​They say it takes a village to raise a child.  I would say the same goes for dogs especially if you're a pet enthusiast dipping your toes into the dog sports world!  Like many of you, my journey into dog sports started many years ago with my Java.  She was a very shy/underconfident dog and sports was what helped her gain her confidence.  Over the years, I have been lucky enough to learn from many trainers and many of them are now my friends, my support team and my cheerleaders.  My very first trainer gave me the confidence to continue and that eventually lead to Camp Doggin' It.  

I am pleased and honoured to have Carina Annis join our team of superb trainers!  She, like all Camp Doggin' It instructors, comes with a wealth of knowledge and loves to see people and their dog's bond flourish.  It doesn't matter what skills Carina teaches, she always finds a way of injecting fun and humour into the lesson plan.  Her keen eye and creativity help to steer you in the right direction should you hit some roadblocks.  She recognizes when you're ready to take the next step and more importantly, when you're not.  After all, the key to mastering new skills is not getting frustrated.  

Carina is coming to teach Engagement Games.  Whether you just want to have fun with Rover or if trialing is on the horizon, these games are with you in mind.  Not only will this session be fun, it will also enhance your connection with Sparky.  Having a strong relationship has many practical applications including building a solid recall, increased focus and attention (great when you're trying to maneuver through crowds) and having an engaged dog makes training and trialing so much more fun!

Find out more about Carina at Imagine Dog Training.

​One of the many joys of camp is seeing dogs and their people having fun trying out new sports and learning new skills.  Sometimes, I’m blessed with meeting a dog and handler team that inspires me to continue on with my own journey.  Leah and Ashton are one such team.  Here is their story:
 
“Ashton found his way to my home through Beaver Creek Farm Sanctuary. I was a little hesitant to foster a special needs dog as I was worried about how my other three dogs would react to him. I worried our Chihuahua would be a bully and my two large breed dogs would be grumpy if he bumped into them or got in the way. Once he showed up and I saw his amazing upbeat attitude and his willingness to learn I started to fall for him! Ashton was saved from a puppy mill in Ohio by Erie County SPCA. He was adopted but sadly his owner passed away which is how he ended up with BCFS which is an amazing rescue here in the Niagara Region. I was a foster home for them when they took him in and that’s how he ended up with us!
 
I knew within that first week that Ashton was an amazing, resilient pup. He had gone through so many big changes in his short life but was still so trusting and loving. A few applications came in for him and I felt sad and on edge every time which is something I’m normally excited about for our other fosters. As fate would have it every single person dropped out of adopting him so I knew he was meant to stay with us. He had finally found his forever home and we had found a diamond of a pup!
 
He is honestly our smartest pup. He figures out everything. He is the only one of our four dogs to figure out how to get around the baby gate separating the kitchen to the dog free zone (also know as our living and dining room lol). He has learned to navigate our farm like a champ which is no small feat for a blind dog as we have lots of stairs, fencing, outbuildings and obstacles. He knows where everything is - it is amazing to watch him walk, run and play like our other 3 dogs. My husband told me soon after he arrived that if Ashton could figure out how to use our doggie door we would consider adopting him. He started using it by day 3 and was completely comfortable with it around the 2-3 week mark.

Does your pooch seem to inhale food?  Did you know that eating too quickly can cause your dog to choke, vomit or regurgitate?  It is also believed that gulping air while they eat can lead to bloat which is life threatening. 

Skittles, like many other dogs, is highly food motivated.  She would definitely be a top contender at any speed eating contest!  Of course, I would rather slow down her eating habits than encourage it.  Here are a few of the things I've tried.  Some worked better than others - if you've got a speed eating demon, I encourage you to try them out for the health of your dog.

