Don't you wish people knew how to behave at Austin dog parks? So many times, you take your dog, hoping and planning on giving your dog a fun place to play, and then your experience is less than stellar. Your dog was behaving perfectly, but those other dogs were bullies, and nobody was doing anything to stop it. What went wrong? Chances are, some of you (or maybe even all of you) don't know the modern rules of Austin dog parks. Lucky for you, we DO!
Here are the things you need to know that will really help improve your dog park visits:
- Don't Bring Food. Give treats before or after, but don't bring treats to the park (or if you do, don't get them out anywhere near other dogs). In fact, don't bring any food at all if possible.
- Don't bring your cat (you'd think that would be a given!) Poor kitty. That is just mean.
- Leave small children at home. Dog parks aren't safe for kids under 6. If older kids come, make sure you teach them not to approach dogs they don't know. I'll cover that in a future post, I promise.
- Don't sit down. You should always be moving at the dog park. Where people congregate, dogs to too, and then they start protecting their owners. If you're moving, your dogs will too, and there will be less focus on protection and more focus on play.
- Don't hold your little dog above the others, and if you do pick yours up for safety reasons, don't set him or her back down in the middle of a pack of dogs. You have just elevated his status, and the other dogs might attempt to bring him back down to level the playing field.
- Mind your manners. Don't let your dog play too rough, and don't let other people's dogs play too rough with yours. Running and playing is fine, but constant humping, or dogs jumping on other's backs is not okay.
- Keep Water Fresh. If your dog tips over the communal water - Be a sweetie and fill it back up.
- SCOOP your own dog's POOP! You know when you don't, and so do the other people at the park. Don't be a doo-doo.
Keeping these tips in mind should improve your dog park experience, and hopefully make dog parks safer and cleaner all around Austin. DogBoy's has a private dog park for customers only which is a more controlled environment and decreases the risks associated with group play. Dog training can also help with socialization issues. If you like these tips and are eager for more, download our article about Safe Dog Play by our Director of Training, Paula Baker Prince.
Thanks for caring and have fun at the park!
Photo by Norah Levine Photography
Imagine that the table has been turned. What does the world of training really look like from the dog's perspective? Are humans truly in control, or are the dogs? Who is training who? What's going on...really? For a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek view of the other side of the canine coin, we suggest that you read
Training People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Human - From Food and Grooming to Service and Support - The Definitive Guide for Dogs.
According to author Tess of Helena, C.T.H. (Certified Trainer of Humans), "Many dogs find the idea of owning and training human beings intimidating. And the plain fact is that for some dogs, owning people is not worth the trouble. After all, people are a completely different species, with poorly developed senses of smell, hearing, and sight." And, with regard to training, she says, "Effective people ownership and training is made immeasurably easier and more enjoyable by keeping in mind two elementary truths: People
love dogs. They live to please us (10, 11)." Throughout the book, Tess proceeds to prove her point as she covers topics such as how to choose a human, discipline, getting the food you want, and the human pup.
For example, on page 17 in the section labeled "The Accommodating Personality" a picture of a man's legs is featured, the shot apparently taken from inside of a large dog's crate. Through the wire grid, one can see that the man is wearing athletic shoes, ankle socks, khaki shorts, and that his legs are rather hairy. The caption reads, "Muscular legs and sturdy shoes indicate a human well-suited to meet your exercise needs." Also, Tess teaches dogs how to use multiple variations of HTM or Horizontal Tail Motion (commonly known as 'wagging') to generate expressions of human affection. In this section, she describes the Standard, Rapid, and Hip-Involved HTM. She warns that Hip-Involved HTM should be use sparingly as it is the highest form of praise a dog can give a human (43).
In closing, Tess touches on Spirituality as it relates to the lowly human species. "Soul or no soul," she says, "you can't go wrong even at the very end by treating them with love and compassion. After all, they
are our best friends (107)."
So true, Tess. So true.
