Walks

Both dogs have Freedom harnesses: Jules' on the coat rack by the front door, Rosie's in the garage behind the door.

Each dog:

Jules' reactivity is far improved. Watch his body language and give more distance as he asks for it. Do not attempt to pass near another dog (go across the street), avoid loose dogs at all costs (turn back, stop behind a vehicle and wait, etc), and do not pass by a fence containing a barking dog (cross the street). He will naturally move away, so go with him; if he doesn’t (i.e., if you’re too close), encourage him and praise him as soon as he takes a step in the right direction.

Rosie is reactive to small, quickly moving things, like squirrels and cats. If you predict an issue, stop her and wait for the trigger to pass leaving as much space as possible, or cross the street, or turn back. She can lunge and pull mightily if you continue to move forward. Praise for appropriate behavior: eye contact, sitting, loose leash, following your cues. Cross the street if needed.

Stick to walking Jules around the block: Canterbury Tales to Canon Yeoman’s to Friar’s Tale (clockwise or counter clockwise). We rarely see off leash dogs on that path, but there is a very friendly Siamese cat who lives on Friar’s Tale and isn’t scared of the dogs. :/ Jules will make this take 45 minutes if you let him, so allow him to do some smelling but also ask him to keep moving some times.

Important walking cues:

• On by: This is a "moving leave it" and indicates the dog should not stop, should keep moving by a smell, other dog or cat, or whatever. As you see something you want the dog to leave, say “On by” in a crisp clear tone and keep walking. Praise with enthusiasm as the dog does what you want.
• Let’s Go: Indicates a change of a pace, is good for following an On By or generally keeping the dog moving. This is often said a couple times in a cheerful but demanding voice.
• Check It Out: You are indicating it’s okay for the dog to smell something. The dog should not drag you to the smell; leash should remain loose or you should stop and wait for the dog to put slack on the leash.
• OK: this is a general “release” or change of behavior we use all the time. This indicates the dog should stop practicing a behavior and get ready for a new cue. Example: dog is smelling something, then “OK, Jules, Let’s Go!”; “On by!", walk away from the area of issue, then “OK, Rosie, Check it Out!”.

Other

The dogs are expected to walk on a loose leash so please do not allow them to pull. If they pull, stop and wait for them to put slack on the leash, or make a little noise to get their attention. They are not necessarily expected to walk next to you. Jules will pull coming out of the house; don’t let him get away with it. ;)

If there are two of you, you can walk them on the same walk on the same path, but it would be important to take them out different doors and maintain a little space between them. They can walk near each other pretty darn well, but doors and thresholds are definitely an area of contention. And it's not a bad idea cuz if you run into a loose dog, you can try to throw Rosie in front of him and get Jules the heck out of there. They should sit and make eye contact at the door before they go out.

Please use equipment provided and do not clip the leash to their collars.

You might carry treats, not for our dogs, but in case you see an off leash dog. Sometimes throwing a handful of treats at a dog can give you the time you need to escape.

Jules does not like to come home and needs a little encouragement to come back. Sometimes we have to stop at the end of the driveway and wait for him to come to terms with the end of the walk. A little massage and then enthusiastic “OK, Let’s Go!” will help.

Obviously we use a lot of management techniques to ensure good behavior. As long as you avoid confrontation, you will have a splendid walk.

Walk the dogs however your schedule allows, once a day.

If it's raining, games are fine! See "Games" section.

Moving Dogs Around

Try to switch up which dog is in the pen vs in the back of the house with the door dog. Remember, when rotating dogs through the pen, only Jules passes through the "airlock." They are well trained for this, so please stick to the routine:

• To rotate dogs through the pen, ask Jules to go into the crate (it's a triple door crate), latch it securely on both sides, and cover on both sides.
• Rosie goes in/out through the pen's door.
• Jules is then uncovered and released on verbal cue "OK" through the appropriate side.
• Make sure the door leading to the outside of the pen is always latched and covered after he passes through.
• Treats, treats, treats! once the dogs have safely done the dance.
• Please put up the baby gate to block the other dog in the back of the house. Jules is afraid of the baby gate, so be mindful of how you swing it around.

There is also the XPen in the living room behind the couch you can pull across like a curtain to let a dog outside:

• Tell one dog to “Go to your Spot,” which is on the bed next to the fireplace, and ask for a Down/Stay.
• Pull the XPen around and slide one end in behind the toy box to block it up to the wall to make a quick pen.
• If you feel you need extra barrier, drape a blanket to block the dog’s view.

Other stuff

We keep crappy treats in the bowl on top of the fridge. Use them liberally, especially if you catch a dog doing something good!

Please do not jerk on their leashes or use forceful techniques with them. They are trained with force-free and coercion-free techniques. We use lavish rewards (praise, pets and treats; over-reward wanted behavior) and Time Outs (in the bathroom by the living room) to change their behavior as needed. Try to catch them being good, and if possible, redirect or time out unwanted behavior before it becomes a significant issue.

There are plenty of treats in the large bin on the left side of the pantry for dogs along with a variety of rubber toys to jam them into. Hand those out liberally. Just be careful that the dogs are far separated for those activities (one in the pen; one in the kitchen with a baby gate).

Kongs are in the cupboard to the left of the large microwave long with Peanut Butter.

Games

There are 2 Nina Ottosen puzzle games on the floor in the pantry and treats on the pantry floor on the left side. Or there's a tunnel in Jules' pen that fits nicely from kitchen to TV. :) (Tunnels are house toys, right?) There are boxes in the garage you can use for Nosework (especially for Rosie).

Mealtimes

Both dogs are raw fed. One dog is fed in the pen (tho not on the rug); the other in the kitchen. There are baggies of food on the second shelf of the fridge, enough for the first half of the week.

• Each baggie is labeled with the dog's name; there is no specific order to give them out. Please plop a baggie of food into a bowl 2x a day, pump one squirt of Grizzly Salmon oil (between little microwave and toaster oven) into each bowl, and feed. Please add one Cosequin to each bowl 1x a day.
• Ask for a sit before placing the food, wait for eye contact, release to eat with "Okay, get your dinner!."
• Seal up and throw the baggie away. The bowls should be washed after each meal.
• Change water by back door and in the pen 1x/day.

When you have only a couple baggies left for each dog, you'll find the second half of the week in the freezer in the garage.

Overview

While the dogs are cordial with each other with a gate between them, they generally do not get along. They should never be together in the same area. Ever. Rotation through the pen in the front room (see Moving dogs around section) or with the XPen behind the couch in the living room is key to harmony. It has been over a year and a half since they had a fight because we manage them carefully and follow a few key consistent routines, outlined in these pages.

Jules

Microchip: 0A11326A37
24PetWatch
866-597-2424

Rosie

Microchip: 985121010405448
HomeAgain
888-HOMEAGAIN (466-3242)

Emergency Contacts

Primary Contacts

• Jen: 512-656-6300
• Mike: 512-656-1016
• Annie Johnson: 402-560-7147 (family friend)

Vet

Austin Veterinary Diagnostic Hospital
Dr. Barrett Donop
9324 C. Highway 290 West
Austin TX 78736
(512) 288-1040

Emergency Hospital
Emergency Animal Hospital
4434 Frontier Trail
Austin TX 78745
(512) 899-0955
(By Arby's on 290)

Germann Dog Instructions for Pet Sitters

• Introduction
• Mealtimes
• Walks
• Moving Dogs Around
• Miscellaneous Items