Going Green for Earth Day
Here are some great tips from the ASPCA on Going Green with your pooch.  Yes, your small actions make a difference, so do what you can to help the planet!  And my favorite piece of advice: Don't Shop - ADOPT!  Don't shop at any pet stores which sell pets. Period. 

Go Orange for the Rest of April!
April is the ASPCA's Prevention of Cruelty of Animals month - so Go Orange!  There are lots of ways to help the US put an end to animal cruelty.  Be informed - know what to look for and what to do.  The ASPCA has tons of great resources, like this Top 10 Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty.  

Get Out and Get Training!
Our Spring Special package is only available through end of April, so GET GOING!  Training your dog is not only fun, it builds communication skills you can use in business and in building  personal relationships too, not just with your dog!   

All VDT training packages are customized for your specific needs and to address whatever issues you find annoying or skills you want to learn.   Contact us now!  villagedogtraining@gmail.com. 

What the Buck? Spring has sprung, pooches and peeps. 

Now is the time to GET OUTSIDE and work on your urban walking skills. Long walks are not just for weekends.  Trust me, EVERY dog needs it, and so do you people, even if you don’t want to admit it! Embrace the Long Walk!

3 Loose Leash Walking Tips for Dogs

1.    Get a FIXED LEASH – Okay, if you’ve ever seen a person get caught in someone’s Flexi-leash, tripped on that wire and hurt themselves, you know how dangerous those “Flexi-Leads” can be.  For people AND dogs.

For many reasons, retractable leashes are NOT good urban leashes.  Keep them for country walks or walks on the beach, if you must. But really, you cannot maintain control easily with those things.  We don’t have them in our house.  They are bad news.

Hey, it’s not just me. Read this true story of “The Dangers of using a Flexi-Leash” – especially for little dogs.  Take Anne’s advice: 

“The simple fact that you cannot maintain a good enough grip 100 percent of the time, along with the noise they make after you drop them, is enough to tell you the danger involved in using one. For anyone who currently has one, please do your dog and yourself a big favor.  Throw it out or give it away. Use a regular leash, put your hand through the loop, wrap it around your wrist and keep it that way. It's the only way you can be sure your dog will be safe and happy.

2.     Get the RIGHT BODY GEAR – Yes, walking gear is personal. Each dog/owner team has preferences. But let’s get down the basics.  For most of us dogs, the BEST urban walking gear is the Martingale, or No Choke collar, either with the chain or just fabric. Trust me, you want your handler to have some control, and this one helps communicate on an urban walk better than a flat buckle collar.

3.    Heel Up – Now that you have the right gear, walking alongside your owner will be much easier.  Walking in Heel position, on the left side, at your owner’s heel has 2 benefits:

a.  Heel position helps you navigate the busy crosswalk. Because you can use your handler/walker as your blocker. That’s right, only if that person is right there, at your eye-line, can you really manage them through a crowded crosswalk. Don’t get ahead. Don’t lag behind. Right there in Heel is the place to be. Let your walker do the work and control the pace and direction. 

b.  Heel position and a sit keep you safe at corners. Though it may not seem possible to get hurt at a corner, it happens.  More often than you think.  Usually, it’s your paw – someone steps on it. But I’ve also seen a pooch dart into a street, following a squirrel that popped up out of nowhere just about 3 ft. away, and get clipped by a bicycler.  Ouch!  And all because he was not trained to Heel + Sit at corners.  

And, listen, Owners, do your part and TRAIN your dog to walk on a loose leash!

 “When you follow a dog on a tight leash, you are actually training the dog to pull.”          – Kikopup

Listen to this awesome Kikipup video with LOTS of tips.  It is NOT hard; it just takes a bit of practice. Every Day – 5 mins on a walk. Easy – Peasy.

Here’s another resource to check out:  Urban Dog Etiquette Tips from ASPCA
Happy Walking!   

