A TRAINING WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR YOUR DOG

Article & Photos By Veronica Selco

January is National Train your Dog Month and February is

Responsible Pet Owners Month. To celebrate both, we want to encourage pet parents to consider additional actions they can take to provide a more enriched life for their companions. In doing so, our dogs are happier, healthier and a joy to be around.

Sharing our home with a dog is a privilege that comes with great responsibility. Most of us already share our homes with dogs. But for those that are planning ahead, whether you’re getting a dog from a breeder, shelter or rescue group, it’s important to recognize the lifelong commitment to their wellbeing. Some things to take into consideration are: lifestyle, existing pets in the home, time constraints, our physical ability and our finances so that we can provide the care our companion may need throughout their lifetime.

Equally important, we need to consider the dog’s breed(s), size, strength, energy level and temperament to plan for appropriate outlets for the dog to express the breed specific natural behaviors it was bred to perform. Some of these activities may not be available to us in an urban setting. Additionally, herding, digging, tugging, pulling, barking, and chasing other animals are natural behaviors that dog’s may enjoy, but ones that may not be acceptable or safe.

Our inability to provide opportunities for our companions to express those behaviors in a way that is appropriate and our failure to provide structured socialization and training can lead to behavior problems, which impact our lifestyles and can lead to dogs having limited opportunities to be social or even being surrendered.

By incorporating a plan to meet the needs of the dog and teaching the dog the skills they need to be successful in our city dwellings, we build a relationship of clear communication and spend fun quality time together. We reinforce the behaviors we want with treats, fun and play.

TRAINING & WELLNESS PROGRAM INCLUDES:

➠ Structured socialization as a puppy ➠ Opportunity for social interaction ➠ Variety of quality foods for nutrition & training ➠ Regular health & wellness checks ➠ Teach life skills ➠ Teach calming behaviors ➠ Learn something new together (Tricks, Parkour) ➠ Mental exercise to build problem solving

and independence

➠ Physical exercise ➠ Time to decompress in nature ➠ Outlet to express natural behaviors

K9 Nose Work, agility, barn hunt

If your dog is social and enjoys meeting new people and being around other dogs, you may also enjoy volunteering as a therapy dog team or training for a competition sport.

The Canine Good Citizen Program by the American Kennel Club is a great way to get your dog started in social settings. The program was designed to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage the training of well-mannered dogs.

OVERVIEW OF CANINE GOOD CITIZEN PROGRAM

1: Accepting a Friendly Stranger 2: Sit Politely for Petting 3: Appearance and Grooming 4: Walking on a Loose Leash 5: Walking Through a Crowd 6: Sit & Down on Cue, Stay in Place 7: Coming When Called 8: Reaction to Another Dog 9: Reaction to Distractions 10: Supervised Separation

What new things will you be incorporating in your dog’s training & wellness program?

Veronica Selco is the lead trainer at imPETus Animal Training. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner (KPA CTP), Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor (CBATI), Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI) , Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) and Certified Family Dog Mediator (FDM). She is also an AKC Evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen, S.T.A.R. Puppy and Trick Dog Programs.

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Whiskers on Kittens...

These are a few of my favorite things!

Have you ever had the lyrics to a song repeatedly play over and over in your head? Well, “whiskers on kittens” kept playing over and over for me. My curiosity was piqued – besides making cats look cute and adorable what else do whiskers do for cats?

Whiskers are more than just longer hairs. They serve as an important navigation system. They are deeply rooted in the cat’s body and are connected to the nervous system. There are sensory organs at the base of the whiskers (proprioceptors) that provide cats with information about their surroundings, how close they are to objects, direction and can even detect air movement.

Also, have you ever wondered if fat cats can get stuck in small openings? Interestingly, a cat’s whiskers grow to the width of his body. This helps them determine if it safe for them to enter a space; if their whiskers touch the sides of an opening the cat knows that he probably won’t fit through the opening.

Whiskers can help us determine their moods. When a cat is calm and relaxed the whiskers are relaxed and sticking outward. If they are pushed forward almost in a fan shape in front of the face it indicates that they are excited and alert. An angry or scared cat will have their whiskers pulled or flattened against their cheeks.

Can you believe that these are only a few of the interesting things whiskers do for cats? These were just a few favorites that satisfied my curiosity.