Personalities

Over the years I have met alot of dogs. When I meet a dog I quickly assess personality; afterall temperament testing is something I do regularly on litters of puppies. I watch body language very closely and get a quick read as to what is going on. Now as a photographer; this dog behavior experience works very well for me as many dogs are not comfortable being photographed.

It is my job to make sure I get the shot; their guardians deserve a great shot of their dog and if their pooch is uncomfortable or stressed it's going to show. I take alot of shots when I'm on a photo shoot and probably a third of them end up getting deleted. Closed eyes, turned heads and bad expression shots make their way to my recycle bin to be tossed.

I love getting to know dogs and when I meet one with a great personality it truly makes my day. I met several yesterday; really cool dogs with great temperaments; all of them. I shot alot of dogs yesterday and I was again crawling around trying to get the shot. I can regularly be seen on my elbows and knees trying to capture the perfect image. Sometimes it's quick and easy and other times it's a ton of work to get the shot. Distraction is probably the hardest thing to work with; if a dog is distracted then their personality is not going to show up in a photo.

Even still a dog is much more likely to show their true colors in a familiar surrounding; this is one of the reasons I don't have a studio. I know how my own dogs act in a strange building versus a park that they are familiar to going to. All dogs are different and training one dog is very different than training another. So is photographing different dogs very different. The technique I use to get a great shot of one dog might produce a very uncomfortable and stressed looking shot in another dog. It's all about body language, facial expression, ears and tails.

Watching visitor behavior

Good morning, what a busy weekend so far. Lastnight was UFC night at our house; every month we have UFC night. Which means we have a full house. About 95% of the people in our home on UFC night are between 17-23 years of age so it gets loud and pretty rowdy. Typically I have the dogs in my bedroom where they are quiet and comfortable. This lets me enjoy the night and watch the fights; with pizza on the menu every fight night it is hard for me to watch the dogs and visitors and watch the fights.

There are definite things that you do and do not do when you enter into a dogs home. You do not act like the dogs are your dogs, you do not pick up dogs, you do not hug dogs and you do not kiss dogs. But this goes against what most humans do; for some reason we; or I should say they feel the need to treat other dogs as their own. And in dog terms that is a big no, no.

But lastnight I decided to leave everyone out; the poodles had been on their canyon run in the morning and were exhausted and that just left Jessie (the eating machine) to keep my very close eye on. The house was full as usual; loud and very active but the dogs were pretty content laying in their beds and watching the goings on. That is until the pizza arrived. It didn't take long for Jessie to kick it into gear and be making the rounds.

I told Luke and Tilley to get back to their beds and they did; being the good poodles that they are. Watching three dogs amidst all these people is a job; but it is much more a job of watching what the people are doing and how the dogs are reacting to the human behavior. Lastnight was a great example of humans acting inappropriately; it was nothing huge, just alot of little things. First it was Jessie up on the couch with one of my daughters doing her best to prove to her and her friends that she was starving to death. While my daughter snuggled her; another non family member reached over and gave her a hug. With all the food around this was not a good idea so I kept my eye on the situation.

Jessie was in full begging mode which is not to be interrupted by visitors. She does not appreciate a hug from an outsider while doing her best to get the pizza from my daughter. Seeing that this was not a good situation I called Jessie to me and all was well. Then there was the guest who crawled across the floor, towards Luke and I which was really not a good idea.

Let me set the stage, I was on the couch with Luke right below me on his couch and he was very tired. He was going in and out of sleep because of the noise level but he is very relaxed. Then a person from the other side of the room decided to cross the room in a stalking manner approaching my other daughter who was sitting beside me. Luke in his half in, half out state saw this and reacted. A deep growl came from within and I reacted immediately putting my hand on him to stop any forward motion. Luke obviously saw this as a threat and being half asleep didn't realize who it was; and as soon as he did everything was fine.

It is so important to watch your dogs around other people. There are things that we can do with our dogs that they would never accept from an outsider. If people could read a book on how to and how not to behavior around dogs; that would be great.

Counter surfing

I think that this behavior has got to be on my worst top 5 list. I hate when dogs are allowed; or maybe not allowed but get away with getting up on the counter and helping themselves to whatever they can find. And the thought of a cat wandering around on the counter top where the food is prepared; don't even get me started on the whole "cat" issue. Counter surfing tends to be one of those shoulder shrugging behavior. A behavior that humans see as "what can I do about it?"

