Category: Uncategorized

We Love Parkour!

Posted on by mackenzie holmes

  • Roo performing “balance” on a concrete block

What is Dog Parkour?

 

If you’re familiar with Busy Dog on any level, you know that we’re hugely passionate about dog parkour! Have you ever wondered why or what it’s all about?

 

Dog parkour is often referred to as “urban agility.” The sport is composed of a number of skills that can be trained anywhere without any equipment. There are 6 base behaviors (and many others beyond!): 4 feet on, 2 feet on, under, through, in, and balance. These skills are then turned to nature, where you and your dog are challenged to find a variety of obstacles of different sizes, textures, and stability, to play parkour on! 

There are myriad benefits to teaching your dog parkour – here are some of our favorites! 

 

Benefit #1: Confidence Building

For many dogs, it will be scary at first to put their front paws on a slippery rock, or to crawl under a tree branch. Over time, practicing dog parkour will help your dog learn to trust your judgement, push their bodies in new ways, and become confident in themselves and their abilities.  Very quickly, the confidence that your dog builds in parkour will then transfer to other aspects of their life.

Benefit #2: Relationship Strengthening

As you and your dog spend time training together, your bond will strengthen. If you help your dog safely learn how to have fun in different ways, your dog will build value in the time you spend together. 

Benefit #3: Body Awareness & Conditioning (Safe for all Ages)

Does your dog act like they aren’t even aware of their back legs? This is common in young dogs. Dog parkour will increase your dog’s agility and body awareness. It also can help older dogs maintain some strength as they age.

Benefit #4: Enrichment – More Than Just a Walk! 

More often than not, simply just taking your dog for a walk isn’t enough. In addition to physical exercise, dogs also need mental exercise and enrichment! Dog parkour is an easy activity to add to the walks you’re already going on. Instead of rushing your dog pass a rock, stop and think about what your dog could do with that rock. Can they put feet on it? Circle it? Jump from one to the other?

Benefit #5: Optional Titling

To put it plainly, dog parkour is cool. Why wouldn’t you want to show off? Through the International Dog Parkour Association, you and your dog can earn awards. There are numerous levels, and if your dog prefers one specific behavior, you can earn a specialty title too!

Mackenzie Holmes of Busy Dog Training is a certified instructor and evaluator through the International Dog Parkour Association and can award you your training and novice level  titles. 

 

 

Classes Begin Soon!

Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out our Parkour Class page Parkour Class page to learn even more and to check for upcoming classes! 

Busy Dog Trainer

Alex Hazlett

 

Separation Anxiety

Posted on by Lindsey Hazlett

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

by Lindsey Hazlett

 

In general, separation anxiety is a common issue that many pet owners experience. Now that many new owners are going back to work in the office after the pandemic, or simply spending more time doing activities outside the home, there are a lot of dogs currently struggling with this. 

 

What is Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety is the feeling of distress and panic that some dogs experience when left alone or when their owner leaves them. The severity of the distress can vary. 

 

Here are some common signs of separation anxiety:

 

  • Barking and howling
  • Excessive pacing and drooling/sweating
  • Destruction
  • Escape efforts
  • Urination and defecation

 

There certainly can be other causes of these behaviors (boredom, incomplete house training, alerting to disturbances outside the home, etc.), so it may be best to set up a video camera to watch what truly happens when you leave your pet alone in order to determine the root issue.

 

What causes it?

Dogs can develop separation anxiety for a variety of reasons that are often difficult to pinpoint. Common causes include lack of positive alone time as a young dog, genetic predisposition, environmental changes, changes in schedule, or any combination of these. 

 

Some dogs will begin exhibiting signs early in puppyhood or adolescence, and others develop it later in life.

 

Can I prevent it?

If your dog is young or is not currently exhibiting signs of separation anxiety, it is important to begin teaching them that it is okay to be alone. 

 

Create a safe space for your dog, whether it be in a crate, expen, or separate room. Include comfortable materials and eliminate the safety hazards. Then, take some time to help your puppy create a positive association with the space. Provide treats, fun toys and bones, and enrichment activities. Reward your dog for choosing to enter that space. 

