Tilley update

Its been a crazy weekend. Tilley had a rough night lastnight with pain but by this morning her tail was looking a bit better. I spent several hours sleeping at her side on the floor in the livingroom in the wee hours. She was so restless that only my touch would calm her and allow her to close her eyes and catch a few winks.

Her tail finally opened this morning but it doesn't look like a typical cyst that I usually deal with, it looks very much like a spider bite. So she is on pain meds and antibiotics and we will be at the vet first thing in the morning to see how things are going.

I don't think they are going well but she seems to be in a little less pain.

I'll write more when I have more info.

Sherri

Tilley goes to the vet today

This morning as I was preparing to cut the dogs nails which is a process with three. After cutting the nails; I file their nails so that no one has sharp edges. I should have been doing this along time ago, do you know how many times I've been slashed by ragged edges?

Anyhow, I noticed a red spot on Tilley's tail. I don't how I spotted it as she has got a very furry tail but I keep a close eye on everything having to do with my dogs so there was the spot. As I mulled around the yard a bit I noticed that she was quite bothered by this thing on her tail; so I got out the clippers and shaved her tail down.

I was shocked to see the extent of her tail, it was very swollen, red and oozing. I cannot believe how tough this girl is, she constantly amazes me. But it is this same toughness that leads to many things being discovered far beyond when I typically would have discovered something. My boy Luke lets me know when he has a hang nail for heavens sakes.

So I went to the vet immediately; which I was very happy about. I am very accustom to being told "oh no, we're booked up for the day." "What do you mean your booked up?" How many times have you called a vet in need of an appointment immediately and been told you'll have to wait until Monday? I know I've heard that way too many times, once when Tilley had blood in her urine I was told I'd have to wait till Monday. How's that for caring about animals?

So this new vet that I have I love, the staff is friendly, they put up with all of my "must be with my dogs," stuff and they always have time to see my guys. This is how it should be, squeeze up the patients who are in for a shots or to have their nails cut and "MAKE ROOM FOR MY DOG." I would never call a vet or a even a Dr. and ask to be seen immediately unless I felt that it was important. But hey, thats me. I guess there are enough people who say its urgent when it really isn't so now the techs on the phone don't buy it.

So as for our trip today, Tilley had a follow up urine analysis. The one where you get a needle into your bladder (I said she was tough). Then she had her tail looked at, a shot of antibiotics, pain killer which I love that some Dr's. now see the need for in dogs as well as humans. And we wait to see if this thing goes away on her tail.

Being a standard poodle she is susceptible to sebaceous cysts which we are use to but this one is different. Will keep you posted.

Tardiness and change

Hi all, I apologize for my tardiness of late. We have are having work done at our house which has meant that I need to be up ready and have my dogs fed and out for the day by 7 am, yikes early. Having myself ready is a breeze but as Luke gives me those puppy dog eyes in the morning I know all he wants is to go back to bed. Luke doesn't like change and especially a change to something that he loves so much.

Lukes loves my morning writing time, he stands at the kitchen door waiting for my husband to eat his breakfast and be on his way. The first sign from me that I am heading up to the bed to write and he is way out ahead of me. Luke loves nothing more than snuggling beside me while I write my blog, articles or attempt to finish my book. But mixing it up is important.

Dogs can get into a rut very quickly, which can by fine or can become a problem If dogs are not accustom to change they can have a difficult time of it. So for this reason alone it is important to switch up everything now and then. Things like feeding areas, waling routine, sleeping arrangements and daily routine. Routine is good but you want to make sure that your dog can handle change. By mixing it up you can help your dog deal with change.

You don't want your dog to be thinking ahead of you.

conventinal vs positive

I'm am growing weiry of defending my training techniques in the quickly dwindling conventional training world. This is a "hot topic" and very controversial, I know! It actually amazes me that there are still conventional trainers out there but I guess not everyone is into learning new and improved ways. I talk to alot of people and when I meet other trainers that are very conventional in their methods of training we don't quite see eye to eye. Often when we start to discuss training the conversation gets heated almost immediately.

I don't feel any anger towards the conventional trainer but they certainly feel like they have been backed up against a wall for some reason. Where does this anger come from, is it guilt? I study canine behavior and a fall out result of this is studying human behavior and I just can't figure this one out. I would ike to be able to discuss conventional and positive training but it just cannot happen without leading to a fight.

Many conventional trainers look at positive trainers as "cookie trainer,." or small dog trainers, I don't quite understand this either. When I was volunteering at an animal shelter I quickly became the cookie trainer. Their resident trainer was one of the really rough conventional trainers so was I just an extreme to them? Was this because they had dealt with so much military type training that I seem to them like a mushy trainer?

Just because I don't use harsh physical methods does not make me a push over, actually far from it. I am a very strict trainer but I do not rely on physical force to enforce my commands. Yes there are trainers who rely on methods that are probably a little mushy but that is what they feel should be done. I like to educate people, I will never talk down about a certain trainer but I will definitely say why conventional trianing is not great. Each and everyday I research different issues having to do with dogs, I read it all. I have a very open mind and I will take out of what I read.

I started training with conventional methods way back when I was only 13 and luckily I met someone who told me about positive training which I then started to research. So I know all about conventional training and I know why I don't use it. Something to think about, that's all I'm saying.

stretch that arm

Monday I took my poodles down to Dana Point Harbor for a walk, the weather was heating up again so I thought a nice cool ocean breeze would be nice. The closer we got to the water the louder Luke got. He loves anything to do with water so he was pretty excited. Its been quite a while since we'd been to this particular spot so I'm sure he had forgotten about the squirrels. These are not your ordinary squirrels, these are whopper squirrels that sit boldly out on their rock and scream at the dogs.

Being that this area is an "on leash" park the squirrels don't worry a whole lot. They probably give my guys one look and think "ah poodles," but they have never met my poodles. Poodles are the originial water retriever, yes folks even before the good old lab there was poodles diving through the waters retrieving ducks for the master. Most poodles have drive, not all of course; I'm sure that there are poodles that just sit there as a tennis ball rolls by or watch calmly while sipping tea as the squirrels play in the yard, but that the picture of my poodles.

No, my poodles are hunters. They are not big killers, that's Jessie's job but they are definitely hunters. Once we got to the park and out of the "xterra, ya baby," the first shreak was heard and they were on their toes. Luke wears an easy walk harness which I'm sure helps but when he is in high chase mode, not alot. One of my arms is longer than the other today I'm sure. Luke's approach is simply to charge, no sneaking he goes on gut reaction alone.

Tilley on the other hand is stealth in her approach, her body lowered almost to the ground with her eyes darting back and forth. She knows she's not allowed to just charge after these guys but cannot control what her body tells her to do. Tilley often slips into the zone and doesn't respond to my voice but only momentarily and when her mind comes back to me she acts apologetic; as if she has completely forgotten herself.

The dogs love these walks and a walk of 20-30 min. get knock them out for the day. These walks are more based on the whole "mental" stimulation although their bodies react and are in a constant state of readiness. They don't even notice other dogs while they are at this park and we don't get alot of mileage in. We spend most of the time by the rocks watching. Even though they are on high alert they will if asked just sit and watch for alongtime. It is so cute watching them watch the squirrels. They look very much like spectators at a tennis match with their heads turning in unison. I enjoy watching them just as much as they enjoy the squirrel walk.

Clyde-another great dog story

Clyde was one of my heart dogs. If you are lucky you will have at least one heart dog in your lifetime, I've already had several. Sadly I think many people have had or have a heart dog but they just don't know it. It takes time to know your dog and time to build a relationship. I spend hours upon hours with my dogs, watching, listening, playing, learning and just plain chill'n with them.

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I drove off to North Gower, Ontario, Canada to choose my new brown boy. At first glimpse there was a sea of brown curly puppies before me, heaven if you ask me. And these were still the days where you picked your own puppy out of a litter so I had a huge task before me.

The task was made easier immediately by the fact that I wanted a boy. I have to admit I have a soft spot for the boys and anyone who has never had a male should do so. I'm not really sure at this point why I chose Clyde, he was adorable and brown just like his brothers but for some reason I thought this little brown boy should be mine.

Once home it took no time for us to bond. I remember one day running down to the basement; on my return I looked up the long flight of stairs to see standing quite proudly at the top, Clyde. He was too small still to make the death defying traverse down the stairs and could not wait for me to get to the top. He stood with his whole body quivering and as I rose up over him I could see his tail was vibrating "different tail I thought to myself."

Clyde had an amazing personality, happy, devoted, loyal and friendly to everyone. That is unless he felt the need to protect his family, not too many people know what amazing guard dogs standard poodles are. Clyde loved nothing more than spending the days by my side no matter what I was doing. Cross country skiing? He'd get harnessed and take me for a ride. Skating? He'd run along the snow banks out back on the pond to stay with me. Doing errands? Clyde loved to ride in the car. Even if I was washing the car Clyde would sit for the entire time it took to wash the carI in the drivers seat and wait patiently.

Clyde was amazing, honestly he was not a big thinker; he was more a doer. He loved to wrestle with my husband and it got rough but never crossed the line. He loved to hike and loved to go on our daily adventures through the back forty. I will never forget him and often mistakenly call out to him in error. It is a slip of the tongue but one that makes me smile. To the end he had a vibrating tail, it never wagged by vibrated. Clyde is still in my heart and always on my mind.

Give your dog a bone

Yesterday was bone day at our house, the day I give each of my dogs a big yummy raw bone. Each month or so I set aside a day when I can spend a couple of hours just chill'n in the backyard or kitchen. Bone day is a very controlled and supervised event in our home because of the value put on raw bones. My poodles are fine but Jessie being the alpha bitch and a very dominant little Jack Russell it is important that everyone have a place and every bone be in that place, no swapping is permitted.

I pre-plan these bone days making a stop at the local grocery store to pick up the bones. At the meat counter I ask for the a big leg bone to be cut into three, please. Yesterday the lady asked "you want all three pieces" with a look on her face. "Yes please" I exclaim. Thanking her for cutting my bones I'm off to the cash feeling very much like Wilma Flinstone. I am accustom to getting the looks as I go through the line both from the cashier and the people waiting in line behind me. Sometimes I'll say something to the effect that my dogs are going to be happy today but more often I let their minds wander.

Once home it takes a split second for my guys to know what is in the house. Usually the bones are frozen so they must sit on the counter for a while or in the fridge overnight. When they are thawed and my couple of hours set aside I bring out the knife and sharpen it. The dogs are by my side in an instant as I puncture the wrap and start to clean up the bones. They typically come with alot of sinew, meat and fat on them so the fat is all cleaned off and some of the meat saved for later(important). I take a good amount of marrow out from the end of each bone as it is very rich and can upset the toughest of stomachs.

Now all on a platter as I head to the door, all the dogs are jumping but no jumping on me. Jumping on the "top dog" is not allowed; and if someone jumps on me it will immediately stop my forward motion so everyone jumps away from me, smart bunch. The bones are rationed out exactly like mealtime, Jessie, Tilley and then last but not least Luke. This way there is no confusion and that's the way it works best with dogs; black and white.

Each dog is designated an area with their bone, and yesterday it was important to choose a shady spot. So everyone had their spot and everyone had their bone, this is my chill'n time. Bone day is all about the dogs, it is about them doing a very doggy behavior and cleaning their teeth. You would be amazed what their teeth look like after a bone session. So I wander the yard, plant some new flowers and move some of my flowers around to new spots. I clean up the kitch, do some cooking and baking and generally be around. I am lucky because my kitchen is a complete wall of windows to the yard so I can be in my kitchen and supervise at the same time. I keep the door open and all windows open so that I would hear the first growl and be out before anything started.

During this bone time, I will bring out pieces of raw meat that I had previously taken off of the bones and deliver it to the dogs. I demand attention off of the bone and on me before they get the meat. The poodles are fine but Jessie is not so fine, she gets a face on as she prepares to protect her possession. This is all about being smarter than her, I don't want to get physical with her because once you go to that place it is hard to go back. So I outsmart her, I lower her guarding instinct by approaching and giving yummies so that when the time does come for me to take the bone she is not guarding.

After 1 1/2 hours my son arrived home and needed my attention which means my attention will not be on the dogs. That signals time to collect the bones and throw them away. I don't keep raw bones, too many ants, too many flies and too much chance of a fight in my yard. So just as they were delivered they are picked up in the same order. I don't want any of the poodles wandering over to Jessie's bone so she looses hers first. Each dog is a asked to sit, they get a piece of meat and I remove the bone. Once they are all picked up there is general wandering and investigating and with the bones gone everyones guarding instincts are lowered and I can attend to my son.

Another great bone day, teeth are clean, dogs are happy and now I need to clean the yard.

Tips

- bones must be raw
- clean fat off of the bones
- scoop out a good percentage of the marrow
- some dogs have a loose stool a day after bone day
- usually the first poop after bone day is like a concrete poop, because it is filled with bone meal
- a very healthy thing for dogs to do
- don't give these bones inside your home (yuck)
- make sure to always use new bones
- I always do bone day when I will be home for most of the following day. Sometimes Tilley gets a little upset stomach but not always and the other two are always fine.

So, give your dog a bone.

Are we over vaccinating our dogs?

Are we over vaccinating our pets? As far as our dogs are concerned; I believe so. There is a huge movement growing about the damaging health implications of over vaccinating. I have done a large amount of research on the subject as I am very interested in any new and improved protocols regarding our canines. I am not a vet but would like to pass on this information for anyone who is interested in reading it.

My little girl Jessie has an auto-immune disorder. Was this immune disorder her tiny body's reaction to not being able to tolerate the yearly vaccinations? All I know is that she seemed to be healthy one day and the next failed quickly to near death within a week. And the fact that the "non puppy mill" version of the Jack Russell is one of the healthiest of breeds leaves one wondering as to what exactly was the cause of this auto immune disorder. Below is a link to Jessie's story, you'll need a tissue.

http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss13p16.shtml

When I hear people claiming "she's due for her yearly shots," I wish I could educate everyone. We have been lead to believe that our dogs need yearly shots or else. As the date nears and passes we are sent into needless worry that our furry companion may contact a deadly disease without their annual shot.

So how do we educate the masses, there are so many people to tell that it is a long and tedious word of mouth. I wish everyone had at least heard about over vaccinating dogs so that they would be more aware of situation and look into it for themselves. I am in no way telling anyone not to vaccinate their dog, I just want you to read up on the facts and decide for yourself.

A great informational link on the subject

http://www.doglogic.com/vaccineinfo.htm

There is alot of information out there so there is no reason not to know. For your dogs health please read.

No more backyard dogs, spread the word

Its Friday morning and I'm going to get serious, I have always been and will always be completely against keeping a dog outdoors. Outdoors meaning that a dog lives outside of the home, not inside with the rest of the family. Wow it even has more impact to me when put like that "outside of your home." I don't mean dogs that are outside for the afternoon or the ones who are put outside while you are off doing your running around for a couple of hours. I'm talking about the dogs that live in a backyard, never coming in, never joining the pack and living a very sad and lonely life.

Some backyard dogs are dealt a double blow by being a tied dog as well. These dogs are left sitting alone, tied to some inanimate object so that they cannot wander off in search of a better life. There are also fenced dogs, those who are fenced into a backyard and those that live in a tiny "dog run." The term "dog run" is such a hugely incorrect use of the word. A dog that lives in a dog run will not be doing much running at all and if they are running it would be correctly labelled as behavior pacing. Most are about 4x6, some of the luckier dogs live in an expansive 4x8 or even 4x10 woohoo. So it is about these tied or fenced dogs that I am talking about.

