Santa Paws

Letters to Santa

While humans either do or do not believe in Santa, Christmas Spirit, or Holiday Miracles, these are not really concepts that dogs understand. So the idea of writing a letter to Santa Paws may not be enticing for everyone. That's totally OK if this is not the holiday tradition for you! For me this is more of a special time where I try to place myself in my dog's place and think about what they really want. Instead of approaching Christmas for my dogs as what I might buy for them and put in their stockings and under the tree, I try to think about what my dogs would ask for if they could have anything. 

Azul's Wish List

Azul is a dog of strong opinions and he never hesitates to share his opinion with those around him. His big smile and high wagging tail tells others he is happy to see them. His stare that beams directly into my sole with quick glances towards the door tells me he's ready to go outside for sniffs and/or fun. 

If Azul could ask for anything in the world it would be to have snow on the ground. He loves to go when it's snowing hard and come in almost completely white. As a Husky mix he was bred for winter weather. Azul is way more active in the winter months and there is nothing more appealing to him that a great sniff-a-bout in a new place or someplace he hasn't been in awhile. We haven't been doing this as much as we used to since it hard to do with 2 dogs on slippery surfaces. But I do hope to get Azul out and at least a few sniff-a-bouts each week since they make him so happy. Often on sniff-a-bouts through woods and fields, Azul will come across some type of remains left behind by the coyotes and other wildlife. His favorite find is deer legs or any bones with fur. Azul will gladly carry these items back home or to the car, even if it's a mile or more. Once home he will enjoy it for awhile, then leave it on the porch or edge of the driveway where he could find it again later. This becomes the gift that keeps on giving for a very long time.

Those are his top 3 list items, but this year I think I've found a few other things that he will love. Since it gets dark so early in the winter, Azul learned to get his zoomies out chasing a green laser around the yard. But his old one is not working very well. This year he is getting a new one to share with Belle. He will also be getting a new tug toy or two and some fun food puzzles. But most of all, he will be getting lots of belly rubs and cuddles this holiday season. 

Belle's Wishlist

Belle's biggest desires are easy...More than anything she wants to be so close to her people that she is always touching someone. She also loves treats. All treats! The more the merrier! Last year we pretty much got Belle just before Christmas and she received a large Lamby (Lambchop toy). Daddy likes to give the dogs special treasures each night that contain some type of meat jerky and a few other smaller treats. Belle's treasure is always in the form of a puzzle or challenge and her Lamby was always laid on the top. Over the last few months, Azul & Belle have been playing tug with Lamby so it torn to shreds. She is getting a new for Christmas and I can't wait to see her face when her torn shreds turn into a new Lamby. I'm curious if she will recognize the stuffed animal or not care at all. Belle also would ask to play with her people doing most anything, but her favorite thing is ball. Recently I accidently broke both of our chuck-it flingers and my throwing arm only sends balls 10-15 ft. She wants to chase those balls and I want to watch her enjoy catching them so a new ball flinger as well as lots of new balls is on the top of the list for both of us.

In addition to those top 3, Belle also loves food toys, especially things that can be flung around to make kibble fall out. There will be a few of these in her stocking for sure and that will go really good with all the treats she is hoping to get. She also found a stuffed animal ram that has really long fur that she fell in love with on one of shopping trips. Bottom line is that no matter what Belle gets for Christmas, she is going to love ripping the wrapping paper and finding new things to enjoy.

In our house Christmas morning is very low key now that everyone is adults so the dogs will open presents one at a time throughout the day. Whenever they seem to be bored or needing a new adventure they will get another present to unwrap. We will likely start the morning with a special snuffle box filled with holiday goodies.

Template Help

If you would like to use my template to write a letter to Santa Paws, there are several formats for you to use:

Canva Users

Santa Paws PDF

Download The Image Above!

And if you are not tech savey, you can email the info you would like placed in your Letter to Santa Paws and I'll fill out for and send it back as picture you print or share on social media. Please send your info via email to yooperpaws@gmail.com for assistance.

Canine Christmas List

December Theme of the Month
Things to Do With Your Dog in December

We all tend to get busy during the holidays and sometimes that means we leave our dogs out. I want to encourage all our Yooper Paws friends to think about ways to include their dog in the holiday season.  

Here is a list of ideas to get you started!

1. Review Holiday Things that Safe/Harmful for Dogs
2. Letter to Santa Paws
3. Tree Lighting Ceremony
4. Create a Homemade Gift for your Dog
5. Puppy Playdate with a Friend 
6. String Dog Bone Treats for a Christmas Countdown 
7. Make a Puppy Christmas Card
8. Sing Christmas Carols to Your Dog 
9. Make Holiday Dog Treats
10. Christmas Lights Drive/Sniff-a-bout
11. Start a New Holiday Tradition
12. Make a Puppy Ornament
13. Share a Treat By the Fire
14. Donate a Dog Toy
15. Walk with a Friend 
16. Watch a Holiday Movie 
17. Hang a Paw Print Decoration on Your Door
18. Hang a Stocking for your Dog 
    
    
    
19. Pause and Reflect About the Past Year With Your Dog
20. Dance with Your Dog
21. Read a Book to Your Dog
22. Play in the Snow (We went sledding, but I didn't get any picts. I'll repeat this if we get enough snow!)
23. Dress Up Together
24. Have a Gift Exchange with Another Dog Owner
25. Donate Dog Food
26. Wrap a Present For Your Dog 
27. Make Cookies for Santa Paws
28. Take Photo in Front of the Christmas Tree  
    
    
    
29. Make a Training List/Plan 
30. Prepare Treat Bags for Puppy Friends 

Throughout the month, there were will be additional posts on as many of these items as we can get to with directions on how to do these things with your dog. BOLD means we've done it and pictures will be posted if we were able to take some.  You can also check out the posts from Decembers 2023 & 2022 to see what we accomplished on this list in previous years.

