PrimoPup

Many of us take vitamins and supplements to ensure we are getting our nutritional needs met. But what about our dog’s nutritional needs? Is their kibble really enough?

You can enhance your dog’s health at any age from puppy to senior by providing a daily health supplement. As our dogs age, their needs change. So be sure to choose the formula that is right for your dog’s stage of life. Not sure which formula is ideal? Then talk with your veterinarian. It’s always a good idea to make any health related decisions for your dog together.

When it comes time to choose a supplement, consider PrimoPup. Their products are made with human grade quality ingredients and are extensively tested to ensure their safety. All supplements are formulated and recommended by veterinarians and carry the National Animal Supplement Council Seal of Approval. And your dog will love them!

And keep up with important information with the PrimoPup blog. You can never learn too much about your furry friend.

Pet Insurance U

Pet insurance can be confusing. Is it worth it if my dog is young and healthy? What do plans cover? Are there deductibles?

When it comes to pet insurance, one size doesn’t fit all. If you are interested in learning more about it, the website Pet Insurance U specializes in making your decision easier.

They have done the work for you and pulled together information from the top rated pet insurance companies. Compare different policies at a glance with the comparison chart and read reviews for all top 6 rated companies.

Be sure to also review the 5 things you must know about dog insurance.

Vet costs are rising in the US. Instead of fearing for the day your pet may need extensive medical treatment, maybe it’s time to consider pet insurance. Get all the facts and then you can then decide if pet insurance is right for you.

Toronto Dog Walking

Walking is essential for your dog. It provides much needed exercise, allows him to smell until his heart is content, get out and see the world, meet new people and other dogs. Your intentions are good but there are times you may need some help due to a sudden illness or business trip. Or maybe you just want to make sure your pooch gets out and has some fun while you are at work every day.

If you live in the West end of Toronto you are in luck!
Toronto Dog Walking is a dedicated and professional team of friendly care providers that offer a wide range of services that cater to the well being of your dog. If you need regular one or two hour walks for your pooch or adventure hikes on trails, they offer both. You can have walking provided at a regular time or can call on short notice if you have to. The team is flexible and will do their best to accommodate the needs of you and your dog. Your pooch will have his own online diary where you can easily amend or cancel his walks.

They also have home boarding or will care for your dog in his own home. Or maybe you need a ride to your vet; they also provide a pet taxi.

If you think any of these services could benefit you and your dog, use the contact form and set up a consultation at your home.

Check out some of their cutest customers! And keep up to date with important information on their blog.

Don't Forget to Reward What's Already Good

I assume there will be cookies for wearing red balloons on my feet?

Our dogs are the very best teachers. In the time I've had Ruby and Boca, I've increased my knowledge of dog training and behavior and how both relate to their very different personalities. I think back on my previous dogs and wish I'd known what I know today - our relationships could have been even richer. 

I got a valuable reminder from Boca last week to reward behavior that's already polished. When we have training goals or challenging dogs, it's easy to get caught up focusing on constant improvement. If something seems like it's solidly understood or accomplished, sometimes reinforcement falls by the wayside. Affable dogs are wonderful but can make us lazy trainers. This is what happened with Boca's red squishy booties.

Boca has especially sensitive paws and in the winter my townhome complex is very generous with the de-icer. The sidewalks are festooned with salt, and poor Boca has, on more than one occasion, just laid down and given up on life once it starts to sting her paws. I quickly learned that no matter how short or quick the walk, she had to wear her Pawz booties when it was snowy and icy. We've had snow and ice on the ground now for a solid month, it seems. 

When a dog is as cooperative as Boca, signs of stress can be missed. I felt terrible when I realized that Boca had started to dread getting her boots on. Her tail was tucked between her legs and she would curl up with resignation when she knew it was time to go for a walk on the salt crystal road. She never gave me any trouble when stretching the awkward balloons over her feet, and I never thought to go through the process of CC/DS (counter-conditioning/desensitization) which creates a positive association for what might otherwise be a scary experience. 

Ruby is skittish and suspicious around nearly every novel object, so I always have to start at the very beginning of the counter-conditioning process with her, but I realized that Boca's easygoing nature led me to skip steps. I swiftly remedied this as soon as I registered her discomfort by breaking out the treats along with booties. Boca now gets a treat for each paw, and her attitude toward the red squishy boots has already changed dramatically. Positive reinforcement is a great way to ensure that things that aren't broken stay that way, as long as we remember to use it! 

SHINY & NEW: I've compiled some of my favorite training posts on my revamped Positive Reinforcement page. 

Accountability and Inspiration with Online Dog Training

I mentioned in my Year in Review post that after talking about it for far too long I was finally going to apply for Ruby's first trick title through Do More With Your Dog. I learned about a free online class that walks you through the weekly tricks necessary to apply for each level of title, and thought it was the perfect way to achieve my goal with Ruby. January just happens to be National Train Your Dog Month, so the timing couldn't be better!

For now I'm going to focus on getting Ruby's Novice and Intermediate titles, but while Boca doesn't have the same enthusiasm for tricks, she's proven herself quite capable of learning. One of my trick training goals with both girls was to have them sit pretty in unison, with enough distance/duration that I could get good pictures. Boca had no balance to start with, and now she is sitting up as long the treats are coming! We still have a ways to go in order for me to phase out my luring with Boca, but she is starting to offer sit pretty regularly. 

Each week, the tricks are assigned along with tutorial videos. Members are encouraged to post their video progress before Sunday of that week. By the end of the class the dog will have learned the requisite number to achieve the corresponding title. Yesterday we submitted our first video to our Novice Team on Facebook. It's been so fun to see all the dogs' styles and get pointers from the instructor, Sara Carson, and the members. I highly recommend joining in if you have any interest in trick training! Filming and watching our video showed me just how much polishing we have to do even on the things Ruby knows already. 

Our Week One tricks are:

Sit

Stay

Spin Circles

Touch

Muffin Tin Game (we skipped this one for two reasons: first, Ruby is very cautious with novel objects so I knew it would take extra time to get her comfortable with a muffin tin; second, I consider this more of a puzzle toy than a trick)

Bonus: Play Dead (I don't like the connotation of shooting my dog, so we call this one "Relax.") 

None of these tricks were new to Ruby but it was obvious that the return to basics will do us good. We have been practicing "sit pretty" so much that Ruby forgot how to just plain "sit!" She can also spin both directions but we call the other way "twirl." Ruby's nose touch needs work as well - she tends to touch me with an open mouth of teeth instead of her nose. The Heroic Sparks group is going to provide the motivation, inspiration and accountability to stick with our trick training on a regular schedule all while propelling us to our first title. 

I plan to update here with each week's tricks, and as a special treat for Positive Pet Training Week I'd like to show off one our more complicated tricks that has been in the works for a long time. We call this one "march," and I'm just not sure Ruby can be any cuter than this:
 

A video posted by Lara Elizabeth (@2gingerdogs) on Jan 3, 2016 at 11:21am PST

 
This post is part of the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, hosted by Cascadian Nomads,Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. This month's theme is National Train Your Dog Month and the next hop begins on February 1st. The hop happens on the first Monday of every month, and is open for a full week - please join us in spreading the word about the rewards of positive training!

 

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