Ok, yeah. I'll admit this trend toward fantastical headlines is really annoying.
But I click on them. Sometimes.
And since a well-trained, and even more importantly, a well-behaved dog is so important to their health and well-being, I'm pulling out all the tricks in getting your attention... and using a ridiculous headline.
We are super excited about today's giveaway! It's full of items that are both useful and tasty when it comes to training your pup!
Take a look at our rundown of what's included and then read all the way down to enter via Giveaway Tools.
PetSafe Train & Praise Treat Dispenser
We've been wanting one of these for a while and now you can win one! With the PetSafe Train & Praise Dog Treat Dispenser, the handheld remote activates the treat dispenser from up to 25 feet away, so good behavior can immediately be rewarded.
You can use it to help train everyday good dog behavior like keeping your pet away from the door when a visitor arrives. And, you can also get creative with it and use it to train your pup to work away from you in agility. Check out our short training clip below. We're still dreaming up uses for the Train & Praise!
The Train & Praise alone retails for $79.95 so this is a giveaway filled with LOTS of value you won't want to miss!
I love learning about what makes dogs tick… and how to help them be the best they can be. Even better when I get the chance to learn about it from the experts.
That's why I was excited for the chance to review a copy of Decoding Your Dog, the new book from the members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Debra Horwitz and John Ciribassi, with Steve Dale.
The book promises to explain common dog behaviors and reveal how to prevent or change unwanted ones. Written by top veterinary behavioral experts, this book is chock full of science-based information, positive training methods and remedies for behavior problems from separation anxiety to aggression.
It's a book for any dog owner's collection. In addition to addressing behavioral problems, you'll find chapters on how to find the right puppy for you, housetraining 101, and practical advice on making nail clipping and teeth brushing more pleasant for you and your dog.
While there were many chapters I found interesting, I found myself drawn to the chapter titled "All Dogs Need a Job." As the proud owner of my second Havanese, I learned pretty quickly that even small, fluffy dogs need a job if they are to be the best dogs they can be!
This chapter dives into the reasons for and ways you can keep your pup happy and stimulated both mentally and physically. It gives examples of plenty of activities to keep your dog busy -- from toys and chews to interactive activities like tricks training or fetch and tug games.
It also provides a rundown of many popular dog sports including our favorite, agility.
The bottom line is that all dogs require some form of enrichment… meaning that they need objects or interactions that occupy and stimulate their thinking and/or physical activity.
I've learned from experience that my dog indeed needs a job to keep him happy, stimulated and generally out of trouble! I've also learned that as dog's age, you might try different activities that better suit their life stage.
Decoding Your Dog provides plenty of ideas for activities for any dog at every stage of life, plus much more. If you want to learn what the experts have learned about decoding how our dogs think, communicate and learn, you can find it all in Decoding your Dog.
I've found agility to be a great "job" for Rocco, using his mind and body for full doggie enrichment. And, we're enjoying trick training too.
What "jobs" do your dogs have? Disclosure: I have written this post on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network for Decoding Your Dog. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Decoding Your Dog, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.
"Stay" was one of the first commands I taught Rocco. Not only is it one of the basic skills for good pup manners, it comes in handy in so many situations.
The very best reason to teach your dog to stay is to help keep him out of harms way, but there are other practical reason too!
Here are our top six reasons and situations for "stay"
Safety at home - teach a sit/stay or down/stay at the front door. A good, reliable stay can help keep your pup from bolting out the door when the delivery man comes by.
Safety on the road - if your dog rides in a crate or a car seat, teaching them to stay until you have them securely leashed will keep them safely under control as you exit the car.
Posing for photos -- a reliable stay will allow you to take adorable photos of your dog in all sorts of settings!
Pausing while on walks -- whether at a crosswalk or stopping to talk to a friend, a dog in a sit/stay will wait patiently until YOU say it's time to go.
Training for performance sports -- a start-line stay is a crucial skill for any agility dog.
Waiting for dinner -- I put Rocco in a down/stay before every meal. Not only does it keep him from jumping up but it also reinforces his stay every day.
Even after your dog has learned important commands like stay, you can't reinforce them too much! Here's a great video from Pet 360 where dog trainer Victoria Schade shows how to reinforce "stay" even when there are distractions.
When do you ask your dog to stay?
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pet360. I am being compensated for spreading the word about Pet360.com, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.
Rocco waits patiently in his crate, exactly what he should be doing in Stages One and Two of Crate Games
It's another FitDog Friday and K9 Kamp doubleheader, so why is Rocco sitting inside in his crate when his pals are outside in the sunshine?
Well, first of all it's 90 degrees in Atlanta and it can get pretty miserable when you have a permanent fur coat.
And second, we're taking advantage of the nice air-conditioning while we're playing crate games, specifically Susan Garrett's Crate Games for self-control and motivation. This was the activity that we signed up for at K9 Kamp, brought to you by Kamp counselors Peggy at Peggy's Pet Place and Jodi at Kol's Notes.