Please be smart and do all the things you and your dog can have fun doing together as a team!

It's important that you consider your dog's individual needs when you look at this list! If your dog doesn't like to dress up, skip list items that suggest that or keep it really simple like a new holiday collar. If your dog doesn't like crowds, you wouldn't take them to a Christmas tree lighting or parade.

If you want to share pictures of your activities with your dogs, email them to yooperpaws@gmail.com or send them to via messenger and I will post them on the Yooper Paws Facebook page and possibly even include them in a blog on that list item.

Have fun & Merry Christmas!

Creating Calm Canines

 Creating a Calm Christmas Special

Christmas time can be crazy for us humans and our pets! 

• We fill our homes with decorations that might seem unsettling to our dogs, especially the Christmas tree.
• Our schedule or routine often changes with some extra time off work/school plus extra time home with family.
• We are more likely to travel to see family we haven't been able to see since last Christmas.
• We often have people come to stay with us.
• There is extra time spent in stores which adds stress to us all! Christmas shopping, longer than normal lines, bigger crowds, etc. Often our dogs feel this stress in us when we get home!

Fearful, sensitive, and overly-excited and real young dogs tend to struggle with the changes that happen at Christmas more then confident, social dogs that are used to changing routines. Often I take emergency calls from people that have been going to Grandma's (insert any name here) house every year, but now they have a new puppy and either A- Owners don't know where to find a good puppy sitter OR B- Owners think taking their puppy with them will be real easy, then get a rude awakening when it's hard. 

We will have 3 Christmas promotions this year! The first 2 are totally FREE!

Here ion my blog we have the  "December List of Holidays Activities!" This is a list of 30+ activities to do with dog during the holidays. The list gets posted Dec 1st, then it gets updated with links to photos, videos, or blogs as I work through the list with my dogs. You're encouraged to copy the list and do as many activities as you can!

On Patreon we have the "12 Top Tips to Creating a Calm Christmas!"

The last one is super low cost virtual session to help your pup have a peaceful holiday despite all the chaos we often add to our daily routines. I'll be offering 30 minutes for $30 and 60 minutes for $50 available for Zoom sessions and video calls only.

The 12 Top Tips to Creating a Calm Christmas

This is a FREE resource that will be offered to Patreon members!  You can sign up for a free account and get access to this. As a member, you'll get notified each day Dec 1 - 12th when I add the post for that day. 

Here is a list of topics:

Day 1: Plan for Success
Day 2: Create a Safe Space
Day 3: A Present for Your Dog
Day 4: Creating Calm Introductions with People
Day 5: Creating Safety Around Other Animals
Day 6: Taking a Sniff-a-bout
Day 7: Packing for Calm
Day 8: Set Up for Successful Traveling
Day 9: Special Holiday Treats
Day 10: Set Up for Success
Day 11: The Big Day
Day 12: Safe Holiday Exits

One of the problems with lists of this nature is that they often cater to the most common needs that dog trainers experience with their clients. You may find that all 12 tips can easily be implemented into your holiday routine or you might find that only 2 really apply to your dog. Each dog if a unique individual, just like each family is different, each holiday gathering is different. So if you like the Top 12 Tips, but feel like you need a bit more, check out the next discount on Virtual Planning!

Creating a Calm Christmas Virtual Planning Sessions

From December 1st to 20th, I'll be offering a discounted rate on individual sessions based on reviewing the changes that your dog will face during the holidays and creating a plan for success. This might include some training you can do before the craziness happens, some enrichment you can add or other ways to help meet your dog's needs, and tips for making sure all the pets in the house and visiting pets can share space successfully. You can schedule your 30 min Virtual Session for just $30 or your 60 min Virtual Session for $50. (My normal rate with be $75 for any session up to 60 min long.) 

This is one-on-one time to look at your holiday plans and your dog's individual needs and brainstorm ways to meet your dog's needs in an attempt to prevent or reduce the challenging behaviors that happen when your dog becomes stressed.

I look forward to hearing about you and your dog plan to spend the holidays with as much peaceful feelings as possible and reducing stress as much as we can for everyone!

Christmas Eve Fun

He promptly

 

Christmas is rapidly approaching as today is Christmas Eve! Looking back at some of our December Fun List of activities there are a few we simply didn't get to doing this year. That's OK, because Christmas will come again next year! This post is going to have a quick glimpse of some of the things I haven't had a chance to write about yet. Starting with our Christmas Card at the top of this page!

Our Yooper Paws Christmas Presents have been wrapped and placed under the tree! Azul has 2 new toys and chew toy under the tree. 

