Canine evolutions

Life is an evolution for all of us; each day brings with it new experiences and lessons. We should hope that we evolve and strive for evolution for both ourselves and our dogs.

Evolution - any process of formation or growth; development:

So how do our dogs evolve? Dogs evolve like we do, through experience and knowledge. It is not merely training…learning to follow specific behavior cues. Evolution is growth, so for our dogs it is learning how to live in our human world; acquiring life skills so that they can manage their way through without too much stress and anxiety. It is about learning about impulse control; something that Riggs is in the midst of. He is very VERY impulsive. Evolution means to grasp what is acceptable and unacceptable.

It is our job to help in the evolution of our dogs. When they come to us they are the rawest state of themselves. Of course the breeder has had a part in who they are at that moment; so they may be thriving with early life experience or lacking drastically. From the moment they enter our family, it’s up to us.

Helping our dogs in their growth to become a good canine citizen is a very big job. There is a great deal to know about your dog before you even attempt to assist them with their evolution. If you are a first time canine guardian then I recommend that you read and read and listen and listen until you feel prepared to help in your dog’s growth.

Your dog in your hands

I am a big fan of guardians doing the work. When you live with a dog in your home, they are a part of or should be a part of your family. The more you learn about your dog, the more you can help them to acclimate in our world. This in turn helps you in your own evolution; at least in your evolution to be a better canine guardian.

Life is an evolution of oneself. Is your dog evolving? Are you?

I LOVE DOGS

A wolf in poodle clothing.

I love dogs! I always have and I always will. Throughout my life with dogs, I’ve met many. From the tiniest little chihuahua with a huge personalty and confidence to the giant but unsure Irish Wolfhound. I love them. To me a dog is far more than what we see on the outside; so much more lies just beneath the surface. I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember. As a youngster I was drawn to them; even though I came from a very non dog family, dogs were my passion from the start.

My love of dog stretches to Wolves as well, I love them too. Of course I am a huge animal lover; I simply love them all. But it is the dog that has captured and retained my heart. Canis lupus familiaris, the dog is an amazing animal. I could quite literally watch them interact 24/7. I love watching them as they communicate with one another and with humans. The canine/human connection fascinates me.

Our relationship with dogs can be as different and individual as our dogs themselves. What we get out is what we put in. Acquire a dog and put it in the yard with little to no interaction; you are going to miss out on the amazing connection between human and dog. Long, long ago, we brought dogs into our world. Since then our relationship has evolved into something magical; that is, if we put the work into it.

When I look at a dog and see what they bring to us on a daily basis, the truly are amazing. Sometimes I think “wow, we live with these creatures in our home.” The beginning of a dog by my side was out of a win, win relationship. From the moment that wolves entered into our human world, our connection has evolved. Wolves were very self sufficient and over time as they became our dogs; they also became reliant on us.

Just the other day I was tossing Elsa’s ball for her. As she went in for the catch she miscalculated and hit the ball over the fence with her muzzle. This has happened many times before and she knows that I will get it. She stood on one side of the fence; vigilantly keeping watch on her ball as I made my way across the field. Could she have gotten the ball herself? Most definitely. I have taught her not to go clamoring over or under fences to retrieve her ball; it isn’t safe for her to do so. So we not only do for our dogs; we also protect them from danger.

We have brought dogs into our family to live by our side. They have reciprocated by allowing us to be their pack. Understanding where our dogs came from and who they once were helps to create a more symbiotic relationship. If we think of our dogs as little furry people then we do an injustice to our relationship; leaving much to be desired for the dog itself. Our dogs were once wolves; they have now been truly domesticated and live in our homes. The essential thing to remember about our dogs is that they are dogs, not humans.

And that my friends is what makes them so amazing, simply by being dogs.

Temperament testing in dogs

A most perfect match made when Elsa joined our family.  Thank you Vicki.

