Dog Care 101

Yes, your dog is cute. But how cool would it be to give your dog a high-five?! “Good Boy, Fido!” followed by a head pat can quickly become “Good Boy, Fido! High-Five” followed by interspecies coolness. What’s more awesome than that?

BestBullySticks.com knows once your dog has mastered standard training commands, a few tricks in your dog’s training scholarship and your dog will not only be the cutest and best behaved at the dog park, but the most talented as well! Plus, we thought it would be fun to send off National Train Your Dog Month with a little something extra.

Teaching the High-Five Trick

Need: Training Treats, Training Treat Pouch & a Clicker

If you’re not familiar with clicker training, read up on it here. Also, your dog must have the “sit” command mastered before teaching this trick.

Step 1
Have your dog sit in front of you. Place a desirable treat in your hand and make a fist. Let your dog sniff your hand to let them know the treat is there. Move the hand with the hidden treat above your dog’s head, just out of reach. Have the clicker ready in your other hand. Read more

January is National Train Your Dog Month and one way to have the best-behaved dog on the block is to find a great dog trainer! BestBullySticks.com is here to give you some tips and tricks to find the best trainer out there.  

Referrals
Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of dog trainers you find in the phone book or online. Go to happy customers that you know will give you an honest opinion: your friends and family. Even ask your favorite animal shelter or vet whom they would recommend.

Qualifications & References
It’s obviously important that your dog trainer be experienced and competent. Most likely a trainer will have multiple sets of initials after their name. But what do they even mean? A quick check on Association of Pet Dog Trainers can tell you the trainer’s qualifications by the initials after their name. Since there is no required certification or licensing for a dog trainer, it’s even more important to know what formal knowledge a dog trainer possesses. Also directly ask the trainer how long they’ve been training and ask for references. Any legitimate dog trainer will have no issue putting you in touch with their past clients. You can also double check if a trainer is truly a part of a professional organization by checking the entity’s website.

Methods
Not all trainers will use the same methods to train your four-legged best friend. Research Dominance, Positive, Balanced and Specialized training methods and know which method your trainer could use. If you’re ever uncomfortable with a trainer’s method, find another trainer. Every trainer is different and so is every dog. Read more

It’s a sunny day and you want to get outside. Why not take Fido? BestBullySticks.com knows a walk with your dog not only clears your head but is great exercise for both of you! However, if your dog isn’t leash trained, walking your dog can be a pain more than a pleasure. Best Bully Sticks can help! January is not only National Train Your Dog Month, but also National Walk Your Pet Month!

Before You Walk
Before venturing out in your neighborhood, to the dog park or on an outdoors adventure, make sure your dog is:

Comfortable with the Equipment
Your dog’s collar and leash are obviously very important, but you must make sure your dog isn’t nervous or scared around them. If your dog seems skittish around these objects begin by simply placing them in the same room and letting your dog become comfortable with the objects themselves. Once your dog seems relaxed and can approach the collar, lead or harness without fear, move on to putting them on your dog. Let your dog wear the collar, harness and leash around the house with a loose leash. As your dog becomes more comfortable, start picking up the lead while your dog is eating or playing. Then take short walks around your house, but never pull or restrain. The point is to get your dog to understand the feel of the equipment.

Relaxed
When you’re ready to walk, your dog might be really excited! That’s great! However, make sure your dog is relaxed and still when you “suit up” for your adventure. When Fido realizes a walk is coming, train him to have all four paws on the ground before you attach his harness and lead. This sets a precedence of you being in charge before the walk even begins. Read more

January is celebrated as “Train Your Dog Month,” so BestBullySticks.com thought we would help you “feed two dogs with one bone” if you will. Training is not only highly beneficial to building a strong relationship with your dog, but is also a great resolution for the New Year! So, train your dog and check something off your list by following the Healthy Dog Blog’s Dog Care Tips for the next four weeks! This week we’ll cover simple ways to make training successful for any dog.

Train Early & Often
The sooner you start training your dog, the more natural positive behaviors become in later life. Beginning at 8 weeks, start simple commands with your puppy. Training guru, Victoria Stilwell says early training trumps any genetic disposition. Working with your dog a little every day will ingrain positive behaviors as well.

Speak Your Dog’s Language
See the world through your dog’s eyes. Use what you know about your dog to train them. Also use a common language that can last. Clear hand signals and voice commands are necessary and remember to reward behaviors you want repeated.

“Listen” Carefully
Knowing your dog well is important for the training process. Paying attention to your dog’s facial expressions, ear, eye and body movement will tell you how not only your dog is responding, but how you determine your counter response.

Be Confident
All dogs need to feel secure and as their leader, you must espouse a calm, confident demeanor that lets your dog know they’re in safe hands. Training should be about encouragement and strengthening positive behavior, not about submissiveness.

Diet & Active Lifestyle
Keeping your dog on a wholesome diet and letting your dog get plenty of exercise will help your dog behave positively. Just like in your life, eating well and exercise improve demeanor and mood. Exercising especially prevents a dog from becoming bored, and thus potentially destructive.

Stay Positive
Never use harsh tactics to train your dog. It’s much more beneficial to you, your dog and your relationship to use positive reinforcement methods. Use Bravo! Turkey Training Treats or any of BBS’s other great dog treats to make Fido enjoy the training process.

Keep Training
Training is never over! By consistently working with your dog, no matter how long you’ve owned them or how old they are, training always promotes positive behaviors. It also allows great one-on-one quality time with Fido!

Have Fun!
Always remember to enjoy your dog! You chose the companionship of a dog because they bring joy into your life! Playing with your dog reduces stress. Snuggling with your dog is just plain wonderful. And, taking your dog on a walk makes both of you feel better.

Happy Dog Training Month! Use these techniques to start your successful dog-training journey! Check back next week on the Healthy Dog Blog for more Dog Training Tips!

Happy Christmas Eve! If you haven’t already started your holiday festivities, BestBullySticks.com knows there will soon be a whirlwind of places to be and people to see. We urge you not to leave your dog out of the holiday happenings! However, there are a few things to remember to keep Fido happy and healthy during this busy time of year. Here are a few quick tips to remember this Christmas!

1. Stay Calm! Your dog can feel your stress. Spending a little quiet time with your dog during your busy day will help both of you de-stress.

2. Keep to your Daily Routine. Dogs thrive on a predictable routine, so don’t throw him for a loop just because it’s the Holidays. 

3. Wear him out! If you’re worried about your dog being rambunctious before your big holiday get-together, play hard right before the party! This will ensure Fido will be too tired to get into too much trouble.

4. Food Prep & Food Precautions. Food prep and presentation objects like toothpicks in food or cooking bags can easily become foul play when your dog is trying to sneak a bite. Make sure your food is out of reach or free of anything that could cause Fido harm. Make sure you also keep a tight lid on the garbage can!

5. Pretty Poisonous Plants. Toxic holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, ivy, Christmas cactus and poinsettias. Call your vet or poison control immediately! National Poison Control can be reached at: 888-426-4435 and 900-680-0000

6. Visitors & Guests. If your dog isn’t used to being around large groups of people, a major holiday isn’t the time for socialization training. Keep Fido nice and cozy in a crate or his favorite room of the house. Visit your dog every once in a while to let him know everything is okay. If your dog is out, make sure you tell all your guests not to feed any table scraps! Also make sure your dog won’t bolt out the door every time a new guest enters your home.

BestBullySticks.com hopes these quick tips will help you remember Fido’s needs during the Holiday season. Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!