He needed an early present yesterday to release some stress so he opened his knuckle bone for some chewing. He promptly took it to my bed and left nice crumbly pieces all over Dad's side of the bed!  Azul also received a package in the mail from his Yooper Paws Puppy friends Nick & Pau, puppals from Clovis, California. Azul isn't totally sure that he loves the Topple food dispenser as of yet, but he started Christmas Eve out with a topple full of turkey for breakfast. Thanks Cindy for thinking of us this holiday season.

Dog Treat Goodie Bags

We have been busy all week making dog treats and assembling dog treat snack bags for our local friends to accompany the other presents we will be delivering. Snack bags include a small lickmat with ground turkey & black beans or a stuffed bone with salmon & sweet potato, then doggie treat baggies including Liver Snaps, Salmon & Sweet Potato Snacks, & Sweet Potato Pie treats. Our local friends are going to eat good this Christmas!

The plan is deliver the remaining local presents tonight after it get's dark so we can check out the Christmas Lights while we do it. It's been an old family tradition to go on a Christmas Lights drive on Christmas Eve. We started this when our kids were little and it was the last act of the night before heading off for bed. Now that the kids are all grown, we sometimes do this throughout December but haven't done it on Christmas Eve in a few years. I'm looking forward to doing it on Christmas Eve again this year. We will have the heater on HIGH so Azul can enjoy his back window down and enjoy some sniffs.

We will spend the afternoon watching Christmas movies and having fun inside as weather is still pretty bitter outside. We will also be sharing some special treats by the fire. Azul likes to eat by the fireplace when it is off but I like to eat by the fireplace when its warm...we might compromise and eat our goodies at different times! LOL But we will do our best to capture a fireplace photo today!

We have both Chocolate Chip Cookies ready for Santa and Liver Snaps for Santa Paws. It's my understanding that the reindeer enjoy Sweet Potato Pie so we will have a few of those treats ready to go as well. Azul and I will sprinkle the reindeer treats in the driveway on one of our potty trips this afternoon so they will be ready as night falls and the reindeer start their evening journey.

We hope you have a wonderful time celebrating the holidays with your loved ones!

And we hope you've enjoyed the December Fun List of Activities to Do with Your Dog!

And don't think I forgot about donating some dog food & dog toys! We had presents all picked out for Cam and since he didn't quite make it to Christmas we will be finding a dog in need to share his treasures with. Cam was a special soul and would want another less fortunate pup to enjoy his goodies. We just have to search for the special pup in need.

Hang a Stocking

 Do you hang a stocking for your dog or wrap presents to put under the tree?

Obviously we all love our dogs and enjoy spoiling them with new toys, treats and other goodies. Let's face it, they are all Good Girls & Good Boys and deserve to get special treats for putting up with all that we throw at them during the holiday season. 

How can we use presents for our dogs to help create a Calm Christmas? 

We know that most dogs have certain "loves" that also work to help them relax and reduce stress. While this varies from dog to dog there are some general things that apply to most dogs including chewing, licking, digging, and seeking (hunting). Stressed dogs will often do these things on their own perhaps chewing on the couch or raiding the trash while we are distracted in the other room. If we let our dogs find their own stress relief, it will likely add to our stress when they choose something we didn't approve of. But we can plan a few things to put in their stocking or under the tree to help them relieve stress. We want our stress relieving efforts to also be enriching for dogs so that it will help use up some mental energy. Check out my post on Understanding Enrichment to help determine what your dog might love for Christmas

Ways to invite our dog to do stress relieving behaviors in enriching ways.

Lickmats are a great way to provide a stress reliever in a well timed way. Search the Holiday Cookbook for ideas of foods to spread on your lickmat. Prepare a few mats ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. Then pull them out when you are doing something busy like wrapping/unwrapping presents with the family. You can have the dog go to their safe place (mat, crate, bedroom, where ever they are happy) and enjoy their treasure while you're distracted with holiday activities. If your dog doesn't like the frozen treat, you can pop in the microwave or pull it out 15 min before you are ready to give it to your dog. If you don't have a lickmat, the kids poppers that can be found at the dollar store work wonderfully. You can also use pretty much anything in your kitchen; the spare lids that no longer match any bowls, cups that are the right size for your dog's snout and tongue, the disposable containers microwave meals come in, etc. Anything with ridges or multiple textures will slow your dog down a bit.

Chews are super common and there is a ton of controversy over what is safe for your dog to chew on. Rawhides although very cheap and easy to find are filled with chemicals that I don't want my dogs chewing on. Cooked bones are also off the list of items I let my dogs chew on. My boys are getting some extra large knuckle bones for Christmas as their big chew. No matter what you pick to give your dog to chew, there are a few ways to use that chew to add Calm to your Christmas.

• If you are in a multi-dog household, keep chews up and out of the area while dogs are roaming to prevent any temptation to resource guard or fight over them.
• Have your dog lay on a mat, blanket, or towel to chew on the prize. This reinforces calm on the mat. When your dog gets off the mat, the chew is removed and put up unless the dog is called back to the mat to reset the situation. 
• If I'm doing this with dogs that don't know the rules (stay on the mat) I will either place dogs in separate rooms with a door/gate barrier or use a human roadblock. For example, Azul knows the mat rule but puppy Finnegan, my son's dog, does not so I would place Azul's mat in a corner of the room and sit in front of him so I can stop the Finnegan invasion so Azul doesn't feel threatened. And most likely my son is going to be working on teaching Finnegan the mat rule too. If your not supervising inexperienced dogs closely, put them in separate rooms with a barrier between them.

