Training Tips & More

Best Hot Dog Treats Ever

Buy one or more packages of cheap hot dogs. Slice them into one inch pieces and single layer them in a glass dish on a couple of layers of paper towel. Cover with more paper towel. Microwave for seven to eight minutes, turning once and (probably) replacing paper towel. Let the hot dog chunks cool & air out your house. Most of the fat & water is now gone. Dogs love these!

Marking

People think only male dogs mark.  NOT! Female Jacks will mark nearly as often as males. Some females will lift either one or both hind legs and will back up to a tree and out score the boys. This is an issue where prevention is worth a pound of cleaning products and/or installing new flooring and buying new furniture.

When you bring a new dog into your home, limit their space & monitor them closely for the first 48 hours. If a dog even starts cruising walls or furniture, say a sharp “uh uh” and take the dog outside. Once a dog starts marking, it is very difficult to stop the cycle. A canine belly band is a real house & relationship saver.

Belly bands are simple cloth rectangles with Velcro fasteners. Stick a great big, fat Kotex (no wings) inside and pee is contained. They are easy to take on and off, and dogs don’t mind them at all. Buy two so you will always have a clean one on hand. The ones sold at chain pet stores are super-expensive and have elastic inserts which do NOT work.  They bunch up and are a waste of money.There are many gorgeous home made belly bands out there sold through websites such as etsy.com which are inexpensive and far better made. A couple of days or a couple of weeks – depending on the severity of the issue – will cure most male dogs of marking in the house. And it will definitely protect your floors & furniture!

Separation Anxiety

One could write a book on separation anxiety. Jacks want to be with their people ALL the time. When thwarted of this goal, they can be very destructive.

We recommend using a crate unless you are lucky enough to have a house ‘safe’ dog. I prefer wire crates so the dogs can see what is going on, but you can also see in the photo on the left what a determined 15 pound dog can do to $65.00 wire crate in less than an hour. So a heavy duty enclosed airline-acceptable crate is a good investment.

Make the crate as comfortable as possible. A couple of fleecy blankets to burrow in, an old pillow with a flannel pillow cover and a fleece crate pad at the bottom are a good start.

Get a Kong, stuff it with some broken biscuits, a glop of peanut butter and anything else your dog likes – raw carrot chunks, some bits of cheese, etc. Freeze it overnight and then present your dog with this irresistible surprise in their crate, say ‘bye’ and leave in a business-like way. DO NOT GO BACK IF THERE IS NOISE!

Do NOT make a big fuss over your dog when you come home. Your goal is: this is the way it is and it not a big deal. 98% of dogs will settle down when they realize it is all a predictable routine. Good luck!