I love the Lucky Dog show on CBS; each week’s episode features celebrity dog trainer Brandon McMillan working to train a rescue dog in preparation for his new home. Now the Emmy-winning star has launched a new collection of dog training products demonstrated in his new book, Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days.
Recently Petmate sent me McMillan’s new Shake & Break™ training tool. If you’re familiar with a can of coins used as a redirection tool, you’ll recognize the principle behind the Shake & Break, basically breaking the dog’s focus on an unwanted behavior.
The Shake & Break takes the can of coins a step further by providing multiple sounds. The hourglass shape features a steel end and a plastic end, both connected by a rubber center. Inside, faceted beads provide the noise when you shake the Shake & Break.
Why two materials? The sound of the beads hitting the metal end is much louder and more jarring than when you turn over the Shake & Break and have the beads make contact with the plastic end (a good option for shy dogs who may be frightened by the sound of the beads on metal).
I had the chance to give the Shake & Break a test this week when we had a repairman replacing my broken windshield. Irie and Tiki were in the house but they were able to see the workman through the front door–and they didn’t like it. Living in the country, they so rarely see anyone in our front yard and garage area that they go into high alert when they spot a stranger.
When I shook the Shake & Break, it definitely broke Tiki’s fixation on the workman. Once that attention was broken, I was able to talk to her and get her refocused on something else.
I’ll definitely be carrying the Shake & Break on hotel stays as a quick and easy way to redirect the dogs’ focus when they hear a knock on a door, a challenge that they encounter very rarely but one that, at a hotel, we need to redirect quickly. The Shake & Break can also be used for redirecting dogs from other unwanted behaviors such as jumping on people.
The Shake & Break is priced at $15.99 and is available at Petmate.com.
This post is sponsored by Petmate.
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