Digging is a hard one for us to duplicate and often we have worked hard at stopping our dog's digging up the flowers so we may not want to encourage this one unless it's a real passion for dogs. For some dogs, digging up a blanket in the bed trying to get it just right so they can relax is very stress releasing. If your dog loves to do this nesting behavior, pull out the old blankets or towels and give them an extra fluffy place to lay. If you live in a snowy climate like me, you may be able to bury a few treasures in the snow for your dog to dig up. To start with buried treasure should stick out a little bit and over time you can bury it deeper. Cam who loves to chase his tennis balls was always losing them in the snow, while my son's previous dog, Isis was the one that loved digging down with her face in the snow to find the missing balls. Azul would much rather dig for moles in the field then balls or treats. Hanging out in the cold while our dogs dig is not one of our happiest moments during the day, but doing it will surely help our dogs settle more once we go back inside.

Seeking, searching, or hunting for treasures is often the enriching activity that will tire our dogs out the most, yet it takes a bit more time setting up. During the holidays we are all short on time! Things like snuffle boxes can be set up ahead of time where as Find It Games take more human interaction. If we have guests in our home, they can often be entertained with teaching them how to play Find It Games or Hide-n-Seek with our dogs which can be great if you need a few extra minutes in the kitchen and want your guest and dog to interact in a safe way.

But my all time favorite enrichment activity of the holiday season is unwrapping treasures! In this video, Azul and Cam are practicing with a high value treat wrapped loosely with a scrap of wrapping paper. We do this a few times before Christmas so they are familiar with the activity before Christmas morning when they unwrap their new treasures.

You can use wrapping paper, newspaper, cardboard boxes, shipping envelopes, or pretty much anything else your dog can shred or tear to hide treasures inside. We have a few balls made of webbing material that you can thread with scraps of old t-shirt or newspaper and hide kibble inside as well.

You can also lay out a blanket and sprinkle your dog's meal kibble and a few treats on top then roll the blanket up. Some dogs do get the bright idea to pick up the blanket and shake it so all the kibble falls to the floor so do this in an area where you don't mind if your dog eats off the floor.

When it comes to enrichment that will help reduce stress, you really need to know your dog; what they love to do and when they will want/need the enrichment activity the most. This is where I can help you set up ideas before the holiday. So if you need help, set up a 30 min Zoom session ASAP.

If you need help with setting up a plan for more then just enrichment ideas, you may want to schedule a 60 minute Zoom session.

These special rates are only good till Friday, December 23rd! After that, holiday rates will apply!

Christmas Tree Lighting

 

We had plans to go to a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Kingsford last week, but it was freezing cold and I had a migraine so those plans were cancelled. Then Friday we went out of town for the weekend. We did some late evening Christmas shopping Friday and enjoyed some great Christmas lights in the bigger towns surrounding my daughter's house. Azul & Forrest enjoyed looking out the windows.

The next night we saw some more lights on our way to an event that had both inside and outside activities that proved to be a bit overwhelming for Azul. Azul knew the reindeer at the event so that didn't bother him, but the goat was a new friend we gave a wide girth to. Inside was hard because just inside the door was a long line of kids with balloon animals. (Azul is fine with balloons, but kids with balloon animals are dangerous, often leading to frequent head bopping.) Then a hallway of flashing, strobing, multi-colored lights. Then the straw that broke Azul, was the crowded gym filled with people and kids with balloon animals. Ten feet in the door and Azul told me he was done. We waited in the hallway for Violet to get her cookies and then went back outside. Ten minutes later Azul tried to hide from more scary balloon animals so I let him spend the last 20 min chillin in the car.

I didn't think any size or type of crowd would overwhelm Azul but I was wrong. This goes to show that even Service Dogs are individuals with desires and preferences. While Azul does awesome at taking care of me, I never want to make him stay in an situation that is uncomfortable for him. With our strong relationship and trust in each other, we can sometimes push each other gently to step outside our comfort zone but we need to be careful not to take advantage of that and push too hard. While Azul did nothing wrong towards the crowd, he told me that he was uncomfortable at the event and that makes it my job as dog handler to help Azul find a way to get to a safer environment. If I didn't listen to his pleas to leave, he may have lashed out at me or someone in the environment. Azul has never done this, but any dog or human that is pushed too far out of their comfort zone can be forced to attach.

We stopped at a light display on the way home and let Azul do some decompression sniffs. While he sniffed, I got some great picts of the lights.

I would have liked to stay longer, but it was cold and my phone battery died so I couldn't take any new picts. It was a shame too because there was a cool sleigh in front of a Christmas Tree that was a great place for pictures. I took a few of the grandkids first, but then by the time I got Azul in the sleigh, my phone had turned off and my daughter had taken Forrest back to the warmth of the car.

By the time we got home, Azul was ready for dinner and bed! After warming up with some coffee and cookies, I was ready to join Azul as well.