There is lots to do about it and it should NEVER be allowed under any circumstance. So that means that if you have a surfer; one that you know will be shopping around the counter top when you leave; then you must keep them away from the kitchen. When you go out; they are crated, in a different room, outside or somewhere that they cannot indulge in their very bad behavior. This has to happen until you can get it under control.

Every time your dog surfs and scores; will make your job of stopping the behavior much harder. When your dog is successful in the quest for food from the counter top they are reinforcing their own bad behavior; being rewarding for getting up there. And this is what you have to keep in mind. The counter top, cupboards and refridgerator are to accessed by the humans and this should be strictly enforced. Once a dog can help themselves to your stuff whenever they choose all sorts of bad behaviors can start.

I'm sure I have already covered counter surfing on this blog, it is something that I feel very strongly about. But each time I am reminded of it I feel that I must cover the issue once again. The way to stop it is to first not allow it in your own mind. There will be no stealing of my food!! Next you stop any advances to the counter top, no sniffing, no head turning to reach further up onto the counter. I would definitely start with a 1 foot boundary so that you can be more aware of what is going on.

The startle tactic works best, it works best for many things. But and this is a big but you must be careful when startling your dog, you do not want fall out behaviors from it. All dogs are different and what one can tolerate another may become unravelled from. So tread carefully when startling. The best startle is when your dog thinks you are not watching but to their surprise you can see through walls and out the back of your head.

You need to make it like you cannot believe they were just considering what they were considering. Make short and sweet, feedback should NEVER, EVER be long and drawn out. Dogs don't do grudges, if you miss your moment to deliver the appropriate feedback you missed a chance to educate your dog. So when they go to sniff the counter, you pop out which is the startle; abruptly saying "get off of there." Once they move away you immediately stop and bring everything back to normal. You stopped the behavior you did not like; your job is done.

It is a good idea to make the kitchen your own (as Paula Abduhl would say). You say when your dog can and cannot come into the kitchen, this definitely helps with the surfing.

Research and analysis

I love to experiment with dog behavior and will often mix things up just to see how my dogs react; it is very interesting. Yesterday I was outside with Tilley and a new box of cookies. It is unknown to me how Jessie had not already known that I had a cookie box in my hands; she has bionic ears. But for some reason she didn't hear it and lay in the livingroom soaking up the sun. Our house is pretty much windows across the entire back looking out into the yard. So with Jessie in the livingroom I gave Tilley a cookie to see how long it would take her to come out for her own.

Within an instant she was up and looking out the patio doors. I have made a rule that the dogs do not go in and out of this door and they know it. They never stand at that door wanting in or out. So there she stood, with her ears up watching Tilley eat a cookie and watching me watching her with a cookie box in my hand. I pulled a cookie out and said "cookie." She got very excited but was still in the livingroom.

All the dogs know that the way outside is through the kitchen and although they can see the whole backyard from the livingroom they cannot gain access to outside that way. It can be confusing if anything interferes with their thought process. In this instance the cookie was blocking the thought process in Jessie's brain. I tossed the cookie; which now lay on the ground not 4 feet away from her. She stood staring at it on the ground; it was there but she couldn't get it. I waited a long time; maybe a full minute watching her watching the cookie.

Food is everything to Jessie and she will do anything for it. She also regularly chokes on food because she scarfs it back so fast. She was obviously not thinking; so to help her use her head I took two steps towards the kitchen door. That was all she needed; a little break in the trance the cookie held on her now allowed her to use her brain. Out she ran and ate the cookie like it was the first food she'd had in weeks.

They are all very, very differnt. My other two dogs do not have a food obsession like the little eating machine; Jessie. Although food can get in the way of thinking; it does not control them to the degree it controls my Jack Russell.

Very interesting.

Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety is a serious issue. The behavior problem arises much more often in a second hand dog than in a first home dog. A second hand dog being one that had a previous life before you; no matter where their first life was. It can be so serious that great care must be taken to confine the dog. I have known dogs who jumped out of glass windows, scaled huge fences, ate through drywall to get to the outside and chewed through doors. So where exactly are they going?

They are in search of their pack leader, you. It is a very sad way for a dog to live and one that can be very difficult to rectify when it is at the worst.

Here is a link with lots of info on the subject.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/separation.html#Links

The first thing to understand is that your dog is not being rebelious, resentful or vengeful. It is all about your absence; your dog wants you around. So it is quite flattering although it can be a very bad situation. Anger should never be a part of working with an anxious dog; this makes matters much worse.

