Rewarding Behaviors with #StellaandChewys

It's no secret that I am a fan of Stella & Chewy's raw food. My dogs are as well. While I haven't personally tasted it, it's apparently delicious.

So much so that my dogs are willing to work for it.

Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw makes a great reward or training treat!

I admit, I regularly bribe my dogs for good or desired behaviors, or for doing "tricks" that I want them to do. They typically comply, but the reward has to be worth it in their opinions at times. Stella & Chewy's is nearly always worth it to them.

My Rotten Dogs are Stella & Chewy's ambassadors. We are compensated to help spread the word about Stella & Chewy's, but all thoughts and opinions are our own. 

I am not a trainer, nor do I claim or desire to be one. But my dogs all know several behaviors and/or tricks, and I encouraged them to learn them with tasty goodies.

I haven't taught any new tricks or behaviors recently, with the exception of teaching Faolan to "crawl." However, we still do regular sessions of their known tricks and behaviors, to keep them sharp.

When I do these outdoors, there are distractions. My chickens, other birds and critters, each other my neighbors tractor, lawnmower, golfcart, etc. So have to have something very high value to keep their attention.

Stella & Chewy's is just that to them-high value.



Notice how intently (for the most part) are paying attention to me? I believe it's because of the pieces of Stella & Chewy's I was holding. Faolan in particular wanted MY attention and the treats, and was being pretty demanding (but still cute) by barking at me.

It's quite easy to use the food as treats. Though it is freeze-dried, it is not super crumbly. The patties easily break into smaller pieces to be used as treats.

My dogs definitely go nuts for these, and are willing to work. I need to put my thinking cap on, and come up with new tricks and behaviors to teach them using these as a reward.

Do you have any trick suggestions for me?



This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Stella & Chewy's. The opinions and text are all mine.

Damn it, Bruce

I often lament about Bruce. Perhaps lament is not the right word. I often bitch about Bruce. And until you have experienced him first hand, or a dog like him, you cannot judge me.

But he's so handsome!

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Bruce. I have to, or why else would I have put up with him for nearly six years?

His issues go beyond reactivity and fear.  He is unpredictable and can be aggressive. I get judged for some of my methods with him, but I'm ok with that. I have to be able to control my dog. I refuse to allow him to live a life confined to the yard, so I take him on walks in safe areas. And I use a prong collar on him when doing so. Bruce has worked with three different trainers, two of them strictly positive reinforcement, and one of the "balanced" (whatever that means), and none could fully control him. He did pass a very basic obedience class, because he is very obedient when he chooses to be. He only chooses to be if there are no other stimuli present.

I have written multiple times about him and his antics. See here and here, for a couple of examples. Though tongue in cheek, this post highlights several of Bruce's less than desirable behaviors.

Just how bad is he, you ask?




I posted this video on Facebook and Instagram, but not here. Prior to this, Bruce had never demonstrated an interest in electronics. That has changed. At the end, you can see his reaction to me touching his back. Fortunately that caused him to drop my phone, which I then covered with my foot.

In some ways he is so much better than he was nearly six years ago. He no longer feels the need to guard space from me, or try to steal things directly from me. In some ways he is worse. If he decides he wants something, game over. He will make every attempt to get it, and nothing can distract him. Very rarely does he give anything up. This dog is lucky he hasn't had a bowel obstruction, with the number of socks he has eaten.

I dare you to try to take the Jolly Ball away from him.

I haven't taken a vacation in a while. Bruce is 100% unboardable. If he were smaller, and easy to physically control, it wouldn't be such a big issue. But he 95 lbs of muscle, fear, and attitude.

There are exactly four people I would trust to stay with Bruce. Not that I don't trust people, I mostly don't trust Bruce. One of them recently moved to California. Two of them are my old neighbors, and they have busy lives, three dogs and a cat of their own. The other is my twin sister, and her work is an hour away from me, and she has a family of her own plus two dogs. But she recently agreed to stay at my house if I ever need her to, after I offered her $100 per day to do so. I feel it's a bargain. But...she would have to come beforehand and learn the mealtime routines.

Ah mealtimes. My dogs eat twice daily. They don't need two meals, but I don't think Bruce could emotionally handle only eating once a day. Mealtimes are a circus, a process. It's a good thing I live rural. My house sounds like a kennel, or a dog fighting ring, at mealtimes.

I call him names. Most not appropriate for mixed company. He's an asshole. A douchebag. A jerk. I say "damn it, Bruce" at least three times daily. One thing I don't do with him is raise my voice in a true angry tone. That gets him grumbly, defensive, fearful and ready to react. Even when his behavior is wretched, I try and speak to him in a sweet, soothing voice. He loves praise, and sing-song voices. If he has the slightest inkling that you don't want him to do or have something, he is going to try his damnedest to do it or get it.

But I love him. I love how excited he is to see me, the way he sings at me. I love the way he dances. I love how intensely he stares when I tell him to "watch me." He is easily the most affectionate of my crew, and usually the most obedient.

