From My End of the Leash(28)

This is an update of some past blog entries.

Safe Dog Toys-Bark Magazine has an article in the May/June 09 issue that talks about choosing safe dog toys. Besides describing how to choose a good safe dog toy, they also share name brands that they think are smart choices. Among the brands are; Go Dog, Kong Company, Nina Ottosson Zoo Active, Planet Dog, West Paw Design. I accessed the article through this months The Bark website (thebark.com), under Wellness.

Things Dogs Need From Us During my research for interactive dog toys and what dogs really need I found a website for Patricia McConnell. She is a dog trainer, behaviorist and professor in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has a website (www.patriciamcconnell.com), authored many books, writes a blog, a feature writer for The Bark Magazine. I started reading her blog and couldn't stop. One of the things that she says is that she believes that our dogs need physical exercise, Mental exercise, Novelty,and Freedom of choice. She backs up all of these needs with scientific research. (read her blog at www.theotherendoftheleash.com)What I really liked was her idea about freedom of choice. She says that being allowed to exercise was beneficial in more that just physical ways, brain enhancing ways. But animals that were forced to exercise did not show the same mental/brain benefits. This means to me that off leash running was more beneficial than forcing my dog to exercise. We need to get creative in the ways to let them make some choices/manage parts of their days. She also reminded me that novelty was important to brain stimulation. Walking my dog on the same path day after day after day will not only be boring but novelty engages the brain and leads to new connections of neuronsand therefore increased enthusiasm.

The Challenge UpdateJust to update you on yesterday's dog challenge with the metal colander. We left the colander in the same place all night and today neither dog had tried to get the treats out. So... I sweetened the challenge by putting a small piece of pork under it. Well that did it! Max figured out how to scoot the colander with his nose and get the meat out. Beeks was curious but still reserved. Then it happened, as Beeks approached the colander, Max growled and guarded it like it was his! Beeks refused to get near it from then on. I moved Max away and even sat next to it and encouraged him to approach it. No Way! So that was the end of the experiment.

A Good Walk I took Beeks on a longer walk today. to the farm, which is about 4 miles from here. He likes this walk because of all the tall grasses to stick his nose. And Boy did he! A couple of times he stuck his nose in a hole and then when he thought he could get to the rodent, started digging to get his nose further into the hole. He was pouncing all the way along. We stopped at the church and I let him run off leash in the church Baseball field. This was after I read Patricia McConnell's article about stimulation and the need for off leash freedom of choice. He ran so hard and we played chase. It wore us both out! Beeks was so tired when we got home he slept for a good two hours!

Well, hope you are able to check out some of the websites I suggested, the authors really express their own thoughts better than I am able. I'll have more time to write tomorrow, so have a great evening.