dog health

Slam Dunk Ways To Get Your Dog To Listen Without Going to A Dog Training Class

Ok, so you love your dog. But, there’s these things that he does that drive you crazy. Or you just don’t understand why after all this time, the thousands of times you’ve told him, asked him, pleaded with him to just do this one thing and he still doesn’t get it.

Dog One On One Listening Skills

Well, there are reasons for it. Mainly that your dog thinks and learns much differently than we do and we are constantly trying to logic with him.

Here’s a big secret.

Your dog does not have the capacity to logic.

I know, I know. You mean you’ve been jabbering on all this time and your dog heard, blah, blah, blah, blah… ya wanna treeeat? Oh yeah, ears perk up, tail wags. He got that one.

Why?

Find out why that worked and the rest of what you said didn’t with a simple 15-30 minute phone session with me. No charge.

Seriously, no charge.

Grant Me My 3 Dog Wishes

Your Personalized Dog Lifestyle

The way you live with your dog is as individual as it comes. Which is why so many dog training classes don’t exactly work… and why… I’m putting together some new dog lifestyle programs and an dog training ecourse that can be access online and I want to know exactly what you need help with. So I’ve set up a way for you to schedule a consultation with me and get whatever questions you have about your dog answered. Yep, once again. No charge.

You can ask anything. Could be about:

Behavior • Health • Fitness

Whatever dog lifestyle you want to create. Ask me. And no, I’m not here to sell you on a dog training class you don’t even have the time to go to, nor do you want to try that route again. I’m doing this to find some real solutions for dog people who:

Want to have a better time with the dog they love but just doesn’t quite get exactly what you’re trying to get them to understand.

Want to know how to integrate quality dog time in when you’re on a limited time budget.

How to prepare for your dog getting older.

Your puppy is a nightmare, and yet everyone says they love puppies! What am I doing wrong? (there’s one thing that can help this hugely, and it’s way easier than you think, costs you nothing and is super duper good for you too).

You have ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DOG! Anyway, join me. Ask me anything. It’s a free dog lifestyle session ($75) value. No charge!

DO IT. Ask Me Anything You Want About Your Dog. In Fact, If I Gave You A Genie In A Bottle And Granted You 3 Wishes For Your Relationship With Your Dog, What Would They Be?

Wish 1 Wish 2 Wish 3

Click the button below and schedule your no charge dog lifestyle session with me today. Grant Me My 3 Dog Wishes

*Note: the button will take you to a calendar to pick a time that works for you. Pick it, add the contact info where I can reach you and you’ll hear from me at the appointed time. It’s pretty cool really.

Healing Through Dogs

Some people look at it as dog behavior that drives them crazy. Some people look at it like the dog needs some training. Some people look at it like why can’t I just have a good dog that can go everywhere with me instead of this dog that I have to watch out for bad behavior all the time?

Dog Training with Maui Aloha | Healing

I call it time to start understanding how to heal your feelings and your needs by learning a better way to communicate. Dogs are the very best place to start that kind of healing. They really don’t judge, they don’t really expect, they just are there to live with you, in the moment, whatever you are going through.

And sometimes what you are going through is the fact that you aren’t communicating with yourself, and therefore you aren’t communicating with anyone else really including your dog, and it makes you irritated. It makes you feel on edge. It makes you have anxiety. Sometimes even what might be a full on anxiety attack takes over in what should have been a real simple thing to get through. Something you actually do every day, but still every single day you get this feeling.

Anxiety or Stress Imagine What It Must Be Like to Be a Dog Who Can’t Explain It

If you know what I’m describing then imagine those same feelings and reactions to those feelings in your dog.

And now do you see why this thing that could be called fear aggression or separation anxiety or unexplained outbursts is really about not knowing how to communicate? It is about not knowing how to fulfill needs due to assumptions.

Is it bad dog behavior or is it learning how to communicate and understand? Is it the dog just needs some training or is it that we need someone to hear us too, and when we are listened to the joyfear life turns to the joyful life.

