My Best Friends: Nana & Kaiser

A tribute to my best friends: a Border Collie named Nana and a Bengal cat named Kaiser.
Nana and Kaiser make me smile and laugh on a daily basis, and I cherish every moment that I have with them.

Nana absolutely loves having fun, and she has an amazing talent for making people laugh. She lives every day to the fullest with a huge smile on her face. Nana is not just a dog; she is a true member of the family who I love beyond description.

Kaiser loves to be the center of attention. He is a little ball of energy who loves tricks, fetch and tug-of-war, and pouncing water in the bath tub or in his water bowl. Kaiser especially enjoys exploring the world around him. I absolutely love everything about Kaiser, and his hilarious, confident personality is like no other.

In this video, I have included some old and new videos of these two, including puppy and kitten footage, and ultimately videos of them being their goofy selves. The Australian Shepherd shown in this video was a friend's foster dog who loved playing with Nana.

Introducing: Paris and Viggo

I have been asked by a few people about these two recently on our latest YouTube videos, and I decided it would be best to give you all a formal introduction on them.

Meet Paris the rat and Viggo the ferret!

Paris is a six-month-old dumbo rat who loves being the center of attention.  She absolutely adores Nana, and will sometimes climb onto her back to eat her treats.  She is very photogenic; it is amazing how much she resembles a little model when she poses for the camera, especially while she is wearing one of her cute little outfits.

Paris has been learning several tricks since I have had her with the iClick - she is absolutely brilliant.  Many people are unaware of just how intelligent rats are.  She already has learned some advanced behaviours in such a short time, and she is such a blast to work with.

Viggo (pronounced "VEE-go") is a three-year-old sable ferret I adopted last week from a rescue.  Viggo is such a sweetheart, and he has been settling in extremely well.  When he was first brought to the rescue he was very sick and evidently neglected, but with much TLC, proper nutrition, and lots of much needed attention, he was nursed back to health.  It breaks my heart to know that some people treat animals with such disrespect, not giving them the love that they need.  I am so glad to have been the one to adopt Viggo; he is such an incredible little guy.

Viggo is the sweetest and most mellow ferret I have ever met.  He loves to cuddle and lick, and he is very gentle with everyone he meets.  He will sometimes fall right asleep while I am holding him. :)

Viggo and Kaiser have really grown to like each other.  The two of them spend hours chasing each other around the house, and of course, Nana will always go running after them to join in on the action.  He is such a clown; the hilarious things he does makes me laugh every day.

Stay tuned for more from Paris and Viggo!

Also, if you are interested in adding a new member to your family, please remember to visit your local rescue first.

Nana's Balancing Tricks

A short video of Nana demonstrating her amazing balancing skills.  All of Nana's training is done through the use of clicker training and positive reinforcement.

Merry Christmas from Nana and Kaiser

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Stay tuned for more fun Nana & Kaiser videos and news.

Cat vs. Dog: A Trick Contest

A remake of one of our first videos.  With more tricks up their sleeves, Nana and her best buddy Kaiser are back competing in a contest to determine who does the best tricks.

The competition is fierce.... and close...... leaving the final decision up to you to decide: Who wins??

All tricks are taught using Positive Reinforcement and the clicker.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Kaiser!

Happy Birthday, Kaiser!  Kai just turned two years old on October 2nd, 2011.  He has come so far since the day I brought him home as a kitten; I am so proud of my boy.

Kaiser is truly a one-of-a-kind cat with the most unique personality.  Curious, bold, loyal, and energetic are only a few of the many words that describe this little ball of tireless energy, who loves nothing more than playing games; his favourites are fetch, chase, pounce, and tug-of-war.  He may appear to be in a deep sleep at one moment but upon pulling out one of his springs or his frog toy, Kaiser leaps into action.

Water has always been such a fascination to Kaiser.  If it is in a bowl, Kai will stare intently into it motionlessly, then at the perfect moment he will pounce the liquid and splash it everywhere.  When filling up the bathtub, Kaiser will gallop in the room with me and dive into the tub even before I have finished filling it completely.

No cat takes performing tricks more seriously than Kaiser, and he has no trouble letting me know when he wants to do them.  He will first perform tricks on his own to try to get my attention.  If "spin", "back up", and "beg" don't work, Kai knows just the trick that always does - the backstall.  Whatever I may be doing, at the moment Kaiser suddenly leaps onto my shoulders from behind I always know just what my little buddy wants to do.  (He has me completely trained.)

During the cold winter months, Kaiser can be found curled up near the register or on his favourite purple blanket.  His big sister, Nana, will sometimes join him to warm up on occasion.

Kaiser is simply the greatest cat I have ever met, and I am so happy and proud to have him in my life. 

Happy Birthday, Kaiser!

Dog Trick Tutorial - "In the Corner"

Above is a video tutorial demonstrating how Nana learned "In the Corner".  Whether pretending to count for a game of hide-and-go-seek, or acting like she thinks she's been a bad dog, this trick is sure to bring laughs and is always a great addition to any dog's repertoire.

Behaviour:  The dog finds a corner between two walls and stands with his nose placed in it until released.

Step 1:  Place a treat on a sticky note and click as your dog eats the treat.

Step 2:  Hover your hand over the sticky note without actually placing the treat on it.  Click and reward when your dog sniffs the sticky note.

Step 3:  Continue to click whenever your dog sniffs or touches the sticky note with his nose.  Do not click for anything other than nose touches.

Step 4:  Place the sticky note on your knee and continue practicing nose touches.  If your dog gets confused, try tapping the sticky note with your finger or go back to doing it on the floor before trying again.

Step 5:  Hold the sticky note up with your hand and practice.

Step 6:  Begin holding the sticky note closer to the wall, then eventually stick it on.

Step 7:  Move the sticky note to the corner of two walls and practice.

Step 8:  Begin clicking for duration of the trick.

Step 9:  Gradually add distance between your dog and the walls.

Step 10:  Remove the sticky note and continue practicing.

Step 11:  When your dog is performing the trick consistantly, add a verbal cue.

Tips:
- If your dog ever gets confused, go back a step to help refresh his memory.
- Jackpot your dog when he performs a behaviour exceptionally well.
- Always work at your dog's pace.  Never rush through the steps, as this can confuse your dog and be stressful for him.
- Always end sessions before your dog gets bored.
- Keep sessions short and as fun and exciting as possible.

Keep Training Paw-sitive!