Pet Products Review - Jet Blue - Jet Paws Pet Airline Travel Program

If you've been reading my blog, you will have figured out by now my two passions in life are my pets and traveling.  I swear every single last dollar goes to either the pets or travel.  To combine the two is wonderful.  That's why I applaud Jet Blue.  They're making it easy, safe and rewarding to travel with your pet.

JetBlue Airways just today announced the Jet Paws program as an "in-cabin", yes "in cabin" program that lets you and your jetset small cat or dog travel in style. 

Best of all, your pet earns travel points.  So, now when my friend Soo Jin brings her Yorkie named Chanel to visit me in New York, both Soo Jin and Chanel earn points.  Who can pass up double miles???? Not me, it just makes dog-gone sense.  After all earning more points was the driving factor in which Jet Paws was built on.

Go to http://jetblue.com/jetpaws  for more information.  There you will find a comprehensive Pet Travel Guide along with a Pet Travel Checklist.  Read both! And while you're there, up load a picture of your pet for the JetBlue Pet Look-Alike photo contest. 

To complete the ensemble of travel, and luxury, Jet Blue is working with famous New York Post celebrity columnist Cindy Adams to design the Jet Paws travel carrier and ammenities kit. 

Please keep in mind that inorder for a program like Jet Paws to work Jet Blue has to set up some rules to make the experience for all travelers a smooth ride.

Here are some of the JetBlue limitations:

• JetBlue accepts up to four small cats or dogs in the cabin of the aircraft on both domestic and international flights.
• The combined weight of the pet and carrier may not exceed 20 pounds.
• Only one pet is allowed per customer and the pet carrier does count as one personal carry-on item.
• For the safety and comfort of all customers, pets must remain in the closed carrier at the airport and in-flight for the entire duration of the trip.
• To book a pet, customers must call the reservations team at 1-800-JETBLUE.

Happy travels!  Send me comments on how your trip went!  Pictures too!

If you've got a product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to SecretShopperBlog@gmail.com

Reward-based training does NOT mean that dogs never get in trouble...

Punishment can be used to make certain behaviors disappear.  By definition a punishment is anything that makes a behavior go down in frequency.  Punishments do NOT need to be traumatic, or physically uncomfortable for your dog.  Punishments, like time-outs serve as a consequence for naughty behavior without hurting, scaring, or upsetting your dog.

When rewards are given (+) trainers say they are using Positive Reinforcement (R+).  Treats, toys, and access are all examples of GIVING REWARDS

When rewards or freedom is taken away (-) trainers are using Negative Punishment (P-).  Time-outs, Attention removal, leashing, tethering and games of tug or fetch ending are all examples of HUMANE PUNISHMENTS.

Both R+ and P- are considered humane by the dog.  I NEVER hurt dogs that I train.  I have never found it necessary!  Timing-out a dog is all that is needed to teach them to STOP certain behaviors.

The following are considered "unpleasant" to dogs.  Things that hurt may be successful in teaching a dog to STOP certain behaviors.  However they have additional risks.  Furthermore, Hurting an animal that is AFRAID is NEVER, EVER APPROPRIATE!!!

Positive Punishment does not mean (+) as in GOOD!!!!  Positive (+) means ADDED.  A Positive Punishment make behavior go down (all punishers drive behavior DOWN) because of something YUCKY ADDED (shock, slap, leash pop).  Dogs find P+ unpleasant!

Negative Reinforcement does not mean (-) as in bad!!!!  Negative (-) means subtracted.  A Negative Reinforcer makes behavior go up (all reinforcers drive behavior UP) because of something YUCKY ENDING (choking stops, ear pinch stops, pinning ends).  Dogs find R- unpleasant!  They comply with commands taught by R- because if they do not the yucky stuff continues to happen.  Only when they sit, stop barking, or lay down does the torture end.

