When can I stop training my dog?

By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, Bfrap

<Una versión de este artículo fue publicada en Pets and its people on June 28, 2022 >

<Una versión de este artículo fue publicada en la edición de octubre de 2022 de Downast dog news>

< Updated 22oct22 >

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My students often ask when they can stop training their dogs. That’s when I ask them when you anticipate that you will stop learning. My point is that we are still learning while we are alive. The same is true for our dogs.

If our dog is awake, they learn from us and the environment in which they live. Since the environment is vast and is almost always available for our dogs, it offers more learning opportunities than us. For example, a child in a high chair or an elderly father at the dining room table can teach his dog by dropping accidental or intentionally while eats. In this case, your dog may be learning something that would prefer not to do so.

Understand that your dog can also learn from dogs and people interacting in the dog park or dog nursery. Even the wind that blows through your apple at the end of summer, causing the fruit to fall, could be teaching your dog. Taking into account that your dog is always learning, I think there are many excellent reasons to continue training.

Reasons to continue training your dog

We all need a review from time to time we hope to maintain our skills. While I had two years of German in high school, I have not used that knowledge and ability for years, and as a result, Ich Kann Kein Deutsch Mehr (I can no longer speak German). If we stop asking our dogs to do what we have taught them, they can be oxidized and not answer as well as we would like. MUPPY and I practice behaviors how to sit, leave it and remember regularly. Having a reliable leave it and withdraw can save your dog’s life.

However, I also practice training for my benefit. Training is a mechanical ability; Like all skills, it requires maintenance, just like a golf swing. The only difference between a click and sweets and a golf club and a ball is the hairy friend I am interacting is sensitive, while the golf ball is not.

However, a second reason and even more important to continue training your dog is that it is an excellent way to provide both mental stimulation. When Done well, the training will be fun and will make your link even stronger. That does not mean that it should be registered in a dog training class. A well -designed dog training program will leave it with the skills and knowledge you need to continue working with your dog much after completing the class; However, if you attend a class so that both can learn something new, why not? For example, Muppy and I recently attended a new kind of Forcefreepets, is offered called the joy of smelling. We had a great time! We both learned new skills, but, more importantly, we had fun doing something together. We are using what we learned several times a week

Remember, training does not need to limit yourself to things like sitting and remembering. You can teach your dog silly tricks or teach them to use their nose while playing fun aroma games like Find It. You will soon forget that you are learning when you and your dog have fun together. The best teachers I have had in my life could make learning fun.

My point is that minimally, at least we need to recognize that our dog will learn all his life. So why not use that enthusiasm for knowledge making it an opportunity to continue feeding our link with our dog while having fun?

Determine if your dog understands to sit

Students often ask, how can I know if my dog ​​understands what I am teaching you? The way in which we evaluate a dog’s training can vary with what we are teaching, the environment where we are testing them and the dog and their physical and emotional state at that particular time. Next you will find a method that you can use to evaluate how well your dog understands simple behavior as SIT.

In each scenario, you will give your dog a visual or verbal signal and seek to respond in 1 to 2 seconds, eight times of every 10.

• In three different bedrooms in your home
• For three family members
• With you stopped in front of the dog
• With you sitting in a chair with the dog in front of you
• With you sitting on the floor with the dog in front of you
• In three different places in your patio
• In three other places away from your home
• In a distraction environment

The definitive test can be if you can lie on your back in an environment where you usually play with your dog, and they will respond to your signal.

Recommended resources

Articles in Don’s blog
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Do I need a dog coach or a “behavioral”? –

What is a pet behavior consultant? –

Aid! My dog ​​is stubborn! –

There are no “third” dogs, twelve steps to become best friends for life,

Dog training – A rescue dog perspective –

TRAINING BASED IN REVISIONES VERSUS AVERSIVIES –

What is clicking training? –

About Don Hanson –

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Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co -owner of Green Acres Kennel Shop ( Greenacreskennel.com ) and the founder of Forfreepets.coma Online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a professional canine behavior consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Professional Pet Accreditation Board (PPAB) and a registered animal practitioner of the Bach Foundation (Bfrp). Don is a member of the Professional Pet Guild (PPG)serving in the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee and presiding over the Defense Division. He is also founding director of Pet devocacy international (Piai). In addition, Don Produce and Co-Anphitations THE MEOW WOOF MEOW SHOW Podcast, available in The Apple Podcast application and Don’s blog: www.words woofs-meows.com. The opinions in this article are those of Don Hanson.

