DogWatch of the Twin Cities
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January 3, 2018

Behind the Scenes

DogWatch of the Twin Cities is owned by Guy Treanor and he employs his daughter Afton and her husband Jake. If you meet us, it’s almost always just for a few hours at your house. So what’s going on the rest of the time?

First of all, we’re on the road a lot. If you ever see a DogWatch vehicle, give us a wave. You can’t miss us! Our cars are stocked with DogWatch parts so we’re ready for anything. And they’re a little dirty from the mud on our boots and the dogs we cart around with us, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We work out of our houses. Most of our time is spent at customers’ houses and on the road, so there’s no need for a fancy DogWatch office. But we do have customers stop by Guy’s house in Eden Prairie once in a while to pick up a battery or have their collar tested. Since we work out of our houses, our dogs become our coworkers. Tripp is excellent in the car, and Moose is excellent on the couch.

DogWatch of the Twin Cities is a local dealer of DogWatch products, and there are dealers around the country and around the world. The DogWatch corporate employees and other dealers are a huge part of our life behind the scenes. The support we receive from DogWatch Inc. in Massachussets is amazing. That’s where all DogWatch products are assembled and tested.

Each February, the DogWatch dealers and corporate employees get together for an annual meeting. Lucky for us it’s always someplace warm, typically in Florida or California. We learn about new products and smart ways to run the business, and dealers receive recognition for their achievements of the past year.

Working at DogWatch of the Twin Cities is a pretty good gig thanks to nice customers, fun pets and support from DogWatch, Inc.

 

December 26, 2017

Winter Hidden Fence Installation

Have you ever wondered what hidden fence installers do during the winter? Just kidding, of course you haven’t. But we do install dog fences during the winter months in Minnesota, even when the ground is frozen. If you have a dog that needs to be contained, you need it now, not whenever the weather cooperates.

A typical underground hidden fence consists of burying wire around the perimeter of the yard, securing the wire across the driveway, putting up yard flags, hooking up the electronics, and beginning the dog training process. In the wintertime burying the wire isn’t an option, but everything else is. So we follow all the steps, and then we lay the wire around the perimeter of the yard above ground. The only other difference is that we use green flags instead of white ones.

The wire will make its way to the bottom of the snow and ice and stays secure. Your dog will learn the boundaries in about four days, and you have a working containment system. The last step is in the spring when we come back to bury the wire once the ground is thawed.

No matter the time of year, we want you to know that your dog can be contained.

 

December 18, 2017

Teach Your Dog to Stop Barking

Barking can be one of the hardest dog problems to solve. The more you yell at your dog to stop barking, the more he barks. And unlike other pup issues, this one affects the neighbors, sleeping kids, and other dogs in the house.

The quickest way to quiet a talkative dog is with the DogWatch BarkCollar. It senses the vibration of the bark, and gets the dog’s attention with a correction zap. One of the reasons it’s so effective is because it’s immediate. The dog doesn’t have to think very much to make the connection between the bark and the zap. You can find the right level of zap that quiets your dog’s bark, or use our favorite level, Progressive. When you turn the dial to P, the first bark is corrected with a vibrate, and if your dog continues barking the level goes higher with each bark until he stops.

The other important training component of the BarkCollar is consistency. Dogs understand in black and white, so if every bark is corrected, they learn so much quicker. No matter who is at home with the dog, even if he’s home by himself, the BarkCollar will correct barking. That way your dog learns that ALL barking is bad.

Here are some tips when using the BarkCollar:

  1. Charge it completely before using it for the first time. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts several months.
  2. Make sure your dog doesn’t know it’s about the collar. For him, the problem is the barking. To do that, put the collar on him at a time when he wouldn’t bark, and then create a barking situation once he’s forgotten that he’s wearing it. For instance, a couple hours after putting the BarkCollar on your dog, walk out the garage door and ring the doorbell.
  3. Start on a low level and work up to the level where your dog stops barking. There are 7 total levels, starting at a vibration.
  4. Check out the Bark Counter feature. Learn about your dog’s barking patterns when you’re not at home, and address specific triggers if necessary. Lots of barking at 3:00 on weekdays? Could be that pesky school bus.

Read all about the BarkCollar here, and purchase it online here. Give us a call if you have questions or want to learn more.

December 10, 2017

DogWatch Dog Story: Nala

DogWatch customer Robin in Chanhassen, Minnesota has had her hidden fence for years. She has always had labs, and currently has two adorable, chunky yellow labs named Louie and Sidney. Recently, her daughter and husband convinced her to add a husky puppy to the family. She was a little hesitant knowing that huskies’ personalities are so different from labs.

Robin gave in and the family got Nala, the beautiful husky puppy with one brown eye and one blue eye. And she’s definitely not a lab! Nala is sassy, dramatic, independent and loves the winter. She always wants to be outside, and even takes naps in the snowy yard.

Robin and the three pups live on a busy corner, so they really need the dog fence to work. The labs are old pros and know exactly where to go and where not to go. But Nala had to learn the ropes, too. She got her own collar and set off on the training adventure this December. She quickly learned to watch out for the flags, but really looked forward to break times in the snow that accumulated during her training period.

After a week or so, Nala knew her boundaries and stayed in the yard, even when the neighbor dogs were outside and people strolled by on warm morning walks. We love our newest DogWatch dog!

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