A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog

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If you’ve ever come home to chewed up shoes or furniture, your dog was probably left alone with too much energy. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was walking back home from a long day at school when my cellphone rang. Zero was barking and my land lady had gotten five calls complaining about it. My heart sank. I speed walked the rest of the way, and found Zero asleep on the couch.

To make sure that won’t happen again, if Zero is going to be alone for more than five hours, I’ll take him for a long (read as: 45 minute plus) walk before I leave. Since I live in a very dog-friendly building, sometimes I can get away with texting some of his friend’s “parents” to see if they’re up for a puppy play date. This works out amazingly because there is a large field area just behind our building that they can play in. Dogs get much more tired by playing than just walking.

If you don’t happen to have dog friends for your dog to play with then I suggest to look into local dog parks. These magical places are where dogs can really let loose and can run, play, and bark at all the dogs they want. Now, I just want to mention that not all dog parks are created equally. Lots of dog parks in big cities are quite terrible. Some are just a fenced in square that might have had grass at one point and some are even paved. These are the types of dog parks most people dislike and are what most people think of.

The dog park I bring Zero to is doggy heaven. Bruce Pit is an off-leash dog park that has acres and acres of different kinds of trails. You can go from walking through a tall forest to sand dunes. It’s quite lovely. This is where Zero goes to get tired, meet and play with hundreds of new dogs and meet tons of new people. Big, open dog parks are magnificent. Though some dogs, just like people, will not get along with certain others, so make sure you’re always paying attention to what your dog is up to. Also, make sure you’re not tiring your dog out too much; especially young puppies.

Training tip: Dog parks aren’t for everyone! Ensure your dog doesn’t get too stressed. 

Kimberly Ward

Kimberly Ward is an aspiring Young Adult author. When she’s not playing with her dog, she is usually reading YA novels (for research and obviously not pleasure), playing video games, browsing social media, and photographing the world around her. If she cannot be found she is most likely in her meticulously placed hammock on her balcony.

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Learning From Our Mistakes

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Every single person makes mistakes. I decided to film some of Zero’s tricks, not only so my YouTube isn’t just him being a goof, but so that I could see what, if any, mistakes I make. I noticed some right away. Before I get into all the gritty details though, I think it might be beneficial for you to watch the video. 

During this training session I made a few mistakes, mostly involving consistency. Right off the bat, I asked Zero to catch a piece of kibble, and missed the shot. To ensure he doesn't start to think “catch” means “grab this food off the floor,” I asked him again, aimed, and tossed another piece.

I also didn't use my clicker for this training session. Instead of using the “click” to let Zero know he’s done a good job, I would say “good boy.” I’m not terribly good at staying consistent though. Sometimes it’s a matter of me asking him multiple times to do something instead of waiting. Watching the video I also noticed that my hand gestures aren't always the same; which they definitely should be. Keeping things the same ensures your dog knows what you want. Another thing to keep consistent is the name of tricks. If your dog knows “come” for recall, then you need to ensure that’s the only word you use for it. That way they will, hopefully, never get confused, and will always come when asked. Similarly, if you use a certain whistle for recall you need to keep the pitch, length, and tune the same each time.

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Zero is extremely food motivated, and this session all I used was his breakfast: one cup of boring kibble. For easy tricks like “sit” and “lay down” I only give him one piece, but for harder commands like “stay” and “this way” I give him anywhere from two to five. If I want Zero to listen to me while we’re outside I need to bring food. Now he’ll even stay, off leash, while dogs are walking by. If you have a picky dog, grab some pure liver treats and break them into smaller pieces. Or if your dog doesn't respond to food, try playing with them when they've done something or even just pet them. Find something they love and will work towards.

Training tip: Stay consistent! Keep names and gestures the same to avoid confusion. 

Kimberly Ward

Kimberly Ward is an aspiring Young Adult author. When she’s not playing with her dog, she is usually reading YA novels (for research and obviously not pleasure), playing video games, browsing social media, and photographing the world around her. If she cannot be found she is most likely in her meticulously placed hammock on her balcony.

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Come, Sit, and Stay.

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With my new clicker and bag of treats handy we set out. It was time to work on Zero’s stay command. I walked him to a field behind our apartment and unleashed him. He took off, jumping over plants, and chasing mice. I grabbed some treats and called him. He noticed the treats and came galloping over. I praised him, gave him a few treats, and asked him to sit. Let the training begin.

I knew I needed to work on Zero’s stay so I looked it up on Emily Larlham’s YouTube channel Kikopup. Watching her and her dog was amazing and really inspired me to become a better trainer. Before I jumped my guns I looked up what Victoria Stillwell had to say about stay. I found her YouTube channel with a very similar video, ultimately I found Emily’s better. If you watch both videos back to back you can tell which trainer is superior. Victoria Stillwell may be more famous, she even boasts a television show “It’s Me or the Dog”, but she wasn't as good at keeping her dog in a simple stay. Emily also taught a “sit-stay” which means the dog stays anytime they are told to sit, which is a very good practice.

Now came the tricky part. I asked Zero to stay and automatically clicked and treated. I kept clicking and treating at random quick intervals. After a couple minutes of that I released him with the cue “okay”. He ran off, sniffed some plants, and came back to me. He’s very food motivated and wanted to get more treats. I thought back to the videos and kept increasing distance and duration of his stays while making sure that I wasn't just making it harder. Emily’s video says to make sure you’re always spontaneous. This ensures your dog doesn't know when they’re going to get their next treat and will keep them interested. Anytime he got up without his cue I got him back into a sit and started again.

Zero is no master at stay, but hopefully he will be soon enough. He’s a lot better at staying inside than he is in an exciting field, but one day location won’t matter.

Training tip: Scatter your dog's meals on the floor! Fast eaters will need to slow down and it creates a game that even picky eaters will enjoy. 

Kimberly Ward

Kimberly Ward is an aspiring Young Adult author. When she’s not playing with her dog, she is usually reading YA novels (for research and obviously not pleasure), playing video games, browsing social media, and photographing the world around her. If she cannot be found she is most likely in her meticulously placed hammock on her balcony.

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Welcome to My Dog House

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Seventeen months and three days ago, through a series of unexpected events, I ended up with a puppy. A squirmy, adorable, stinky puppy. His name is Zero, and was named after a character from the video game Mega Man, not, as most people think, from The Nightmare before Christmas.

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I got Zero in June and was thankfully able to take off the entire summer to bond with and train him. If I’m honest with you, I was lazy. I am lazy. I taught Zero some important things, but I now realize I should teach him more. I am going to get over this whole “Lazy Dog Owner” thing, and I am going to do that while still being a little lazy. Let’s face it, it’s nice to be lazy once in a while. And, to be fair, I do take him for at least one to two hours of walks a day. If I don’t do this he’s a menace and will eat oven mitts, get into garbage, bark at the neighbours, and do whatever else he pleases. If he’s tired though, he’ll mostly just sleep.

Zero knows a few simple tricks such as sit, stay, lay down, high five, shake paw, and sometimes, leave it. He’s great at cuddling, eating his food, and taking up 1/3 of the queen sized bed. His hobbies include finding and eating trash, licking faces, playing with his friends, barking at neighbours, and laying down as if he’s a crouching tiger when dogs are walking by. 

From this point forward I am dedicated to training myself to be a better, but still a bit lazy, dog owner. I will base my training from world renowned dog trainers Victoria Stillwell and Emily Larlham’s methods who train using positive reinforcement and clicker training. Though many people believe Cesar Millan is the best "dog whisperer" in the world, his method of dominance training has essentially been disproved. If you are invested in dominance theory please look into these resources.  

Training tip: Keep treats everywhere! Then you can praise at all times! 

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Kimberly Ward

Kimberly Ward is an aspiring Young Adult author. When she’s not playing with her dog, she is usually reading YA novels (for research and obviously not pleasure), playing video games, browsing social media, and photographing the world around her. If she cannot be found she is most likely in her meticulously placed hammock on her balcony.

 Photography | Twitter | YouTube