Those of you with high energy dogs know how hard it can be to tire them out. You start out playing fetch and the first couple times they’re tired after 10 throws. Then it’s 20. Then 30. The next thing you know, you’re out there for an hour and it seems like the little athlete you created will never stop!! The problem is, you are only meeting their physical needs. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with getting your dog some physical exercise. What I am saying is they need a little more. Mental stimulation is just as important. Now you have probably hear people say this before but have not shown how to properly engage your dog’s brain during play. That’s what I am going to do now. In the video below you will see me playing with my dog Tupper. I’m going to break down the things that I am asking for and what is actually going on. If you have any questions on anything you see here, please ask!!

The question has come up a lot this week - what does it mean to give my dog a job? A lot of us have breeds that are considered a “working breed”, therefore you hear “your dog needs a job” a lot. That’s where the advice tends to stop. So what are “jobs” for dogs? There’s the obvious answers: 🦴Search and Rescue 🦴Drug detection 🦴Bomb detection 🦴Service dog tasks But what if you don’t have the time or need for those things? For starters, my post from yesterday about your dog working for their toy. That’s a start. Jobs can also look like small daily tasks. 🐾Teaching them to bring in the paper. 🐾Sitting at the door and waiting for release when it’s time to go outside. 🐾Walking in a heel or structured walk for a certain amount of time. 🐾Bringing back something you’ve thrown. A “job” for a dog is simply anything that get’s their brain working and results in a reward.

snowy day here in the Northeast! Personally, I love the snow. So do my dogs! Let’s see some pictures and videos of you outside with your pups today! (To upload pics and videos from your phone: Click the paper clip and select attach files. Then select photo library.)

As soon as he sees the snow touching, he is ready to play. Preparing to shovel and many barks!!!