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What Are Some Dog Mystic Exercises?

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet CarePet Products

The Universe has surrounded us with the perfect teachers…Animals are in the present all the time and their secret power is to pull us in with them!

PLEASE take about five minutes or longer to just sit on the floor and love you dogs.  Put your phone on silent and sit on the floor or on the bed and enjoy petting your dog. While you are petting your dog, take some nice long deep breaths. Petting your dog lowers your blood pressure as well as lowering your dog’s blood pressure.

If your dog is not fearful of hugs, you can give them a hug. Also, massaging them will relax them even more. Allow your dog to pull you into the present moment.

Another exercise that you can do while you’re walking with your dog put your phone on silent so you were focusing all of your attention on nature and your dog.

Start to take some deep breaths and you can either shrug your shoulders or make circles with your shoulders because it relieves the tension and your body.

Enjoy the walk and being with your dog instead of being on the phone and not being aware of everything that is going on around you.

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Which Leashes Are Safe and Unsafe?

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet CarePet Products

There are so many leashes to choose from, do you know which leashes to get?

My preference is a 6 ft. leash either nylon or leather.   The 4 ft. leash doesn’t give them enough slack in the leash when they are on a free walk.

Before you buy a nylon leash, hold it in your hand to make sure it is not rough on the edges because it can hurt your hands.  The rope leashes are good but make sure they are thick because the thin rope leash hurts your hands and you can get a rope burn.

PLEASE DO NOT BUY A RETRACTABLE LEASH!  They are unsafe and you can get a severe rope burn especially with the ones that have the extra thin rope.  It can get wrapped around your legs and fingers and cut you badly.

If you have a puppy, you should keep the dog on a watch inside the house, which means when you can watch the puppy, you have the dog on the leash with you so they can’t sneak off to have an accident or chew on something. When you can’t watch you confine. One thing you can do is get a 4 ft. chain link leash, so the dog can chew on the metal instead of chewing through the nylon leashes.

A 10 – 12 nylon leash is good for working on the come command from a distance.

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Please Rescue Instead Of Purchasing A Dog

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet Care

There are so many amazing dogs that need to be rescued!

Even though there were plenty of dogs who were rescued in the beginning of quarantine, there are still so many that need to be rescued and they make amazing additions to your home.

I have adopted all of my dogs and even though most of them were mutts or now known as designer breeds, they have been amazing. When you rescue a dog they are so grateful and appreciative. They become loyal companions and will do anything to make you feel comfortable, pull you into the present moment and show you so much love.

Most of the time, the dogs choose you because they use their puppy dog eyes to make you look at them. Even if they don’t and they are scared of the world, Have Patience because you will create the most amazing bond!

Please read this amazing transformation of Honey, who was so aggressive and would have been euthanized if I did not train her and get her adopted: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gkmEkKJCHtdojisS9olttbb56DSlUC8PYiiDjr-q1Wc/edit?usp=sharing

The Dog Mystic

Do You Believe Your Dog Should Be Secure In A Car?

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet CarePet Products

If people are driving in a car without a seatbelt then we can get fined.

It is for our own safety and it is extremely important to keep your dog safe by either getting a doggy seat belt, a doggie seat, or wrapping the handle of a 6 foot leash around the hand rail in the backseat of the car or truck and tie a knot so the dog has enough room to sit or lie down.

If your dog is secure in the back seat then if you get rear-ended from behind then the dog is not coming flying to the front and banging into something. Also, it is so dangerous to have your dog jumping from the back to the front of the car while you are driving. Think about it, there are so many crazy drivers out there and you should be paying attention to the road instead of controlling your dog.

If your dog is in your lap and chooses to jump down in front of you, especially the small pups then your focus is on the pup instead of the road!

The dog could get paralyzed on impact or die. We do not want that to happen.

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Allow The Dogs To Draw Us Into The Present Moment

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet Care

The universe has surrounded us with the perfect teachers.

Animals are in the present all the time, and their secret power is to pull us in with them!

Allow the dogs to get your attention and get you out of your monkey mind. When they are trying to get you focused on them, stop if you are able to, put your phone down (FOR JUST 5 MINUTES), and sit on the floor or if they are allowed on the bed then sit down and start petting them and breathing with them, and allow them to calm your nervous system down. There have been studies that show that petting a dog will lower your blood pressure as well as the dogs.

Remember, dogs are pack animals and want your love and attention. They have a sixth sense so they know when you are not feeling well and sad or anxious. ALLOW them to draw your attention on them instead of what you are stressing about.

Enjoy the present moment and be grateful for what you have.

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The Full Moon Affects Dogs Just As Much As People

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet CarePet Products

There are some full moons when the dogs have no effect whatsoever and then there are some full moons when are extremely hyper, totally defiant, and testing your every move. PATIENCE! My clients have called me and said, “This dog is driving me crazy, he or she has not acted like this is a long time!”

I used to be a teacher and the full moon that had plenty of energy, the kids looked like little ants moving around the classroom. They had an internal motor that could not be stopped. Dogs are the same way!

