Orange TKO

If orangey citrus smells appeal to you, you will love this product as much as we do!  Not only does it do a fantastic job of deodorizing pet accidents, it also leaves an orangey citrus scent in its wake.  In addition, we haven’t seen a product work so quickly and effectively in both deodorizing and stain removal.  It is safe to use around your pets and we have to give an extra nod for it’s environmental friendliness.  The product is completely biodegradable as well.  Check out their website at www.tkoorange.com for more information.  Are you in the Calgary area?  Pick it up exclusively at Especially 4 Pets.

Urine Off

While we here at Metropawlitan Dog Training haven’t tried this product ourselves, we’ve had enough clients and fellow colleagues raving about this product that we couldn’t help but mention it to you here as well.  Many times when accidents happen in the home, our pets are more drawn to go back to the area they have eliminated in before.  This is because they are attracted to the smell of uric acid (a component of your pet’s pee), which is extremely difficult if not impossible to get out with normal household cleaners.  The Urine Off has a special formula that contains enzymes that are designed specfically to remove this uric acid in the area you are cleaning, thus preventing pets from returning to the same place and having an accident there again.  Interested in more information?  Click on their website here to find out more!

Oxi-Clean

While this product isn’t officially known as a pet stain removal product, we have found much success in removing all sorts of stains (pet related or not) with minimal damage to our home furnishings and carpets.  While it works like bleach in removing even old and tough stains, we’ve never experienced the harmful discoloring side effects that bleach can have when cleaning your carpets and fabrics when using this product.  We love it so much that  it’s become a household staple in our home!  Check out their site at www.oxiclean.ca for more information on their product!

Simple Solution Spot Spotter – Black Light Detector

This black light detector is a great tool to have if you have a dog who has been a consistent repeat offender.  Not sure if you cleaned up all his mistake areas?  Shine the black light around your home and you can instantly see which spots you missed!  Get to them before Metro can again!  This is a great preventative in helping you stop your dog from eliminating in different areas in your home repeatedly, especially when used in conjunction with the Urine Off product!  Pick it up today at your online store at Petsmart!

Bissell Carpet Cleaner

If at first, twice, three times, you don’t succeed, get the Bissell ProHeat 2X Pet Carpet Cleaner.  For the worst stubborn and old stains, there’s nothing tried and true like this machine.  It works best with its Bissell carpet cleaning formulas.  Even the most stubborn and obnoxious stains come out after 2-3 applications with the cleaner and formula.  It’s a must have if you have a dog who is a repeat offender, if you really value fresh, new looking carpets, or if you have a dog who is prone to sensitive stomach issues.  A word of warning, as it is a normal household cleaning product, we strongly recommend cleaning any fresh accidents with Urine Off first to enzymatically remove the uric acid, then, letting it dry and then use the carpet cleaner afterwards to ensure your dog doesn’t repeat offend in that area.  Check out Bissell’s website for more information on their products.

Metropawlitan’s Puppy Potty Training 101

One of the biggest foundations of a well mannered canine citizen is a dog that learns to do his business outside in whatever designated area you have set up for him.  We here at Metropawlitan Dog Training have set up a super easy system to help you potty train your new puppy in the fastest, most effective way possible.  After having potty trained dozens and dozens of puppies both through our puppy classes as well as at the daycare at Especially 4 Pets, we are happy to reveal to you our own little secrets that we’ve found works the best across puppies of all ages and sizes.

Puppy Potty Development: How to Work With Mother Nature

Working with your puppy’s natural biorhythms can make potty training a breeze.  Every pup is different – some pups pick up on potty training super quickly and catch on within a day or two.  In contrast, we have also worked with many pups who have slow developing bladders and take a few months to catch on.  Regardless of your puppy’s development, the most important thing is to pay attention to his potty signals, supervise, and contain when you can’t actively keep an eye on Metro, and keep on top of your feeding/water/potty schedule.  By manipulating when they are getting fed as well as last access to water for the night, we can also help to teach your puppy to potty to a schedule that works for your own personal daily schedule.  It also helps to build a reward system in your puppy potty training regimen so that your puppy learns to want to go in a certain spot or when he hears a certain command.

