Keeping snow-shy puppies & small breed dogs on track with housetraining is a cinch with one simple idea

Though it's not been the case so much the season so far, Michigan is no stranger to snow. Despite the fact that many dogs really love the white stuff, clients and readers often lament about their small and toy breed dogs – and yes, puppies – who refuse to go outside and get business done in the winter. It's not that uncommon, and you can't blame the pets for feeling the way they do.

Frustrated humans who are unable to convince their furry friends to get busy if it has snowed in many cases resort to using absorbent potty pads indoors. This isn't a terrible option, but understandably with puppies, wanting to stay on track with good outdoor habits that have been established is key. 

One way to keep the momentum going is with with help of something you likely have in your shed or garage: a tarp.

Before the next snowfall, simply lay out a tarp in a grassy area of your yard that your pooch prefers (ideally by the door). When it's time to go out, pull back the tarp and voila! Your pet has a snow-free area to use. 

Granted, not all snowfall is created equal – it can range from light and fluffy to heavy, wet precipitation to an icy mix, so getting out every so often to remove any accumulation before it gets too heavy to lift away might be needed. In any case, this idea can help to make the snowy season more manageable for every member of the family. 

Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Two growing scams bilk people of their pets - and even their money

Flickr photo by normack

Scams of all kinds are all too common, and it seems that those behind them become more crafty and heartless as the days go by.

Those involving pets for financial gain — two in particular — are a growing problem.

One that you may have heard of by way of the media in recent months, dog flipping, is harrowing not only for the humans who own the dogs, but the animals themselves.

No acrobatics involved

Dog flipping — essentially when one person finds a lost pet, or worse, steals them — and sells them for a profit (or at least attempts to).

The practice can also affect unsuspecting people who has unknowingly acquired a dog who has been flipped.

With avenues like Craigslist available, it's quite easy for flippers to move the dogs quickly.

Ads posted on sites like this by the dog's “owner” (the flipper) often cite that they can no longer afford to keep the pet, or that they're moving, or any other heartfelt plea that might elicit a lot of interest.

The ad usually indicates that there is a fee to “adopt” the animal because in doing so, the “owner” can be sure of a loving and stable home.

Of course, these strategies often work: who wouldn't want to help a pet in need because their owner has fallen on hard times and can't financially provide for their beloved dog, or are being evicted?

Being consumed by the emotion surrounding an issue like this — this scenario is common because of the economy over the past couple of years — one feels like they have little time to think and ask questions and only to act. Dog flippers count on that.

It's likely that there are many legitimate situations similar to the one I've used as an example on sites like Craigslist, but the important thing is to do your homework when getting a new-to-you pet, should you pursue that avenue.

A wolf in sheep's clothing

More and more people these days are hiring the services of a dog trainer, and this is not only in the case of when a problem arises, but encouragingly, before a puppy or re-homed dog arrives in the household. Families often want to be proactive about getting off on the right foot when it comes to training themselves so that they can better communicate with their four-legged friend.

The problem, in case you're not aware, there is no oversight when it comes to the field of dog training. Sure, there are certifications, but anyone, can call themselves a trainer.

You might be wondering what dog training has to do with an unscrupulous activity like dog flipping.

Unfortunately, there are those who will, while under the guise of being a dog professional, take your money — and your dog — and much like in the case of a dog flipper, it can be hard to get your dog back.

So how do they do it?

There are some dog trainers who will offer “board and train” options for clients at their own facilities. (I prefer professionals who offer private consultations or group training classes. After all, it's all about training the humans.)

Those posing as trainers to get your money — and quite possibly flip your dog — use this premise to achieve both of those goals.

A recent article in The Bark chronicled one family's experience with a thief posing as a dog professional offering board and train services. The man took the dog, the family's money — and disappeared.

How to protect pets from flipping or those posing as dog trainers:

   
• Don't leave your dog unattended (in public or in your yard). Dog flippers have been known to brazenly snatch a pet in broad daylight. Pure bred dogs and those who are still intact are very desirable to thieves.
       
• Have current pictures of your pets on hand. With the ease of smartphones today, it's a cinch. I take photos of my own pets and my charges often, just in case they become lost.
       
• Whether they are a homebody or not, every dog should be wearing a collar with identification tags. The tags should bear your last name, the dog's name, your telephone number (a cell phone number makes most sense) and address. I recommend to all of my clients that they have a tag made up with my contact info should something happen while under my care. Click here for more tips.
       
• Should your pet end up missing, time is of the essence. Quickly make up at least a few fliers to take immediately to highly trafficked areas like local veterinary clinics, pet stores and groomers and ask if you can put them up there. Staff in these businesses see and hear a lot of things!
       
