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Good Dog In A Box | Rescue Dog 101 | Beginner Dog Training
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(56 ratings)
2,049 students

Good Dog In A Box | Rescue Dog 101 | Beginner Dog Training

Basic training and stress reduction exercises for your new rescue dog.
Created byJenn Merritt
Last updated 7/2022
English

What you'll learn

  • Learn how to bring a rescue dog into your home.
  • Gain the skills for proper interaction and training of a rescue dog.
  • Know the difference between working with a normal dog and a rescue dog.
  • Understand the specific needs and requirements of adopting a rescue dog.

Course content

6 sections • 27 lectures • 1h 0m total length

  • Introduction to Rescue Dog 101 Program2:51
  • How to Give Your Dog a Treat0:59

    Lesson Complexity: Easy

    The way that we are going feed our dog a treat is we are going to take a treat from our pouch, we are going to put it in the palm of our hand, like it was flat on a plate, and we're going to feed it to our dog with a flat palm.

  • Introduction to ThunderShirt2:45

    Lesson Complexity: Easy

    The ThunderShirt is designed to provide gentle pressure that comforts and supports your dog. This gentle pressure is a safe and easy way to ease anxiety and reactivity in a variety of situations.

    We recommend introducing the ThunderShirt over the course of a few practice sessions when your dog is calm and comfortable. Every dog is an individual and you may be able to progress through these steps quickly. Some dogs may require a bit more time on certain steps. Giving treats at each step is an easy way to create a pleasant association with the ThunderShirt. As you practice, you can reduce the number of treats used in each step. We want the ThunderShirt to predict good things, so plan to use the ThunderShirt on a regular basis, not just when you are easing your dog’s anxieties. We suggest using the ThunderShirt for short periods of time at first, 5-10 minutes during practice sessions.

    1. Fold the ThunderShirt flat. Place it in your hand, put a treat on it, allow your dog to eat the treat from the ThunderShirt as if it were a plate. Repeat 3-5 times.

    2. Gently open one of the Velcro straps and give your dog a treat as instructed in Step 1. Repeat 3-5 times, each time opening the velcro a bit more creating a louder velcro sound. If your dog is shying away from the sound of the velcro, you may need to repeat this step over a few sessions.

    Unfold the ThunderShirt and drape the shirt over your dog’s back, feed a few treats from your hand. Remove the ThunderShirt and repeat this process 3-5 times.

    Drape the ThunderShirt over your dog’s back and wrap the short flap under the dog’s torso securing with the longer flap and then the top flap. The fit should be snug but not tight. Feed several treats before moving onto the chest straps. The chest straps should be secured lightly around the dog’s neck, as the calming pressure comes from the torso flaps. Be sure you can fit two fingers between the neck straps and your dog’s neck. You may need to adjust the straps and flaps, so feed a few treats during this process. Now, do something fun with your dog. Practice tricks, give them a stuffed Kong, go for a walk, making the Thundershirt the conduit of good experiences. When you remove the ThunderShirt, be sure to give a treat as you open each section of velcro.

    ThunderShirt can be used in a variety of situations. Practice applying the ThunderShirt a few times per day, building up to 30 minutes. When you can predict an anxiety producing event, try to apply the ThunderShirt 15 minutes beforehand. The ThunderShirt can be used for longer periods of time, but should be removed after several hours.

  • How to Stuff a Food Dispensing Toy3:44

    Lesson Complexity: Easy

    Jenn demonstrates how to properly stuff a food dispensing toy like a ThunderToy or a Kong. She also explains how to clean them after your dogs are finished.


    Why Bother with a Food Dispensing Dog Chew Toy?


    • MENTAL STIMULATION

      Provide mental stimulation that can wear off energy and entertain your dog.

    • APPROPRIATE THING TO CHEW

      Provide an appropriate thing to chew, instead of your house, belongings, etc.

    • KEEP DOG BUSY

      Pre-empt unwanted behavior by keeping your dog busy. Great when guests come over, helping get through the first 20 minutes of separation from a human, fireworks, or storms coming through.

    • REWARDS

      Provide a reward for some behavior that includes duration, like staying in the crate.

    • STRESS RELIEF

      Provides stress relief. Chewing is a pleasurable activity for most dogs.

    • SLOW DOWN EATING

      Dog your dog eat too fast? Food dispensing toys can slow down eating.


    What Kind of Food Dispensing Toy Should You Buy?

    A Kong is a great example of a heavy duty food dispensing toy. Look for the version of the Kong dog chew toy that best suits your dog. Are they a puppy, senior, or extreme chewer? Look for a size that your dog can’t swallow or wedge into the back of his mouth or throat.



    What If Your Dog Doesn’t Seem Interested in Getting the Food Out?

    It could be the contents. Maybe your dog doesn’t like what’s inside very much. It could also be too challenging to excavate. You may have to start out by making it easier to get the food out. Also keep in mind it could be the thing that happens around it. Every time you get out a food dispensing toy, do humans leave the house or does the dog go into a crate? If so, the food dispensing toy predicts going into the crate for your dog.

    Pro Trainer Tip: Provide the food dispensing toy after the dog goes into the crate, instead of luring the dog into the crate with it. You always want the Kong to be a pleasurable experience for your dog and something they look forward to.



    How Do You Stuff a Food Dispensing Toy Quickly and Easily?

    Stuffing a food dispensing toy can be a quick and easy process. In fact, it can be made into a family project that is a lot of fun. Teach your kids how to stuff a Kong or similar toy with these easy instructions. Let your kids be creative in what they stuff in your dog’s Kong, but be sure to avoid certain foods.

    • Use a mug or cup or Solo cup or Tupperware to hold it upright while you stuff.

    • Squeeze it to make the opening wider.

    • Use baby food spoons to shove things down inside.

    • Use a frosting bag or make your own with a sealed Ziploc bag full of soft/wet ingredients and snip off a corner of the bas.

    • Seal the bottom, tiny hole of the toy with food like peanut butter, cheese, cream cheese, or a glob of any food that will squish into the hole.

    • Put sticky stuff on the sides.

    • Fill with snacks bought at your favorite pet food store or see recipes below.

    • Put in a last piece of something that sticks out a little, like a biscuit, carrot, apple, bully stick, etc.

    • Seal around the top with more sticky stuff like peanut butter, squeeze cheese, cream cheese, etc.



    What Food Isn’t OK to Stuff Into a Food Dispensing Toy?

    When in doubt, leave it out until you can research it. Many of us know dogs who have eaten some of these things without incident. Depending on how much they consume compared to their weight, they may be ok or get a sick stomach but it’s not worth the risk to stuff something you aren’t sure about. Here are some thing you definitely should avoid:



    How Do I Keep the Toy Interesting?

    Use a variety of stuffing options to keep it interesting and unpredictable. Increase the challenge by making it sticky, making it crunchy, refrigerate or freeze it, melt cheese in it, and use larger pieces of food that are more difficult to remove. Buy several toys and stuff a week’s worth at once to have on hand for busy days, for scary situations like fireworks or thunderstorms, etc…



    How Do You Clean a Food Dispensing Toy Made of Rubber?

    Do read the package instructions, but they are generally dishwasher safe, though you may need to soak them first. You might also want to try a bottle brush if you have little ones at home.



    Recipe Ideas

    If you’re looking to spice things up for your dog, try one of these fantastic recipes, developed especially to stuff in a Kong or similar dog food dispensing toy. Your dog will probably like some of the recipes better than others, so keep track of what really gets your dog enthused for their Kong.

    Tuna Casserole:

    • canned tuna

    • low fat cottage cheese

    Mix the tuna and cottage cheese together and spoon it into the toy. Serve as is or freeze.



    Veggie Dog:

    • green beans, steamed or cooked in broth

    • broth (beef, chicken, or veggie)

    • squeeze cheese

    Use the squeeze cheese to fill any small openings in the toy. Fill the toy with veggies and then pour in broth. Freeze.

    Ambrosia:

    • low fat, plain yogurt and/or low fat cottage cheese

    • chopped banana

    • a few blueberries

    • narrow apple wedges

    Mix the yogurt/cottage cheese with the chopped banana and blueberries and fill the toy. Wedge a few pieces of apple inside. Can serve as is or freeze.

    Bodybuilder Special:

    • pieces of cooked chicken

    • small biscuit or Milkbone

    • steamed rice

    • cooked green beans

    Mix chicken, rice, and green beans together. Fill toy. Wedge the biscuit into the middle. Serve as is.

    Breakfast:

    • cooked oatmeal, cooled

    • honey, just a spoonful

    • wedges of apple

    Mix the oatmeal and honey. Stuff the toy with the mix. Wedge a few pieces of apple into the oatmeal. Serve as is.

Requirements

  • A general understanding of dog ownership and how to appropriately and patiently interact with a dog.

Description

Rescue Dog 101 was designed especially for pet parents of a new rescue dog. Our program takes into account the trauma that your rescue dog could have experienced prior to be matched with your family. This program focuses on exercises designed to relieve stress and anxiety. It also covers a variety of basic dog training exercises. This program includes 33 online training videos. Watch at home or train on the go.

The Rescue Dog 101 online course features sit, down, getting your dog used to his new name, attention games, come when called, using a crate, Tellington TTouch relaxation and stress reduction exercises, how to use food dispensing toys, targeting, go to your bed, and the top 10 must have dog items.

This program was developed to build a successful and safe relationship between your dog and family. We want to give all members of your family the tools they need to stay safe, to learn about dogs, and to respect all dogs. Plus, we want to give your dog skills that will help them be a good member of your family and community.

Many of the dog training exercises in the Good Dog program are kid friendly, meaning that your children can participate with adult supervision. Children under the age of twelve should always be supervised around a dog, even a family dog that you've known for years.

It's important to remember that every dog is unique, just as every child is unique. Each dog will have its own learning style and attention span. Your dog may learn some training games quickly, while others may take more practice. If your dog walks away in the middle of a training game or you're not getting the response you're hoping for, that's OK. Stop and come back later. The Good Dog program does not address aggressive or fear based behaviors in dogs, which require the assistance of a positive reinforcement dog training professional.

The training game videos you'll view in this account are meant to be adult supervised and repeated again and again throughout the month. Practicing in different rooms of the house, inside vs outside, and with different members of the family can keep things entertaining and exciting until a next set of lessons arrives. Consistency and repetition is the key to success. We recommend training sessions of 5 to 10 minutes at a time, one to several times per day.

We recommend watching the videos in the order provided. For the training game videos, we recommend mastering one game before moving to the next. Each training game builds on skills for future games. The exceptions are the TTouch exercises. These gentle petting and relaxation exercises can be used anywhere in the program with any frequency.

It is our hope that your family comes together to work with your family dog through this program and it provides many opportunities over the upcoming months to enjoy each other and have fun. Not every lesson will be perfect and not every dog will pick up a new skill on the first try, but that's OK. Keep practicing and feel free to contact us with questions or problems. Good luck and starting training!

Who this course is for:

  • First-time dog owners, people interested in adopting a rescue dog.

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