Housebound Dogs Read Online Free PDF Page B

point. Put the object on the ground and tell him to “get it,” or use whatever phrase you like to have him take something in his mouth. (This assumes that he already knows such a command.) Start walking and call him to walk with you. If he drops the toy and starts to walk away from it, stop walking and tell him to “get it.” Don’t start walking again until he has the toy in his mouth.
    2. Once he understands that you want him to walk with the toy in his mouth, you can name this new behavior by saying, “Good carry the toy.”When you’ve walked a few yards, stop, tell him to “drop it” (again, assuming that he has already learned this command), and reward him with a treat. Then start again.
    3. Have him practice the “carry” command by carrying toys on walks, into the house after an outdoor play session, or from one room to another in the house. After a couple of weeks of carrying toys, give your dog something different to carry. You might choose a newspaper, a plastic bowl, a paper bag with some apples or potatoes inside. It will probably take more encouragement to get him to carry these because he will not be familiar with the textures and the scents may not be as appealing as that of his toys. So reward him lavishly with praise and treats until he is comfortable carrying odd-tasting and unusually textured objects.
    4. Once he will carry whatever small objects you ask him to, move on to training him to carry heavier or awkward objects, such as a laundry basket. Start out with an empty basket, then gradually add some laundry to it until he’s skilled and comfortable with it. Now he’s ready to carry the basket around the house for you as you put away clean laundry or pick up dirty laundry.
Find and Retrieve
    â€œFind it” is a useful command for your dog to know. For example, when your cordless phone rings, you can tell her, “Find the phone,” and she’ll go get it and bring it to you.
    1. Put several different objects in a group on the ground or floor. They should be of a size that your dog can easily pick up in her mouth. Show your dog an object that she already knows by name, such as one of her favorite toys, and say the object’s name. Let her sniff it, then place it with the other objects.
    2. Stand back a few feet from the objects with your dog sitting at your side. Tell her to “find” the designated object and send her off toward the objects.
    3. If she brings you any object but the designated one, do not take it from her. Just send her back to “find it” again. (If you take the incorrect object from her, she may just keep bringing you one object after another willy-nilly. You want her to learn to distinguish objects from one another.) When she brings you the right object, reward her with a treat and praise.
    4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 several times, asking your dog to find a different but familiar object each time. Replace some of the objects in the group with new ones to keep the game challenging. Remember to let the dog see and sniff the designated object as you call it by name before you place it with the others.
    5. When your dog has mastered this task, ask her to find one of the toys in the group without first giving her a chance to sniff it. For example, with the dog at your side, tell her to find the tennis ball. She’ll probably understand that she is supposed to look for it among the group of toys, but will she know which toy is which? You want her to learn to recognize specific objects by name, so keep sending her back until she brings you the one you want. Be patient and encouraging and reward her with praise and a treat when she brings you the right toy.

Adopting a Friend for Your Dog
    Can another pet provide companionship and comfort for the dog who must spend hours alone each day? In general, yes. As pack animals, dogs welcome the company of other animals. It doesn’t even need to be another