April is Canine Fitness Month!

Guest post by Jennifer Holmes, a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP), and a Fit Paws - Master Trainer (FP-MT).  Her company, K9FitnessWorks, offers group classes & private lessons specializing in canine fitness.

April is National Canine Fitness Month!  What is Canine fitness?

You may have seen articles, Facebook posts, or seminars on canine fitness.  What is it?  Why would my dog want to take a fitness class or even go to a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer?

Fitness by definition is the quality of being conditioned physically to perform a role or task in life.  When we think of our fitness it brings up images of the gym, outdoor activities, or working with a trainer for a specific sport purpose.  Fitness can also be a way to improve muscle, tendon, and nerve health so you and your dog can function at the highest health capacity in your favorite activities. 

Ryder loves Canine Fitness!

It fills my heart with passion to talk about the benefits of a creative, fun exercise plan for your pup and you to bond.  In the 70s and 80s I taught my dogs to sit, down, and shake because it was fun time with my dog.  I did not realize I was also teaching them body awareness.   Body awareness is the dog knowing where it’s body is in a certain space. Why is this important?  When your dog runs for a ball or catch a Frisbee in the air their body spins and twist in different directions.  If their muscles are trained to handle the speed and spins they will safely grab the ball or catch the Frisbee.  When their muscles are not conditioned because they have been in the house and yard all week then you play on the weekend, your dog can have muscle, tendon, or disk injuries during spins to catch their favorite toy.  As a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner since 2012, I have seen the various injuries that can occur during innocent ball throwing. The biggest impact owners can do for their dogs is a creative exercise plan to strengthen up their muscles, tendons, and nerves.

3 tips you can do RIGHT. NOW. to improve your dog body awareness:

1.     A quick couple minute warmup before ball or Frisbee play by a quick brisk walk to wake the body up, stimulate the nerves, and improve muscle reaction time.

2.     A few repeated sit-to-stand exercises to warm up key muscles they will use to play ball or catch the Frisbee.  (Cue your dog to sit, then cue them to stand, then back to sit, etc.)

3.     Throwing the ball or Frisbee straight to limit the amount of twisting they have to do while in action to catch the toy.

Echo & Ryder balance like pros - working on those core muscles that will help them avoid injury in agility!

At Summit Dog Training, we offer fitness classes to help you help your dog have the fittest life they can!  Our Intro to Fitness class covers warmups, cool downs, and more creative ways to strengthen your dog for play.  I also offer 1-on-1 fitness sessions to create a specific plan for you and your pup to live a long happy life.

The next Intro to Fitness classes will be starting Saturday, May 13th at 9:00am & Saturday, June 17th at 10:00am.  Check out the Summit Dog Training website for more info!  In honor of Canine Fitness Month, we are offering 10% off fitness class tuition through April 30th.  Use promo code APRILFIT.

A couple of students from our last Intro to Fitness class had this to say:

“Thanks Jennifer! It was a super fun class.” - Shelley

“Echo and I just finished a series of 6 weeks in Jennifer's Canine Sport Dog Fitness Class. By the end of the classes I gained so much knowledge on how to strengthen and assess Echo's body condition. It was so much fun working with Jennifer and I would highly recommend her talents to all dog owners whether in a canine sporting event or just with a family pet.” - Barb

The Beef About Treats

If I had a dollar for every time a student (or, more often, a prospective student) voiced a concern about using treats to train their dogs, I’d be able to afford . . . a lot of really nice treats.  Like the freeze dried goodness that my dog goes bananas for but I rarely ever purchase for myself because let’s face it, $15 for a 6-ounce bag is a little absurd when you train your dog more than once a month.

This “beware of the treats!” concern is commonly faced by positive trainers around the globe, although it comes disguised in various forms:

“It’s inconvenient to carry treats with me.  Can’t I just use ‘Good girl!’ as my reward instead?”

“I’ve trained dogs for 50 years and never had to use food!”

“My dog will get fat if I give him treats!”

“If I use food my dog will never respond when I don’t have food!”

And my personal favorite:

“I want my dog to do it because he respects me, not because I have food!”

If you have had (or currently have) one or more of these questions causing second thoughts for you about training with treats, let me give you a huge WELCOME! to this blog and THANK YOU! for reading this far already.  That shows a willingness to consider the answers to these concerns, for which willingness I want to provide you a little reinforcement.  After you watch this video of Smiley the blind dog chasing his owner in the snow (I bet you can’t help but smile back at him a little bit), we’ll get back to the treats. . .