As a general rule of thumb, here is a list of the most typical times when a puppy or new dog will need to go during the day:

• When they wake up
• About 20 minutes after they eat or drink
• After a bath or some other exciting event
• When they arrive at a new place
• Whenever they are more active (e.g. after a really active play session or during a walk) – the motion tends to get their bowels moving, making alot of puppies want to have to go

As another very general rule of thumb, the number of months your puppy is old is approximately the number of hours of how long he can hold his bladder for during the day.  For example, if your puppy is two months old, chances are, he will need to be taken to potty about every two hours.  When your puppy is three months old, he will need to be taken to potty about every three hours, and so on and so on.  This is a very general rule of thumb!  Smaller pups may need to go more frequently, while some pups develop bladder control quickly and can hold their pee for longer.  Always monitor your puppy carefully to make sure he has ample opportunity to eliminate outside rather than inside your home.

Signs of Needing to Potty

So what are some of the typical signs to watch for that show your puppy needs to eliminate?  Look for typical signs like circling, sniffing, (or if you’re a little late) squatting.  Some pups  give less obvious signals such as suddenly losing interest in what they were doing previously (e.g. playing) right before they need to go as well.  Learn to read your particular puppy’s body language that indicates that he’s got to go!  This can help you take him out to the right area to go before he makes an accident in your home.

Your Potty Training Schedule

Be sure you can actively supervise your puppy at all times that he is out with you, especially if he is new in your home!  Remember: an ounce of prevention can help you to avoid a pound of accidents and clean up later on!  When you are home, allow your puppy to hang out with you on a leash and collar.  For young pups, we like to have the leash tied to us so we can actively supervise Metro at all times.   This helps not only to prevent your puppy from chewing things he shouldn’t be allowed to, but also to catch your puppy pottying in your house, and being able to redirect him to potty outside instead.  Every few hours (the time will change depending on the age of your pup), take your puppy out with you on the leash, to his designated puppy pottying area.  Bring some soft, tasty treats with you concealed in your pocket.  Tell Metro to “Go Bathroom” in a gentle, quiet voice.  When Metro does potty, immediately tell him “Yes” in the same calm quiet manner, just as he is done squatting, and feed him a treat.  Timing is everything!  We want to mark the good behavior he’s doing the second he is doing it so he clearly understands what he is getting rewarded for!

Reward for a Good Potty!

By making it rewarding for him to go outside in front of you, we accomplish two things.  First, we show him that it’s not bad to potty in front of us, it’s just a matter of where that is good or bad.  This helps to prevent problems down the road of a dog that will sneak off behind your back to another room in your house to potty because he’s too uncomfortable to do it in front of you.  Second, when we show him that it is rewarding for him to go in his potty area, he will want to repeat that behavior in that same location more and more.  If your puppy does businesses 1 and 2, make it a huge celebration and take him out for a short walk as his reward, or take him to a new room in your house and play with him.  This is how we teach our puppies to stay clean when we go on outings with them.  Now as adults, if our dogs know we are going somewhere with them, they will rush to eliminate in their bathroom area so they can get the big reward of coming out with us.

When Your Puppy Doesn’t Go

Be patient with the process!  Some puppies will go right away, while other puppies like to take their time finding exactly the right spot to go.  Allow your puppy ample time to eliminate comfortably.  That being said, set a reasonable time limit for yourself so that you aren’t stuck waiting an hour for your puppy to go!  On average, for most puppies, 5-10 minutes is more than enough time for them to potty.  If your puppy still hasn’t gone after this time, bring him back into the house and put him in his kennel for another hour before trying again.

This prevents accidents and teaches your pup that the only way to gain freedom or time with you is to go when he is asked to go (clear communication makes potty training way faster).  We love introducing our pups to new rooms in our house (on leash of course) only after they have pottied outside.  This helps us to ensure that he is empty when he investigates a new room, and prevent accidents when he’s being introduced to our house.

How Crate Training Can Speed Up Puppy Potty Training

Teaching your puppy to relax in his crate while you are unable to supervise him is a great, natural way to help you speed up your potty training progress.  Dogs are naturally denning animals.  As such, dogs and puppies with a healthy state of mind will avoid eliminating in their sleeping and/or eating places if possible.  By treating the kennel as your puppy’s den or nest, we can already guarantee that it will be one place that he will avoid eliminating himself in at least this one area in our house.  As your puppy gets older, we start to expand his freedom gradually, from his crate, to one room in the house, where he will treat as his den, to three rooms etc. until your pup understands that your entire house is to be treated as his den.  By doing this gradually, we also help your puppy to prefer eliminating outside or in his designated potty area rather than all over your house.  Please see our previous post on puppy crate training to help you get started on this wonderful training tool.