In all of my years of training I have only been asked to work with about a dozen or so outdoor dogs and out of these I only agreed to work with a few. One was a rescue which should not have been placed with this family as they had no intention of living with the dog as a family member. I only agreed to work with these people because they were utterly clueless, they had never had a dog before and didn't know the first thing to do with this newly acquired item. So when I could I did my best selling act for this dog, I tried my hardest to work him into the home and family that he deserved and where he belonged.

The others were people who seemed to have a softspot that I could work on, there was something in our discussion that told me I could work this dog into the house. And out of the the few outside dogs that I did work with; they all became indoor/outdoor dogs which I call a success.

The way people think about dogs that have an outdoor dog is completely foreign and different from those of us who consider our dogs as family members. For most people who have an outside dog; a dog is a dog and dogs belong outdoors. Believe me, I've talked to alot of people who have outside dogs and they are just different. Some tell me "she loves being out there, she never wants to come in." Other have said "I can't imagine her inside, all the hair and my poor house." And I'm not shy about telling people that I do not believe in having dogs live outside which obviously puts a stick into our conversation. But I've planted a seed that will hopefully grow with time. Just perhaps that one tiny seed will persuade the "owner" to look at their dog differently.

I mean honestly, what is the point of getting a dog if you plan on throwing it into the backyard? I just don't get it? What is the satisfaction in that? Is it the pressure from society thinking that everyone should have a dog? If that is the case then shame on those people who give into pressure and do not hold up their end of the bargain. The backyard is no place for a dog to live out their life and I don't care what breed they are. So many breeders or breed fanciers will say "this is not a breed you can just put in the backyard." There is NO BREED OR MIX; regardless of size, coat or structure that should be sentenced to a backyard life.

I want all of you dog lovers to spread the word, do what you can for those who are less fortunate than your dogs. If you know of someone who wants a dog and is planning on having them live outside, speak up. I have told many people to spend the money that they have put aside for a dog on a beautiful new patio set instead. It takes self control, tact and alot of calm explaining to try to enlighten the people on adding a dog to the family correctly. And I always tell people that if they don't want the hair, don't want the chewing, peeing and pooping then don't get a dog. And the most important thing I can tell someone who feels this way? Is that it's okay to feel this way, it is a good thing to know that you don't want a dog. Just don't feel this way and then go ahead and get the dog that you really don't want.

One of the greatest moments in a puppy's life can be when they join their new family and start life as a member of the family. Yet one of the saddest moments in a puppy's life can be when they leave the caring and loving environment with their Mother and siblings to be placed in a yard to live out their life alone, all alone. Let's all do what we can do to make sure that doesn't happen quite so often.

Counter Surfing

Have you got a counter surfer? Counter surfing is definitely up there in my most annoying behaviors. I don't know how many times I've met a new client and as we sit discussing some of the most bothersome issues that their dog may or may not have; out of the corner of my eye I see a dog head peaking over the countertop in the kitchen.

Out of habit; my head spins around to take in the full view of the behavior going on. Yep, Fido is up there surfing the counter. Hmmmm, what looks good this morning? Any leftovers from breakfast? I'm sure the guardian can see the reaction in my face as I attempt to ask calmly "is this okay with you?" because they are quickly out of their seat and telling their dog to get down which their dog usually does until they walk away.

Counter surfing is a behavior that quickly becomes habit forming and again is one of the unwanted behaviors that is easily eliminated. Honestly, I don't care how adorable your dog is, they should not be eating off of the counter. Whether you have a clever, masterminded pocket pooch that has figured out how to manipulate themselves to the top of the counter or if you live with a lumbering Irish wolfhound who simply lowers his head to the counter top to eat; it should NEVER, EVER happen.

Of course it is going to be easier if you have a small dog, simple physics comes into play here because getting to the top of the counter for a tiny dog is more difficult and they must be creative in their thinking. But believe me some of the worst criminals in counter surfing are the tiny ones. If you have a dog that is going to be average in size, the size that can either stand on their hind legs and help themselves or just reach their head up and graze off of the counter then you need to start right away.

You must set boundaries and no dog should cross the line you draw.

- There should be no sniffing of the counter, this act itself leads to getting to the source of the smell. First comes the distant sniff, then the counter sniff, next the head turned sniff which is the pre-counter surfing sniff.

- No feeding from the counter, dogs are smart; they know where that food came from.

- You need to claim the counter as "human territory."

If you stop the sniffing advances you make it quite understandable that the counter is off limits. Once you make that perfectly clear then the feedback you give to your line crosser will have alot more impact. Just about all dogs will try it, although if you are really good with your training some never do, like my Tilley (brag, brag). But, you know it; Luke has tried, but only once. He was the recipient of some very memorable feedback so that was the end of that.

When you are in the throws of teaching your dog that there will be no counter surfing you must supervise. Each and every time your dog crosses the line and hits the jackpot your training will suffer. When your dog rewards themselves for counter surfing by eating some great food they found while surfing, they will continue this behavior. What they may learn is to wait until you are out of site, but they will continue.

Secret offenders need sneaky training tactics. To drive the message home you must give feedback, otherwise your dog never truly understands that counter surfing is not allowed. To stop the action even when you are not around you must give feedback when your dog thinks you are not around. By placing a yummy item of food on the counter and leaving the room you set the stage. From around the corner and out of site you wait patiently for one foot up. That is your cue to come booming from what seems like out of thin air and startle the pants off of your dog.