The next morning we went out for breakfast at a packed restaurant. Azul was not happy walking out through a maze of people, but thankfully no balloon animals in sight.

After a run at the farm and a nap for Azul, we headed out to walk the Woodstock Square. Here we saw Santa and did photos with the grands. Azul mostly enjoyed the sniffs. He wanted to greet some dogs, but we gave them space and instead greeted some friendly people including Santa's elves. We ended with splashing in the mud puddle under the gazebo, then went to the car to warm up. Azul was happy to be headed home and even happier to be home.

Tips for Taking Your Dog to Community Events

It's important to remember that not all dogs enjoy going out into the community with us and even dogs who do love going out in the community, may not enjoy certain types of events. Our goal should be that our dog is enjoying the event as much as we are, or perhaps more than we are.

We are not going to discuss all the ins and outs of where your dog can and cannot go with you. Of course the rules are different for family pets and service dogs. In the situation above, Azul went as a Service Dog and we called ahead to get permission since this event was at a church. For the most part, these tips will be applicable to both pets attending pet friendly community events & Service Dogs attending non-pet friendly events.

The first thing to consider when trying to decide if you should take your dog to an event is what is their previous experiences?

• Have they been to this event previously or events in this location?
• How many people would be expected at the event?
• Does your dog have the skills to safely navigate the event with you?
• Can you leave the event or take your dog out to a safe space if they show signs of discomfort?

The location or environment the event is taking place in is very important to your dog's comfort. If they've never been in that location before they are going to need to do a ton more sniffing. Arriving early before the event starts and allowing your dog to walk around the area sniffing can really help. If that is not possible, walking around the outskirts of the event before moving in to participate in activities can be really helpful.

The amount of people in the area can also be huge. If you're attending an event that has 100 people in a space the is designed for 500 people is way different then an event that has 100 people in a space designed for 25. Your dog might love people, but most people don't enjoy being in a standing room only crowd and neither will most dogs. Also consider what people will be doing. If your dog doesn't like sudden movements, an event with dancing or lots of kids games might not be the best however a winter concert where most people are generally sitting/standing still might be ok. In the case above, I had no idea there would be balloon animals in the environment and this is only the second time Azul has shown any discomfort around them so I didn't anticipate the problem. This is why it's super important to be able to leave if your dog is uncomfortable. Azul has been conditioned to stay in the car for short periods of time and relax which allows me to use that as a safe space if he needs to escape.

The time we have spent developing teamwork with our dogs and training basic skills will have a huge impact at special events. Leash manners is always one of the first skills to consider! If your dog pulls you down the sidewalk most of the time, it stands to reason they will pull you all over the event too. If your dog generally walks nice but pulls towards other dogs, that might not be a deal breaker however you need to be able to redirect that back to you and be prepared to keep an eye out for other dogs. If you will be sitting down to watch an event such as a parade or concert, can your dog settle nicely at your side. How does your dog do when strangers walk passed you? Do you have time to pay attention to your dog's actions while they are settled beside you. Preparing for these outings by doing refresher training at home in the days leading up to the event can be helpful. Touch up your teamwork walking together with pace changes and u-turns. Practice a relaxed settle in the park around distractions days before the event. Or in my case, in the cold climate where outdoor activities are limited, do some training sessions at local pet friendly stores such as hardware stores, farm stores, and craft stores.

And most importantly, consider your role, responsibilities and desires for the event you are going to be taking your dog to. This is a huge one that I can't stress enough! Some people like to use the term, "my dog is bomb proof" to describe a dog that seems to handle just about anything. We've all known people that seem to excel in most environments. Just like people, our dogs have emotions and can have a bad day or simply be overwhelmed in certain situations. We need to be prepared to help our dogs in those situations by either taking them to a safe space, leaving the event, or leaving them home from the start when we know an event will be too much. This is very situational for most people and dogs so here is an example:

It's time for annual Christmas parade and you take your dog with you. You and your dog enjoy seeing the lights, hearing the music, and the general excitement of the event. You might be meeting up with a friend or two that your looking forward to. But you have no responsibility to anyone and can leave if suddenly your too tired, too cold, or get hungry. This is the perfect situation as you are more likely to be aware of your dog's comfort levels during this event and leave if they are becoming overwhelmed or struggling in some way.

OR

It's time for the annual Christmas parade and you take your dog with you. You're meeting up with Grandma & Grandpa and various other family members so you can all watch your daughter march by with band or some other family member ride by on a float. Perhaps you've loaded up your car full of people because parking was limited and you had access to close spot. After the parade you are all going out for a warm beverage or dinner together. The event might be the same, but the situation is entirely different! You can't or won't leave the event if your dog is uncomfortable because you will put the other people's needs and desires above your dog. That's totally natural, but this is an event that you may want to leave your dog at home instead of bringing them with you.

Tips:

• Allow your dog to sniff the environment and become comfortable before approaching the festivities.
• Choose a safe space at a distance your dog can be comfortable to watch the activities, even if that means you remain on the outskirts of the event.
• Allow yourself to enjoy the activities but don't become so distracted that you won't notice your dog struggling to follow your lead or listen to your cues.
• Leave early enough that neither you or your dog become overwhelmed or uncomfortable.

