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September 14, 2017

Welcome Jake!

The family business is growing! Jake Steigauf is the new member of the team at DogWatch of the Twin Cities. He is an installer and repair specialist, and Guy Treanor’s son-in-law. Like Guy and Afton, he’s a dog lover. He enjoys getting to work outside and having lots of variety in his day. Once he starts a task, he won’t stop until it’s done.
When he’s not working, Jake stays busy with his baby boy and plenty of hobbies. He loves snowmobiling, projects in the garage, 4-wheeling, and weekends at the cabin. His dog is Moose, the black lab mix who lives up to his name.

August 18, 2017

Dogs and Kids

Dogs are such a great addition to a child’s life. They are good for kids’ health and development. But the combination can sometimes take effort. Here are some tips, whether you’re adding a dog, adding a kid, or already have a full house.

Back to School
It’s that time of year, and when kids head back to school it’s an adjustment. The activity in the house calms down a lot during the day. Give your dog lots of exercise and try to stick to a routine to make her life easier during the transition. When you and the kids come home, greet your dog calmly to keep her anxiety down, and let her outside after a few minutes if she needs to go to the bathroom.

Kids Should Learn Dog Language
All kids, even those without dogs, should know how to read the cues that dogs send. Teach your kids the basics of dog body language, and they’ll be safer at home and out and about.
Have them watch out for ears back, tail down and teeth showing. Show them how to greet a new dog by quietly letting the dog approach and then petting the dog on his sides or back, not his head or face.

Dogs Need Some Time to Adjust to a Baby
When a new baby comes home, a dog’s world turns upside down. But dog and baby can learn to be buddies. When you first bring baby home, let the dog briefly meet the baby and slowly increase the amount of time they spend together. At first, the dog might annoy the baby with kisses and sniffs, but about 6 months later the baby will be bugging the dog. Just try to give your dog as much attention as possible during the transition so he knows you didn’t forget about him.


Kids Can Cause Bad Habits in Puppies
Getting a puppy and training her is always a challenge, but with kids it’s even harder. For one, there’s more chaos in the house. But more importantly, the most important aspect of training is consistency. The adults in the house make the rules, but if the kids don’t enforce them with the puppy, you could run into problems. An example of this is with jumping up. If the dog is allowed to jump up on some family members, they’ll end up doing the same to guests. Teach your children the rules and how to enforce them.

Accidents Happen
Even with the dogs and kids are the best of friends, be prepared for accidents. Kids can accidentally step on dogs’ toes, and vice versa. Handle your dog to get him used to things like touching his tail and ears. That will help him react better if a kid gets grabby. Remind your kids to be gentle and careful around the dog. Beyond that, just be prepared with a first aid kit and the vet’s phone number.

August 14, 2017
Testimonial for Yellow lab with DogWatch BigLeash Collar

Make the Most Out of your DogWatch Hidden Fence

There are so many features on DogWatch hidden fence products that make life easier. If you have a DogWatch fence, you know how to keep your dog in the yard. Here are some ways to do even more.

INDOOR BOUNDARIES
If you have a DogWatch receiver collar, you already have half of an Indoor Boundary system. You can purchase a disc called the IB-100 that keeps your dog out of certain areas of the house using that same receiver collar. That means you can keep your dog off the couch, out of the bedroom or out of the basement. Put the disc in a plastic bag, and your dog stops digging in the garden and chewing up packages on the doorstep. Learn more: https://www.dogwatchtc.com/products/indoor-pet-boundaries/

TATTLETALE
A lesser-known feature of DogWatch receiver collars is called TattleTale. It lets you know when your dog goes past her boundary line and receives a correction, even if you’re not there to see it (or hear it). The battery status light on the top of the receiver flashes green every minute to tell you that the battery is good. If your dog receives a correction, the light flashes twice in a row every minute to alert you for the next 24 hours. Even if you’re not always watching, the receiver knows that your dog made a mistake and increases the correction level for that 24 hours, just in case.

“WATCH OUT”
We use the term “watch out” when training a dog to his hidden fence boundaries. It signals the dog to pay attention and stop what he’s doing. Keep that phrase in your arsenal and it can come in handy if your dog tries to catch a bee or walks towards a campfire, for example.

SMARTFENCE
The SmartFence is a new product from DogWatch that lets you stay connected to your dog and your dog fence, no matter where you are. If you already have a DogWatch hidden fence, you can upgrade to the SmartFence for a reduced rate. Plus, we can use your existing wire in the yard. Learn more about the SmartFence here: https://www.dogwatchtc.com/products/outdoor-hidden-fences/smartfence/.

ADD A PET
If you get a new pet, it’s easy to add them to your existing DogWatch hidden fence. All you need is a receiver collar, flags for the yard and a training refresher. Each pet’s collar can have distinct settings. If you have a hidden fence for your dog, don’t forget about your cat! We have small lightweight receivers that work for cats, and they can learn boundaries just like dogs can.

ANOTHER PROPERTY
Bring DogWatch with you to the cabin. We can install a hidden fence up north for our Twin Cities customers. You can bring your electronics back and forth, or buy extras so you don’t forget it.
If you have a friend or family member with a DogWatch hidden fence, your receiver collar will work in their yard and vice versa. Put some flags up at the unknown property and dog sitting just got simpler.

August 9, 2017

Our Other Mascot Moose

Besides the Main Mascot Tripp, there’s one more dog you should know. This is Moose the Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. Moose belongs to Afton, DogWatch of the Twin Cities’ marketing, sales and training specialist. Moose is a big guy, weighing in at over 100 pounds. And he’s full of energy.
His DogWatch fence stops him from running into the street to greet neighbors walking by with strollers, not to mention all the other dogs in the neighborhood. Instead, he does the next best thing – he sits in the driveway just watching.
Moose loves cuddling on the couch, chasing balls and eating socks. He’s a very strong swimmer and an even better eater. Moose is a big part of the family and loves going everywhere with his owners and his baby brother. While at the cabin, the BigLeash keeps him from straying too far.
Moosey hates fireworks and thunder, so July can be a rough month for him.
Besides Moosey, his nicknames include Moosh (thanks to the 1-year-old neighbor girl), Mimi-Siku (from “Jungle 2 Jungle”), Moomey and Meep Peep. If you meet him, be ready for a big kiss and some accidental tail collisions.

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