Potential Dangers While Walking Your Dog.

From left to right: Mabel, Pachanga and Coco. Proud pack members of City Dog Pack!

Many New Yorkers like myself enjoy going on long walks around the city with their dog. While walking your dog can have many benefits for you and your dog, there are a few potential hazards that can harm your furry best friend. Most people look out for obvious dangers such as broken glass or street traffic, however there are a few things many people usually don't keep in mind when they are walking their dog in NYC.  Since I'm a dog walker who walks dogs 6 hours a day I've noticed many things that can hurt my dogs during their walks.  Here are a few that you should keep in mind for now on.

Light pole in NYC with exposed wire. Very dangerous for dogs!

1. Exposed wires in light poles and sidewalks.

Dog owners who have dogs who like to mark and pee on several objects during their walks should be especially mindful of this.  I once had a college professor who owned a beautiful 120 pound Cane Corso who was electrocuted while urinating on a light pole with exposed wire.  Unfortunately her dog died from this accident.  It is best to keep your dog away from all light poles and if you see one with exposed wire, contact 311 to have it fixed.

Sidewalk grate. Some dog's legs and paws can get trapped in these causing serious injury.

2. Sidewalk grates and water drains.

These are all over nyc and your dog's legs can get caught in them, causing a serious injury. Sidewalk grates have small openings that can trap the paws of the smaller dog breeds.  Some water drains that are often found along sidewalk curbs have openings large enough to trap dog's legs of any size. Keep an eye out for these and walk around them.

Cooked meat bones on an NYC sidewalk. These are also very dangerous for dogs.

3. Food trash left on the street.

This can be dangerous for dogs especially those dogs who like to scavenge for food during their walks. Some dog owners don't mind if their dog finds a piece of food in the street and most of the time it is harmless but there are foods such as cooked bones that can get caught in your dog's intestinal tract and make your dog ill and it can even be fatal. I once walked a dog who put an entire chicken bone in his mouth and in order to get it out I had to give him a hard tug on the collar to make him drop it. A nearby pedestrian saw me do this and accused me of being cruel to my dog. I explained to her why I jerked his collar the way I did and she replied; "It's just a chicken bone!". Surprisingly most people don't know cooked chicken bones are hazardous for dogs.  That chicken bone could have actually killed him.

My intent isn't for people to be on edge while walking their dogs. Dog walking should be a relaxing experience. I just want people to be aware of things that they otherwise wouldn't be aware of.  Enjoy your dog walks!

The two cutest yorkies you'll ever see

These two adorable little fur balls are Sadie and Rose. I have been walking them for almost a year now but I still cannot get over how ridiculously cute they are. Besides their teddy bear appearance they have quirky little personalities that can make anyone's heart melt. When I first began walking them, they were very nervous to walk outside and it was a challenge to get more than a block away from their building. Now we can actually enjoy long walks together, however they do like to play hide go seek when I pick them up everyday. Sadie and Rose have the power to make any tough, rugged, man crawl on the floor with them and act like a fool. They put me on their cuteness spell everyday!

City Dog Pack's Last Agility Class of the Season

On Sunday we had our last dog agility class for the season. We started our free agility class so that the dogs and dog owners of the City Dog Pack community can meet each other and enjoy a great activity on Sunday mornings. We also wanted to give back to all the amazing dogs who make it possible for City Dog Pack to exist. According to the feedback we received the class was a huge hit and we cannot wait for next spring to begin the classes again.

In the several classes we had, we saw some dogs make dramatic improvements in dog agility. Most dogs were afraid to get near the equipment during their first class, however those same dogs gained the confidence and skill to run through the obstacles on their own. Next season our agility class will be even better with new obstacles and better equipment.

Sunday's class was kind of bitter sweet. While we had a great time, we knew it was going to be the last class of the season and we would have to wait for next spring to see some of the dog participants again. Either way it was a great class and the dogs put on a show in Saint Catherine's Park!

Our youngest pack member, Alden

Hello City dog pack community.  I will like you all to meet Alden.  Alden is a pit bull boxer mix and at about 4 and a half months he is the youngest member of City Dog Pack.  We have been walking him for a little over a month now and we must admit, it has been a challenge. Not because he is a crazy puppy, but because he is so darn cute he attracts so much attention which makes it difficult for us to walk an NYC block without someone stopping us to pet him.  Alden has a very happy go lucky and curious attitude.  He loves to walk around and socialize with any person or dog who wants to say hi.  He also loves to visit the dog park and wrestle with his City Dog Pack walking buddies.  We are exited to see him  mature into an awesome dog and we will love for him to be City Dog Pack's pit bull ambassador!

Check out this video of Alden battling the leaves of autumn.  So funny!

Ned joins the pack!