You must give instant feedback, it must have impact. Dogs do not like to be startled and will seriously consider stepping foot up on the counter again if you have delivered your feedback properly. Even if you have a casual surfer that doesn't mind that you are in the room the feedback should still have impact. You must clap your hands, say "OFF" or whatever comes out of your mouth in a loud but not yelling voice. Move towards your dog with purpose, afterall this is your counter and you should at least appear to the offender than you intend to enforce it.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Good morning and I mean that, the heat has broken and it is a beautiful cool morning. As I sit at my patio door with the breeze coming in I am once again surrounded by sleeping dogs. My two poodles are in their typical book end position and my little Jessie is below me on one of the many dog beds that are scattered around my bedroom. She is laying beside the treat container anxiously awaiting her morning treat. Tilley is snoring and Luke will be dreaming any moment, he is a big dreamer and is always after something in his dreams.

It amazes me how dogs can be sound asleep and the next moment up and ready to go, they don't seem to need the wake up time that we need to start their day. Luke is our biggest sleepy head, it is quite normal to see him stretch down the stairs and into the kitchen hours after the girls have been up and started their day. He loves his sleep in the morning, all snuggled up on our bed unwilling to start his day until he is good and ready. But should there be mention of something good going on, he is up in a flash and ready instantly.

Waking up your canine should always be done verbally, never physically. When dogs are sleeping there is no telling what is going on in that brain of theirs. Our dogs often look like they are not asleep even when they are. They have a third eyelid which we do not have, it slides over the eye but under the normal eyelid when they are sleeping. The third eyelid can usually only be seen as a dog starts to drift off to neverland; even before they close their eyes. It is important to know when your dog or any dog are sleeping; that they are not safe to approach. I often tell clients with children that approaching a sleeping dog is a no no.

Your dog can be the best, safest, friendliest dog in the world but if you interupt an action filled dream it may be a whole different story. You may be reaching down to pet your dog just as they are opening wide to grab a squirrel in their dream and chomp. Chances are if this happened you'd be stunned by your dogs sudden change of behavior when in actuality they are still the same great dog they always were. It is extremely important to always give your dog a heads up, especially where children are concerned. A quick "hey Fido, you up? to give them a chance to put on their brakes, stop chasing the monster cat that they are in full pursuit of and come back into our world.

I have been called out on several occasions when a dog has bitten either a child or adult guardian to fix the aggression problem. Once I am filled in on all the details it is quite clear that the problem lies fully on the guardian who reached down to pet their dog while their dog was in full dream mode. It happens, and it means nothing except that you need to wake your dog before touching them. I know that I risk an impact if I shake my son awake instead of calling to him first, it takes him several minutes to become awake and coherent after he has been sleeping.

So the saying "let sleeping dogs lie" is a good one.

Off road dogs

Yesterday; with the searing heat meant that there was not much one could do outdoors after the early hour of around 9am so we went off-roading in my Xterra. The idea of enjoying the outdoors in the comfort of an air-conditioned car sounded great and it was. We decided that we were really going to go for it so our long legged poodles had to stay home. Both Tilley and Luke are really good on their feet but this would be more than they could handle. But Jessie with her stocky body and shorter legs was more than able to take the bumps. So, she was geared up in her harness and ready to go.

Jessie loves to go for a ride in the car, she doesn't particularly care where we are going, she just loves to ride. She's always loved riding and it is in fact a trait of the Jack Russell to love a ride on anything, horse, boat, trailer or car. When Jessie is riding in the car she gets her "travelling" face on. She gets a blank stare when she is in the car, I'm not quite sure where it comes from but it's on as soon as she gets in the car.

Jessie is a risk taker, no sitting in the back seat for this girl. She has always enjoyed standing on the middle console with her toes over the edge just barely hanging on. But seeing that this spot is not the safest one for her to be in she is almost always belted in. Yesterday we took extra percautions to ensure her safety while shaking, heaving and rocking back and forth. She was held tight by the backseat riders at all times. Even with her sturdy build and well muscled legs she would have flown around the car like a water bottle typically does on these rides.

The ride was long and hard but so much fun. Once at the end of our road we got out to let Jessie have some fun rooting around in the bush. Having been in the cool environment of the car, the heat hit us the second the door was open and our outdoor fun was short lived. In this heat you really need to be careful where you step watching that there are no Rattlers around. Like the typical ratters that Jack Russells are, Jessie was on the hunt immediately and long before she was ready to end we were back in the car to the AC.

The trip back down the road was just as much fun, this time my son took the drivers seat while I held my camera in the ready. We made several stops for me to capture some great scenery images and of course Jessie enjoying the outdoors. But that too was a real challenge, my eye piece was fogging up from the heat as I tried to capture Jessie in her element. With some excellent images and Jessie's tongue hanging out the side of her mouth we were back in the car and the AC again.

What a great day, I'm so glad I bought my xterra!!!!!

Greetings

Greetings from our dogs, we just love them don't we. One of the biggest issues I see when training is over exhuberant greetings which then spill over to very unwanted jumping, barking and even nipping. We give our dogs the okay or not okay to get out of control when we arrive home. When I walk through the door and my dogs are wagging, jumping, barking, spinning and nipping. But more often than not I will walk through the whirling dogs to my destination without so much as a glance.

