Hi there,

Here is my quick tip of the day!

Many of my dog clients over the years have made a common mistake that creates aggression. Innocently I might add, but never the less a bad mistake. Giving your dog a bone to chew outdoors is a huge contributer to aggression. No matter what breed of dog small or large, allowing your dog to chew a bone outdoors can create potential barking, digging, territorial behavior, growling, dog fights, and harm to children. Don’t do it. Give your dog a delicious bone indoors and create a bone chewing time, supervised. This is the best way for you both to relax.

Click above to play Inger’s Paws For A Minute™ Quick Tip!

Greetings, my Canadian dog owners!

Being a native of Toronto, Ontario, I am ecstatic to announce that I will be appearing on CityLine, Canada’s longest running lifestyle show! Tune in at 9:00 am on the 26th of May to Citytv to get the scoop on integrating dogs and kids into your family, plus tons of fun tips and activities for the entire bunch!

xo,
Inger

Paws For A Minute™ Quick Tip For Parents!

An important tip for parents with young children is to teach your dog not to become territorial over their food bowl. One of the best ways to do this for parents is to occasionally hand feed your dog just a few servings every so often to get your dog used to sharing food. For parents with toddlers, try baby-gating your dog indoors in a central area such as your kitchen or hallway. For busy moms this will ensure safety and allow your dog to eat and socialize to the sounds of your children!

Kids love to chase puppies and dogs, and it’s not a great idea! Even when your child attempts to play with your pup they often hang on to toys and balls a moment too long or hold a ball up in the air, which just encourages your pup to jump up on to your child. A safer way to teach your child and dog is to play fetch together. This exercise needs to be taught to you puppy by an adult first. Then make it a family affair.

Here’s how:

1. Slip a treat in your back pocket and have a special ball or a stuffed dog squeeky toy (for young pups) that you use for fetch only.

2. Throw or toss the ball, crouch down and clap your hands while calling your dog.

3. When he brings you the ball, suddenly stand up and say sit and give him the treat.

4. He will spit out the ball every time. Once mastered, it’ll be easy to transfer this game to your kids (and your spouse!)

Remember very young puppies are teething and children can be very erratic in their movements, which could mean a not so great combination. Guide your child how to throw the ball or toy and redirect your pup from jumping on your child to chasing the toy. Sometimes trying this exercise after a walk is better, your pup will be less rambunctious. Supervision is a must.

Dogs are den animals. They derive a sense of security and safety from small places. What does that mean to you, the dog owner? There are places in your home that can become a place of possession without you even knowing it. All dog owners, no matter what size of dog, should be aware of these zones. These areas in your home can become–over time–a place where a dog bite can occur. Children can be most at risk for a bite. Dogs can view small children as they would another dog. Toddlers often do not heed to a dogs warning of a growl. Then a snap can occur.

Fido Fact: 70% of all dog bites occur in the family home.

Where are these danger zones in your home and how are they created?

Allowing your dog to seek cover under furniture. These places are dining room tables, chairs, underneath beds, doorways, food bowls and car windows to name a few.

These areas get created by your dog, in your daily life, over time. Dog toys and chew bones left lying around the house, yard gates/fences, dog bowls, doorways and car windows are troubled spots. Adding a child into the equation equals potential trouble.

Here is the good news. This is totally preventable! Dog owner and parent awareness is the key. A trained dog looks to you for that sense of security. The following information is a good start to bring awareness of this preventable misunderstanding between dog and owner.

Paws For A Minute™ Quick Tips For Disarming Danger Zones!

1. Pick up all loose bones and toys around the house and yard. Occasionally, designate a chew bone time in a gated space for an hour or two. This can be done several times a day for mothers of toddlers. This provides your dog a safe place to enjoy a chew bone and socializes him to the noises and movements of your child safely. Doing this will prevent your dog from going underneath the furniture in the first place.

2. Beware of finicky eaters. Leaving food in a bowl can create territorial behavior and aggression over time. Always time feed your dog.

3. Toddler behavior can be a danger zone in itself. Allowing your child to push, bite and crawl around dogs can create a risky situation. Redirect this energy. Create a safe place for your dog for the hour that your child is on the loose.

4. If your dog is displaying any obsessive or possessive behavior, training and socialization are required. Knowing these danger zones is a great place to begin prevention.

Again, awareness of these danger spots in your home and your daily life are essential to create a safe environment for your family. Many dog owners look to their dog to see if the dog is going to be OK with a bone, child, etc. However, dogs are always looking to their owners to redirect them. Children are submissive to dogs–Dogs see them as another animal. The above tips arm dog owners with the foresight of how dog bites can occur, even from the nicest dogs. Pets, as they mature, can be set in their ways, and its up to dog owners to guide and redirect them through obedience training with positive commands.

In my years of training people and their dogs, teaching parents how to include children into caring for the family dog in a safe manner has always been my emphasis. The following quick tip for parents may appear like basic common sense, however parents need to guide their children in an activity that the parent and child do together. New, adopted dogs that are not young pups should NOT participate in this tip until properly evaluated as to their behavior around children and food.

Paws For A Minute™ Quick Tip!

Make feeding your new puppy a family affair! Help your children make a feeding chart for your dog with colorful markers. Include the days of the week, a photograph, and the time you feed your dog every day. This process will create a fun, daily schedule for your dog and the whole family.

Formalize this event by having your kids help you measure the proper amount of puppy food. Remember, this will vary according to age and breed of your dog.

This is a great tip for parents to teach their children. Kids should always know to walk past a dog on the street. Teach them that if they see a dog and owner walking, they should always get off their bike, skateboard or scooter and walk quietly past the dog—never run.

Paws For A Minute™ Quick Tip!

Parents need to know that some of the nicest dogs may have a high prey drive which means they want to chase and catch to play. Explaining this to your child will attach a reason as why it’s good to remember how to behave around a dog. Children who run may scare the dog or urge the dog to chase the moving target as if they were another dog or squirrel. This behavior doesn’t mean that the dog is mean or bad. However, parents need to emphasize how to say hello to a dog, and teach them to ask the owner “May I please pet your dog?”

Thinking carrots are just for the Easter Bunny?      

No way! Carrots are a great treat for dogs too! They dig them. Over their life span, a dog can get many of the same diseases and ailments that humans do.

Carrots given as a dog treat is a fantastic way for dog owners to save money. They are a healthy, crunchy and a low-cal alternative to the pricey dog treats on the market today.  Rich in vitamin A, carrots are great for over weight dogs, seniors and puppies!

Paws For A Minute™… Quick Tip!

1. Buy a bag of carrots.

2. Clean, wash and keep the carrots in a plastic bin in the fridge.

3. Create a ritual after dinner or give as an afternoon snack.

4. Carrots are a great treat for children to give to dogs. They are big enough to not have a dog accidently snap at a child’s hand. Put your dog on a leash so that you can guide your dog to sit (the leash creates eye contact from your dog up to you). This is an important instruction for your dog to know before taking a treat from a child. Once patience is mastered in waiting for the command you can merely supervise the treat ritual between your child and dog.

5. Carrots are a great treat alternative for dogs that are allergic to certain proteins such as chicken or beef.

* Always supervise your dog around children, especially with treats or food. Double check with your vet that carrots are a good treat for your individual dog and circumstance.

This is an important tip for parents of infant children. Before long, your baby will be a toddler and your dog will become a moving target of affection!

Preparing your dog for this is a good idea and a great way to get your dog to tolerate touch is to brush him for a few minutes every day. Put your dog on a leash and gently brush him. The leash will help guide your dog to relax and keep things calm. Brushing your dog will teach him to accept being touched everywhere, including his tail!