Zooka Tales
Our most recent posts are shown first.
Puppy toys for human-puppy play – go big or go home!
When it comes to puppy toys for the purpose of human-puppy play, our philosophy is the bigger the better! Or at least, go bigger than you would think to do. Or in some cases, go [...]
14th Month / Weeks 58-61: more outings, first encounter with a bull snake, continued training
June 2020 was a bit more back to "normal" for us. Zooka's training continues as well as our exposure to the world around us. With things starting to open back up a bit more, we [...]
13th Month / Weeks 53-57: some training progress and some back to basics, an injury limits his activities
Zooka was most definitely in full adolescent mode this month. Adolescence can be tough no matter what, but when outings and social activities are reduced, and when an injury limits things further, it puts ALL [...]
Zooka's Funny Faces
Photos archived at https://photos.app.goo.gl/fN9UgRkbZTiFdVyY7
12th month / Weeks 49-52: turning ONE YEAR OLD! plus fewer outings due to stay-at-home order during this pandemic, more training at home
Zooka turns ONE YEAR OLD on May 1st, 2020! His 12th month of life was a bit of a strange month in the world. Most of us were under stay-at-home orders due to the Covid-19 [...]
11th month / Weeks 45-48: working on NOT chasing, upping some of our training challenges, continued socializing
Zooka's 11th month of life (March 2020) was a lot less snowy than last month. I much prefer it, but I am sure Zooka misses the snow! So we had some pretty nice weather for [...]
Hiking/walking with your dog: Zooka, 10 month old Vizsla @ Dawson Butte
What should a hike or walk with your dog look like? Hopefully, it is pleasant for both of you with a dog who can explore and enjoy the outdoors AND stay tuned in with [...]
Supervised appropriate puppy play: Zooka, 12 week old Vizsla in Puppy Class
You can find lots of advice on how to socialize puppies during that critical socialization window that essentially ends around 12 weeks of age. Most puppies though don't get into puppy class or out [...]
Zooka 11 week old Vizsla puppy self play with inappropriate objects
Self play is an important skill for puppies to have. We cannot and should not entertain them all the time. This video is a good example of a puppy entertaining himself with self-play. We [...]
Zooka puppy play with Power Tug Toy and BONUS GoPro blooper!
Have a nippy puppy at home with razor sharp puppy teeth? Getting your skin ripped up during play with your little land-shark? Check out our Power Tug Toy! This is a great tug toy [...]
Puppy and adult dog play: Zooka at 11 weeks with Ollie
Zooka is eleven weeks old and playing with Ollie, an adult Cocker Spaniel. Here is an example of an adult dog able to play well with a puppy. If your puppy is going to [...]
Appropriate play between puppy and adult dog: Zooka @ 14 weeks with Loki
Appropriate play with an adult dog who loves puppies is one of the best things you can do for a puppy. Not always easy to find, but well worth it if you can! Zooka, [...]
Zooka, puppy napping in his crate
Looking for a really exciting video to watch?! Well, this is not it. Want a video that relaxes you? Want a video that is peaceful and helps you breathe a little easier? Want to [...]
Puppy leash manners on a hike, Zooka just under 4 months old at Snow Mountain Ranch
Walks and hikes with young puppies should be pretty short and easy. Lots of meandering and breaks. Lots of sniffing and exploring. Nothing serious. Nothing strenuous. At just under 4 months old, this is [...]
Zooka < 4 months old climbing on a tree stump at Snow Mountain Ranch
Zooka is just under four months old in this video. This was his first day trip up into the Rocky Mountains. We took him to Snow Mountain Ranch for a leisurely introduction to hiking [...]
Puzzle toys and mental stimulation for a dog on limited exercise or surgery recovery, Zooka @ 15 weeks
Puzzle toys are one great option for mental stimulation for puppies or adult dogs. For a dog on limited exercise while recuperating from surgery, puzzle toys can be a great way to help a [...]
Zooka @ 10.5 weeks, puppy training session in new places like a local park
In another post, we showed video of taking Zooka for a walk and tips on how those walks should look at this age. In this post, we are in the same park but doing [...]
Does your dog chase cars? Zooka is thinking about it
Does your dog chase cars? I certainly hope not. I have had plenty of clients over the years whose dogs have chased cars or have at least tried to chase cars. It is an activity [...]
Puzzle toys are great mental stimulation for puppies, Zooka @ 14 weeks
As a trainer, you might hear me talk about mental stimulation for dogs. Puzzle toys are a great option for mental stimulation for puppies or dogs of any age. The video is of Zooka [...]
Zooka @ 10.5 weeks, safely introducing your puppy to new dogs
This is Zooka's first time meeting some new dog friends. Only he does not yet know they will be his friends! Introducing your new puppy to new dogs should be done carefully and hopefully [...]
Zooka @ 10.5 weeks, what puppy walks should look like
At 10.5 weeks old in this video, Zooka is in that critical socialization window that closes around 12 weeks of age. We demonstrate what a puppy walk at this age should look like. Some [...]