Categories
Tips & Tricks Training

4 Tips for Dog Encounters

Meeting another dog on a walk is nothing unusual as a dog owner and should actually not be a problem if both human-dog teams abide by certain rules. Nevertheless, there are always situations that worry us, dog owners, when another human-dog team appears on the horizon. It doesn’t matter if it’s the fear that the other dog will attack our own or the uncertainty whether our own dog will behave. A negative feeling here can also be transferred to your dog. To prevent this, we have 4 tips for you that will help you to react more confidently and calmly in dog encounters in the future.

1. Respect leashed dogs.

The most important rule for all dog owners: If you meet a leashed dog or a dog you do not know, then you also leash your dog and keep a sufficient distance during the encounter. If the other dog is not on a leash but your dog is, ask the other dog owner to leash their dog. Always try to remain friendly and objective in such a situation, even if not every dog owner will understand why they should now leash their dog.

What you can do if the other dog owner does not want to put his dog on a leash

Take three deep breaths and remain calm and friendly. Ask the other dog owner again to leash their dog and give them a valid reason why it is safer for their dog to be leashed. For example, say that your dog has a contagious disease, they bite other dogs that get too close, they have a flea infestation or is currently in the standing heat and you want to save them from unplanned offspring. Really remember to stay friendly and always turn the situation around so that you are not protecting your own dog but the other person’s dog. This will save you a heated discussion and keep everyone focused on their own dog.

2. Keep your distance on the leash.

Who hasn’t heard the phrase: “He just wants to say hello”? Just a quick “hello” can lead to chaos, injuries, and biting, especially on the leash, and by the way, you put your dog in the expectation that as soon as another dog comes towards you, they may rush to the other dog. It is therefore advisable to keep a distance from the leash. This way your dog learns that they do not have to expect to be allowed to play with another dog on the leash and at the same time you are spared the unpopular knot in the leash with another dog.

What you can do if your dog tends to bark on the leash:

In dog encounters, take your dog to the side away from the other human-dog team. In this way, you create the necessary distance between you and the other human-dog team and at the same time give your own dog more space to avoid. In such a situation, you mustn’t pull your leash tight, but let it hang loosely. This way your dog will not feel constricted and will not associate a tight leash with meeting other dogs.

3. They do NOT settle this between themselves!

If both dogs get along with each other or if the dogs meet without a leash, you must always keep an eye on the dogs and their “game”. The sentence “They’ll settle it between themselves!” already fails because a 2 kg Chihuahua could hardly defend itself against the weight and mass of a Newfoundland. Apart from the size, a game can escalate quickly. At the latest when the game becomes too one-sided, one dog is always on the ground or is chased and moped by the other, it is time to end the “game”.

4. Give your dog protection when he needs it.

Whether your dog is running free or on a leash, if your dog is looking for protection near you or between your legs, you should give it to them. The easiest way to give your dog protection is to shield them from other dogs, but at the same time allow your dog to avoid them. Small dogs, in particular, like to be picked up, but it is better to shield them between the legs in a crouching position, so your dog still has the opportunity to move forwards or backward to escape the situation. The same applies to larger dogs: enable protection, but do not force protection. Your dog should be allowed to decide for themself how long they need the protection of their owner and when your dog dares to leave the “hiding place” again. By the way, it should go without saying that if the situation does not calm down, you should leave the situation with your dog and either change direction or go home immediately.

We hope these tips will help you and your dog on your next walk. If you want to know how to guide your dog safely and calmly through a dog encounter, download the Pupy app for free now and start training today.

Categories
Tips & Tricks Training

5 tips for walking on a lax leash

Do you also dream of a relaxing walk with your dog? Walks are supposed to be relaxing for the dog and owner, but when the dog rushes through the front door with a tight leash, the relaxation is often gone. The good thing is that there is another way! We at Pupy have 5 tips for you to help you bring more relaxation and peace into your walk as soon as you leave the front door.