How Doggy Daycare Can Help

While taking your puppy out frequently works well for the days you have time off, what happens on a typical working day?  Try to arrange for a friend or a reputable dog walker that you can trust to come to your home to let your puppy out as frequently as he needs to go.  For a better piece of mind, enroll your puppy at a local doggy daycare.  In a well run daycare, this is a great way to help reinforce your puppy’s potty training habits (a good daycare will ensure that all the dogs are taught to eliminate outside), socialize your puppy to other appropriate dogs for better manners, and help to tire your puppy out so that by the time you come home, you can benefit from a more relaxing evening with your pup.  Click here to find out more information on selecting the right doggy daycare for you in your local area!

And If Accidents Happen…

While we have been blessed with the rare one or two puppies that catch on to potty training right away, chances are, most puppies will have an accident somewhere down the line.  This is nothing to get frustrated over.  Rather, just be prepared that at some point, it may happen.  When it does, if you catch your puppy in the act, calmly, without anger, tell him “No”, and pick him up and place him in his designated puppy pottying area to finish his business.  If he finishes, reward him with a treat and take him back on a leash with you.  Be sure to keep him away from the accident area until you have thoroughly cleaned and deodorized it so he isn’t tempted to go potty there again!  If Metro happens to do it without you catching him in the act, calmly place him in his kennel and clean up the mess.  Unfortunately, disciplining him when you didn’t catch him in the act is ineffective and can teach your puppy to mistrust when he’s in the presence of urine or feces without knowing why.

Check back on our upcoming post to find out which potty training cleaning products we’ve tried and loved the most!

Maintaining Good Potty Training Into Adulthood

So how does potty training transfer into adolescence and adulthood?  By making sure you maintain a consistent schedule for pottying your puppy and keep to it.  As your pup gets older, he will need to go outside less, and less, but make sure that each time he does go out, he has ample opportunity to finish his business before you bring him back in.

Monitor his water intake the end of the day to make sure he doesn’t have any accidents overnight.  We like to give water freely throughout the day, but take it up as soon as we take our puppy for their last pee break for the night.

Start recognizing Metro’s signals to you that he needs to go.  If you have been following our potty training program to this point, your dog should start showing signals that he needs to get outside after a few weeks or a few months.  Pay careful attention to your dog as each one gives this signal in his own way.  Some dogs will start heavily panting while they keep moving towards the door.  Our past Akita used to wake us up if she had to go in the middle of the night by breathing in our face.  My German Shepherd now, will poke me with her nose and run to the door.  If your puppy starts doing something out of the ordinary, see if it is a signal and take him out.  As soon as your dog shows these signals, ask him “Do you need to Go Bathroom?” in an excited voice.  If he gets more excited, take him outside to his potty area and tell him to “Go Bathroom”.  As soon as he does, make it a huge celebration for him and reward him with a huge play session or walk for letting you know he had to go.

Artificial Signals

Through our puppy classes, we’ve been asked countless numbers of times about teaching puppies to ring the doorbell or ring a bell to go outside to pee.  While this is a neat little trick, we find lots of dogs learn that simply ringing the bell means to go outside, whether or not they actually have to go potty.  Alot of dogs taught this trick will ring the bell not only when they have to potty but also when they want to hang around outside or bark at something in the yard.  This is why we refrain from teaching this particular skill.  Artificial signals can be useful, yes, but they can also be just that – artificial.

Check back next week for our house training post and find out how to teach your dog to live pleasantly with you without all the destructive chewing, stealing, and digging that comes with puppyhood!

So What is Crate Training?

Puppy crate training in a nutshell is teaching your puppy to go into and settle in his kennel whenever you ask him to.  It is a great tool to use to keep your puppy in a safe place when you are unable to actively supervise him.  At Metropawlitan Dog Training, we also treat the puppy’s crate as his own personal bedroom – a place where he can get away from the world and have some peace and privacy whenever he needs to.

Why Does Crate Training Work?

The concept is based on the natural denning instincts of dogs or wolves in the wild.  A small enclosed area offers a safe place for your dog to relax without having to be worried about something scary sneaking up and surprising him from behind.

The Benefits of Puppy Crate Training

Puppy crate training can prevent separation anxiety and teaches your puppy how to deal with the world and settle when you are not present.  This is a really important lesson, as there are inevitably times where we will need to leave our pup home alone, such as for when we go to work or need to run some household errands.

Crate training puppy also helps immensely in progressing quickly with minimal accidents in puppy potty training.  A healthy, mentally sound puppy will not choose to eliminate where he sleeps.  Because of this, the crate is a great place to teach your puppy not to potty in.  As he gets older, we gradually increase his resting space to include the room the crate is in, and eventually the entire house, so he learns not to eliminate in your home at all.  This is the first crucial step to effective puppy potty training.  Check back for our next post on how we potty train Metropawlitan puppies.

