Pet dogs versus show dogs (A little humor)
Pet dogs raid the garbage. Obedience dogs are very food motivated.
Pet dogs shed. Show dogs blow coat.
Pet dogs are in heat. Show dogs come into season.
Pet dogs run around the house. Show dogs show tremendous reach and drive.
Pet dogs stand. Show dogs stack.
Pet dogs get a bath. Show dogs are groomed.
Pet dogs beg for treats. Show dogs animate for bait.
Pet dogs jump the fence. Obedience dogs demonstrate problem solving intelligence.
Pet dogs bark at other dogs. Agility dogs show excitement before showing.
Pet dogs are hyper. Show dogs are high-drive.
Pet dogs steal socks and laundry. Show dogs show natural retrieving ability.
Pet dogs find and chew up their owners’ shoes. Show dogs are practicing scent articles.
- Author unknown
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
SuperZoo 2009
On September 15th, 2009, my husband, Chris, and I packed our bags and took a flight out to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2009 SuperZoo pet industry tradeshow! Having both previously working at PetEdge, a pet supply manufacturing company, we were not strangers to these remarkable shows. Filled with the latest and greatest products in the pet industry, the shows are geared towards pet store owners looking for ways to improve their stores. In additional, doggie daycare owners, groomers, and dog walking businesses attend the show to increase their knowledge of the industry and find ways to expand their businesses.Back when we were at PetEdge, Chris and I had to work the PetEdge booth. We would talk to people as they walked by and looked at our products. But we could never walk around the show! Every excuse I had I'd try walking down a different row to take a peek at all of the new products...dresses and costumes for small pups, beer for dogs, canned food that was sampled...to people! But I only got a glimpse of all of that and used to dream of being the business owner who could walk the floor looking for ways to better my business.
Flash forward a couple of years and there I am!
It felt amazing walking that floor as a business owner and I was able to spend all the time I had to look at new products and see where the industry is going. I saw Magic Color, a dye used to color dogs. There was Out of the Box, a card game filled with training games for you and your pup. A bottle cap that you put on your water bottle so that your dog can take a drink. And lots and lots of new dog foods....dehydrated foods, frozen raw foods, organic foods...you name it, they had it! What I enjoyed seeing the most were all of the interactive toys that are now available to keep our pups busy and thinking. With a little busy body of a dog at home (Reese) I know how wonderful those toys can be. Not only that, but all of my client's dogs are home alone until I show up, these toys would just be wonderful to keep them occupied while no one's home!
What was even better about the show were the informative seminars held everyday. Boy did I learn a lot about customer service, management, and running a successful business. I couldn't wait to get home to work on improving my business! 
And on top of all of that, we were in Vegas. I had never been! What an amazing city. My feet were tired and sore after walking the trade show floor all day but that didn't stop us from exploring the city at night. I can't say I'm any lucky in the casinos...but I had fun regardless!
What an amazing trip we had! And how lucky I am to be on the other side of the show...walking around as a business owner, with a supportive husband who is just as excited as I am! I learned so much about the pet industry and all of those new products that are available for our lovable pups. I have the luxury of working in one of the best industries I can...I mean, who doesn't love their dog?? I'm very excited for BlueDog's future...there are BIG things to come!!
What was even better about the show were the informative seminars held everyday. Boy did I learn a lot about customer service, management, and running a successful business. I couldn't wait to get home to work on improving my business! 
And on top of all of that, we were in Vegas. I had never been! What an amazing city. My feet were tired and sore after walking the trade show floor all day but that didn't stop us from exploring the city at night. I can't say I'm any lucky in the casinos...but I had fun regardless!
What an amazing trip we had! And how lucky I am to be on the other side of the show...walking around as a business owner, with a supportive husband who is just as excited as I am! I learned so much about the pet industry and all of those new products that are available for our lovable pups. I have the luxury of working in one of the best industries I can...I mean, who doesn't love their dog?? I'm very excited for BlueDog's future...there are BIG things to come!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tops Dogs of All Time
Happy Anniversary AKC!
In celebration of 125 years, the American Kennel Club has posted the top 10 most popular breeds of all time. Congrats to the Collies!!
Top Dogs of All Time
In celebration of 125 years, the American Kennel Club has posted the top 10 most popular breeds of all time. Congrats to the Collies!!
Top Dogs of All Time
Monday, September 14, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
How's Your Dog's Short-Term Memory?
Recently Chris watched a show discussing the intelligence of dogs. Unfortunately, I missed it. He did his best (in a guy sort of way) to fill me in on the interesting stuff (I bet it was all interesting!)
The part that he thought was the most amusing was a short-term memory test given to the dogs. It's simple enough. They showed the evaluator in a room with a dog with a handful of treats. She showed the dog the treats, then proceeded to hide them while the dog watched. Under a couch, on top of a table...easy to find but somewhat hidden. She made sure the dog saw her place each cookie. Then she took the dog into another room and distracted it for 30 seconds by playing with the dog or practicing some basic commands. At the end of the 30 seconds she let the dog back into the room with the cookies.
