Owning a Dog: Turning Challenges into Joys

Posted by Michelle Robert

I have had dogs in my life for over 35 years, and in that time, have definitely experienced all the ups and downs that go along with having a pet. Despite the challenges that have come along, there is no question in my mind that dogs are truly “man’s best friend”. It’s just that with some, we have to work a bit harder to cultivate that friendship!

With our current dog, an eight year old miniature schnauzer, we have definitely faced a few challenges. Within a short time of him coming into our lives, we discovered that, while a smart and loving little guy, he also:

1. Growled and jumped on anyone who came to visit, and barked at absolutely everything he saw.

2. Was completely and totally terrified of visiting the groomers for his monthly clipping.

What could we do? We spoke with our veterinarian and did some additional research to discover some strategies and techniques to help train him…and us as well. This article will share some of the things we learned.

1. His barking/jumping/growling problem took a little time, because as a schnauzer, he was a bit territorial like many terriers tend to be. While it was important to him to protect his territory, it was important to us to be able to have visitors to our home! So we tried many different ways to improve this: reward systems, squirting water, coins in a can, newspaper, and more. You name it, we tried it, but nothing worked. We finally discussed the situation with our vet who suggested a remote training collar. After more research, we settled on the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer for a couple of reasons. Probably most important for us, we liked that it has 9 stimulation levels so that we could very carefully control the settings to use the least amount of stimulation that would be effective. We also liked the tone-only training option, that gave us even more versatility. We also decided to get the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer, 300 yds., which provided us with a 300 yard range to be able to train from a distance. And I can say that it worked! In a very short period of time, the Innotek Ultrasmart helped our little guy to become the model doggie citizen, and our friends were now happy to visit us.

2. Helping our dog overcome the stress of going to the groomers each month involved not really training him. but training us. We figured that if we could learn to do his monthly clip at home, we would be able to help him feel more comfortable, and be able to get the job done quicker, making him happier as well. So we invested in the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper, and it has made all the difference in the world. We chose these clippers because as an Oster product, we knew they would last forever, so we wouldn’t have to buy new ones each year, and because of the reviews on what a smooth, quiet, and fast job they did. I will say that we have been very pleased with how the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper works: other than it getting warm, which we easily solved with cleaning and changing out the blades and using Oster Kool Lube, it has been so easy to do his clipping. Once we learned how to do home grooming, voila, no more schnauzer trauma! In fact, since our dog gets a treat at the end, I actually think he likes getting clipped each month.

Dog ownership should be a joy, and it truly can be, even if there is some work to be done to get to that point. For us, we had some help from the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer, and the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper. But it has been so worthwhile for us to have made the investment in our time to learn how to use these simple tools. Life with and for our little schnauzer is so much better, and as a result we have been rewarded with a happy little friend whose desire to please, affection and intelligence make him the best friend anyone could want!

Discover how your dog can learn to become a happy and well-mannered best friend. Learn more about the Innotek Ultrasmart Remote Trainer and the Oster A5 Turbo Clipper, read the product reviews from other satisfied pet owners, and determine if they are right for you and your dog.