Mom I'm Bored: Canine Enrichment

During my time as a zoo keeper I learned many things about animals. For instance...

Badgers love hamburger.

Cranes yearn to get their groove on.

Chimps are artistic.

Leopards love hide and seek.

And lions want to eat you.

All of these behaviors are ways the animals learned to pass the time. To keep our accreditation, and to be kind responsible caregivers, we were required to provide the animals with a variety of daily enrichment. Enrichment was anything that stimulated the animals senses and encouraged them to use their mind and body in ways they would living in the wild. This could be food, toys, puzzles, scents, different textures and ground covers, novel sounds or training activities. It was fun seeing how creative we could be.

Without this stimulation animals can easily develop stereotypic behaviors which result from boredom and stress. This is the tiger you see pacing back and forth, the monkey rocking side to side, or the porcupine that won't stop scratching at the corner of its enclosure.

We now understand variety is necessary for our zoo animals, but many people think its fine to keep their dog inside all day with one squeaky toy and a 30 minute walk. We provide Fido with meals, a warm bed, and the pleasure of our company 12 hours a day and they have the poor taste to bark, dig in the yard, chew our shoes, jump on the furniture, and knocking over the lamp while trying to catch their own tail.

These dogs more than likely are bored out of their skulls and have more energy than they know how to deal with. Their little living room enclosures don't even have hourly guests coming by telling them how cute and exotic they look. Its our job to give our dogs some hobbies or even better work to be done to earn their room and board.

My dogs carrying important vaccines to poor children. OK that was a lie, but they do deliver copious P-mails.

Exercise

We all know I think exercise is essential for a happy dog (and a happy person). Its an opportunity for dogs to get their hearts pumping and to see new places and smell new smells.  Aside from just walking and running there are a multitude of canine sports such as agility, flyball, lure coursing, hunting trials, dock jumping etc. There is also just getting out and playing with your dog. Fetch, tug of war, running around the yard like crazy animals all sound fun to me.

Training Partners

Training

It is a great thing when you can teach your dog how to learn from you. You can encourage all the behaviors you want from your dog and help them love doing it. When I'm shaping a behavior my dogs get very excited running around the room hoping to hear a click. Training allows you to mentally and physically stimulate your dog. My dogs do the majority of their training in order to earn their daily food allotment. Instead of their meal being 1 minute of gorging followed by 23 hrs and 59 minutes of wishing they had more, I spread their meal between several training sessions fed out a few kibble bits at a time.

Nix momentarily walking with a loose leash. I dub this a training, patience, and kibble miracle.

Food

Special treats or clever ways to feed your dog can really brighten up their day. If you don't want to take the time to feed your dog through training you can at least find ways to make eating an exciting challenge. You can scatter their food around a room or yard and make them sniff it out. Put their food in a paper bag, milk carton, box, or other interesting container and your dog shred his way in.

My dogs love gnawing on carrots, squash, yams, green beans, and apple. I often give them my cut off carrot tops to munch on for a bit.

Would you like a banana?

One of our favorite treats at the zoo was making "Popsicles." We would get blood or water and freeze a variety of meats and treats inside. We froze kibble, hamburger, fish, veggies, crunchy fruits, and other treats inside. I am sure most of you at home don't have access to buckets of blood, but my dog's kibble added to hot water makes a delicious stinky fishy mess that the dogs love. I have also seen bullion used, but I would be careful of high sodium levels and onion flavoring. You could make you own stock from simmering the bones and meat trimmings left after your chicken dinner. Just make sure you don't feed your dog cooked bones. You can freeze your concoction in their dog food dish, miscellaneous containers, or cupcake pans. I wouldn't suggest feeding these to your dog on the living room carpet.


You can also find devices that release food to surprise them throughout the day.



Toys
There is an endless list of dog toys. They can be used for training, partner games like tug and fetch, alone like when my dogs eviscerate fuzzy bunnies and happy stuffed squirrels, or used as puzzles to contain food like Kongs which can double as chew toys. You can make your own toys with customized fillings if you have any old tube socks. Just put what treats or toys you want inside a knot the top. Little fox puppies loved swinging them around and playing tug with them.