The concept is that if the dog finds the cookies, he has a good short-term memory. The less he finds, the worse his memory. Well, Chris and I couldn't resist testing our own two girls. They watched as I hid a couple of cookies in the living room, then we headed to the kitchen for 30 seconds of playtime.
Anxiously, I brought them back into the living
room...hoping to prove that Elsa and Reesie are two very bright girls with amazing memories! Well...not quite. Upon entering the room, both girls began sniffing around...so they must've remembered that cookies were in there! Reese found one cookie, gobbled it up, and began sniffing some more while Elsa just sniffed. But it didn't take long for both girls to lose interest and find better things to do.
One more try! I was sure that my girls must be able to remember after only 30 seconds where I hid the cookies! This time Reese sniffed briefly and then looked at me for further instruction. Elsa seemed more intent on finding something to eat and did manage to find one cookie, searched some more, then gave up.
So lesson learned...my girls don't have good short-term memories! Apparently a short-term memory isn't necessary to win obedience titles : ) Try it out, how's your dog's short-term memory??
The part that he thought was the most amusing was a short-term memory test given to the dogs. It's simple enough. They showed the evaluator in a room with a dog with a handful of treats. She showed the dog the treats, then proceeded to hide them while the dog watched. Under a couch, on top of a table...easy to find but somewhat hidden. She made sure the dog saw her place each cookie. Then she took the dog into another room and distracted it for 30 seconds by playing with the dog or practicing some basic commands. At the end of the 30 seconds she let the dog back into the room with the cookies.
The concept is that if the dog finds the cookies, he has a good short-term memory. The less he finds, the worse his memory. Well, Chris and I couldn't resist testing our own two girls. They watched as I hid a couple of cookies in the living room, then we headed to the kitchen for 30 seconds of playtime.Anxiously, I brought them back into the living
room...hoping to prove that Elsa and Reesie are two very bright girls with amazing memories! Well...not quite. Upon entering the room, both girls began sniffing around...so they must've remembered that cookies were in there! Reese found one cookie, gobbled it up, and began sniffing some more while Elsa just sniffed. But it didn't take long for both girls to lose interest and find better things to do. One more try! I was sure that my girls must be able to remember after only 30 seconds where I hid the cookies! This time Reese sniffed briefly and then looked at me for further instruction. Elsa seemed more intent on finding something to eat and did manage to find one cookie, searched some more, then gave up.
So lesson learned...my girls don't have good short-term memories! Apparently a short-term memory isn't necessary to win obedience titles : ) Try it out, how's your dog's short-term memory??
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Way To Go Reesie!!
Congrats to Reese for passing her AKC Canine Good Citizen test (on her second try.) My smart little girl has learned NOT to bark, and was perfect throughout the entire test : )
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Why Touch?
I had mentioned in a previous post about the benefits of clicker training with your dog. Now for a trick that not only creates a game for your dog, but also provides a number of additional training opportunities!
The trick is "touch." It's simple enough, you teach your dog to touch something with his nose. Start by holding a clicker and a couple of treats in your left hand, out of your dog's reach. Put your right hand out, palm facing your pup. Likely, he's going to go straight for your right hand, checking it out. When he does, click the clicker and give him a treat. Once again, put your right hand out, when he goes to sniff it and touches it, click and treat. Keep doing that, and if he loses interest, simply help him out...make your right hand interesting by moving it towards or away from him. Continue over and over again, it takes lots of repetitions for a dog to fully understand what you're looking for. Once he gets 99% consistent, add your cue and say "touch" before you put your right hand out. Click and treat as you had been before. It's a great trick to practice at anytime...even while you're on the couch watching tv!
Once he understands the trick, there's lots you can do with it! If you have problems with your dog getting distracted on walks, bring a clicker and treats with you. If you see another dog approach, put out your right hand and say "touch!" Click and treat! Make it fun so that he's interested in the game...put your hand high, low, behind your back. Make that pup work for it! Try it when someone comes over the house to distract him from greeting and jumping up on your visitor.
You can also teach him to touch other objects besides your hand. Something as simple as a tupperware cover or paper plate. Hold it in your right hand and the clicker and treats in your left. Start like you had when you began the trick....put it in front of him, click when he touches it. It won't take long for him to realize it's the same game you had played with your hand, so you can quickly add your cues. Now hold it lower, "touch," click and treat. Lower and lower, until you place it on the ground. If he gets confused, help him out as you had before...hold it higher or make it fun by moving it around. Once he understands to touch it on the ground, you can start moving it! One foot away...two feet away. Make it a game, how far can he go! Once he gets that, if you have a dog that doesn't like to go into the crate, teach him with touch! Put your plate into the crate and tell him "touch!" When he goes into the crate and touches the plate, click! When he
returns to you give him a treat. Good boy! Play that game and suddenly the crate doesn't seem so bad to him!! You can do the same in the evening when you want him to settle. Put the plate on his bed and tell him to touch. Start clicking only after he's touched the crate and pauses on the bed. Longer and longer. Once he's standing on his bed for a while after touching the plate, you can add a second cue, "settle."
