You can train your dog using the Chewber with the following games/exercises:

1. Off and Take It
2. Stay
3. Fetch
4. Heel work
5. Sit
6. Down
7. Hold it
8. Hide n’ Seek
9. Tug
10. Divert a barker before you open a door to let your guest in.  In the video below, you will see how the chewber is used to divert her dog while answering the door.

What about tug games?

 In talking with Teresa, tug can be a dangerous game when there are no rules!   Dogs are opportunist and given the opportunity they will win.  It is exciting for them to pull and tug and dogs will re-grip over and over.   A beginner can get bitten when the dog re-grips when adjusting his mouth to get the best leverage to hold the toy and pull.  He can do this over and over.  When a dog  re-adjusts their grip that may cause you to lose your balance.  By teaching your dog the rules of the game using “off” and “get it” will lay the foundation for a safe, fun and exciting game.

Puppy Training Classes

There are dog trainers incorporating the Chewber into their classes.   They are incorporating it with the clicker.  It enables them to add a variation on the “Sit”, “Stay” and other training exercises.  Teresa will be adding the Chewber into her puppy training classes in Canada, so I am sure we will get feedback from the puppy owners.   When using the Chewber as a training tool, the clicker can be incorporated, too.   Her clients will just need to bring the Chewber to class and not a lot of equipment or training supplies.

When training your puppy teaching your dog games, makes training fun and exciting for your dog and you.

The video shows how to divert a barker before you open a door to let your guest in.   You can lay the foundation for this neat trick as follows:

After your puppy knows how to “get it” you can take this game to the door.   Practice knocking on the door, then produce the Chewber.  Toss the Chewber, so that the puppy will chase after it.  Practice with family members, then friends.  The cue is knock on the door, have the puppy go get the Chewber.  You can then tug with the puppy for a few seconds, then have them go to their crate or bed while you entertain your guest.   Try and let us know how you did.

Let us know what games you are playing with your dog using the Chewber!   We are offering 15% off the Chewber when you enter coupon code chewber when checking out.

There is nothing worse then trying to figure out what to do when our pets are injured or sick.  What to do if they chewed a blood pressure pill?   What to do if they fell down the stairs?  Calling emergency to explain and wait for information takes away from time in stabilizing your pet.   Taking Pet First Aid is one of the best things we can do as care takers of our pets.

Through Pet First Aid we learn what is “normal” and how to respond to various types of emergencies from a pet in shock, breathing or heart emergencies, cuts, choking and more.

Pet First Aid care is NOT a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet’s life until it receives veterinary treatment.  Please get to the nearest vet or vet hospital after administrating Pet First Aid.

Pet First Aid Kits and Emergency Numbers

When you purchase a Pet First Aid Kit, buy one that will meet your needs.   If you have more than 2 pets and you go hiking, plus other activities, you might want to buy 2 – one for the car and one for home.

When putting together an Emergency Disaster Plan for your home a Pet First Aid Kit, Pet Identification need to be included on the checklist.  There are on-line services that allow you to capture information about your pet that is a great backup to the printed documentation.  Don’t forget about you and your family members’ identification, too. 

Numbers to know before you need them:

• Animal Poison Control Center – 888-4ANI-HELP or   888-426-4435 (there may be a fee for this call).
• Veterinary Emergency Number in your area or go to Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society Website.
• Your Vets phone number, along with their emergency number.

Pet First Aid Awareness Month

With April being Pet First Aid Awareness Month, Pet Tech created Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together and talks about increasing the quality and quantity of pets’ lives.

I reviewed the Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together and found the information to very informative.  As caretakers, if we incorporate healthy living with our entire family, which includes our pets, we are all happier and live longer.  In reading Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together, I walked away with a lot of valuable information.  Chester and I even kicked our getting healthy together!   I never realized how out of shape I was until we started walking! 