I had a dog that carried around an old flat leather football for 10 years. When I worked in a greenhouse my dog loved chasing, shaking and tearing apart dirty clumps of roots and grass and would chase then eat miniature pumpkins and squash. They also loved chasing after and ridding our yard of as many grasshoppers as possible.

There is an almost unlimited variety of items for your dog to chew on such as Nylabones, rawhide, bully sticks, antler, smoked bones, pig ears, special aged cheese, filled treats, hooves and more.

Yes Please

Smells
One thing I will never forget from the zoo is tigers go crazy for old lady perfume. Spray some around and they will roll around and rub their head and neck against smelly objects until they smell like they are ready for church. I have seen my dogs perform this same behavior on a pair of my stinky sneakers. You can make old toys, boxes, spots in the yard, and other object you may choose new and interesting by experimenting with safe smells. Perfumes, juice from a can of tuna, urine and scents used to train hunting dogs, stinky socks, items that belonged to other animals, raked up leaves, new mulch, freshly turned soil and many other things can really excite your dog. My dogs go crazy and rub the floor for smells whenever I use Bag Balm for dry foot pads.

On occasion, when I'm ready to clean up a mess, I let my dogs tear apart empty boxes that used to have food in them. Even smells that make your dog curl his nose and huff away add interest to the dog's day, so don't be afraid to experiment a little. Just remember if a smell seems strong to you its even stronger to your dog so no need to over apply.

Yeah smells!!!

Sounds
The abundance of squeaker toys should make it obvious that dogs love toys that talk back. You can by packs of squeakers if you want to add them to your own homemade toys. I have also found toys with a crispy crunchy plastic inside. One of my dogs likes crunching on empty soda bottles with the lids removed. You can also find toys with speakers inside that make a variety of animal sounds.
My dogs also like to sing along when I play the harmonica or trumpet.

Additional Resources
Animal Farm Foundation, Inc.
ASPCA
AAZK Enrichment Suppliers

Barking Bicycles: Biking with your Dog

Having one of those days where you just cant get motivated to put on your running shoes? Do your runs with the dogs just leave them wanting more? Is Fido alternating looks between his leash and you? Is your dog faster than your short legs can keep up with? Maybe you should give biking with your dog a try.

I want to say first that there are risks involved when biking with your dog. Done improperly and you or your dog could be injured. I have been thrown over my handlebars when my dog spooked and came to and instant dead stop directly in front my my tire. I got up with only a few bruises and I missed hitting my dog, but both of us could have been be hurt in this easily preventable accident. The right equipment and training go a long way to keeping everyone in one piece.

Ouch! This was from canicross not biking, but you get the idea.

There are several ways to bike with your dog each requiring different training and equipment. I would NOT recommend biking your dog leash in hand. One bad turn or lunge and your dog is in your spokes or you are on the ground. I have biked my dog with a leash, dog harness, and old beater mountain bike. The money invested on equipment does not have to be large, but there is quality equipment out there that can make the process much easier.

First you need a bike. A mountain bike or wide tired stable bike is best. Your five pound road bike may be nice when powering down the road, but it doesn't offer much resistance if your dog ever decides to bolt at a squirrel. It can also be hard on your dog to spend too much time biking down asphalt roads or sidewalk paths. A bike you can take on some dirt will be appreciated. Also have reliable brakes. It's harder to stop with a dog pulling in front of you. To protect yourself you will probably want some gloves, and smarter people than me should wear a bike helmet.

A fleece cap will pads my brains right?

I do most of my dog biking on dirt roads and it shows. Nothing screams I've been biking in the muck like a mud stripe going from your butt to your shoulder blades. If you don't find this attractive, you may want to get yourself a set of bike fenders. On your way out don't forget to grab a water bottle to take with you. Fast moving dogs need refreshments!


Unfortunatly fenders do not fit on dogs.


The most common way to bike with your dog is at your side using bike attachments such as the Springer bike attachment or WalkyDog. These can attach to your bikes seat post or wheel hub. These are good if you have a dog you want to bike in a heel position beside your bike. There is also little training involved to get your dog on the road. I have not used any of these attachments myself, but I would caution people to keep close watch on their dog to make sure you are not forcing them to maintain faster speeds or longer distances than the dogs would like. Your dog is at your side and is required to go at your speed with little say in the matter aside from stopping and getting drug along. I also think there is an increased risk of injury to your dog in the event that you lose control and crash on your bike. It is not required, but for your dogs comfort I would suggest using a dog harness instead of attaching the leash to your dog's collar.  At least then if you crash you will not wrench your dog's neck to the side.

