My Shoes

The trick to train your dog to wear shoes is through positive reinforcement, proper sizing and patience.  How would you act if someone had put something on your feet forceably that were ill fittng and uncomfortable and you never knowing if they were ever going to come off or what the heck to do with them anyhow and the person who put them on you was laughing at you?

Buying dog shoes and slapping them on their feet then laughing at them while they panic is not the way.  Their FIRST experience with shoes will be the one they remember.

Here is how I trained Buddy to wear shoes:  I used a 'high value' (to him) treat of roasted chicken.  And be CONSISTANT. Do it the same way, in the same sequence, everytime.

Day One:  I put the shoe on the floor and let him check out.  When he showed interest and started to sniff it, he got a bit of treat.  I did the following when I would have him on my table for his daily combout:

I'd take the shoe and let him sniff it- and give him some of his treat.  (Choose his favorite treat and use it ONLY for this shoe training)  Run the shoe gently in his foot- then more treat when he lets you. I would then switch gears on him so he would not get fixated and began to proceed with the daily grooming.

After a bit, I would take the shoe (and this is the important part) and put on one foot, treat him and take it off immediately and treat him.  Your dog should be pleasantly perplexed :)  Praise him and act like the shoe is the greatest thing in the world and HE let you put it on his foot!!!  Try then same sequence again.  Groom a bit, he sniffs the shoe as you hold it up to him, treat, put one on his foot, treat, take it immediatly off his foot- treat.  He has got to know letting you put it on is as good as letting you take it off.  This is enough for the first day.  Finish his grooming.

Day Two- get him to his grooming place This should be a separate location he can count on as his business spot.  A place where he gets groomed and taught things.  Have you noticed that hiding his brush/comb by your recliner to spring on him after he hops in your lap for relaxation doesn't work?  Dogs do no like to be BS-ed.  It might work once, after that it's "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me".  Dogs are NOT dumb!

That being said, start grooming a bit, bring out the shoe- treat him (he's got to understand that whenever that shoe appears and touches his body, something good is going to happen.)

Put the first shoe on- Treat, praise, make it like it's the biggest party in town!  THEN put on another shoe (if he's getting the idea) using the show, sniff, TREAT, put on shoe, TREAT.... then take off BOTH shoes and give a 'jackpot treat', i.e. a bigger amount of his treat.  That is enough for day two.

Day Three :

Same sequence as above, but THIS time, leave the shoes on (just those first two) and place him on the floor.  As soon as he is on the floor, praise and give him his treat.  Observe him.  If he is curious and taking it well, leave them on for about 30 seconds then TREAT! PRAISE and take them OFF.  (I TOLD you this was going to take patience)

Day Four:  Same as day 3

Day Five:  Same sequence  (let him sniff shoe- treat/touch shoe to foot- treat/ take off shoe- treat/switch gears, groom/go back to shoe (sniff/touch foot/treat treat treat after each interaction with the shoe) 

Then do the same with the back feet. TREAT BIG TIME!  He let you put all 4 on!  Now if he's  as happy about it as you are, go ahead and put him on the ground.  TREAT as soon as he hits the ground.  Don't give him time to think about anything else other than he has things on his feet and he gets TREATS.

My key training tip is, "IGNORE the behavior you don't want (meaning, no treat given)' reward the one you do"  

If your dog panics, meaning that he is agitated and trying to tear them off, say nothing, just remove the boots and no treats, no scolding.  This is a new sensation for him, just go slow.  He'll learn soon enough, Shoe ON- GOOD! Shoe Off- NOTHING (no praise, no treat- just consider this training session closed.  Try again tomorrow.)

Now walking around funny in his shoes for the first time is not panic.  He's getting a feel for them and they are adjusting a bit to his foot.  If he panics, you will know it.  But with patience and following these instructions he should be in all four and walking in a week.  

Just do this when YOU are not rushed and have time.  As animals think in pictures and emotions, it helps to visualize a happy dog with his shoes on getting his favorite treat. (don't SCOFF!  TRY IT!)

Dog foot protection should be mandatory in Arizona.  Temperatures differentiate between 10 to 20° from the air to the ground. While it may be a comfortable 90° for you, down by your feet the temperature is approximately 117°.  During the summer, the ground retains heat, it does not cool down Shoes

The trick to train your dog to wear shoes is through positive reinforcement, proper sizing and patience.  How would you act if someone had put something on your feet forceably that were ill fittng and uncomfortable and you never knowing if they were ever going to come off or what the heck to do with them anyhow and the person who put them on you was laughing at you?

Buying dog shoes and slapping them on their feet then laughing at them while they panic is not the way.  Their FIRST experience with shoes will be the one they remember.

Here is how I trained Buddy to wear shoes:  I used a 'high value' (to him) treat of roasted chicken.  And be CONSISTANT. Do it the same way, in the same sequence, everytime.

Day One:  I put the shoe on the floor and let him check out.  When he showed interest and started to sniff it, he got a bit of treat.  I did the following when I would have him on my table for his daily combout:

I'd take the shoe and let him sniff it- and give him some of his treat.  (Choose his favorite treat and use it ONLY for this shoe training)  Run the shoe gently in his foot- then more treat when he lets you. I would then switch gears on him so he would not get fixated and began to proceed with the daily grooming.

After a bit, I would take the shoe (and this is the important part) and put on one foot, treat him and take it off immediately and treat him.  Your dog should be pleasantly perplexed :)  Praise him and act like the shoe is the greatest thing in the world and HE let you put it on his foot!!!  Try then same sequence again.  Groom a bit, he sniffs the shoe as you hold it up to him, treat, put one on his foot, treat, take it immediatly off his foot- treat.  He has got to know letting you put it on is as good as letting you take it off.  This is enough for the first day.  Finish his grooming.

Day Two- get him to his grooming place This should be a separate location he can count on as his business spot.  A place where he gets groomed and taught things.  Have you noticed that hiding his brush/comb by your recliner to spring on him after he hops in your lap for relaxation doesn't work?  Dogs do no like to be BS-ed.  It might work once, after that it's "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me".  Dogs are NOT dumb!

That being said, start grooming a bit, bring out the shoe- treat him (he's got to understand that whenever that shoe appears and touches his body, something good is going to happen.)

Put the first shoe on- Treat, praise, make it like it's the biggest party in town!  THEN put on another shoe (if he's getting the idea) using the show, sniff, TREAT, put on shoe, TREAT.... then take off BOTH shoes and give a 'jackpot treat', i.e. a bigger amount of his treat.  That is enough for day two.

Day Three :

Same sequence as above, but THIS time, leave the shoes on (just those first two) and place him on the floor.  As soon as he is on the floor, praise and give him his treat.  Observe him.  If he is curious and taking it well, leave them on for about 30 seconds then TREAT! PRAISE and take them OFF.  (I TOLD you this was going to take patience)

Day Four:  Same as day 3

Day Five:  Same sequence  (let him sniff shoe- treat/touch shoe to foot- treat/ take off shoe- treat/switch gears, groom/go back to shoe (sniff/touch foot/treat treat treat after each interaction with the shoe) 

Then do the same with the back feet. TREAT BIG TIME!  He let you put all 4 on!  Now if he's  as happy about it as you are, go ahead and put him on the ground.  TREAT as soon as he hits the ground.  Don't give him time to think about anything else other than he has things on his feet and he gets TREATS.

My key training tip is, "IGNORE the behavior you don't want (meaning, no treat given)' reward the one you do"  

If your dog panics, meaning that he is agitated and trying to tear them off, say nothing, just remove the boots and no treats, no scolding.  This is a new sensation for him, just go slow.  He'll learn soon enough, Shoe ON- GOOD! Shoe Off- NOTHING (no praise, no treat- just consider this training session closed.  Try again tomorrow.)

Now walking around funny in his shoes for the first time is not panic.  He's getting a feel for them and they are adjusting a bit to his foot.  If he panics, you will know it.  But with patience and following these instructions he should be in all four and walking in a week.  

Just do this when YOU are not rushed and have time.  As animals think in pictures and emotions, it helps to visualize a happy dog with his shoes on getting his favorite treat. (don't SCOFF!  TRY IT!)