• Utilize the power of the Internet and social media to get the word out. Facebook pages like Michigan-based For the Love of Louie are useful, and you can contact your local humane society or animal shelter to report your pet as missing. The Humane Society of Huron Valley has a resource to do this online.
       
• If your pet is recovered, be prepared to prove ownership. In addition to photos, make sure that your pet's vet records are accessible along with any other verifiable documentation.
   
• Microchip your pet. It's a fast, easy and inexpensive procedure that can positively identify your pet — even if their collar slips off or is removed. The key to a microchip's success is to be sure that you've registered the chip once it's implanted, and to update your information with the company that the chip is registered with as necessary. Click here to see how a microchipping procedure is performed.
       
• Answering a classified ad about a pet that needs re-homing, online or otherwise? Ask lots of leading questions beforehand, and don't be afraid to ask for proof of ownership. This includes verifiable veterinary records and things of that nature.
   
• Considering the services of a dog trainer or other pet professional that would have access to your pet in your absence (yes, even a pet sitter!). Do your homework. Researching most any pet professional online is simple, as is getting referrals from people that you know and trust. Don't be shy about requesting a few references that you can verify after you've had a meeting with them, and ask lots of questions. Keep in mind that transparency is key: a reputable pet professional has nothing to hide and will be happy to dialogue openly about what they do in plain English. Click here for more on things to consider when hiring the services of a dog trainer.

Lorrie Shaw is a blogger and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

'Proofing' is crucial part of dog training, but can often be overlooked

Flickr photo by 23am

Dogs learn valuable skills throughout their lifetimes. Some of these learned skills are the result of experiential learning through interaction with other animals, while others are learned by living amongst humans.

In the latter case, that's a combination of the simple day-to-day exchanges that we have (picking up on cues that we silently give; this is part of socialization), as well as the more obvious training that we initiate.

Training is important for a lot of reasons: it designates clear limits and boundaries, expectations and offers an enhanced way for dog and human to establish communication in this very human world.

Think of it this way: we as the responsible humans understand all-too-well the unpredictability that daily life can bring, and it's up to us to teach and reinforce specific, simple commands that are incorporated into training to help them navigate any situation that might avail itself.

Likely, the most valuable command — "come" (when called), or what's more widely referred to as "the recall" these days — is also one of the most challenging to teach and have resonance.

The reason? Oh, so many temptations, and so many variables that can sway a furry friend's attention. A squirrel, another dog, a human that they want to go and greet — you name it.

Having great recall is essential for obvious reasons, especially so that they can go off-leash say, at a dog park or whatever the case may be.

Anyone with a dog can relate to the sudden recall amnesia that they have at one time or another and that they usually exhibit at a most inopportune time. Oh, yes, I can recall times in Gretchen's young life when I thought that she'd mastered returning to my side whenever I called her if she was off-leash, only to see her ignoring me as she focused her attention on what was going on at the neighbor's, or on whatever.

The important thing to remember is that it happens to everyone, even experienced trainers. It's part of the learning process for a dog.

It's also helpful to keep in mind that simply because a canine masters a skill in a controlled environment, they aren't as good at applying it in every situation that they may find themselves in.

As with all aspects of training, it happens in steps, bit by bit.

A vital part of training — proofing, essentially testing their ability to follow though with responding to the command or prompt in various situations — is as important as introducing the command itself.

In a recent issue of The Bark, Karen London, PhD answered a vexing query from a reader, who asked why her pooch, who had seemed to have recall down pat at the dog park — a command that was reinforced with a high value treat — would suddenly ignore her prompt to come back to her and sprint to another person offering plain old dog biscuits.

London explains:

What you learned courtesy of the treat man at the park is that your dog does not know how to come when called while she was getting treats from somebody else. Furthermore, she seems to have learned that even when called, she doesn’t have to come, which may explain why her recall got worse (let’s not say “fell apart”!) and why she did not come when called even in other situations.

London, who is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), went on to say that there's a process that needs to follow teaching a command — proofing — and it takes roughly 100 steps. These steps can mean gradually changing the physical distance that is between the human and the dog, and the venue and the variables. In essence, the backyard is a different environment than the dog park, and there's the dog's best buddy standing on the other side of the dog beach, and so forth.

Further, she offers how to handle a situation when your pet fails to exercise what he has learned, without reinforcing the unfavorable behavior.

Click here to read this and more on recall and proofing from the article, Recall: Does Your Dog Really Know to Come When Called? Recall, Interrupted

Lorrie Shaw is a blogger and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.