Christmas Puppy Playdates

While Christmas is NOT the time to add a new puppy to your house, many people will anyways. Many others will be visiting with family and friends for the holidays and introducing dogs.

How that first introduction goes often depends on the ages and preferences of the dogs that you will be introducing. Your introductions might be smooth and easy if you're introducing 2 older, more relaxed dogs that love to make new friends then go do their own thing. However your introduction might be a lot harder when you have a hyper puppy and an older dog so the energy levels, training levels, and personal space boundaries are drastically different. Here are a few tips that can help you have a Calm Christmas when introducing new dogs.

• Introduce on neutral territory, outside if possible because it allows for more space. Meeting at a local park or walking trail can make a huge difference. This helps to prevent one dog from feeling like they need to protect their space.
• Go for a walk together where you can start further apart, on opposite sides of the street or field. This allows the dogs to take turns looking and observing the other dog without rushing them to meet face-to-face. Slowly close the gap, getting dogs closer and closer as their comfort level allows.
• Plan ahead and do the first introductions before the holiday activities begin! When festivities start, you'll likely be busy with family and friends. While you still want to supervise dogs at this time, you won't want to deal with introductions. Plan a day or two before the festivities where you can focus on your dogs getting to know each other so things will go much more smoothly the day of activities.
• Provide a safe space for both dogs to go separately for a place to chill. If you use a crate at home, take it with you. A blanket or mat in a corner can be helpful. Having a totally private room where a door can be closed for short periods of alone time to allow dog naps is awesome.
• Use gates and barriers as management tools to create safe spaces. It's very important to dogs in separate areas where dogs can observe each other safely when you can not supervise them properly. It might make it more challenging for the humans to move back and forth, but it's so worth it. This is especially important during meal times as a single scrap of food that drops on the floor can easily cause a fight.

Our dynamic for this holiday will be spending a very quiet Christmas at home. Then a few days later we will be in Illinois where we will have puppy Finnegan who now lives there plus my boys, Azul & Cam.  Finnegan and Azul have been learning to work together on multiple occasions before this time.  Cam on the other hand doesn't travel the best or greet new dogs the best. Yet we don't really have an option to leave him anywhere and he has visited the farm before and knows all the people who will be there. Our plan is to keep Finnegan and Cam in completely separate rooms of the house at all times with barriers in place. Finn already settles in an upstairs crate for naps so Cam will roam the house when Finn is napping and then stay in the comfy office located right off the kitchen when Finn is out in the house. Plus we have a large outside farm that the dogs can take turns going outside for decompression sniffing and alone time. Since Azul is comfortable around both Finn and Cam, he will be able to go back and forth with both dogs depending on where he is most comfortable. It might be a bit of extra work managing all 3 dogs during holiday activities, but the early planning will make it so much better.

This is how an older dog teaches a young puppy how to play!

Azul is 2.5 (black) and Finnegan is 6 months old. Azul has played with tons of dogs of all sizes. Slow introductions in a secure area outside for off leash running to help them develop a secure relationship of trusting each other & several days of co-habitating helped them to be ready for this play session.

Watch how both dogs have a turn with heads on top, mouthing the other dog. Azul could easily be on top all the time, but he moves under to give Finn a chance to play attack. Whether Azul understands the importance of this or not, this action helps give Finn confidence around Azul.

Not all older dogs will play with puppies like this. Sometimes Azul would rather nap. And that's OK. Play is best when both dogs want to play!

Back up to Day 1

Azul was off leash inside the fence checking out all his favorite farm animals when Finnegan was brought out to the gate which provided a safe place for the dogs to sniff each other. Finnegan's owner is my son who knows how I train and introduce dogs. Issac has also been around Azul since the day I brought him home and was Azul's babysitter as a pup so they are very comfortable interacting with each other. Once initial greetings were done and Azul returned to saying hi to his farm friends, Finn was allowed into the secured area. Both dogs remained off leash with freedom to engage or disengage from the other dog and both Issac and I remained vigilant to watch for even the slightest hint that either dog was not enjoying their time in the environment. Both humans took opportunities to recall and engage with both dogs independently and together.

After about an hour of running the barnyard, the barn and other off leash areas, we headed into the house so the dogs could learn to share that space as well.  Azul was excited to see everyone, but then wanted to slow down for a nap. Finn of course was filled with puppy energy. So we positioned Azul on the corner of the couch where I could play with grandkids and still keep Finn from invading Azul's space. I'm not sure Azul got a good nap, but he did several short naps. And eventually Finn went to nap in his crate. 

** Calm Christmas Tip: It's extra important when you're visiting someone else's house, that all dogs have safe places to rest where other people and dogs will not invade their space! 

For more information about introducing dogs slowly using the FAD (Focus Around Distractions) Method, check out my post with Azul and Miss Willow.

Check out this 12 Dog Days of Christmas Post from our Fun Photo Challenge.

 

Christmas Fun Photos: Day 12

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: New Toys!

Do your dogs get Christmas presents? A stocking? I want to see photos of what you do to help your pup celebrate Christmas.

Our dogs get to unwrap a present. Yes, they shred the paper to reveal some fun new toy then get to play with it. And they usually get some new treats too. Whatever your holiday traditions, please share your photos or videos with us!

