How to Reduce Stress During Holiday Travel With Your Service Dog
Holiday travel with a Service Dog doesn’t have to be stressful. By following a few simple tips, you can reduce any difficulties associated with bringing your partner along for Christmas celebrations. Prepare Ahead of Time Preparing ahead for holiday travel solves many potential problems. If you’re flying, call the airline and let them know about your Service Dog. If you’re driving, look up good spots to stop so your Service Dog can stretch their legs. Having a solid plan in place means you don’t have to think about details on the day of travel. Preparing ahead also means packing for your dog. Divvy out individual meals and put your Service Dog’s gear in a small bag so it’s easily accessed. Bring extra food, medication, treats, and copies of documentation. It’s better to have a bit too much and not need it than to need more and not have it. If you’re traveling for an extended period, consider purchasing a bag of food once you reach your destination instead of trying to fly with or pack enough for several days. Understand Travel Buddies May Not “Get It” People who don’t routinely see you working with your Service Dog may not entirely understand what your partner does for you. Many people are lucky to have friends and family who support their Service Dog, but some teams might face criticism, disdain, or other difficulties when they return home for the holidays. Be prepared to enforce boundaries concerning your partner, especially regarding access and interaction. Many holiday guests may not “get” that your partner is working for you while around the house, so be sure to be clear about when your Service Dog is on duty and when they’re off duty. If there are children, consider using a visual cue that your partner is working or not. A bandana often works well for this. If your Service Dog has a bandana on, it’s like an invisibility cloak and the kids should pretend they can’t even see your dog. If your dog isn’t wearing a bandana, then they may be petted or played with. If you’d prefer that no one interacts with your partner except for you, then enforce that from the very beginning. Be clear and consistent in your expectations. Stick to a Routine Try to avoid changing your Service Dog’s routine during holiday travel if at all possible. If your partner generally eats at 10 am and 3 pm, do
How to Make a Dog Training Trail Mix
Using a dog training trail mix allows a trainer to offer a variety of high value and low value treats during training sessions. This keeps a dog's attention better than using only one type of treat. Furthermore, a dog training trail mix provides a wider balance of nutrients, which is important for young Service Dogs in Training because they often get the majority of their calories via training sessions. Dog training trail mixes supercharge training sessions by acting like a lottery -- is the next treat delivered going to be the most epic on the planet or is it only a piece of kibble? Your dog continues to work because not only do they want the treat, but they're holding out for the best treats possible. This also keeps your dog from working for only one type of reward. Additionally, it allows the trainer to include nutritious food such as kibble, freeze-dried raw, or other high-quality foods. Another great benefit of dog trail mixes uses a dog's nose to up the value of everything included in the mix. Kibble is pretty boring and dogs see it all the time in routine meals. However, if you include kibble in a training trail mix with hot dog slices, freeze-dried liver, and cheese chunks, all of a sudden, kibble carries more value. Your high value, and often more expensive, treats go further when combined with lower value options. Rewards to Include In a Dog Training Trail Mix When making a dog training trail mix, you'll want to include treats your dog likes. However, you'll also want to make sure all the included treats store well, aren't super messy, and will still be useable after a few days in a treat pouch or canister. Most trainers incorporate a balanced blend of high value and low-value dog treats in their trail mixes. Low-value treats are usually crunchy, with minimal stinkiness, and they aren't very interesting. High value treats usually are soft, smelly bits of yumminess your dog doesn't see or get often. Included treats should be bite-sized, about the size of a piece of kibble. Smaller dogs need smaller treats. Bigger dogs can manage bigger treats, but there's nothing wrong with using smaller ones for them, too! If you're using your dog's meals for training sessions, try to ensure included rewards are nutritionally balanced. Using high-value food-based elements like Ziwipeaks air dried, Wellness CORE tender bites, Zukes mini naturals, Bixbi
Celebrate Fall With This Pumpkin Spice KONG Recipe
Special thanks to Kong Artist Taylor McDonald and her pup Bindi for this awesome fall KONG dog toy recipe with pumpkin spice filler! Follow Bindi and Taylor's adventures at their Instagram, Bindi's Bucket List, where they post canine enrichment ideas and creative KONG recipes of all kinds. What You'll Need One or More Appropriately Sized KONG Dog Toy (or other stuffable treat toy) 100% Raw Pureed Pumpkin Artificial Sweetener Free Whipped Cream Bully Stick, Greenie, Dental Stix, or other chewie Optional: A Bit of Your Dog's Regular Kibble Optional: A Mug or Cup How to Make a Pumpkin Spiced Kong for Your Dog Assemble your ingredients and KONG dog toys (or other treat toys). Scoop a bit of pumpkin into the bottom of the KONG with a spoon. Add some kibble to the middle, if you're including part of your dog's regular meal. This helps up the nutritional value of the recipe. Furthermore, kibble adds a variety of textures to the pumpkin and whipped cream mixture. Fill the remainder of the KONG toy with pumpkin once you're finished with the kibble or other middle fillers. Consider mixing the kibble and pumpkin together for a great challenge, if you're planning on freezing the KONG. Add a dollop of whipped cream to the top of the KONG. Bonus points if you get part of the whipped cream to sink into the pumpkin as if it's "melting." Insert the bone or long-lasting chewie into the top of the KONG on a slant. Leave at least 2/3s of the length exposed for beginner puppies or dogs. For more advanced dogs, leave just the end visible. Repeat for each KONG toy you're stuffing. For added challenge or for more experienced puzzle solvers, place the finished KONG upright in a mug, cup, or several together in a bowl. Freeze them before presenting the mental stimulation toy(s) to your dog for some Fall fun!