Dog foot protection should be mandatory in Arizona.  Temperatures differentiate between 10 to 20° from the air to the ground. While it may be a comfortable 90° for you, down by your feet the temperature is approximately 117°.  During the summer, the ground retains heat, it does not cool down completely by the morning or evening and becomes cumulative over the summer.  Chances are if it's too hot for YOU to go barefoot it's too hot for your dog also. (and no, their feet are Not THAT tough!)  Check their feet after a walk, if they are getting reddened, consider not taking them out in the day.  The patios heat up fast.  If your dog is out and yipping... get him in the house.  He's not having fun!  Either get up WAY early or WAY late to walk your dog... or get him boots.

And that's how I do it.

 by the morning or evening and becomes cumulative over the summer.  Chances are if it's too hot for YOU to go barefoot it's too hot for your dog also. (and no, their feet are Not THAT tough!)  Check their feet after a walk, if they are getting reddened, consider not taking them out in the day.  The patios heat up fast.  If your dog is out and yipping... get him in the house.  He's not having fun!  Either get up WAY early or WAY late to walk your dog... or get him boots.

And that's how I do it.

Home Alone

The good Lord has given this wonderful being called a dog which comes with a sacred contract in which we are to take care of him and in turn, he comforts us in our hard times, in our loneliness, in our sickness and our joys.

Perhaps you are now single for the first time in your life and have decided you want a puppy!  So you get a tiny bundle of fluff and hurry home in anticipation of a lifetime of happiness with no memory of how hard it was to train a dog.  Actually, it's not the dog that needs training, it's the new owner.  But it's just a dog you think, all you have to do is show him once where to potty and he'll understand. How soon you will learn.  You have to take him outside and be PATIENT while he sniffs everything and eventually he'll go.

So you get frustrated.  Your interactions become less amiable to your new friend and the yelling begins.  The little guy has no clue what is going on because all you sound like to him is Charlie  Brown's teacher.  Worse yet, you leave him alone and hope he can figure it out somehow.  Does a human child just "figure it out"?

Let's say your dog has somehow learned.  You go about your day.  While he waits.

You work a day and he rejoices at you return but you're tired.  So he waits  until you take him out.  But he can't hold it anymore so he makes a mess and you yell.

He wants to play but you'd rather not be bothered and wonder why he won't just sit quietly in your lap....  It's because he has had no mental stimulation all day.

Your next day begins and you close the door on the little face that has to again be alone all day.  He decides to make his own excitement to stave off his boredom and HIS loneliness.

He begins to explore and finds wonderful things!  Your socks!  Your shoes! The loose carpet edge, and he begins to have SOME kind of fun.

You come home to find your house in shambles! Your dog happily greets you and is greeted by you, the only one he knows, his caretaker and master home at last, only to be screamed at.  You've had a rough day so you decide to go out to dinner with your friends leaving your dog home alone again.

He's bored out of his mind so he begins to call for his pack leader (YOU).  Your return is met with your neighbor's complaint about his barking.  You immediately interrupt his greeting with yet another scolding.

Who does this puppy turn to for comfort, for teaching, for acceptance when everything he does seems to be wrong?  Who can he trust?

This scenario is living hell for a dog.  Put yourself in his place... How scared and bewildered would YOU feel?

Before getting a dog, or ANY pet.. Examine your priorities.  A dog will love you unconditionally... Will you do the same?

You are all he has.

All about ME!

Greetings and joyous woofs!   My name is Bud. I'm a Shorkie (that's a shih-tzu/yorkie blend).  I was born 11/26/2008.  I was trained to be an assistance service dog to my owner who has Multiple Sclerosis.   I don't know what that is, but I get to ride with her on her powerchair.  It's like a perpetual car ride!

I was adopted on 12/12/2009 from the Campus of Compassion in Phoenix, AZ.  It was love at first sight and I think I'm the luckiest dog in the world.

My best friend is Chuck.  A large tabby cat who plays with me.  He was a stray and found my Mom one day and well, HE'S now the luckiest CAT in the world :)!

I'll be blogging about my life and my thoughts here... I'll even offer tips :)