In this podcast with Thom Somes from Pet Tech we discussed:

• Why did you start Pet Tech?
• Why should they take the classes offered by Pet Tech instructors?
• With April being Pet First Aid Awareness Month, what message would you like to share with pet caretakers?
• What would you like our pet caretakers think about when caring for their pets? 
• With spring and summer around the corner, a lot of people are traveling.  When is it a good idea for a pet owner to travel with their pet and when you should a pet owner secure the services of a pet sitter?

Our pets ask very little from us and their love is unconditional.   They deserve the best from us.   Learning Pet First Aid and how to keep our pets healthy is the best we can do for them.   By living a healthy life style with our pets, this will help keep them with us for a very long time!   If they ever were hurt, we will have the tools to help, for we would have taken Pet First Aid.

Promotion for todays podcast:

• Receive 20% off Knowing Your Pets’ Heath by entering code PSG20 at Chesters Pet Shoppe.  In this book Thom takes us throught the “Snout-To-Tail” assessment.   I have read the book myself and I like it a lot, for it provides us with the needed information in a simple easy way! 
• Live in New Hampshire or southern Maine?   Pre-register for our June Pet Tech weekend classes and receive 15% off the class.  Host a Pet First Aid Class at your home with some friends and there is no charge for the hostess.  To register send me an email to chesterspetshoppe@gmail.com.

Have questions about Pet First Aid or the Snout-To_Tail assessment?  Ask them in the comments section.  Thom and I will answer them and provide more information in our next podcast.

 Are you are not sure about getting a rabbit and you have some doubts?  Why not get a personalized letter from the Easter Bunny for your child with a chocolate bunny and donate to your local rabbit society or shelter?   Some shelters allow you to adopt a rabbit where you can donate until the rabbit is found a home.

 Let us see how much you know about rabbits?  Send us your answers in the comment section.

1.  Are rabbits a mammals or herbivores?
2. Are rabbits crepuscular”
3. Are rabbit’s rodents?
4. Are both puppies and bunnies easy to potty train?
5. Is it true that rabbits have 1 month pregnancy?
6. Can rabbits be herded like cattle?
7. Do rabbits need to be socialized like a dog?

As a kid growing up, we had dogs and cats and 1 white rabbit.   My brother owned the rabbit and the cat, I owned a dog named Blackie.  I am thinking about getting a rabbit, so I will be evaluating what Teresa is telling us in the podcast to determine if a rabbit is right for me and the impact on my pets.

I have some coupons where you can get $10.00 or $20.00 off rabbit products.  Checkout our cages, treats, hay and Clicking With Your Rabbit .

 In this podcast we are addressing the following:

1. What do we need to know about rabbits before making a commitment?
2. What about the breed?
3. Why are rabbits as popular as a pet?
4. How easy is it to care for a rabbit?
5. Who should share space with a rabbit?
6. What do rabbits like and don’t like?
7. How to setup a safe environment?

 In the next podcast we will talk about the rabbit’s body language.  We will all learn to Speak Rabbit with Teresa Lewin.

For more information about Rabbits and more, the House Rabbit Society is where I know a lot of rabbit owners go.   They have a full library full of information.

I have found some rabbit toys that will be posted on chesterspetshop this Thursday.

 Please send us a picture of your rabbit at Chesters Pet Friends.   If you have any questions, please enter them in a comment and we will answer your questions.

• Pet Sitting
• Dog Walking
• Puppy Sitting/Walking
• Pet First Aid Courses – Starting in June
• Be A Tree Presenter

If you have any questions, please email me at chesterspetshoppe@gmail.com

What is displacement behaviour?  It is a normal behaviour taken out of context and is presented when the dog is under some sort of conflict and anxiety.   

Nobody, including dogs like direct conflict or confrontations and we all replace that thought.    Teresa licks her lips, I curl my toes and a dog licks his lips.  With various displacement behaviours combined and some by themselves, the dogs are telling us I am uncomfortable.   Please leave me alone.