Ok, back?  Smiling a little bit?  Good.  That’s one little taste of what a treat or other food reinforcer does for your dog – promotes happy feelings about their relationship with the bearer of the treats – YOU!!!  This is called associative learning, or classical conditioning – pairing something really good with other things to make those other things also really good. 

So, in a slightly more abrupt (and occasionally sarcastic) tone than I might use if I was looking you in the eye or talking with you on the phone or answering your email inquiry (I try to be mostly courteous and polite in those situations), let me answer "your" questions:

1.     It’s inconvenient to carry treats with me.  Can’t I just use “Good girl!” as my reward instead?

Not until you have built up “Good girl!” as an alternate form of reinforcement that is reinforcing to your dog because it has a history of often being paired with good things (read: “treats”) from you.  Otherwise the words “Good girl!” are rather meaningless as motivation for most dogs. Perhaps this is better understood with a human example.  Your boss at work probably finds it inconvenient to pay your paycheck every two weeks.  He would probably rather give you a slap on the back on Friday evening saying “Good work this month buddy, keep it up!”.  If he did that instead of paying you dollar bills, would you go back to work on Monday morning?  Just like you, your dog deserves a payment for jobs well-done.

2.     I’ve trained dogs for 50 years and never had to use food!”

Great job!  That’s quite an accomplishment.  There is certainly more than one way to get the behavior you want – coercion and force is one method, and motivation (toys, treats, praise, etc.) is another.  Modern scientific research supports the latter, methods that promote a positive bond of trust between you and your dog.  If you’ve been using other motivators like toys and play and positive time spent together and that’s been working for you and your dogs – that’s wonderful!  If using coercion and force to get your dog to listen is your jam . . . think about how you like to learn new skills (does a punch in the face help you learn algebraic equations?) and get back to me.

3.     My dog will get fat if I give him treats!

This is perhaps a good time to explain my definition of “treats.”  A treat is a tidbit of food that is desirable to the dog in the given environment. For most training sessions, it doesn’t have to be fancy, or high caloric or fat content.  In fact, for many of my clients, I recommend that their dog train for the kibble that would normally be put into their bowl.  Higher value reinforcement (traditional “treats”, chicken, cheese, liver, etc. etc.) are reserved for when you take your dog to high-stakes situations with lots of distractions.  If your dog gets fed for “free” in a bowl every day – why not turn that food into motivators for good learning?  If you still aren’t convinced, there is this great video that is going around Facebook illustrating a common phenomenon – a dog choosing to “work” a food puzzle for its food instead of taking the “free” food in the bowl right next to it. 

4.     If I use food my dog will never respond when I don’t have food!

Our goal with treats is never to build behavior that is dependent on the treats to occur.  Our goal with food rewards is to build behavior that has such a strong history of reinforcement that your dog 1) clearly knows how to do it and 2) excitedly wants to do it – with or without the treats to back it up.   With marker training (a different blog topic, probably coming soon!) we rarely have our treats out to prompt the behavior we are building.  The treats come as a response to the behavior, rarely the antecedent.  This way, we are building behavior that doesn’t need a treat to happen, and eventually is only sometimes followed by a treat reward.  In human terms, we can make these withdrawals on the behavior bank account as a result of all of the cumulative deposits (treats to reward the behavior) we put into the account when building the behavior.  But just like your bank won’t let you withdrawal $1000 in small, unmarked bills if your balance is $10, you have to build up that balance first!

5.     I want my dog to do it because he respects me, not because I have food!

 Oh boy.  Where to start on this one. . . let’s see. . . how about with the definition of respect.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines respect as “high or special regard; the quality or state of being esteemed”.  Force and manipulation, often the physical applications of the "respect me!" demand, don’t foster esteem and special regard. Additionally, while this type of authoritarian dictatorship may promote the absence of bad behavior (i.e. your dog doesn’t come near you because they have learned that you are scary, thus they don’t annoy you with x, y and z behaviors), it does not really encourage the presence of good behavior.  Can I let you in on a little secret short cut to your dog’s esteem and highest of high regards?  Show them that you control the cookies.  And the toys. All good things happen because of you.  Pretty soon you are a god among dogs – at least, among your dog(s).  This benevolent leadership fosters a positive relationship between you and your dog, built on trust and a healthy dose of mutual respect. 