5 Tips for Attending School with Your Service Dog
It’s that time of year again, back to school! As you are hurrying around getting all of your school supplies in order and planning for the year ahead, make sure that you spend some time making sure your Service Dog is all set-up for the new school year as well.
Ideas for High Value Dog Training Treats
High value dog training treats provide your dog with lots of motivation to focus and work. These are the gold standard of dog training treats, the ones your dog will do anything to earn. While every dog likes different things, try some of the suggestions on this list to add variety to your high value treat mix. Tripe - freeze dried, roasted Cheese - cubes, slivers, shreds, string Hot dogs - quarter & use raw or bake / microwave to remove moisture Natural Balance rolls - diced (instructions here) Chicken - roasted, boiled, freeze dried Steak - cubed without seasoning Sardines - cubed Sliced gizzards Sliced hearts Wet cat food - on a spoon & frozen for easy licking and reward presentation Peanut butter -- freeze on a spoon for easy reward presentation Popcorn - cheese flavored Meatballs Liver - freeze dried or baked Bacon Cheese Whiz Baby food (meat based) Sausage bites Jerky Bil-jac
Easy Ways to Exercise Your Service Dog Indoors During Inclement Weather
For dogs, a huge part of remaining physically and mentally sound involves exercise and lots of it. When the weather goes wild, so can an understimulated, bored, pent up dog! Inclement weather often causes major issues with getting enough activity to keep a Service Dog focused, relaxed, and happy. Learn about indoor energy burners and some easy alternatives anyone can use! Service Dog trainers and handlers everywhere know that top performance from a canine partner requires careful balancing of work, play, and learning. Any deficits in a dog's care can cause an avalanche of issues with a dog's training or work, especially if the lapse involves nutrition, rest, or exercise. Exercise in particular, experts say, has the biggest ripple effect on a dog's behavior. "A tired dog is a happy dog," canine behaviorists often joke. However, a lack of activity is no laughing matter, as it can disrupt even the most well-trained dog's ability to focus and function. Unfortunately for dog lovers everywhere, though, Mother Nature doesn't care about your Service Dog's exercise needs. Endless rain, gray skies, and chilly temperatures often make going outside to exercise your Service Dog a real challenge. When inclement weather continues for days or even weeks on end, it can get increasingly more difficult to meet your Service Dog's need for a solid workout. Fortunately, though, there are tons of easy ways to exercise a dog indoors, some of which you may not have considered! Use Your Dog's Natural Play Style to Exercise Indoors To discover ideas that might work for you and your dog, begin by examining your dog's play style. Different breeds tend towards distinct categories of play, but every dog remains an individual. As an example, lots of herding dogs play chase games. Many bully breed dogs, however, prefer body slamming and full contact wrestling. What types of games and activities does your partner enjoy? Many play styles readily adapt to indoor activities. Pups who enjoy tugging, contact and wrestling games, or softer / solo play types entertain easily indoors. Think creatively and use items lying around the house. Maybe dining room chairs magically morph part of a maze or a blanket becomes a hideout for a chase game. Full Body Motions Burn Lots of Energy (and Yeah, a Bit of Equipment Helps) For dogs with more active play styles or those with higher energy, working on jumps, send outs, or highly physical tricks offer plenty of opportunities to burn
How to Make Your Home Dog Friendlier
Whether you have a pet, a service dog in training or other type of working dog, safety-proofing your home not only makes for a happier place for your dog, but a less stressful place for you as well. Here's a great infographic that explains some easy ways to make your home dog friendlier from AXA.ie.
What happens after a Service Dog retires?
What happens to these faithful companions when they hang up their service vest and retire from their former positions?
How to Make Budget Friendly Frozen Dog Treats
No matter the temperature outside, frozen dog treats are always a hit! Use items you already have in your kitchen to whip up some homemade, budget-friendly goodies for your working or Service Dog.
How to Celebrate the Holidays with Your Service Dog
Holidays are not only a great time to celebrate with your friends and family, but also your Service Dog. Here are 10 great ways to celebrate the holidays with your Service Dog: