When you don’t have access to fancy skunk wash, here’s a homemade recipe we’ve been using for years.
Of the five dogs who lived with me in the log house in the woods, only one of them had encounters with skunks. Dante was skunked more than a half-a-dozen times. He was always on the look-out for skunks. And when he caught the sent of one, he was gone in a flash. Then back home with a face-full of skunk spray.
I will never know why Dante was so attracted to skunks. He always seemed so happy when he got back home. I have noticed that puppy breath smells oddly similar to mild skunk spray. Just sayin’.
We tried many things to clean Dante when he would have his encounters with skunks. And then happened upon this homemade Skunk Wash formula. It seemed to work as well as pet-store-bought solutions. But it’s made out of ingredients nearly everyone has in their pantry or can get quickly at the grocery store. So, if you find your dog with a face-full of skunk spray and you don’t have special skunk wash, try this…
Skunk Wash Formula
1 quart (4 cups) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
1/2 cup of Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
1 teaspoon of liquid soap
Mix together to make a shampoo for your furry pal.
Rinse well to remove the shampoo from the fur after vigorously shampooing.
You may need to double or triple this recipe depending on the weight of your dog.
Dante in tub after one of his encounters with skunks
The ASPCA has some additional tips on dogs and skunks.
Slow your dog’s speed eating with enrichment and training.
A question came to my attention the other day.
Our puppy’s been with us for two weeks now and the speed at which she eats is starting to get out of control. She’s a breed that’s prone to bloat so we know we need to slow our dog’s speed eating. But we tried putting half of her food in her bowl at first and then the second half later but she just wolfs it down just as fast no matter how much we give her. Help!
It is a problem if a dog eats too quickly because swallowed air can lead to bloat and gastric torsion which can be huge medical emergencies.
On the other hand, your puppy is telling us that she’s extremely food-motivated – which will make training her as she grows up that much easier once we slow down her speed eating.
First, some of your pup’s kibble should be wetted with water and allowed to absorb some of that water before it is given to her. This should slow her down a bit.
But then…
There’s a two-word answer to this problem: Puzzle Toys to slow her speed eating.
By delivering some of your puppy’s meantime kibble in a puzzle toy you’ll not only slow down your dog’s speed eating but you’ll also be providing her significant amounts of cognitive stimulation as she has to figure out (and work at) getting her food out of the toy. ENRICHMENT!
We used a few of these to slow our speed eating goofy black LabMix, Porthos. After two bouts of bloat, he spent the rest of his life eating at least 50% of all his meals from on of these puzzle toys.
There are also other great products like snuffle mats, lick mats, the old fashioned Kong, snuffle balls, and snuffle bowls. Some snuffle mats can get pretty elaborate. I choose the simple snuffle bowl for my current dog, but you can go nuts with the variety of puzzle products.
Snuffle bowlZogo flexLick matSnuffle matGood old fashioned Kong
I have one client who puts her dog’s snuffle mat into a box and lets the dog rip the box open to get to the snuffle mat.
In addition to puzzle toys, a good way to slow down the speed of your puppy’s eating is to set aside a portion of her kibble and use it as training treats. She’ll not only eat as slowly as you’d like by you setting the pace of the training session, but you’ll also get a head start on using solid positive reinforcement training techniques to help her become a great dog.
Positive reinforcement dog training should be fear-free and force-free. Your dog should enjoy learning and you should enjoy teaching. I have been teaching fun and successful dog training for twenty-five years. Join us!
The best dog training class instructor will teach humans and dogs alike using science based, force-free, fear-free training.
I have been offering fun and rewarding training classes in the northern Westchester, Putnam, and western Connecticut area for almost twenty-five years.
“Evidence supports the use of reward-based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare.”
The best dog training class instructor will teach you and your dog to do more than sit, down, stay, wait and the basic commands.
I teach handlers how to communicate with their dogs to help their dogs do the right thing and be the best, happiest dog they can be.
Fun and rewards allowed this team to build a perfect and happy focus!
Teaching handlers how to read their dog teaches them how to understand and communicate with their dog.
To help you learn how to communicate with your dog, I will teach you how to read your dog’s body language. Knowing what your dog is signaling will help you teach them and keep them happy and calm. This book by Turid Ruggas is the primer on your dog’s body language, “On Talking Terms with Dogs, Calming Signals.“
We all learn better when we are having fun! Dog training classes should be fun and make everyone happy. There should never be force or fear used to teach.
Sit/Stay with dots and toys.
The best dog training class instructor will understand that it is so much more fun to proof sit/stay when playing the dots-and-gizmos game.
This dog training supply list includes your dog’s wearable equipment.
Many dog training tools are specific to training class but most of them will be useful in classes, at home, on walks, and more.
Your dog may disagree about what is and is not a training tool. But you will hold firm on no TP.
Collars, harnesses, and leashes.
For most of our dogs, it is good to use the same equipment for walks, hikes, or classes. Occasionally we will use a longer or shorter leash for different activities.
Collars
Flat collar – these are the basic collar everyone thinks of when they think of a collar.
Martingale collar – this collar allows the collar to close just enough to prevent the dog from squiggling out. This is my preferred collar.
I happen to be a fan of the Lupine collars linked above. They are well made (US), guaranteed (even if chewed), and they have loads of nice patterns 😊
Harnesses
Understanding the difference between a back-clip harness and a front-clip harness is critical.
If your dog’s harness has the leash clipping to a d-ring on the dog’s back, this is a back-clip harness. In most cases, this will increase pulling as it engages your dog’s oppositional reflex and they will push their chest against the front of the harness reflexively (they just can’t help it).
A Front-clip harness will have a d-ring on the dog’s chest where the leash will attach.
This is a front-clip harness. Notice the leash is attached to the harness on the front of the dog’s chest.
This will reduce the pressure against the dog’s chest and decrease or eliminate the oppositional reflex. This will stop or reduce greatly the pulling battle that often goes on during dog walks.
Here are three well made and reasonably priced front clip harnesses.
Freedom No-pull harness. This fits the best and has a secondary back clip if you want to switch between back and front clipping.
The Easy Walk Harness. This can take some tinkering to get it to fit right. But if it fits your dog, it is a good front-clip harness.
The Sensation harness. This was the first of its kind and still well made and secure.
There are many other front-clip harnesses. I find the ones that have what looks like a breast-plate in the front move side-to-side too much to be effective. The Whole Dog Journal has a nice article outlining many different front-clip harnesses.
Leashes…
There are far too many types, styles, textures, and lengths of dog leashes to list them in this training supply list.
I prefer leather or biothane leases for my own dogs. These materials sit more comfortably in my hand than cotton or nylon. For either, I like three-quarters or five-eights width. For most women, an inch width will not allow the hand to fully close around it. So, the three-quarters or half inch will allow for a more secure hold.
The length of leash will vary. For an average walk in the park, four or six feet is fine. Six will allow you the most flexibility to allow your dog to move away to eliminate. But four is easiest if your dog is playing with other dogs on leash. For hiking or playing in an unfenced area, a longer ten to twenty foot leash will allow for maximum flexibility.
Leather is the softest and sturdiest leash I have found. But it is not waterproof.
Biothane leashes are waterproof and as easy on your hands as leather (they don’t slip or burn). They come in a variety of colors, lengths, and widths.
A subset of these is the multi-leash. This is a leash that has multiple connection points to allow it to transform from a six-foot leash, to a three-foot leash, to a wrap-leash, or even a tie-out.