Making the game fun and interesting will make it easy for your dog to learn. And be creative with what you can do with it! It opens up a number of opportunities to expand your dog's training while making it fun fun FUN!
The trick is "touch." It's simple enough, you teach your dog to touch something with his nose. Start by holding a clicker and a couple of treats in your left hand, out of your dog's reach. Put your right hand out, palm facing your pup. Likely, he's going to go straight for your right hand, checking it out. When he does, click the clicker and give him a treat. Once again, put your right hand out, when he goes to sniff it and touches it, click and treat. Keep doing that, and if he loses interest, simply help him out...make your right hand interesting by moving it towards or away from him. Continue over and over again, it takes lots of repetitions for a dog to fully understand what you're looking for. Once he gets 99% consistent, add your cue and say "touch" before you put your right hand out. Click and treat as you had been before. It's a great trick to practice at anytime...even while you're on the couch watching tv!
Once he understands the trick, there's lots you can do with it! If you have problems with your dog getting distracted on walks, bring a clicker and treats with you. If you see another dog approach, put out your right hand and say "touch!" Click and treat! Make it fun so that he's interested in the game...put your hand high, low, behind your back. Make that pup work for it! Try it when someone comes over the house to distract him from greeting and jumping up on your visitor.
You can also teach him to touch other objects besides your hand. Something as simple as a tupperware cover or paper plate. Hold it in your right hand and the clicker and treats in your left. Start like you had when you began the trick....put it in front of him, click when he touches it. It won't take long for him to realize it's the same game you had played with your hand, so you can quickly add your cues. Now hold it lower, "touch," click and treat. Lower and lower, until you place it on the ground. If he gets confused, help him out as you had before...hold it higher or make it fun by moving it around. Once he understands to touch it on the ground, you can start moving it! One foot away...two feet away. Make it a game, how far can he go! Once he gets that, if you have a dog that doesn't like to go into the crate, teach him with touch! Put your plate into the crate and tell him "touch!" When he goes into the crate and touches the plate, click! When he
returns to you give him a treat. Good boy! Play that game and suddenly the crate doesn't seem so bad to him!! You can do the same in the evening when you want him to settle. Put the plate on his bed and tell him to touch. Start clicking only after he's touched the crate and pauses on the bed. Longer and longer. Once he's standing on his bed for a while after touching the plate, you can add a second cue, "settle." Making the game fun and interesting will make it easy for your dog to learn. And be creative with what you can do with it! It opens up a number of opportunities to expand your dog's training while making it fun fun FUN!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Albert Payson Terhune Quote
"Soon or later, every dog's master's memory becomes a graveyard; peopled by wistful little furry ghosts that creep back unbidden, at times, to a semblance of their olden lives."
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Garden Time Fun
To beat the heat, yesterday morning after Chris left for work I packed my girls up in the car and we headed to The Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover. If you live in the area and have never been, it's a fabulous to take a dog for a walk! Not only are there many places for a dog to explore and a field to run in, but the gardens are just beautiful to walk through. It makes for a fun, peaceful walk!
The Stevens-Coolidge Place
The Stevens-Coolidge Place
Yes, there's a Collie in this picture:
Elsa LOVES to jump up on anything, she's such a show off!
My little girl loves to run!
Taking some time to check stuff out.
Off to the field! Reese is always leading the way...
But Elsa's not far behind.
Here I come!!!
Once again, the show off. She should be a farm dog!
A minute to relax.
And then off again!
My girls...Reese
and Elsa
Elsa LOVES to jump up on anything, she's such a show off!
Taking some time to check stuff out.
Off to the field! Reese is always leading the way...
But Elsa's not far behind.
Here I come!!!
Once again, the show off. She should be a farm dog!
A minute to relax.
And then off again!
My girls...Reese
and Elsa
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Please Don't Bark! (continuation of "The Big Test")
Then it was time for our down-stay. The evaluator sat in a chair in the middle of the ring and I asked Reese to lay down next to her. "Please don't bark, Reese," I said, then I gave her a firm "stay," handed the evaluator the leash, and left the room. With my fingers crossed, I waited. The seconds slowly ticked by. One minute. Two minutes. We're going to do it!
And then I heard it. A bark. Oh no. Another bark. Please Reese, no more. But it was too late, I could just picture her, staring at the evaluator and asking her to play by bark-bark-barking. Sure enough, 3 grueling minutes were up, I walked into the room and Reese was sitting up, head back, barking her head off. I approached the evaluator and she apologized but said she could not pass Reese, she shouldn't bark that much. I know...
Disappointed and frustrated, I packed Reese and Elsa into the car and we left without a certificate. But I wasn't defeated. Prior to leaving I learned a little trick on how to stop a dog from barking. A trick that seemed so easy, it was almost too good to be true. We retake the test in 3 weeks. This time, we'll be ready...and Reese will be quiet...
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