I graduated from Agility 1!

Yeah! I am officially a graduate of Agility 1. Here I am with my instructor Dean. Hopefully I will be able to move on and start working on agility equipment outside in January. Jenn says that she is going to keep me busy until then in two classes called "Really Reliable Recall" and "Have Fun with Obedience" at the APS. The APS is offering other classes that you may want to check out for your puppy here.

Playtime with Mona

I went to go visit my best girlfriend Mona this morning. Jenn had a lesson near her house, so she coordinated a playtime.
Mona is so much fun! We wrestled and ran around her yard and played tug with her Kong rope toy. Oh, and I got really dirty too. Jenn brushed me out when we got home and helped me clean myself up a bit. She mentioned that I'm "blowing my coat". For dogs like me that have a "massive" undercoat, we lose it twice a year and shed a lot during those times. And I mean a lot...

My Favorite Show is Back! New "It's Me or the Dog"

My favorite show, "It's Me or the Dog" is back on Animal Planet, Saturdays at 9pm. Victoria Stilwell is a reward based trainer and APDT member that helps people and their dogs live better together. It's fun to watch and you can learn how positive training, proper exercise and healthy diets are vital for properly managing dogs. Jenn says she got to see Victoria at her APDT conference last week and that she was one super dog person. So watch "It's Me or the Dog" with your best furry friends.

Click here to go to the "It's Me or the Dog" website.

Dr. Doug Knueven at APDT

Jenn said that Dr. Doug Knueven was one of the best speakers at her APDT dog trainer conference. Dr. Doug is a holistic vet from Beaver, PA. He has two books on holistic dog health, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog and Stand By Me, A Holistic Handbook for Animals, Their People and the Lives They Share Together.

Dr. Doug spoke about preventative approaches for avoiding sports related injuries and prolonging health in both competition and companion dogs, including diet, limited vaccines, accupuncture, chiropractic care, massage (and TTouch).

Jenn was so impressed to hear Dr. Doug speak about the positive health impacts from feeding a raw or home prepared diet.

Dr. Doug has a great article about his philosophy on pet diets here.

Several other articles on holistic care, vaccinations, and alternative vet care are available on his website here.

I have new toys!

Jenn came back from the Association of Pet Dog Trainer Conference on Sunday night and I was so happy to see her. She said that she learned a lot and the major topic was using play and games in training. That sounds like fun! She brought many new toys for me and treats to "test drive". She got Katie's Bumpers, two Nina Ottosson dog activity puzzles, the Kibble Nibble, the Waggle, and giant stuffed toys from Premier, and some others too. How exciting! I'm going to give you my opinions and see what passes muster with me.
First up in the Premier Wild Fox Stuffed Toy. Now, usually I don't get stuffed toys. Mainly because Bernie and I like to unstuff them. But Jenn thought this toy was quite well constructed and may stand up to our rough treatment. I have tossed it, tried to rip it to get the squeaker, tried to tear the tail off, shook it, and it is still together. So this toy gets the thumbs up. We'll see if it lasts through the week...

This week is starting to suck...

I am so bored! This is completely unacceptable. Eric is not entertaining me enough. The only way I can get any attention from him is to bark at him or stare at him or drool on him. I didn't even get my walk yesterday because it rained. Can you believe that? No walk, no dog park. How am I expected to live in these conditions?

Eric just talked to Jenn and she is apparently having a wonderful time at the dog trainer conference in Kentucky. She saw Dr. Robert Miller, Suzanne Clothier, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Dr. Ian Dunbar and ran into my old friends R.K. Anderson and Duffer Schultz.

Jenn is coming back tomorrow night and I cannot wait. She promised to bring me back some new toys and the latest products and treats. I'm sure she'll give me the scoop on everything she learned....

While Jenn is away...

Apparently, Jenn is going on a trip. She says that she'll be at the APDT dog trainer conference in Kentucky for five days. When she told me I felt like hiding my head. But then, I thought about all the things I might be able to get away with. Yehaw! Eric will be in charge of everything while Jenn is away. He's really going to have to watch those remote controls and his shoes. We'll see how well he manages things...

Do you know about Secondary Chewing Phase?

I must chew, now more than ever! Why must I chew you ask? I'm not such a puppy anymore, but a teenager. Teenage dogs can actually chew more than younger puppies because we are in the secondary chewing phase. This starts around 6-10 months of age and happens because the puppy's teeth are setting in the jaw.

Lots of people don't know that puppies go through this and assume that the puppy is acting out when they destroy things. Actually the puppy is just chewing everything in sight because of how uncomfortable and painful our jaws/mouths feel. Imagine teeth as big as ours coming into your mouth!

What can help? Jenn keeps me well exercised, she supervises me or puts me in my crate when she can't, provides lots of safe, indestructible chew toys, and she gives me things that I can destroy like my favorite cardboard boxes.

Click here for a great article on the secondary chewing phase and what you can to do help your puppy through it (and save your stuff!)