We at DogBoy's are super excited to be a sponsor for one of the most amazing canine events ever! Join us at
Auditorium Shores on Saturday, April 7th as we participate in the incredible, magnificent, over-the-top, doggy-fun-filled 14th Annual
Mighty Texas Dog Walk beginning at 9 am until 2 pm. The sheer magnitude of this event is unbelievable! You have to see it to believe it. Download a schedule of events by clicking
HERE and be amazed by the fun in store for you and your precious pup.
All proceeds for The Mighty Texas Dog Walk go to the
Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, a noble organization making a difference in countless lives of others by training dogs to assist Texans living with hearing or mobility challenges. They're famous for helping strays become stars! We at DogBoy's consider it a high honor to support the fine work the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs are doing. We're proud to partner with them and others to make this year's 14th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk a world record breaker!
That's right - a record breaker. You see, by registering a passel of dogs to walk around Auditorium Shores on April 7th we Texans earn big-time
Guinness Book of World Records bragging rights for the "World's Largest Dog Walk". (And you know how important bragging rights are to us Texans. Oh, yeah.) The Brits currently own the record with 17,427 dogs prancing about. Not for long, blokes. Not for long.
In addition to setting a Guinness Book attendance record, there are other world record setting categories to participate in, as well. At 12:00, there's the world's biggest fur ball competition, a fuzzy event is sponsored by
Mud Puppies. At 12:30 join us for a record breaking attempt to have the most dogs wearing the same bandana at one time contest, a swanky event sponsored by
Petco. Lastly, at 1:00, help us set the world's record for the largest number of dogs sitting at one time, a kicked-back event sponsored by
Sublime Canines. As you can see, we're partnering with an amazing cast in efforts to make this year's Mighty Texas Dog Walk the best yet!
But as far as we're concerned, the most important members of the supporting cast are
you and
your dog. Join us, won't you? Come on out to the Mighty Texas Dog Walk. You'll be so glad that you did. And when you do, stop by our booth.
Carol and some of the DogBoy's crew will have a nice cool bottle of DogBoy's water and a delicious banana there a-waiting for you.
Hope to see you there!
We're all crazy busy, right? Shuttling kids from here to there and back again. Working from dawn to dusk. We can barely catch ourselves coming when we're going. It's truly a dog-eats-good-dog-food world out there, and we at
DogBoy's want to keep it that way. That's why we've partnered up with
Mr.Chewy, an online pet food retailer, who carries many quality brands that DogBoy's endorses.
Mr.Chewy offers over 70 brands of dog and cat food, a wide variety of goodies for our buddies. They offer competitive pricing on Frontline, which is commendable, as well as promising to help DogBoy's raise money for our selected charities. Mr.Chewy is a subscription based ordering service (free shipping for any order over $49) that offers hassle-free delivery of products of your choosing.
Therein lies the Question, right?
What products should we be choosing? Which of the over 70 products Mr.Chewy offers is the best for our precious pups?
When asked this critical question, our lovely kennel manager
Marcella Slaughter, CPDT-KA, offered the following suggestions - thank goodness!
Marcella said her top 5 choices are:
- Orijen - it's pricey because of the quality of the ingredients, so anytime you can get it at a discounted rate that's great.
- California Natural - it's what we feed in the kennel, a good place to start since it is not as pricey as my other recommendations and doesn't have a ton of ingredients so it's easy on sensitive tummies.
- Natural Balance roll - the turkey formula is the best for treating with, it doesn't crumble like the other formulas. It's what we use in classes for training treats.
- Taste of the Wild - it's a nice grain-free option for dogs with allergies or sensitive tummies.
- Honest Kitchen - an easy way to feed a raw diets, you just add warm water and it's done!
Oh, happy day! Each of Marcella's choices are available for purchase through Mr.Chewy! Great news! (It is so comforting to have an expert on this topic so readily on hand, isn't it? Thank you, Marcella. We all feel much better now.)