You have to take it very slowly, I mean several seconds at a time. Adding more mental stimulation and physical activity can definitely help. An over active energy level or bored mind can wreak havoc on a dog.

So read up on positive methods of working with separation anxiety, be patient and understanding; this is very rough on your dog.

what makes you smile about dogs?

Don't dogs just make you smile? The things that make me smile the most about dogs are when they are just being their adorable self. A couple of days ago I had my poodles in the car and was heading to the field for a run. As I glanced in my rearview mirror I could see Luke with his giant ears up. He gets very excited about going out and when he is in the car he has to see everything; he doesn't miss a thing. He spotted a man and his dog and watched them until he could see them no longer, this makes me smile.

Yesterday I had a shoot with a dog who started to circle tail when her Mom came near and was talking to her. Circle tail is when a dogs tail wags in a circle and it makes me smile. Watching a dog at the dog park as he searched for his guardian who had gone missing when he wasn't looking and finally makes contact makes me smile. Seeing my little Jack Russell soaking up the heat from the sun beaming into my bedroom makes me smile.

I love to watch dogs; it's what I do. Along with training, writing and taking photos of dogs I love to just watch them. I love the subtle behaviors they give to their guardians; behaviors that are strictly reserved for them and them alone. It is the small things that I love the most; watching my girl Tilley smile (yes, a full teeth grin) at my son who she has grown up with. Or the evening ritual of my pack coming undone because Dad is home.

There is no one certain behavior that makes me smile; but dogs in general make me smile. Tell me what makes you smile about your dog; I'd love to hear.

dogs parks and behavior

I have spent alot of time at dog parks; not so much with my own dogs but watching and photographing other dogs. I love to watch dog behavior, interactions between dogs and between dogs and humans. Being at a dog park is not a really natural thing for a dog to do. Packs as in wolf packs do not interact with their neighbors but we have now made it a common practice; which I think is a good thing for everyone involved.

Our dog parks here in SoCal are small compared to some of the rolling acreage parks you see in other states. The bigger the better when dog parks are involved, more room to run; a feeling of being able to get away is very important. The smaller the park; the more concentration of dogs which can lead to stress which in turn can lead to aggression. When you pack too many dogs into a park you always hear more conflict.

The best place I've been lately that is labelled as a dog park type setting is the beach. I got there around 9 for a shoot; and there was only a handful of dogs. No fights, no noise; just happy dogs running up and down the beach. It is off season so this is the best time to be there. Believe me it won't look the same July 4th and the stress level will be much higher.

Last week at the dog park; a gentleman came in with his extremely stressed out Golden. She was obviously not happy to be there but was doing the best she could seeing that she was now in the middle of it. Her Dad kept saying to her "it's okay, it's okay." Well it wasn't okay and he should not have put her in this situation.

It is very important that your dog have a good time at the park and by watching the behavior; many dogs have a great time. But if your dog is not one of them, settle for smaller playdates or beach walks. I believe it is extremely important to allow dogs to run off leash, it is the only true exercise for a dog. But if you live somewhere that the dog park is your only option for "off leash" then take is slow if you are just introducing your dog to a park. Less is better when talking about time at the park. Spending too much time at the park leads to tired, cranky dogs.

And like I always say "quit while you are ahead."

Tequila sunrise

Yes the sun is just rising and its a beaut. The rains are apparently in the past for the time being and I can schedule a whole slew of shoots this week. The dogs will have lots of time to go for walks as I don't have to try and fit them in between the rain drops.

Depending on the forecast for the following week; Luke may get his summer haircut, we'll see. He really is not happy when he gets a haircut and I can't blame him; but I also cannot let his hair keep growing until he is covered in dreads. Yes poodles can and do get dreadlocks. Cording is becoming more common these days; just like anything different or rare. What is cording?

http://www.arpo.net/e_princ.php?page=e_corded_4

Generally a poodles hair starts to cord very naturally. I can see it happening in Luke's coat now. I do allow the coat to cord as it does not mat as easily as if I keep it brushed all fluffy. Tilley's coat takes much longer to cord; her coat is much curlier and tends to stay in curls rather than cord.

I have heard of many corded dog horror stories; non have been of poodles but of the Komondor breed. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/komondor.htm Stories of dogs having snakes, snails and all sort of creatures in their coat and the mildew issue. It is imperative to dry the coat thoroughly which apparently can take days.

