Posts tagged ‘DINOS’

Mar 21

Dog Walking Social Groups

Those of us with DINOS™ definitely want our space, but that doesn’t mean we never want our dogs to enjoy the company of other dogs. We simply want or need more structured socialization opportunities where we can count on other dog owners to respect our space.

This is especially true for reactive dogs who are learning to stay calm around other dogs.

If you’ve ever been in a reactive dog training class, you know that one of the best ways to increase your dog’s skills around other dogs is to practice, practice, practice. But that can be really hard to do once class is over and you no longer have a set time and place to meet up with other responsible families who are working on their dog’s leash skills.

That’s where dog walking social groups can really come in handy.

If you have a reactive dog and you’ve laid down the foundation for your leash work in a group class, a great way to continue working on your skills and exposing your dogs to other canine pals, is to join a dog walking group.

These groups are a terrific opportunity for any dog, reactive or not, to socialize with canine pals. Contrary to popular beliefs, off leash play isn’t the only game in town when it comes to socialization. Side by side walks on leash and training classes are social activities for your dog too!

So whether you have a dog that is a social butterfly, but prefers calmer, on-leash socializing (like a senior dog) or a dog who needs exercise in a more controlled environment than a dog park (like a dog recovering from an injury), groups walks might be the perfect fit for you.

Before joining a group, you need to do two things:

Know your dog and their limitations. These groups aren’t every dog’s cup of kibble.

Know the rules of the club. Every group is different.

Many of dog walking groups listed here follow the rule that dogs do NOT interact during the hikes or walks and openly encourage DINOS to attend their events. But please check first. Some groups allow more interactions between dogs and might not be the right fit for your pup. You’ll also need to know if your dog is up for the challenge of being around a potentially large group of dogs. You may need to start small and work up to joining this type of social outing.

If you’re looking for a dog walking group to join, take a peek at the listed below.

Note that many of the groups listed are pit bull groups, but don’t let that stop you from signing up! The overwhelming majority of them welcome all dog breeds to join in the fun and benefit from the structured group walk dynamic. Founded as way to socialize and exercise their pooches, these groups serve the dual purpose of educating the public about these misunderstood dogs. Pit bull peeps rock my world. Just sayin.

Chicago Sociabulls Chicago, IL

Contented Canine Palm City, FL (boarding facility that also organizes group walks – check for upcoming events)

Country Haven Kennels Mount Holly, NJ (boarding facility that also organizes group walks 2x per week)

Dog Walk Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX

Edmonton Dog Enthusiasts Edmonton, AB Canada

Hikeabull South Bay area, CA

Lead the Ways Canine Community Bensalem PA

Lucas County Pit Crew Toledo, OH (rescue with monthly walks – see calendar)

Pack Walk with Willow and Friends Central Gulf Coast area, FL

Pit Crew Dog Walkers San Diego, CA

Philadelphia, Walk That Dog Philly PA

Portland Pit Bull Parade Portland, OR

Postitive Pittie Pack Hoboken, NJ

San Antonio Nature Hounds San Antonio,TX

SCRRAP Sonoma County, CA (check Facebook for upcoming Bully Walks)

SociaBull Monterey, CA area

StubbyDog Trekkers Saratoga, CA

Sussex County Dog Walking Group Branchville NJ

and

Pack Walk Zurich in Switzerland (dogs are off leash – not recommended for DINOS)

Social Walks der Hundephilosophin in Germany

And if you know of a group not mentioned here, please let me know in the comments below, so I can add them in!

StubbyDog Trekkers in California

Want to start a new group?

Take a look at some of the blog posts, listed below, for helpful tips and photos. It’s also worth visiting each one of the groups listed above, because almost all of them detail their rules right on their homepage. Each group is a little different, but you’ll see a lot of overlapping ideas and guidelines to incorporate in your new group.

To sum it up, here are the highlights:

Dogs don’t interact with each other.
Flat, standard issue leashes required. No flexis.
One dog per person.
Dogs with reactivity, aggression, or in some cases, new dogs, wear red bandanas, so that the group members know to give those dogs extra space.
There are two people present without dogs. One at the front of the group and the other at the back. They are able to support the dog walking pairs with training, watch out for loose dogs, and provide an extra set of hands (personally, I’ve held a lot of dog leashes while people tie their shoes!).
The two group leaders use walkie talkies to communicate, if the group is large and spread out (like on a hike).
The group leaders carry tools such as Direct Stop, for safety.
In densely populated areas, the number of dogs is limited and must sign up in advance.
Groups use Meetup.com or Facebook pages as a way for member to communicate with each other about upcoming events.
And may I suggest handing these pocket sized educational cards out to people you pass?

More on starting a group – a guest post from Hikeabull

Tips for city groups from Two Pitties in the City

Tools to use: Hikeabull’s walkie talkies and Two Pitties on leashes and collars and StubbyPuddin tips on equipment

If you’re looking for people to join your new group, I highly recommend contacting a trainer to see if they have clients that might benefit from this kind of outing. Even better, join or contact a dog reactivity class and then, after the course is over, have the group continue meeting. They’ll have similar skills, an understanding of each other’s needs, and a motivation to keep on coming, so they can practice. Feel free to post about your new group on the DINOS Facebook page too.

How many of you belong to a group or are planning on starting one? Let me know in the comments and on Facebook!

Happy trails everyone!

SIDE NOTE: I’ve heard from a few of you who would like permission to use “DINOS” in your new dog walking group’s name. I think that’s super cool! You’re welcome to use “DINOS” and/or “Dogs in Need of Space” in your tag line or description section of your group’s website, so the public knows that DINOS are welcome. DINOS is trademarked (which means it cannot be used for commercial purposes), so using it this way, instead of in your group’s name, would allow you to create a group logo or merchandise without any issues. If you have any questions, please contact me directly at: info@notesfromadogwalker.com for more information. Thanks!

Mar 19

Photo Caption Contest + Dog Flags Giveaway

Wouldn’t it be nice if, just by looking at a dog, you could know a little more about their social needs? Our friends over at Dog Flags think so! In case you haven’t seen them yet, their handy flags are a great way for dog owners to communicate with each other via a color coded system.

Many of us with DINOS might choose this flag (which slips over a leash) or bandana:

Or this one:

There are other flags too: for special needs, friendly, and shy dogs. You can see the whole bunch here.

And guess what? You could win one for your dog!

Dog Flags has generously offered to give away Flags to two lucky Team DINOS members, so I’m excited to announce…

The very first DINOS Photo Caption contest!

You have not one, but two chances at winning. Here’s how:

Join us over on Facebook and comment on the photo below with your best caption.

You have between now and Friday the 23rd at 5pm EST to enter a caption.

On the 24th TWO winners will be announced:

– the caption with the most “likes” on Facebook

and

– one entry chosen by me and Boogie

Both winners will receive a Dog Flag of their choice!

Here’s the photo:

Head on over to Facebook and let the caption writing begin!

And a huge THANK YOU to Melody Pet Photography for lending us this awesome, caption-worthy photograph!

Mar 13

20 Comments

Pocket Sized DINOS™ Handouts

UPDATE 10/1/12: Cafe Press is stocking business cards again, so you can now purchase mini-handouts (if the whole DIY Flickr option isn’t your jammy jam). Find the cards here.

Remember that time when you were walking your DINOS and you noticed a woman and her dog walking straight at you? Remember how you looked around, wondering if there was someone behind you, but there wasn’t, so you realized she was coming for YOU? Remember how she had a big smile on her face as her goofy dog dragged her towards you at an alarmingly fast pace?

And how you had to scramble to get out of the way, but she kept calling “Wait, my dog is friendly!” and “My dog just wants to say hi!” as she chased you across the park? And then, sick of hiding behind trees, you turned around and said, “My dog needs space. Here’s a card that explains everything. See ya!” and then you skipped home smiling because, for once, you didn’t waste any time trying to explain your DINOS to a stranger? Remember that time?

Now those cards exist!

I whipped up a teeny tiny, business card size version of the DINOS Manifesto. It’s available to all of you to download for free and print at home. Yippee!

All you have to do is go to the new Team DINOS Flickr page and you’ll see two images: DINOS Cards Front and DINOS Cards Back.

Download both images (choose “original” size), then print them out (double-sided style) on a regular sheet of paper or, better yet, business card paper. Viola! You have a pocket-size handout to give out to MDIFs you meet on your walks.

(p.s. If you’re like me and, while you’re with your DINOS, you can’t get close enough to a strange dog to hand these to the other person, feel free to stick them in mail boxes or leave a bunch at the local park.)

Here’s the text on the back:

(note: The text might look blurry here, but when you print it out, the words are clear)

If you live in an area without leash laws or if you use the term “lead” instead of “leash”, here’s a version for you.

And here’s the logo on the front:

Nifty, eh?

I know there’s much more we’d all like to say, but that’s all I could cram onto a business card in a regular size font! If you’d like to share the full length version, check out the DINOS handouts.

I hope you find these helpful as you spread the word that DINOS are GOOD dogs, they just need space!

(And special thanks to Team DINOS member Nadia B. for giving me the loving push I needed to finally get these suckers out into the world!)

Mar 7

4 Comments

High Value Treats for DINOS

Finding a treat that your DINOS™ is willing to work for, especially around distractions, can be tough. The “sure thing” treat that one dog finds rewarding, might get the cold shoulder from the next dog.

Back when I helped out at reactive dog training classes, we’d do taste tests to see which treats the dogs were willing to pass up vs. gobble down. We found that freeze-dried raw treats were consistently a bigger hit than soft training treats and often more popular than fresh chicken or cheese.

I like to use Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Raw patties (broken into little pieces) when I know I need to bust out the big guns to help Boogie get through a potentially stressful moment. I never give him those treats at any other time, so they retain their novelty. That works for Boogie, but I know that every dog is different, so I called on Team DINOS for a list of their favorite high value treats.

If you’re still searching for that magic treat that your dog will love or you want to try something new, here are some great ideas from the team:

Brandi C. Squeeze cheese!

Krissii F. Tennis balls!

Stephanie F. Lickety Sticks!

Barbara L. Chicken breast – she prefers the prepackaged kind – or string cheese.

Laurelin S. Cheese (string or cream), buffalo liver or sweet potato!

Jo J. Bread and butter; dismembered natural gummy bears; bonito flakes.

Paula K. My dogs’ favorites have turned out to be thinly sliced hotdogs microwaved until they are curly and crispy! And for dogs not motivated by food: I had a dog in one of my classes who was not food motivated, so I asked the dog’s owner what was the dog gaga for at home and he answered “the feather duster”. I said, bring it in, and the dog worked for the chance to maul that duster ( it was pink, and the owner was a former Marine)!

True Dog Tricky Trainers Salmon Flavor Cloud Star Treats, Buddy Biscuits Lamb flavor Treats, Bil-Jac Liver flavor, wet dog or cat food in a small dish, couple licks as a reward.

Marie N. Freeze dried chicken. It’s like crack to her.

Alexis B. Red Barn! And the number-one-trumps-everything-on-this-earth thing is carnivore diet from the zoo – my husband works at the zoo and sometimes brings this home, it is mostly raw horse meat which is apparently more delicious than anything else on earth.

natural blance logs

Pia R. Freeze Dried Chicken!

Julia K. Lane Liver Brownies from the Liver Lady in Woodstock, IL!Karen C. Any food. Especially roast chicken, string cheese, bacon.

Judy M. Diced Natural Balance food logs!

Star F. Natural Balance food rolls are always a big hit.

Deb M. Try a fox tail tied to a 2- 2 1/2 ft length of clothesline. Stick it in your back pocket and haul out for a quick rewarding game of tug. Training your dog to be both food and toy motivated is the best!

Noelle B. For Brewster, if anything is going to get his attention, hot dogs will. But not even that works with a really intense distraction. Other things that work most, but not all the time, are chicken, cheese, and Zuke’s Mini Naturals.

Stacy S. ‎Riddick’s Treats (bison liver treats are like crack to them)

Marge R. I hate to say it (and I blame my friend Eileen) – sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. What can I say? He gets to choose what is most reinforcing.

orbee ball

Bev R. Anything that squeaks for my girl. Anything they can tug on for both, especially anything that resembles a flirt pole type thing, tug toys, Orbee ball, but food…nothing..they just are not food motivated.

Sheri-Lyn P. Chicken every time!

Sadie B. Some dogs are reluctant to eat when there are distractions or they are stressed. In these situations I would work with very high value food (cheese, etc), toys or even environmental rewards (although that is more difficult to employ practically). My girl finds it aversive to have to stop and eat a treat when belting round an agility course, so a retrieve or game of tug is our reward of choice then the fun doesn’t have to stop!

Laurie W. Canine Carry Outs! Easy to find and inexpensive.

Kristel S. Frozen meatballs, pieces of roasted chicken or salmon-flavored Zukes are Murphy’s favorites:-)

Johnny H. The Disc (frisbee) is my dogs highest value distraction. I don’t have them lying around the house, so he never gets them to play with. At 5pm every day, he knows it’s time for him to go to work. I don’t even need the disc now to use it as a distraction trigger. There is nothing that can redirect his brain over the disc – not a dog or dog altercation, motorbike, squeek toy – nothing brings him out of disc mode until I say “mine now” and put it away.

Elisabet N. Freeze dried beef liver, and cat food.

Juli T. Walking – Casey is so uninterested in food that when we are anywhere more interesting than our living room, not even nice smelly pepperoni or peanut butter will get her attention. Moving – preferably at a fast pace – is her reward.

Kristen B. Toby is all about cut up Natural Balance rolls. He chooses them over one of his typical favorite treats of peanut butter.

Rebecca C. Squeaky tennis ball for one dog. Target\Archer Farms chicken, spinach sausage does wonders for my other dog.

Angelina W. Vienna sausages!

Dawn F. Cut up hot dogs and string cheese!

Jackie D. Home-dried liver, smoked cheese, barbecue chicken, liver sausage…

Jennifer N. Only in extreme situations and VERY TINY bits: Lay’s Stax potato chips! It’s the most insane reaction I’ve ever seen. Even for just a tiny speck of chip, Jacks will focus so hard on it he sees or hears nothing else. Even if he can just smell it, he’s completely focused. Mia isn’t food motivated at all, but anything that squeaks is her addiction…

Jennifer B. Shady Brook cooked turkey meatballs..doggy crack!

Jenifer R. My dog who used to be HIGHLY leash reactive would turn himself inside out for Gorgonzola if he could!

Linda E. My three porties will eat anything put in front of them! They like Natural Balance in the tubes and it’s relatively easy to use. Their favorite is the one I make from scratch and is super simple: Put the six ingredients (2 cups spelt flour, 1-2 cups Quick Oats or Regular Oatmeal, 1/2 tsp salt (optional), 1tsp baking POWDER, 1 can sardines & 1-3 Tbsp Asian Fish Sauce (optional)+ a little olive oil) into the food processor, grind/ pulse, spread 1/4 to 1/2″ on a cookie sheet, heavily oiled with olive oil & bake. Slow bake @ 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes. I use a pizza cutter to score the treats to size, flip them over & bake for another 30-40 minutes until crisp. Much healthier and less costly! I do the sardines first, with some olive oil to make a paste, then add the dry ingredients. I’m a huge user of go tubes filled with premium duck or rabbit canned dog food. Very easy to use, carry and doggies just lick it up! These have worked the best for me in the dog to dog aggression area!

Susan C. Any food.

Brooke P. Definitely cheese. Cookies also keep my Pom occupied with chewing, rather than reacting while we’re passing tough triggers. He’s a very slow chewer, so it works out. By the time he finishes his cookie, the trigger is long gone.

Ann W. Peanut Butter. I fill one of the little Tupperware midgies, put the lid on, and when I need to get past some other dogs on the trail, I pull the lid off and let my dog lick at it until we’re past.

Ashley C. Deli rare roast beef and/or a squeeze tube of liver paste.

Rebecca A. I’m lucky my reactive guy is both toy and food motivated. He goes absolutely nuts for any toy with a squeaker, so I have a small Wubba Kong that we can tug on past any distraction. But if I need a calmer response (so as not to trigger another dog with his energy while tugging) — it is banana chips, believe it or not!

kong wubba

Ann W. Livercake with garlic.

Marion B. I make my own liver and bacon brownies. Yuck!! But I can get back flips for them.

Laurie M. Baby food meat, dehydrated mini hamburger pieces, roasted and frozen beef roast or chicken breast.

Virginia J. I know it’s not right, but cat treats are the only thing she is wild for.

K9Capers dog day center Blueberries and celery!

Suzanne K. Diced cooked chicken breast for reactive class, Merrick lamb filet treats for our daily walks at the park.

Cheryl C. Steak – when we are going to a new event/new place I grill up steak the night before.

Jen R. Boiled and diced beef heart does it every time for mine.

Lisa V. I know sometimes we have to go to extremes to find what our DINOS will work for. In one of our reactive dog classes the only thing their dog would work for was butter! Yikes! My girl LOVES Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs and her tiny squeaky soccer ball. She will do ANYTHING for that soccer ball!

Jennie M. My pup has had a hard time concentrating in class lately, but today she worked for biscuits. People biscuits with butter that is…put on when they are hot, so it is all melted in! I baked them this morning. As long as it works, I will bake! Hot dogs and cheese work well also.

Laura P. If she’s really distracted (or scared) it has to be something she needs to lick. Liverwurst or canned food in a squeeze tube, Cheese or Kong liver squeeze cans, meat-based baby food licked right out of the jar.

Elana B. Diced chicken gizzards. I nuke the package for about 10 minutes and then dice them into training treat size. Way cheaper than anything from PetSmart or PetCo and not made in China!

Nic F. Any type of food!

Shoshannah F. Cheese!Jenifer R. Cheese! Any kind but the stinkier the better.

Katie G. Dehydrated beef lung!

Helen W. Bozi Dinos will ignore every scary thing if he is busy playing tug or squeaky hedgehog games with me (on lead) just to be sure. He also loves roast chicken, steak and bacon.

Nancy B. Boiled chicken cut up into small pieces is the highest value treat. Hot dogs second.

I hope that gives all of you some new ideas to try on your walks or in your training classes.

If you have favorites that weren’t mentioned here, let me know in the comments section or on Facebook!

Feb 8

16 Comments

Foster-Dog-In-Hiding: A DINOS Adoption Story

I’ve spent the last few days reading your touching Valentine’s Day Essay Contest entries and I have to say – you guys have not let me down in the crying and laughing department. Your love letters to your dogs got me thinking about a past foster dog of mine, also a DINOS. After a few years of being out of touch, I just reconnected with his mom and I thought I’d share his story.

This is Buddie. He was my foster dog. I called him The Skipper back then.

When I found him roaming around South Philly he had this collar on. It was zip tied closed and there was a piece of a heavy chain, broken, dangling from the ring. The Skipper had busted loose and into my life.

My landlord didn’t allow dogs, but the Philadelphia shelter system is a tough place for a dog to survive, especially back then, so I just picked him up and drove him home. I filed a “found” report, but with no family stepping forward to claim him, Skip became our foster-dog-in-hiding.

My husband Brian (then boyfriend) and our three cats were not impressed (but not surprised either) by Skip’s arrival. Being a dog walker in Philadelphia meant that I was constantly running into stray dogs and stumbling onto little feral cat colonies. I often brought dogs home for a few hours until I could reunite them with their owners. And our basement had a secret back room that I used as the Feral Kitten Underground Railroad.

So no one (not even my cats – who started off in that basement room), was shocked that Skip moved in. But they were a little taken aback when he pooped in our tub that first day, couldn’t be crated, and kept asking to taste the kitties.

My little family sucked it up, so the Skipper could be safe. Cleaned up and neutered, Skip was pretty awesome and we hoped he’d get scooped up quickly. But no one came. The ‘Adopt Me’ fliers I posted all over Queen Village showed off his magic ear, but still no callers. Skip remained our foster-dog-in-hiding. I was terrified that my landlord would discover Skip before I could find him a safe home.

Not long into our time together, I was walking Skip and we bumped into a woman and her dog on the corner. She thought his ear was indeed magic and wanted to know more about him. As we stood talking, I realized that Skip was letting out a long, low growl. And then a bark and lunge at the other dog. It wasn’t over the top, but it was rude and a surprise, so off we went.

I hadn’t made up the name for it then, but my foster-dog-in-hiding was a DINOS.

In those days I walked a few reactive dogs, I read Patricia McConnell’s Feisty Fido a lot, and strictly obeyed leash laws, but I didn’t really get leash reactivity the way I do now. Back then, it was a real surprise that Skip wasn’t cool with other dogs being close by and I quickly realized that finding a family was going to be even tougher than I had imagined.

In a city as densely populated as Philly, with only a few dog parks available for off leash exercise, everyone walks their dogs in close quarters. Leash reactive DINOS are challenging for all of us, but for those that live in cities without backyards or lots of open spaces, they can be really tough. I worried: Who would want to adopt a DINOS in packed city?

Kerry. That’s who. One day Kerry heard about Skip and saw his magic ear and sly, bedroom eyes and emailed me.

If you’ve ever been a foster family, then you know what it feels like when you meet a potential adopter that you think might be a great match. You really hope they’ll like your foster dog and not get freaked out by his behavioral issues. You desperately want them to see all the good things that you see in your foster dog.

But, because you want the match to be the right one, you also want to lay out the more challenging bits, so they understand what they’re committing to take on if they adopt him. You want them to see the whole picture and be as smitten with the good, the bad, and the bathtub poop as you are.

So, the potential adopter arrives and you’re totally excited and you want to rave and gush and lay out all the problems all at once. Basically, you want to vomit information at them, while gesturing wildly with a scary smile on your face. That’s what you feel like on the inside, but on the outside you just. try. to. stay. cool.

Like it’s no big thang. Yo, lady, it’s nice if you like him, but no worries if you don’t. No pressure or used car salesman techniques from this foster broad. Love ’em or leave him. Who me, worried? Nah, I’m just chilling with my foster-dog-in-hiding, not worried at all that he might eat my cats or that I’m going to get evicted.

Oh, you like him? And you want to adopt him even though I’m just some weird gal that you’ve never met before and I scooped up this stray dog off Washington Ave? And you heard me when I said he’s not that into other dogs? And you’re really responsible and loving and actually filled out my home-made adoption application with thoughtful answers?

Yes, you can have him. Now excuse me while I burst into tears. Please help me from drowning in my own snot.

Meeting Kerry went something like that.

So Skip went to live with Kerry and became Buddie. And they went running through the city together and worked on his leash reactivity and even let me come visit them sometimes. Buddie made friends with Kerry’s mom’s dog and they sent me photos. It was a good adoption. I can’t tell you how lucky I was and am that this worked out for Skip/Bud. In a city with that many dogs, happy endings are hard-won, especially for DINOS.

It’s been about six years since then. I moved to Maine and eventually lost touch with Kerry, but never forgot them. And I often wondered, after hundreds of adoptions since that one (through my work in a shelter): Does Kerry still have him? What are the chances that this was a lifetime adoption? After you do enough of them, you learn that even the best adoptions don’t always stick and dogs you never thought you’d see again, show up back at the shelter for another turn on the kennel floor. I hoped that Buddie was ok.

And then, out of the blue the other day, I got an email from Kerry. And it turned out that all my fears, that this DINOS adoption wouldn’t last, were for nothing. Here’s what she wrote:

“He is such a huge blessing, Jessica. He is still a bit anxious when I leave and in the car, but much better than the beginning. He has gotten to the point where he can tolerate other dogs nearby…he still goes crazy over cats and squirrels, can leap over 6-foot fences and has that lovable one-ear trick! He’s the same dog you rescued – so loyal, playful, caring and sweet. I just adore him and can’t imagine my life without him. I really do think about you often and feel grateful for you and the fact you brought this extraordinary friend into my life. “

This is a foster mom’s dream for her foster-dog-in-hiding.

Thank you Kerry. Thank you for loving Buddie as much as I had dreamed someone might, if only we were lucky enough to find them. Thank you for helping Buddie to beat the odds and make it into a family that loves him for who he is. Thank you for rushing him to the ER to have life-saving surgery last year. Thank you for giving him the family he was hoping to find on that day he busted his chain and went in search of something better.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And for anyone out there that is fostering or caring for a DINOS in a shelter, I want you to know: There are good people out there that will love these dogs, despite their quirks. For all the sad stuff, the returns over tiny issues, the adoptions that don’t work out, there are dedicated, loving families that will do the work. There are DINOS-friendly families out there. To everyone caring for a Foster-Adoptable-DINOS, keep your head up! There just might be a Kerry right around the corner.

I love you Buddie-out-in-the-open.

Feb 3

3 Comments

A Valentine’s Day DINOS™ Contest!

The other week the fabulous folks at MrChewy.com offered me a $50 gift card to do a little shopping on their site. But I couldn’t resist an opportunity to pass along this gift to you guys, so MrChewy.com has kindly agreed to let me give away the gift card as a prize to one lucky reader!

I thought about doing a photo contest, but am I the only one that gets a little bummed out by those?

I always feel bad for the dogs with photos that don’t get a lot of “likes”, so I wind up voting for that blurry photo of the dog with flash-induced red-eye and a dirty laundry pile in the background. (Seriously, why do people enter those terrible photos in contests? They know everyone can see their tighty whities on the floor and that their dogs look like angry ghosts, don’t they?)

Maybe we’ll do one in the future, because I really love seeing your dogs, but for this contest, I thought I’d do something a little different!

Drum roll please…

Get ready for the very first DINOS Valentine’s Day Essay Contest!

We all know that living with DINOS can be tough some days, but in the end, we love the fur right off of these guys.

In 750 words or less, take a crack at this theme: “A Love Letter to my DINOS” and tell me how living with a DINOS has brought you joy. In other words, I want to know how awesome life can be with DINOS.

