November challenges

Now I know it's almost the end of November... so this is a little late! But I thought while I had a free minute in between the busyness of this time of the year, I'd let you know about two theme's for November that I think are excellent! 

No shock November

No shock November is an initiative set up by a New Zealand behavioral vet. It's something that I am very passionate about - getting rid of the use of adversive and dangerous tools that have very very little place in dog training, and absolutely no place in the training of domestic pets and sporting animals. 

There is research about the negative effect and potential risks of adversive tools such as shock collars (see here).  Personally, I never want to use adversive tools, as I feel that it does not build a positive relationship between a person and dog, and also I the use of harsh punishments potentially temporarily suppresses emotions that can explode out later as aggression. 

See more about this movement at the Facebook page here. 

No bowl November 

One easy way to increase the behavioral enrichment and lives of your dog is to use their dinner as behavioral enrichment tools and games. 

Check out this video showing the difference in using a slow feeder bowl with kibble: 

How about putting your dog's meals in a box? Here's the Hybrid Training furry members getting their Jimbo's veal bones out of boxes for dinner (they just have their oil and 4CYTE tablets in the bowls by the box): 

Here's some ideas:

• Scatter dry food through a snuffle mat
• Scatter dry food in a large grass area and allow the dogs to sniff and forage for their dinner
• Make food trails outside with their dinner
• Put their dinner in a box
• Put dinner into muffin tins, with tennis balls over the top 
• Put dinner into paper bags
• Put dinner into slow feeder bowl
• Feed the whole dinner out of a treat dispensing ball or toy
• Freeze a portion of daily meal allowance in Kongs, hooves, or other suitable toys or chews.