He is handsome, sweet and funny. He is also fearful, reactive, aggressive and labile. Its a difficult combination. I don't trust him, but I love him.

This is How He Rolls - Faolan Scent Rolling on All the Things

I have written about why dogs scent roll in the past. Faolan is a champ at it. Seriously. If it smells good, unusual, or disgusting, he will likely scent roll on/in it. Continue reading for several video examples of Faolan scent rolling on various foodstuffs and household items.

Somethings Fishy - Natural Balance Fish & Sweet Potato Jerky Bark #ChewyInfluencer

Sometimes dogs just want a soft, stinky treat.  Actually my dogs want them all the time. 

They were given the opportunity to try out some Fish & Sweet Potato Jerky Bark made by Natural Balance, courtesy of our friends at chewy.com. 

Some Raw is Better Than No Raw - #mixitup with Instinct® Raw Boost® Mixers

This will not come as a surprise to most, but I am a huge fan of the inclusion of any sort of raw food into a dog's diet.  I always like to say "some raw is better than no raw."  There is a convenient, easy way to add some raw goodness, or a bit of raw protein variety, to your dog's diet, without taking up precious freezer space.

This post is sponsored by Instinct® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Instinct® Raw Boost® Mixers but My Rotten Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Instinct is not responsible for the content of this article.

What Dog Doesn't Like French Fries?!?!

My dog doesn't like French fries.  Seriously.

I often mention that Faolan is a notorious treat snob.  Bruce will eat anything put in front of him, and Neeko can be a treat snob, but is pretty good overall.

Faolan doesn't like fries, popcorn, or chips.  I have never met another dog who doesn't like popcorn.

This video is old, but shows the hilarious face Faolan makes when offered a salty snack.






Are there any treats your dogs don't like?

Something's Fishy-The Honest Kitchen Beams

The Honest Kitchen is one of those companies I cannot help but love.  They believe in real, whole foods for dogs.  And they make RAW!!!  Their dehydrated raw makes regular appearances in my dogs' breakfast bowls.

Chewy.com sent us some Beams to try out.  Beams are single ingredient dog treats/chews.  That single ingredient?  Dehydrated, wild-caught, Icelandic catfish skin.  If I were to base it on this alone, I would be extremely happy.

My dogs are all fans of fish, and anything stinky.  These do have a strong smell, but it is not super unpleasant, and the bag they come in is resealable.

I offered these to Faolan first.  One can see he had a good time barking at me to hurry up and give him his treat.

The large beams are an impressive chew.  I am guesstimating that they last Neeko and Faolan approximately 5 minutes each, and Bruce a bit shorter.  Another great thing is that each beam can be cut into small pieces with scissors to be used as training treats.  My dogs are always willing to work particularly hard for something this valuable to them.

Faolan is a typical wolfdog.  Like many dog breeds, he loves to scent roll.  One can guess what he did to the Beam after first being offered one...



I am not sure why the volume didn't transfer with the video.  You're not missing much, just him barking and then me laughing at him.

Little boy did eventually stop rolling long enough to enjoy his chew.

(Obviously) I am very happy with these. All-natural, single-ingredient, meat treats that my dogs love, and I feel good offering to them.  These are currently on sale at chewy.com!

I was provided with complimentary product.  All opinions are strictly my own.

Faolan Wears His Heart On His Sleeve For Bravo! Crunchy Delights

I have said it time and time again: Faolan is exuberant.  If he is experiencing an emotion, it shows.  He is the antithesis of stoic, and has a terrible poker face.

Happy, excited, anxious, fearful, angry, antipathy; he shows them all.

His personality is overall wonderful, and makes me laugh on a daily basis.  I regularly call him a silly little boy.

He is a notorious treat snob, known to snub his nose and walk away from treats that aren't good enough for his picky palate.

We are trying out some Bravo! Crunchy Delights, and the little treat snob LOVES them. 


As a raw feeder, I am familiar with and a fan of the Bravo! company.  These new treats are not raw, but baked goodies that are made in the USA with all natural ingredients. 

These biscuit type treats do have a strong, albeit pleasant smell, and are easily broken into a smaller size.  (Don't tell my dogs that I break their treats...)

I am always happy to see him so excited about a treat, because I know that they will work well as a "distraction" treat, if he is willing to focus on food instead of something else while out and about.  These types of treats are always needed in my house.

Find Bravo! on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

I was provided with complimentary product.  All opinions are strictly my own.

Canine Body Language: It's Really All the Same

Have you ever paid attention to the body language of wolves, and compared it to your own dogs?  It's really all the same.  After all, wolves are dogs.  Wolves are Canis Lupus, and our domestic dogs are Canis Lupus Familiaris.

The following video was taken at Wolf Park, a captive wolf educational facility.  While it's incredibly cute, watching how excited the wolves are to see Monty Sloan (photographer and wolf expert), what I find interesting is watching the behavior amongst the wolves themselves, and how they react to the person, then comparing it to that of my own dogs, my sister's dogs, or my neighbor's dogs.


