BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
The extremely cold, windy and wintry conditions we have been experiencing lately have pet owners needing to think outside the box to keep their pets mentally and physically active. Keeping your pet from becoming bored in the house can be a challenge when being outdoors is an unpleasant prospect for either man or beast. And, even though I am in the dog treat business, there should be a limit to the number of goodies your doggie is allowed to ingest to keep him busy.

So it was with interest that my eye lit upon an article by Pat Miller, a dog behavior consultant and trainer, in the December "Your Dog," a publication of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Miller developed a multi-faceted plan to keep her high-energy Corgi mentally stimulated during an extended surgical recovery period. Her ideas can certainly be applied during any periods of inactivity to keep your pet's brain engaged, which in turn thwarts destructive or unacceptable behavior.

A positive reinforcement trainer, Miller combined interactive toys, self-control exercises, desensitization work and shaping small-movement behavior in her program.

Miller's first choice for interactive toys is the Kong, the classic beehive-shaped hollow rubber toy. While still popular as a fetching toy, the Kong has gained a second marketing life as a stuffing receptacle, with stuffing choices limited only by your creativity.

To stuff, set the Kong in a mug, small side down. If your dog likes a challenge, stuff it tightly, or pack less firmly for a less persistent pooch. Use regular dinnertime kibble, moistened with chicken broth, then freeze for a doggie popsicle. Baby carrots, cheese cubes, fresh fruits or vegetables (excluding grapes, raisins or onions), dog cookies and hotdog slices are all good stuffers. Stick everything together with peanut butter, cream cheese, squirtable cheese or the manufacturer's dog-specific pastes in peanut butter or liver flavor. Clean up is easy on the top rack of the dishwasher.

The Everlasting Treat Ball, available in a variety of sizes, is a little simpler. It can be used either with its own flavored wafers or with dog biscuits popped through the center flaps for a chew toy that retains its long-term fascination.

Periods of inactivity or being home bound can be a good time to practice self-control. Reinforcing behavioral disciplines can teach or retrain your dog to "Stay," to "Relax" in a position lying flat on the floor for a calming massage or to "Leave It" which can be handy in getting your dog to ignore whatever you want him to ignore. Working on desensitizing, that is, accustoming your dog to touch and handling, can be invaluable in accomplishing stress-free nail trims or for visits to the veterinarian's office.

To teach "Leave It," have your dog sit in front of you. With a bowl of small treats handy, place one under your foot and say, "Leave It." Your dog will naturally try to get the treat out, but when tires of this and looks or moves away, or say "Yes!" and give him a treat from the bowl. Keep repeating until he leaves your foot alone. To raise the bar, say "Leave It," then move your foot off the treat. When he tries to get it, cover with your foot and reinforce when he looks away. Moving up, toss the treat behind you, say "Leave It." Block him if he tries to get the treat, and when he abandons his efforts, and treat. This command is especially useful to avoid tempting tidbits when on a walk.

Desensitizing requires some patience because you have to work slowly to the target area, to the paw, for instance. Touch with your hand where he is comfortable, say, around the elbow, feeding treats from your other hand. Remove your touching hand and stop the treats. Repeat until he looks for treats when he feels your touch, called a conditioned emotional response, or CER. When you consistently get the CER, work your way down the leg to the paw. Then move on to the other legs. Repeat the process with nail clippers in your hand. Snap the clippers without cutting the nail and give a treat. When that becomes comfortable, clip only one nail and treat, and so on. You get the idea.

Shaping breaks behavior into small increments and can be used to build a complete behavior. With this technique you can successfully teach your pet to High Five, ring a bell with its nose, cock its head to one side or anything else you think of.

For example, to shape a High Five, have your dog sit. Reward any movement of the designated paw with a . Gradually higher and higher until the paw is at his eye level. Then add your verbal cue and meet his paw with your own hand.

So what if it's cold or snowy. Your dog goes to the head of the class, you've had effective interactive together time, you have both averted the blahs and, as a bonus, you have a better behaved and wellmanicured

dog. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.