What the Buck? With the Holiday of Love, Valentine’s Day, approaching, it’s a good time to remind all you Dog Owners to MAKE THE TIME for your pooch and be sure to SPREAD A LI’L EXTRA LOVE your dog’s way. Trust me, EVERY dog deserves it! 

Now, for you pooches out there, here are some Podengo Love Tips.  Podengos, while not yet touted at Westminster, have a long history of being Big Lovers, especially us Pequenos (little hounds). So, we know some tricks to getting that extra bit of sugar from our human companions.  Here are 3 of my faves…

Love, Podengo Style - Valentine Tips for Dogs

1.  Belly Up – Nothing solicits extra scratches and outright “Awwwwws” of love and affection like a puppy rolling on his back, paws up, clearly asking for some belly rubs.  No human can resist.  This move leads to scratches on other bodily parts and all around therapeutic message. So, don’t be shy; Go for it – Belly Up!  

2.  Check In – Especially on walks, it is important to check in frequently with your owner or handler. They need that validity that they are okay. And, while you might be right that your person has NO idea how to walk a dog, it’s up to you, the dog, to rise above it all and take the high road. Turn around, flash eye contact, and check in with your peeps.  Trust me – it will pay off.

And, listen, owners, do your part and TRAIN your dog to walk on a loose leash!  “When you follow dog on a tight leash, you are actually training the dog to pull.” - Listen to this awesome Kikipup video with LOTS of tips.  It’s not hard, just takes a bit of practice. Easy – Peasy. 

3.  Say NO to chocolate, YES to carob – It’s no joke what Chocolate Toxicity can do to dogs. So do NOT go for those chocolate treats, no matter how delicious they smell. Carob treats, however are a LIKE, cuz dogs can have carob. Check out this Chocolate Chart for dogs from NatGeo site that tells you how much of each type of chocolate a dog can tolerate – Be informed!

Also, leave the mints alone too – did you know that XYLITOL KILLS dogs?  It’s good to be informed and this sugar substitute is dangerous, even in small amounts.  Keep your nose clean, pal, and just avoid anything with that stale minty smell. And chocolate mints? Danger, Fifi, Drop it!    

Love it up, Pooches and Peeps!  Spend time together – just hanging out.  Owners, time to remind yourselves WHY you got a dog in the first place –  the unconditional love we give you! 

What the Buck? New Year’s Eve is for amateurs. Down here, in the Village, us dogs have to protect our ‘hoods from the riff-raff – some call them Tourists – who descend upon us every single holiday now. They don’t know how to navigate streets. Drives us urban dog craaaazy, believe me. PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE! There are others on the streets who need to walk. We have business to do!  Keep moving! 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the idea of a giant ball drop. Personally, I’d like to see a giant ball FETCH, but that’s just me. I like to join my peeps and take a moment when the ball drops (my folks raise their glasses; I raise my paw) to remember those dogs still fighting, in the shelters, in the puppy mills, as well as those brave dogs serving our country, and we hope for them to be rescued and well taken care of, like me. I’m lucky; I found a good home.  In fact, let’s remember to spread the cry: PLEASE ADOPT. Don’t buy dogs from pet stores.  Take the pledge and help stop puppy mills – if a store sells puppies don’t buy anything!    

Buh-Bye 2011 – Don’t let the doggie door hit you on the way out!
This has been a rough year for us Village dogs. Lots of owners are losing their jobs. Us dogs know what it’s like to NOT have a job – being idle too long sucks the life out of you. We all need work. Dogs too. We all need to be rewarded for a job well done.

So, we say Goodbye to the old year, and Hello to the New Year. I say “Good Riddance,” 2011. And “Helloooo, Gorgeous!” to 2012. I choose hope for 2012 – it will bring new things, and that means new adventure. And us dogs love adventure! So let’s be hopeful for 2012 – and in that theme, here are 3 Urban Dog New Year’s  Resolutions. Yes, just 3 – you only need ONE solid resolution you can actually STICK to, so let’s keep it simple. 

An Urban Dog’s New Year’s Resolutions

1.    PLAY & GET FIT  – Sure, licking myself is good. But be honest: dogs, like our humans, get chubby. We plump out. So, this is the year. Time to cut out the table scraps. Time to jog a little bit on our dog walks. Most of all, time to make exercise more like play and less like work. I’m pushing for agility classes, which get both dog and owner moving!  Santa got me a Starter Agility Set from Kyjen - Over! Tunnel! Weave!  I can’t wait!  

2.    RELAX MORE / NAP MORE – Being an urban dog is stressful! Keeping up with the Doggie Style Trends alone can keep a dog’s head spinning! (Sidebar: DoggyStyle, NYC = THE Best store for coolio toys and stylish and durable beds and dog stuff!) Plus that fast-paced energy of city streets… so much to see, so much to sniff, and to mark! Relax, Rex. Chill, Champ. Set an example for other family members: Nap heartily and often! People don’t sleep well – show them how it’s done! 

3.    GIVE BACK TO HELP DOGS IN NEED – My goal is to get together some other Trick Dogs Team going in the Village. Anyone interested, give a howl. We’ll perform for donations and spread the joys of dog rescue. However you give back, don’t forget to give to your local animal shelters, like Animal Haven (where I’m from – Holla AH, Love Ya!), or to the ASPCA, or to the Animal Relief Fund (ARF)—a GREAT organization in NYC that helps families keep their pets. Volunteer when you can. A lot of dogs & cats could use your help. You’ll be glad you did!

Want some more New Year Resolutions ideas for your pooch?  Check these out:

I Love this one from NJ.com: “remember that friends don't exploit friends. So hold yourself back from dressing your cat or dog in costume, or making them pose in unnatural positions -- or teacups or purses.”
“New Year's resolutions for your pets” - NJ.com

ASPCA blog “New Year’s Resolutions for Pets” – Check up Time is a good reminder!

“13 New Year's Resolutions for Dog Owners” – a great list from Dogster.com, including: “Be appreciative of how wonderful your dog is” – Indeed!

For those who like a type of “I will not eat my own vomit” resolutions humor – here you go, from i-pets.com: “A Dog’s New Years Resolutions”

What the Buck? What do dogs really want for Xmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Festivus – or whichever holiday you celebrate? We just want you to celebrate. Whatever. Life is short. Pick a reason to be happy and let’s go. Out for a walk. To celebrate. Life. Hope. Peace. 

And now, without further ado… the Quick List of What your DOG Wants for Xmas. Not what you think is cute to get us dogs (take back all sweaters and costumes, please). Most of those inexpensive toys are just too easy to destroy in one day (heck, sometimes in 10 mins.), and that cheap rawhide gives us the shits. 

What Your Dog Wants for Xmas – or Anytime!
1.   YOU!  – Yes, it’s worth stating it outright. Your dedicated time is what your dog wants. Just a bit each day. Heck, all we really want is to be with you!

2.   Puzzle Toys  – Anything to keep me busy and combat boredom.  I’m an urban dog. Stimulus is part of my life. Even though I get plenty of walks, I still get bored. Dog Brick anyone?

3.    Lamb’s Lung – a.k.a. Doggie Crack.  Training treats of the Gods.  Break up the large squares (the filets by Merrick are excellent - stick with USA-made*) in to really small pieces, so you don’t get addicted.  Seriously. You might find that these treats are too damn exciting. 

4.   White, Hollow Bones – USA made (*see note at bottom about treats from China – AVOID!), we usually get Red Barn bones.  These are REALLY good for us tough chewers.  My folks stuff them w/good treats (we avoid the crap pre-stuffed version; usually, it’s crappy stuffing). Sometimes the topper is peanut butter (YUM!) or with whatever food mix I leave in my bowl (this helps me watch my weight by sticking to portions!). I also love a good clean bone – nothing like it for working out the jaw and keeping the ol’ teeth sharp!