It also prevents puppy from finding mischief and learn habits of destructively chewing your house or things he shouldn’t get into.  If he can’t access it, he can’t destroy it.  Also, the more he practices a behavior like destructive chewing, the better he’ll get at it so the whole purpose of crate training is to create a situation where we never let him practice it in the first place!  Check back for next week’s post on puppy house training and how we use this wonderful tool as a part of helping us successfully house training your new puppy.

Even if you rarely use a crate in your adult dog’s life, it is super important to get puppy used to a crate now.  If you ever travel by air or by car with your dog or puppy, travelling in a crate is the safest and sometimes, the only means he has to travel.  It is much less stressful on your pup if he already has an understanding that a crate is his safe place to be prior to making such trips.

Will your puppy ever need to make visits to your local veterinarian boarding kennel, or grooming parlor?  Chances, are, in such facilities, having a puppy that is crate trained not only makes it easier for the staff to handle your dog, it makes it much less stressful for your dog when he does visit there as well.  Because a crate trained puppy already understands the concept of a kennel, being confined for a short period of time in each place will make the visit much less stressful for him as well.

How to Crate Train Your Puppy

Introduce the crate with the door open at all times initially.  Throw a few tasty, soft pieces of food near the entrance of the crate.  Say yes, as your puppy goes to sniff or take the food.  Allow your puppy to back out if he wants to.  We want to show him that he isn’t trapped by entering this area.  As your pup becomes more confident, throw the food farther and farther into the kennel, encouraging him to step in to get the food.  When your puppy is enthusiastically bounding in after the food, introduce your kennel command.  We here at Metropawlitan see the crate as a positive place for your dog to be, so we use the word “Go Nest” to help associate and remind us that it is a good place to be.  When your puppy is eagerly bounding in as soon as he hears you say the word and toss the food, it is time to move to the next step.

Tell your puppy to “Go Nest” and toss a handful of food in.  While he is eating inside,  reward him with his meal in his dish or in our favorite alternative, an interactive toy,  inside the kennel and calmly and quietly praise “Good Nest”.  At this point, we like to feed our puppies all their meals in the kennel.  This really reinforces the concept of the crate being a good place to be.  After a few days, you should notice your puppy eagerly bounding towards the kennel whenever it is meal time.  He should be comfortably staying in there while he finishes his meals.  When he is at this point, we can move to the next step.

Over the next few sessions, close the door and until your puppy is finished eating.  The immediately open it and let him come out.  Be sure you are nonchalant about the process.  It is not a celebration to come out.  If we make it one, we just make him anxious about leaving the kennel and eventually he won’t want to go in.  For longer periods, try freezing his kibble or food in an interactive, treat dispensing toy and giving it to him in his kennel frozen.  It will take him much longer to eat food frozen in a toy, and will give him more time to relax and settle in his crate.  You could also provide him with a natural chew, such as a bully stick or beef tendon – we love the ones made by Puppy Love that can be found at Especially 4 Pets.

Making Crate Training Fun

We can also make crate training a little funner for us and our puppies by teaching him to be sent to his crate.  Have a handful of food with you, and as you approach the crate, pretend to toss the food in as you say “Go Nest”, but keep the food in your hand.  When Metro darts in after the food, tell him “Yes” and then toss the food into the kennel.  This teaches him to run into his kennel and then get his reward afterwards.  Our pups at Metropawlitan often eagerly dart into their crates, eagerly awaiting their rewards or meals that they know are coming.

What Puppy Crate Training is NOT

Your puppy crate should never ever be used as a punishment!  If you treat it as such, your dog will never want to go in there again, and house training, travel, and potty training will all be made infinitesimally more difficult.

While a puppy crate is a great way to confine your dog to an area where he is safe, it is not designed to leave your dog there for excessively long periods of time.  Be sure you allow your pup plenty of supervised time with you outside of the kennel, and ample opportunities to go potty outside in your designated potty area to keep him happy, clean and healthy.

Check back to our blog shortly for more hints and tips on our Metropawlitan puppy raising methods.  In our next few posts, we will cover how to use your puppy crate to help you manage potty training and house training while being fair to your pup all at the same time.

Congratulations on Getting Your New Puppy!

But finding your puppy may have been just the first of many decisions you will need to make with your new friend.  With all the hype around puppy classes and puppy daycare, how do you know which school is really the right one for you?

Puppy Training and Daycare: Is it Really Necessary?

With the number of dog owners and new puppy owners we encounter on a regular basis the answer is always a resounding YES!  While it can be a pricey endeavor for the first few months of your puppy’s life, investing in both can lend to a lifetime of contentment and enjoyment with your puppy.

