chair head wrapped in silicone and plaster, with black Labrador puppy leaning into her lap and soliciting petting
    No worries! This was during a bodycasting session and she’s fine. Penny was unfazed by the weird faceless human. #socialization

    As many of you know, Clicker Expo was cancelled at the last minute last weekend. While we were all, attendees and faculty, disappointed (to put it mildly), I absolutely support the decision. I’m not going to talk about the math and what should have been done here before now, because that’s readily available. Today I want to talk about best behavioral practices in a time of increased isolation and even quarantine.

    Let’s talk about behavior and enrichment in both people and pets.

    array of puppy gear on wooden table

    17 Essentials: My Shopping Haul for New Puppy Gear

      Beagle puppy
      Not my puppy. But darned cute. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      What does a professional trainer buy for a new puppy? I already have a full complement of Kong toys and other standards, but you can always use a few new items. And sometimes there’s a special gap that needs to be filled — like during travel.

      (By the way, I’m not really trying to be coy when I only say “puppy” in this post; at this time of this writing, I actually don’t even know the puppy’s gender yet. I will happily introduce you all when things are settled.)

      array of puppy gear on wooden table
      some of the shopping haul

      Bringing home this puppy is a bit more complicated than usual — we’re flying back from Europe. So not only do I have to travel with a puppy, hotels and all, but I have to keep it happy — or at least quiet — for 10 hours in a pressurized tube.

      So, how does one plan for that? Here’s what I pulled out of storage, dusted off, or purchased new for the trip.

      Puppy’s First Tornado – Preparedness for Pets

        Tornado warning
        Tornado warning (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

        Spring came very late to Indiana this year, and I got complacent. With a lot fewer spring storms, I didn’t prep for tornados like I should have. So when the warning sirens went off a few minutes ago and I saw that a tornado had been sighted, I was unprepared.

        This is dumb. If you’re lucky, you get up to half an hour of tornado warning, if it’s considerate enough to touch down at a distance and with an observable and predictable path. The average warning time with today’s radar equipment is about 13 minutes, according to NOAA. But you might have just a few minutes, if even that.

        So I’m writing this post from my basement, waiting for the tornado to pass (it seems to be heading north of us) and making plans to improve my storm preparations.

        Why Do Dogs Lick?

          Do you know a dog who licks surfaces, people, or himself? A lot? Dr. Magnusson and I talk about why over at the Leo’s Pet Care blog. Check it out!

          Social, Civil, and Savvy: Training & Socializing Puppies to Become the Best Possible Dogs

          Don’t Socialize the Dog!

            That title is a typo, right? A professional dog trainer would never advocate against socialization, would she? Well, maybe!

            A Tribute to the Dog

              Before he became a U.S. Senator, George Graham Vest appeared in court on behalf of Charles Burden, whose favorite dog Old Drum was shot by Leonidas Hornsby in 1870.  Vest delivered a courtroom eulogy which made him famous and captured a bit of what we love about our canine companions.

              Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs

                Reproduced with permission.

                The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid.

                Training the “Crazy Dog”

                  I like crazy dogs. I like over-the-top dogs, dogs that come bounding in biting at their leashes (or anything else they can cram into their mouths). I like rambunctious, nutty, go-getters that exhaust their owners. Those are my favorite dogs to train.