YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOG

What’s your relationship with your dog like? (Photo: Corgi covered in foam hearts and lipstick stains)

Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but your relationship with your dog still matters. 

Here’s a tough question for you. Have you ever been in a one-sided relationship with a person? How did that make you feel? 

Have you ever been the giver in the relationship, only to be unappreciated? You were the kind person, the one who was always calling, always making dinner, always being flexible, always checking in with that person to make sure they were feeling okay. How did you feel when they responded to your attention by  ghosting you, breaking plans with you to go out with their friends, and forgetting your birthday? 

How did that relationship end? 

And what on Earth does this have to do with your relationship with your dog? 

Dogs can’t walk away. Fulfill THEIR needs before your own. (Photo: man carrying backpack walking off into the sunset)

Hopefully your relationship with the inconsiderate person is over. Since both of you are human, you both had a choice whether or not to stay in that one-sided relationship. 

Your dog has NO CHOICE. 

Are you fulfilling his needs? Or is he stuck in a one-sided relationship being the giver and NEVER having his needs met? 

What are his needs? 

Dogs are pack animals. They need leadership. They crave direction (having someone to tell them what to do and when to do it.) They work in a cooperative group to get the pack’s needs met each day. That’s food, water, shelter, and staying alive. 

Dogs are pack animals. To understand your dog, you must understand how they think and what they need. (Photo: wolves out for a walk)

The leader tells the pack when to hunt, when to rest, when to play, when to STOP playing. (Photo: wolves resting on the snow)

Dogs NEED to WORK for food, water, shelter, and their place in the pack. By giving them food, water, unlimited access to toys, your bed, your couch, the great outdoors, and yourself and NEVER HAVING THEM WORK FOR THOSE THINGS, you are setting yourself up for disaster. We’re talking a dog who jumps on you, mouths/bites you (and your children and your guests,) humps your leg, barks at you nonstop, doesn’t listen, and pulls you off your feet when you try to walk him. He also growls at you over his food, every time you walk by him when he has a bone or a toy, and sometimes when you want to sit on what you thought was your couch. It’s his now. 

Let’s talk about what needs HE is currently fulfilling for you: 

-emotional support

-cuddle buddy

-instagram followers (basically he’s finding you internet friends, fame, or both.)

-soulmate 

-grief counsellor 

If your dog is trained as a therapy dog, that’s great. If he’s a pet dog, especially if he’s anxious, you’re accidentally making it worse for him by making HIM LEAD YOU when he is NOT a born leader. It’s unfair. It’s unbalanced. And it’s likely the reason for all of “his” bad behaviours. 

Tips on how to fulfill your dog’s basic needs and improve your relationship: 

1. Master the walk. Teach your dog to follow you, not pull you down the street. Anxious whining is often resolved by simply fixing the way you walk your dog.

2. Walk him every day, multiple times per day.

3. Make this your mantra: YOU GET WHAT YOU PET. If you pet an anxious dog, you are encouraging that behaviour to continue. Pet your dog when you call him over and he comes respectfully without jumping or mouthing you.

4. Put away all of your dog’s toys. Take them out when YOU want to play with him. You start the game. You end the game. You’re in charge now.

5. Work on yourself. It takes work to be in any relationship, but the most important thing is your relationship with YOURSELF. If you can’t love and respect YOURSELF, no one else can either. Tell yourself YOU CAN, even when you don’t quite believe it yet. Stand up straight, shoulders back, and walk like you own the world. That’s the energy dogs like to follow. Be the change.

YOU’VE GOT THIS! 

Turn up the volume on your dog knowledge. Make learning about dogs your top priority. You HAVE the time. Turn off your phone and your television and start watching all the dogs and people around you. Watch how they walk. Watch the leash biters, the reactive dogs, the dogs out for a drag (dragging their owners down the street.) Watch without judgement. Then go home and try steps 1-5 and let me know how it goes. 

You CAN!

Alyssa 

Photos by: Ivana La @ivanana (Corgi covered in foam hearts and lipstick stains,) Egor Vikhrev

@egor_vikhrev (man carrying backpack walking off into the sunset,) Eva Blue

@evablue (wolves out for a walk,) Eva Blue @evablue (wolves resting on the snow.)

HOW TO GIVE YOUR DOG A TOY (AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS!)

Does your dog chomp your hand off when you offer him a toy? (Photo: Pitbull puppy playing tug of war with a rope toy)

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

I’m a little early — and that’s a good thing, because these tips will help prepare you for the 14th (and beyond.) 

While it’s certainly not mandatory to give your dog a new toy on every holiday, the pet stores make it difficult not to. This time of year, there’s heart-shaped rope toys, rubber toys, and plush toys. It’s hard not to buy way more than you need. 

Overstimulation can become an issue for some dogs (Border Collie laying down with six toys and a bone)

Without straying too far off topic, I should mention that there is such a thing as too many toys, especially if your dog has access to all of them 24-7. 

Is your dog unable to settle? Amped up and playing with toys all the time? Anxiously whining in your home? Guarding toys? Growling when you walk by? Try putting all of the toys away and only giving them to your dog when he settles down. 

This can take a LOT of time the first time you do it, so be patient and hang in there. 

The way you allow your dog to take toys from your hands speaks volumes about your relationship. If your dog rips toys out of your hands (taking your fingers along for the ride,) he’s getting paid for being a jerk. 

You wouldn’t pay your employee for taking envelopes out of your hand and ALWAYS giving you a massive paper cut. OUCH! You would very quickly teach your employee how to take the envelope from you more gently, so what’s stopping you from teaching your dog to do this?

It’s time to stop paying your dog for disrespectful behaviour toward your fingers. 

If you reward your dog when he is biting you (i.e. petting him,) he will continue to bite you (Photo: puppy biting man’s hand)

How to teach this: 

Practice waiting for your dog to be calm before giving him the toy. By the way, YOU also need to be calm in order to achieve this.

Practice this activity with one of his older toys first. The scent of a new toy is enough to make most dogs SUPER amped. This is not the best time to practice asking for calmness if you have never asked for that before. 

Encourage calmness at other times of day, like before your walks, and before feeding time. Reward calmness more often and your dog will begin to understand that this is the behaviour that gets him what he wants. 

Pro Tip: Practice not being giddy yourself before handing the toy over. This is a hard one! If the toy makes you super excited, make all the cute noises you want WITHOUT your dog present at that time. After purchasing a new Cookie Monster toy for Magic, I sang “C is for cookie” the whole way home in the car — she wasn’t with me when I bought it. I got all of the “this is the cutest toy EVER” vibes out of my system before giving it to her. WHY? Because if I am super excited, Magic will also become super excited. I don’t need an excited Rottie. I need a calm Rottie. Calm Rotties listen to direction. Excited ones make mistakes (that are OUR fault, not theirs.) Same goes for all dogs, not just Rotties. 

In the dog world, excitement is corrected. This is often why you see the really hyper dog at the dog park get chased away and pinned to the ground. It’s not because the other dogs in the park are aggressive or mean, it’s because excitement (hyperactivity) isn’t tolerated among dogs. When we nurture and reward excitement at home (by giving toys to hyper, bitey dogs) we are setting them up for failure with their own species. 

Calm breeds calm. Panic breeds panic. Excitement breeds excitement. You get the idea. (Photo: woman calmly holding a red, glitter heart toy.)

Extra Pro Tip: Try doing this whole activity without using any talking at all, until your dog is calm and you say “Okay,” and hand them the toy. 

I would love to hear how it goes. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Hean Prinsloo @prins_thefilmer (Pitbull puppy playing tug of war with a rope toy,) Mathew Coulton

@mattycoulton (Border Collie laying down with six toys and a bone,) Daniel Lincoln @danny_lincoln (puppy biting man’s hand,) Sharon McCutcheon @sharonmccutcheon (woman holding a red, glitter heart toy,)

How Structured Walks Help Your Anxious Dog Feel Better

Anxious dogs don’t want to lead (Photo: Setter mix looking unsure)

Your dog walks look like: 

-your dog walking in front of you, pulling on the leash

-your dog zigzagging in front of you (and sometimes behind you) 

-your dog wrapping you up in the leash

-your dog licking her lips and constantly looking around 

-your dog stopping suddenly to smell something, yanking your arm out of its socket

-your dog refusing to stop smelling, eating, gulping down garbage, mulch, and dead things 

-your dog refusing to walk anymore, leaving you feeling badly because you don’t want to drag her on the sidewalk

-your dog pulling toward other dogs, houses where other dogs live, houses where their dog friends live

This dog is leading and feeling unsure (lip licking.) (Photo: Dog walking on leash in front of the owner. Dog is licking his lips. There is tension on the leash.)