The younger you start working and training your puppy, the easier it becomes to show your pup that your rules, boundaries, and limitations inside and out of your home are basically just a way of life.  Having a professional trainer and team of puppy daycare attendants who have had the experience of raising many pups before can help you avoid many unforeseen pitfalls in the future as your puppy grows.  Early puppy training, when done properly can also develop your pup into a confident, happy, active learner, that is curious about the environment around him.  A good puppy class will also teach you how to help a more timid puppy overcome stressful situations through proper socialization exercises and skills taught in class.  A good puppy daycare will teach your puppy to overcome the stress of dealing with your absence, and teach him proper manners and confidence development around other dogs.

Puppy Socialization

So what is socialization exactly?  Properly defined, socialization is the process of exposing your puppy to new environments, sounds, people, and other dogs to help build his confidence around new and unfamiliar situations.  The more you socialize your puppy, the better he will be able to deal with the real world around him.  But here’s the catch:  there is a very big difference between good socialization and poor socialization!  Poor socialization would be allowing your puppy to be exposed to new situations, sounds, people or other dogs, where he learns to lose confidence in his surroundings.  Typical examples are new people or children overwhelming a timid puppy, or even bringing your puppy to an off leash park where he gets cornered or worse yet, attacked by another dog.  Remember: between the ages of 8 weeks to 8 months, whatever your puppy experiences, good or bad will be written on the slate of his personality forever.

Here at Metropawlitan Dog Training, we have refined and refined our definition of what proper socialization means.  Proper socialization means exposing your puppy to real life situations and train your puppy to have a positive view on what’s happening around him.  But proper socialization by Metropawlitan Dog Training also means training your puppy how to respond in a well mannered way around these new situations, new surfaces, new people, sounds, or new dogs.  This is absolutely crucial!!!  A confident, boisterous puppy visiting with new people isn’t so pleasant when he’s interacting with them by jumping all over them and grabbing their clothing with his teeth.  A timid puppy visiting with new people finds confidence in knowing he has a job to do and can focus on a familiar exercise rather than stressing out about the unfamiliars around him.

So how much socialization is enough?  Your puppy ONLY considered properly socialized or trained when he has met at least 50 different situations, 50 different types of people (age, facial hair, no facial hair, race, heights, hats canes, wheel chairs, etc), and 50 different types of dogs and taught to respond in a confident, calm manner.

Typically for young pups, we recommend attending a well run daycare for socialization with other dogs and people up to for the first 8 months to a year  to ensure that your pup has completely developed the proper social skills he needs to interact with other dogs in an off leash park setting.  This is because very young pups need to learn to build coordination and confidence with other dogs, but as they grow into adolescence, they can sometimes start pushing the rules and manners that were established early on.  By not attending a daycare during this adolescent period (8 months to a year), a dog can learn to become an assertive, inappropriate player, that, as he develops into an adult, can lead to starting fights with other dogs.

Establishing Proper Puppy Manners

Puppy training classes and puppy daycare can also help you automatically establish good manners with your pup from day one.  In our training classes, puppies are taught to respond automatically with different people in different ways.  For example, Metropawlitan puppies will frequently lie down to greet children, and will automatically sit to greet adults.  Most pups that stay in our program well into adulthood never think to jump up on someone new because they never were given the opportunity to learn to do so, and so jumping up becomes a behavior that it would never occur to them to do.

Puppy daycare is also super important.  A well run daycare will carefully monitor which dogs are allowed in which play groups.  Regular daycare attendants are easily socialized with over 50 different types of other breeds, temperaments, and sizes of dogs: all things that your puppy will encounter even out in his everyday life with you.  With a good daycare, the staff will be educated and attentive enough to help you socialize your puppy properly with the right group of dogs and understand when to interfere if an interaction goes badly between two dogs.

Puppy Training and Daycare: A Problem Prevention Solution

Early puppy training and socialization through puppy daycare is a great way to prevent problems from developing in the future as well.  A dog that has poor social skills usually results from a lack of proper socialization being instilled in his early life.  Poorly socialized dogs can become either fearful aggressive at off leash parks or can become so overbearing and obnoxious in their play style that they end up triggering fights with other dogs.  Poorly socialized dogs also tend to be more fearful in new situations and become unable to handle the stress of daily life.  This makes it very difficult to live with a dog that can react either fearfully or in panic every time it is brought into a new environment.