Here are some questions to help you brainstorm (you don’t have to actually answer these, but it might help get you started): What life lessons have you learned from living with DINOS? What is it about your dog that makes all the tough stuff worthwhile? What do you wish people knew about your DINOS? What weird faces do they make when they’re sleeping that make you laugh so hard, you forget about how miserable it was to walk them that day?

Hint: I want you to make me laugh or cry or laugh until I cry or maybe even cry until I start laughing. You get the idea, right?

Send your entries (one per person, please), plus a photo or three of your DINOS to: info@notesfromadogwalker.com

Boogie (he’s the poet, after all) and I will choose one winner to receive the $50 gift card to MrChewy.com and we’ll publish your essay on our blog and Facebook for everyone to enjoy!

If there are some real gems, beyond the winning entry, I’d love to share those essays on my blog too. So if you enter the contest, be sure you’re ok with the public reading what you wrote.

Rules: Please send entries to info@notesfromadogwalker.com by midnight on Friday, February 10^th.

The contest is open to everyone, but only residents of the continental U.S. are eligible to win the MrChewy.com gift card** – sorry guys, they don’t ship internationally or to AK and HI. So, if you’re outside that area, you can still enter, but won’t be able to use the gift card personally.

**A quick thinking fan has suggested that if someone from outside of the continental U.S. wins the contest, they could donate the gift card to an animal shelter or rescue, of their choice, that is located within the shipping area (the lower 48 states). Not only is that a great idea, but that’s an option for anyone who wins, no matter where they live. If you win and would like to donate the gift card, we’ll work out the details together, so the right party receives the promo code. (Thanks Joyanne!)

Questions? Hit me up on Facebook or email: info@notesfromadogwalker.com

The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day!

Dear Boogie, This moment made it all worthwhile. Love, Mom

Feb 1

30 Comments

You Might Be a MDIF If…

If you’ve recently read My Dog is Friendly!, it may have left you wondering: I have a friendly dog. Am I a MDIF?

Or maybe the PSA made you kind of mad. You read it and thought, “Hey! I have a friendly dog. Don’t make me the bad guy here!”

Kind readers, allow me to explain. Just because you have a friendly dog, doesn’t mean you’re a MDIF. If you have a friendly dog and you are a thoughtful, responsible guardian – you obeys leash laws and do not permit your dog to act rudely towards others in public – then you’re probably not a MDIF.

Most MDIFs are well meaning people, totally unaware of how their actions impact others. And they don’t actually realize they’re MDIFs! So in an effort to spread self-awareness across the land, to keep DINOS and dogs of all kinds safe and stress-free, I’d like to present this MDIF self test.

And just in case you think, “Boy, this lady sure has met some odd people! I’m sure this doesn’t happen to everyone!”, I’ll share a real life MDIF scenario from a different DINOS family to illustrate each test item.

Got your pens ready? You might be a MDIF if…

You have actively pursued someone walking their dog, calling out to them, “My Dog is Friendly!” I don’t mean passing another person on a sidewalk and making this remark. That’s normal. I mean chasing another human, typically one who is hiding or speed walking away from you. If you’ve ever made a u-turn or crossed the street to follow someone, so that your dogs can meet each other, you might be a MDIF.

Real Life MDIF spotted by Kathryn H. “I had someone follow me across the street and then back to the other side of the street again. When I turned around to walk the other way, because the person was obviously not getting it, they called “Wait up! My dog wants to say hi to yours!”

You allow your dogs to run off leash, in a designated on-leash area. You let them approach strange dogs, without asking the owner’s permission. You are too far away from your dogs to catch them and you do not have voice control over them. If you’ve ever stood by and watched your dog follow or chase an on-leash dog, you might be a MDIF.

Real Life MDIF spotted by Renee K. “I had two off leash dogs running towards me, crossing streets, while I’m yelling at their owner to get her dogs. She was walking slow and yelling how her dogs were friendly, while I’m yelling “Mine isn’t!” The dogs were fast and caught up with us quickly, so I had to pick up my 45 pound pit bull, while the two small dogs are jumping up my legs and the owner is taking her time coming to get them. When she finally got there I told her, again, to leash her dogs and I felt like she looked at me like I was crazy. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”

You are adamant that your dog should meet all dogs, regardless of the other dog’s comfort level. If you’ve ever insisted, despite protests from the other party, that your dogs should meet and be friends, you might be a MDIF.

Real Life MDIF spotted by Jennifer S. “I have a dog reactive, territorial German Shepherd Dog. She is especially reactive to small dogs and to other female dogs. One day, I had her out in our fenced back yard…While I did some gardening, I heard her start to go ballistic – charging the fence, growling, and barking. When I ran over to see what was wrong, I saw our sweet, but clueless neighbor holding up her Rat Terrier mix to the fence. I pointed out that Frieda was dog-reactive and given enough incentive could probably clear our six-foot fence, so she should leave. She continued to hold her dog up to the fence and told me, “It’s okay – my dog is friendly. Everyone loves my dog, and I just want them to be friends.”

You believe that dogs can and should sort out problems on their own. You feel that, if need be, our dogs will teach your dogs a lesson. If you’ve ever disregarded a stranger’s plea to keep your dogs away and said, “It’s ok. My dog needs to learn” you might a MDIF.

Real Life MDIF spotted by Rachel M. “I was getting into the car with my 40 pound dog when a large off-leash Akita and his owner came strolling down the street. She said “My dog is friendly!” as he advanced, and I said “My dog is not!” She replied, “Then my dog will learn”, right as my dog lunged. In response, the Akita immediately went after my dog. I managed to kick him away and shove mine in the car. I wondered, what did she expect her dog to learn?”

You think that if other people knew the correct way to introduce dogs to each other, all dogs would get along. You feel obligated to show them how it should be done, regardless of their protests. If you’ve ever grabbed a stranger’s leash or physically interfered with another person’s dog, you might be a MDIF.

Real life MDIF spotted by Briana K. “A man came around a blind corner with a Golden and surprised Dexter and me. Dex snapped a bit. We were trapped on a crowded sidewalk waiting for a light, so I turned Dexter around. I kid you not, this man pulls his dog around and sticks the dog’s rump in Dexter’s face, saying, “It’s important that they have a positive interaction.” Luckily, Dexter was so confused by this that I had another moment to turn him around, yet again, and tell the guy it wouldn’t end up being positive if he kept forcing his dog on mine.”

You think that because your dog is wonderful, all dogs will like him. You believe other people are wrong when they tell you their dogs don’t like your dog. You think they will be happily surprised by your dog’s magic friend-making skills. If you’ve ever ignored someone’s attempts to avoid your dog, calling out “It’s ok! Everyone likes Buster!” you might be a MDIF.