Another method for biking with your dog which I use is bikejoring. Instead of being at your side, your dog is out front attached to a bungee line and can even pull you along like a dryland sled. This requires more training because your dog will be out at least six feet in front and must be taught when to turn, stop, slow, and stay our of harms way. The only physical control your have over your dog is your brakes.

When I started bikejoring I used very simple equipment. I clipped a Ruffwear Roamer leash on my bikes handlebar stem above the front tire. Attaching the leash to the handlebar stem is much safer than attaching to the handlebars. Your steering is unaffected and the bike remains relatively stable. An issue myself and others have run into is if your dog slows your leash can rub or go under the front tire. Urban Mushing has a homemade solution they call an antitosser to prevent this.

Here the leash is clipped around the handlebar stem. I don't have a handy antitosser.

Another option is to get yourself a bikejoring antennae. This device sticks out over your tire and allows your leash or line to attach out in front of the tire. I use the BAY-o-net from Nooksack Racing. It is easy to attach and remove, but is very secure and stable on our rides. I bought it with their 10 foot bungee line that attaches easily to Nix's harness.

The advantages of having my dog 10 feet in front of me are I have plenty of time to stop and if I always bike keeping him in front, I never go faster than he wants. It is easy for him to stop or slow if needed. The disadvantages are I have a dog on a long line 10 feet in front of me. I have to trust that he will not bolt out in front of a car and that he will follow my direction cues. As much as possible I stick to low traffic country roads or trails. Nix knows to stick to the side of the road, but it only takes one bad turn in front of a truck.

I do not think a dog should try bikejoring without first being trained through walking and canicross which I discuss in my previous post about running with your dog. This is a safer more controlled environment for your dog to learn commands and rules of the road. An interesting side effect I have had from this is my dog refuses to bike on the right side of the road. After miles of running facing traffic he has decided that's the safe way to go and if it means he will stay to the side well away from traffic I've decided to oblige.

Deciding how you want to bike with your dog can be influenced by personal preference, local surroundings, or the personality of your dog. If Nix didn't take so readily to being out front pulling, bikjoring would not work well. Two of my dog love to be out front where the action is, but Lupe is content to run at my side. If she was about 15 pounds larger she would probably be a better candidate for a side bike attachment.
Not all dogs trust bikes. They have big wheels, move fast, and come equipped with crazy colored people in big hats and funny tights.

What are these things? Why are giant beetles clutching their heads?

You may need to spend some time acclimating your dog to your bike before you can take him out on the road. You can try these steps to desensitize your dog. If at any point your dog gets scared take a step back and give your dog more time to adjust. You can even make it a rewarding experience by clicker training and rewarding your dog for exploring your bike, being attached to the bike etc.

1) Set your bike out where your dog spends some time like out in the yard. Let them sniff and get comfortable with its existence.

2) Walk your bike around. Do not bump your dog or get angry with them. Making your dog afraid of your bike wheels is not a good way to keep your dog from getting run over. Training is.

3) Sit on the bike.

4) Slowly ride the bike.

5) Attach your dog to the bike.

6) Bike in a relaxed safe setting with your dog attached.

Nix used to be a little skiddish if the bike was to close behind him, but once he got out front pulling he no longer cared. Now he doesn't seemed bothered by it at all. Observe your dog and don't force them to do anything that is obviously scaring them. Some dogs can be scared by the sound of changing gears. Be mindful of this especially if your dog is running at your side.

The end goal of this is to go out and have fun with your dog. Bikejoring requires cooperation between me and my dog that has bonded us closer together. Nix has learned to look to me in unfamiliar situations plus he just loves getting out there to run. You also can't beat the view.

