Happy Leap Day!

Mr. N wishes everyone a happy Leap Day! He hopes no one proposes to him for he prefers the carefree bachelor life. Plus he's worried about having to pay a penalty for refusing... twelve bags of treats!

Children's Games for Dogs

Watching dogs play is often reminiscent of watching children play. They like to play the same games and often require the same amount of policing. 

Mr. N and Sage like to expend their energy by playing tag. Mr. N prefers to be "it." Whenever Sage is running, you'll see Mr. N right behind her. Just biding his moment to tackle her and declare victory.

Hide and seek is also a favorite. Their strong sense of smell makes the game easier so they like to "disguise" their scent by rolling in various disgusting things. 

Mr. N and Sage defend their fort from all invaders. Canine or equine or human! 

Much like children though, the most popular game is "it's mine!" If Sage finds a stick, Mr. N immediately claims it as his. Sage usually waits until Mr. N tires of it and then steals it back. 

Which games do your dogs like to play?

Bridge to Terabithia

When Pigs Fly

A flying pig! This means I finally get a squirrel for a pet right?

What is your dog's flying pig wish?

Double Decker Log

The log had a perfect spot for Mr. N to pose. We didn't want Sage to be left out so we had her jump on top. Perfect double decker log for the two of them.

Which perfect spots have you found for your dog to pose?

Lights, Camera, Action!

You Owe Me a Treat!

I believe you owe me a treat. Pay up or else!

You Spin My Head Right Round, Right Round

Mr. N says this is his stick. He stole it rightfully from Sage. And he is going to hang onto it even if he spins right round, right round! It's almost like flying with his paws all off the ground. 

Dog Blowing Raspberry

Mr. N believes in multi-tasking. Blowing a raspberry and winking at the same time!

Rub-a-dub-dub, Three dogs in a tub

Mr. N and Sage need a third volunteer to go sailing off into the sea with them. Any volunteers?

English Prepositions and Dog Poses or Useful Prepositions for Your Dog to Know to Pose Perfectly

People often tell me that Mr. N totally understands English. In order to demonstrate his English skills, he is going to explain prepositions in relation to dog poses.

On

Being on a surface. Useful for posing on logs, statues, benches, trees etc.

Through

Things with a top, bottom, and sides. Locations for poses include tunnels, tree roots, people's legs, and playground fixtures. 

In

Inside a vehicle, place, item etc. Perfect for showing off your dog's travel itinerary.  

By/Next to

Left/right of somebody or something. Necessary for multiple dog poses, posing with other species. 

Under

Lower than something else. Furniture is ideal as is showing off your dog's crawl skills. 

Over

Getting to the other side or surmounting an obstacle. Trick poses work well for these like hoops, and jumps. 

Photo by Grace W.

To

Movement from one place/person to another. Great for action shots. 

Photo by Grace W.

Does your dog have a favorite preposition pose?

Mr. N's Noble Steed

Training Confessions: Unedited Trick Video Footage (Canine Bowling)

After watching Mr. N "bowl" (knocking over pins with his paw/nose), a young relative asked if Mr. N knew how to use a bowling bowl. I said not yet. So after we acquired a child's bowling set, I set about teaching him how to bowl for real. 

We were also inspired by Denise Fenzi's blog post about posting positive unedited training videos so here's one of our training sessions. Mr. N was super patient with my tinkering with technology and put up with several mini-training sessions. We're still experimenting with our new GoPro so this is technically take four. 

I've been working on this trick with a clicker and shaping (breaking down a behavior into tiny steps and rewarding those small steps until the final behavior). He's starting to get the idea. 

Welcome to First Monday's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below. Any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin Monday, March 7th and continues for a week.