Real life MDIF spotted by Heather M. “My neighbors, who are nice, but clueless, used to let their dog, Sammy, out loose while I was walking my dogs, Iggy and Priscilla. I would say to my neighbors, “No, no! They don’t like Sammy!” My neighbor would look at me like I had three heads and say, “But everyone likes Sammy!”

You get personally offended when someone does not greet your dogs. If you’ve ever spoken in a stage whisper to your dog, so that the other person can hear how offended you are, you might be a (passive aggressive) MDIF.

Real life MDIF spotted by Jenn G. “I walk many DINOS-by-design for my SPCA (they are DINOS because they are shelter dogs and volunteers are required, while walking them, to keep them away from other dogs and the public due to a variety of reasons, like vaccinations and stress. This policy is to protect both the shelter dogs and the public’s dogs). Once, I was walking a lovely Rottie-cross shelter dog, minding my own business when a black Lab came flying toward us, with the owner not far behind. I called out “Could you do me a favor…and please leash your dog? I have an SPCA dog here”. After arguing in vain with him for a few minutes (from him: “Don’t worry, my dog is friendly” and “Oh, he needs to be socialized, that’s all”), the man stormed away. But later our paths crossed several times on the same set of trails. Every time we passed he would lean into his dog and say to the dog in an extra loud voice, so as to be sure that everyone nearby was listening, “No dear you can’t go and see THAT dog. THAT dog thinks he is really, really special because he lives in a shelter. THAT dog is too good to say hi to you…I know you’re disappointed sweetie. Let’s go now!”. I’m not joking – he did this three times!

You understand that some dogs need space, but because you love dogs, you think this doesn’t apply to you. If you’ve ever been told that a dog is afraid of strangers, but you insist it’s ok for you to pet them because you’re really good with dogs, you might be a MDIF (Tricky, eh? You didn’t even have a dog with you here!).

Real life MDIF spotted by Kelly S. “I was in the parking lots of the vet’s office with my dog who is scared of new people. This woman came walking over asking to pet him, but I told her, “No thank you, my dog is afaid of strangers.” Instead of respecting my wishes, she just kept coming, saying, “It’s ok, all dogs love me!” and proceed to try to pet him over his head, while he ducked away from her hand. I had to stand in front of him to body block her from further attempts.

You know that leash laws and “no dogs allowed” rules exist, but you don’t think they apply to you because your dogs are so friendly. If you’ve ever let your dogs run loose in pharmacy, a pet store, or any other place where they’re not allowed or are required to be leashed, you might be a MDIF.

Real life MDIF spotted by Rebecca A. “Our local Home Depot is dog friendly, so we often bring in our people-loving pittie and American Bulldog when we shop there for a little Nosework practice. This weekend, a couple was there with two Rhodesian Ridgebacks off leash and not under good voice control. What were they thinking? I got the usual response from the couple when I asked them to call their dogs back – “They’re just being friendly!”

You believe it’s rude not to let dogs meet each other. You think it’s unfriendly when someone pulls their dog to the side and puts them in a sit-stay, so your dogs can’t meet. You think all dogs should be able and willing to meet other dogs and if not, something is wrong with them and their owners. If you’ve ever called someone a nasty name, criticized their dog, shouted at them for being rude, or stormed off in a huff, simply because they do not want to meet you, you might be a MDIF.

Real life MDIF spotted by Gato L. “A woman let her off leash dog approach the dog I was walking, a shy puppy. The off leash dog was approaching in a pretty aggressive manner- hackles up, ears and tail forward, all that. I can’t recall what I said at the time, as I was too busy trying to keep her dog away and mine from freaking out. But I recall her saying, “Is your dog EVIL? Dogs should be allowed to meet! Look, he wants to say hi! It’s natural! It’s not fair to keep them from greeting!” It took all the treats I had to get the “evil”, cowering puppy back home.

You allow your children to chase, touch (without permission), or shout at other people’s dogs. If you’ve ever stood by while your child runs up to a strange dog and shouted, “It’s ok, he loves dogs!”, you might be a MDIF (Another tricky one! But it doesn’t matter if it’s your dogs or your kids that are friendly – same rules apply).

Real life MDIF spotted by Jackie D. “I was walking along a country lane, with my needs-space-from-everything rescue dog. A little way ahead was my friend with her not-keen-on-children rescue dog. A family was approaching. Both of us took our dogs up onto the verge and put them into a sit. The two small children ran away from their parents and flung their arms around my friend’s dog. My friend yelled, “Call your children away, my dog doesn’t like children!” Guess what the parents said? “That’s all right, they don’t mind.” Yes, we yelled at the parents – they were very lucky they picked my friend’s dog to hug, not mine.”

If you recognize yourself in any of these scenarios, you may be a MDIF. But fear not! Knowing is half the battle. Many of us are former MDIFs, but have learned from our mistakes.

As Oprah always says, “When you know better, you do better” and I’m absolutely sure she was talking about MDIFs.

Now that you know about DINOS, you understand that they have valid reasons for needing space from other dogs (and sometimes people), so you can change your approach. It’s simple, really. Obey leash laws, ask permission before approaching, and respect personal boundaries. Before you know it, you’ll have left the MDIF category and can live, acronym free, as a responsible owner of a friendly dog!

Jan 25

2 Comments

A Kinder, Gentler DINOS™ Handout

I’m a wee bit snarky. My sense of humor is one of the reasons people liked the “My Dog is Friendly PSA” so much, but it’s not for everyone, especially if you’re a MDIF.

Since the DINOS message is such an important one, I wanted to make sure there was a positive, helpful handout that everyone would feel comfortable using, so we can reach the largest audience possible (without offending anyone). So, I whipped up a kinder, sarcasm-free version of the DINOS Manifesto. I’m hoping that if you work at a vet’s office, a shelter, as a dog trainer, or just want to educate your neighbors, that this handout will be the right fit for you!

Here’s the text (you’ll find the link to the print-friendly pdf at the bottom):

A Message from DINOS: Dogs in Need of Space™

There are many dogs that prefer not to interact with people or other dogs while they’re out in public. Dogs that are DINOS are good dogs, they just need space. For example, dogs that are ill, recovering from surgery, injured, seniors, fearful dogs, service and working dogs, reactive dogs, and dogs in training, are all types of DINOS. They have a right to enjoy walks in public without interacting with other dogs and unfamiliar people.

In order to create safe communities for everyone, Team DINOS needs your help! Here are some guidelines for polite leash etiquette that will benefit all dogs:

1. Obey Leash Laws: Outside of a dog park, or otherwise sanctioned off-leash area, please leash your dogs. In many places, this is the law, designed to keep all of us (including your dogs) safe.

