Our 'New Normal'
If you feel your dog’s behavior has changed in the past few months or this last year we’ve been in lockdown, you are not alone. Many pet owners are noticing changes in their pet’s anxiety level as well as the emergence of new problem behaviors.
Our pet’s anxiety level is a reflection of our own. They have a sense about it.
Preview:
Creating a Routine
Daily Training and Play
Exercise and Energy Levels
1. Creating a Routine
Managing your pup’s energy level with equal amounts of exercise, playtime, puzzle toys, and a feeding schedule can be overwhelming. All the “right” things while learning the rollercoaster of puppy energy and breed.
Here’s a sample routine for Working From Home (WFH) with a 9 am-5 pm schedule for a puppy in stage two (week 8-14), tested by All Ears Petcare private clients.
7:00 am Wake up and go potty immediately. Pro tip: leash your pup up, ask “potty” then reward (take the leash off or give the treat.) Puppies get too distracted with the transition inside to outside.
7:30 am Time for coffee, time for the pup’s breakfast! Puzzle food option or slow feeder here if your pup inhales their food.
8:00 am Playtime or walk! Start with light throws across the room as you get ready for work.
8:30 am Morning nap. Growing pups sleep a lot. Puppy proof room, or crate option while working. (Depending on your upcoming meetings.)
9:00 am Start work
10:30 am Puzzle exercise. 15-minute potty break.
12:00 pm Lunchtime for both of you. Get ready for zoomies, they’ve been napping.
12:30 pm Potty (every 2 hours to start) then playtime with toys
Interested in the full list?
Email us at allearspetcare@gmail.com with “Routine” to get the pdf.
2. Daily Training
Be intentional with your actions early on and your dog will thank you. You do need to train every day. Other trainers will hound you on the severity of your training, but I am here to make it stick. I want you to succeed. So I make it fun.
We are building good habits with our dogs. This includes the time we’re naturally spending with them. Daily training for my clients looks like a minimum of 30 minutes. Now if you’re busy and want to say that is sooo long. One, it’s not all at once. Dogs inner clock is way different than ours. Taking the 1 year = 7 dog years math analogy, what may feel like 24 hours to you is really 7 days for a dog. Let that sink in.
Integrating this type of training into a daily practice looks like being intentional on what we ask of our dogs in the common time we are already interacting with them.
Let’s use “sit”.
Homework: Any doorway, any time they run up at you for attention, during meal time, when they get leash attached to them. When there is a guest who has a hat, a kid, a baby, etc. See our socialization checklist (4 pages) to work through.
There is a reasons we, dog trainers, break down every single situation. Dogs are contextual creatures and when they have never been in a situation they do not know how to default until we tell them.
3. Exercise and Energy Levels
No two dogs are the same. Even if they’re within the same breed. So much goes into personality and the right style of training that will work with the owner-dog pair. Overall manageable energy involvement is required. Some breeds are excluded from that statement.
Let’s go with the example of the working breed category.
Working dog breeds, such as German Shepherds, Border Collies, and Labrador Retrievers, are highly intelligent, active, and athletic animals that were bred for specific jobs, such as herding, hunting, and protecting. These dogs require regular exercise to maintain their physical health and mental well-being, and to perform at their best in their respective jobs. Here are a few paragraphs about the importance of exercise for working dog breeds:
Physical Health: Working dog breeds have high energy levels and require plenty of exercise to maintain their physical health. Regular exercise can help to prevent obesity, which is a common problem in many dog breeds. Obesity can lead to a range of health problems, including joint pain, heart disease, and diabetes. Exercise can also help to improve muscle tone, strength, and flexibility, which is important for working dogs that need to perform physically demanding tasks.
Mental Health: Working dog breeds are highly intelligent and require mental stimulation to stay happy and healthy. Regular exercise can help to prevent boredom and destructive behaviors, such as chewing and digging.
Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins, which are natural chemicals that promote feelings of happiness and well-being. By providing regular exercise, owners can help to keep their working dogs mentally healthy and emotionally fulfilled.
Job Performance: Working dog breeds were bred for specific jobs that require high levels of physical and mental performance. Regular exercise can help to improve a dog's endurance, agility, and strength, which are all important for performing these jobs effectively. In addition, exercise can help to improve a dog's focus, obedience, and problem-solving skills, which are important for working dogs that need to follow commands and make decisions in the field.
Bonding with Owners: Regular exercise provides an opportunity for working dogs to bond with their owners. Exercise can help to strengthen the relationship between a dog and its owner, and can provide a shared experience that strengthens the bond between them. In addition, exercise can help to improve a dog's socialization skills, which is important for working dogs that need to interact with other animals and people in their job.
Exercise is essential for the physical and mental health of working dog breeds. Regular exercise can help to prevent obesity, improve muscle tone and flexibility, promote mental stimulation and emotional well-being, enhance job performance, and strengthen the bond between a dog and its owner.
Owners of working dogs should ensure that their dogs receive regular exercise to maintain their health and well-being, and to ensure that they can perform at their best in their respective jobs.
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