Mk9's "Stop & Go" Game for the family

Throughout our days, there is a learning experience in just about everything we do. Here at them mk9 home we love to make learning fun, for all.

Since we have a multiple dog family, we love to designate "one on one time" for each of the pups. "One on one time" helps strengthen bonds between you and your furkids. 

Today is Bella Vita's day for some special one on one time. During our walks we like to play a little game called "Stop n Go". Dylan (aka Monster) is in charge of the orders and mom has to help Bella Vita listen.

On our walks Monster will randomly say "Stop". When he does we all have to stop, but Vita has to not only "stop", but "sit" and "look" at mom. Then we continue on when Monster says "go". Sometimes Monster has us stopping and going every two feet lol.

What this game does is, well, #1 causes Dylan to laugh like crazy because of all the fast random stops, but it helps Bella Vita work on her basic commands. Walking on a loose leash, sitting every time we stop and looking at mom for the next move.

The randomness of Monsters commands also keeps Vita (and mom) on her toes watching and listening for what we may do next. In turn keeping Vita's attention on us and not the dogs in the house next to us barking mad through the window.

**Rules are:
-Little Monsters must hold moms/dads hand.
-We never "stop" in the middle of any street.
-We must look both ways before crossing streets.
-Mom makes sure we have plenty of tasty treats on hand for Vita and she keeps those "good girls" coming.
-Make sure you change the pace of the walk.
-When you start to walk, make sure your dog is looking at you and always lead with your left leg. (the leg closest to your dog). 

Have fun on your outings all and enjoy your family. 
www.modifiedk9.org

Homemade Tug Toys

1.) What you will need is (3) long pieces of material from old jeans, blankets, clothing or any type of fabric.

2.) Tie the one end into a tight knot. We like to tie a few knots to make sure it is secure. 

3.) Have someone hold that end so you can "very tightly" braid the three pieces of fabric. If you do not have anyone to hold it for you, put it under your foot. 

**The tighter you braid the tougher it will be for the dogs to pull it apart.

4.) Tie the end piece into several knots as you did the first, find a pup and let them enjoy their new toy!

Rope toys in stores range in price anywhere from $8.00 to $25.00 depending on length and size. Using recycled fabric you will save a load of money. ;)

Making homemade toys for our fur kids is a lot of fun! We think so and so do our dogs.

Plus it tires them out. ;)
!!Enjoy!!

A Cat Toy for Dogs

The flirt pole is a super-sized cat toy made for our canine buddies

Made of 5ft - 6ft PVC pipe (on the thinner side), 13ft - 15ft rope (adjust as needed), & a favorite toy of your dog's. Total cost? About $9.00 - $12.00!

Besides the treadmill & nose work, this is one of our favorite tools for tiring out our dogs. It is used for basic obedience, training, & positive reinforcement. All the while making the time with your dog fun, exciting, & rewarding!

*To make:
after stringing the rope through the PVC pipe 'pole', simply tie a knot at one end & tie the toy with the other end. 

*Your dog should already be familiar with the following commands:

sit, stay/wait, look, down, leave it/drop it, & take it.

When using the flirt pole, make sure your dog does not grab the toy without your command.

If he/she does, stop the game & calmly ask your dog to leave it/drop it. Remain patient & non-interactive until he/she does so & then start over from a sit or down.

The combination of mind stimulation & exercise will make for

 a very happy & content pup by the end of the session.

& the best part. . .the reward C:

ENJOY!

Busy Bulls & a Box

As you all know, treat/food dispensing dog toys can be a bit pricey at time. Unless you find a killer deal on amazon. Even then, they tend to add up (especially with chewers). So what do we do to keep our fur kids happy and busy while we save up?

We utilize what we have at home.

Thankfully, our dogs are easy to please and appreciate anything we do for them. Which in turn makes it very easy for us humans to accommodate to their need for some mind stimulation. Here is a fun way to use a few things you may have laying around the house. It will keep those fur kids occupied, especially on a days you prefer to be indoors. No to mention, it will keep up entertained. ;)


What you will need to gather up:


1. An empty box - size depends on your dog











2. A old blanket, sheet or shirt. - You can use any type of cloth you may have laying around and do not care about. It gets a bit torn and tattered with what is about to go on. The amount of cloth items you use is up to you.




3. We use the kibble we feed our dogs. - You can use treats, baby carrots or anything your dogs finds tasty. You will want to use a good amount to keep your dog occupied and interested, so that is why we use their meal time measurements.







4. Put the kibble / treats in the cloth - You will want to tuck it, roll it, twist it and add it to different sections of the cloth you are using so your pups will have to dig through it and have a bit of a challenge.

5. Place the cloth with the treats inside the box and a few extras - Place some kibble/treats throughout the box, on and around the cloth.










6. Fold the top of the box closed - Ask your pup to "sit", to "down" or to "wait" for their game to begin. Once they are waiting patently,  tell them to take it or get it. . .

Bella Vita

Brad Pit

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Thanks all for looking.