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Separation Anxiety and How to Prevent It
Keep departures and arrivals low-key. During the 10-15 minutes before you leave the house, strive for a calm, neutral atmosphere. Avoid grand gestures of hugging, kissing, or petting with your dog. If your dog has previously shown any signs of …
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What is Positive Reinforcement?
“The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.” – B.F. Skinner Here at ARF, the method of training we use (for both dogs and cats) is called “positive reinforcement.” Positive reinforcement works by using praise …
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All About Crate Training
Choosing Your Crate Wire or plastic crates are better than soft sided crates during the training phase. A crate should be large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and stretch out / lie down comfortably but not …
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Post-Operation Instructions and Care
What to Expect After Surgery The dog or cat may be groggy and lethargic up to 24 hours after surgery/anesthesia. This is a normal effect of the pain medication they were provided, but if these symptoms continue and the foster …
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What is Trigger Stacking?
Trigger stacking happens to dogs when there are too many sensitive stimuli occurring within short succession of each other. These sensitive stimuli are specific to each dog, but some common stimuli include other dogs, bikes, vacuums, and skateboards. Each stimuli …
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Alone Time Training
Low-Key Departures and Arrivals During the 10-15 minutes before you leave the house, strive for a calm, neutral atmosphere. Avoid grand gestures of hugging, kissing, or high energy play or petting your dog. It may be best to simply ignore …
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Getting Your Dog’s Attention
The Nothing Game Stand with the dog and simply do nothing … until the dog pays attention to you! Then you come alive and respond to the dog. In this game, the dog is rewarded for making a choice to …
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Dogs and KONG® Toys
KONG rubber toys play an important role in the wellbeing of dogs. The process of licking a stuffed KONG to take the food out is soothing, mentally stimulating, satisfies a natural need, and is also fun! It makes dogs feel …
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Take Your KONG® and Stuff it!
A KONG is a nontoxic, dishwasher-safe, enrichment toy with a hollow center. By filling this hollow center with food, you can use KONGs as a useful enrichment tool for your dog. They’ll have to work to get food to come …
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Puppy Socialization Chart
Little Puppy in the Big World Puppy Talk Knowing how to read and react to puppy body language will enable you to be smart about socializing your puppy. This puppy is shifting their weight and their ears are back. They …
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Lost and Found
Lost Pets Losing your beloved pet can be a scary experience for families and pets alike. It is important to do all of the following steps in order to reunite with your pet. The best chance a pet has of returning …
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Community Cats
Trap-Neuter-Return The cornerstone of managing community cats is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). TNR is the only long-term strategy for humanely controlling the free-roaming cat population. Without spay and neuter as population control, cat colonies multiply quickly. Shelter impoundment and euthanasia is not a viable …