Therapy Beagle Extraordinaire

As many of you know, Banjo has a full-time job as a therapy dog. As part of a program that rehabilitates shelter dogs in correctional institutions, Banjo had an inmate trainer/handler who for several months helped to train Banjo to make him "adoptable." Of course, I've always known Banjo as the most well-behaved, chilled out dog in the universe, but I suppose there may have been a time that he wasn't. The world may never know the real, pre-therapized Banjo.

But what does it take to be a therapy dog, you're asking? Well, after Banjo's training, he had to pass a series of tests from the Delta Society to receive his credentials. The Delta Society trains and employs volunteers and their pets to visit various animal-assisted programs such as those found in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and the like, and therefore requires the proper training for both human and animal partners to ensure everyone's health and safety.



To become a registered Pet Partner team, there are 4 steps:

Train the human-end of the leash by attending a Pet Partners team training course. You have the option of completing a workshop or, if you cannot physically attend one, you may complete the home study version (To find a workshop near you, click here.) The human training course will teach the skills you need in order to safely visit the animal-assisted facilities, and include topics such as: facility health and safety codes; identifying and decreasing stress in your animal; preparing for animal visits; and the special needs of specific client groups.

Have your animal partner's health screened by a veterinarian. Your animal must pass a general physical exam, be current on rabies and other immunizations, and be free of internal and external parasites, disease, infections, and illnesses.

Have your human-animal team's skill and aptitude evaluated. You will be evaluated by a Delta-Licensed team evaluator, in order to see how well the handler interprets the animal's behavior, and how well the animal responds to the handler. To ensure everyone's safety, the animal must be under control AT ALL TIMES. The evaluation consists of two parts: the Pet Partners Skills Test (PPST) that shows the animal's understanding (and compliance) of basic commands; and the Pet Partners Aptitude Test (PPAT) that is designed to simulate the conditions you may encounter on your facility visit in order to tell what environment you and your animal are best suited for.

Submit your registration application. The application costs $75 for a handler with one animal. Check out the details of the application submission process here.

Millie's Tinkle Bells: Who's Training Who Here?

After stumbling upon these cute Tinkle Bells in Etsy Shop Fido's Fashion Collars, I decided to try out the idea of potty training bells with Millie. So I ran down to the local craft store and bought some ribbon and bells and started sewing my own (much more pitiful and not nearly as cute) version of Tinkle Bells so I could see if Millie took to the concept (because though she understands the word "potty" she has no way of telling us that she needs to go)... Turns out, she's a pretty smart little girl.

I hung the training bells on the doorknob where we go out to potty and started by shaking the bells every time I took her out to potty so she would begin to associate the bell with the word potty. Within the first day, she started walking over to the bells and just barely tapping them out of curiosity. Each time she did, we would taker her outside (even if we knew she didn't need to potty). Very quickly she learned that the bells mean that the door opens. Mission half accomplished...

So now Millie knows that she can go outside by tapping the bells. But I believe Millie is smarter than we gave her credit for. I'm fairly certain she has begun to abuse them. After all, tapping the bells opens the front door in Millie's eyes. And outside is for pottying... AND PLAYTIME. So she has now turned the tables on us and trained us to open the door at her beck and call. We will, after all, open it every time she taps the bells, but it's a gamble for us whether she actually needs to potty or just feels like playing.

It's particularly amusing to watch little Miss Mildred tap the bell ever so slightly with her nose, then immediately (and somewhat suspiciously) turn to see if Mom or Dad noticed. She is testing us. She's testing to see if we've learned to come when she rings, like her very own butlers. You rang, Millie? Touche, Millie. Touche.

Have you ever tried the potty training bells with your pup? What system do you have in place where your dog can tell you that he's gotta go?

Millie the Stealth Bomber

Tonight, my husband and I decided to take Millie on her first walk around the neighborhood. I felt that after being home all day alone, she was ready to try her leash out not only for exercise and a potty break, but to expand her little puppy horizons. So we put her in her little puppy harness, and Banjo on his big boy leash.