At the end of the day, this is really what it boils down to – mutual respect.  Maybe you really can’t use treats, for a real reason that I haven’t addressed here (food allergies, dog doesn’t like treats, etc. etc.); maybe you don’t have an extenuating circumstance but still aren’t convinced that training with food is the way to go.  That’s ok.  But you can still apply the principles behind this methodology – respect your dog enough to be willing to PAY for good work in some way (the opportunity to go chase a squirrel up a tree is a GREAT reward!).

And if you still aren’t willing to do that, maybe let your own boss know that you are willing to sign a new contract agreeing to work for high-fives, handshakes, and the occasional punch in the face for bad behavior!

A HUGE Thank-You - Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Day

THANK YOU!

Yesterday Summit Dog Training hosted our biggest event to date - our first [annual??] Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Day.  I am still blown away by what a great time we had!  SO. MUCH. FUN. And lots of learning, laughing, and sharing our favorite dog (and a few cat) stories and experiences with others with similar callings in life.  

We are so humbled to have had the opportunity to give back to you, the S&R heroes that do so much for the animals in your communities.  Thank you for coming from all over Northern Colorado (Denver, Arvada, Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield, Lafayette, Windsor, Greeley, Littleton, Westminster, Fort Lupton, and of course, Fort Collins) to spend the day with us.

I unfortunately failed miserably in the photography department, but here are a few glimpses of the day that I did capture with the camera:

  We were much better, however at getting video!  Here is a montage of the event. Enjoy!

We couldn't have done this event without the help of our community partners & presenters. Thank you all for your contributions and enthusiasm for partnering with us in this endeavor!!!

Sponsors: Bentley's Pet Stuff, Bones Du Jour, Butter Cream Cupcakery, Earthborn, The Second You, Tails & Trails Photography, Sahti, K9FitnessWorks, Salus, Good Dog Behavior Training, Front Range Event Rentals, Rawah Dog Outfitters, Inspired2C

Presenters:
Cheryl Kolus, C.L.I.C.K.
Clair Martin, Peak Animal Wellness & Massage
Emily Tronetti, Heal to Howl
Amy Creaven, Trust Your Dog Training
Amber Quann, Summit Dog Training
Megan Donovan, Dogs Deciphered
Angel Williams, Adams County Animal Shelter
Charissa Beaubien, Summit Dog Training

And I would be remiss if I didn't give a special shout-out to Charissa, who helped make this event happen from brainstorming to cleanup!  You're the best!

THANK YOU!

February is the Month of LOVE

Our dogs are a huge part of our lives, and they shower us with love all year long.  Here are three ideas for how to show your special four-legged someone how much they mean to you this month!  
 

1. Go on a "Micro-Adventure" together.  These mini adventures are one of our favorite things to build a positive relationship with our dogs.  They don't have to be long or elaborate, just simple things that you can do together, like running errands, taking an extra walk to the park, or just riding around in the car.  I just did this with my dog today - he got to ride with me to the grocery store, stop by Kriser's Natural Pet, drop by the training facility, and then end it with lots of attention at the bank.  He loved it, and he's sound asleep now!  We wrote more about micro-adventures in this blog; check it out for more ideas!
    
2. Get them a new toy!  But not just any toy - one that will challenge them mentally as well as physically!  One of our favorite categories of toys are food puzzles.  We wrote all about them in this blog post; check it out to see which option your pup might light best!
    
3. Teach them a new trick!  Our dogs get so excited to learn new things with us!  And their "trick" skills are often the most exciting and reinforcing to our dogs, because we get so excited about them too!  Teaching your dog something new can be as simple or elaborate as you want, but either way it's sure to be a fun time for both of you!  I just taught my dog Roo some new tricks and he loved it!

These are just a few ideas for making this month a great month for you and your dog!  If you come up with other great ideas, we want to hear about them!  Tag us in your adventures on Facebook or Instagram and use #SDTmonthoflove so we can share in your excitement!

Why We LOVE Clicker Expo

It has been a crazy (good kind, I think) week coming off of one of the biggest events of the year in the life of many positive reinforcement dog trainers: Clicker Expo 2017 in Portland, OR.  Over three days of dog nerds from around the country geeking out together to the genius of the gods of the positive reinforcement training world, an impressive lineup including Ken Ramirez, Dr. Susan Friedman, Kathy Sdao, Hannah Branigan, and so many more!  