Your dog walks sound like: 

-constant whining… for hours! 

-whining only when your dog sees another dog

-whining when your dog sees people she wants to say hello to

-whining when she sees a squirrel, seagull, or bunny that she can’t get to

Your dog walk feels like: 

-failure

-anxiety (yours as well as you dog’s)

-like something you’d rather avoid doing

-feeling terrible because you don’t know how to help her overcome her reactivity and anxiety

You want to enjoy your walks again? You want to stop being pulled down in the street? You want your dog to feel GOOD on her walks, not anxious?

Here’s something that has helped so many people and so many dogs enjoy their walks again. It’s called a structured walk. 

This is what a structured walk looks like (Photo: A great example of a pack walk. Two couples are walking with their dogs. One couple has a stroller. Both dogs are relaxed and walking beside their owners.)

During every walk, there is one leader and one follower. If you are behind your dog, they are leading and you are following. They have the leadership role in that moment. 

Your anxious dog really, really, really doesn’t want that role. 

A structured walk encourages you, the human, to be the leader, and your dog to relax and be a follower. This helps set your dog at ease. She doesn’t WANT to walk in front of you, be your leader, or make tough decisions about oncoming dogs, cars, or children whipping by on scooters. It stresses her out. 

By walking beside you (her head should not be in front of your knee,) you are sending a clear message about her role (it’s to follow.) Anxious dogs feel WAY more relaxed when they are in this position. 

Your dog should be checking in with YOU, not scouting ahead for danger (Photo: a poodle mix looks up at his owner while heeling with a loose leash.)

Here’s the more challenging part: YOU have to FEEL confident. Teaching your dog to walk in a heel is only part of the solution. You HAVE to provide leadership, calmness, and confidence for her. If you’re nervous every time you see a dog, she’ll still be nervous, even if she’s beside you. You have to do both parts of this for it to work. Can you do that for your dog? 

Sometimes we can’t do it for ourselves (feel calm, tell our nasty inner voice to SHUT UP, feel confident) but we CAN do it for our dogs. That’s a powerful, wonderful, beautiful thing. Dogs are a gift. Dogs can help US on the path to wellness. 

Cesar Millan says it best: “You don’t get the dog you want, you get the dog you need.”

I’ve seen this beautiful shift happen for people many times. People whose pets were fighting in their home, whose dogs were all over the place on walks (lunging, whining, nipping people who walked by,) whose dogs wouldn’t let strangers get near their owners. When the humans addressed their OWN anxiety first and then added in the structured walk, their dog was able to relax and be calm. 

The ripple effect is real. Your behaviour does affect your dog’s behaviour. 

Now that you KNOW that, you can do something about it.

Happy healing and heeling, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa 

Photos by: Gary Sandoz @gala_san (Setter mix looking unsure,) Upsplash (dog walking on leash in front of the owner. Dog is licking his lips. There is tension on the leash,) Upsplash ((Photo: A great example of a pack walk. Two couples are walking with their dogs. One couple has a stroller. Both dogs are relaxed and walking beside their owners,) Upsplash (a poodle mix looks up at his owner while heeling with a loose leash.)

THREE TIPS TO HELP YOUR DOG LISTEN TO YOU

Ever feel like your dog doesn’t listen to you? (Photo: Dachshund with one ear up and one ear down)

Does your dog race to your back door only if you have a treat? 

Do they ignore your commands when they’re outside? Especially if they’ve found some yummy bunny poop? 

Ever feel like your dog has no idea that you’re actually at the other end of the leash? 

Here are three tips to help: 

1. EYE CONTACT: You need to become relevant to your dog. You know the way you feel when your friend is on her cellphone and completely ignoring what you have to say even though you’re sitting right beside her? You’re not relevant to your friend in that moment. You don’t have her eye contact. It’s the same with dogs. Before you leave the house for your next walk, wait for your dog to look up at you. You are the gatekeeper to the outside world. Calmness and eye contact are the price of admission to a fun walk outdoors with you.

Be patient and wait for eye contact from your dog (Photo: Beagle giving perfect eye contact)

2. CONFIDENCE: Dogs require leadership. A coach. Someone they can trust to help them safely navigate the human world. Someone who pays attention during walks, is aware of traffic and other hazards, and will advocate for their safety. Put your phone down, tell yourself that you are awesome (because you are), pick up the leash and call your dog over. If they are jumping all over you, (that is disrespectful in the dog world) put the leash away and try again in a few minutes. It doesn’t take long to teach a dog that jumping on you is no longer tolerated.