We began our walk, and Banjo, the amazingly good boy that he is, goes right off to do his business. Of course, we could only hope that Millie might learn from her big brother. Wishful thinking. The stimulation from the walk must have been too much because Millie would stop every 10 feet or so, sit down, perk her ears up and look around, taking it all in.

When the walk was over, she hadn't completed her business, so we came in for a couple minutes to take a break and let her little brain calm down some to allow her to focus on the task at hand. Not minutes after we came inside, Millie runs to the corner of the room and proceeds to poop just out of our sight. Lesson learned? Never take your eyes off a puppy who needs to poop, not even for 10 seconds. She will find a dimly lit corner and drop a stealth bomb on you.

Stop the Chewing.

Millie has now been with us for 13 days. And one thing she has begun to enjoy as she has become more confident in our home is chewing. Anything and absolutely everything. She loves to chew the coffee table, our shoes, her baby gates, her crate, the carpet, and especially books. She just looooves books. Nevermind that she has her very own toy basket full of interesting squeaky and otherwise noisy and curious goodies. Thus far, her own toys have been able to hold her interest for no longer than 5 or 6 minutes.

So I decided to do some reading up on what to do about curbing the chewing. I visited the local SPCA website, which happens to be one of the best in the nation. The have an entire list of resources for new pet owners, including this brochure on how to handle puppy chewing.

In short, here are the steps to having a no-chew puppy:

1. Puppy proof your house. i.e. Don't leave items on the floor that you don't want chewed. Well of course, with carpets being one of Millie's favorite teething items, this wasn't too much of an option. Same goes for the couch and the coffee table. We have moved other items such as shoes and books, but if one gets left behind, there's just no stopping her.

2. If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing, distract them with a loud noise and offer an acceptable chew toy. Also, this makes sense in theory. The attention span of a puppy is so short that if you can just offer up something more interesting, they will forget all about the undesirable chew item (well, undesirable to us / very highly desirable to them). Unfortunately, Millie is not at all distracted or otherwise bothered by loud noises. This is great when you consider she doesn't scare during thunderstorms or other potentially stressful situations. Not as great when you can't get her attention to save your life.

3. Closely supervise your puppy. This method, though exhausting, works. Except when your four pound dog crawls under the couch to chew on something she shouldn't.

4. When you're away, confine your puppy to a small area such as a crate or laundry room. Well, Millie loves to chew her crate. Should we allow her to chew it or does that send mixed signals?

5. Give your puppy plenty of exercise. A very good method, however, can be very difficult if you work full-time. It's can be hard to find enough time to tire a small puppy, between fixing dinner with her under foot and trying to unwind. It is so effective, though, that setting aside enough time to play, play, play is so important! It not only stops the chewing, but it stops other unwanted behaviors as well, such as barking and whining.

6. Obedience class. I've never tried this one. Perhaps a last resort.

7. Rotate toys. This is supposed to keep their attention longer so they don't bore quickly. It probably works better for a slightly older puppy, because the attention span of a 12-week old is next to nil anyways.

8. Try a frozen toy to soothe teething puppy gums. I recently purchased a little teething toy at PetSmart that you soak and freeze. Millie thus far has shown about thirty seconds of interest in it.


9. Stuff a toy with food. We bought Millie a Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude. When we stuff a treat up inside, she gives up very easily on it. What did work was putting peanutbutter right inside the opening and freezing it. Turns out this only takes her tiny little mouth 2 minutes to completely destroy and then her interest fades. I think we may try the Kong Wobbler that you can buy "Stuff-N Paste" in various flavors. Perhaps it will keep her occupied longer.

But I'd like to add my own chew-stopping method to this list. Dentley's Peanutbutter Rawhide Chips. Millie absolutely LOVES these and she will chew for hours, or until I take it away from her. Or until she passes out from chewing exhaustion!