Charissa and I came back from this immersion with lots of new ideas and inspirations.  Some of these ideas may not seem so practical once we come down off the CE high induced by exposure to the greats of our industry and a significant lack of sleep, but we'll see.  It was a wonderful trip.

Attending training conferences also never fails to inspire me to fine tune my training with my own dog.  Roo is a wonderful pup, and as much of my time and energy is devoted to helping other humans and their dogs build positive relationships together, he often gets the short end of the stick.  But after Kathy Sdao encouraged us to consider taking more time to do activities that "keep our candle burning," I am trying to be more intentional about spending time with my own heart dog - he is, after all, one of the reasons I love training as much as I do!

The first concept I put into action was based on Hannah Branigan's presentation "High Precision, High Scores."  In this lecture, she broke down the behaviors sit, down and stand and discussed how to get the precision movements you need in order to offer peak performance in the obedience and rally ring.  I decided I should go back and take a look at how my dog performs the "sit" behavior to see if he was doing it the most efficient (and precise) way.  Turns out, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but still could use a little bit of improvement!  Here's our first session working on this.  I am selecting for a "tucked" sit where his hind legs come up to meet his stationary front legs instead of a "rock-back" sit where his front feet follow his rear back.

So sorry for the terrible video quality!  Can't seem to fix it, but if you want to see this clip in better quality, check it out on our instagram feed here.

Next, we tried some concept training, inspired by Ken Ramirez's lab on this topic.  We started with Match to Sample, which is teaching the dog to indicate the object that is the same as the object you present to them.  Roo had this concept in less than a 10 minute training session, and I started introducing novel objects as well.  This game is built on other skills (follow a target, settle at station, respond to a cue, etc.) that we have worked on previously.  Check this out!

How cool is that?!  Can't wait to see what else he learns next.

These are just a few of the fun tidbits we brought back from Clicker Expo.  We can't wait to improve our class curriculum, our behavior modification protocols, and our client interactions based on our new ideas.  Learning new things helps us to be the best that we can be, and we can't wait to pass along that benefit to our students and their dogs!

Happy clicking!

Unleashed Dog 101: What to Yell When that Dog Is Yours

When your unleashed dog leaves your control and rushes up to the nearest passerby (with or without a dog of their own), what should you yell after your pup as you are trying to get him back by your side?  Let me give you a hint: it’s not “DON’T WORRY, HE’S FRIENDLY!!!!!!!!!”

Hint number two: it’s not not saying anything either. 

Not only is your uncontrolled, unleashed dog causing a disruption to the peaceful walk of others, he also could be causing an intense amount of stress and fear, despite his friendly body language and winning cuteness.  Not everyone is comfortable around dogs in general, much less an unknown dog accosting them out of nowhere; likewise, other dogs you encounter may not be the type of dogs that enjoy being bombarded while they are on leash with no recourse but to accept your dog’s rude advances. 

So what should you be yelling after your dog as you are trying to get them to come back to you?  Until you are within 5 feet of your dog in this highly distracting situation, don’t waste your breath (hopefully limited anyways as you are already sprinting towards the unfortunate scene) on futile pleas of “Fido, Come!!!”.  Instead, try fostering some shred of goodwill for yourself and your silly dog by yelling to the people warding off your dog’s advances:

“I’M SORRY!!!!!”

And if you are in an area with leash laws that you are breaking, perhaps:

“I’M SO SORRY!!!!!!”

The best recipe for getting out of this situation without leaving the victims of this incident completely pissed off is to continue repeating variations of this phrase until your dog is back under your control (a.k.a. on leash).  At this point, you can turn and walk away with your dog.

~

We all want our dogs to be able to run off leash and be a dog.  That’s great.  And sometimes our dogs get a little bit carried away and interfere with others, out of our control.  It happens.  But at the end of the day, in order for all people and all dogs to be able to share parks and open spaces and hiking trails together, we must go above and beyond to assume the responsibility for our dogs, including when they make mistakes.  And don’t underestimate the power of taking responsibility and being apologetic to turn irritation into smiles and angry words into pleasantries like:

“Enjoy the rest of your walk!”