Our dogs take the cue from us when we arrive home. If they become accustom to a huge celebration greeting filled with a four on the floor guardian who is acting more k9 like than the canines themselves then that's what you will receive as well. The more excited you get the more excited they get until your dogs will start to exhibit some unwanted behaviors. All are different, no two dogs will greet you in the same manner so that means we all need to refine our greeting accordingly.

My three are all very different in their greeting. Jessie typically grabs a bone, ball or whatever is around and happily runs around, very acceptable. Tilley is very happy, she just wags and generally displays very happy body language, but it wasn't always like this. Tilley use to be an arm grabber which is a very common happy greeting, but very unwanted by people who do not want their arm in a dogs mouth, so this behavior was put to rest. And then there is Luke, and I'm sure if you have kept up with this blog that you would guess that he has a crazy greeting.

Luke has an odd behavior of having an open mouth when he is happy. Even when he is not overly excited and just simply having a conversation with someone he loves he will often pop open that very long mouth of his. But if you pay close attention to his mouth you will see that he pulls his lips over his teeth. This behavior is not a great one because when he has his mouth open and is over excited it can be a bad combination. As he whirls around huffing and puffing, mouth hanging open he has often connected with something he shouldn't . He use to add jumping into the pot as well which has scared more than a few people in the past. Picture a 26" whirling poodle with his mouth wide open, launching himself at you.

So Luke has had to learn to control himself and as a reactive dog it is near impossible. But he is learning and he is trying. He is definitely better with the family members unless of course we have been away on a trip and then all the rules go out the window. I am well prepared before I open the door to protect myself, as I know his behavior will have regressed severely. I walk through without acknowledging but usually I have a difficult time even walking as he wraps himself around me leaping in complete and pure joy.

He seeks me out, Luke loves the whole family by the relationship we have is something very special. He will tail me for a good 20-30 min. and then he is calm enough to greet the rest of the family. The greetings our dogs give us are very good for us and good for them but they definitely need to have boundaries and rules. Again, no two are going to be alike so your behavior will be different to coincide with theirs. If you have a calm greeter, lucky you. If you have a launching maniac that quickly becomes out of control then you need to learn to ignore them until they calm down. Simply by associating your entrance into the home with a very "whatever" attitude will help.

If your dog expects a big greeting on your arrival, they will be ready to pounce. If they know you will walk in the house and right past them, they will act accordingly. So as much as we love that our dogs love us, it really doesn't help them to give them "4th of July" greetings after we return home. Keep it cool.

Between the sheets

I'm kinda tired this morning, my sleep was interupted by a constant and nagging sensation to free my legs. Feeling very much like I was stuck, I battled the elusive comfortable spot for what seemed to be hours. It was warm lastnight but cool enough to sleep so that was not the issue. My fleeting dreams between my half awake moments of distress were all leg related, running, tripping and stretching type dreams.

Now my back was starting to feel the pressure of having my legs wedged and unable to find the right spot. Each time I awoke I was in what I call the "coma zone.' Not asleep and not awake but somewhere in between, unable to make sense of anything or think straight I was growing frustrated as I would slip back into a shallow and uncomfortable sleep. At one point I was awakened by Tilley's snoring right beneath my head which I'm well used to now and slipped again into my restless sleep.

I don't know how much physical time passed before I awoke enough to emerge from the "coma zone" but it finally donned on my that I had a 55 lb poodle between my legs. I couldn't move because Luke had found the perfect sleeping spot on my side of the bed right between my legs. I don't know what time he joined me in bed but I do know that my sleep had been interupted for some time.

So being the fabulous Mom that I am I attempted to get comfortable around him. Both legs on the left, that lasted a short time before I was cramping up. Both legs on the right and literally falling off of the bed, no my back was starting to hurt again. Okay, one leg on each side like before I realized there was a 55 lb obstacle in my bed and stopping me from having a very good night sleep.

Enough was enough, I'm was not sleeping and Luke was twitching and dreaming happily. Time to move the dead weight at the end of the bed so I can sleep. Moving a dog that is accustom to sleeping in bed with you is no easy task. They definitely get use to dealing with constant movement and kicking, it is something they tolerate to sleep with the big boys. So it wasn't going to be a little leg pushing that would do the job.

I was starting to enter the "coma zone" so the word OFF was not coming out for some reason. All of my dogs know it and oblige very nicely but words weren't available for me in this state. I shoved both feet underneath Luke in an attempt to create a not so welcoming environment, but it was obvious that he could deal with my feet under him. Next tactic was to shift around endlessly until he could no longer handle the nonsense on the bed, which worked.

My legs felt the relief immediately as he stood, looked around and found a more peaceful spot right in the middle of the bed which was fine with me. Not too long ago we got a Kingsize bed just for these type of human/canine interactions.

A special moment, love what you do!

I love photography, I love being a professional photographer but even more than that I love when I capture a moment. It may seem relatively easy, but so far; through my career as a photographer I have caught maybe a couple of dozen amazing moments.

I have a whole book full of great "faces" that I love to capture in canines but there are some shots I've taken that take my breath away. These are what I call my works of art and its a lot of hardwork to get these. Although hard work has alot to do with it, experience and patience probably have the most impact.

Allowing it to happen is very important, you can't force a moment. I really believe you can see passion and if a photographer has a passion for what they are shooting it really comes through. I've seen alot of dog or pet photos that are just that, a photo with no emotional impact.