• Feeding smaller but more frequent meals.  This is an obvious solution that has 100% success rate.
• Using your dog food as training rewards.  Double bonus here - slow eating and proofing training skills! 
• Using a slow feeder.  It definitely slowed Skittles down a bit but not significantly.  I think a slow feeder might be more effective on a dog with a bigger muzzle.
• Using a treat dispensing toy.  There are lots of toys that make Rover work for the food.  The downside to it is that sometimes treats end up under your furniture - if you have a dog that is super food motivated, this might result in Sparky's nose under the couch or barking/pawing at the entertainment unit.
• Hide kibble in a snuffle mat.  Skittles loves hunting for buried treasure in her snuffle mat. Not only does this slow down her eating, it also harnesses her natural sniffing instinct. 
  

In a previous blog post, I introduced you to the benefits of pyramid tray.  I have to say that since I started using it, pyramid treats are my new go to rewards.   They are the perfect size, they don't crumble and my dogs find them super tasty!  ​

New puppies always means a LOT of treats in my house - potty training treats, treats for coming in the house promptly, household manners treats and of course, puppy obedience training treats.   Of course, I use kibble as part of my "puppy trail mix" but when we're in class, kibble just isn't high value enough to hold Skittles' attention.  Plus, little puppy bellies fill up quickly so small treats that are easy to dispense is what I needed.  
My friend, Dawn, introduced me to the Pyramid Mat - it's meant for cooking meat but when you flip it over, it's got hundreds of little cavities that are perfect for filling with your favourite treat batter.   I have made tuna treats (recipe below) a number of times now.  It takes no time at all, clean up is easy and there's no cutting.  This has quickly become my go to treat!;

For many dogs, there's nothing quite like frolicking in snow.  Of course we need to limit the time outdoors and also take care of our dogs paws over the winter.  Some dogs seem to be fine with walking on the cold pavement and salt while others are a bit more sensitive.  Regardless of your dog's preference, winter is a time when many of us spend a bit more time tending to their paws.  There's lots of products that will protect our furry friend's feet from the salt, snow and ice - everything from dog boots to paw creams.  Of course, there's DIY solutions as well.
Does your dog come in with snowballs hanging off her body?  Mine does!  I've found that the quickest way to remove them is to melt them using lukewarm water. Of course, I can just let them dissolve but I hate stepping in little puddles of water.  Another tip is to keep the hair at the bottom of their paws trimmed.  I use a clipper to get the hair between the pads.  This will prevent the snow from clumping on the bottom of their feet.
To remove the salt from their paws, you can set up a small washing station in your mud room.  A friend of mine has taught her dog to walk through a foot bath and then stand on a mat waiting for her paws to be dried.  Now that's a great, practical training trick!!  If this is too much, then perhaps a product like The Paw Wash would be of interest. 
You can also use paw protecting cream on your dog before going out for a romp in the snow.  Our friends at Earth Rated has posted directions on how to make your own. I will be making a batch of this soon - they would make great little gifts for all my dog friends!

Winter is challenging enough when you have small dogs but when the temperature drops so much that you think it’s the return of the ice age, it’s a challenge for all living creatures.  There are coats and booties that will help to protect our four legged friends but when it’s really cold or when the snow is too deep, it’s time to bring the games indoors and focus on mental rather than physical stimulation.
There’s many things you can do to keep you and your dog from getting a bout of “cabin fever”.  Some of my favourites are:

Teaching your dog some new tricks is a great way of burning off excess energy and if you’re so inclined, you can even work towards a Trick Dog title!  This is also an opportunity to work on Puppy Manners no matter what age your dog is.  After all, anything put on queue is a trick. 

I love watching Twizzler work for his dinner stashed inside a toy.  There are lots of puzzles you can buy that are terrific – Nina Ottason puzzles are my favourite as you can increase the level of difficulty.  You can also make your own puzzle.  One of the easiest is to hide food in a muffin tin by placing tennis balls over the holes.  You can also hide food or a toy in box.  Once your dog masters this, add more boxes.