In this pod cast we paint the picture of the family in the living room with the fire going in the fireplace.   The parents are on the couch and the dog is lying on the floor with the children resting against the dog.  The dog starts to pant, then he starts to yawn and nobody notices.   Then gives a big, big lick.   But he has had nothing to eat and drink!    Why is he licking?   This is an example of displacement behaviour which is being ignored.   Since the dog has not jumped up or barked, you might think that the dog is happy with this situation.   But in this picture, the dog is telling the parents in every way he knows how, that he is uncomfortable.    In this situation the parents can take the dog and put him in his crate or dog safety zone.

When you learn to speak dog, everybody is happy.   The dog is happy for you understand what he is telling you.   It reduces and prevents dog bites.  Just image you go on a trip to a new country and nobody speaks your language and you do not speak theirs.   There is a lot of miscommunication going on while you are there!   Then you wish you had taken the time to learn the language.  You would have had a great time,  for you would have understood what everybody was telling you and you would have been able to communicate.   It is the same when owning a dog and that is why Teresa and I talk about the importance of learning to speak dog.

A lot of people talk about risk.  What is risk?   There are two elements to make a risk; exposure and hazard.  “Can the dog bite me?”, that is the exposure and “Will the dog bite me?”, is the hazard.    The risk changes depend upon where you are taking your dog and it is important that care takers evaluate the risk.   A lot of dog bites can be prevented when we watch our dogs and others on what they are communicating to us.

Doggone Safe offers a course called Basic Body Language.   It is a great course to learn about dogs body language and where you can learn to speak dog.  There is the Be A Tree Program, where children are taught the basic body language. 

Chester loves his Chopmerrrs, so we are offering 15% off Chopmerrrs when you enter Chop at checkout at  Chesters Pet Shoppe.   This is Chester’s favorite toy!  Chester is on the home page with his Ginger-man Chopmerrr.  The toy is made in New Hampshire by Great State.   They are stuffed with remants!  No more white fluffy stuff!

Parents take this quiz with your children.

Teresa’s bio:

• Expert Canadian Dog Bite Prevention Educator
• Canine Behavior Specialist
• Co-author; Getting Started, Clicker Training Your Rabbit
• Co-creator of Doggone Crazy! board game for dog bite prevention
• Co-founder of Doggone Safe Canada’s first non profit dedicated to dog bite prevention
• Vice President of Doggone Safe, Inc

Here education and experience is from:

• Service dog training, tracking, obedience, aggressive dog rehabilitation
• Works with and trained with behaviorists/trainers all over the world
• Contracted by therapist to assist with dog bite victim cases
• Manages the dog bite victim group for Doggone Safe
• Currently working towards training security and bomb dog handlers on  how to handle their dogs for Olympus K9
• Currently working on producing schutzhund behaviours uisng the clicker

• and much more, along with awards and publications.

I will be interviewing Teresa Lewin on Bunnies and Rabbits, starting March 12.  The pod cast will be posted March 13.   My questions are coming from somebody that is thinking about owning a bunny, but I have no idea what it means to own a rabbit.   I  have Chester, the mini poodle, and Sammy, the Maine Coone, who also rules the house!   Trust me, she puts Chester in his place, so he knows who the boss is, too!   I take Chester for walks, play games, etc.   Sammy, we play and she climbs under the covers at night, for she like to sleep below my butt.    What games can I play with a bunny?  Can I teach her tricks?  I see harnesses for rabbits, does that mean, I can take her for a walk in the yard?   What would I do if I brought a bunny into my home?  How do I introduce Chester and Sammy to the bunny?    I don’t know if this is a silly question, but can they play together?  Do I always keep the bunny in a pen, so that Chester and Sammy can not get to her or him?   Can the bunny jump over the pen?  What do I feed her?   Do I have to pick her up a certain way?  What shots do they get?  Does it matter what vet I go to?   I have no idea and that is why I never had a bunny!