Puzzle Me, Please

In the world of dog toys, there are literally thousands to choose from.  Plush, rubber, rope, firehose, rawhide, hooves, (and other less classy animal body parts!) . . . and the list goes on.  It can be a little overwhelming to think about narrowing it down to the type of toy that will provide the most benefit for your dog.

The toy with the most benefit is not always the same thing as the toy with the most fun.  My dog has TONS of fun with plush toys . . . and by TONS, I mean about 30 seconds no matter what the starting size of the toy.  But this brief and frenzied shredding of toy guts is not providing my crazy pup with any longer lasting benefits, such as the relaxation that comes after the stimulation of a mental challenge.  Like my pup Roo, many dogs thrive most with play that gives them an outlet for both their mental and physical energy.  (If you do want to consider a squeaky toy of some sort for your dog, here is a great resource on selecting an appropriate squeaky toy for your dog’s needs.)

For toys that provide both a mental and physical energy outlet, my favorite category of toys is food puzzles!  These toys provide an outlet for both parts of your dog that need attention - for the physical side, chasing a food puzzle around the floor is a great indoor outlet; for the mental component, figuring out how to get the food reward hidden or stuck inside the puzzle is much more challenging than ripping up a flimsy plush toy!

A few of my pup's favorite types of food puzzles! Kong Classics, Kong Wobbler, Orbee Snoop, and Trixie Puzzle Boxes.

Our go-to favorite is (and might always be) the Kong Classics. Coming in multiple sizes, rubber strengths, and shape variations, these toys are great for stuffing and very portable.  Our favorite way to use them is mixing peanut butter and yogurt and placing the freezer for a few hours.  This creates a cool treat that takes a while to work out!  The Kong Wobbler is another favorite - Roo gets at least one of his meals each day in this toy, and has to push it around (I put it in his crate to keep the crumbs contained) to get the kibble to fall out.  I highly recommend this version for dogs that are hyperactive around meal times!

One of the recent additions to our favorites list is the Orbee Snoop made by Planet Dog.  This soft rubber toy is also great for feeding kibble or small treats.  Roo knocks his around the house and enjoys this variation on his Kong Wobbler meal.  

For supervised play (I recommend supervising your dog whenever you introduce a new toy, but the following toys should involve a little extra oversight), puzzle boxes are a great way to mix it up for your dog!  These challenges involve pulling, pushing, knocking, and otherwise navigating a toy to get individual pieces (or jackpots here and there) out of the toy.  There are a lot of different types of these games.   A client recently gave me two Trixie Activity Boxes, so Roo got to give something new a try!  Here is his first introduction on video.  He loved the challenge!

Roo got to try out a Trixie Poker Box Food Puzzle for the first time this past week! Here are the highlights!

Whatever type of food puzzle you choose, introduce it to your dog in a way that makes their first attempt at the toy very reinforcing so they are excited to keep playing with it!  And if your dog doesn't like a particular type of puzzle, there are lots of different ones to try.  The most important thing to consider is what gives your dog the most benefit on top of some fun!

Happy puzzling! 

Check out Puzzle Me, Please Part 2 & Part 3 for more food puzzle recommendations!

Grumpy Growlers Class Wrap-Up

In December, we graduated two groups of dogs from our Grumpy Growlers Level 1 class - 11 dogs, labeled reactive or otherwise socially-challenged around other dogs, working together to have positive, intentional interactions in a controlled environment.    

The class environment is set up for a maximum of 6 dogs, and each dog has their own area divided by visual barriers to set them up for success.

Each dog came into the class with their own unique challenges - various triggers, different thresholds, and default level of reactions ranging from soft to loud.  Our first goal in the class was to make every dog as comfortable and relaxed as possible, so that they could have the best environment to learn and start to build positive associations between the presence of their triggers and good things happening.

Kipper focuses on his mom while practicing leash walking in the middle of the room.

Our second goal with this class, after they are feeling comfortable and starting to build up positive associations with the presence of other dogs, was to work on teaching the dogs positive behaviors to do (check in with their guardian, displacement sniffing, emergency u-turns, etc.) instead of the negative reactions (growling, lunging, barking, etc.), and to set up practice scenarios to put it all together.  Each dog and owner accomplished these goals so well, and it was exciting to see their progress.  Here are some pictures from Week 5 of the first class section, and there is a video from Week 6 of the second class section below!  

