Being a Better Buddy with Consistency 1/24/13

Hello Quad Cities Pet Lovers!
 
     So, in a few short weeks we have climbed to 90 likes on Facebook and counting. Thanks so much for the support. We hope to keep growing and extending our services. We are now proud to announce we offer a pet taxi service! We know not everyone has the capabilities of transporting their buddy to the vet, dog park, play dates, etc. We are here to help!

So this weeks topic came to me while playing outside with our buddy, Silas. As noted he is a two year old mini-australian shepard. He loves to play and loves to learn. He is very obedient and understands boundaries such as he stays in the yard even if the fence is open and I'm grabbing something from my vehicle. He knows not to howl at everything that the wind blows by, and he knows that when it's time to come in- it's time to come in. Thinking back, though, he wasn't always that way. It took a lot of patience and understanding to help him understand. He didn't learn through punishment, me yelling at him or even me rewarding him with treats (this isn't to suggest dogs do not learn using treats, we can talk about that later). No, he learned like most dogs learn. Through experience and learning his role. Dogs need consistency and security to know where they stand. This actually helps them to be more comfortable with you. So, if you can set a standard, or a set rules, and stick by them your buddy will understand and cooperate much easier and you and your buddy will bond greater and live happier! I suggest being sure your entire household is consistent with these rules as well.
     Some of my rules are; Silas never gets food without earning it. He can earn it sitting properly, shaking "hands", or "begging". This shows that he gets his meals from me (alpha) and he gets the added benefit of earning his food. When people come to the door he must sit first and be invited to say hi. This actually helps calm him down as well, as he used to get so excited he made a little mess. When we play he gets to have his fun but when we walk he stays right by my side unless I give him the OK to check things out. I stay consistent with all of these rules.
      Dogs are a very intelligent species. Their only real ancestors are wolves. If you can look to how wolves interact with other wolves (which is far more advanced then domesticated dogs) you never see a wolf teaching its pup by raising voices, using anger or other negative devices. They also don't learn from an over abundance of attention. This actually can confuse most dogs.Wolves learn by the consistent ways the pack will act and react. You can take this behavior home with you. Remember, consistency is key. If your dog knows it can rely on you to act a certain way it puts confidence in him and he will follow your lead. Take this as a good thing and lead him by example.

   So what are some of your rules with your buddy?
   What are your thoughts on my post?

We invite comments and interaction so we would love to here your thoughts!
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BTW: The picture isn't two wolves fighting. This is wolves using "muzzling". Pretty interesting topic, click the link for more!

Hello Quad Cities Pet Lovers!
 I'll make this our first official blog post! First, an introduction. My name is Adam Kurylo, I will be blogging with my significant other, Stephanie Taylor. We are pet lovers and have been all of our lives. We love taking care of pets, both ours and the pets of others. We look at pet care a bit differently than many others. We do believe in being responsible owners and pet care must come first in any situation. We also believe the best way to care is to take the word care literally. Care can mean different things to different people, there are actually several definitions to the word care in any quick "care-definition" on line search. The word care can elicit anxiety or constant attention. Or to some it may be that it is a job.To others it is to love or to have particular strong feelings for. We look to care with love, respect, kindness. Something more along the way you would treat for your buddy. You look out for your buddy, assure his or her safety, and, more importantly, have fun with your buddy. If you can relate, think to how you hang out with your buddies, how would you describe it? (We would love to know)
      To that point, this blog is not set out to teach people how to better care for their pet, but to interact with our clients, fans and friends about how to be a better buddy. Far too often we want to discipline our pals for not doing what they're told; getting into garbage, tearing up things that are not toys,  leaving "presents" when and where they shouldn't, etc. But there is not a lot of focus where it is needed the most. Having fun with our buddies! Isn't that why we got our pet in the first place? Some of the ways I have fun with my buddy is training him and rewarding him with healthy treats (he loves liver), playing fetch with him outside (no matter how cold it is), and taking him for walks (even though it's winter).
      So, for our first official blog post I have two questions;
What does the word care mean to you?
What do you do with your buddy for fun?

This is not just your normal let me talk at you type of blog. We encourage your interaction and feedback!
We want to constantly improve and we value your interaction.
Thanks for checking us out!
Adam Kurylo
www.QuadCitiesPetBuddy.com

Hello Quad Cities Pet Lovers!
This is our unofficial first post from Quad Cities Pet Buddy. We can be found at QuadCitiesPetBuddy.com.
We are pet lovers providing very important services for your buddy! We are owned by +Stephanie Taylor, also the owner of +Quad Cities Cleaning Service, and +Adam Kurylo, also the owner of +Quad Cities Digital Design.
Our official 1st post will be coming soon!
Thanks for checking us out and following us!

http:/www.quadcitiespetbuddy.com