Any Dog can learn new behavior no matter the age or problem!

Clicker training is a new, science-based way to communicate with your pet. You can clicker train any kind of animal, of any age. Puppies love it. Old dogs learn new tricks. You can clicker-train cats, birds, and other pets as well. Here are some simple tips to get you started.

1. Push and release the springy end of the clicker, making a two-toned click. Then treat. Keep the treats small. Use a delicious treat at first: for a dog or cat, little cubes of roast chicken, not a lump of kibble.
2. Click DURING the desired behavior, not after it is completed. The timing of the click is crucial. Don’t be dismayed if your pet stops the behavior when it hears the click. The click ends the behavior. Give the treat after that; the timing of the treat is not important.
3. Click when your dog or other pet does something you like. Begin with something easy that the pet is likely to do on its own. (Ideas: sit; come toward you; touch your hand with its nose; lift a foot; touch and follow a target object such as a pencil or a spoon.)
4. Click once (in-out.) If you want to express special enthusiasm, increase the number of treats, not the number of clicks.
5. Keep practice sessions short. Much more is learned in three sessions of five minutes each than in an hour of boring repetition. You can get dramatic results, and teach your pet many new things, by fitting a few clicks a day here and there in your normal routine.
6. Fix bad behavior by clicking good behavior. Click the puppy for relieving itself in the proper spot. Click for paws on the ground, not on the visitors. Instead of scolding for making noise, click for silence. Cure leash-pulling by clicking and treating those moments when the leash happens to go slack.
7. Click for voluntary (or accidental) movements toward your goal. You may coax or lure the animal into a movement or position, but don’t push, pull, or hold it. Let the animal discover how to do the behavior on its own. If you need a leash for safety’s sake, loop it over your shoulder or tie it to your belt.
8. Don’t wait for the “whole picture” or the perfect behavior. Click and treat for small movements in the right direction. You want the dog to sit, and it starts to crouch in back: click. You want it to come when called, and it takes a few steps your way: click.
9. Keep raising your goal. As soon as you have a good response-when a dog, for example, is voluntarily lying down, coming toward you, or sitting repeatedly-start asking for more. Wait a few beats, until the dog stays down a little longer, comes a little further, sits a little faster. Then click. This is called “shaping” a behavior.
10. When your animal has learned to do something for clicks, it will begin showing you the behavior spontaneously, trying to get you to click. Now is the time to begin offering a cue, such as a word or a hand signal. Start clicking for that behavior if it happens during or after the cue. Start ignoring that behavior when the cue wasn’t given.
11. Don’t order the animal around; clicker training is not command-based. If your pet does not respond to a cue, it is not disobeying; it just hasn’t learned the cue completely. Find more ways to cue it and click it for the desired behavior. Try working in a quieter, less distracting place for a while. If you have more than one pet, separate them for training, and let them take turns.
12. Carry a clicker and “catch” cute behaviors like cocking the head, chasing the tail, or holding up one foot. You can click for many different behaviors, whenever you happen to notice them, without confusing your pet.
13. If you get mad, put the clicker away. Don’t mix scoldings, leash-jerking, and correction training with clicker training; you will lose the animal’s confidence in the clicker and perhaps in you.
14. If you are not making progress with a particular behavior, you are probably clicking too late. Accurate timing is important. Get someone else to watch you, and perhaps to click for you, a few times.
15. Above all, have fun. Clicker-training is a wonderful way to enrich your relationship with any learner.

 Getting Started with Clicker Training by Karen Pryor

Can you change the world?

We think everyone should know the joy of dog love! So, email me for a poster you can print and display to help inspire others to open their hearts for a four legged, furry, happy, tail wagging surprise!

Gunner His world is about to change forever

We had another opportunity to help 2 German shepherd puppies recently.  The quote that keeps swirling in my mind “Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, it’s world will change forever”.  Every soul is born with a “Jimny Cricket”, yea even a conscious that knows right from wrong, truth from error.  It is incomprehensible for my mind to understand neglect. Perhaps is just ignorance, lack of common sense or self indulgence.  It happens.  To our four legged friends and our precious little 2 legged humans.  It’s my hope that we will have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart that feels the love, that inconspicuous moment when it’s our turn to reach out and change the world for one dog.  They listen when no one else will, they forgive when we’ve been stupid, they are always there, wagging their tail with a smile.  It is no wonder that when you spell dog backwards, it spells GOD.

We’ve created the Dog Emergency Preparedness back pack for your dog.

Here’s what’s we’ve put together:

• Available in 3 sizes: Small for dogs 1-20 pounds with a specialized bag to carry your dog and emergency kit. Medium for dogs 20-45 pounds and large for dogs 45-150 pounds includes a dog back pack loaded with emergency supplies to comfort and provide first aid.
• Comfortable: The Be Bop Emergency Dog Pack fits your dog comfortably with padded stress points and straps.
• Peace of mind: Knowing your are prepared to protect your dog
• Explicit information to protect and locate your dog if lost
• Extensive first aid supplies, collapsible bowls, pacifiers & more
• Imperative forms to always have with you & your dog
• Comfort items to reduce stress
• Information to keep your dog calm, comfortable and safe
• Made in the USA

There are personal items you’ll want to add.  See complete info here.

We also have emergency information for cats and birds, too.

Keep your pet’s survival emergency pack in a place that is quick and easy to grab and go. You may want to keep it in your car, or in your coat closet.  You may consider keeping 2 packs, one in your home and one in your car.  We never know when an emergency might occur that would require us to quickly evacuate our home. It may be a hurricane, flood or other natural disaster. It may be loss of power or fire. Not matter the case, if you prepare for the worse and hope for the best you to ensure will have the security of knowing you are doing all you can to protect your pet.  Following these simple tasks will help to keep your pet in safe hands.

Meet me at Mt. Hood Pet Resort!

I love this whole bathing thing….

Loving that clean feeling

The Be Bop USA mascot, Legacy, clean and spiffy!

in Sandy, ORegon for bathing my furry critters.  Trina is always so helpful and considerate!  I took Legacy, my miniature horse stallion there for his winter clean up.  He enjoyed it about as much as Phil.

Happy Bathing!