© 22oct22, Donald J. Hanson, all rights reserved
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How to surely celebrate a pet’s birthday

Happy Birthday! We all love a celebration, and the birthday of a pet (or the day of adoption) is a great excuse to spoil them, as if we did not do it every day!

Of course, there are many ways to celebrate and show our love to our pets, but certainly one of the favorites is through food. Sometimes celebration, we might want to show our pets some extra love with something special and different from their usual diet. That is fine, but we must be careful what we offer.

Cats have different nutrient requirements than us, and also have different tolerances, so we want to make sure that what they offer are not only tasty, but also safe. We know that cats have preference for high foods in proteins and high fat, although we must be careful not to exaggerate. Offering rich foods to cats is safer than for dogs, since cats are not so risk of developing pancreatitis, although it can certainly happen. Then, keep the birthdays in moderation.

The 10% rule

Yes, the rules even apply on birthdays! The 10% rule refers to feeding 90% of the daily calories of a complete and balanced food source, such as halo croquettes or canned food, and a maximum of 10% of sweets, sandwiches or remains. In this way, we can be sure that Fluffy is fulfilling its nutritional requirements every day and that we do not accidentally induce a dietary deficiency. Verify the calorie content of the treats and the snacks to ensure that they do not exceed the rule. If you are not sure of the daily calorie requirements of your cat, an estimate (based on average cat sizes) is:

Of course, each cat is an individual, so if you are not sure of your cat’s daily calorie requirements, talk to your family veterinarian.

Human foods that are insecure for cats

In addition to sweets, sandwiches and commercial chewing, there are many “food for people” that we can offer our feline friends. However (and equally important), there are specific foods that are not healthy or even insecure for cats to eat: Below is a list of some of those articles.

Raw animal products: If your cat has an outdoor access, you are likely to complement your diet with local wildlife and consume a lot of raw meat and even bones, so you can ask why it is not recommended to feed raw animal products. Due to agriculture, transport and killing methods, the risk of contamination of raw animal products with bacteria is very large. That is one of the many reasons why most people who eat meat cook first! Just as they can cause diseases in humans, these bacteria can also cause diseases in cats, so it is recommended not to feed these articles to any pet. The symptoms of food poisoning of raw animal products can vary from vomiting and diarrhea to potentially fatal sepsis.

Chocolate: Although cats lack sweet receptors and, therefore, they do not have so much chocolate desire and humans, they can still consume it if they are offered. It is well known that chocolate is poisonous for dogs: it is also so poisonous for cats, and because they are so small, much lower doses are required for toxic effects. This is a potentially fatal toxicity, since it can cause cardiovascular and neurological problems.

Milk and dairy: It was once the fashion to get a dish of milk for cats, but that has been frowned upon for quite some time. Most adult animals (including humans!) Do not naturally produce lactase, the enzyme necessary to digest lactose, the main sugar found in milk. Young kittens express the enzyme so that they can digest lactose in their mother’s milk, but once they are weaned, their bodies stop producing it unless they are chronically exposed to dairy products. For that reason, most cats will develop digestive problems such as diarrhea when dairy products are received.

Grapes and raisins: Even small doses of grapes, or even worse, pass, can cause kidney damage in cats.

Onions and garlic: Although cats will not normally appreciate their onion or straight garlic offer, they can eat them if combined with other ingredients. Large doses of onion or garlic can cause damage to red blood cells, so these foods should always be avoided.

Other ways to celebrate

Birthdays are not fair On food, there are other ways in which we can show our feline family how much we appreciate them. Enter any pet store and you will be surprised by the variety of toys available for cats, there is something for everyone! Some cats love wrinkled tinsel balls, others lose their heads due to soft toys stuffed with kittera grass and, of course, are interactive toys such as posts and flirting wands or remote control mice. Involving your cat at stake is an excellent way to interact with them, since it burns calories, develops muscle and stimulates its natural impulse to stalk and hunt safely and controlled.