Are You Walking the Dog or is it Walking You?: Canicross and Running With Your Dog

I don't think of myself as a masochistic person, but over the last 4 years I have decided to accumulate three of the most athletic small dogs I have ever met. Don't get me wrong, they love a good lap when they get the chance, but they have decided they need to earn it. I get lots of comments and stares running down the street with under 40 lbs of furry intensity leading the way.  I enjoy and am motivated by their intensity and enthusiasm and now prefer to exercise with their company. Running without a dog now is like drinking flat soda. The flavor is there, but its lifeless. To accommodate this I have picked up some tricks, tools, and training for running with my four legged running partners.


"Just 3 more miles Mom. Lupe's getting love handles."


One of the first things I learned is running with a leash in your hand is awkward. It throws off my running form and causes my to tense my whole arm from my hand up. Instead I started clipping their leashes into my hydration vest I used to hold water, poop bags, phone, keys or any other supplies I felt I needed to carry with me. When I added a third 20lb dog into the mix the vest clasp system was no longer strong enough so I tried out a convertible waist leash by Ruff Wear instead. To run with three dogs I will clip the leashes of the smaller two onto the waist loop with caribiner clips. For more padding I have also used a running belt with a pouch and water bottle holder. These were not originally designed to be pulled on so I secured the straps with safety pins, or if you wanted a more permanent option some extra stitching.

Here is my 3 dog running belt setup. If you want to spend $50 you can find specially designed canicross or skijor belts. I am cheap.

I have seen lots of advice saying to run with your dog you should teach in to heel beside you before you consider running with it. When running on the sidewalk a dog running beside me or behind me just got in the way or kicked. I have instead trained my dogs to run directly in front of me. To keep them from getting out of control I have taught them commands for stop, go, and turns. I did not learn until much later that running with a dog pulling in front of you is a sport called canicross. Sometimes I think all the cool stuff is in Europe. In canicross you put your dog in a comfortable harness and attach them to your waist with a bungee leash. You can run much faster with a dog helping you along. Cec came through the door flushed and excited after her first time running canicross with the dogs, "I feel like I'm cheating. Running isn't supposed to be this fun."

And they're off!

You may have concerns that teaching your dog to pull while running could teach your dog bad habits if you don't want them to pull while walking. You can solve this by teaching your dog a command for when it is ok to pull. You can also teach your dog that is it ok to pull while in a harness, but never put on the harness if you just want your dog to go for walk. Just like a dog learns that opening the cupboard means food, and grabbing your keys means you are going out, they can learn that putting on a harness means running time.

There are a large number of dog harnesses out there and it can be hard to choose. I have gone through a number of them trying to find on that would not rub my dog raw while pulling. For larger dogs there are x-back sled dog harnesses, but these are not considered good for running with people because the leash attaches too low. Another problem with these is a dog can easily back out of them. An important feature I look for is padding in the chest where pressure is applied while pulling. I have seen a good one you can order in a custom size from Alpine Outfitters.


Nix happy in his harness, but unenthusiastic about the boots.


I am currently using the Ruff Wear Web Master Harness on Nix and really like it. It is very adjustable, has a padded chest plate, and reflective piping to help make us more visible at night. It is also good if you have a dog that ever tries to back up out of a harness.

After buying a new harness inspect your dog carefully after runs or walks to insure that it is fitting properly. Before I found the right harness, Nix would finish a run with chaffing or missing hair. I consider the dog's harness to be the same as my running clothes or shoes. If I expect them to wear it for ever run, it is very important that it is comfortable.

I have not tried them, but you can find complete canicross (you can also search for skijoring) kits that come with a human hip belt, bungee line, and harness. This allows for less personalization, but can be a simpler option if you want to just click a button and have everything you need. I'm cheap so instead built my own set up through trial and error using the before mentioned waist packs, a combination of leashes, clips, dog harnesses, and collars to get me by. What really matters if it works well for you and your dogs.

Your dog can not tell you if he is tired, hot, or in pain so it is very important that you pay attention to their appearance and behaviors during and after a run. Here is a list of things I constantly scan for while running the dogs.

Is my dog...
-Limping
-Changing their form
-Panting excessively or foaming at the mouth
-Slowing or lagging behind
-Stopping and refusing to continue

If any of these thing occur I stop and closely check my dog for possible injuries. It may just be a thorn stuck in a paw, but it can also be an indication that your dog is overheating or has had a more serious injury. In wet conditions Nix will sometimes rub raw spots on his pads. I don't want to continue running him for miles on bloody paws even though he will push through the pain until we get home.