2. Ask Permission Before Approaching: Stop moving and ask, “Is your dog friendly?” or “Can my dog say hi?” before you allow your dog to greet us.

3. Listen to our Response: Give us time to respond. If we say “No”, please don’t be offended.

4. Respect Our Space: If we move to the side, so that you can pass, do not let your dog approach us. Please shorten their leash and continue walking. Not all dogs are comfortable meeting strange dogs while on leash.

5. Do Not Give Chase: Please do not allow your loose dogs to chase us. Additionally, if we abruptly turn the other way or cross the street, we do not wish to interact with you or your dogs (for one of the many reasons listed above). Please do not chase after us, asking to meet our dogs.

6. Lock your Leashes: If you walk your dog on a retractable leash, please retract and lock your leash, so that we may pass by without engaging with your dog. This applies to indoor spaces as well, such as the vet’s office and pet stores.

7. Be Kind: While we understand that these guidelines may be frustrating at times, please refrain from arguing, name calling, or judging others. One day, due to illness, trauma, or other circumstances, you too may find yourself the loving owner of a DINOS. Please be compassionate.

8. No Matter How Nice You Are, the Rules Still Apply: Dog lovers and those with friendly dogs often think they are the exceptions to these rules. Please understand that we know our dogs best and must make choices based on their well-being. It’s nothing personal. We believe that you and your dogs are really nice, but we ask that you respect our personal boundaries.

In return, the DINOS pledge to uphold the following standards:

We promise to be responsible dog guardians, focused on creating safe interactions for all dogs, by following leash laws, as well as training our dogs and using safety tools (such as muzzles), if necessary.
When it is possible, we will always create distance between your dogs and our DINOS, so that you too can pass us without incident.
We will tell you that our dogs are DINOS and that we need space. No mind reading necessary.

The DINOS thank you for your support! Together we can create safe communities for ALL dogs!

Print it! A Friendly Message from DINOS: Dogs in Need of Space

The rest of the handouts are here!

Have you seen the DINOS Movie? It’s pretty awesome and super funky. Watch it and share!

Jan 23

9 Comments

A New Look for DINOS

Over the past month, I’ve been busy working with the incredible Natalia Martinez of Design Lab Creative Studio to create a DINOS™ logo for us all to enjoy. After meeting Nat last year when she volunteered for StubbyDog to create the 2012 Superheroes Calendar, I jumped at the chance to hire her for this project. And I couldn’t be any happier with the results.

Not only is Nat ridiculously talented and generous, but as a dog lover herself, she is super excited about the DINOS mission. She totally gets our dogs and wanted to create a logo that would help spread the word: DINOS are GOOD dogs, they just need space. Together we worked to create a logo that would capture the positive spirit of the DINOS community.

In the coming weeks, Nat and I will be working on designs for DINOS gear, like t-shirts, that will be available for purchase through Cafe Press. In the very near future, you’ll be able to tell the world that you want some space and do it in style.

As soon as the store is up and running, you’ll be the first ones to know!

And now, without further delay, here’s the new DINOS logo:

And for anyone that has ever felt alone or thought they were the only one with a DINOS, now they’ll know that they’re a member of Team DINOS!

Here’s the team logo to prove it:

I hope you all love these logos as much as I do (I’m actually giving Nat a standing ovation right now, at my desk). If you’re ever in need of a graphic designer or photographer, please don’t miss your chance to work with her!

And stay tuned for more DINOS gear news!

Jan 16

7 Comments

How to Exercise Your Dog Without Leaving the House

Some days, you just don’t want to walk your DINOS.

Maybe it’s because the weather is terrible, like the freezing rain we had here in Maine last week, or it might be because your neighborhood is filled with off leash dogs that terrorize you on your walks. Most of the time, we still grab our leashes and hit the streets, but there are some days we could all use a break.

So whether you’re looking for a safe way to exercise your DINOS without running into other dogs or you just want to avoid extreme weather, here’s a bunch of great ideas for indoor fun from Team DINOS on Facebook!

To get us started, here are some of my favorite ways to wear out dogs inside the house:

Treadmills: They can be total lifesavers for DINOS. With a treadmill you can safely exercise your DINOS in your home, with no other dogs to contend with, whenever your dog needs it. You can use the treadmill you already have, purchase a used one for cheap off of Craig’s List, or a buy treadmill specifically designed for dogs. Here’s some advice from Bad Rap for getting started with a dog-powered (no motor) treadmill.

Puppy Push Ups: Sit, down, sit, down, sit, down. Easiest “trick” in the book. It helps burn off a little energy, even if your dog only knows two commands!

Feeding all Meals from Frozen Kongs: If your dog has a lot of energy, I would suggest chucking your dog bowls all together and only feeding from dog puzzles. Firecracker Dogs has some great articles on this and a store filled with puzzles that are worth checking out. If you’re using Kongs, try freezing them, since it’ll take much longer for your dogs to work out their meal, burning more mental and physical energy in the process.

Rile/Recovery work with a Flirt Pole: You can go the homemade route or buy a premade “chase it” toy, but either way, if you have a dog that loves chasing stuff (and has healthy joints), this giant cat toy will rock their world and burn a ton of energy. What’s key to this? Your dog must know basic commands such as: sit, down, wait, take it and drop it for this to be a safe, fun game. If you want to do this inside, get a smaller 2-3 foot flirt pole, for outside, you can go big! Before you try it, take a look at this video from Bad Rap and read this how-to.

Heavy Duty Chew Toys and Bones: Some dogs can work out an incredible amount of energy through chewing on toys and bones. Particularly helpful for barkers, to wear out those overactive jabber jaws.

Those are some of my faves, but don’t stop here, check out all the great suggestions from the rest of the group (keep in mind that all dogs are individuals and what works for some, may not be the best choice for others):

Heather Masch Nosework is a great activity to do indoors.

Juli Thompson Casey and I play hide and seek. She has to sit and stay while I go into another room, or closet, maybe hide behind a curtain. When I yell “come,” she has to follow my voice to find me. Body and brain both get exercised, and it reinforces “come,” which is still a problem command for us.

Lori Fricks I throw a tennis ball up the stairs, Marshall chases up after it and brings it back down for another go! We also play tug until my arms go numb!

Jo Maisey I do some clicker training to tire out their brains.

Ashley Oslund Laser light in small doses!

Kim Kusznir Odin likes to jump in the air and pop bubbles!

Alexis Bywater Laser pointer!! Keep “dot” sessions short and sweet! 10 minutes with the laser pointer can be a great workout (I combine obedience work with laser play which is a great way to proof commands on a really amped up dog).

