Luvk9s March monthly newsletter

Volume 14 | Number 03

Spring - and daylight-saving time - is right around the corner. While we humans will miss that hour of sleep, the switch to daylight-saving time can also affect our dogs.

According to dogtime.com, "Animals don’t set their routines by the clock that we use as humans to keep on schedule. They have their own circadian rhythm – a biological clock that helps them know when to eat, sleep, go potty, and do everything else in their day. So when humans change the clock for the start of daylight-saving time, it can affect dogs more strongly."

Click here to read more about how "springing forward" can affect your dog.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead Sunday, March 13th!

CLICK HERE to view two minutes of pure canine joy!

Enrichment activity - game #8

Photo by Kay Malsbury

This month's enrichment activity is to take your dog shopping with you! It's a great socialization experience and your dog will enjoy sniffing out new environments.

You'd be surprised at how many stores welcome well-behaved pets. The list includes Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply, The Apple Store, Bass Pro Shops, Harbor Freight and Tool, Cabela's, Orvis, Barnes & Noble, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, Pottery Barn and even some Macy's stores. Dogs are always welcome in most pet stores.

Click here for more info and details about pet friendly shopping. It's always best to check and call before you go!

Capture and reward desirable behaviors

Clicker versus verbal markers

Photo by Doris Dressler

Training a puppy or newly adopted adult dog can be challenging. The reason dogs don’t do what we ask is because they may not understand what we want. We don’t “speak” dog and our canines don’t understand English.

In order to improve communication, we need a way to clearly let our dog know when he is doing the right thing - or when he isn’t and needs to try something else. This is where reward (and no-reward) markers come into play.

What are reward and no-reward markers?

Click here to continue.