The Rabbit pod casts will be very educational and we will run a series.   Easter is right around the corner and so many people so out and get a bunny for their child or themselves, but do not understand what it means to own a bunny.    This is the perfect time to talk about bunnies and rabbits!   When I lived in New Jersey, there were so many places, even some groomers, that sold bunnies!   But some of the bunnies ended up in the shelter and a few were put in an outdoor rabbit cage.   The lucky ones were keep inside the home.   The pod casts will help people like myself, understand what it is we need to know before bringing home a bunny.  What is the pet care required?  How to bond them and more!   From the pod casts, families can make an educated decision as to whether to bring a bunny into their home, or not.

As you can tell, I have a lot of questions for Teresa!   What questions do you have for Teresa?  For the experienced bunny owners, what would you like to share for the new bunny owners?

New to be bunny owners, do not forget to rescue!!   Please do not go to a store to buy a bunny!   There are some stores that bring in bunnies from shelters and that is fantastic.   You can ask the store where they get their bunnies from.   If it is not from a shelter, then go to a shelter to find your new furry friend.  There are so many in shelters, that need homes.  Trust me, after Easter, there will be many more!   If you find that owning a rabbit is not for you and your family, why not donate to a rabbit shelter?   They could use help caring for them until they can find homes.

Send us your photos!   I created a flickr group called Chesters Pet Friends where you can post your photos.    I will include them on the Rabbit Pod Cast blog or rather Ed will show me how to do this.

If you are a new pet owner or not sure about Off Leash Walking and Training with your dog, then get out your notebook!   Greg Ceci, from Puppy Passions is going to help us get started on the right foot before we enter a dog park.  If you are looking for dog trainer to help you with Off Leash Walking or Training, go to International Positive Dog Training Association to find a trainer in your area.

To help you get started, check out the Clicker Puppy DVD with 2 Clickers.  Enter promotion code Clicker and received 15% off.   Learn how to clicker train your puppy by children.  No leashes are used during the clicker puppy training.  Hands-off positive reinforcement encourages the desired behavior you are looking for in your puppy! 

Greg Ceci brings a lot to the dog world with his knowledge of canine psychology and how he uses communication to incorporate positive reinforcement methods with dogs.  You will never hear him use reprimands nor aversive techniques with dogs.

I learned a lot from talking with Greg about Off Leashing Walking and Training.  For this series we focused on the topics listed below.  I just listed some pointers from the interview, but you will have to listen to the pod cast.  There was just so much information Greg gave us and I want you to hear directly from him.

• The benefits of off leash walking and training with our dogs?
  • What a great way to physically and mentally exercise you dog.  It is a great way to bond with your dog.  He learns that you are going to guide him and he can trust you.
• As dog owners, what are the steps we should take in getting our dogs ready for the dog park?
  • Teach your dog self control and calm behaviour.  If you dog is not calm, then that is not when to take your dog to the dog park.  When you work all day and come home, your dog is all excited.  Do not hop in the car and run to the dog park.  Take your dog outside and play ball or go for a long walk, then go into the dog park.
• Does it matter which dog park to choose?
  • Not all dog parks are equal.  Check out the dog park.  Is there a designated section for small dogs and large dogs?  Try and go at the same time to the dog park.  You will most likely see the same dogs and dog owners each time you go.  This enables you to use your speak dog skills to determine if you do want to go into the dog park with your dog or if you want to chose a different time or dog park.

In the next pod cast series we will talk about:

• How does off-leash training benefit non-dog owners?
• Will dogs benefit utilizing their social skills at the leash free park?
• What are some of the reasons that dogs may have a  confrontation at the dog park?

What questions would you like to ask Greg?   We would like to hear from you!   When you do go the dog park, be safe and have fun with your dog!

Teresa and I still had a little bit of laughter in our voice when we started the pod cast.  Teresa is training a Belgian Malinois puppy and puppies always make us smile.   Belgian Malinois is a working dog.   Would you like Teresa and I to talk about what is involved in training a working dog?  

In this pod cast we talked about How Dogs Communicate With Us and Displacement Behaviour.   What is a displacement behaviour?  It is a normal behaviour taken out of context and is presented when the dog is under some sort of conflict and anxiety.   We go into more about displacement behaviours in our next pod cast.

Dogs communicate mostly through their body and we tend to miss them.   Subtle signals are paw lift, toes curling, whiskers, ears, panting vs mouth closed.   What about the white of the eye?  What about the tail?  Where is the tail?  Is it tucked under?   Is it wagging?  What about the body that is curled up with ears erect or rolled forward?   It is important to speak dog with your children.  Sign up for the Dog Body Language course.  The promotion is listed below.

Part 3 – Available 2/28/10

• We will finish talking about displacement behaviours.

To be Scheduled

• What happens when a dog bites?
• What happens to the dog bite victim?
• Why do dogs bite and how do they warn us?
• What tools should children have to be safe around dogs?
• What should parents do when hiring a baby sitter that own a dog?
• What should dog owners do to keep their dog safe and bite free?
• What is your next project?

If you have any suggestions or requests for future pod casts with Teresa, we would love to hear from you!   Send us your comments. 

I am still talking to Teresa about the blog radio show.  How would you like to call in and talk to Teresa and ask your questions?   We are looking for your input, so that we can talk to you, too!   I would have more pet experts, joining us.

• Take 15% off Chopmerrrs by entering promotion code Chop at Chesters Pet Shoppe.   This is Chester’s favorite toy!  Chester is on the home page with his Ginger-man Chopmerrr.  The toy is made in New Hampshire and is stuffed with remants!  No more white fluffy stuff!
• I am donating 15%  of each sale of the Doggone Crazy Board Game to Parents Project Muscular Dystrophy.  Enter coupon code jacob.  I will let everybody know the total amount donated. 

  Hope you enjoy our video!

• You can signup for the Dog Body Language course at  www.doggonesafe.com.   Enter promotion code chesterpodcast to receive $10.00 off.
• Any questions for Teresa you can e-mail her and she will answer your questions.

Interested in having a Be A Tree presentation, feel free to e-mail me at chesterspetshoppe@gmail.com.  If you would to sign-up to Be A Tree Presentor, you can sign-up at doggonesafe.com.

Parents take this quiz with your children.

Information for parents.    Teresa’s Rules    National Canine Research Council    Teresa at TAGTeach 

Teresa’s bio:

• Expert Canadian Dog Bite Prevention Educator
• Canine Behavior Specialist
• Co-author; Getting Started, Clicker Training Your Rabbit
• Co-creator of Doggone Crazy! board game for dog bite prevention
• Co-founder of Doggone Safe Canada’s first non profit dedicated to dog bite prevention
• Vice President of Doggone Safe, Inc

Here education and experience is from:

• Service dog training, tracking, obedience, aggressive dog rehabilitation
• Works with and trained with behaviorists/trainers all over the world
• Contracted by therapist to assist with dog bite victim cases
• Manages the dog bite victim group for Doggone Safe
• Currently working towards training security and bomb dog handlers on  how to handle their dogs for Olympus K9
• Currently working on producing schutzhund behaviours uisng the clicker

• and much more, along with awards and publications.

• Benefits
• Why select the site for off-leash?
• How does off-leash training benefit non-dog owners?
• Can’t a dog develop socialization skills and get exercise on a leash?
• When taking my dog to an off-leash park and an aggressive dog wants to play with my dog and my dog growls do I pickup my dog and leave? Or will they work it out? Does the size of the dog come into play here?

Greg Ceci, owns Puppy Passions in Canada.  He is a positive trainer that uses his knowledge of canine psychology and communications utilizing positive reinforcement methods.  Reprimands and aversive techniques are not used.   Corrections are not necessary when teaching in fact, they are counter-productive.   Greg develops specific plan that addresses your lifestyle to help you build trust with your dog using only positive techniques.   To learn more about Greg Ceci, please go to his website.

The pod cast is an introduction from Teresa Lewin from Doggonesafe.com and myself.  

If you have any questions that you would like Greg to address, please add your comment on the blog  I will forward them to him before the pod cast.