Early puppy training here at Metropawlitan Dog Training also has some additional benefits.  Because we focus so much on teaching your puppy the proper behaviors we desire right from the start, these behaviors become so ingrained in your puppy’s mind that it carries on into his adult life.  One example would be our focus on training your puppy to focus on you, his handler.  Puppies that are raised in our system and graduate into our intermediate and advanced classes rarely have a problem with the Come command or loose leash walking, because they are already so naturally focused on their owners.  This makes life so much easier for you when you take your adult dog to the off leash park in the future.

So What Should You Look For in A Good Puppy Training School or Daycare?

Always screen the daycare or school you wish to bring your puppy to.  If it is for puppy daycare, ask for a tour of their facility.  It should be well kept and clean and free of any odors when you walk in the door.   A clean smelling facility indicates that the attendants pay attention to reinforcing your puppy’s potty training, as well as all the other dogs.

Does the daycare accept all breeds and sizes?  What is their screening criteria for dogs being admitted into their daycare?  Do they separate their dogs into specific playgroups?  What is their criteria for this (i.e. by size, by temperament, by breed type, etc)?  This is a very important series of questions.  A good daycare will be open to taking most breeds and sizes of dogs.  You want your puppy to learn how to handle being around big and small dogs as that is what you would likely run into in your local parks or neighborhoods.  Do they run a free for all program where all the dogs run together, or is there a structured program in place?  Are the dogs well behaved and under control when you visit the facility, or does it feel a little bit chaotic?  A good daycare will have attendants who are extremely experienced in dog behavior and will be able to select the right playgroups for your puppy, and will be actively monitoring the play at all times.  Timid puppies should be put with quieter, calm confident adults to build their confidence.  Boisterous pups should be put with a more active group, balanced with a few calmer, puppy friendly adults that can tolerate puppy antics.  Similarly, young pups should NEVER be put in with other dogs that do not play appropriately, are not tolerant of young puppies, or are dog aggressive.   If the attendants have no criteria for this, or are unable to answer your questions, find another daycare!

In selecting a puppy training program, ask about each of their classes.  Are you comfortable with their method of training?  How long have they been in the training business?  What is their experience with your particular breed of dog?  Do they have any certifications, belong to any clubs or industry organizations?  Are they active in the dog world at all?  Is it effective with most temperaments and breeds of dogs outside of a training classroom?  Do the trainers restrict the breeds and sizes they are willing to work with?  Do they have a clearly defined training system, where the same consistent principles are built upon with each class, or are they merely offering a bunch of classes dedicated for different groups of dogs?  A very good puppy training school will be able to clearly define how each class offered fits as a building block into the grand scope of helping you develop your puppy into meeting your ultimate needs and lifestyle.

While there are also a numerous amount of businesses that offer both training and daycare, ask if the philosophies of the daycare are the same as the trainer that they have on site.  Always select for a puppy daycare that reflects your puppy training school’s philosophies.  This is to ensure that whoever is working with you and your pup, the communication with your pup and with each other is consistent and clear as your puppy grows.  The less confusion you have, the more confident your puppy will be and the more effective the training will be.

Puppy Requirements

So now that you’ve selected your training school and daycare, what are the typical requirements to enroll?  Most facilities will ask that your puppy has had at least his second set of vaccinations given, and that they are free from any communicable disease or illness at the time of enrollment.

Remember: an ounce of attention now while your puppy is young can provide a pound of prevention of a whole load of unwanted problems in the future.  What are you waiting for?  Go out there and start teaching your puppy to be the dog of your dreams!

Did you know that diet and exercises are super important to your dog’s health and longevity too?  Obesity is becoming a growing problem in pets in North America today, and can lead to diseases such as diabetes, liver and pancreatic diseases, and even certain types of cancers?  Home Remedies for Overweight Dogs (n.d.)

Do you like taking your dog out for walks at the off leash parks or chase a ball?  Does your dog tend to like to jump up on you or other people for greetings?  Even activities such as these can greatly increase the chance of injuring a dog’s joints and ligaments beyond repair if your dog is carrying a little extra weight on him.  Corpulent Canines (n.d.)

So What Causes Obesity in Dogs?

The most common cause is simply overfeeding your dog combined with a lack of regular exercise.  Certain breeds of dogs tend to pack on weight more than other breeds, and older, senior dogs are also more prone to weight gain.  Overweight Dogs (2010)

There is also a lot of misinformation as to how to gauge the proper body condition for your dog.  Dogs in conformation shows that you see on television are commonly overweight, because they “show” better.  Corpulent Canines (n.d.)  This is because the extra pounds can easily be mistaken for muscle instead.

Is My Dog Fat?