For this Photo Fun, you can wrap a few treats in a scrap piece of wrapping paper or newspaper to let your dog practice their unwrapping skills before the big day. If you have a young pup, you could practice this, then amaze your family members as your pup unwraps their own Christmas presents on the big day!

Christmas Photo Fun #11

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: Pup's a Pippin'

Does your pup bark, howl, or sing on command? Or do you spend your time trying to teach them not to bark or make noise? Either way, I want to hear about it!

My husband loves to teach our dogs to howl when they hear an emergency vehicle. They come by it naturally since they are alerted to the noise long before we hear it. And that deep shepherd howl can almost rattle the windows! Isis, my son's shepherd/husky mix was a pro at Howling and boy could she make some noise! She would bark for any reason...on command, with the sound of a knock, when a car pulls in the driveway...when the wind blows too hard. LOL Literally anything! We made a mistake in her training by reinforcing it when she was young. We have a family friend that is afraid of large dogs, despite the fact that he is a rather large man that would intimidate most dogs. So when he came to visit we would try to make him more comfortable by giving him a bunch of treats so he could command the dogs in hopes that their obedience to the friendly stranger would help ease his fears. It helped, but didn't fix that issue! But it also taught Isis that when a friendly stranger is present, if she barked she would get told another command and the receive another treat. She did this for quite some time before we realized she was doing it on purpose and was quickly starting to gain some extra weight. We spent far more time trying to reinforce the quiet with Isis due to this bad habit, then we ever spent teaching her (by accident) the bad habit! Cam used to bark quite a bit too, but he learned the value of quiet long before Isis did. Azul has always been quiet with some playful talking with trusted friends, but very rarely actually doing a full bark. When he was a puppy, he had the cutest husky howl when he was upset.

When I get Azul with his Husky Pal, Maverick, I can get them both howling. Especially if we are headed to the dog park!

Please share your training experiences with barking and what you establish as appropriate and not-appropriate barking. But if your dog is in the habit of barking and your trying to teach them not too, please don't encourage bad behavior! You can share how you are working on the "quiet" cue too. If your dog is trained to use their voice on cue, please share photos or videos of them having fun using their voice.

Email your photos & videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com

Christmas Photo Fun #10

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: Pups a Leaping

Do you teach your dog to jump? I know most of spend a lot of time teaching our dogs not to jump on us or other people! Some dogs love to jump so starting low and gradually finding higher things to jump can be a great way to get rid of some physical and mental energy. Some dogs don't really enjoy it, but a good "over" or "under" command can come in handy if you hike thru the woods or other places where the dog might come across obstacles. Maybe you haven't taught your dog to do this on command. Cam knows the over command and will do it for a treat...but doesn't really enjoy doing it for fun. He does however love to take the shortest route to the flying tennis ball. So if I set up a jump in his path, he will clear it with ease. Show me your pictures of your air-born pups, leaping at any level their training allows. Have fun, and be safe! Remember if you have a young pup, jumping can be bad for developing joints so keep it low to the ground.

If your pup is too young, too old or simply shouldn't be jumping, you can do a Parkour Paws Up for this challenge at a height that will not hurt your dog! You can learn about K9 Parkour on our blog.

Don't forget to email your photos & videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com for a chance to win!

Christmas Photo Fun #9

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: Lassies Dancing

Dancing can be another great way to burn energy both physical and mental. It can also help to strengthen your bond with your dog which will bring about better obedience. 

So what is dancing with your dog? This varies greatly depending on the size and breed of your dog. So for this day's challenge, the goal is to have fun and show off your dog a bit at whatever level they are at. 

Smaller breeds tend to like dancing on their hind legs. Often then can move forward, backward, spin in circles, etc. Larger breeds tend not to enjoy the fancy footwork that small breeds do. My shepherds tend to get mad at me if I ask them to spin in a circle more then once or twice. But large dogs seem to be really great at competing in Free Style Dancing with, sometimes, elaborate routines that are designed to link multiple commands that are either given verbally or thru body language. 

Azul loves to dance by moving between my legs and moving with me. 

Watch this video to get an example!

However your dogs dance, have some fun by moving together and share your photos or videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com

Christmas Photo Fun #8

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: Puppy Eyes a Milkin'

This one should be easy for everyone because we are all familiar with those amazing puppy dog eyes!

Does your dog beg on command? Or do they just come by it naturally? Either way, I want to see it! Please share pictures of any command you have taught or simply the look on your pups face when your eating their favorite people food and they are hoping you will share!

Many people think staring or begging for food is wrong and choose to teach eye contact for other reasons. This can be for brief glances on a walk or prolonged staring contests. 

No matter how you train eye contact or if it comes naturally, when those eyes turn our way it melts our heart!

Be sure to share your puppy eyes to yooperpaws@gmail.com for a chance to earn a Christmas prize!

Christmas Photo Fun #7

Christmas Photo Fun: Pups a Playin'

It is way to cold in Upper Michigan to do Pups a Swimmin' so I want to see how your dog chooses to play. This whole event is about training and playing with your dog to encourage obedience thru the bond you develop when you work together. So for this day, I want to see what your pup chooses to play when they are free to make the decision.