So, if you'd like for
Mr.Chewy to help make your life a little easier and support DogBoy's favorite charities at the same time, here's how you do it. First
create an account with Mr.Chewy. When placing an order, use the referral code DOGG3575 and you'll get 10% off of your purchase and Mr. Chewy donates $10 to one of DogBoy's favorite charities - The
North Shore Animal League,
Best Friends Animal Santuary, and/or
Bidawee. Sound good? Good.
You know, whether you purchase from Mr.Chewy or not, isn't it comforting to know that DogBoy's staff is so knowledgeable and ever-willing to help? We and our pups are in good hands, for sure.
Let's begin this post with a story about a well-meaning, yet uninformed client who thought she was buying the best food for her pup. It's true that she was buying the most expensive kibble on the HEB shelves. But the best? The healthiest? Not in the least. In fact, the food she was buying was actually deadly.
As it goes for most dog-lovers, without warning or planning, a loving pup unsuspectedly warmed its way into this client's life. Their initial contact was truly love at first sight. Now what?
Said client confessed that she knew little about dog care and/or
dog training. In an effort to learn what to do, she registered in our
Canine Good Citizen class. As sessions proceeded, while the two were working hard to establish a positive working relationship, her good-natured pup seemed overly distracted, unfocused, and 'silly' during class sessions. In short, he was acting like a lovable, wiggly goof ball. Cute? Yes. Obedient? Responsive to training? Well behaved? No.
When our trainer inquired what she was feeding her dog, our now frustrated client answered, "The best they have at HEB. The top of the line." To this, our trainer shook her head and said, "Eating that food is like eating Taco Bell every day. How would you feel if you ate Taco Bell for every meal every single day of your life? Pretty rotten, right?" Our client promptly agreed and asked for
nutritional guidance of which our knowledgeable trainer was
most eager to give. For you see, we at
DogBoy's know that there is better way to feed and care for your dog and we're committed to spreading the word.
Our client threw away that expensive, "top-of-the-line" HEB dog food, followed our trainer's advice and purchased the suggested all-natural brand. Amazingly, within a matter of a few days, her dog's behavior calmed down. (Not into a zen-like trance, mind you. Simply more calm.) Soon the pup became more responsive to training commands. And, as a bonus, he began shedding less and the consistency of his stools improved. (He still has that lovable 'silliness' about him. It's hard-wired in his DNA. It's what makes him special.) The pup settled down enough to pass
DogBoy's Canine Good Citizen test. Success!
From time to time, in this blog, we will further address the serious nature of canine nutrition more closely. However, if you have the nerve or the inclination, Google "
What's really in dog food." Beware. You'll discover shocking link after shocking link loaded with dangerous warnings. And to think that some well-known manufacturers willingly sell these products every single day!
Born Free USA states, "Given the types of things manufacturers put in pet food, it is not surprising that bad things sometimes happen. Ingredients used in pet food are often highly contaminated with a wide variety of toxic substances." It's no wonder our client's pup had the Taco Bell shimmies!
For now, if you have any question about the quality of food you're giving your pup, ask us. We at DogBoy's live to help. Like in the case of our client and her rambunctious pup, we love to play a guiding role in success stories such as theirs.
[caption id="attachment_734" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Are you worthy of her trust?"]
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There's been something Noodle has been nudging me to get off my chest - something that has been bothering me for a long time now. Noodle is right. If I talk about it, hopefully people will learn. So here goes...
Recently I met a dog owner who was not yet a customer. I was excited to tell him about the business, because he seemed like the perfect customer. My perfect customer not only owns a dog, but really loves their dog (or really thinks they do, or really wants to). Sometimes that comes later. As I was busy assuming he'd be right on target with our line of thinking, I went on and on about how great DogBoy's is - how we are different from other pet care facilities in town. I got to the part where I tell people how we don't use any harsh training methods. That means no choke chains, no pinch or prong collars, and no shock collars. (We don't even use the word "No"!)
He laughed, lowered and shook his head, dismissing me.
"It's okay. My dog is a Lab, so
she can take it."
As he went on to tell me what a great hunting dog she was, and how those kinds of corrections don't bother her at all, mostly I just heard the school teacher in those old Charlie Brown episodes on TV. "Wa wa wa wa wa..." After he said she could "take it", that's all I heard. That, and my heart beating out of my chest. He disappeared into his car, and my head was spinning. How could he say that to me? How could he do that to her? How could he not KNOW? How could ANYONE not know? Sometimes I have to remember that so many people just - don't - know. Some do.
What I wanted to tell him was that
there is a better way. Your dog can behave and do what you want because she trusts you, because she respects you, because she is excited to follow you. You don't have to choke her, or hurt her, or shock her into "seeing the light." Those methods work because she is afraid, and wants to avoid the pain. Take the collar off, and you have no control. No trust. No respect. Long term, that doesn't help either of you. Wouldn't it be better if you could earn your dog's trust? If you were worthy of it?
Our goal is to create a mutually respectful relationship between you and your dog. We foster this with everything we do and say, both to you and to your dogs in our care. We do our best to teach you the same, and to give you that thirst for knowledge. If you need help, we are absolutely here for you. We offer group classes, private lessons, Board & Train, and Charm School (day care training) to help you and your dog live a happy life together.
I saw a great quote recently -
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Unknown
Go forth and spread the word - and go home, and love your dog. I would say hug your dog, but dogs don't really like that. We'll save that topic for another day!
[caption id="attachment_718" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Private Dog Park - Open House 2/25"]
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Greetings, Dog Lovers!
You have been patiently waiting for a long time...and we are so grateful! Noodle and I are SO EXCITED to invite you to our Dog Party!
What: DogBoy's Private Dog Park Open House
It's a place where dogs can run and play and swim, with other dogs who like to run and play and swim! We have acres of beautiful rolling prairie with a pond for swimming - so BRING A TOWEL!
Where: DogBoy's Private Dog Park
(behind our Training & Wellness Center, on the back of the property)
When: Saturday, February 25th, Come anytime between 10 am - 2 pmWhy: Benefiting the Austin Humane Society
Raffle tickets will be for sale to win a 2012 Mazda Miata!
Bring:
- A friend and win a Gift Certificate for future use!
- A towel (or two!)
- Your friendly dog(s) with collars & tags
- a blanket or chair (only if you NEED to be able to sit - we prefer you to be moving around and having fun with your dog!)
- NO FOOD, please. Cold water will be provided.
We will have poop stations, kiddie pools, and lots of cool water to drink. Kids under 6 must have dedicated adult supervision.
Parking: Park on the grass inside DogBoy's Main Entrance. You will see signs for special event parking.
What is DogBoy's Private Dog Park?Starting March 1st, DogBoy’s Private Dog Park will be open to clients and their dogs only, who have been evaluated and given a behavioral card color designation. Click here for details on our
Card Color Policy. Reservations and/or Dog Park Memberships will be required. So by coming to the open house on 2/25, you'll be getting a sneak peak!
So it's not FREE? There are dog parks all over town that are free. Why would I pay to go to a dog park?The Open House is absolutely free. And it's true - there ARE dog parks all over town that are free, like Bull Creek, Red Bud Isle, even Pflugerville has a couple now! The difference between those parks and DogBoy's Private Dog Park is that at DogBoy's,
your dog will be playing with other dogs who have all been evaluated - and given a GREEN Card color designation. This means that they are generally good with lots of other kinds of dogs. This also means you are at a park with a more controlled dog population, and your dog is at a much lower risk for problems with other dogs. Of course, there is a risk anytime you take your dog to a dog park, but wouldn't you like to have more control over who is there when you visit?