No I am not a fan of corded dogs unless it is little short cords that can be washed and dried in a couple of hours. Everything seems to come in phases, certain dogs; particular grooming styles are in fashion just like our clothing and hair come in and out of style.

If you do decide to try to cord your dog; make sure that you have the time and patience for the proper upkeep.

Rain, rain

Wow, I cannot believe it is raining here again in SoCal. We are truly going to resemble Ireland shortly. I was out shooting alot of dogs yesterday in hopes of getting some photography done before the rains came again. I got three shoots out of the way when the first drop hit my windshield. I had travelled alot and kept my eye on the clouds; the day started out with beautiful whispy white clouds which soon gave way to the sun and full blue sky. But within an hour that all changed.

I was heading towards Orange, yes Orange in Orange County. There I sat in the parking lot of the dog park waiting. It was really crowded; a very busy place on the weekends. I'd never been to this park so I was anxious to check it out. As I sat there the rains came harder until I really thought that this was the end of my shoot for the day.

Watching all the dogs come and go was very interesting although I did feel like a weiny sitting in the car. But it's all for the safety of my camera; not me, I don't mind getting wet. So there I sat watching; there were alot of big guarding type dogs there, shepherds, dobie, a couple of american bulldogs, there were labs and large mixes.

The dogs never even seemed to notice that it was raining; they don't care when fun is the schedule. I think dogs love to run in the muck and get dirty. Sort of like when you were a kid and given the okay to play out in the rain; afterall its only dirt. Now of course dirt to some breeds is alot worse than others; and it also depends on how clean you like to keep your dog. Having poodles and especially when they are in full coat; dirt means work for me. But I will never forgo fun for the sake of cleanliness.
Even the huge velcro coats of my guys wash off, even if it is a ton of work.

So when it rains do like the Seattlers do, go play in the rain.

IS YOUR DOG FAT?

February is National Canine weight check month, who knew?

http://www.stopcanineobesity.com/index.html

Telling someone that their dog is fat can be like cutting into their heart. I have often said "your dog could loose a few pounds" to a client only to be on the receiving end of a very upset guardian. Some people are truly in shock when I enlighten them about their dogs unfit condition. Others simply deny it; there is no way they have a fat dog. And then others just get mad and that's when we change the subject.

I have often seen dogs in a park longing to run and play but due to their weight condition are resigned to live a sedentary life. Fat dogs tend to look like old dogs, very sad. I am always completely surprised when someone tells me that their dogs is only 2 years old when they look well over the 10 year mark. Unless a dog has a medical condition there is absolutely no reason for them to be heavy.

Neoprene, yep that's all your dog should have covering their ribs; oh and skin and hair of course. To tell if your dog is overweight run your hands over their ribs, you should be able to feel their ribs. It should feel like ribs with a thin layer of neoprene over them. If you cannot pick out individual ribs then your pooch could use to loose a few. Just like with us the more your dog moves the easier it is to drop a few pounds.

The most common reason behind canine obesity from my experience is love and the lack of facts. Love can kill and it does. People tend to think that the way to their dogs heart is through the cookie jar. "Oh she loves them so much I just hate to deny her." This is a far too common reply from owners who have been dealt the fat dog news. Your dog will be truly happy if you stop the cycle of the never ending cookie supply. A run in the park is way more fun than a cookie; and your dog would totally agree.

If you have decided that it is now time for your dog to loose those extra pounds do it slowly. A fat and unfit dog must start the exercise regime slowly for their safety. Helping your dog to loose weight is very easy, and it is all up to you. Motivation lies on your shoulders alone, hey your dog only eats what you give them; so don't.

If you truly love your dog; don't reach for the cookie jar; make the promise today "no more snacking". Instead reach for their leash and head out for some fun.

What a day

Yesterday was a busy day; with impending rain I had decided it was "computer day" working on my book and other photo requirements. So I spent the day working up photos; transferring photos to disc and generally getting organized. Late in the afternoon as I slid another disk into the cd burner; my life stopped momentarily. Nothing happened, my mouse was dead; the burner was unrecognized and doom was looming. I have had one major computer meltdown before when I lost everything that had been on the computer; I'm smarter now.