1. Leashing

This is usually where the first stress arises for the dog and owner. To prevent this from happening, you can combine every leashing, whether at home or out and about, with a ritual. Give your dog a familiar command, e.g. sit or down, before you put the collar and leash on. You can then reward your dog with a treat or verbal praise. The ritual must take place calmly. If your dog is generally restless before the walk, you can use a calming ritual or a conditioned relaxation signal.

2. the safe haven

Some dogs pull on the leash to avoid an uncomfortable or threatening situation. Pay attention to your dog’s body language and keep your dog on a leash during dog encounters, always on the side away from the other dog. You can also reassure your dog in scary situations by putting your dog between your legs or standing in front of them.

3. casual and training mode

It’s not easy for any dog owner to always stay in training mode and work on leash handling. That’s why it’s a good idea to introduce a ritual that signals to your dog that the dog is now allowed to pull a little, or that a little tension on the leash is okay. To do this, you can put a harness on your dog and switch from the collar to the harness. Harnesses are designed to allow a dog to pull something, e.g. a sled or other load. Of course, there are rules here too, because you shouldn’t let your dog pull you around either. The harness should only allow you to be a little more inconsistent when you don’t have time or don’t feel like training – it’s your casual mode!

4. mood and posture

The leash is a positive thing and you should treat it as such. Dogs can perceive and mirror our emotional world through mood transmission. Therefore, it is extremely important to remain relaxed and calm when walking our dog. If you pull on the leash during a dog encounter, your dog may take this as a sign to start moving forward.

5. patience

Dogs are not born to walk beside their humans. Especially in the first year of life, there are so many new things for our dogs to discover. Therefore, any obedience training requires your patience. It is not about reaching the goal as quickly as possible, but about building a harmonious relationship with your dog in the long term. So practice patience and don’t be disappointed if things slow down during training. Sometimes it helps to take a short break so that you can relax and continue with the training again!

You can use our Pupy app to remind you of your training sessions. Daily tips and other expert articles will help you and your dog achieve your goals in the long run. Download the Pupy App today and start your first training session right now!

Categories
Tips & Tricks

The 3 Best Tools in Dog Training

Who does not dream of a dog that trots attentively beside you without a leash. You don’t need a leash, no collar and everything seems free, carefree and harmonious between you.

That’s all well and good, but what happens if this dog, no matter how obedient, is suddenly startled by a loud noise? This dog runs across the street, a car hits him and he is badly injured? What if his owner and the veterinarians want to help him, but nobody can touch him because this dog suddenly snaps out of pain, even though he never did before? What if he gets a muzzle, but it stresses him so much that his body, already weakened by the accident, becomes even weaker?

At this moment the owner asks himself why he did not train his dog with any tools.

With which top 3 tools would this accident not have happened?

Tool no. 1 – The leash

The dog leash secures your dog!! The dog leash is not a compulsory measure! The dog leash is also not only for disobedient dogs! The dog leash secures your dog! A responsible dog owner leashes his dog at busy streets, at the breeding and setting time and as soon as other passers-by, children or leashed dogs approach. Why? Because it is safer for everyone! That is why keeping your dog on a leash is much more important than walking freely. Because only with a leash you can prevent your dog 100% from running into a dangerous situation uncontrolled.

Tool No.2 – The muzzle

Even dogs that are not allowed to bite learn to wear a muzzle without stress. Why? Because there can always be situations in life where your dog suddenly needs a muzzle. Whether at the vet, in public transport or because a muzzle is mandatory in your next vacation domicile. If you train the muzzle well and positively with your dog, it will not disturb your dog. This way you prevent stressful situations in which your dog might have to wear a muzzle.

Tool no. 3 – The Longline

Regardless of our story at the beginning, such an accident could have happened even if your dog is in free run and he has not yet mastered the reliable recall. But so that your dog is allowed to run and play freely at the beginning of his life and you can practice the reliable recall in a protected way, the longline is a great tool. It can be between 5 and 10 meters long and thus increases the radius of your dog.

