What would you like to know?

What is a doggy behavioural problem that you would like help with? Barking? Jumping? What problems do you have with training?

Please send any questions or suggestions to adminsupport@petshopboyz.com.au

Website Overhaul

Thankyou for bearing with us over the last few months! It was a big job but most of it has now been finished. We were in desperate need to update the website with our new logo and colours. For those of you who remember what it used to look like I'm sure you will or have been shocked by how different it is. We want to make shopping online easier, simpler and offer more of our products online.

Today I have added the Shootag product range. Never heard of Shootag? Its a revolutionary NATURAL flea and Tick Tag. Check out http://www.shootag.com.au/ for more information.

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Food Guarding - A How To with Julie Tolliday

Today I spoke with Julie Tolliday, a very well respected dog behaviour specialist. A common problem that I've had in the past and many of our customers tell us about is food guarding. What is food guarding? When you give your dog an item of food and there is no way you could get it back as far as the dog is concerned - even if the house was burning down. So many of our beloved dogs have a fond love affair with food, but what if they are eating something they shouldnt? What if they are eating something we need to take off them? This can be quite difficult and even the sweetest of dogs can become aggressive when food is at stake. The following technique can be used for tennis balls, toys, bones, your favourite pair of shoes etc.

Training dogs myself I can get them to sit, stay, lay down, roll over but I have NEVER been able to teach a dog to drop. I'm sure every dog owner has had that moment of "drop the ball" ... "please drop the ball" "DROP!" ... As always Julie has the answer.

Food Guarding Exercise for Bones

Phase 1: Using an old (boring) bone

1.     Tie the dog up so he can’t take off with the bone.

2.    Give the dog the old bone.

3.    Hold a high value treat (cabanossi, barbecue chicken, salami) near the dog’s mouth and say “Give” firmly.

4.    Take the bone from the dog and swap for the treat.

5.    Repeat until you can see that the dog is surrendering the bone quite willingly.

6.    Give the dog the old bone.

7.    Say “Give” and retrieve the old bone. (He should be more willing to surrender the bone because he has been getting good stuff for it.)

8.    Smear the old bone with some cheese spread and return to the dog. (The bone comes back better!)

9.    Repeat this phase until the dog is dropping the bone very willingly in anticipation of something better coming back.

Phase 2: Using a bone with meat on it

1.     Tie the dog up so he can’t take off with the bone.

2.    Give the dog the scantly covered bone (hardly any meat).

3.    Say “Give”, anticipating that the dog will drop the bone, after all of the previous work.

4.    As you take the bone give the dog a small piece of meat. (He gets more meat than the bone he has surrendered.)

5.    Repeat this phase to ensure that the dog is surrendering very willingly.

6.    As time goes on, give the dog a more meaty bone, reducing the number of times you give a reward for surrendering the bone so that the dog just does it because you say so.

7.    If there is any sign of growling at this stage you need to go back to the previous level.

J The aim of this exercise is to condition the dog to think that the approach of a human is a good thing, even if the dog has a bone in his possession. They learn that surrendering a bone (or other valuable resources) is sometimes followed by something better.