 

Slowly leave the space for seconds at a time and heavily reinforce your puppy. Return BEFORE your dog has the opportunity to experience any discomfort. Practice this in tiny sessions throughout the day and help your dog build up some duration over time.

 

When should I get help?

Not only is separation anxiety intense and highly stressful for your dog, but it’s also a safety concern. When engaging in destructive behaviors, there’s always a risk that your dog may fracture a tooth, ingest a foreign body, break off nails, or lacerate paws. Therefore, it needs to be addressed immediately. 

 

As you begin formulating a plan to treat separation anxiety, stop leaving your dog alone right away as much as possible. Continuing to put your dog in situations where they will experience separation distress will only worsen the issue. See if you can modify your schedule, bring your dog along to places, hire a pet sitter or dog walker, or if appropriate, look into local doggy daycares. 

 

It may be a good idea to ask your veterinarian about potential medications or supplements to help your dog better cope in the instances where you do have to leave your dog alone in the meantime.

 

Resources

 

I’ll Be Home Soon

 

 

“Managing Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety” by Karen Pryor

 

 

 

 

 

Busy Dog Trainer

Lindsey Hazlett

 

All About Bite Inhibition

Posted on by Lindsey Hazlett

 

“Teaching bite inhibition is the most important aspect of your puppy’s entire education.” – Dr. Ian Dunbar

What is Bite Inhibition?

Bite inhibition is one concept that absolutely must be taught to all puppies. It has to do with teaching your dog to control the intensity of his or her bite. If we don’t teach puppies to moderate how hard they bite, we’ll have grown dogs accidentally injuring both people and other dogs. 

Some bite inhibition is learned during those first 8 weeks of life from littermates and the mother. With that said, puppies still have plenty to learn as they age, and repetition is key. You must continue to teach your puppy how to control their mouths throughout all of puppyhood. 

Bite inhibition also comes into play with more than play biting. In the perfect storm of a circumstance, even the most stable dog can bite. A dog that has been taught the value of bite inhibition may only cause a bruise or no damage at all, whereas a dog that hasn’t been taught this may cause a trip to the emergency room, which may even prompt euthanasia. Bite inhibition not only protects you, but it protects your dog too.

How do I teach my puppy?

Dr. Ian Dunbar breaks up bite inhibition into two steps:

1. Inhibiting the force of bites.

 When your puppy bites you, offer a calm “ouch.” If your puppy backs off, resume playing. If your puppy does not back off, get up and remove yourself from the situation for a short moment. This teaches your puppy that biting results in the immediate suspension of play. Be sure to go back after your brief break and re-engage with your dog. 

2. Decreasing frequency of mouthing.

 After your dog learns to only bite gently, you may begin teaching him or her that the mouthing must stop when you say so. Begin by teaching your dog what “off” or “stop” means. Give the cue, then hold down a treat. As soon as your dog ignores or steps back from the treat for 1 second, reward him or her. Over time and repetitions, increase duration. Once your puppy understands that you want them to back off and wait nicely, you may turn this over to mouthing and play. Each time your puppy mouths you, give your off or stop cue, and use food to lure your dog off of you. Reward your dog for backing off, then resume play!

Over time, these two steps will concurrently teach your puppy that biting must be gentle and must cease as soon you say so. This is bite inhibition.

What NOT to do

 

  • Alpha-Roll. This frightens your dog and will likely cause increased biting in both frequency and force. 
  • Yelp. It’s a common misconception that yelping teaches your dog that biting hurts, so they will therefore stop. This is not the case. A yelp often causes your puppy to become more aroused and therefore bite hard. 
  • Hold your dog’s muzzle closed. This is never recommended. This will cause more frustration, leading to an extra bitey puppy. It also may cause your dog to fear touch near the muzzle, which will be an issue when it comes to grooming and veterinary care. 
  • Bite your puppy back. Do not use any sort of physical force to stop puppy biting. This will harm your relationship with your dog and increase the risk of true aggression.