by Eugenie Chopin

Well, the pups are all relatively happy. Harley is getting bigger and more demanding so I plan to use the Holiday time to do some serious training. Actually not too serious – the idea is to have fun with him, but to challenge his mind. For so many dogs (and especially the young ones) being idle is the way to get into trouble. I find that even if I do short training sessions, all dogs are more satisfied and more likely to settle. It’s really true that mental stimulation can be just as important as physical exercise (if not more)!

My old girl, Angelique is finding it harder and harder not to be next to me – wherever I am! And she will demand to be there, even if Shanti is staring her in the face. It’s challenging to see how I can make that happen for her without excluding Shanti from the room. So sometimes I put Shanti on lead and just tether her to something solid. That way the dogs can be in the room together without getting into trouble. If Shanti gives Angelique “that look” – which is usually a stare – I just move her out of the way and try again a minute later. If she then settles, she gets to stay. For those of you who understand Learning Theory, it’s a bit of Negative Punishment. I.e. Shanti lies on the bed. If she postures at Angelique, I move her to the crate for 30 seconds. I then quietly bring her back to the bed and if she settles, she gets to stay.

I wonder if any of you know of a good chew treat that is safe for dogs? With the Holidays here, I tend to give more goodies than usual, however there is always one dog that will have to throw up that last bit of the chew that was swallowed! Any and all ideas welcome!