TIMING OUT A DOG

1. Mark it!  It is important to catch your dog attempting to do something naughty.  If you are late, or missed the naughty behavior there is nothing you can do, but admonish yourself.  If you do catch your dog in the act, give a big, loud "Too-bad!" or "Uh-oh!"
2. Immediately follow the marker with action.  Be calm and deliberate.  Remember you are trying to bum your dog out, not freak them out!
3. Remove your dog from what they were enjoying.

If your dog was getting attention and then jumped on a guest, stop petting the dog.  Walk out of the room or lead the dog to a leash that is secured to a wall, door or banister.  Clip the dog and walk away.  Say as little as possible:  "Too-bad."  Get dog, clip walk, walk away for 5-10 seconds.  Unclip the dog.  Repeat if necessary.

If your dog jumps to steal food, mark-it and time-out your dog for 5-10 seconds.  Shut your dog in the bathroom, or put the dog on a tie-down

If your dog was naughty while playing off-leash, mark-it and then leash your dog.  Leave the park after 3-strikes.

If your puppy nipped while playing, mark it (Ouch!), drop the toy and walk away.  End the game after 3-strikes.

If your puppy fails to perform a known command, such as sit, mark it and DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG A SECOND CHANCE.  Put the toy down, or put the treat back in the jar.  Even toss the bone into the crate, but shut the dog out so they can't get it.

NEVER PUNISH (even with time-outs)  Growling, Snarling or Fighting.  These behaviors are likely rooted in fear.  Contact a certified trainer who can help you apply Classical Conditioning to fix the underlying fear.

These two herding dogs love their couch and their kitty.  

Dogs and cats often get along splendidly.  But not all dogs love cats, and not all cats like dogs.  In this case, the best advice is everyone else's advice.

Please COMMENT and share your experience of introducing cats to dogs and vice-versa.

Things to consider sharing:

Who was in the house first?

Was the cat/dog around other dogs or cats as a kitten/pup?

Was the cat the decider (just hated the dog)?

Was the dog the decider (could NOT stop chasing the cat)?

Did you use a management device--gate, door, cat escape tree?

Who did you confine?

What helped the situation the most?

When did you feel everything was OK?

When did you realize it wasn't gonna work?

Every dog should learn to come when called; it's a matter of safety.  

It is often easier to teach a puppy to come when called than it is to teach an adult dog.  This is because a puppy is naturally responsive to happy sounding, high-pitched noises.  These noises can be used in conjunction with running backwards, crouching down, and patting the legs to help a puppy respond correctly after the recall command has been given.  To maintain this behavior a food or toy reward should be given to the puppy once they reach the person who called them.

Teaching the older dog to come when called is easy too.

Many of my clients have dogs that are older, or who have been recently adopted.  These dogs are often able to go off-leash on hikes, or to parks, beaches, and dog runs without running away or getting in trouble.  However, many of them will not (or only rarely) come when called.  Generally these clients have been getting by without recall, but would prefer to have better control of their dogs at the park.  For these clients and their dogs it is often unnecessary to follow standard management practices, such as having the dog drag a long leash.  The following exercises are often all that is needed to get started with teaching your dog to come when called. 

Recall Exercises for well-behaved, older dogs.

1) You can't get them to come when called if they can't even look at you when you say their name.  

Practice this on leash walks first.  Say your dog's name, then stop walking forward.  Stand still and remain calm.  Say nothing.  DO NOT REPEAT YOUR DOG'S NAME.  Wait and watch your dog.  As soon as your dog turns and looks at you (usually because they can't figure out why you are being so still and quiet) clearly mark your dog's behavior with a word that means you like what they did.  Then give them a tasty treat and continue walking forward.  Later, try this when your dog is off-leash and has little or no distractions.  Finally, try it with distractions.  If your dog doesn't look at you, simply walk away (no reprimand and no reward).

NOTES ON MARKING WHAT YOU LIKE

• When you mark things that your dog does that you like, use one word.

• Always use the same word.

• Pick a word that is special--something you don't use all the time.

• Use the marker word like a camera to catch exactly the moment of success.

• Always follow the marker word with a valuable reward (food, toy, access).