If your dog is not great with other dogs, or only good with specific kinds of dogs (i.e. has an Orange or Red card designation from DogBoy's), you can make private reservations during the week for your dogs and/or your friends' dogs (who you know your dog likes), so they can play in a safe, fenced in area, with no risk of interaction with dogs you don't know. If you bring your friend and your friends dogs for a private reservation, they don't have to be a current customer. We think there is value in all these differences, and we hope you'll think so too.
Owners of Green card dogs can purchase monthly dog park memberships ($30/month per family), and with those memberships will be allowed to visit any Saturday or Sunday from 9-6. Additionally
private reservations can also be made during the week from 3pm till dark.
Owners of Orange and Red card dogs can make private reservations on weekday afternoons for as little as $10 for your family of dogs. Group rates are available. You will have the park all to your self from 3 pm till dark!
If your dog has not yet been evaluated for a color card designation, we can take care of that evaluation during a day of day care. Call our office or
email us for details on getting evaluated.
All the details about the dog park pricing and rules can be found here.
We look forward to seeing you!! If you have any questions about the dog park, just email
dogpark@dogboys.com.With joy,
DogGirl
[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignleft" width="205" caption="Noodle is fired up and ready for 2012!"]
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Noodle and I would like to welcome you to 2012! What an exciting year it is going to be! Let's see if I can catch you up on all the news:
First of all, if you haven't already heard,
DogBoy's has been invited to try out for a reality TV show called Doggy Day Care! We are sending our video submission today, and can't wait to hear back to see if we get chosen. We spent the Christmas holiday capturing video of puppies, staff, customers and doing our best to capture all the wonderful people and parts that make up DogBoy's. Whether we get picked to do the show or not, making this video has reinforced what a special place this is, and how much we have to teach and share with all of you. Thank you to our clients and staff who were able to participate, and we promise to keep you posted on this exciting adventure!
Next up, our new
Spring Classes have been posted on the website, and there are 30 to choose from! You will never find a better way to bond with your dog, learn about dog behavior in a fun environment and get the results you want than with one of our classes taught by our top notch trainers. Our team works tirelessly to keep their own behavior knowledge and training skills honed, so that you can be sure you're learning from the best. Visit our schedule of
dog training classes to see what might be fun for you to try!
Along with the wonderful work we do with the dogs of the
Austin Humane Society,
DogBoy's has also begun working with the Friends of Austin Animal Center 's Hard Luck Hound program. These are the 15 dogs who have been in their shelter the longest, and are having trouble getting adopted. So our up and coming trainers Lydia, Jeanie, Kelly and Alice are taking on these special projects to see if we can teach them some manners and coping skills. We will be giving these dogs some much needed training, lots of one on one time, furthering the behavior knowledge for our trainers in training, and hopefully increasing the chances of a successful adoption for these forgotten animals. Giving back to our dog loving community is a win-win for everyone involved!
Tomorrow is the day to make your 2012 holiday reservations! I know, I know, it seems too soon! But DogBoy's has been filling up for holiday slots a year in advance for many years now, so we want you to have every opportunity to get those much coveted spots!
Call, email or fax in your request, and we will make your reservations as quickly as possible. With the new year, we are also adding a few new services, like our
Private Dog Park opening in February,
self-service dog wash appointments, and
discounts with multiple days of Doggy day care and Chelsea's Charm School! See the
Our Prices page of our website for all the latest details and prices.
Thank you all for a wonderful year, and we look forward to enriching the lives of you and your dog for years to come! We are truly blessed to have each of you and your dogs in our lives.
With joy,
DogGirl
As the holiday season approaches, Noodle and I have been talking about how grateful we are to have so many wonderful people and pups in our lives. We love seeing all of your warm smiles and wagging tails, and we want to think of ways to thank you for all you do to keep the DogBoy's family alive and well. Noodle had an amazing idea, and I want to share it with you.
