So what do you do when you have a cat and want to bring a dog home?  Or maybe the other way around?  In today’s show we discuss introducing dogs and cats, as well as what to look for in their behavior to help the introduction and future living situation as easy as possible.

Running into a loose dog when your walking your dog, or dealing with coming face to face with something your dog reacts negatively to…these can be very confusing moments when you don’t know how to handle them.  We give you some ideas for dealing with the unexpected, and some suggestions for how to keep your cool when you do.  We don’t guarantee we can give you the perfect solutions, but this podcast is sure to start you thinking about how to plan for the unexpected. One thing we didn’t mention in the off-leash dog scenario is to toss a bunch of treats on the ground in front of the loose dog so you and your dog can make a getaway.

Last week we discussed the rules for the game of “tug”.  But what if your pooch doesn’t play?  What then?  Why is it important that your dog learn to play with you?  Well, it’s important to have many different ways in which to reward your dog.  The more variety you have as types of reinforcement the more options you have in training.  Today we talk about ways to get a dog to play with toys.  We hope you find it helpful!

Playing tug with your dog…is it a good idea or not?  Some trainers are against it, while others use it for teaching.  Both opinions probably have their roots in the same issue:  If you do it correctly, you can teach your dog some valuable lessons, but if you do it incorrectly, it can reinforce rough and sometimes troublesome behavior.  We break this issue down, to illustrate the “rules” to follow if you choose to play tug with your dog.