Looking for a way to keep your dog busy on those days when the cold limits outside activity? It's easy: Exercise his mind.
Veterinarians have long been sounding the alarm on what the lack of exercise is doing to the health of our pets, triggering an obesity crisis that's echoing our own. Regular exercise means pets with fewer health and behavior problems.
But many of our dogs are also getting the short end of the stick when it comes to exercising their minds. And winter is a great time to teach your old dog a few new tricks.
What many people don't realize is that training is a way of communicating with your dog, of sharing a common language. The more words you both know the meaning of, the more you are sharing your lives.
How many words can your dog know? You'd be surprised. Consider that dogs who serve people with disabilities are routinely trained to perform dozens of different tasks. If you say your dog is not as smart as a service dog, we'll argue back that even if he's only half as smart, he can learn a couple of dozen more things than he knows now.
Besides, tricks are great fun for all dogs. While canine whiz kids such as poodles and border collies will pick up things quickly, any dog will catch on eventually, if you're patient, consistent and encouraging. You can teach tricks one at a time or a couple at once, as long as you have time to practice each one several times a day.
Some dogs are better at some tricks than others. A small, agile terrier may find jumping through hoops easier than a bulldog would. And a retriever is probably more willing to hold things in his mouth than is a Pekinese. A basset hound can probably roll over but may find begging a little hard, being a little top-heavy. So think about your dog's form and aptitudes before you start. You may notice something special your dog does that would be entertaining if you can get him to do it on command. You can. Give it a name, use that word when he's most likely to do his thing, and praise him for "obeying." He'll make the connection soon enough.
You can dress up tricks a little, too, to make them seem more than they are. We've both judged at events with prizes for pet tricks -- always a fun way to spend an afternoon. At one such event, the winner was a friendly Rottweiler who liked to jump in the air after soap bubbles. The trick itself wasn't that big a deal, really, except for the fact that the owner turned it into a crowd-pleaser with a few props.
She put a ballerina skirt around the dog's middle, with matching pink leg warmers on her back legs and a tiara on her head. She then put on "Swan Lake" in her portable stereo and starting blowing bubbles. The dog's leaps and turns were a million times funnier when choreographed, and the pair won easily.
Check trick-training books and websites for ideas. If your dog shows a true aptitude and is the friendly, easygoing sort, you might find that joining a pet therapy group can be something you'll both enjoy, an activity that gives your dog a job while brightening the lives of other people.
Q&A
Switch attention to approved toys
Q: Can you recommend a good, safe toy that our golden retriever Sammy could carry around with him? It's a matter of special interest to us, since Sammy will pick up anything. I thought if I could find something safe for him to carry around, it would save my glasses, lighter, scarves and dishcloths from being stolen. Any help would be appreciated. -- B.L., via email
A: Retrievers were developed to carry items, and some of them take their jobs quite seriously.
When you're dealing with behavior as natural as this, the best thing to do is go with the flow. First, the fun part: shop therapy. Get a couple of plush pet toys to start with -- some stores will even welcome your dog inside so he can choose his own.
Get a toy box for your growing collection -- I use a cheapie milk crate -- so the toys are always in reach. And let your dog know it's OK to take them out of there any time he pleases.
Practice retrieving games with your dog to interest him in his new toys, and encourage him to bring them to you by asking him to "go find" and then by leading him to the toy box. You can eventually make this game more challenging and fun by hiding the toys, or by asking for them by name, such as "football" or "rooster."
Teach him "leave it" to protect your things. With him sitting in front of you, hold a cookie in a closed fist and say "leave it." Keep your fist closed until he stops showing active interest and backs off. Then say "OK," open your fist, and let him have the treat. Your dog will soon learn that pawing, sniffing and whining will not get him a goodie, but leaving the treat alone when told to do so will eventually bring rewards.
Once he understands what's expected of him, tell him to "leave it" when you see him looking at your things and then ask him to get one of his toys instead. If you find him with something he shouldn't have, take it without comment and send him for his toy. If you're consistent, he'll make the connection soon enough and will start carrying around his toys instead of yours. -- Gina Spadafori
(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)
PET BUZZ
Signs of suffering may be very subtle
-- Because animals naturally hide their pain to protect themselves from predators, pets may be suffering even if they don't show obvious signs. Veterinarians recommend watching for subtle signs of discomfort such as abnormal chewing habits, drastic weight change, avoidance of affection or handling, decreased movement or exercise, excessively licking or biting himself, and uncharacteristic house-soiling. When a pet changes behavior, the problem may be medical. Time to see the vet!
-- A cat named Sugar followed his family 1,500 miles by foot, miraculously tracking them to their new house over a 14-month journey. Sugar's family had left him with neighbors when they moved from Oklahoma to California, but Sugar had other ideas.
-- The oldest living cat verified by Guinness World Records was Creme Puff, who lived to age 38.
-- The oldest-known dog was Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who lived to be 29.
-- Dr. Marty Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.