The leash is your tool. You have control! When your pup is being defiant and putting everything in their mouth they should be placed on the leash, so they can not sneak off and get in trouble.

Training will definitely help. Even if you work with them for just 5 minutes it will help. The mental stimulation gets them more tired then just playing with their toys.

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Moving to a New Home While Having Dogs

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet Care

If you have the ability to have the dog stay with someone or take them to a doggie daycare, you will have more peace of mind and your dog will be having fun.  It is best to have the dog stay away until you are moved into the new place and things are out of the boxes and somewhat in place.  Of course it does not have to be perfect but there should be some order.

Once you are somewhat settled and you get your dog, always have them on the leash.  If you have a yard, walk them around the yard to pick up the new scents and just observe their new surroundings.  Walk them around outside first then bring them in the house.  Once inside, walk the dog around and let them check out their new home.  Keep the dog on a watch, so the dog does not mark their scent.  I suggest keeping the dog on the leash at least for the first day, so they can’t sneak off and have an accident while you are not paying attention.  

A dog’s anxiety starts to build when you start packing and the house gets emptier and emptier.  Dogs are creatures of habit, so it is very confusing for them to see the large items disappear when they are used to seeing everything in the same place for a long period of time.  If you are very stressed out, your dog will be able to pick up on your stress and will be more uneasy than usual.  

At first the dog may have fun with the boxes and it may be funny to you but after a while your dog can become a nuisance and make you more stressed.  Think about it, you are packing things and not paying attention to the dog, so the dog starts biting or playing with things that they are not supposed to be touching.  You want to get things done quickly but your dog or dogs may hold you up.

Moving is a stressful time in a person’s life.  It is extremely stressful and confusing for all the pets in the household.  The best suggestion is, if at all possible, have your dog or dogs stay at someone’s house or bring them to a doggie daycare while you are packing and moving.

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How To Transition From One Dog Food To Another

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet CarePet Products

Corn goes right through our bodies and does the same for dogs. Biproducts are every single part of a chicken including intestines, claws, and beaks. Pedigree is a very unhealthy food. It is like feeding your dog McDonald everyday. You can take a look at https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ to get a 1 – 5 star rating on the food.

Once you get the new food, for the first day just add a small amount in your fingertips, then a little bit more for the 2nd day. On the third day add 1/4 cup for each feeding if the dog is big enough for that much. Just keep adding a little bit more each day until you are adding more of the new food.

If your dog is not reacting well to the new food then you will notice their stool is loose, mushy, or runny. They may also have a lot of gas. When you are switching food, it is trial and error.

If your dog has allergies, there are plenty of times that chicken causes more allergies then beef, lamb, or fish. Within my 20 years of dog training, I have learned that light colored and white dogs have more food and environmental allergies then darker colored dogs. I find that foods that have fish and limited ingredients works best for dogs with allergies but I am not a veterinarian.

All dogs are different, so it may not affect their belly but why take the chance. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus has caused people to have to switch to a less expensive food and that is ok. My only suggestion is to switch to a food that does not have corn and biproduct meal.

Please do not quickly switch from one brand of food to another because it may cause severe diarrhea!

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Dogs Should Be A Part Of The Family

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet Care

Dogs are Angels put on this earth to bring us into the Here & Now. Allow them to do their job! They are social and they are pack animals. We humans have domesticated them and brought them into our world, so they see your family as their pack.

Yes there are some countries that believe dogs should be living outside instead of inside.

I DO NOT AGREE! MY DOGS ARE MY FAMILY!

Please if you are going to keep your dog outside then give them the shelter, the stimulation with toys, and training so they do not go crazy out of boredom, escape from the yard, and bite other dogs or people.

Imagine yourself being stuck in a yard with no shelter when there’s lightning and pouring down rain or dealing with the extreme heat during the summer. It is just not fair! Also, within my 21 years of dog training, I have seen this plenty of times, where the family has a large dog outside (TO PROTECT THE HOUSE) and they have a small dog inside the house.

Most small dogs have the Napoleon complex and they think they are big and bad, so they stand at the window or sliding glass door and tease the big dog outside: “haha, I am inside and you are not!” The frustration and even hatred that the big dog feels about the small dog is allowed because it is totally unfair!

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Bend Your Knees When Dogs Are Running In A Yard

by with No Comment Dog HealthDog owner lifeDog TrainingPet Care

Whenever two or more dogs are playing in a yard, always bend your knees because if they lose control and bang into you then your knees can get dislocated or get hurt really bad.

Within my 21 years of working with dogs, this is happened plenty of times and especially a medium to large dog, they can bring you to your knees and make you fall and it HURTS! It happens in a split second. Any aged dog can loose control and bang in to you but it happens more with puppies. They are more clumsy and do not have much spatial boundaries. Do not put your guard down especially if you are outside with your pups in the morning and you are really not fully awake.

Imagine walking straight, and Then getting plowed from the side from your pup and get thrown to the ground on all fours. THAT WILL WAKE YOU UP!! TRUST ME.