5.   New Frisbee Disc – and do NOT mess around with those Box Store brand – we can seriously hurt our mouths on that cheap-ass plastic!  Go with Disc Dog discs – like the Jawz Hyperflite discs and Competition standard. Oh and the Booda Soft Bite floppy disc – should be in every disc dog’s trick bag. (see photo)

6.   Cuz Toys – by JW Pet  Something about these toys dogs just LOVE!  I am partial to the baseball-like iSqueak Bouncin’ Baseball, but that’s cuz my Dad is a Softball MVP. But any of these rugged toys will do the trick. (see photo)

7.    Bully Sticks – These chew sticks ROCK. Buy USA-made.  Though, like a good Scotch, you can seriously OD on these VERY quickly.  Parents, put these chewies on a timer – 15 mins of aggressive chewing and check on your dog. Don’t let me choke on one of these, please. I mean, please!  We can’t control ourselves – YOU have to!

8.    A NEW TRICK!  – Teach your dog a trick – ANY trick!  We LOVE to learn. We LOVE to perform for you. Dogs LOVE Tricks. Plain and simple.  Your dog can SPIN. Your dog can HI FIVE. Your dog can do MORE than you think. Teach just ONE trick and see how fun it is.  Clicker training suggested – cuz it sure is cool when your dog figures out what the trick is on his own.  Awesome to watch your dog figure it out.  Check KikoPup video channel for lots of fun tricks to teach your dog. DO it. You’ll be glad you did!

*NOTE ABOUT RECENT NEWS RE: CHICKEN DOG TREATS FROM CHINA - BE CAREFUL AND BE INFORMED!
Here's just one article on the topic:  Chicken jerky treats from China may sicken dogs, FDA warns – Pet Industry News, Nov. 28, 2011

What the Buck? I been thinking about it over this Thanksgiving weekend—What do dogs teach you to be thankful for, each and every day? First off, keep it simple. You people tend to over-complicate things. But us dogs always try to appreciate the simple moments. Each day, we get to… wait, SQUIRREL!

Ten Things Dogs Teach You To Be Thankful For

10.     TREATS – High-value rewards DO motivate!  So treat yourself right. Don’t be stingy with the treats and be thankful for any time you get an unexpected treat!

9.   SLEEP – Re-charging batteries a must. Every day. Embrace the Nap!

8.   STRETCHING – Every time you get up. And even when you’re not. Stretch right now. Don’t underestimate the Power of the Stretch!

7.   WALKING – Enjoy where you live. Walk often. Walk for the fun of exploring. Most of all, walk for the fun of being with your best friend – your dog!

6.   SHAKING IT OFF – If something stresses you out, physically SHAKE IT OFF & MOVE ON!  Seriously, move on. The ability to shake it off is what keeps us civilized, man.

5.   TRICKS – Doing them, enjoying them. Everyone can learn new tricks. And everyone has certain tricks he can do, some that are tougher – so focus on the Easy Tricks in life!

4.   PLAYING – Games are essential to a full life. Science is just now catching up on this idea of Play as a Power Tool. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Don’t be Jack.

3.   PETTING – Enough said.

2.   LAUGHTER – Dogs laugh too. When it’s funny. And dogs smile. We are masters of adopting human behavior—and we feel that energy shift from a smile, or especially, a belly laugh.  More laughter please! 

And the No. 1 Thing Dogs Teach You To Be Thankful For:

1.   PALS – Being someone’s best friend, and having a best friend, gets us through life. 

Buckaroo back again, and What the Buck is wrong with being a little nutty sometimes?  Nutty, naughty, what’s the diff. I told my mom I was NOT going to put up with a costume for Halloween. None of those cute Jack-O-Lantern sacks of sadness, please, and no tutus or clown suits, and PLEASE don’t even let me see that Dog Pirate costume again, not even in the bag. Awful. Humiliating. Maybe you can’t hear those cries from the Daschunds dressed up as hotdogs, but I can. Actually, those wiener dogs have their own “I Survived Halloween” clubs that get them through as a breed, but most dogs don’t have that support system. So, think twice before you laugh at those poor dogs. And think THrice before you go putting your dog in a goofy get-up. Please, vow now NOT to dress up the pooch next Halloween!  