I've been out lately shooting alot of dogs so I had a little bit of a backlog on the burning part of my work. And the current book I am working on was only half on disk at this point as I stood frozen in disbelief; ah computers don't you just love'm? I know this moment has been coming but it's sort of like driving a car that is paid off but you know is on the way out; you try to squeeze every last bit of life out of it. Knowing that I had been pushing my computer harder than I should have, I shut it down and sat on the couch.

With my dogs huddled around me; I thought. I tried not to panic; afterall there were only a few images on there that I might loose if things don't go back to normal. I moved to the floor for some canine support; it's all about the dogs and loosing even one image of an amazing dog that I have met and photographed was not okay with me. Boosted by the "we love you more than anything" attitude from my dogs I grabbed my purse and was off to Best Buy.

This small glitch I had was a huge warning I believe; my old computer is on the way out. Not one for having unplanned "downtime;" I now have an amazing new computer with a 24" screen to view all the dogs on. My dogs checked out each and every box as it came into the house with excitement. And although Luke typically helps with any new package opening; he just sat back and watched this time. I do believe that large boxes click a memory switch in his head about our move which unnerved him.

Oh, and my old computer is up and running and all my photos are safe, whewwww.

It is also my son's b-day today; a big 18. My baby is no longer.

snuggling

Who doesn't love to snuggle with their favorite furry companion? Well, many dogs don't. Snuggling is to many a high priority on the "wants" list of what you'd like in a dog. I love to snuggle but not all my dogs are as into it as I am. In the dog world, hugging is a bad thing; many people don't think about it from a dogs point of view but you must. A hug given to a dog from another dog is a mount which is a dominant gesture. It is a way for one dog to tell another dog "hey, I'm in charge here."

Humans supposedly are of higher intelligence (definitely debatable in some humans) than the canine; this enables us to better understand situations and see them from another species point of view. But, from a dogs point of view; it is a dogs point of view. Dogs can learn that a behavior is enjoyable even when in dog terms it is not. It can take some time or some dogs catch on very quickly that hugging can be a very enjoyable behavior. Some dogs just never get into the whole huggy snuggy thing. And much to the disappointment of their guardian, it just is what it is.

My girl Tilley is very much a snuggler, she loves to climb onto your lap and rest her head on your chest; yes it is pretty adorable. But if someone approaches her and tries to give her a hug; she will 100% of the time slightly pull away. Tilley is not a dominant dog so it has nothing to do with that; it is that she is not comfortable with the hugger doing all the hugging. Basically its too much for her and she becomes uncomfortable. I can and do hug her because I think it is an important exercise. Anyone can do anything to Tilley even hug her but the hug is where she is uncomfortable.

And yet Luke who is the biggest nervous ninny we have ever had and stresses out beyond belief if you try to roll him over; loves to snuggle and snuggle tight. And believe me; snuggling with this 27" blonde guy with hair as soft as any teddy bear is pretty great. But hugging is strictly reserved for family members and that is the way it should be. When I had young children I would NEVER let a stranger hug them let alone come that close. And neither should a dog be expected to accept a hug from a stranger, it just is not natural for a dog.

If you want to change how your dog feels about snuggling; start slow. Do not force your dog to sit and put up with a snuggle session while they are hating every second; believe me they'll hate it even more next time. Make is a great thing, add treats, just small ones while you give a little massage, pre hugging. Move onto small hugs and treats, then cut back on the treats and add a massage, just short. Add more time when your dog becomes more comfortable with snuggling.

But do remember to respect your dogs wishes; not all learn to like it. Luke went from being a NON snuggler to a snuggle convert. Not all dogs will convert; but that's okay.

Dog intelligence

Dog intelligence is highly diverse and as individual as the dogs themselves. My kids unanimously conquer that my boy Luke is the biggest doofus we've ever had. Admittedly from a first meeting you may come to the same conclusion as his reactive behavior and puffy blonde exterior can conceal the truth. Luke is probably the most sensitive, aware and attention to detail dog that has ever been a part of our pack.

Many breeds have been labelled the dummies of the dogworld; like the sighthounds or bulldogs. I have completely turned around new guardians way of thinking by showing them how smart a bulldog really is; with simple training techniques. I have only ever met a truly dumb dog once. And that was through no fault of his own; he had actually died on the neutering table and been brought back to life. The vets were not sure if he had lost any brain capacity but I could assure them that he had left most of his brain matter on the other side. Sad but true.

