Brown Dog Treasures

I have tried this training method recommended by dog trainer and behaviorist Kathy Santo and I can tell you it works wonders. Prior to training Guinness would either run away and hide when he saw clothing. If we coaxed him into putting on a shirt or sweater, he would wait until your weren’t looking and then rip the shirt off! He would never even sit still long enough to snapa picture. One Christmas I found him burying his ripped up “Felice Navidog” t-shirt in the back yard. We gave up…after all we wanted him to be happy.

To begin training start with a VERY over-sized t-shirt, it doesn’t have to be a dog shirt. An over-sized men’s t-shirt is your best bet.

Hold the t-shirt wide open and encourage your dog to put his head through. Don’t force the issue. Encourage him or her by using food as a reward. For Guinness, it was cheese. I swear that dog will do anything for a piece of cheese! With puppies, Ms. Santos has even used jars baby food.

Once your dog is comfortable with putting his head through on his own, you can begin putting his front paws through the shirt sleeve. If you make it a game with treats, praise and cuddling your dog may begin to enjoy dressing up.

Just be sure to keep your dog’s comfort in mind. Make sure the clothing fits well. Remember your dog is already covered with fur and can overheat easily. Use caution and common sense when you are in a warm climate. Don’t leave your dog dressed in a coat or sweater once you have returned indoors. Be especially careful with costumes and novelty items, these should only be worn when you are supervising your dog.

Guinness went from hating dress-up to bringing me things to wear so he can get a piece of cheese! He has come to enjoy the positive attention he gets when he is dressed. I hope these simple tips will help you enjoy the Holiday with your dog!

We know that many dog owners enjoy dressing their dogs up. But did you know that dressing your dog may also help improve your dog’s behavior?

Kath Santo has been training dogs for over 20 years now. You may have seen one of her many appearances on the Martha Stewart Show. According to Santo, dog that learn to accept being dressed are also learning valuable handling skills.

Many of us have experienced difficulty giving our dogs a pill, clipping or grooming our dogs, brushing our dog’s teeth, etc. It seems that dogs that are used to being handled and dressed are more easily able to accept grooming and medical attention without becoming fearful or aggressive to their owners or other care givers.

Many dogs also enjoy the positive attention they receive from thier owners and others when they are dressed up. Our dog Guinness does not particularly like dressing up, but give him a new collar and he prances down the street that day holding his head extra high and his chest out! Dogs understand when they are receiving special attention.

Tomorrow I will post some tips on how to train your dog or puppy to dress up. I have tried this method and it has worked wonders, This year Guinness will be dressing up in his 1950’s retro leather jacket.

Our Walk Your Dog With Love harnesses have arrived!

As an owners of a VERY rambunctious 75 lb. chocolate lab I can’t tell you how happy Bryan and I were to find this harness.

As a puppy our Guinness was very hard to manage on his walks. It wasn’t that he meant to be disobedient, he was just so full of joy every waking moment. It was if he couldn’t wait to get down the street and around the next corner. He just needed to see everything and say hello to everybody. It was really more like Guinness dragging me around the neighborhood rather than Guinness going for a walk! Guinness is 11year old now and a little easier to manage. But if he spots a squirrel or a baby carriage or a neighbor he likes, we are off to the races again!

Over the years we have tried many types of collars and harnesses. We started with those “chokers” that were recomended by a local trainer. Well that was just not a good idea. First of all a chocker is exactly what it says it is…it chokes your dog into submission! I just couldn’t stand it!

Then we tried the type of harness that goes over the muzzle. Guinness hated it. He became so distressed he didn’t want to walk at all. He felt he was somehow being punished. I do know that some people use these with sucesss, but I think they do look rather foolish.

We shelled out big bucks on training. We took Guinness to private Obedience classes. He was took excitable to take a group class. Well that worked just fine…as long as he was at class. As long as the teacher was present, Guinness was a model student. He even obeyed off leash commands on a busy city street. As soon as he got home he went right back to pulling me all over town!

I guess I wasn’t calm and assertive enough! Well the good news is I have something that works! The Walk your Dog With Love Harness is very simple, very reasonably priced and works instantly. I no longer have to be a “dog whisperer” top take him on a walk.

You can find out more about how it works by watching this short video below.