3. CONSISTENCY: If you allow your dog to jump all over you on the couch, she will be confused when you don’t want her to jump on you while you put her leash on. The key is consistency. Be the leader at all times. You’re not her littermate, you’re her boss.

If you reward this behaviour, you will see more of this behaviour. (Photo: Shiba Inu being rewarded with a treat for putting her front paws up on a person’s legs)

Nothing worth doing is easy. It’s not easy to go to med school, but thank goodness people do it. It’s not easy running a marathon, but you could run one if you learned how, trained hard, and showed up. Helping your dog overcome her challenging behavioural issues isn’t easy, but showing up for her every day and trying your best is. Reading this blog post to learn more wasn’t that hard. You can do this. 

And if you need a little help, find a behaviourist who understands how to coach dogs AND people across the finish line.

I am one of those people and I would love to help you and your dog find balance. 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Erda Estremera @erdaest (Dachshund with one ear up and one ear down,) Marliese Streefland

@marliesebrandsma (Beagle giving perfect eye contact,) billow926

@billow926 (Shiba Inu being rewarded with a treat for putting her paws on a person’s legs,)

A WELL-TRAINED AND HEALTHY DOG

Imagine a well-trained family dog who is a healthy weight (Photo: Duck Toller running in the water)

Exciting news! This week’s blog will be coming out on Monday. I was asked to be a guest blogger for Norman’s Naturals, the company who makes the dog food Magic loves most. 

Don’t worry, it’s not a food promo. They want to provide their clients with dog training tips that encourage family dogs to keep a healthy weight (and be well-behaved too.) 

As you know, I am not against using food in training, but I am against bribing dogs — you know the type: the ones that won’t listen as soon as you put your treat pouch away. That’s just not my style. 

You don’t see toddlers waving food bribes around. And look what they can achieve! (Photo: (toddler walking a terrier on leash at a heel)

I want your dog to listen to you no matter what: whether there’s a rabbit sprinting by and you’re near a busy road; an off-leash dog is approaching in an aggressive manner; or there’s a steak on your countertop that YOU’D like to feed to your family. 

The training tips will help you provide alternative rewards to your dogs that go beyond the treat pouch. 

You can read it here: https://www.facebook.com/normansnaturals

In the meantime, be sure to make a list of all of the things your dog does really well. 

When you’re done, make a list of goals. Write down everything you would like your dog to learn to do better. 

When your goals are clear and written down, you will achieve them.

Schedule a free call with us and find out if we’re the right fit for each other. 

You can schedule your FREE CALL here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

Stay positive, Dog Leaders. And stay safe and healthy too! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Oscar Sutton @o5ky (Duck Toller running in the water,) UpSplash (toddler walking a terrier on leash at a heel,)

WHAT DOES YOUR DOG DO WELL?

What does YOUR dog do really well? (Photo: Border Collie leaps to catch a frisbee)

I get a lot of phone calls from owners who are frustrated with their puppies and dogs. 

Here are a few examples: 

“He bit me so much and wouldn’t stop. I was actually scared of him last night. I don’t know what to do to stop the biting!” - calling about a four-month-old puppy. 

“He guards his food, toys, crate, bones, snuffle mat, and water bowl.” - calling about a six-month-old puppy.

It’s scary when your dog growls at you (Photo: Husky on the offence)

“He charged out the front door and bit the furnace man in the stomach.” - calling about a 1.5 year-old adolescent. 

“He barks and whines all the time. He’s reactive on the leash. Sometimes he pulls me to the ground!” - calling about a three-year-old rescue dog. 

This week, instead of thinking about all of the things your dog does that you DON’T like (or even SCARE you,) we’re going to focus on what your dog does well. 

Make a list of everything your dog does well. Can he sit? Can he lay down? Is he gentle with children? 

Write it all down. 

What does YOUR dog do well? (Photo: toddler standing with a German Shepherd puppy)

Then, make a separate list for your goals. What would you LOVE for your dog to do better? Would you like him to chase fewer squirrels? Would you like him to walk nicely on the leash? Would you like him to nap while you work from home instead of barking during Zoom calls? 

One more list. What training methods have you ALREADY tried to attempt to reach your goals? 

Feel free to share your list in the comments below. 

We are a welcoming, kind community of dog lovers. No one will mock your list (or I’ll block them.) 