The behaviors are all the same, it is the intensity of them that is different.  A German Shepherd, Border Collie, or Akita is likely to have more intense behaviors than a Pug or a Golden Retriever, but they have the same behaviors and body language as their ancestors.

Another cute video recently made rounds on Facebook.  I do not know the back story of it, but it is a "reunion" of sorts between a lady and some wolves.  While it is sweet how excited they were to see her, I was again drawn to watching the behaviors and body language of the wolves, both amongst themselves, and interacting with the person.



Do you see any of these behaviors in your living room wolf?

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Silly Fun-My Talking Pet App

An individual in a Facebook group introduced me to a fun little smartphone app yesterday-My Talking Pet. I have an iPhone, and it was 0.99 in the App Store. I don't know if it's available on other devices.

I immediately made a video of Neeko.

It's takes just a little bit of playing with/getting used to to line up the dots for realistic mouth movement.

The pitch of the voice can be changed, and it's an easy app to use.

Soon, my friends and coworkers were texting me pictures of their pets to make videos with...

Moby (he has feline herpes)

Sweet Jackson.

Buster.

Chica Consuela Guadalupe Rodriguez Hughes.

Silly fun, but highly entertaining, for $0.99!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Dogs are More Popular than Me

In a way.  Neeko and Bruce were on TV with Les two years ago, being interviewed for a local television show about pets at the 2011 Mutt Strut. 







Find more videos like this on Pet Pals TV



That local show is Pet Pals TV, and it is actually syndicated to a few other states.  It is hosted by two popular local news personalities, and airs weekly on Saturday mornings, on our local CBS affiliate.  Pet Pals TV has a Facebook page, and recently posted a picture of a Husky perched upon a CD tower.  I posted a picture of Faolan lounging on a freezer to their wall, and one of the hosts contacted me about it.  She is a contributor to the local news, and does a brief feature each Saturday morning on the news about pets, and wanted to use the picture of Faolan.  Of course I obliged. 



The video isn't the greatest quality, as I recorded the TV with my cell phone.







His name was pronounced correctly, but he was referred to as a "she." 



We won't tell him that, though.

Wolfdog Howling (Video)

While out and about a couple of weeks ago with Faolan, I was treated to this.



I apologize for the quality, it was shot with my phone.  Little boy has such a deep howl.

Happy Anniversary Faolan!!

One year ago today, July 5, 2012, I adopted Faolan.

It all started on July 3.  I came across a picture someone had shared of him on a Facebook group.  I did not know/could not tell from my phone where he was, but I was immediately in love with his pic.

The picture that started it all.



 I soon learned that he was in a neighboring county shelter, and was ecstatic.  I went "just to meet him" on July 5, and brought him home.

The night I brought him home.

 

His previous owner had named him Dante.  He did not know it, and did not respond to it.  I renamed him Faolan, Gaelic for "Little Wolf."  It fits him perfectly.  Fortunately, Neeko and Bruce took him in well. He was guessed at approximately 9 months old, and was an owner surrender. He was skinny, with a poor coat.  He was fearful, but wanted to trust and be affectionate.  He was exceptionally sweet.  I was in love.

 

On his first "pack walk" with us.  So gangly.

 



We are still working on his fear issues and reactivity, and he is much better.  He loves people, and jumping up on people is his worst habit.  He remains sweet, silly and affectionate.

 

 Handsome "little" boy.

 

 So silly.

 

 My "little wolf"

 

Learning how to have fun, without being fearful.

 

 

He makes me laugh daily.  I could not love him more.  Despite his rough start (I feel someone has hit him, and I also think he may have been chained) he just wants to love.

 

Finally, a short, silly video of him in motion.  He marks (which he loves to do) then kicks up a bunch of dirt.  I don't know why, but it cracks me up.

 

More Fun Mail-Mutt Strut 2013 Packets

We received our packets for this year's Mutt Strut today!  It's a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Indianapolis, and the largest event of its kind in the Midwest.  This year's Strut is next Saturday, April 27.

It occurs each year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  We attended in 2011 and 2012, and had loads of fun, even though it rained both times.

Les was interviewed by a local TV show about pets in 2011, along with Neeko and Bruce. 

Find more videos like this on PetPalsTV



His interview starts at 51 seconds in.  Once again, we are very much looking forward to it!

Faolan Howling

Just a silly video of Faolan howling at sirens. It's dark, and shot from my cell phone. He has a surprisingly deep howl. Neeko and Bruce were in the house, but you can hear them howling as well.

2011 Mutt Strut

The Sunday after we adopted Bruce we all went to the Mutt Strut, a fundraiser held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Neeko did great, as did Bruce.  We think he was still a little shell shocked.

Les was even interviewed, with the dogs, by a local television show about pets. You can see their TV debut HERE!!  It is super cute, definitely needs to be watched!