Lookin' for the thuper dog of the week??
Our blog has moved to www.kahunask9s.com/blog.
Come on over - the water's fine!
E
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
We're moving!
Moving - it's scary and exciting all at the same time.
What will it be like once we get there?
I hope we meet some people we like.
I hope people like us!
I hope our old friends keep in touch!
Don't worry - we're only moving cyber-spaces!
We're "chewing-on-our-nails" nervous (which is a pretty regular thing for J). But, like we promised back in January, we're moving to another blog host and nothing's gonna hold us back.
Please help convince us we're not crazy by going with us! You're really the reason we are afraid to leave. We've made too many good friends here in BloggerLand!
We'll be providing a link at this site but once the new site is live, you'll have to update your feeds, burners, gadgets, updaters, readers, etc.
We promise we'll make it worth your while!
Visit us at kahunask9s.com/ and sign up to follow us!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Training Basics - Getting to know the clicker
Before you begin:
Goal:
Familiarize your dog to the sound of the clicker. You're looking for your dog to recognize the sound of the click to mean there is food coming.
Instructions:
1. Sit down on the sofa in the living room. Place 10 treats in your fist, then place your fist behind your back.
2. At random, click and toss a treat on the floor. It doesn't matter what your dog is doing - all you are teaching your dog is that right before the tasty food falls to the floor, this click sound happens.
3. Always remember: it's a 1:1 deal - one click is always followed by one treat, even if you accidentally click.
4. Repeat this exercise until all 10 treats in your fist are gone. Then praise your dog and play a little game with one of their toys - something fun for a few minutes.
5. Begin a session again, all the way back to step one in this lesson. Continue this until all 50 of your treats are gone then call it a day!
How'd you do? How'd your dog do?
Important notes: Make sure you and your dog are still having fun!! If at any point you or your dog feel frustrated, end the session and try again later. :)
Happy training makes happy dogs!
- Make sure your dog is hungry!
- You will need a clicker and lots of treats (about 50). Pea-sized treats for a German Shepherd - if your dog is smaller, so are the treats.
- Make sure there are no distractions for the dog - ask other dogs, kids, and people to leave the room.
- "C/T" means "Click, then Treat"
Goal:
Familiarize your dog to the sound of the clicker. You're looking for your dog to recognize the sound of the click to mean there is food coming.
Instructions:
1. Sit down on the sofa in the living room. Place 10 treats in your fist, then place your fist behind your back.
2. At random, click and toss a treat on the floor. It doesn't matter what your dog is doing - all you are teaching your dog is that right before the tasty food falls to the floor, this click sound happens.
3. Always remember: it's a 1:1 deal - one click is always followed by one treat, even if you accidentally click.
4. Repeat this exercise until all 10 treats in your fist are gone. Then praise your dog and play a little game with one of their toys - something fun for a few minutes.
5. Begin a session again, all the way back to step one in this lesson. Continue this until all 50 of your treats are gone then call it a day!
How'd you do? How'd your dog do?
Important notes: Make sure you and your dog are still having fun!! If at any point you or your dog feel frustrated, end the session and try again later. :)
Happy training makes happy dogs!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thuper Thursday - Meet Guinness
In celebration of St. Patty's Day, today's Thuper dog is Guinness!!
Name: Guinness Stout Kummings
Age: 2
Location: Chester, Maryland
Owner's Name: Diane “Momma” Kummings
Breed: Boxer
Other Names you go by: Boo Boo, Mr. G, G-Man
Are you single, dating or in a committed relationship? Committed relationship with Macy – Golden Retriever….
Favorite food: Taste of the Wild
Favorite resting spot: Mama’s Lap
Favorite human: Mama
Biggest fear: Vacuum
What do you do the best: Run like the wind
What do you do the worst : Dig in the trash and counter surf
If you were on a tv show, which one would it be and why? The adventures of Superman, cause I am faster than a speeding bullet.
Who would play you in the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster about your life? Lassie of course, he always found his way home.
If you got paid to do your dream job, what would it be? Run like there is no tomorrow, and have tons of friends with me.
Stay tuned! Next week, we're featuring a doggy celebrity!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Thuper Thursday - Meet Sheldon
TADA! [Imagine a dog just jumped out of a cake - it's that kind of awesome!]
We promised something fun was coming and here it is: Thuper Thursday!!
Yes, the name is ridiculous. But here at Paws to Rufflect, if it's ridiculous and fun, then the fun wins out!
We noticed more folks are jumping on the PtR party train and therefore, wanted to get everyone acquainted. What better way than to introduce people's dogs! Thinking of a name for this event was even more fun:
we're huge fans of silly alliteration and we think you and your dogs are super soooo...
THUPER THURSDAY!
(if the name didn't make you smile one bit, then we've failed you!)