Happy List Making! 

For those of you still in lockdown (as we are here in Ontario - in a state of emergency) - take time to breathe, take walks, reconnect with old friends, enjoy hobbies you don’t have time for anymore, and try something new with your dog. 

Try something fun and new with your dog this week (Photo: Spaniel retrieving a ball from the water)

I heard great advice this week on how to keep sane during the pandemic. Stick to a routine. Get up, walk your dog, eat your breakfast, enjoy a coffee, make time to work out (or meditate, whatever keeps you the healthiest!) 

Take care, everyone! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: @k_r_y_s (Border Collie leaps to catch a frisbee,) @jeroenbosch (Husky on the offence,) @walkthecreator (toddler standing with a German Shepherd puppy,) @mitchorr (Spaniel retrieving a ball from the water.)

Recall Saves Lives

I’m coming! (Photo: Weimaraner running toward camera)

Will your dog come back to you no matter what? 

What if there’s poisoned food on the trail? 

Think I’m being dramatic? 

This is happening in Guelph, ON, Canada right now. There’s posts on our local dog forum every day. 

This week, there were posts about carefully placed organ meat, as well as a picture of a turkey carcass. Not a wild turkey killed by a coyote. A perfectly bald, store-bought turkey carcass sitting on a trail. 

When you call your dog, is it going to look like this…(Photo: Husky running toward camera through the snow)

…or this? (Photo: Duck Toller looking away from camera)

So I ask you again. If you call your dog, does she come back no matter what? 

If the answer is no, then you need to think very carefully next time you unclip her leash on a trail. Is watching her run free worth her life? 

Whether she runs in front of a car, decides to approach the wrong dog, a coyote, or a porcupine, her life is in YOUR hands. You need to make good decisions that keep her safe. 

There is no shame in not having perfect recall, especially when food (and bunny poop) is involved. It’s one of the most difficult commands to master, but master it you must. 

If your dog ignores you when you call her, here are a few tips to help: 

1. RELEVANT — You need to become relevant to your dog. Ask for eye contact more often, and not in that “super hyper waving a hotdog near your eyeballs and making lots of sound” way. Before being let out of the car, before eating, and before being allowed to follow you out the front door are all good times to wait for eye contact. Reward that with the word “Yes,” and a smile. You don’t always have to give a steak for everything your dog gets right. Your happiness is payment enough for her.

You have to MATTER to your dog. (Photo: Collie making eye contact with the camera)

2. BACK TO BASICS — Practice recall in your home, where there are less distractions. Add distractions gradually.

3. LEASH WALKS — Work on loose-leash walking (AKA structured walking, AKA heeling with breaks.) If your dog is way out in front of you on walks, you are not relevant. Go back to step one. There is nothing wrong with you. We are all working on things with our dogs. Keep going. You’ll get there.

Build a strong bond and become relevant through loose-leash walking (Photo: small dog heeling beside and looking up at her owner.)

4. LONG LINE — Light-weight leashes that are very long are known as long-lines. After you’ve worked on recall outside using your regular leash, you can use a long-line to practice recall with your dog a little further away from you.

5. CALMNESS — Always use calm and confident energy when working with animals. Calm breeds calm, panic breeds panic. If you’re not feeling calm and confident, work on yourself first. Take some time away from your dog to pump yourself back up. Who knew that owning a dog would mean self-reflection, working on yourself (finding calmness and patience,) and learning to only listen to your inner voice when she’s being kind to you?

Dogs gravitate toward calm and confident leaders. Find your inner leader and then share her with your dog.

Practice, practice, practice. And have a wonderful (and safe) weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Nathalie SPEHNER @nathalie_spehner (Weimaraner running toward camera,) @worthyofelegance (Husky running toward camera through the snow,) @jamie452 (Duck Toller looking away from camera,) @jaredgorski (Collie making eye contact with the camera,) Upsplash (small dog heeling beside and looking up at her owner.)

Beat Your Lockdown Stress

Beat Your Lockdown Stress

You’re stressed, locked down, and your dog’s behaviour is spiralling out of control…

She pulls so hard on the leash you can’t walk her, she barks at everyone who walks by your front door, and you can’t leave home without her destroying something you love.

It’s time for a change.

During this lockdown, we’re GETTING RID OF YOUR STRESS! 

For good.