You know the kind I mean, sit your dog, make a funny noise and poof there is your shot. Bringing out the essence of a dog takes time and loads and loads of patience. Patience is something that I seem to have alot of for somethings and none of for other things. Take lines for instance, like a line for concert tickets or a line to get into a restaurant, no patience once so ever. Infact I take pride in not doing lines, I abhor them.

Now take a dog sitting quietly watching a bug wandering around their yard. With their head turned slightly in curiousity and their ears as high as they can possibly go. This could go on for an hour or so, would I have enough patience to sit and capture this non-monumental event, you bet I would.

Infact years ago I fostered several squirrel families from only a few weeks of age. One family had to be bottle fed every couple of hours, burped and had their faces washed. If this was not enough time to spend with these little guys already I could sit and watch them for hours, lots of patience there. I wish I had my fabulous camera back then, there would have been hundreds of great baby squirrel shots.

So no matter what it is you have a passion for, it comes through in your work. I have a very difficult time sitting through a football game in the bleachers, I fidget and cannot wait for it to end. But put me on the field along the sidelines and the game could double in time as far as I'm concerned. I get completely involved in capturing the action of each individual that I'm consumed by it.

Love what you do, life's too short to not.

The greatest gift of all

We've all seen them in the celebrity magazines, tiny pocket pooches carried around as an accessory by some very famous celebs. Many of these tiny dogs not only add cuteness to their celebrity owner but also have their own celebrity status once they are linked to a big name. These tiny dog versions live the high life, life in the fast lane and are often decked out in designer fashions, collar, leashes and bags. What more could a dog want than to live the celebrity life?

What do our dogs truly want in life? All dogs, from the smallest pocket yorkie to the large Mastiff and Irish Wolfhound they all want companionship. First and foremost a dog wants a pack, whether that pack consists of one person or a bunch of people and other dogs a dog needs a place to belong. A dog without a pack is a dog who is constantly searching. Take for instance a stray dog, a stray dog is usually not alone for long. They will quickly hook up with another stray and then they are a pack.

Next a dog wants food/water and shelter, that's a given. It is our job to find the best nutritional food that we can offer to keep our dogs as healthy as possible. This may require alot of research and some extra work but that is our job as a volunteer canine guardian. Fresh water daily, oh and ice cubes are an extra bonus (Luke's request).

Next is shelter, shelter can come in many forms from a bridge overhead to protect them from the elements to a gorgeous beach house in Maui, shelter is shelter. Believe it or not a dog does not see the difference between a tiny 900 square foot home to a 10,000 sq foot home, home is where their pack lives.

Shelter also encompasses sleeping quarters. A dogs place to sleep should be a comfortable one, I'm often amazed at how some people think dogs should not want comfort. A dog's body feels pain and comfort like us, so they sure know the differentce between sleeping on a concrete surface versus a bed. Comfort can be in the form of an old blanket, a pile of leaves or a high end embroidered bed, comfort is comfort.

So what about all those clothes, fancy collars and leashes? These items are all purchased for our own satisfaction. Dogs come out with only the coat on their back, they don't need a wardrobe. They also do not need and do not appreciate an expensive rhinestone collar or glamorous leash, again that's strictly for our benefit. There are some dogs of course that do need a coat, those hairless dogs that don't own of their own coat or the very minimally coated dogs in the winter.

The greatest gift you can give your dog is yourself, your time, your guidance, your compassion and your protection.

Just a few more days

Just a few more days and the kids will all be back in school. This may be good or bad in your eyes but to me it means that I can walk my dogs on the beach again. I love to take my dogs down to the beach even though they do have to stay on leash where I take them. It is a quick drive from my home and we can enjoy the salty air. All of my dogs love the beach and it is with bated breath that we await the end of Labor Day.

Laguna Beach is where we go and because of the reality show many of you may have seen it on television. Here in California there are lots of beautiful beaches but very few you can walk your dog on, even on leash. So Laguna is where we hang before the long weekend in May and after Labor Day weekend.

I usually bring either Jessie or the poodles. But either way they all have the same agenda, get the birds. I love watching them stalk the seagulls, pigeons and other small shore birds. They get just close enough and charge, sending the birds to flight. Both of my poodles are complete water dogs and usually drag me in past my shorts. There is nothing more uncomfortable than walking in wet sweat shorts but is it something I regularly sacrifice for my dogs.

All of my dogs wear harnesses when they go to the beach, because of all the charging fun a harness saves their neck. For Jessie it saves her from plunging into the water many times over as she loves to push the boundaries of cliff edges just to get a glimpse of a creature lurking in the tide pools. She literally hangs over the edge held only by the straps that bind her. She loves it and fishes with her short and stocky little legs. If the pool is shallow enough she will wade stomach deep hoping for something to chase.

The poodles and I usually walk the whole beach as they dive in and out of the water constantly. They love it and it doesn't take them long on our beachward drive to know where we are going. Once off the toll road I wind down the windows and let them inhale the salty air. You can tell as soon as Luke realizes where he is going by the tiny cries and whimpers. Being reactive he finds it very hard to control himself when he knows that he is on a great destination drive.

Five more sleeps and all the tourists will be gone and the beach will once again be ours to enjoy. Yes!!!