Cam is my ball man. He will play ball all day long till he can't move any more, then rest 5 minutes and play again. He is all ball all the time. Azul's favorite game is tug! We've been playing since he was a baby. Anytime he's bored, he grabs a tug toy and drops it on a person's lap beggin' to play. I've been able to use his love of this game to do some great training! I built up his hand delivered retrieve starting with tug toys. I got him started with recall by holding tug toys out for him to run back to me. And we use tug as one of Azul's primary reinforcers because he has so much fun with it. Here at Yooper Paws of Love we play tons of games to help with teaching concepts that help our dogs make safe and awesome choices! You can see examples of some our favorite games on YouTube.

Some of our favorite games include:

Hide-n-Seek (with Zoomies)

Find It

Positions Games

Proximity Games

What games do you play with your pups? And what seems to be their favorite? Play that game today and share photos or videos of your pups a playin via email at yooperpaws@gmail.com

Christmas Photo Fun #6

Yooper Paws Christmas Photo Fun: Pups a Stayin'

 

This is an easy one. Most teach some form of stay to their dogs. No matter what level of training, I want to see how you use this command.

Please send your photos or videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com for a chance to win prizes. Prizes will be announced on the Yooper Paws Facebook page.

Variations of stay that we use:

Sit/Stay - This is the first one I teach a new pup almost as soon as they have mastered the Sit command. We use this on a daily basis for basic obedience, but it also comes in handy when out and about in the community. Our dogs will sit/stay before the meal is given or sit/stay to put a leash on or off.

Down/Stay - This is for a bit older dog that has already learned some self control. We use this for an extended stay of 2-3 minutes or longer. If pup needs a time out, I will show them a blanket and put them in a down stay. I may use a leash to help enforce it. Younger pups have a short memory, so they may need a reminder! Older dogs can do it for longer. If you've practiced it alot, they may be able to stay with distractions.

Wait - If we are doing a temporary pause such as waiting for traffic or approaching the end of an aisle or hallway, Wait allows my dog to chose whichever position they want to be in (sitting, standing, laying) as long as they hold position at my side.

Stay back - Allows the dog to move around as long as they don't get too close to you or your target. My husband loves this command in the kitchen, since as soon as you get something really yummy out to cook for dinner the circus of circling paws insists on being in the kitchen. It's also useful to teach a younger pup to stay back from objects that may be harmful such as opening the oven door.

What other variations do you use?

Christmas Photo Fun #5

Yooper Paws Christmas Fun: Golden Heels

Does your dog heel? And just what does heel mean to you? There are some people who believe that if a dog is walking on a leash, that they should always be at a heel. Yet this is also one of the hardest things to teach a dog. (Usually! Cam actually learned to heel in 1 short session and does it perfectly on or off leash! But he's the exception to the rule.) In competition obedience training, “heel” means the dog is walking on your left side with his head even with your knee while you hold the leash loosely. Puppy training can be a little more relaxed with the goal being that they walk politely on a loose leash without pulling. Some trainers prefer to say “let’s go” or “forward” instead of “heel” when they train this easy way of walking together. We train our dogs to do 4 variations of this with different commands for each as well as a different time and place for each command. 1. Heel - AKC positioning with the dogs head by our left leg, walking very close to us. (Or with many Service Dogs, handlers choose to do this heel on the right side.) 2. Easy - Simply means keep the leash loose. We do this on different lengths of leash and can also be used if a dog is too excited and pulling a bit hard. 3. Follow - Stay behind me and pay attention to my lead. This comes in very handy walking thru public places where there may be little space. It works thru doorways where you want to be first and have your pup come after you. (That's actually how we begin this training.) 4. Walk Nice - This is very close to heel, but more relaxed Basically, for us, it means stay within a 2 ft radius around me. It means the dog can have some freedom to choose exactly where they want to be (right, left, front, back) as long as they stay close by and keep the leash loose. This is the way Azul and walk when we are out and about in public places.

What variations of "heel" do you use? Can you capture it in a photo or video? It might help to have a partner to work your camera. If you can't capture it, simply describe your trick and how you use it when working or playing with your dog in the email.

Please send your photos or videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com for a chance to win prizes. Prizes will be announced on the Yooper Paws Facebook page.

Christmas Photo Fun #4

Yooper Paws Christmas Fun: Tricks in a Series

What tricks do your dogs know that require multiple commands? Do you have any tricks that take 4 commands? Some tricks require your dog to be in a certain position that may take more then one command to get them there. One of my favorites is Take a Nap. (Basically like playing dead, but in a more politically correct way that can be used in schools. Sit, Down, Take A Nap, OK/Wake Up 1. Sit - most dogs know this position 2. Down or Lay Down - again one of the first things you teach a dog, but usually has the dogs head raised off the ground and looking for the next direction. 3. Take a Nap - Dog lays head down on the floor. I have my dogs lay on their side, unless they have an aversion or medical reason to not lay flat on their side. Isis, who has allergies will often just lay her head straight down on the floor between her feet. 4. OK or Wake Up - We use wake up for this trick, but OK is our general release word that allows the dog to break position and reach for the treat. Tips: Again teach with dogs separate, but once they get it you can easily do it together. What other series of tricks do you use to get your dogs in a desired position. Send your photos or videos to yooperpaws@gmail.com for a chance to win prizes. Prizes will be announced on the Yooper Paws Facebook page.