We want to invite you to become a special part of the DogBoy's community - an elite group of dog-loving ambassadors who want to be a part of building the future of DogBoy's services and products. You can be an integral part of growing DogBoy's the way you want to see it grow. Do you ever walk into a restaurant or other local business and think to yourself, "This place would be so great if they asked me what I think and what I would do differently"? I know I do. Well I am here today to invite you to do just that.
We're going to create a Facebook group of
DogBoy's Ambassadors, with only those of you who want to actively be a part of giving input about what you want for your dog. We want to be a part of providing that for you, so please,
contact me and tell me you want to be an official DogBoy's Ambassador.
We're also going to have a special Holiday Open House this year to say thank you in person.
Come celebrate the season with us on Friday, December 9th from 6-8 pm at the TWC. We will have yummy homemade appetizers and adult beverages, invite local vets and our wellness practitioners, and have wonderful door prizes to give away. This party is just for humans, but we will have presents for you to take home to your pups! Please
RSVP if you plan to attend.
For our Christmas boarders, we will be celebrating the holidays again this year with our
Second Annual Santa Paws! Purchase any retail item from DogBoy's, and we'll wrap it and open it with your dog on Christmas Eve. Last year we had so many presents under the tree! If you are boarding over the Christmas holiday and would like to participate in this fun event, just purchase a gift and leave it with the front desk. We'll make sure it gets labeled and to your pup, and will hopefully get a good picture or two of the fun, which we will gladly share with you after the holiday.
For those of you who have been patiently waiting for our
Private Dog Park, we are almost ready! We are in the process of ordering the signage and making the final arrangements. We hope to be open by the first of the year. We will have an official Dog Park Open House in February. Thank you so much for your patience!
Enjoy this beautiful weather, give that pup of yours a belly rub, and we hope to see you or hear from you soon!
With joy,
DogGirl
While boarding, daycare and training will always be our primary focus here at DogBoy's, we do our best to have a selection of quality food, treats, toys and food puzzles to keep you and your dogs happy. To make sure our wonderful two-legged and four-legged customers stay satisfied, we're always looking to try out new items on our shelves. Here's what's new this fall at DogBoy's:
DogBoy's branded treats and merchandise"Life's uncertain--eat dessert first," a wise person once said. So we have to tell you about the most exciting new thing we have at DogBoy's--our very own branded treats and merchandise. Supplied by
Healthpro Nutrition, a maker of quality dog treats, DogBoy's brand treats come in turkey/sweet potato, cranberry/sweet potato, smoked salmon, and peanut butter flavors.
You can show your DogBoy's pride by buying a leash with our familiar ranch dog silhouette logo. The leashes are six feet long and are made of sturdy
nylon--perfect for walks or for use during a training class. We also are selling logo "leash links." They attach to the hand loop of a leash (they also make pretty good key rings), and are perfect for attaching accessories such as hand sanitizer, bug spray and cleanup bags. All of these leash accessories are also available here in the office. Be completely prepared for your next walk and do it in style!
New High Quality FoodsDiet is so important to us here at DogBoy's. From day one, we strive to educate our clients about how diet affects all aspects of a dog's life, especially when it comes to behavior and overall health. And we know that our customers expect that when we offer dog food for sale, it will be food that meets our highest personal standards: free of fillers, and full of good protein, fruits, vegetables and other healthy ingredients. That's why we're excited to offer
Life4K9 brand dry dog food, in both chicken and barley and lamb and barley varieties. A number of our staff have tried it; Jay reports that his dogs Graham and Hoosier both love the chicken and barley formula.
Toys
Last, but certainly not least, we have some fun new toys for sale. We have a line of fun--and tough--stuffed toys from
Mighty Dog Toys. From cows and goats to possums and beavers, we have animals for large and small dogs alike. From
Sprocket Pet Goods comes P:ECO the Penguin. P:ECO is the green dog toy, made entirely from organic and recycled materials. It's the perfect toy for the green dog in your life.
Be sure to let us know how you like these new products. And if there's something we're not carrying that you'd like to see at DogBoy's, let us know that too!