Google is Dog Friendly

I was reading an article recently and it mentioned that Google is a dog friendly company and allows it’s employees to bring their dogs to work!   Everyone from the Senior VP of Operations to less senior staff have the option to bring their dogs to work with them!  How cool is that?!

Now of course there are some limitations to the allowance, but they are totally legitimate limitations.  Evidence of fleas, excessive barking, biting, chasing, and other similar actions are considered unacceptable and the dog will have to be taken home upon the first complaint.  Limitations are also imposed if other employees who are allergic to dogs are being affected.

In addition to these guidelines, it’s clearly stated in Google’s code of conduct that Google isn’t cat friendly company: “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture. We like cats, but we’re a dog company, so as a general rule we feel cats visiting our offices would be fairly stressed out.”

Not only can Google employees bring their dogs to work with them, but Google’s dog friendly nature carries over into another facet of their operations.  Instead of noisy lawn movers, Google rents goats to help cut down the amount of weeds and brush at Google HQ.  The operation of 200 goats (plus herder and a border collie) is kind to the environment, and as Google puts it: “A lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.”

How about any of you out there, is your company dog friendly like Google?  Do you bring your dog to work, would you if you had more control of your dog?

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iPhone Apps for Dog Owners

There are currently over 225,000 apps available in the Apple iTunes Store.  Included in those huge numbers are some great iPhone apps for dog lovers, take a look at a few of our favorites.

The Fido Factor app is a great resource to locate dog friendly locations in your area. The app automatically detects your location and helps you find the nearest dog parks, dog friendly restaurants, bars, pet stores, and hotels. Once you determine where you want to go, you can instantly download directions and head over for some dog friendly fun!!

The Dog First Aid app contains a ton of important knowledge about your pet’s health. While this app should not be used as a replacement for routine or emergency vet care for your pet, it does contain great information. Out of similar apps out there, this one is the most respected by veterinarians.

The iKnow Dogs app is a fun way to increase your knowledge of different dog breeds. Pictures and general information are available for a lot of different breeds, and you can also search the data base using different characteristics like temperament, coat type, size, country of origin, etc. This is a must have app for anyone considering getting a new dog!

What about you?  Do you have another app that should be on this list?

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New Placeboard Colors!

We all know how important and useful the place command can be, and if you’re not practicing it at home – you should be!  Either during dinner time, movie time, answering the doorbell, or just relaxing, a properly taught and proofed place command can make all of the difference managing your dog around the home.

For a limited time only, we are making our placeboards available in a variety of choices when it comes to fabric and leg colors!  We are still going to carry the small placeboards as well as the long placeboards (and even our trick training and placeboard combo) but now you can finally have a placeboard that has as much character as your dog!

These placeboards are only going to be available for a limited time, then we go back to the boring blue boards, so head over to our online store for a complete list of color options!

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Location Based Dog Training

Have you ever tried to have your dog lay down while at a friend’s house, or told your dog to come at a new park, or introduced your dog to a stranger in a place where your dog has never been before?    Whether it be a delay in response time, a display of fear or uncertainty, or the overwhelming urge to explore the new environment, many of us get a much different response from our dogs in new places.

We all know that our dogs can be very easily effected by environmental factors that you and I take for granted.  Simple things like new smells and sounds can have a big impact on our dog’s behavior, not to mention the other more obvious factors that are present in new locations. In order to advance our dogs’ training and overcome location specific training, it’s important to expose them to new locations and bring them out of their comfort zones.  Here are some tips to help your dog become used to working in new environments.

• Start by finding the right locations to work with your dog, instead of taking your dog for a walk along the same route everyday, explore new parts of your neighborhood.  If you are an Unleashed Unlimited client who usually comes to our Leander dog training location, try coming to one of our Austin dog training classes for a change of pace, and vice versa.  Meet up at a friends home or a park that they visit frequently and do a little training in their favorite locations.

• If your dog is having a hard time in a new environment, don’t get frustrated or mark the wrong behaviors, remember to stick to the core concepts of your training program, don’t panic!  Instead, take a step back and practice something a bit easier and let them be successful, then return to more challenging tasks.

• Remember to keep moving!  Movement is a great way to dissipate stress in dogs and it can help them regain their focus back on you.

By working our dogs in new environments we can constantly expand their comfort zone and increase the dog’s confidence and skill level.  The world is such a better place when we have confident, obedient, and well socialized dogs!

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