Rescue Dogs Morning Routine - Joey

We start our day off pretty early. Alarm goes off for us around 5:30am every day (even on the weekends).  We don't mind getting up at this time esp in the summer months because it is light out and letting the sun into our home gets everyone up and ready.  During winter months we have to wake up the rescue dogs even after the alarm goes off.

After we get ourselves squared away and the coffee is on we take all the dog out for a short morning walk for them to relieve themselves and back to the house we go. We start our routine with our longest resident  which at this time is Joey.  When Joey gets his breakfast we ask him to work for it with the nothing is free (< click to see video) routine.

After he finishes his breakfast we take him for a 30 - 45 minute hike around our local woods to get some extra morning energy out. The quiet one on one time allows him to focus on us while we work on some basic commands. (Look, sit, come, down and "walk nice" or heal).

After our morning walk we head back to the truck, load up and set off for the downtown area towards several destinations to expose Joey to different people and sound situations (no other animals for our morning outings - that will be another time).  We aim for busy places with people of all ages, places that are surrounded with cars and trucks coming and going and just about anything or any place we can expose Joey to that will be positive.

Where are we going today??

The trick with all of these places is to make sure EVERY interaction is a positive one, so bring a pocket full of your pups favorite treats as a reward for staying calm and accepting people in a friendly manner. When you are out n about by this time you should know your dog, you should know what will set him or her off.  Make sure you take in all of your surrounding so you can see things coming before your dog does.

For example Joey gets upset over big rig trucks so we keep an extra eye out for them, when we see one coming we quickly get Joeys attention and start working him in the opposite direction. . .LOOK, sit, down, sit, walk nice...the trick it to keep him moving and focused on US until the truck passes. If we see him getting over stimulated because he hears or sees the truck we move faster and don't give him a chance to even think about the truck. In no time it's gone and he gets extra treats and love for dealing with it so well and staying focused "ON US".

The best part of our outing and Joeys FAVORITE thing is when people "want" to meet him. He LOVES the attention and everyone he has met so far has been so wonderful with him, giving him a great experience which in turn sets him up for the next person he comes across.

Joey meets the guys of AxelRad an awesome print shop in Kingston Pa

The guys from AxelRad Screen Printing allowed Joey to come into their shop, meet the crew and check out the machines that were making funny noises and sounds he has never herd before.  We were not sure how he would handle the loud noises but Joey did very well. YAY JOEY!!

Since Joey was staying nice calm so we left the shop on a good note and off to the next place.  The next place is one of our favorites because the people are so awesome with our dogs.  The place is Starbucks in Wilkes-Barre  where we held our Zombie PinUps and Pooches Event and always load up on Vanilla Chai Latte with Soy milk. YUM

Joey loves the ladies of  Starbucks and took in all that was going on around him.  The SB Wilkes-Barre location is extremely busy with all different kids of motor vehicles and people.. Some of the people walked by and just smiled, some walked by and stared and a few even stopped to say hi for a quick second before they went in for their coffee. Over all Joey had a great morning and all the experiences were POSITIVE so back to the mk9 home for some Kong Wobbler Time ;)

Get those pups out n about and remember if your can not control your dog. . .control your atmosphere.
Socialization is SO VERY IMPORTANT. If you ca not do this every day aim for every other day or even set aside one FULL day for nothing but socialization. Not only does it help your dog but it shows people that you are a responsible pit bull owner and your dog... which is a pit bull ... is AWESOME!!!!
Happy socializing all!!

Much love all.

PS:
Fun tip. . dress your dogs up in cute or funny things some people that may not be sure about a pit bull will definitely pass a smile if they are wearing wings, flower lays or a funny hat. ;)

Dog on a Treadmill?

We say yes, YES, YES!!

Chelle & Miss Polly Pocket

Treadmills are a great energy re-leasers! Not only will the treadmill kick some of the extra energy your dog may have but it is also a great mind stimulating exercise! When your dog is on the treadmill they have to think for themselves to stay in time with the treadmill as it moves. Treadmills come in extremely handy during the cold weather months or if you are a rescue/foster and have to rotate a few dogs to make sure they get the attention and exercise they need for the day.

When you start your dog off on the treadmill you want him to get used to the surroundings and this new "thing" in your home. Let him/her walk on  and off of it, let them sit on it and even ask them to lay down so they know there is nothing to fear.  

Guide them by it and reward them for accepting it.

Some dogs take longer then other to get used to this machine, so when you aim to teach your dog to use the treadmill make sure you have about 2-3 hours set aside at first. No distraction in your home, and make sure your pup has done his or her business before you get started. You do not want to rush your dog, let him/her get comfortable at their own pace. In return your dog will accept this new training exercise and will look forward it.

Below are two of the mk9 rescue dogs.
Joey & Polly Pocket. Both dogs have taken to the treadmill in very different ways.

Joey was not to sure what this thing was.
The sounds it makes when its on and the different texture of flooring
.
He would get on it when we asked but you could tell how uncomfortable he was, so we allowed him to get on and off at his own will. We sat on the treadmill and guided Joey over with treats. We praised him for walking up to it, stepping on it and then sitting on it.

After about a 40 minutes we faced Joey in the right direction with Chelle standing over him making sure he wasn't going to jump off or get too overwhelmed when we started it up. Holding her hand at his side so he knew not to jump off, it reassured him everything will be ok and he is doing a GREAT job!!

Keep your hand on your dog if he is uncertian of the movement.
This will guide him/her into place.

 We started him off at the lowest setting letting him get familiar with it moving on its own. At first he wanted no part, trying to lay down but Chelle stayed in place talking to him, telling him good boy and helping him with the aid of some of his favorite treats.

Treat your dog for doing a good job.
Treats should be small & soft.

 Joey is at a slow trot on a low setting and we will keep him at that pace for the next week until we start to see him relax when he is on the treadmill. After he is set we will move the speed and time up to give him a better work out.

Hold the least snug will keep him in place and moving forward.

Polly Pocket picked up much faster then big Joe.
After about 15-20minutes she was walking at a fast pace with non stop tail wags.
Polly and treats go very very well together. Along with praise. She LOVES to be told what a good girl she is.

Polly goes for about 15-20minutes a day, trotting at a fast pace getting up to 2 miles.
We will be increasing her as the days go on. 

 Please note: When your dog is doing more activity then normal you have to monitor their food intake. Make sure they are getting what they need for the exercises they are doing!

NEXT ON OUR LIST: 
Miss Macy, Bella Vita & Lucy!! keep an eye out for their updates on the treadmills.

Treadmill donations are still needed for our other main modified k9 home. 

If you can spare a treadmill for the mk9 rescue dogs please email mk9karen@hotmail.com 
We are located by Philadelphia & Scranton/Wilke barre areas.

Macy & the "flirt pole"

The flirt pole will remind you of a big cat toy but for our canine buddies. Made of 5ft-6ft PVC pipe, 13ft-15 ft rope (adjust as needed), & a toy which all comes to around $9.00-$12.00.

This is one of our favorite tools for tiring out our dogs. . . besides the treadmill and nose work. It is used for basic obedience training reinforcement, making the time with your dog fun, exciting and rewarding. Your dog should already be familiar with the commands. . .sit, stay/wait, look, down, leave it/drop it & ok/take it.

When using the flirt pole make sure your dog does not grab the toy with out your command.
If he/she does stop the game and start over with your dog in a sit.

The flirt pole is a great treat and training tool for Macy or dogs like Macy that are highly dog selective and have a lot of prey drive. The mind stimulation she receives, plus the exercise will make for a very happy and content pup by the end of the session.


And the best part. . .the reward C: