You can now access the entire library of Bark Busters Training Tips! That’s right, Bark Busters, the worlds largest and most experienced dog training company in the world, has opened its complete library of training tips. Go to www.barkbusters.com/tips to read or download any or all of the tips. Whether you’re looking for advice on moving to a new home with your dog, tips for cold winter weather, want to teach your dog to swim or need information on choosing the right dog for your family–there’s a full-color, printable handout for YOU packed with expert insight from the dog behavioral therapists and trainers at Bark Busters.
According to a recent study in Hungary, reported in the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/science/study-finds-infantlike-understanding-in-dogs.html?emc=eta1), dogs follow the gaze of a trainer if they are engaged first. According to the authors, “Recent evidence suggests that preverbal infants’ gaze following can be triggered only if an actor’s head turn is preceded by the expression of communicative intent [1]. Such connectedness between ostensive and referential signals may be uniquely human, enabling infants to effectively respond to referential communication directed to them. In the light of increasing evidence of dogs’ social communicative skills [2], an intriguing question is whether dogs’ responsiveness to human directional gestures [3] is associated with the situational context in an infant-like manner. Borrowing a method used in infant studies [1], dogs watched video presentations of a human actor turning toward one of two objects, and their eye-gaze patterns were recorded with an eye tracker. Results show a higher tendency of gaze following in dogs when the human’s head turning was preceded by the expression of communicative intent (direct gaze, addressing). This is the first evidence to show that (1) eye-tracking techniques can be used for studying dogs’ social skills and (2) the exploitation of human gaze cues depends on the communicatively relevant pattern of ostensive and referential signals in dogs. Our findings give further support to the existence of a functionally infant-analog social competence in this species.”
This study as well as numerous other studies show how well dogs have adapted to life with humans. It also shows how important it is to “speak dog” when communicating with your pet.
Posted in Training Stories
During the holiday season, you see bell ringers for the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots programs and many charities providing holiday food and gifts for the less advantaged. At Bark Busters Minneapolis, St Paul and Twin Cities, we too have a “pet” charity — Operation Baghdad Pups.
The Bark Busters program is a nationwide fundraiser to help SPCA International continue to fund a costly but critical program: providing assistance to servicemen and women and their families who wish to transport an adopted pet from the war zone to their home in the United States.
As part of a long-standing partnership with SPCA International, Bark Busters Dog Behavioral Therapists currently evaluate Baghdad Pups when they arrive in the United States and provide free training to the pets and their caregivers—more than 110 dogs over the last 3 years. Bark Busters’ Fight to Bring Soldiers’ Pups Home is a way to thank SPCA International for its dedication to these animals and our troops by helping to raise the funds they need to support this program.
To raise money and awareness, a portion of our Bark Busters training lessons will be donated to the Fight to Bring Soldiers’ Pups Home campaign through 2011. We encourage Minnesota dog owners to donate $5, $10 or as much as you can spare! Click here to donate.
Bark Busters Minneapolis, St Paul and Twin Cities wish you, your family and your pets a happy and calm holiday season!
As you’re buying gifts for your friends and family, don’t forget about your furry friends. They love to be spoiled around the holidays too. Bark Busters Minneapolis, St Paul & Twin Cities present our top holiday gift ideas for your Minnesota dog:
1. Holiday Gift Specials for only $35.00
This holiday season, Bark Busters is offering SIX great Holiday Gift Packages to buy for your dog or for that special dog parent. Packages include items such as leashes, toys, Training Dog the Aussie Way books, leash hooks & Buster’s Secret. Click here to go shopping!
2. Let your dog ride in style
Protect your seats and pamper your pet! The seat cover fits vans, trucks, SUV’s, and sedans with fold-down rear seats. Elastic straps and metal clips ensure a safe and secure fit to the rear seat, with convenient seat-belt openings. The cover is made with durable and machine washable microvelvet fabric, controlling moisture and pet-hair. Click here to go shopping. Eddie Bauer Back Seat Cover
3. Dogs love treats too!
All natural, healthy, gourmet, Christmas and holiday dog treats handmade with real food and dog lover gifts. All treats baked to order and shipped to you fresh from the Dog Bakery. Click here to go shopping at the Dog Bakery.
4. Send a fellow Las Vegas or Henderson dog lover a dog gift basket
Here’s some unique gift baskets for dogs, cats and the humans that love them! Click here to go shopping at Dog Lover Gift Baskets
5. Decorate your tree all dog!
Feature your dog prominently on your holiday tree with these fun dog ornaments. Click here to go shopping at Zazzle.com for Doggie Ornaments
The holidays are a busy time for many households. Friends and family come and go, deliveries are made to the door, delicious smells emanate from the kitchen, and a general happy hubbub means that something special is happening. Among those affected by these changes is the family dog. To help dog owners remedy this, Bark Busters of Minneapolis, Twin Cities & St. Paul offers helpful tips for dog owners to help manage their dog’s holiday-time stress.
When an insecure dog—no matter his size or breed—encounters a new situation, he doesn’t know what to do. If he feels threatened, he may react defensively with a snap or bite.
On the other hand, a well-socialized dog is comfortable meeting and being with others, both dogs and people. He has been introduced to a variety of situations and knows he and his pack have remained safe through them all.
The following are some tips to help calm your dog and keep everyone in the home safe during the active holiday season.
1. Children visitors
Dogs that live in a household with no children may not be comfortable when kids come to visit. The chaos created by youngsters like grandchildren will inherently raise the energy level in the house, causing the dog to worry or stress. Here are some ways to control such situations if your dog does not cope well with children.
2. Boundaries and security
Dogs need to have their own “home,” a place where they feel secure and calm. If your dog doesn’t already have a place of his own, create one for him.
3. Elderly dogs
Elderly dogs may not enjoy the extra hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Be mindful of keeping your older dog comfortable when his routine is disrupted.
4. Front door behaviors
A knock on the door can be a stimulating event for a dog, whether he sees it as fun or alarming. It is natural for him to want to know who the visitors are to determine if they are friendly or not. However, a dog that explodes with excitement at the sound of the doorbell is both annoying and unsafe—he may dash out the door and run into harm’s way, he may get underfoot and become a trip hazard, he may knock people over, or he may become aggressive to the visitor.
5. Protect your dog from the weather
Brrr. We know the Minnesota winters can be cold! If you’re taking a walk or waiting by the front door for grandma to answer, your Minnesota dog may need some extra padding. They make cute doggie boots and blankets for the winter. There are also paw waxes that protect from the cold and aid your dog’s grip on slippery surfaces like ice or snow.
6. The fireplace is toasty but can spell danger!
If you are all huddled around the fireplace toasting marshmallows, your dog may want to get in on the action too, even though animals generally avoid fire. If you are dressing your dog up for holiday pictures, be careful of the clothing around the fire. A random string or piece of fabric can quickly cause the entire outfit to light on fire. Also, although that cinnamon candle makes the house smell delicious, be careful that your dog doesn’t jump on the counters with a lit candle.
7. Be careful of poisons
Poinsettias are beautiful, but they cause dogs to vomit. Chocolate is a poisonous treat. And tinsel has sent many a dog to the emergency room!
8. Keep your tree and gifts safe
If you receive gifts in advance, be careful if they contain food. A tenacious dog can get through wrapping paper easily. If you put cookies out for Santa, make sure they don’t contain chocolate or your dog can’t get to them. Keep fragile ornaments toward the top of the Christmas tree; only place sturdy ones near the bottom.
9. Have fun
Don’t let the stress of the holidays overwhelm you! Relish any extra time you can spend with your pets and family!