So how can you tell if your dog is on the chubby side?  The best way is to assess your dog’s body condition.  Look at him when he is standing from the top down.  The profile of his back should have a slight hourglass figure between his ribcage and his hips.  In other words, you should see a “waist”. Home Remedies for Overweight Dogs (n.d.)

Secondly, place your hands on either side of your dog’s body.  Can you feel his ribs?  If you feel his ribs with a thin layer of fat and muscle covering it, he is in a good weight range.  If you cannot feel any ribs whatsoever, your dog is overweight.  Next, stand to the side of your dog and look at his side profile.  Can you see a tuck between his ribcage and his hips?  In a dog at a healthy weight this should be visible.  Bear in mind that even with some dogs that have a tuck visible, they could still be overweight.  The best way to tell is to do the hands on approach and test to see if you can feel his ribs.  Overweight Dogs (2010)

Getting Metro Back Into Shape

Before embarking on any diet or exercise program with your dog, be sure to talk with your veterinarian first to ensure that this is a good program for your particular pet.  If your pet is relatively healthy, here are some hints and tips to try to get Metro back into a healthier weight.

1. Commit to an exercise program with your dog every day.  To work both his mind and his body, as many of our own Metropawlitans know, take your dog out for a structured walk for about 60 minutes each day.  It’s a safe and easy exercise to do and gives you both a chance for some fresh air.  For a more active dog, or for other activities, enroll in a few fun classes with your dog that will get him moving, such as an agility class, a flyball class, or even a tricks class.  Want some company and motivation?  Our graduates are always welcome to partake in our weekly pack walks with us as well!
2. Work with your vet on getting your dog on the right diet program.  Bear in mind that the feeding guidelines marked on bags of dog food are just that – guidelines.  Always go by measuring your dog’s body condition on a regular weekly basis to help you gauge whether to feed a little more or a little less.
3. Educate yourself about the food you are feeding your dog.  All the high quality premium foods available out there are extremely nutrient dense.  That means that your dog can eat less of it while still getting the proper amount of nutrition he requires to be healthy.  Overfeeding this nutrient dense food is one very common cause of why so many dogs are overweight today.
4. If your dog isn’t eating – assess his body condition first and foremost.   If he’s overweight he might just be full.  Don’t force or coax him to eat if he isn’t up to it.  Unlike humans, a dog’s digestive tract doesn’t consistently require a set scheduled daily meal.  If he doesn’t eat one meal, missing one meal in one day is not going to harm him.
5. To help your dog feel fuller during his dieting, _______ recommends to feed a moderately fermentable fibre rather than a high fibre content food.  Our favorite source of fibre?  Canned pumpkin or squash.  The dogs love the taste and it makes them feel fuller without having your dog gaining unwanted calories.
6. Commit to making it work.  This goes for all members of your household and family.  It means sticking to your dog’s diet, and not feeling guilty for not giving him that cookie or those leftovers from your dinner table just because he looks sad.
7. It’s all about balance.  Monitor your dog’s daily activities along with his diet.  Are you taking a training class that uses food?  Cut back a half a cup or two of his regular meal to compensate for the extra calories he’s gaining in treats.  If life gets busy and you are unable to get out with your dog that day or week, cut back on his food intake so that he’s not eating as much as he would when he’s on an active schedule.

References

1.  ASPCA.  ”Overweight Dogs”. www.aspca.com.  19 March 2012.  <www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/overweight-dogs.aspx>

2.  Freeman, Shanna and Fortney, Dr. William.  ”Home Remedies for Overweight Dogs.”  www.animals.howstuffworks.com.  19 March 2012.  <www.animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/home-remedies-for-overweight-dogs.htm>

3.  Zink, DVM.  PhD., Chris.  “Corpulent Canines?”.  www.caninesports.com.  21 March 2012.  <www.caninesports.com/fatdogs.html>

Swimming Gear for Dogs

Is your dog new to swimming? Dog you want just a little added protection for him in the water? Look no further than the Portage Float Coat. Its sleek design helps your dog to stay afloat while swimming without a bulky fit. The bright colors available are great to keep your dog easily in view when he is in the water.

Hiking Gear for Dogs

For those that enjoy going out for nice long hikes, there is nothing better than the Pallisades hiking backpack designed by Ruff Wear.

It is super durable and contains two roomy saddle bags where your dog can store his own toys, food and poop bags on his hikes. The real secret to this baby? The built in water packs that come with a drinking hose where you can feed your dog water without even having to take off the backpack! Just make sure you balance the weight of his gear evenly on both sides to avoid possible injury or slipping of the harness.