Without further adieu, this week's thuper dog:
Name: Sheldon
Age: 1
Location: Texas
Owner's name: Toni
Breed: Border Collie
Other names you go by: Shelly, Shells, Sheldy, Bubba, Bebe
Favorite food: everything but my own, but I go crazy for cheese whiz
Favorite resting spot: my bed, the couch or somewhere cool like tile floor
Favorite human: my mommy's friend, Juno
Biggest fear: the bathtub
What do you do the best? Look cute, go potty and play fetch
What do you do the worst? Jump on people when they come over, I'm just so excited to see everyone
If you were on a T.V. show, which one would it be and why? The Big Bang Theory. I would be Sheldon Cooper's side kick
Who would play you in the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster about your life? Jim Parsons aka Sheldon Cooper
Does your dog want to be interviewed by our top pup journalists here at Kahuna's K9s?
Send in your answers to the interview questions above and several good quality photos to info@kahunask9s.com.
(By emailing us your photos, you are giving us permission to post them)
Stay tuned...next week we're featuring an Irish dog for St. Patty's Day!!
We promised something fun was coming and here it is: Thuper Thursday!!
Yes, the name is ridiculous. But here at Paws to Rufflect, if it's ridiculous and fun, then the fun wins out!
We noticed more folks are jumping on the PtR party train and therefore, wanted to get everyone acquainted. What better way than to introduce people's dogs! Thinking of a name for this event was even more fun:
we're huge fans of silly alliteration and we think you and your dogs are super soooo...
THUPER THURSDAY!
(if the name didn't make you smile one bit, then we've failed you!)
Without further adieu, this week's thuper dog:
Name: Sheldon
Age: 1
Location: Texas
Owner's name: Toni
Breed: Border Collie
Other names you go by: Shelly, Shells, Sheldy, Bubba, Bebe
Favorite food: everything but my own, but I go crazy for cheese whiz
Favorite resting spot: my bed, the couch or somewhere cool like tile floor
Favorite human: my mommy's friend, Juno
Biggest fear: the bathtub
What do you do the best? Look cute, go potty and play fetch
What do you do the worst? Jump on people when they come over, I'm just so excited to see everyone
If you were on a T.V. show, which one would it be and why? The Big Bang Theory. I would be Sheldon Cooper's side kick
Who would play you in the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster about your life? Jim Parsons aka Sheldon Cooper
Does your dog want to be interviewed by our top pup journalists here at Kahuna's K9s?
Send in your answers to the interview questions above and several good quality photos to info@kahunask9s.com.
(By emailing us your photos, you are giving us permission to post them)
Stay tuned...next week we're featuring an Irish dog for St. Patty's Day!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hot Diggity Dog!
Squeeeal! Tomorrow (which will be 'today' by the time this blog gets out) is the day Mr. Kuna Burger and I go to our first Karen Pryor Academy workshop! I'm geeked out and nervous all at the same time.
Since Toons and I will be training practically ALL day, he needs to have a lot of good treats. Mediocre treats won't cut it! So I made a trip to the nearest My Organic Market (MOMs) and picked up some mouthwatering grinds:
I also grabbed some ham and chicken deli cuts and hot dogs in beef and chicken flavor.
Hot dogs are awesome for a high-value treat. (Remember, this isn't for all dogs. Your dog may consider toys more high-value!)
Then I chopped it all up in to little pieces:
Next, in to the microwave for, um, forever. I use 1 1/2 to 2 minute increments so that nothing burns. Just stir everything around and pop back in the microwave. On average, it takes about 14 minutes.
After 14 minutes, your treats will look like this:
Since Toons and I will be training practically ALL day, he needs to have a lot of good treats. Mediocre treats won't cut it! So I made a trip to the nearest My Organic Market (MOMs) and picked up some mouthwatering grinds:
I also grabbed some ham and chicken deli cuts and hot dogs in beef and chicken flavor.
Hot dogs are awesome for a high-value treat. (Remember, this isn't for all dogs. Your dog may consider toys more high-value!)
Then I chopped it all up in to little pieces:
Next, in to the microwave for, um, forever. I use 1 1/2 to 2 minute increments so that nothing burns. Just stir everything around and pop back in the microwave. On average, it takes about 14 minutes.
In the meantime, I made some salad. (Ohp! What's that?! Is that me reppin' some Kahuna's K9s gear!?!)
After 14 minutes, your treats will look like this:
Mmmm...delicious, less-slimy hot dog treats.
What scrumptious treats do you make for your pups??
Thursday, March 3, 2011
How to Save $29.99
Dog training can cost some cash, this is true. And since every trainer pretty much sets their own price, you're going to find many variances. To help out, we're going to show you how to save at least $29.99.
You ready for this?
It takes virtually no time at all! You don't even have to get up from the couch!
The secret to saving nearly 30 dollars is.......