You’ve worked with us to stop all that pesky barking during your zoom meetings. You’ve seen results with us working one-on-one to eliminate leash pulling, counter surfing, and growling at guests. 

But there’s still a couple of issues you want to tackle. 

And now we’re in lockdown. 

Again. 

Let’s make it a positive experience this time around. There’s nothing stopping us from making sure that our dogs enjoy this lockdown and come out even better once it’s over. 

This is your chance to take advantage of an online course that is BUILT FOR YOU — literally!

FINALLY! An online dog course that’s made just for YOU! (Photo: woman jumping for joy)

How is that possible? 

This offer is only available to 5 students. All 5 of you will get to send questions in ahead of time and I will design the course to answer them.

Take advantage of this now, because this is the only time you’ll be able to enjoy EIGHT one hour sessions for such a low price.

This is the first time I am hosting 5 of you live, so there will be some bumps in the road (#notatechnologywizard.) 

The upside for you? Being a part of this beta group, you’ll get your dog the help she needs. And, you’ll get a SUPER LOW PRICE that will NOT be available in the future.

Here’s what you get:

4-week LOCKDOWN TO LEADERSHIP program

·         Membership to this exclusive online community for 4 weeks — that’s EIGHT one hour sessions (we’ll meet twice a week online during January.) 

·         Your specific questions about your dog — answered!

·         I am also planning to record the sessions, so if technology cooperates, you should be able to watch any sessions that you can’t attend in person!

BETA BENEFITS

·         Access to everything I’ve learned throughout the pandemic. I’ve been busy learning from the BEST of the BEST. 

·         A supportive community of like-minded dog lovers who want to learn more and help their dogs overcome their issues

·         Training and motivation from yours truly 

·         FUN! Think about tricks you want to learn. Think about agility and other sports you want to try with your dog at home (but never get around to.) Let’s do this! 

START DATE: January 5th, 2021
Tuesday mornings at 9:00AM EST

Thursday evenings at 7:00PM EST 

Time to make YOUR dog your DREAM DOG (Photo: Duck Toller reading a dog magazine)

This price is not a misprint. You’ll get EIGHT one-hour sessions for only $99 + HST. It’s a special price that won’t be available again. 

This is a limited time offer and space is restricted to five people. 

Reserve your spot early, so you won’t be disappointed. 

Registration opens NOW! AS soon as you read this, you can reserve your spot by: 

Sending an e-transfer to alyssa.foulkes@beyonddogtraining.ca for $99 + HST. Price is in CAD and works out to $111.87 CAD. 

Once you’ve reserved your spot, I will send you an email with more information, collect your questions from you, and send you your first invitation to join the group via Zoom. The first session will be Tuesday, January 5 at 9:00AM. 

Reserve now. This offer turns into a pumpkin on January 2, 2021 at midnight. 

Hope to see you soon! 

Looking forward to having fun with you and helping your dogs during lockdown! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Erik Mclean (Husky looking out the window,) Upsplash (woman jumping for joy,) Upsplash (Duck Toller reading a dog magazine.)

All I want for Christmas is a calm dog

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a well-behaved dog on Christmas Day? (Photo: Calm Golden Retriever with a decorated Christmas tree)

Raise your hand if you get giddy on Christmas morning? It’s hard not to race downstairs and rip open the presents right away. You may find that your excitement is contagious. Like any mood/emotion, excitement has a ripple effect that reaches everyone around you — this includes your dog. 

When you and your kids squeal with excitement, jump up and down because Santa brought an Xbox, or sprint back and forth from the couch to the tree to get more presents, don’t be surprised when your dog mirrors your behaviour. 

Dogs live in the moment and reflect our own energy back at us like a mirror (Photo: excited boy holding a young puppy)

If you don’t enjoy being jumped on, mouthed, and humped, here are a few tips to help Christmas morning (and the rest of the day) be fun for the whole family. 

1. WALK YOUR DOG — Tossing your dog into the yard to do their business isn’t enough. Take them on a nice long walk BEFORE breakfast. This is a walk, not a drag. Being dragged around by an excited dog and then allowing them to excitedly reenter your home isn’t going to help. Provide structure on the walk (have them sit before crossing the street, encourage them to heel beside you, and then let them know when they can take a break.)

Fulfill your dog’s need to walk, before expecting them to rest and relax (and watch you open presents) (Photo: two couples walking dogs: one couple has a stroller, both couples have dogs heeling beside them)

2. ENCOURAGE CALMNESS — Encourage the kids to walk when they help hand out the presents. Encourage your dog to practice calmness. Provide them with direction. Would you like them to be on their bed? Calmly direct them to their bed and ask them to stay (or use your place command, if you have one.)

3. DOG ENRICHMENT — A bored dog is a dog who finds their own way to amuse themselves. Odds are you won’t love the games they choose. There’s stealing wrapping paper and toys to entice you into a fun game of chase, counter surfing, and barking out the window. Avoid this by providing your dog with appropriate chew items and mental stimulation. Today is a great day for your dog to chew a bone calmly on their bed. You can also freeze a bit of canned food along with their kibble inside a rubber toy (like a Kong or West Paw’s Toppl Toy.) Take breaks for fetch, off-leash hikes, and of course, more structured walks.

When we allow puppies and dogs to choose their own adventure, we don’t always love the results (Photo: puppy gnawing on a running shoe)

We wish you a Calm and Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Robert Koorenny @fujicanon (Calm Golden Retriever with a decorated Christmas tree,) Alicia Jones@amjay_7 (excited boy holding a young puppy,) Olena Sergienko @olenkasergienko (two couples walking dogs: one couple has a stroller, both couples have dogs heeling beside them,) Chris Benson @lordmaui (puppy gnawing on a running shoe.)

How to Stop Your Dog From Counter Surfing

Is your dog a counter surfer? (Photo: dog staring up at a table with food on it)

You’ve prepared a fantastic meal, or simply set a steak out on the counter to thaw. You turn your back to open a bottle of wine, or ask the kids to set the table, and suddenly the steak is missing. By the time you locate your dog, all that’s left is a stain on the carpet. 

The holidays are here. There may be unopened presents under the Christmas tree or a box of chocolates on your counter as you celebrate the eighth day of Hanukkah today — the question is: will you open them, or will your dog? 

Chocolates aren’t the only thing that can seriously harm your dog (Photo: box of chocolates on a table)

Counter surfing is extremely dangerous behaviour. Not only can your dog ingest food that is toxic for them, they can also eat the packaging. This leads to a stressful trip to the veterinarian, surgery, and an empty bank account. 

If you have a new puppy, you’ll want to read this blog post right away: How to Stop Your Puppy From Counter Surfing 

Here is the link: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/how-to-stop-your-puppy-from-counter-surfing

If you have a dog who counter surfs, here are three tips for how to stop this behaviour: 

1. LEAVE IT — Teach your dog a reliable “leave it” command. Leave it saves lives.

2. CALMNESS — The calmer you are, the better your relationship will be with your dog. If you are frustrated and often push your dog and yell “Stop it! Drop it! Bad dog — that was MY dinner!”, rather than calmly teaching her the behaviours you LIKE, spend some time working on yourself first. Calmness ripples outward and begins with you.

3. SUPERVISE — If your dog can’t be trusted to be alone in the kitchen yet, teach her to lie down calmly just outside of the kitchen while you cook and prepare her food too. This simple boundary says a lot in the dog world.

Teach your dog to be calm around food and to give you distance while you are cooking (Photo: dog laying on a dog bed)

Remember: Training your dog isn’t a sprint — it’s a marathon. How do you train for a marathon if you’ve NEVER done one before? You watch videos, you ask your friends who are runners for advice, you join a running club to learn how to do it, you research which shoes to buy, you break in those shoes gradually, you train for months, you change your diet, you pay attention to your hydration, you read, and you get in tune with your own body. 

This is the SAME for training your dog or your new puppy. It takes time, effort, dedication, patience, and often help from professionals. 

It takes patience, dedication, repetitions, and commitment to teach your dog not to counter surf (Photo: dog sitting near a table with a smoothie on it)

You CAN do this! 

And then one day, you’ll also be able to do this!

Teaching your dog to be calm around food sets everyone up for success: whether you’re at a picnic, eating off a coffee table, or hoping to have happy kids at the kids table. (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler resting calmly on the floor near a plate of bacon)

Dog leaders: Get out there and help your dog lovers! Send this blog post to anyone who is struggling with counter surfing. Let’s keep dogs safe this holiday season. 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Upsplash images (dog staring up at a table with food on it,) Upsplash (box of chocolates on a table,) Upsplash (dog laying on a dog bed,) Upsplash (dog sitting near a table with a smoothie on it,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler (the author’s dog) resting calmly on the floor near a plate of bacon.)