We are what we eat

With all the dog food recalls of late it makes one nervous to open up any type of package and offer it to your dog. I have been feeding my dogs a variety of foods for many years and go between dog food, home prepared food and raw and I for one am looking into everything concerning dog food these days including treats.

I have stopped giving my dogs any treats that are processed and only offer dried or frozen. I am cooking up a storm for my guys which they love. Lastnight they had a meal of beef, pumpkin, rice and green beans, pretty good I'd say. Just like us dogs like to eat a variety of foods and not the same old bowl of dry food left on the floor each day. Often I have my three dogs sit in front of me and feed them fresh raw meet from a fork. They are very well mannered and it breaks up the monotony of eating out of a bowl everyday.

I have been studying the subject casually for many years from some of the greats, Dr. Martin Goldstein and Dr. Pitcairn. Dr. Goldstein has become quite popular now that he has appeared on Oprah which is always a good thing for our dogs. How better to get a message across than to appear on Oprah.

All dogs are different, have different tastes and different nutritional requirements. Two of my dogs have health issues, Luke is epileptic and Jessie has an auto immune disorder which is very strange because the good outcrossed Jack Russells (not the puppy mill variety) are some of the healthiest dogs around.

It is now 6:45 and I need to cook up breakfast, not sure what that will be yet but it will include blueberries :)

Bad behavior - gone right!!!!!!

As a dog trainer I am accustom to bad behavior, whether or not I consider it to be a bad behavior these actions are always unwanted. Unwanted is a more appropriate term I believe as it may be a perfectly normal dog behavior but unwanted by humans. As our lives become busier many of our dogs display unwanted behaviors due to lack of outings, exercise or mental stimuation. Many unwanted behaviors can be quickly turned around with some of each.

The phrase "work with what you got," can also be stated about our dogs. Many breeds have become popularized because of image or a great looking exterior but many of these breeds come with big time unwanted behaviors for the average dog guardian. My girl Tilley is a great example, she's got drive, she's got off the charts chase drive. Standard poodles are amazing retrievers (most of them) and Tilley is an amazing retriever but that retrieving ability turned bad once it became an obsession.

Tilley's obsession occured when she realized that shadows were always there to chase. If she was outside it was almost certain that there would be a shadow created by something. It became a very dangerous recreation that I had to take a hold of. I got Tilley hooked onto balls and frisbees and did not allow her to chase shadows when out of our backyard. That obsessive behavior made her an amazing frisbee dog and she appeared on Pet Star twice and has won numerous photo contests because of it. The air Tilley got was truly spectacular, now at 10 1/2 she is grounded.

Do you have a dog that just loves to pull you down the street? The kind that dig their feet in, head down and just seem to love it? How about getting your dog into weight pulling? Is your little terrier a digger? Digging is a very natural behavior especially for terriers so check out Go to ground which terriers excel in. Got a swimming maniac labrador or golden retriever? Try dock diving, you might just have the next big super star.

The behavior that may be driving you insane could be a glimpse of your dogs future super star status. Don't just shake your head in disgust as you look at your torn up backyard, imagine the trophies on your mantle won by your little digger.

The skies the limit.

Monday, Monday!

Good Monday morning all. I had a pretty uneventful weekend, my dogs are past out on the bed from their trail running and I'm ready to start a new week. As you know I've been thinking about adding another dog to my pack so I've been online reasearching like crazy which leads me to sites that I'm going to discuss this morning. These sites that I ended up on are breeder sites, standard poodles breeder sites to be exact. And I am appauled by what I saw and read.

There are a few tip offs that let you know right away that you should move on. 1. When a puppy is posed in the cutest of positions surrounded by an adorable background like teddy bears, soft baby blankets etc. 2. "We have all colors availablel at all times." 3. Numerous litters to choose from and 4. Just pick the puppy you want and we'll ship it to you.

All of these things should cause you to click on the X but it doesn't, these hard sell tactics work. I know because I have worked with many dogs that come from these types of sites and had to sit helplessly while these people dealt with really bad fallout behaviors and sickly puppies. Most of these breeders wouldn't class themselves as "millers" heavens no, but that's what they are. It doesn't matter what size of a miller you are if you are producing dogs strictly for money, that's what you are.

I stumbled onto a site that really hit home just how bad the "pump out the puppies" lifestyle is and how it is growing. This one site said that they had too many dogs, they weren't stopping completely just thinning. Thinning? They did not disclose how many females they had but wanted to get rid of lots of them and the kicker? THEY DIDN'T CARE WHICH ONES WENT OR WHICH ONES STAYED! How sad is that? The statement alone says "we breed dogs," that's it, that's all. We don't particularly care for any one of them more than the others.

People, please do not buy from these type of sites. There are so many good breeders out there to go to. Yes you may have to wait to get your puppy but it will be well worth the wait. I like small breeders, I know there are good large breeders out there concerned with health and temperament but if you have grown so big that your many of your dogs now must live in dog runs then you have too many dogs in my eyes. I want to know that my breeder loves their dogs and the dogs live in the house as family members.

Puppies should not be chosen online because they have that cute spot on their ear. A puppy should be chosen after being temperament tested and knowing that this puppy is the best suited for your family and lifestyle. No matter if it is a purebred dog or a mix, each puppy is an individual and not all puppies will mesh with your family.

So do your homework, don't be taken in by cute images on the web.