K-9 LifeSavers

Sometimes you need a little help around the house and express delivery by K-9 Mail fits the bill.  Teach your dog to deliver notes, or small packages, around the house to specific people!

Just like we do, dogs learn names through repetition, so to succeed at this trick, clearly use the names of family members in front of your dog, and he will soon be able to identify everyone by name - even other animals!

• Have a member of the household stand on the across side of a fairly empty space with treats in their pocket.  Hand your dog a note, instruct him to "take it".  Point toward your intended recipient and tell your dog his or her name.  You can repeat the whole command while pointing, "take it to Pam."
• The recipient should encourage your dog to come.  Once close enough the mail recipient should instruct your dog to "give" and trade a treat for the note.
• Once your dog is accomplishing this task well while everyone can see each other, have the recipient move out of sight, so that the dog must go seek the person out. 
  * If your dog shows up without the note, encourage them to go back and "find it."  You may also want to fold the note so that your dog can pick it up easily if dropped.
• If you progress to advanced version of this trick where your dog delivers an unexpected note around the house, you may want to put the note, or object in a small back with a treat inside, so that your recipient can reward the dog when the package is delivered.

If you are trying to work on the trust between you and your dog this year, then Peekaboo is a great trick to practice with.  The idea is that your dog comes up behind you and sticks his head between your legs.  By doing so, your dog is putting himself in a submissive position and this requires a great amount of trust.  This trick should never be forced.

• Start by standing with your back to your dog, legs apart.
• Reach through your legs with a treat and lure your dog forward until his head is between your legs.
• Allow your dog to lick and nibble at the treat in your head.  Praise him with "good peekaboo" and try to keep him in this position for about 10 seconds.
• Practice several times a day, building up to the time that your dog can stand happily between your legs.

Tips:

• If your dog is very small, kneel down to create a small space for him to come through
• If he bites at your hand while standing there, tell him "easy" and try to address this separately, teaching him not to grab for treats.
• Try to save the word "no" for when your dog misbehaves.  Either give positive feedback or no feedback when working on tricks

It being the holiday season things are hectic and time seems to get away from you, and so do things like keys and memory! Wouldn't it be great if your dog could help you out by finding things?  Teach her to be Santa's little helper with the trick "find it."

The idea is for your dog to use her nose to track down and locate an object, it's great practice for tracking or utility work if you have any aspirations that way.  Begin with simple exercises, ideally using a strong-smelling treat.

•  Put your dog in a sit/stay and show the dog the treat. 
•  Allow your dog to see you place the treat under the edge of a towel about 6 feet away.
•  Let your dog smell the scent of of the treat on your hand and then send your dog to "find it."
•  Reward your dog with praise when she finds the treat.  (Finding the treat is her reward and she does not need an additional treat)
•  Repeat the process, but move further back from the towel, and place the treat further toward the center of the towel so that the dog has to work harder to get it out.
•  As your dog continues to succeed with finding the treat, begin to place the treat begin her back, so that she has to sniff it out on her own.
•  Next move to hiding the treat in another room.
•  Eventually you can move from treats to solid objects such as keys, toys, etc., but at that point the dog must bring the toy to you to gain her reward (treat).

Skittles does know how to find things yet, but she is learning things every day at her foster home and can't wait to learn more from her forever family. She is a Plott Hound/Boxer mix that has a lot of love to give and would love nothing more than snuggling up and eating some doggie candy canes!

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and in honor of older dogs everywhere we are sharing the top ten reasons that senior pets rule, orignally posted by Jane

10 Reasons Senior Pets Rule:

1. When senior pets are adopted, they seem to understand that they've been rescued, and are all the more thankful for it.


2. A senior pet's personality has already developed, so you'll know if he or she is a good fit for your family.

1. You can teach an old dog (or cat or other pet) new tricks (I do every day with my own cats!): Senior pets have the attention span and impulse control that makes them easier to train than their youthful counterparts.


2. A senior pet may very well already know basic commands anyway!


3. In particular, senior pets are often already housetrained, or can be more easily housetrained than a young pet with a tiny bladder.


4. A senior pet won't grow any larger, so you'll know exactly how much pet you're getting.


5. Senior pets are often content to just relax in your company, unlike younger pets, who may get into mischief because they're bored.


6. Speaking of relaxing, senior pets make great napping buddies.


7. Senior pets know that chew toys (not shoes) are for chewing and scratching posts (not furniture) are for scratching.


8. Senior pets are some of the hardest to find homes for -- so when you adopt a senior pet, you're truly saving a life.

Kasha is one of the senior dogs in the K-9 LifeSavers pack.  She is a wonderful girl who is very friendly and affectionate.  Her biggest wish is to be part of a family.  Kasha is a very well behaved girl who can sit and give paw on command.  Kasha loves to go for walks and is very lady-like on a leash.  Kasha is looking for friendship and devotion.  She will give back ten fold in return.   

We're a third of the way through National Adopt a Shelter Dog month and there are so many ways to participate!

K-9 LifeSavers has dogs of every shape, size, color and age looking for a their very own family to love.  We'd love to introduce you to any of the dogs that we have available for adoption including:

Colton

(download)

Click here to download:

have-you-participated-zdylfguhxcsncqEdufnH.zip (85 KB)

Hudson

Penelope

If you'd love to have a companion, but aren't quite sure it's a long-term commitment you are ready to make, not take a test try and help an animal at the same time by fostering a dog? K-9 LifeSavers is always looking for people to help get dogs out of shelters and have a place to stay until they can find their forever homes.  A couple of the dogs currently searching for places to stop over until they can find their own families are:

Hancock

Zeus

If you house is already filled to the brim with puppy love, or the time just isn't quite right for you, but you still want to help, please consider making a donation.  K-9 LifeSavers is a 501(c)3 organization, making any donation tax deductible.  Monetary donations are always greatly appreciated to assisted in vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, as well as the general up keep of dogs.  Donations of supplies are also accepted!