A Kenneling Alternative

Dog Training

Making Every Month Dog Training Month

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January may have just ended, but the opportunity to train your dog is good all year round.

The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), in 2010, established January as Train Your Dog Month. They picked January because of the large number of pets that were adopted over the winter and holiday months. You can read more about them by clicking here.

Many dogs wind up in shelters due to behavior problems. Concentrating on various methods of training that can be fun for both you and your companion, ADPT provides a variety of resources. Check out all of the options they suggest at https://apdt.com/category/safety-pet-owners/.

Training is something Floofins & Co. feels strongly about. We train our staff before sending them out to work with your floofins. We know lots of our clients share training habits they want our walkers to encourage while on walks, like sitting at intersections and loose leash walking skills.

In addition, many facilities are finding safe ways to continue to provide training classes and activities for your dog. That could include day care services, agility or obedience classes, or individual in-person or virtual training options.

Whatever options you decide to pursue, remember to stay consistent and make it fun. The end result will benefit you and your floofin for many years to come.

More Training Options and Online Pack Adventure Walk Scheduling

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Last month we told you about the adventure and educational opportunities Floofins & Co. had added to our service lineup. We are happy to announce that as of December 1st, you can go to the online portal and book your Pack Adventure walk. Walks run every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. And don’t forget that you can book a solo outing, our Adventure Walk option, if your pet is shy and prefers to have a walk with just themselves or their household members.

Pack and Adventure Walks

Remember that Pack Adventure walks are when Floofins & Co. comes to your home, grabs your floofin, takes them to the site of the adventure, walks them, and then returns your tired floofin to your home. It’s 45 minutes of exercise with some friendly floofins companions that each have their own pet care specialist as a handler.

We understand that not everyone needs the same level of pet care service at the moment, so these walks are a great way to keep Floofins & Co. working and get your pet an extended amount of exercise based on their needs. Maybe one adventure a week, maybe three, maybe every other week. You decide. Go online to  book one today!

Training Opportunities

In addition to our Perfect Puppy Prep and Day Training, we’ve added the option of Private Dog Training. Private Dog Training gives you the flexibility to concentrate on anything that you want to work on with your pet. You get to decide what to concentrate on or develop a strategy to address any behavior concerns you might have with a trainer.

To kick off our new Training programs, we are offering 20 percent off all training services through the 20th of March 2021. We are interested in your feedback as we implement these programs. We hope the discount will encourage you to give them a try and take advantage of our introductory pricing through the first day of Spring.

So take a look at the services on our website or reach out to talk to us about what you might want to take part in. We are here to give you all the resources for education and adventure.

Avoiding Separation Anxiety

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I have a confession: my dog sometimes pees on the rug. It’s nothing personal and we don’t talk about it (much). It is a symptom of her separation anxiety.

My dog, like most people, has a routine. And she likes to keep things in the rut in which she has grown accustomed. There is no question that her actions come from a past life (she was an adult rescue). Just like humans, pets need to acclimate to new normals in order to mitigate the most severe reactions of separation anxiety that could occur.

As Illinois begins to transition from its period of strict stay-at-home orders, people and pets may find themselves struggling to readjust. Just as you would prepare your children for bedtime hours in the days leading up to the end of summer vacation, you should consider how to manage your pet. [Read more…] about Avoiding Separation Anxiety

Bringing a Baby Home, Floofins-Style

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When you bring home your first baby, people have lots of advice. When you bring a baby to a home with Floofins in it, you get even more advice. Fortunately, we have an experienced individual to go to for how to bring a baby home, Floofins-style: owner Kristin Skelton.
We interviewed Kristin before she began maternity leave for her second child. The following are the excerpted responses to our questions.
Since this is child number two, is your approach to preparing your Floofins the same or are there differences? My approach is pretty much the same because if worked well and is continuing to work well with my son.  I was in training with Family Paws, a group of trainers and other pet care professionals that help families prepare and deal with some of the challenges that can occur when bringing home baby. I found out I was pregnant then so I had a plethora of tools and support at my finger tips as we got ready for the arrival of our first.

[Read more…] about Bringing a Baby Home, Floofins-Style

International Assistance Dog Week

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International-Assistance-Dog-Week

Celebrating International Assistance Dog Week

August is the month that features International Assistance Dog Week, celebrated this year from August 7-13. The aim is to honor all those assistance dogs for the hard and loving work they do, and to educate people on the myriad ways assistance dogs aid in the lives of countless people on a daily basis. Below is a run-down of just some of the jobs and responsibilities assistance dogs have.

Service Dogs: These dogs are trained to aid their human companions, who often use wheelchairs, with manual help, such as carrying or picking up everyday objects and pushing buttons to open doors, for example. Some service dogs are even trained to help with everyday activities such as shopping. These kind of service dogs assist in the physical activities their human companion may have difficulty or inability to perform on their own. [Read more…] about International Assistance Dog Week