It almost sounds like those ads that tout "immediate weight loss! No exercise or dieting required! Lose 15 lbs in 2 days!" As desperate as my waistline is for this to be true, my brain says "uhhh, I don't think so sister" or in the words of Aunt Bunny, "Guuuuuuurl please."
No Pain, We Train!
Something that makes noise to stop behavior is a punishment. In other words, it is something unpleasant (an aversive) that is done on purpose to stop behavior (a punishment). Other examples include: spray bottles, yelling at your dog, slamming books, etc.
It isn't "training" your dog. Training would be teaching them to perform a different behavior:
Leave It - Mouth stays off of whatever the dog is going for
Out/Drop It - If something is in your mouth, let it out
Quiet - cease emitting sounds from your mouth
Ya better hurry...
In the time that it took me to author this dang post, BestBullySticks.com is pulling the item; it's rumored that the next update for their site is March 4th.
Therefore, if you want to see just how ridiculous of a product this is, ya better skee-daddle over to their site. And when you're done giggling at this silly shake "trainer", peruse the Best Bully virtual aisles because their site rocks.
Make that "rocks super hard" considering they did an awesome job responding to a few cranky (rightfully so!) trainers.
E
You ready for this?
It takes virtually no time at all! You don't even have to get up from the couch!
The secret to saving nearly 30 dollars is.......
Easy enough, right?
Decoding the lingo
Right off the bat, the description gets on my bad side.
"You can now speed-train your Dog by taking advantage of their natural desire to obey you."
I wanna hurl. We've covered this before. Thinking it's a dog's instinct to please us is selfish. Thinking it's their desire to obey is insane. Do not base your dog's training on this fantasy - you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Read more of the description below - see if any more words jump out at you. Naturally, I added my two cents.
"Introducing shakeTrainer... the first gentle training system [hearing "shake" and "gentle" in the same description makes me scratch my head in bewilderment] created by professionals, approved by vets, and works on virtually all dogs in just minutes. You can quickly put a stop to endless barking, rapidly end destructive chewing, reduce indoor "accidents", and much more, all without using harmful training collars [hooray!!!!] or paying for expensive obedience classes [disappointed 'aw']. The secret to eliminating these annoying behaviors is shakeTrainer's super fast two step training system. Not only is it easy to use, you'll have fun too [WHA!?!?! I mean, how much fun can you really have shaking a can??] You'll see results immediately-shakeTrainer works like magic even if you've never had any luck training your dog before. A fresh approach to dog training [um, nuh-uh. This is totally old school] shakeTrainer has everything you need to end all of your dog's unwanted behaviors. [They forgot to add that it also has everything you need to send your dog to the looney bin!]"
Read more of the description below - see if any more words jump out at you. Naturally, I added my two cents.
"Introducing shakeTrainer... the first gentle training system [hearing "shake" and "gentle" in the same description makes me scratch my head in bewilderment] created by professionals, approved by vets, and works on virtually all dogs in just minutes. You can quickly put a stop to endless barking, rapidly end destructive chewing, reduce indoor "accidents", and much more, all without using harmful training collars [hooray!!!!] or paying for expensive obedience classes [disappointed 'aw']. The secret to eliminating these annoying behaviors is shakeTrainer's super fast two step training system. Not only is it easy to use, you'll have fun too [WHA!?!?! I mean, how much fun can you really have shaking a can??] You'll see results immediately-shakeTrainer works like magic even if you've never had any luck training your dog before. A fresh approach to dog training [um, nuh-uh. This is totally old school] shakeTrainer has everything you need to end all of your dog's unwanted behaviors. [They forgot to add that it also has everything you need to send your dog to the looney bin!]"
It almost sounds like those ads that tout "immediate weight loss! No exercise or dieting required! Lose 15 lbs in 2 days!" As desperate as my waistline is for this to be true, my brain says "uhhh, I don't think so sister" or in the words of Aunt Bunny, "Guuuuuuurl please."
No Pain, We Train!
Something that makes noise to stop behavior is a punishment. In other words, it is something unpleasant (an aversive) that is done on purpose to stop behavior (a punishment). Other examples include: spray bottles, yelling at your dog, slamming books, etc.
It isn't "training" your dog. Training would be teaching them to perform a different behavior:
Leave It - Mouth stays off of whatever the dog is going for
Out/Drop It - If something is in your mouth, let it out
Quiet - cease emitting sounds from your mouth
Ya better hurry...
In the time that it took me to author this dang post, BestBullySticks.com is pulling the item; it's rumored that the next update for their site is March 4th.
Therefore, if you want to see just how ridiculous of a product this is, ya better skee-daddle over to their site. And when you're done giggling at this silly shake "trainer", peruse the Best Bully virtual aisles because their site rocks.
Make that "rocks super hard" considering they did an awesome job responding to a few cranky (rightfully so!) trainers.
E
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