One of the things I like to do is refresh my dogs’ stay and come commands.  I will sometimes spice it up by adding distance or distractions to the mix.  Or I’ll call out something other than “Come” to see if they break their stay.  Sometimes, it’s a race … first one to come and sit in front of me gets the treat.  These games not only proofs basic obedience skills but also gives me greater insight into my dogs’ capabilities.  (One of the most difficult challenges for Java was to stay when I called Scrumpy’s name.) 

This is a game where your dog is rewarded for every different thing they do with a box. The “box” can be anything at all – and, it has the added advantage of challenging you to remember all the behaviours! 

You can teach your dog a behaviour by breaking it down into small increments and rewarding for each step towards the final behaviour.  This is one of the best mental stimulation exercises for my dogs.  Sometimes what I shape has no purpose whatsoever; while others like targeting will be to teach a solid contact in agility. 

Whatever you do to while away the day with Rover, keep it light hearted and the both of you will have fun!

I recently came across an article about dogs with different greeting styles and the potential for creating reactivity problems (read the post here).  The author puts forward the notion that there are two types of dogs - the "My Dog Is Friendly" or MDIFs and the "Dogs In Need Of Space" or DINOS.  The article definitely struck a cord with me.  Twizzler is certainly a DINOS and has been know to demonstrate "a good offense is the best defense" behaviour - growling and barking at dogs he doesn't know. 

This article reminded me of the TV show Glee.  There are the popular football players who assault the not so popular Glee club members with slushies.  The scene ends, the athletes leave laughing while the Glee club try their best to collect themselves.  Later in the series, we see Glee club members walking through school donning rain ponchos in case of surprise slushie attacks - "a good offense is the best defense" tactic. 

The difference between Glee and dogs is that Glee members know that their nemesis is the football team.  Dogs on the other hand, can become hyper vigilant and may end up needing special behaviour modification.  With repeated incidents where DINOS are subjected to unwanted attention, they may start to generalize so that they become reactive to all dogs.  Often times, those with uber social dogs are not aware of the impact their dog may have on another dog because their dog is able to easily shake off incidents.  Let's face it we all see the world through our own experiences.  So those of us with DINOS will think "Why doesn't that person keep their dog in check?" while those with MDIFs will think "What's the big deal?  If your dog tells my dog off, it's OK."  The point is a dog shouldn't have to tell another dog off. 

Back in the days when I was taking puppy class, we were instructed to ask if it was OK for our dogs to meet.  I didn't quite appreciate the value in this simple lesson/courtesy until I had a DINOS.

Now that the days are longer and for the most part, the snow has melted, we start thinking about the summer ahead.  For those of us who love to train and maybe even trial, we're even more anxious to come out of "hibernation". 
Our flyball and agility instructor, Jen is a great example of someone who loves to train and trial.  All of Jen's dogs play multiple sports - flyball, agility, dock jumping are her favourites.  Jen knows that:

• It takes a lot of treats to train multiple dogs in multiple sports.  
• Using a variety of training rewards is a good way of keeping your dog engaged.

Many of us supplement the store purchased treats with homemade goodies.  Some of my favourites are:

• Salmon patties (recipe below)
  
• Meatballs (recipe below)
  
• Tuna Fudge
  
• Hot dogs (sliced into rounds, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until firm)
  
• Cheese
• Spam (cubed, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until firm)
  

When Java was on a restricted diet, I took her canned food and made treats out of it (cubed, place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until firm).

Got a favourite recipe that you're willing to share?  Send it in and I'll include it in my next post!

Salmon patties

• 1 can salmon, drained and smashed up with a fork
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• Italian bread crumbs
  

Mix all the ingredients together - add enough bread crumbs to bind.  Make into little patties.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 350 until firm but not hard.  Store when cooled in a sealed container in the fridge.  Patties can also be frozen.

Meatballs
This is super simple.  Take lean ground meat (I use chicken or beef) and make little balls.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 350 until they are cooked.  Store when cooled in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.