JBB Dog Training

James B Barnes 2.25.19   12:06p Why do dogs bark? It's a very simple answer really; they're just excited and talking out loud. How else are they supposed to get your attention? Ideally, my dogs come paw at me instead of barking when they want to go out or have something they need to show me but we definitely did not start that way. My Golden girl demand barked at me when I had anything she perceived as edible in my hands. That's not okay. After the first demand bark event I decided to set up a plan to counteract it. Once she decided to start up again, I turned to her and gave her the 'leave it' and the 'park it' cues. 'Leave it' for me is the dog looking away from the item and giving me direct eye contact. Once I've got eye contact I can set her up for her next cue, which was 'park it'. 'Park it' for us means Leery has to go lay down on her bed and stay there. I made sure to give her a puzzle toy to keep he

JBB Dog Training James B Barnes 2.16.19   7:50p Last week we talked about keeping your pup mentally engaged in order to prevent household destruction. This post is going to be a little how-to on creating some inexpensive puzzle toys out of items you probably already have in your home. While there's nothing wrong with store bought puzzle toys, I feel that there's something deeply satisfying about seeing your sweet lil pup have a ball playing with something you made yourself. Items you'll need: -a plastic bottle sized so your pup can paw and spin it -a shoelace or long string that wont tear with lots of spinning and rubbing -a marker to draw squares on the bottle -scissors or something to poke holes and cut squares of plastic out -nail file -chop stick or a kebob stick -chair legs or two items one shoelace length apart -a good book -water (for you) Take the plastic bottle and place it on a clear, steady surface. Next, use the marker to draw on treat-sized

JBB Dog Training James B Barnes 2.7.19  4:19p Picture this: you and your furry baby start your day with a quiet breakfast, you some coffee on the back porch while the dog does his business and runs around a bit, and then you two go for a nice, long walk after. It’s a pretty relaxing morning and your heart swells with love for your companion. Aren’t they just so good? Perfect babies. Once you go about the rest of your day your pup is left to their own devices. This is the turning point. This is the moment where most dog owners head for work, or to run errands for a few hours. On the flip side of the scenario, this is the moment where dogs either decide to sleep the day away until you return, or to start ripping into your new sofa. Well, not quite as dramatic as that but close enough. You know the deal, you come home after a long day at work and the dog has destroyed a pillow, scattering the stuffing all throughout the house. They probably got into the trashcan too