GM News - December 2022 😎 👅 👒 🌞

Merry & Bright!

This edition of GM-News is all about Summer Fun.

Our very best wishes for a safe, happy and relaxing Holiday Season :-)

With the exception of the public holidays, we will have one-to-one lesson timeslots available. Play+Train will resume in late January.

Amanda, David, Rodna & Ruth
Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

Travelling

Planning a summer trip with your dog? Check out these resources:
Susan Garrett's Car Vacations With Dogs: Tips To Make Holiday Road Trips Safe And Fun For All #154 - Video podcast 20mins.

Susan shares what she packs for road trips and offers that list for you as a PDF download pinned in the Comments area.

Prefer a written list to video? A guide to travelling with pets by PetRescue. Includes links to Accommodation and Activities.

Looking for places to exercise your four-legged travel mate? RACV's list of best dog parks in regional Victoria

Staying Home - Fun Outside

DIY frozen treats prepared in a muffin tin

Fun ways to keep your hot dog cool: More frozen treats, watermelon, and cooling apparel The Dog Days of Summer

Like to get a kid’s plastic clamshell to hold water for your dog to cool off in the backyard? Your dog may need support to use the pool comfortably. Eileen Anderson details her process for getting her dog to feel happy and confident about jumping in at How Do I Get My Dog Into the Pool?

Outdoor Safety

Can Dogs Get a Sunburn? by Dr. Melody R. Conklin. Spoiler Alert - Yes they can!

Marilyn Mele's short list of 6 safety precautions for dogs who love to play in the water:
> life vest with handles - fatigue happens fast, and a vest is your back-up
> flat toys - retrieving round toys can risk swallowing too much water
> how to leave the pool - dogs should practice leaving the pool without help
> long line for open water - safety precaution
> hose and sprinkler - don't let them bite at the sprinkler or drink from the hose
> rest periods - insist on frequent breaks to prevent over-excitement

Fun Inside

Kyra Sundance is a guru of trick training and her YouTube Channel has lots of videos on how to teach different tricks. You'll be familiar with the carry-a-basket activity if you're a Play+Train member. In a video by Trina Morris (done as part of Trina's work to become a Certified Trick Dog Instructor with Do More With Your Dog!), Trina gives a demonstration of how you build the behaviour of carrying a basket in the dog's mouth.

Body Language

Events and holidays can be stressful for dogs as well as humans. (Check out the GMSDT Facebook post on 23 November: Michelle Stern's Avoiding Dog Meltdowns) Eileen Fatcheric, DVM, outlines the Critical Signs of Stress in a Dog

Lowering Stress

Animal Bonds' Five Proven Ways To Calm Your Stressed Animal Companion (a PDF is available if you subscribe to their mailing list):

Breath - slow, steady breathing on your part can be calming for you and for your dog (stress and its flipside can be contagious)
Pheromones (e.g. Adaptil): a tool for the longer term - results may take 2 weeks or longer
Music - classical music or reggae
Exercise & Play - beneficial endorphins
Reading to your dog - The reading rhythm and steady voice is calming for reader and listener

No time? Try:
o   iCalmPet
o   Pet Acoustics
o   1 hour of relaxing dog music!
o   Listen Through a Dog's Ear
o   Spotify's 'My Dog's Favourite Podcast'