We chose crate games as our activity because it promises great foundation training for the agility we want to do -- encouraging things like control and enthusiasm. Crate Games also offers a variety of benefits for any dog, like training behaviors that can be really important for your dog's safety such as teaching him to wait patiently at the door without bolting out and allowing you to grab his collar quickly whenever you might need to.
Skills learned in crate games can also translate to:
Making your dog a more welcome guest
Building a great relationship with your dog
Getting your dog comfortable in any crate or carrier, including an airline carrying bag
Adding an element of safety when unloading your dog from a crate in a car
Decreased stress when you have to leave your dog
This week, we watched the Crate Games DVD again and practiced the first three stages:
Stage One: I Love My Crate -- this is where Rocco learned to sit patiently in his crate -- even when I kept opening and closing the door -- while treats fell from the sky were fed by my hand high and in the back of the crate. Stage One conditions your dog to love his crate.
Stage Two: Are You a Gambler -- this is where Rocco learned to choose to stay in his crate even while I left the door open and provided distractions like picking up his leash and attaching it to his collar. Stage Two helps your dog learn more control and starts teaching useful skills like being patient while you attach their leash.
Stage Three: Yer Out Yer Out and the Collar Grab Game -- this is where Rocco learned to enthusiastically fly back into the crate after being released. He also learned to allow me to grab his collar, something that can come in quite handy in an emergency. Stage Three is all about building enthusiasm for the game.
We shot a couple of short videos to show you Rocco's progress. However, since these games really take two hands I'm going to need to get a tripod or a camera man to help me next time! I think you'll at least get a good idea though!
Here Rocco shows his skill at staying in the crate, even when he hears the door unlatch. He also waits patiently with the door open. At this point, we had trained Stage One and were progressing to Stage Two.
Good boy Rocco!
In this next video, we've progressed to Stage Three. I release Rocco from his crate and then grab his collar (it looks like a hunk of fur, but I really did have his collar!). And then watch Rocco dive back into the crate!
You'll notice I haven't named any of these behaviors yet or actually told Rocco to go to his crate. That's because he's still learning and we want to make sure he's perfected these skills before naming them. Otherwise, he might associate the name with some early mistakes made and carry those into the more advances stages of the game.
In her DVD, Susan Garrett says you might perfect Stages One and Two in an hour, but that you should stay at Stage Three for quite some time -- anywhere from a week to about a month. Since we've barely put in more than an hour at this point, we still have plenty of work to do before progressing to Stage Four.
This week, we'll work on building more enthusiasm for flying in and out of the crate. When we're ready, we'll move to Stage Four where we'll start naming behaviors and learning more advanced skills like adding distance and distractions.
Today also is FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
This month, we've been showing a series of dog training videos inspired by the upcoming release of Disney's "Treasure Buddies," available on Blu-ray and DVD on January 31.
In this video, animal Trainer April Mackin shows how to train your buddy to lay down. Read down to see how we train a down/stay everyday and how you can win your own copy of "Treasure Buddies!"
We agree that short, frequent trainings are a great way to reinforce desired behaviors. That's why, before every meal, Cosmo performs a down/stay... and then I release him with an "OK." Watch and see!
To win your own copy of "Treasure Buddies," enter our giveaway here! The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. ET on January 31.
Whether your dog is an aspiring movie star or the star of your living room, training a basic skill like "sit" can prepare your dog for many situations.
Check out this video with animal trainer April Mackin and then head down to the bottom of this post to enter our giveaway for a DVD of the upcoming release of "Treasure Buddies," available on Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack and Digital on January 31.
Want to watch more adorable pups from "Treasure Buddies?"
Enter our "Treasure Buddies" DVD Giveaway!
Five lucky winners will win a Disney "Treasure Buddies" DVD. Winners will be chosen at random, and entries must be posted by January 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. DVDs are being provided courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. U.S. entries only.
To enter (mandatory):
Post a comment on this blog post telling us about your pet's favorite trick or a trick you've seen another pet perform.
For extra entries (post a separate comment on this blog post for each entry):
Whether you've got a new puppy or a dog who needs to learn good manners, training some of the simplest behaviors can make all the difference in maintaining a happy relationship with your dog.
Basic training skills can be incorporated into your everyday routine, and it's a great idea to spend just a few minutes each day reinforcing good behaviors. One of the cues Cosmo learned early on is "watch me." We still use this when we're taking walks since Cosmo can get anxious around some bigger dogs. I get Cosmo's attention with "watch me" and then give him a treat to take his attention away from the potentially stressful situation.
Here, Debbie McKnight, training expert for PetSmart, demonstrates the "watch me" cue.
"Watch me" is also useful when we enter the agility ring and Cosmo is distracted by all the other activity, or any time you need to get your dog's attention!
, the handheld remote activates the treat dispenser from up to 25 feet away, so good behavior can immediately be rewarded. 
Even after your dog has learned important commands like stay, you can't reinforce them too much! Here's a great video from Pet 360 where dog trainer Victoria Schade shows how to reinforce "stay" even when there are distractions. 
Today also is FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