Amy Creaven of Trust Your Dog Training was the head trainer for this class, assisted by myself (SDT HT Amber) and SDT HT Charissa.  This was my first experience working with reactive dogs in a group setting, and I think I'm hooked.  Seeing the dogs and their guardians be so successful and having fun together (in a public setting - a novelty for many reactive dogs!) was my favorite part. 

Do you have a grumpy growler?  We have another class starting January 5th, 2017!  Click here for details!

Our second class rocks week 6!

Greeley Dogs, Fun Adventures Coming Your Way!

Bentley's Pet Stuff has invited us to hold classes at their Greeley store starting in January!  SDT Head Trainer Charissa will be heading up this project, and we are so excited to be able to offer a fun and positive training outlet to our dog friends in Greeley!

We are starting out with Puppy Basics and Family Dog foundation courses.  You can see full class descriptions and details here.  And we have been brainstorming about what could be on the agenda next, so stay tuned for more fun classes coming up!

In the mean time, if you know a Greeley dog that might enjoy a foundation class, send them our way!  Charissa is also offering private lessons in Greeley and surrounding areas as well, so if your dog might need a more customized training plan, we can help you with that too!  

See you in Greeley soon!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . . With a Well-Behaved Dog

The holidays are here!  Lots of fun and family and good food will be taking place over the next month, and everything is all hustle and bustle and cheer . . .

Until the dog counter-surfs and runs helter-skelter through the house with the pristine turkey and in-laws and cousins and aunts and uncles all join into a high-speed chase that jostles the perfectly-set table already brimming with food (sparkling cider splashes everywhere!), wakes up the baby (and the next-door neighbor's visiting grandmother), tips over the newly-decorated Christmas tree, sprains little Johnny's ankle (holiday ER trips are part of the family traditions, right?), and otherwise completely decimates the perfect Hallmark moment you had going.

That picture might be a little extreme, but you get the idea: your pup has the potential to either be a Christmas-card worthy gem or a complete moment-wrecker.  But with a little preparation, we can help our dogs keep towards the positive side of that scale!  Here are a few tips for a well-behaved dog this holiday season:

1. Prepare to give your dog plenty of exercise BEFORE the festivities begin.  Thanksgiving morning is a great time to get outside with your dog, even for just 20 minutes, before the relatives arrive!  If you can't do this, delegate: maybe one of your visiting nieces or nephews would be willing to spend 10 minutes playing ball with the dog in the backyard while dinner is cooking!  The more you keep your pup's mind and energy engaged in constructive outlets, the better behaved they will be!  We have holiday drop-in classes specifically for this reason!
    
2. Invest in some constructive activities for your dog, like food puzzles!  Some of our favorites are Kong (classic Kongs can be stuffed with peanut butter and yogurt and frozen ahead of time so they take longer to enjoy; Kong wobblers are a great way to give your dog their meals AND give them some extra brain activity too!), Orbee Snoop (another fun and interactive way to give your dog their meal!), and food mazes like these from Outward Hound.  Giving your pup something to do before they find a less constructive way to get their energy out is key!
    
3. Give your dog their own space and some structured quiet time throughout the festivities.  Lots of people, food smells, and other chaos can be overwhelming to your dog!  Giving them some chill time on their favorite mat or in their crate might be just what they need.
    
4. If you can foresee a situation where your dog is not going to be successful at doing the right thing, manage that situation to set your dog up for success.  If your dog is an excited greeter at the door, put them safely away in another room or crate before your relatives arrive.  The holiday rush isn't the time to start teaching a better greeting method!  If your dog is a habitual counter-surfer, make sure to manage their access to areas where food is being prepared or stored.  Dogs are opportunistic, and even if you have been making training progress, the holiday feast isn't where you want to put those skills to the ultimate test.  Use baby gates or other management tools to set your dog up for success!  If you have time to train a little bit here and there, reward your dog for settling on their bed just outside of the hub of activity.  Toss a treat (or a sample of turkey if you are feeling really generous!) every few minutes to reward your dog for having self-control in the face of all of that temptation! 
    
5. Remember that your dog is a dog!  It won't be perfect, just like your kid or your various relatives might get on your nerves on occasion!  But setting your pup up for success is the best way to get through the chaos in a positive, constructive way.

Another holiday tip: brush up on your knowledge of foods and plants that can be toxic to your pup!  The ASPCA Poison Control Center is a great resource!