The dog who is living the joyfear life can also quickly learn to live the joyful life.

If you have questions or want help with your dog I am here.

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Gidget the Wonderdog

Our dogs. We love them. So very much. We tend to realize how much we love them even more when the realization “the end” is coming.

This week I received an note from my very good friend, my coach who helped me through multiple Ironmans, including getting to the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii (where I now live), and a business relationship at Multipsorts.com which rocks it out as far as the people and what they bring to the world of sport, Paula Newby Fraser. The point is we have a lot of connections but the connection that people rarely get to share is this one.

Dogs and Emotions

The note was about something we share deep feelings for. Gidget. Gidget the Wonderdog.

I rescued Gidget back in 2001 from a shelter while I was at a dog training academy in Arizona. She came home to San Diego with me and I got to spend time with her as I brought her out of living in a fearful state.

When I got her she would duck and have worry cloud her big brown eyes as she looked up at me. At that point she thought she was in trouble for every little thing she did, she was living like many who just don’t know how to get out of the way of fear; always trying to do the right thing but not sure of what it is that is good enough, afraid of making a wrong move without even meaning to. Lack of confidence.

Her Life as Gidget the Wonderdog Had Begun

She ended up having the greatest life then and now.

I had great fun with Gidget. Taught her tons of things to do, took her so many places. She loves fetching. She got to the point she would fetch anything I asked her to. She was so proud of herself. She played with other dogs, and had her place on the couch. Gidget even slept right next to me in bed. I feel emotion when I think of Gidget because she has a deep spot in my heart.

Dog Whisperering

But being the dog whisperer type I am, the realization came that with 4 dogs in my pack and my work, a large home to take care of on my own, none of them were getting all the attention they deserved in the long run. Or I wanted to give them. The attention I would tell others that they need to be able to give to their dogs as companions…..

The realization at the time came around when my good friends Huddle and Paula were ready to have a dog, which had been a want for years, but difficult to commit to with triathlon and travel and running a rockin business. Gidget was a perfect candidate. It was time for them to have a dog and Gidget would get to be the center of attention.

So off she went. It was as sad day for me. But it was one of those days that in the moment I knew I had done the right thing and as it turns out, Gidget truly became the Wonderdog and is having the greatest life ever.

Living the Good Life One Moment at a Time

Gidget’s life: Exercise galore, gets to go everywhere, no leash required. The full attention of two who play with her, feed her good food, engage her, and touch so many other lives with her. Gidget accompanies them to run on the track, to just ride around in the car, be the cool one in all the dogs who have come and gone and played on the greenbelt by her house.

She dives bushes to get her favorite toy. It’s like a new best fun thing to do every time. She makes one smile every single time with her full on enthusiasm. Her full on joy of life.

She runs trails, goes cross country skiing, walks, plays, goes to dinners, beaches, friends houses. Gidget’s such a Wonderdog she gets to go into public places and races and establishments most dogs aren’t allowed. She behaves herself yet entertains and people from all walks of life are drawn to her. If there is such a thing as a therapy dog whisperer, it’s Gidget.

She does it all, but mostly she gets to be with her people all the time, and yes indeed those people give her the star attention a dog like Gidget should get.

Walk Away From Deep Down Inside Fear

She was the dog who was afraid of everything, locked in a small kennel with #8 on it. She had the dream happen. She was adopted, fully taken in and loved and cared for in a way she grew to be proud of and give all that joy back to the world around her. She became the dog laced with confidence and the wag of her nubby short tail, the bat of her eyelashes and the smile she gets while looking up in pure adoration for life is all of her gratitude for what life has turned out to be.

The news in the note; Gidget has a mass in her chest and is going into surgery. Again, she’s being given the best care ever. She’s the Wonderdog. If it’s time for her to make it she will. She’s strong, she’s fit and she’s in her most golden of years. I’m thinking of you Gidget. I love you Gidget. You’ll always be with me Gidget but it makes me sad, it makes my heart hurt to think “the end” of you here with us might be on it’s way.