Dog intelligence cannot be summed up in a simple explanation. There are so many forms of intelligence and therefore many ways to display intelligence. Sighthounds are extremely sensitive so trying to train them through the old choke'm methods does not work; they tend to shut down but if you are not experienced in k9 behavior you may see this as "stupid." Take the Australian Cattledog; an amazing dog but one that can be difficult to train because they tend to like to work on their own. Their decision making abilties are extreme.

Personality plays a huge role in how we humans see intelligence as well. When asked to perform a simple task; let's say a Mastiff may sit and look at you like; what? Does this mean that the dog has less intelligence, no. It means that you have not motivated this dog enough for them to consider complying. Some dogs live to do your every beckoning wish; many goldens become obsessed with obedience and your slightest wish is their command.

In my own pack I have seen amazing intelligence. My girl Tilley uses tools to clean her teeth. Luke can get any dog to drop a toy so that he can have it just by barking at the door. And Jessie is the master controller of all and is very much a more instinctive dog than my poodles.

So, there is one blanket statement I will say; there are no stupid dogs.

breeding and selling for color

Somedays its easier to find a topic to write about than others. This morning I was on the Pets3you website looking at all the standard poodle breeders when I noticed how many more people are breeding partis poodles. And this is just since my last visit which was probably oh about 6 months ago. I was shocked; this has really taken off in a bad way.

Few people know how great standard poodles are because of their false exterior. People look at them and immediately think "oh a poodle." This in itself has kept them fairly rare, you don't see them around like labs and goldens. Which for the breed is a good thing. But now they have started breeding partis, phantoms (marked like a doberman) brindles and tuxedos. These are all basically two color poodles which are yes stunning because of their rarity but now people are pummping them out because of the "rare aspect." And unfortunately we humans want whatever is new and different.

These parti poodle breeders are charging a fortune. Now not all of them; there are the few ethical breeders out there. But most I have to say are cashing in. The proof is in the pudding as they say. When you call about a litter and they have a mix of partis and solids; the partis are 2,000.00 and up and solids around the 900.00-1,000.00 mark. Hmmmmmm, how does that make any sense at all.

Take a look at the websites, what you are seeing is a fashion show of colors and markings. "Oooooh look at this flashy marked little bitch, or check out the rare but amazing blue and white parti." Sad, but these puppies are being sold solely for their coat color. Many of you know that I do puppy temperament testing which means I test each puppy from a litter individually to see which type of family situation would best suit them. This has absolutely nothing to do with the color of the dog.

Honestly, picking a puppy because of its color is like choosing new wallpaper. Do not be suckered in by these people; a dog of a different color is still a dog and this dog may not be the dog for your family. And to me if they are charging more for a color? These are the breeders to stay away from; far away from.

How much should a second hand dog cost?

Whether you get your second hand dog from a shelter, a rescue group or the family down the street who cannot keep their dog; how much should you expect to pay? Afterall getting a puppy from a very reputible and ethical breeder will cost you 1,000.00 and up. A while back I asked a lady how much she was charging for some very adorable puppies and she said "3,000.00" I almost had a heart attack.

Some people really would love to go to a RB (reputible breeder) but the initial output cost is just out of their budget. And some people don't feel like they should have to pay 1,000.00 and up for a good dog and it's true' you don't. I know people who got their dog outside of a store from a guy with puppies in box that were a mere 25.00 and they turned out to be great dogs. Shelters have a set fee for their dogs which is usually around the 200.00 mark. This is a clearly understandable cost as they have overhead and the dogs usually comes spayed or neutered, microchipped and are UTD on vaccinations.

There are wonderful rescue groups who have tireless volunteers who put their goal in life to end the homeless pet issue. Often they put their own money into these dogs; asking for little in return. It is usually more difficult to acquire a dog from a great rescue as these volunteers want only the best for the dogs who have found themselves through no fault of their own in a bad situation. I commend these rescue groups.

But then there are the people who lets just call them "large rescue groups" to define them in someway who charge outrageous amounts of money for the dogs. What exactly is the cost of a taking in dogs, housing and caring for them? Firstly, most actual rescue groups are non profit; some claim to be non profit but they are making quite a bit of money by accepting only cash. Recently I was discussing one particular rescue group who is very questionable in all of the practices. This one rescue group accepts only cash and upwards of 1000.00 for their dogs. I was shocked, this is no rescue. Not at 1,000.00 a dog CASH; this is quite the little money making business.