This is Ned.  He joined City Dog Pack a few weeks ago and he has been a great addition to the great dogs we walk.  He is a fun and energetic Jack Russell terrier with a big personality.  In the short amount of time he has been walking with me we have gotten to know each other very well.  He has been nervous around strangers in the past but City Dog Pack has been a good influence on him and he is getting better.  In return he has helped us.  Ned has been walking with a couple of puppies everyday and he has taken them under his wing.  We look look forward to having many more great walks with Ned and we look forward to the great progress he will make with us.

City Dog Pack's dog agility class 7/17/11

Casper and me working on the dog bridge

Soho is getting so good!

Julie getting some shade after a great performance

Riley flew by the most difficult obstacle in her first class

Molly warming up before the class

Yesterday we had another awesome dog agility class at St. Catherine's park.  Changing the time of the class to 9:00 am to 10:00 am gives us much cooler temperatures to work in, making it much more comfortable for the dogs and their owners.  It is very rewarding to see the dogs improve in the classes and to see how confident they are becoming.  Dog agility gives dogs all the benefits kids get from sports.  It provides great exercise for dogs and their owners , it builds the dog's confidence, it mentally stimulates them and it builds an amazing bond between dogs and their owners.  Every Sunday I look forward to seeing the dogs improve at the course and I look forward to seeing new dogs and their owners come and join in on the fun.  If you are looking to get your dog started on dog agility, or if you have any questions about the sport, give us a call.

House Breaking 101

Good example of a crate proportioned to the dog's size.

     House breaking issues is the #1 reason people hire me as a dog trainer.  It is also one of the most common issues that causes owners to send their dogs to shelters.  Many people get dogs with out giving serious consideration to the work that is involved with house breaking a new dog.  The truth is, living within 4 walls is unnatural for dogs despite how domesticated they have become and it is up to us as humans to show them how to live in a home.  It is also important to realize that whenever a family brings in a new dog into a home, there are going to be accidents.  To me, house breaking is more than just training a dog not to eliminate in the house.  House breaking is training a dog how to live in home with rules and boundaries.  That means training a dog not to eliminate in the house, not to chew and destroy anything in the house, not to bark excessively and to train a dog to behave in a way that is considered appropriate to the owner.  If you are considering getting a new dog and you can't come to terms with the fact that these issues are going to occur during the process of training, it is probably a better idea that you don't get a dog.  Try getting a hamster.
     Now follow these simple rules to help house break your dog.  If you have any questions or if you think you need help house breaking your dog, contact us.

1. Get a high quality crate that is appropriate for your dog's size.  Your dog only needs room to stretch it's body and turn around freely in the crate.  Dog's do not like to eliminate in areas where they rest or sleep.  If you get a crate that is too large, your dog will eliminate in one side of the crate and rest in the other.  If you get a crate that is too small, your dog will be uncomfortable.  Don't worry, crates aren't inhumane.  If you desensitize your dog to the crate properly, it will learn to love it. Never use a crate as a punishment or as a time out.

2. Keep your dog in the crate unless you can directly supervise your dog until it has been fully house broken.  This does not mean you can leave your dog in the crate all day.  Keep in mind puppies can go with out relieving themselves for about an hour for every month of age until they reach about 8 months.  So follow this rule of thumb when trying to determine how long it is appropriate to leave your dog in the crate.

3. Also keep in mind that dogs usually have to relieve themselves after they eat, sleep and exercise.  So make sure you provide a walk after these activities.

4. Make a dog walking and feeding schedule and stick to it!  Dogs love routines and if you follow it consistently, your dog will develop an internal clock that will let them know it is time to eliminate.  Make sure you provide food and water at the same times every day.  Do not leave food and water out all day for your dog to eat and drink.  It may seem cruel but as long as you are providing enough food and water, your dog will not go hungry or thirsty.  It may be difficult to maintain a schedule if you work full time so if you can, hire a dog walker to help you with walking and feeding.

House breaking pads slow down the house breaking process.

5. Unless your dog can't be outside for health reasons, do not use house breaking pads.  These pads slow the house breaking process and sometimes they make it impossible to house break your dog.  All they do is make the dog feel it's o.k. to eliminate in the house.  If you give your dog a nice, warm and soft surface like a wee wee pad in your home to relieve it's self, what incentive does your dog have to relieve it's self on a hard sidewalk? Also lets be honest.  Soiled housebreaking pads can be gross!

6. Keep your dog's living area clean.  If your dog can smell areas in your home where it has eliminated in the past, it will have even more of an urge to do it again.  Your dog can smell odors that we can't detect.  There are products that can help eliminate these odors.  One of my favorite products is nature's miracle.

7.  If your dog is out of the crate and you are supervising it (which you should be) and it begins to relieve it's self in the house, it is important that you startle your dog.  The most important thing is that you catch them in the act.  This is why it is important to supervise your dog every time it is outside of the crate unless the house breaking process has been completed.

When house breaking a dog, everyone in the dog's family must be on the same page and work together.  You also must be consistent and go at it 100 percent.  If you put in 50 percent effort, you'll get 50 results!