Happy Holidays, Fellow Dog Lovers!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! 'Tis the season for hot chocolate, warm fires, and special time with family and friends. Whichever holidays you'll be celebrating this month, I hope you have a wonderful season celebrating with those you love. And I'm sure that includes your pets!
In this special holiday edition, you'll find information about incorporating your pets into the holiday activities, including gift ideas, how to keep your dog from jumping on guests when they arrive, and more. As always, you'll find exclusive content and training tips that you won't find anywhere else. Hope you enjoy!
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VSPDT Abigail Witthauer shares some of her insights on making your pet's holiday away from home as stress-free as possible.
The holidays are here, and with the holidays come vacations and the need to board your four-legged friend. There is no reason why your dog can’t have as wonderful a vacation as you with the right preparation. I’ve worked in the pet care and boarding industry for 15 years and I’ve cared for thousands of boarding dogs over the years. I now own and operate a large cage-free training, daycare, and boarding facility in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Here are a few tips I have learned over the years to help prepare your pet for the best experience possible..
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Sarah Lukemire shares some of her favorite holiday stocking stuffers for pet lovers! I’m not sure how it is at your house, but Christmas is sneaking up on me and I can always use help when it comes to brainstorming gift ideas. So I thought I’d share these five awesome gifts, all which are less than $20 and would make the perfect stocking stuffer or a small “thinking-of-you” gift. 1. The Unexpected Pit Bull Calendar
This is a great calendar that has been going strong for more than a decade. 100% of the proceeds are donated to pit bull dog rescue and advocacy organizations. Order the Unexpected Pit Bull Calendar here.
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VSPDT Mary Phillips has some advice for anyone considering a Christmas puppy.
Thinking about getting a puppy for Christmas? First, make sure you are ready for a 10-20 year commitment and can afford the money that it takes to raise a happy and secure dog. If all that is worked out, then you want to do your research to make sure you pick out the right breed for your family. What does that mean? Your activity level, the amount of grooming this breed will require and the amount of food it will take to feed him, etc. Please remember, puppies are for their life. Please consider all aspects of getting a puppy before taking on such a large commitment.
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Looking for an awesome way to keep your dog active and entertained?
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Chief's Positively Success Story will leave you speechless. After being subjected to extreme cruelty and neglect as a puppy, he had a long road to recovery with the hero who removed him from the situation and adopted him. "This is Chief, a German Shepherd I rescued March 30, 2012 when he was about 3. I got him from an abusive home. How I knew of the person that had him is somewhat complicated, but the woman offered him to me because she said she hated him. Someone else that lived in the home to told me what happened to him.
They had him since birth and she told me he was locked in a bathroom most of his life and refused any human contact. They only fed him when they felt like walking down the stairs. He was beaten, punched, and kicked. They then put him in a crate that was too small for him to stand or lay down. When I rescued him, he was skinny, coat color was dull and it felt like sandpaper. I knew he was going to be a lot of work and I was prepared for it; well I thought I was..."
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Positively Contributor Kevin Duggan talks about what it really means to be a good leader for your dog.
Dogs are animals. Without proper training, (teaching) a dog will act, for lack of a better way to describe it, like a dog. This means that they will jump on counters, run away from home, eliminate where they please, bark, chew things, and the list goes on.
When we bring dogs into our homes, we expect them to fit in and act in an appropriate way. For most dogs, this takes a lot of consistent direction and reinforcement from the humans. When I say most dogs, I am talking about 99% of them. Once again, this is because they are animals and we are ultimately trying to get them to have human-like manners.
So the question is, what traits make up a good leader for a dog?
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You've got the music in you! The iCalm Dog is now available in the Positively Store. The iCalm Dog is a paw-sized portable music player that comes with four hours of clinically-tested psychoacoustic calming music for dogs. There are five additional micro-cards for specific training issues including noise desensitization, aggression, and separation anxiety. Check it out! Order by 3pm ET TODAY for Guaranteed Pre-Christmas Delivery* *when using standard shipping
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This Ladies long sleeve t-shirt is one of Victoria's personal favorites. It's soft, comfy, and pre-laundered to eliminate shrinkage. Wear the Positively message with this beautiful "Follow Me" shirt--it's the perfect collection to your winter wardrobe.
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Lorena is a successful dog behavior specialist operating in Orlando, FL. Some of her certifications include Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, accredited CPDT-KA, and professional member of the Pet Professionals Guild. Lorena understands that positive learning not only results in an obedient dog, but in a dog that truly has behavioral wellness- a dog that is balanced behaviorally and emotionally.
Need a dog behavior expert in the Orlando, FL area? Get in touch with Lorena today: CALL LORENA:
(407) 924.4377
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Victoria was featured on HLN last month, where she gave viewers some helpful Thanksgiving-themed tips for pets.
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| The holidays are a time when you may have more guests over than usual. If you have a dog with a jumping problem, now's the time to fix it.. Most dogs jump on people because they're excited and it's an effective means of getting attention, but others jump as a way to cope with discomfort with strangers. The best way to stop your dog from jumping is to ignore her while she's in the act of jumping. Turn your back and do not look at or talk to your dog until she has stopped jumping. Practice with friends and family for consistency.
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