You can learn how to use and train the tools correctly in our Pupy App. Download the app and benefit from the top 3 tools when training with your dog!

Categories
Tips & Tricks Training

What is Trickdogging?

A dog that can moonwalk, skateboard or do a handstand? These are all tricks that trick doggers engage in, among other things. Trickdogging is about teaching your dog various tricks, for example doing a manikin or a roll up to cleaning out he laundry and bringing in socks. After all, who hasn’t dreamed of their dog running the household and having fun at the same time? Regardless of whether the tricks are only practised in private or if the goal is perhaps to appear on a big stage or on television one day, trick dogging offers both dog and human many advantages.

Above all, it promotes bonding and trust. The dog’s self-confidence also increases and the dog becomes more balanced and attentive. At the same time, a dog that has been exercised to the full is usually much better behaved. Working for food or toys is a good way to reward your dog, it keeps the dog happy and can prevent behavioural problems. But apart from that, it is simply a lot of fun for both dog and human, and that is the main focus of trickdogging at all times.

Every dog can learn tricks

Trickdogging is suitable for any dog, can be done anywhere and apart from treats you don’t need anything else, although a clicker can be very helpful.

The clicker tells the dog that his behaviour was correct and that he will get a reward for it. In this way, exact reinforcement is possible. To condition your dog to the clicker, have your dog sit in front of you. Then you click and immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this several times. To check whether your dog has understood the principle, you can click when he is slightly distracted. If your dog looks at you after the click, he has understood the link. Instead of a clicker, you can also use a marker signal, a word that you say instead of the clicker sound.

Training through positive reinforcement

In trickdogging, training is done through operant conditioning with positive reinforcement. This means that for every correct behaviour you give a treat, everything else is ignored. It is important that you build up each trick in small steps and only increase the demands when your dog can do the step safely.

Getting the desired behaviour

There are several ways to get your dog to perform a certain behaviour, which I would like to explain briefly. Capturing is when you capture spontaneous behaviour and reward it, for example when your dog shakes. With shaping, you reward the preliminary stages of the finished behaviour and thus keep moving forward. A special form of shaping is the so-called free shaping. The dog is not given any instructions on what to do and tries to get closer to the target behaviour by offering it. For example, if I want my dog to touch an object with a paw, I first reward every movement in the direction of the object, then movements with the paw towards the object and then the touching. The use of a clicker is particularly recommended here. Another variation is luring, but you have to be careful that the lure is released early enough. Furthermore, you can build up behaviour with targets or with the imitation method “Do As I Do” by Claudia Fugazza.

Attention!

During training it can always happen that your dog does not immediately understand what you want from him. The following behaviours show that your dog is overwhelmed: ears flattened, ears turned back, yawning, licking over the nose, stretching and stretching or shaking.

If you observe one or more of these behaviours, you should take a step back in the training, reduce the distraction, take a break, practice another trick or control the exercise set-up.

Designing the exercise

As a beginner, you should only practice with your dog for a few minutes at a time. If you are a bit more experienced, the training sessions can be longer, but should not exceed 20-30 minutes. Ideally, you should end the session before your dog loses interest.

Training tricks in different life situations

Adult, healthy dogs can practise and perform all tricks that are appropriate to their level of ability and physical condition. Very big and heavy dogs and dogs with long backs should not jump for example.

You can also start trick training with puppies, but no jumps or tricks that put a lot of strain on the musculoskeletal system should be practised. The puppy period is suitable for learning the basics, not only of the dog ABC, but also of trick training. Conditioning on the clicker, target training and introduction to free shaping or Do As I Do are also suitable for puppies. For senior dogs, if in doubt, the tricks should be discussed with the vet or physiotherapist. In general, older dogs can do all the tricks they like to do as well as tricks that are not very physically demanding or have a risk of injury. Paw tricks, looking for and bringing objects, slalom through legs or rolling out carpet are also fun for older dogs.