For those dogs that don’t enjoy drinking from a straw, we highly recommend the Quencher Cinch Top designed by Ruff Wear as well. Don’t let its soft fabric exterior fool you. The inside is lined with a waterproof material that holds water really well. The result is a lightweight, foldable water or food dish perfect for taking along on long hikes. We love the cinch top to help you minimize spilling when the bowl is full. We love packing this in our Pallisades pack whenever we head out to the mountains.

Are the trails hard on your dog’s paws? Check out these hiking boots also from Ruff Wear. They’re a great way to protect Metro’s paws from the rough terrain. The rubber sole at the bottom of each boot is this bootie’s best feature. It provides loads of traction even in slippery elements. While not cheap, bear in mind you are getting your money’s worth in the product’s quality. Just make sure they are cinched up tightly to avoid losing a bootie on the trail.

Are you in Calgary and the surrounding areas? Come in for a fitting of these fantastic products at Especially 4 Pets (436 16th Ave NE) – the only sport dog equipment store in town – and take one home today!

We’ve been hard at work with lots of exciting plans on the way! One of them which is our new blog to share our hints and tips with you as to how to live the Metropawlitan lifestyle!

With our late August heat wave as my inspiration, here are some of the summertime activities we love to embark on in and around the Calgary area:

Out for a Swim
Take Metro out for a nice relaxing romp in a local offleash park where he can mingle with his doggie friends and explore the outdoors freely. This is a great option if your dog is trained to come to you reliably off leash, and enjoys the company of playing around and with other dogs. Some local parks such as River Park and Southland Offleash Park also include access to water areas, such as rivers and streams where you can give Metro a chance to cool off in the heat, or take a nice little swim. Just be sure to bring loads of fresh water from home, some poop bags, his favorite ball, his leash, and some sun screen for you and you are good to go!

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Hiking in the Mountains
It’s impossible not to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery when it is located in your own backyard. Take a short drive out to Banff or to the Kananaskis where there are dozens of hiking trails that you can bring your dog on a leash to enjoy with you. Take a day trip out with your dog, and come back at the end of the day to enjoy to comforts of your own home. Feeling more adventurous? Look for dog friendly campsites, hotels, and even log cabins out there where you can spend overnight stays out in this peaceful paradise.

Need some recommendations? Click here for a list of some of the pet friendly resorts in the area.

Calgary Walking Trails
Too busy to leave the city? Explore Calgary’s hiking and biking trails around the city. Fish Creek Provincial park is a gorgeous nature walk for those that want to walk with their dogs on leash. For a more urban feel, enjoy the beautiful sights of the Bow River and the downtown scenery by visiting Eau Claire in downtown. Not only is this a beautiful area, but there are many quaint shops and restaurants nearby for a quick lunch as well. Look for the ice cream cart that offers doggie ice cream for your four legged friend.

Lunch with Friends
Visit Kensington for some quaint shops and cafes, some with outdoor seating that may welcome your four legged friend to sit with you while you dine. This excursion is best for those Metropawlitans that are well mannered and calm. Ask around to find out which restaurants are willing to accommodate you and your pet.

The Beauty of Pack Walking
Are you looking to get a little extra training in without taking on a six week class? Now open to all Metropawlitan graduates, come and join us for a walk with a pack of dogs throughout various areas in the city. It’s a great way for your dog to meet new people and dogs and learn proper manners while doing so. Click the link below for more information or to register for the next walk with us!

As with all hot weather activities, be sure that you have enough water, access to shade and cool spots to escape to so that your dog doesn’t overheat in the sun. Going out in the mornings or evenings when the weather is a little cooler is a great alternative to going out in the hot afternoon sun as well.

We hope you enjoyed our activities list! Stay tuned for some summer must haves to help you enjoy the sun with your dog!

We want to give a huge shoutout to the Chinook Schutzhund Club of Alberta for putting on such a great seminar, and a huge thanks to Joanne Flemming for coming out and giving us time to bombard her with our questions!

For every theory, skill, technique, or characteristic I thought I knew back then about dogs and dog training back then that you always managed to prove me wrong in.  For our acheivements against everyone’s odds.  For teaching me that sometimes, even at the ripe old age of 12, that you can still teach an old dog new tricks.  For reaching elderly who had difficulties connecting to other people.  For helping children overcome their fears of “huge doggies”.  For raising countless numbers of puppies in our classes together and rehabilitating countless more in our private sessions.  For inspiring me to keep learning and growing as a trainer and instructor.  For your neverending tolerance, compassion, loyalty, and companionship…

Thank you.  You will always be missed.