I want to talk about temperament testing today, yes again.  This is something that I am very passionate about and wish that all breeders, rescues and shelters did.  Very few that I speak to think that temperament testing is important.  But why?  Well, from what I can glean from the conversations that I have, it seems that the idea of temperament testing is something you do when you don't "know" your puppies.  The common response I hear from the breeders who don't do it is this; "I don't need to temperament test, I know my puppies."  Leaving me to think that they feel that it is only something you do when you don't know your puppies.  Hmmmmm...

So what exactly does temperament testing do?  Well, let's first say that there is temperament testing and then there is temperament testing.  I have seen many dogs who have been "tested" that have been done completely inaccurately.  So that must be the first understanding.  When a temperament test is done it must be done by someone who is very experienced in dog behavior.  There are so many things to factor in aside from the initial result.  

What am I looking for when I test?   I look to find out who this puppy is as an individual.  What makes them tick; what they like, what they don't like.  How will they deal with life as it unfolds before them.   

What type of family scenario is going to best suit each individual puppy?  Temperament testing is not about finding the good and bad.  It has nothing to do with the best puppy; it is all about finding the best puppy for each family waiting to add one of the bundles of fur to their family.  Who would thrive in each very different individual family life?

• Are they afraid of loud noise?
• Are they independent?
• Do they easily follow a human?
• What is their recovery time after being startled?  A biggy for me..
• Are they a soft or hard type dog?  
• Will they do well with small children?
• Are they forgiving?  
• etc etc

There is no reason not to temperament test but a plethora of reason to test.  When a breeder does not test and opts to allow the families to pick their own puppy; every puppy/guardian pairing can be wrong.  It can start with the first choice to the last.  Most people have no idea what they are looking for; they go on a visual choice and who comes to them first.  Nothing can be gleaned from a onetime visit in among a litter of puppies.  

Each puppy must be looked at alone and offered many different experiences to show who they are as an individual.  Why not give each a chance for the best life that they can live.  Much more coming on temperament testing, stay tuned.  

Isle of Dogs-the movie

The first time I heard about Isle of Dogs was only a week ago.  I don't know why it had not come to my attention and not crossed any of my feeds before then.  Once I finally saw the trailer and asked others about it, they had known about it already.  Anyhow, I went to see it yesterday and this was my take away. 

First let me say that I was shocked that you can now get wine at the theater, guess it's been a while.  So with a plastic cup of Pinot Grigio in hand I waited for the movie to start.  I didn't really have any huge expectations except that the movie was about dogs. 

My only complaint was that there could have been fewer humans in the movie; and more dog interactions.  But that is just me.  It was an amazing production when you consider how stop motion movies are made.  I can't even imagine the time and patience it would take to create the movie.  It was done expertly.

Isle of Dogs is set in Japan in the near future when the dog flu sweeps over all the pet and stray dogs and they are banished to a garbage dump island to live out the rest of their lives.  That is until some of the humans (the bad guys) decide to euthanize all of the dogs on the island.  The battle between good and bad ensues.

 The story is mostly about a young boy who loses his guardian dog to the island and he sets out to find him.  A gang of previous "pet dogs" take up with the boy and attempt to find his dog for him.  Albeit one stray dog (Chief) who was never a pet.  He has a rough exterior that he holds strong to retain.  

The movie is not for children; it has a few disturbing scenes that would not be okay for young children.  Because of the animation idea around the movie; one might think that it is for kids but it is not, in my opinion. Some dark parts of the movie come from the humans who are against the dogs.  But there are also good humans in the movie who are trying to save the dogs. 

There is some translation throughout the movie so that you can understand some of the Japanese spoken segments.  But there are some that are not translated which leaves you with just getting an emotional feel for what is being said.

There are a lot of really big actors who lend their voice to this movie and they are great.  Some were recognizable to me, others not.  

I don't want to give too much away if you are planning on seeing it.   The movie is very artsy and I would assume will be winning awards for the work of art that it is.  It is different, not exactly what I thought it would be but worth seeing.  Being the dog lover that I am; of course I felt that I needed to see it. 

It is definitely a movie that leaves you thinking that this type of situation could actually happen in perhaps a lesser fashion.  Something to think about.

Hold tight to your dog and enjoy every second you can with them.  

Sherri