Come When Called? Dog Training in Action

     My pups have about half an acre fenced in behind our house which my husband has generously donated for all things dog related.  Early on I took the time to train boundaries as the fence is only four feet high, so barely a hop for my long-legged kiddos.  I also conditioned for potty on the exterior, so I can use the center open area for training when weather permits.  On pleasant days like today, I will often allow one or both of the pups some free time in the yard to simply relax and enjoy themselves, since I can see the area from my kitchen window.  Overall, it is space we all have enjoyed.

     Today the gate was left open.

     For Grace, my German Shepherd Dog, it is no issue.  She will romp around the center open area, hopping like a bunny, always glancing back to me as if to say "Did you see that Mom?".  For my hound mix Brutus, it is another story....

     Some of you may have read about my tracking adventures with Brutus.  He has performed spectacularly through woods or field on tracks up to 250 yards (we are gradually building the distance).  When he is harnessed, he will even completely disregard squirrels and other small woodland creatures fleeing his approach while he is on the trail I assigned.  When left to his own devices in the yard, he will sniff indiscriminately the myriad rabbit, squirrel, human, opossum or rare raccoon tracks in the yard.

     Today, Brutus was outside enjoying the sun, and his nose led him to the open gate.  Meanwhile, I had stepped away from the window to add some cream to my coffee.  Once I returned and saw the empty yard
I stepped out onto the back stoop and called for Brutus.  I heard a single bark in answer from the other side of the fence!

     I called again to be sure my ears were not playing tricks on me.  This time, I got a double bark, and then my silly hound hopped straight up in the air to show me where he was.  I live on a fairly busy street, but the last thing I wanted to do was encourage him to jump over the fence (at this point I did not know how he got out), even if it was towards me because I do not want fence jumping to become a habit.  I paused for a moment to see what Brutus was doing.  He was pointing at a game trail on the outside of the fence line, and then glancing to me to be sure I was watching him.

     I called for him to "Come Inside!" and gave a special command that I only use when a reward is absolutely guaranteed.  I left the back door open so he had access to the house, and hustled to the front window in time to see him fly across the front yard towards the side where the gate was.  By the time I grabbed a treat (it's just his normal dog food- but don't tell HIM that!) and headed back to the kitchen, he was scrambling into a beautiful "Front" position (sitting squarely in front of me).  I fed and praised him, and put him on a Base (a special mat for "Lie Down and Stay") while I darted outside to walk the fence line to see where he could have gotten out.

     I walked the entire perimeter and saw no flaws.  I stopped at the gate (which appeared to be closed) and  put my hand on it to lean and ponder.  The gate wobbled under my touch.  It had not been latched!  I feel like anyone who may have seen me at that exact moment may have seen a light bulb above my head like in the cartoons.  I returned to my patient hound and put a slip lead on him.  We walked out to the gate together.

     Even though the gate opens inward, it proved no challenge to my curious Brutus.  He bumped it casually with his nose and waited for it to swing open.   He strutted through the opening like a model on a catwalk and then sat on the other side waiting for me to join him.  I could not help but laugh.  Basic obedience really pays off!  I called him back to me and we went in to cuddle on the couch before our afternoon walk.  Mystery solved.

     Thank goodness he knows "Come When Called"!

Buy now! Because I say so!

   
     I just watched a short commercial with an adorable French Bulldog trotting around a bright and cheery home and then munching a bowl of the advertised kibble.  The company began with a picture of plain brown "competitor kibble" in a dull bowl on a blank background and then showed its bright and colorful kibble cascading merrily across the screen while a friendly voice told viewers that dogs preferred color to boring plain kibble.  It ended with the aforementioned pup chomping the red, beige and brown mixed kibble.

Cute faces and bright colors make us want to buy things!

     No mention of nutrition.  And of course we all know the colors listed above would all be shades of grey to a pooch anyways...... (dogs see in a blue and yellow spectrum, this link explains in greater detail)  So the company assumes that we are silly enough consumers that we will just say "Ooooh! Pretty colors!" and skip to the nearest grocery store to pick up those lovely bits.   The sad part is, some do.

     Some dog food companies are better at telling us nothing.  They have quaint stories telling consumers how much they love their pets and only want to feed them the best.  They complain about how no other companies exist that can give their babies the proper nutrition and so they had to create their own, dedicated to bringing you only the best, etc. etc.  All these things sound very nice, but for me, there is no direct correlation to good intentions and actually producing the best product.

     There are always such lovely pictures of dogs and cats, some running, jumping, rolling, being hugged or just sitting prettily.  Once again, while it hit's the internal "awwwww" button nicely, it provides no factual evidence of why their brand is optimal, other than because they say so.  My pets are important to me, as are their nutritional needs.  I want more proof.

    My personal favorites on the craftiness scale are those sites who will partially "educate" the general public in order to make their brand the most attractive and only logical choice.  I went to the website of a well-known dog food to see what their "spin" was.  They have some good basic facts sprinkled in with information that is misleading or just plain wrong.

     One site says "For example, real chicken meat is a higher quality protein source than chicken or poultry by-product meals; chicken fat is considered a higher quality source of essential fatty acids than generic 'animal fats.' Subtle differences like these may determine whether a pet food brand’s ingredients are as healthy as they claim to be."  Sounds legit, right?  

An older ad from the 70s

     
     Let's examine that more closely.  
     
     The first part states that real chicken meat is a higher quality protein source than meals.  Other companies use fake chicken?  Oh no!  That's not what they said, is it?  Of course not.  They simply implied it.   Okay so we agree real chickens are better than fake chickens, so do we agree that the :"real chicken" is a higher quality protein source than meals?  I do not.  Raw chicken is about 70% moisture (water) and 18% protein.  A "meal" in this case is a rendering of a whole chicken (or by products) where most of the water has been cooked away, and then baked to form a super concentrated result (meal) with about four times more protein per pound  than raw chicken (read more here ).  Surprised yet?


     The next part says that chicken fat is better than generic "animal fats".  Well duh.  Of course we don't trust "mystery meats" (or "mystery fats" in this case)!   Another way to highlight what this brand does right- awesome job so far advertising team!  A general statement to be wary of those evil "other guys" at the end to hopefully keep you from snooping around other dog food companies, and BAM: profits soar!

     It does not mention the fact that with the 70% moisture in raw (real) chicken, it must be cooked down in order to be made in to kibble.  After processing, it probably accounts for much less than you think in the finished product!

     Of all the advertisements I have been nosing through lately (and it is more than you think!) I notice the vast majority of content pertaining to dog food is designed to appeal to the human sensibilities.  It is impossible to find any facts supporting one particular food or diet or another.  Certain elements and ingredients have proven track records, but there have not been enough conclusive studies done on canine nutrition over a long period of time.  There are too many variables to render results that are accurate.  

     This is not to say all dog kibbles are bad.  There are some great options out there!  Just be careful to really find out more about what companies are actually promising.  Depending on the activity level of your dog, age, breed, general health and budget, a different food may work for your dog than your friend's dog.  That's perfectly okay.  Just make the decision based on facts, not on clever advertising.  

     I hope you enjoy the video clip below of one of my favorite advertisements from "101 Dalmations"!

     *If you want to hear more about dog foods, or have other questions please leave a comment below.

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