And if you MUST participate in Howl-oween, make sure it’s comfortable for the dog and simple. Like this red Lil Devil cape number I acquiesced to - Cute because it’s true. (See photo - notice I refused to give a crisp, clear picture, heh-heh-heh). All dogs get the Li’l Devils. 

You know – the Zoomies, when a dog simply cannot contain himself and must run like a freight train in circles, room to room, just seemingly mad with energy.  Sometimes, it’s when we’re on our leashes, and we have to grab that leash and jerk it back and forth and throw our bodies into and just, well, go bonkers. Heck, there’s a Dog Zoomies Facebook page, so we all know about this. Why do dogs get the zoomies? Well, obviously, it’s an energy release.  Some say it’s a manifestation of fear, but I won’t go down that road – you can read about Natural Dog Training for more thoughts to chew on here. Oh, and yes, there’s also a terrific store in the West Village, called Zoomies – you gotta check it out. Face it, you simply can’t avoid Dogs and Zoomies!

The point is, hounds, that releasing energy is the name of the game. If ya don’t get it out, you’re gonna end up chewing the table leg or that new shoe Mom got. You need to get your Ya-Yas out. I suggest running. Or hour-long walks, with spurts of jogs. Seriously. Exercise is what will get you through, man.  My owners take me on urban walks to the Hudson River, through the West Village, and I’ve trained them to walk fast, so we can all get good exercise. Face it, Owners, you, too, could use more walks around the city – it IS NYC, man!

So, Village Dog Training asked me to contribute to this site with a blog. For the betterment of all Village Dogs, or something like that. People ask me, "What the Buck?" so I'll tell you What the Buck. When there's something worth saying, of course. 

Here's why you need dog training, dude.  

It makes living in the city easier. Period. We ain’t country dogs, nor even suburban dogs, here in the city. We can’t just run free and crazy on the streets of the city. Get it in gear, dude, and make sure you have some solid communication skills with your handler.
Hey Owners, this means you, too. Really, it’s all you, let's face it. You hold the cards here. And YOU need to be able to catch your dog before he lunges in front of a car – sitting at corners nicely instead. And guess what, NO one likes a dog jumping up on them, even those who say “it’s okay” (and it’s NEVER polite to jump on someone, so it’s not okay, really). What about training a counter-behavior, like a solid “sit” instead? It just takes some practice, a little bit every day. It’s like exercise – Village Manners are a daily must!
All urban dogs should be able to nail the basic commands, like Sit, Stay, Down, Come, and Heel in order to survive the urban jungle.  And knowing these foundation behaviors leads to fun tricks (that really impress the neighbors!) PLUS more confidence on the street as a dog-handler team, which means a more well-behaved dog in all situations.  
There are lots of great books and videos out there to help… here are 2 suggestions:

1. Get your Trick Dog Title – I just got MY Novice Trick Dog Title this month!  Check out Kyra Sundance's Do More With Your Dog site for info on how. 
2. Check out any of the KikoPup videos on You Tube and also the Dogmantics web site… Great How To videos on everything from loose leash walking to cool tricks!

And, of course, you can set up some sessions with my mom, Heather, who does private coaching (quickest results) and semi-privates (best value) and trains dogs using Progressive Reinforcement Training (similar training used by aquariums and zoos). She’d be happy to set up a Trick Dog class too – all you need is 6-8 dogs!  Tell your friends – here’s a What the Buck secret – if you find 5 other friends to book a class, YOURS IS FREE!  That’s right. Set it up. Do it now – be able to do TRICKS in time for the Holidays!  Email mom at heather@villagedogtraining.com

Plus, positive-based training means TREATS, as a reward for performing one’s work (or balls, or a squeaky toy, whatever motivates you, dude). Either way, it’s a Win-Win for everyone. So DO IT!  Get on a consistent Dog Training program – you’ll be glad you did!