Kristel Smart I live on the fourth floor of an apartment building and our stairs are indoors and carpeted. The stairway tends to be pretty deserted (most people prefer the elevator) so I practice send-aways and emergency stops and downs while I have Murphy run up and down the stairs (he has great hips and he’s young). When he’s tired out I let him relax with a good rib-bone.

Kelsey Gidley We play the box game, dinner from puzzle toys and lots and lots of tug.

Suzan Toscano Tug toys & balls thrown down the hall to be retrieved.

Julie Parker Rmdt We play “tag” in the living room. We also like the Kong Wobblers for mental stimulation.

Kathie McDermid Dierk Throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball…and then maybe “find it” (he sits in another room, I take a treat, hide it (like in a drawer or something) and then release him to “search”)

Kendra Roering Treadmill!

Jennifer Whitton-Trujillo We throw the ball (or whatever other toy Colby brings), but I love throwing it down the stairwell, so he has to run up and down stairs. Wears him out much better than just tossing it down the hall!

Jessie Copeland We play fetch in our kitchen with light plastic balls or a Kong frisbee, trying to continue basic drop, sit, stay, and other commands. Dash LOVES this game!

Judy Michaels Living Room Rally! My fave: One dog becomes a post, and a little yellow cone the other. Great way to work on Figure 8s and distraction work!

Barbara Lewis I don’t have stairs, so I set up a makeshift agility jump (broom held up about 6 inches off the ground by stacked books or whatever else) – then I toss pieces of dog food across the room so she has to run and jump over the hurdle to get it. It’s sort of ridiculous, but it works!

Laurie James Buchele Puzzle toys, brain games, tricks.

Laura Pescador Misha has the big egg-shaped FitPaws ball for strength and stretching, nosework, recall games with one human holding her and the other hiding, the big box home improvement store up the street still allows dogs (early on a weekday before work there aren’t a lot of other dogs), lots of training games like calling heel from anywhere in the house.

Brooke Palmer Lots of puzzles and messing around with the clicker to see what I can try to get my dog to do.

Violet Elder Run her up and down the stairway.

Celeste Schmidt We’ve had an oddly warm winter this year, but usually good ol’ tug, some shaping, nosework, and treadmill are what help. I’ve also had to jog in circles inside the house, usually I’ll have the dogs come along with me.

Michelle Doram K9 Nose Work!

A Better Life with Your Dog with Fernando Camacho I have done a number of sessions with dogs that become obsessive shadow chasers because of laser pointers, so my favorite indoor fun is bubbles. My dog will jump and pop them for hours. Great exercise!

Laura Elizabeth Mine loves to play tug game, so we play tug of war and some fetch inside.

Jill Michalski Hide n’ Seek, “Find it”, Kong Wobbler, and sometimes a bit of “doggie boot camp” practicing sit/downs (like doing pushups), stay, wait, place, etc.

Jennene Lausier My dog loves our treadmill! It’s his favorite!

Kris Hopkins My last German Shepherd police K9 was the “diggiest dog”. To channel it in non-destructive ways I bought him a small, thin heavy-duty crate bed and let him scratch it from one end of the room to the other. He was totally winded scratching at that scratchy pad for hours! When we could go outside, he got a sand box and it was the “dig patch”. All other areas were off-limits for digging or scratching. It worked and his front legs were unbelievably strong!

Jackie Hall-Reigle I had bought a treadmill for him and surprisingly he got right on it! He loves it, and when he hears it start, he comes running to get on it.

Sarah Power We hide toys while she waits in another room. We put the toy in a taped up box so she has to get it open, also bring out the agility tunnel to jump over and hide stuff under laundry baskets. Mental stimulation goes a long way, she doesn’t get tired without it.

Anne Davidson Indoors treiball (learn to get it out of corners); jump over boxes, legs both directions for fetch a toy. Sit and watch me hide toys (in sight at this point), then go fetch and put each one in the box. Boxes within boxes; prize inside smallest.

Jessica Healy We play fetch and chase up and down the stairs and also brain games.

Bonnie N. Davis Leo’s still too reactive to play inside, but has a mega thick coat, so he gets lots of trips outside during the day. But when he comes in or if it’s too frigid for him to stay out, he gets a huge bone or toy to chew.

Heather Staas Indoor frisbee with lids!

Lynda McLellan Susan Garrett’s Recallers (online classes) is all about games and most can be played in doors. Teaches self-control and focus while having lots of fun. I also use a Kong wobbler and hide and seek, which my son loves to play with the dogs along with Recaller games.

Danielle Cyr Nose works! Only need one room and my household junk! We also do small space shaping for competitions like retrieves, positions, rear end awareness. Keeps their brains warm!

Martha Knowles For some indoor thinking games and great ways to bond with your dog Playtime for Your Dog: Keep Him Busy Throughout the Day by Christina Sondermann

Jill Petro After tossing a toy or ball for a while, my dog is placed on a stay in another room while I hide the toy. Then I ask him to find it. Makes him use his brain!

Chris Jones We play hide ‘n’ go seek. I put my dog on stay and go hide then I call him. Sometimes he can’t find me and is extra overjoyed when finds me.

Cheryl Copenhagen Set up jumps or the tunnel and throw Kirby’s toys so that he has to jump over or go through!

Nicole De La Perrelle I pull out a couple of books and try to teach something new! Kyra Sundance’s books are good for this, so the other week (when it was hot here in Australia- over 40 degrees Celsius), I put treats in a few cups of a muffin pan and then put a tennis ball into each cup of the pan, so the dogs have to sniff out the treats, then use their nose or paw to push the ball out to get the treat. We also play “fishing” by hooking up a toy on a string to a stick and then flicking it around, getting the dog to chase it, try to catch it etc. You can buy toys like that or use a cat toy (Max loves the feather boa on a stick type of cat toy) or make your own. We also play “rev up and calm down” as part of the inside games. We get the dogs really excited about the game, but then ask for a sit or a drop and wait for a bit of calm before continuing. This stops the games from getting too intense and the dogs from getting too excited. It’s really hard work so wears them out more!

Virginia HappyGirl Johnson We run up and down the stairs. She made up that game when she got the “zoomies” one night, and we’ve played it ever since.

Alison Garfat On the rare day we don’t get at least a bit of outside time, Monty gets to learn a new trick – over the last couple of stretches of bad weather he’s learned “back up”, opening a cupboard door (“open”) and closing a cupboard door (“push”). Luckily he’s too short to reach the cookie cupboard! Playing “find it” is also a bad weather staple.