Gidget is a big part of my ReVIBE. If you’d like more from me on dogs subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs

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Hydration | How Much Should Your Active Dog Drink

How much water do you need to stay hydrated? The blanket answer is 8 glasses. That’s for us humans. What about our dogs? How much water do they need to stay hydrated and what if your dog is overly active?

How Much Water Should My Dog Drink?

Make it simple and it helps to do the right thing. Find out what your dog weighs and figure 1/2-1 oz of water per pound. My Weimaraner is 65 pounds. That means she should have 36-65 oz of water per day.

This is the simple formula. Of course activity and weather can make a difference so common sense needs to be taken into account. In other words, the low end of 36 oz is not sufficient if you have taken your dog out on an hour plus trail hike in warm weather conditions in the 65 lb. example. Make sure to go to the 65 oz end of the formula, especially if your dog has had an all out session, like my Weimaraner tends to do!

Checking for Proper Dog Hydration

Dogs are not able to say they are thirsty and the situation can be easily overlooked by an owner not realizing you have to not only lead your dog to water, but in many cases you need to show your dog to drink it as well.

You can check for proper hydration in your dog by:

Check for a Dry Nose

If your dog’s nose is dry it’s past the time that water should have been consumed. Time to lead your dog to water, and encourage the action of drinking it.

A dry nose is not the only sign of a dehydrated dog. Keep in mind your dog can have a wet nose and still be dehydrated or on the verge of really needing to drink.

Elastic Skin

Skin loses elasticity as it loses moisture. There’s a good reason to stay hydrated yourself as well. Skin without moisture will remain wrinkled. Ewww… maybe a little water drinking could save a whole lot of dog owner botox treatments!

Check the back of your dog’s neck by pinching the skin between two fingers. When you let it go if the skin goes back to laying flat your dog is hydrated. If the skin remains squished or wrinkled your dog needs to get some water intake going as soon as possible.

Checking the Gum Tissue

One can get technical about this or one can think about it in easy terms. When you run your finger over your dog’s gums, if it feels a bit slimy, you have a hydrated dog. If the gum tissue isn’t slimy, your dog needs to drink and is on the dehydrated side of life.

The technical way is by using a method to check for capillary refill time. To do this when your dog is hydrated pull the lip up and press your finger firmly against the gums until the tissue appears white-ish in color. See how long it takes for the gum tissue to fill to pink again.

Now you have a baseline to see if your dog is dehydrated in times of activity. If when you remove your finger the tissue looks gray in color or takes a long time to refill to pink, your dog is dehydrated.

So there you go, you can choose to use the slimy method or the capillary refilling method. Either will help you determine how much water your dog needs.

How To Get Your Dog To Drink

It is true that sometimes you can lead a dog to water and yet they won’t drink it even if they need it. You can make this a habit by enticing your dog to do it, which is a fun way to say: train your dog to drink.

Tricks are the best way to train dogs and ourselves to do anything. After all, if it’s fun you’ll do it, and so will your dog.

Use a treat to entice your dog’s nose to the water bowl, drop the treat in the bowl and as your dog takes a little water in while going for the treat, put the word “drink” to it.

If your dog likes ice cubes you can do the same trick. Drop the cubes in the bowl requiring your dog to drink to nab the “treat”. I use ice cubes as a full on treat and my dogs love it. A very sly way to encourage your dog to drink more water.

Done enough times it will become a habit and you can fade the treat by offering it sometimes and not having it others. With repetition your dog will automatically start to drink. When you say the word at the moment your dog is drinking you are pairing the action with the word repetitiously. You’ll begin to illicit the automatic reaction to drink when you say the word and your dog is in proximity of the water bowl.

Another quick fix for some dogs is to add a little beef bouillon to the water mixture. Lab type dogs can’t help themselves. They’ll drink in the hopes of food appearing!

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As author and creator of 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs, Treading for Dogs and K9 Cross Fitness Classes in Kailua Kona Hawaii I encourage you to make that change you want so badly today! Get out and get fit with your dog!