Vehicle Chasers. Part III

From the mailbag:
What makes some dogs lunge, some dogs chase, and others run the other way when a car/motorcycle goes by?

Vehicle Chasers. Part II

From the mailbag 

A friend of mine was driving down her street and there was a guy walking his 3 dogs.  One of the dogs got loose and was hit by the car.  The owner took the dog to the ER.  

After returning from the ER, the dog owner told my friend that the dog will be getting her leg amputated.  He said the dog runs after cars all the time; the vet said this probably won't change that behavior.  This was a very sad incident for everyone involved.  

This serves as another reminder to always have our dogs under our control - but is there a way to train a dog not to do this?  Or chase bikes, motorcycles, etc? 

I made my dog hate cars

When were first moved into our neighborhood, I tested out several walking routes until I found one that had the fewest loose dogs.  Unfortunately, one part of that route had a blind curve. Sometimes cars would turn the corner quickly, frightening me. And this made me involuntarily yank on my dogs' leashes.

Squirrel Chasing. Part IV

Continuing our discussion on squirrel chasing, we are just about ready to start working with actual squirrels.

Barking Neighbor Dogs

When faced with barking dogs, we should remind ourselves that it's not the dogs' fault that they are lonely, bored, scared or over aroused.  So we should not try to punish.

Squirrel Chasing. Part III - Foundation (b)

We have already discussed starting with management then implementing foundation in order to modify squirrel chasing.  For some dogs, the information already discussed in parts I and II will be enough to modify squirrel chasing.

Squirrel Chasing. Part II - Foundation

Daniel-San could not learn Karate until he learned how to wax a car.  Oliver Queen could not hold a bow properly until he slapped a lot of water.  We can't learn calculus if we never learned math.

Pet Friendly Housing

Searching for housing that allows pets can get difficult at times.  Some locations don't allow pets and those that do often have size and breed restrictions.

Squirrel Chasing. Part I - Management

Puddin, Matt-Matt, and I were hanging out in a shaded area of our yard today.  A squirrel came down from one of the trees in my neighbor's yard and just stared at us.  That squirrel could have gone anywhere else (there were plenty of other trees), but chose to hang out where the dogs were.

Exercise Part VIII - Special Needs

Several years ago, I fostered a little Poodle mix named Tiffany. She had some type of back injury and vet's orders were no exercise at all (no walks).  I didn't want her sitting in a cage 24/7, so I bought her a doggie stroller.

Exercise Part VII - Old, Young, and Smooshed-Faced.

Caution: The below is information is just a guide - a starting point for discussions with your vet.

When my former spouse and I got our first dog - a 4 week old puppy - we did a lot of things wrong (for one thing 4 weeks is way too young to be taken away from Mom)

Exercise. Part VI - Exercise Their Minds

Does anyone remember this anti cocaine commercial?

Exercise Part V - Biking With Dogs

Extra Time At Home?

If the government shut down has given you some extra time at home, and your pets don't need any behavior modification, consider spending some time at an animal shelter or offering your services to a home based rescue.

Exercise Part IV. Sometimes we have to make the call

Question: Is exercise more dangerous in cooler weather? I've noticed my dog can run around much longer without getting tired when the weather is cooler than when it is very hot - it's quite amazing how much energy he has when it is cool. Is this all relative or can he be hurting himself when it is cool (for example, like an athlete who takes painkillers doesn't know when to rest).

Exercise Part III. The Type Of Exercise Matters

We all need exercise. It's good for our bodies and our mental well being.
And the old saying - "A good dog is a tired dog" can sometimes be true. A dog
who is well exercised doesn't have excess energy to get into trouble.

But can a dog get too much exercise or too much of the wrong kind of
exercise?

Exercise. Part II. Exhausted Does Not Equal Calm

I used to be a volunteer at a crowded shelter that didn't have enough volunteers to keep the dogs exercised and stimulated. All the dogs needed more attention, but I was very concerned about the dogs that had a reputation for biting.  I felt like they needed to get out of their kennels more than the others. So I took it upon myself to work up my nerve and take them out.

From The Mail Bag - Exercise

Question: It's pretty common knowledge that people can over-exercise - i.e. work out too much without getting proper rest in between workouts. Overdoing it can lead to injuries, fatigue, reduced gains, apathy, etc - exactly the opposite of what one is trying to achieve. Along those lines, is it possible to over-exercise dogs?