• When your dog has learned the behavior and is successful 95% of the time you can start giving rewards for only the best responses.  Continue to praise your dog for all correct responses, but use the marker word only if you intend to reward the dog with food, toys, or access to something they wanted.

2) The first rule of teaching a new behavior is to make sure that your dog can do it.  

After your dog is consistently offering the new behavior (sitting, coming, speaking) THEN you can call it something and reward your dog only when you command them to show a specific behavior.  To do this I have my clients GIVE their dog HUGE REWARDS for Auto Check-Ins.  

When rewarding your dog for AUTO CHECK-INS you will NOT CALL your dog.

• Wait for your dog to be willing come to you--even if they are only 10 feet close.

• With your best happy voice PRAISE YOUR DOG LIKE MAD!

• THEN give your dog a fantastic reward--something TRULY YUMMY!!!!

• Now walk away.

• Watch your dog closely.  Try to guess when your dog is going to come to check-in and get a treat.

• When you are 90% accurate on guessing when your dog is about to come to you, then start calling your dog right before they are about to check-in.

• Then stop feeding your dog for auto check-ins and only feed your dog when you call them.
  

Will the new Obama Puppy run the White House?

Should your puppy have unlimited access to your whole house?

Dogs are creatures of habit and they will do whatever works; has worked; or has a good chance of working.  An often overlooked and drastically important part of training a new dog is preventing them from even knowing that a particular thing is even possible!  If they don't get a chance to get it wrong, than they will be getting it right and good habits will be created.

Think of it this way...

If your dining room had two possible entrances, one from the kitchen and one from the living room, you would probably use both entrances.  Now let's say that the kitchen doorknob breaks and you can't enter through that door.  It is highly likely that for a period of time everyone in the house would still attempt to use that door, even if they KNEW that the door was broken.  Habit would drive everyone to try the door.  Eventually you would stop trying the broken door, but it is worth noting that the change in your behavior would show up much later than your knowledge that the door was broken.  

If a puppy is allowed to run around the house causing a ruckus and pulling everything down (tablecloths), jumping on everything (sofas) and chewing whatever (brooms, chairs, socks) this will become a habit.  Then the family gets strict with the puppy (usually when the "isn't that so cute" factor wears off).  As the puppy becomes an adolescent many of my clients tend to think the puppy is magically old enough to "know better" despite no previous training or education.  This is terrible for everyone because the puppy is in the habit of doing all the wrong things.  Should the family start actually training the puppy the right things to chew, and the right places to dig, sleep and play the puppy will LEARN/KNOW what to do.  BUT...  the old habits will still a huge part of their decisions on how to behave.

Back to our door...

The opposite situation.  Imagine you move into a house and the door to the kitchen from the dining room was rusty, painted shut, and unusable.  Everyone in the house would learn a particular way of moving from room to room without using that door.  Now imagine that one day the door was fixed.  Even if everyone was told that the door was working, the old patterns of moving from room to room without using said door would likely be retained.

This is true for your pup as well.  If during every family meal I leash my dog near their bed and give them a chew toy or Kong, then this will be their habit.  Eventually I will not need the leash, or the kong.  My dog will trot to her bed when I sit at the table and I could give her a Kong afterwards for having such good habits!

The final door.  

How would things change if SOMETIMES the door worked.  Occasionally being denied entry through the door might not be enough to keep you from trying to use it.  This would all depend on the inconvenience of the alternate route, and how often the door failed.  Its possible that your behavior of trying the door might never fully go away if the alternate route was highly inconvenient and the odds were good that the door might work.

Now lets talk about your puppy.  

It is fastest and easiest to restrict a puppy's access to tempting places completely in the first year.  This is why trainers like crates and puppy-play/confinement areas so much.  Allowing access slowly, when you are ready to supervise your dog completely and interrupt naughtiness is paramount to a good puppy plan!  Every puppy should have limited access to places that will tempt them to chew, pee, dog, or steal food.  Even a Presidential Puppy needs a crate, a play pen, and supervision.