Blog — Category_Training

Postal Pups If you’ve ever had a dog or been at friend who has a dog’s house, there’s a 99.98% chance you’ve noticed that dogs go CR-AYYYYY-Z when the mailman drops by. It’s a long-fabled legend, tail as old as time (if you will) that man’s best friend’s worst enemy is your friendly local mail delivery person. Training and behavior correction can’t seem to stand up to this particular battle. While we’ve come to accept this epic rivalry as fact, only a handful of us may have any clue as to why this is…or IF Sparky (and all his canine...

How to Socialize Dogs and Children Dogs and kids can be a really big part of life, but if the two don’t know how to get along the fur can really fly. Whether you are bringing home a newborn baby to a household with a dog or introducing a puppy to a household full of kids, it is important to prepare everyone. Socializing your dog and teaching your kids how to behave around dogs will help them interact safely and build a lasting bond. Introducing a New Puppy at Home Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting experience, but...

Bark To School I was running some errands over the weekend and felt a bit nostalgic when I walked past the school supply section. The colorful pens, notebooks, and folders reminded me of my days of back-to-school shopping. Now that kids are returning to their classrooms or to their home-schooled itineraries, it made me think – would you rather be homeschooled or attend a private/public school? Would you answer the same for your fur-baby? I interviewed people in the Chicagoland area to explore the reasons why people self-train (“homeschool”) their dogs or enroll them in puppy classes.   Self-Training Flexible...

Storm Stress? Five Hints to Soothe an Anxious Hound The Midwest can truly be a mixed bag of weather-related spectacles. Here at Sparky Steps, our dog walkers understand this firsthand. A single Chicago season might include everything from sudden windstorms, to driving rain, to thundersnow. Humans can prepare themselves – but when it comes to our prized pups, it’s tough to explain rough weather in advance. And if your dog is afraid of loud noises, even a brief summer squall could provoke a full-fledged canine panic attack. Fortunately, there are sensible steps you can take to help soothe, reassure and...

Five Rainy Day Activities For You and Your Dog Along with warmer weather comes summer rain and storms. Sometimes these storms can last for hours, even days, making you and your dog go stir crazy from sitting inside all day. However, we at Sparky Steps think that just because you can’t take your dog on a walk doesn’t mean that you still can’t have fun or get exercise indoors. Here are some activities for you and your dog to do while it’s raining cat and dogs outside:   Puzzle Toys Puzzle toys can be great for dogs not only when...