If you are organizing a party for your appreciated cat, make sure you have a safe space you can escape if necessary. Some cats are social butterflies and prosper with guests around, while others may prefer the opportunity for some loneliness. They are not ungrateful, they are only independent creatures that need a bit of “time” sometimes!

I wish you and your skin friend a very special day!

Dr. Sarah Dodd

In the increasingly complex rainbow of the colors and races of cats, intelligent hybrid words for names are often, it is not surprising that a branch of the tricolor calic cat has emerged in feline jargon. This type of calicó, called “Tabico”, or sometimes “Caliby”, combines the stripes of the pattern of atgied layer with the orange and black patches of the pattern of the calic layer. What a great and artistic cat!

In Calicos, a cat has three colors: typically white, black and orange, distributed in a pattern patching in the cat’s coat. In diluted calicos, colors are silenced with a cake effect and seem more gray and cream creams. In tabicos, black and orange (or gray and cream) appear as striped atmosphere instead of solid colors.

The featured pattern can appear in one or both colors. And the Tabico cat, assuming that the cat has a color patch on the forehead instead of Blanco, will have the characteristic “M” tied in the area above and between the eyes.

What are some interesting data about this felic calic designer known as Tabico?

Hivah/shuttersock.com

1. Tabicos are almost the same as torbies

The Tabico is a mixture of athekeered and calicó brands, which appear mainly in color patches along with the white. A Torbie, on the other hand, is a mixture of Tabby and TortoiseShell brands. The difference is that a Tortie/Torbie has little or no white, and black and orange (or gray and white for diluents) are stained and swirling together. It is the same basic genes, but they express themselves in a slightly different way.

It is the same for diluted torto; They are the same as a diluted calico, but they only have a different pattern. And both torbies and tabicos are specific types of torture and calicos.

2. Tabicos are almost always women

Although tabicos have a complex mixture, the same identity of Calico/Cake almost excluded, about 99.7 percent of these cats, or 1 in 3,000. The determining factor is the presence of black and orange in a cat, or gray and cream in a diluted.

Black and orange are the two basic tones of the colors of the cats, and each one comes on a different X chromosome. So, if both colors appear in a cat, the cat has two X chromosomes, which is, by definition, a woman.

However, once on a blue moon, a calic kitten/TortoiseShell/Tabico/Tortie will be a man, who has a bit of unicorn status. These kittens have an additional X chromosome and are XXY, a genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome. This additional chromosome can cause health problems, and the cat is usually sterile.

Mary Swift/Shuttersock.com

3. Tabicos are not a race

Like Calico, Tabby, Tortoiseshell and the solid colors, Tabico is a color pattern but not a specific breed. Calico and the Tabico fur can appear in many cat races. This coloration tends to appear in races such as Persian, Japanese bobtail and Maine Coon.

4. Some cultures consider the good luck of the tricolor cat

In many circles, the tricolor cat, calico and, by extension, tabico, is a sign of good luck. In Germany, Calico’s cats are called “guckskatze”, which means “fortunate cat.” Is there any truth in this lucky legend? Well, my mother and grandmother were from Germany, and I have two calicos, but I can’t say that I have experienced any unusual luck and good fortune in my life in the last two years. However, I would consider owning these cats to be lucky enough to be lucky in itself.

In the United States, with the same feeling, some people call Calicos/Tabicos “Cats of Money”. (I will remember the universe that when I buy my next Powerball ticket). In Japan, tricolor cats were thought to brought magical powers and wealth, and sailors often carried calicos with them to protect the ship against danger.

According to Irish folklore, rubbing the tail of a tricolor cat in a wart will cure the wart, but there is one trap: it only works during the month of May. (It is better to see a dermatologist for this).

5. Tabicos are usually sweet and daring

A point of controversy among cat fans is whether “turturing”, the discharge that seems to be part of the purrsonality of TortoiseseShell, also applies to calicos/tabicos. After all, they have the same color and gene scheme, with the colors appearing in different patterns.

I can only speak on behalf of my two calicos, Pippi and Dolly, who are up to both the sweet and daring side of their reputation. They are sweet, loyal and loving, but they can become fighters in an instant. Those are my girls! Other parents of Calico have said in the threads of social networks that their calicos are spicy. So, I vote that yes about turtur, or will we call it caleity?