The first tricks

These tricks are especially good for the beginning.

  • Give paw
  • Twist
  • Slalom through the legs

If you’ve got trick fever now, then…

… download Pupy App and start with the first trick right away, order our book: “Hundetricks mit Nala: Vom Straßenhund zum Fernsehstar” by Frederike Spyrka

Categories
Tips & Tricks

5 best tools to keep your dog busy at home

There are many different ways to keep your dog busy at home. We will tell you why it makes sense to keep your dog busy at home and how you will have a lot of fun while training and playing together.

What are the benefits of keeping your dog busy at home?

Dogs are social creatures and love to spend time together with their families. This includes dog walks, playing and training together at home. In order to improve your dog’s physical and mental condition, you should keep them busy at home. Activities such as brain games, nose work or small exercises from basic training strengthen the bond between you and your dog and improve their comprehension. Regular exercises or tricks can also improve your dog’s mobility and fitness and ensure a sustainable improvement in their health. We show you how you can keep your dog busy at home!

Preparation

So that the time together is fun for you and your dog, make sure that you do not overstrain your dog and also yourself. Several small exercise units of about 5 minutes a day are better than one long unit. Always remain friendly to your dog and always stop when it is at its most enjoyable. This way, your dog’s motivation and your own remains at its highest and you will be looking forward to the next time you spend time together.

1. playing together

Dogs love to play with other dogs and their owner! You can play with your dog either with a toy, such as a rope toy, or you can play with your dog on a physical basis. When playing tug-of-war, make sure that your dog sometimes is allowed to win and get the rope. This is the only way your dog will enjoy the game. For physical play, we can use different game signals, e.g. real smile, creeping up in a low position or approaching and running away to challenge your dog to play. Make sure that the game really remains a game. If your dog becomes too wild, you stop the game. Immediately afterwards, however, you give your dog a chance to make up for it by asking them to play again, and this time end it before it gets too wild.

2. Nosework

The dog nose is a true high performance organ! No question that nosework is probably one of the best opportunities to keep your furry friend busy! There are several ways to challenge your dog’s nose. For example, hide a few treats in your apartment and let your dog search for them. If this is already too boring for your dog, you can also hide toys or other items. Even searching and retrieving a dummy is a great way to encourage your little friend’s nose and obedience.

3. Intelligence games

Meanwhile you can find various intelligence games for dogs in every pet supply store. Most of them are designed in such a way that you hide food in different hiding places, like drawers or under small hats, which your dog should then open. At the beginning it is recommended to choose a light variant of these games, where your dog only has to move a lever, drawer or hat to get the reward. If your dog is more trained, you can use more difficult games where your dog may have to press a button with the paw before your dog can open the drawer with the nose.

4. Tricks

Trickdogging is becoming more and more popular among dog owners and this for good reason. The advantage of dog tricks is that you hardly need any tools or extra space. Therefore, they are perfect for the training at home. In addition, they promote your dog’s mobility and strengthen your bond through shared experiences of success. If you are a trick beginner, it is best to start with a few simple tricks that your dog already shows in everyday life, e.g. lying on their side, turning in circles or laying their head down. Then you can slowly improve your skills.

5. Basic obedience

Also basics obedience should be trained from time to time. The great thing is that you can easily build them into your everyday life. For example, let your dog sit for a while before eating and wait until you give them food. Practice reliable drop it with your dog while you playing a rope game together. Prepare your dog for the next visit to the vet with the help of Medical Training and make sure your furry friend has less anxiety and stress.

Become a dream team

These and many more opportunities to keep your dog busy can be found in the Pupy App! We at Pupy will help you to find the best activities for you and your dog. Because only if you both enjoy the time together, you will become a dreamteam!

Download our app now and try it for free!