I also check my dogs after each run to see problems I may have missed.

How are my dog's...
-Pads and toenails
-Skin and hair where collars or harnesses may rub

Is my dog...
-Foaming at the mouth or panting excessively
-Limping or favoring paws
-Shivering or avoiding you

It is important to see if your dog has received any injuries or if they have gotten too hot or cold (more often hot) during the run. Dogs are built for running, but in hot weather are not as good at cooling themselves as we are. Nix will sometimes get to hot at temperatures as low as 60 degrees.

I make sure to carry water with me on runs even if I myself do not want any. Since they are cooling themselves by panting, my dogs often want water much more often than I do. I also try to carry along poop bags so I don't leave messes for others.

If you are following a specific training plan understand that your dogs do not know you are supposed to run 3 miles at an 8 minute mile pace that day. Some days they just won't want to run as fast or consistently as you do. I think the enjoyment I get from running with my dogs well makes up for this and can help me take things less seriously. Running should be fun or you won't want to continue doing it. Dogs are a great reminder of this.

Enjoy your post run endorphin high!

Taming the Active Dog: the Saga of Nixolas

I've recently learned the truth in the saying "be careful what you wish for." I dreamed of having an active dog, a true running partner who would push me to new distances, and never turn me down when asked to run on a snowy day. What I didn't anticipate was Nix.


Look at my cute bandanna! How could I ever cause any trouble?



I fell in love with Nix after seeing a playful little video of him on the Humane Society of Boulder Valley website. For such a young dog Nix came with a big history including three previous owners, a desire to chase animals straight up trees, poor leash skills, and an anvil scar branded into his side

Nix turned out to be a screaming Hell demon with as much drive as a sled dog three times his size. He needed an outlet and a game a fetch after a 30 minute walk wasn't going to cut it



Give me dog treats or I'll steal your soul.



My first goal was to teach him to heel. Bribery, distraction, "no pull" harnesses, head halters, and finally even a prong collars did little to stop his endless pulling. He would strain until his tongue turned blue and had to sprawl out in the grass until he could catch his breath and regain his color. The harness and halter were resisted until fur and skin were rubbed off.



Failures



I decided if he wanted to pull so bad then we might as well learn to do it right.

Some internet searching led me to the "dryland mushing" sports of canicross and bikejoring. In canicross you attach yourself to your dog with a bungee and harness and allow your dog to pull you along as you run helping you maintain greater speeds than you could on your own. Nix caught on immediately and kept an excellent line ahead of me mile after mile. To keep us both from getting hit by cars, horses, or whatever else turns up in small town Colorado, I taught Nix some basic commands including let's go, over (left), out (right), slow and stop. After a month of practice we ran a very fun race called the Phantom 4 Miler and Nix triumphantly crossed the finish as the 1st place dog! His success made all the screaming everyone endured before hand almost bearable.



I wish that could be my outfit for every race.



Even with all our running, Nix still had an excess of energy that was hard to deal with. I decided it was time to take things up a notch and try bikjoring. Bikejoring is similar to canicross except the dog in attached to your bicycle. Since Nix would be moving on a long lead in front of a fast moving bike, it was crucial that I had spent time training Nix through canicross first.

I learned this the hard way months before when I tried taking Nix for a short bike while holding a shorter leash in my hand. Nix got startled by the bike, stopped inches in front of my tire and caused me to flip into the air and over my handlebars to avoid hitting him. On the bright side Nix waited politely for me to pull myself off the ground instead of running away. Please learn from my stupidity.



Note the leash attached below the handlebars so Nix can't spin me into a semitruck or bird filled bush.



Bikejoring was amazing. After getting used to the bike Nix took the opportunity to run 6 miles at around a 5 minute mile pace. Since I am not an Olympic level athlete, I would never be able to run that pace with him. Afterwards I was left with a calm, happy, cuddly dog I didn't know I had. Bikejoring was like doggie pot. Nix loves bikejoring and the cooperation required to make it all work has increased the bond between us. I'm so glad I found this fun activity for us to do together. I hope someone reads this and decides instead of punishing or getting rid of their dog, maybe they should find ways to exercise their pet first. Dogs were not meant to sit around the house all day and neither were you.