The whole idea of a rescue is to care for animals until you can find a fabulous new home for a dog. So you charge as little as you can but do not give away dogs for free. The most important factor is that the dog finds a forever home and does not end up in the same situation ever again.

I think around the 200.00 mark; give or take a 100.00 is a good price. If you are the one looking to place your dog into a new home because you made an impulsive purchase at the pet store; don't try to get your money out of the deal. Finding a family to give your dog a great home is what matters. You made the mistake you pay the price.

WHAT GOES INTO A MIX?

Mutts, mixed breeds, "designer dogs," puggles, schnoodles, labradoodles, yorkiepoo, you name it. I refer to all of these dogs as mixes, it makes no difference if someone attempted to mix breeds, it was an accident or the resulting dog has been in the soup pot for generations; they are all mixes. I love dogs which is yes a blanket statement and one that I can proclaim with confidence. A dog is a dog and no matter what combination of genes they get they are all dogs.

Althought they are all dogs when you get a mix or are thinking about a mix it is best to figure out what could possibly be in the mix so that you can be inform about each of the breeds that went into making your dog. I met a magnificent mix the other day, first I've ever seen. It was not an intentional breeding but boy it produced a fabulous combination of the two. What a hunk of a dog.

The very popular "designer dogs," of today are nothing but a money making business. If you read my post from yesterday you will see why. Unscrupulous people pump out a huge array of breed combinations in hopes of convincing you that this is "the dog." Anyone pumping out puppies for money is to me someone to stay clear of.

Sadly many breeds are miss labeled at shelters; they do their best but sometimes it is so far off I think they just take a look and say whatever happens to pop into their head. I have met people that think they have a spaniel mix only to find out when I see it that it is actually a Japanese Chin (actual breed). Another family told me they had a Saint Bernard mix when clearly it was an Akita mix. Two very different dogs; with very different temperament traits.

Some dogs like one I met at a dog park a while back have no detectable traits; they are what I call a street dog. There has been much research done on what happens to dogs when they interbreed for many generations. What they discovered is that they tend to resort back to a wild dog look. Medium in size, shorter coat, ears become erect, tail curls up and they are marked somewhat like a German Shepherd mix.

When I met the dog at the park I told his guardians that he looked like a tall street dog from Mexico. They then told me they got him off the streets in Mexico and that infact he was tall for a street dog. He looked like a Dingo with a black saddle and his behavior was right on. He was a calm; no nonsense kind of guy.

I love to guess what is in a dog; sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm completely wrong. But meeting any dog breed or mix makes my day.

COI % - what?

Mutts are so much healthier; how many times have I heard this? A mutt or mongrel dog is by definition a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed. On the other end of the spectrum is the purebred dog produced through years of genetic picking and choosing. Some breeders produce purebred cookie cutter puppies, trying time and time again to produce not only a perfect puppy but also a perfect litter. These breeders like to keep everything in the family. A breeder once told me that if they did not line breed how would they know what they were producing?

Years ago it became common practice to inbreed dogs in the attempt to achieve a carbon copy result. This did and still does lead to lower life span, genetic mutations and lower litter numbers. The effects of inbreeding are caused by a lack of genetic diversity in the quest for the perfect specimen. This type of inbreeding does not happen with animals in the wild; nor does it happen in the great zoos around the world.

Are mutts healthier? No, the blanket statement that mutts are healthier than purebreds is incorrect. The proper statement would be that a mutt has a more varied genetic make up, but this in no way creates a dog of greater health. As with purebreds; there are mutts that are produced by genetically inferior parents, which turn out to be very sick and diseased. Having unrelated parents does not ensure good health alone.

So what makes a healthy dog? COI% is the most widely discussed factor these days. Coefficient; explained in physics terms is a number that is constant for a given substance, body, or process under certain specified conditions. This essentially means the number of related ancestors in an individual dogs pedigree. The lower the COI% rate the fewer related animals in the dogs makeup.

Outcross breeding, which is the breeding of two unrelated dogs; keeps a line genetically healthy and varied. Having both Sire and Dam of the prospective puppies tested for genetic health disorders and going back several generations for the same testing is essential. Whether or not the dogs are purebred or mixed dogs should have no factor in the genetic health testing and temperament testing before any breeding occurs. This gives all dogs; purebred and mutts a fair and fighting chance at being as healthy as they can possibly be.

JMHO

Adding another dog

I was having this discussion yesterday so thought I'd write about my feelings on when is best to add another dog. First off I think it is extremely important to get your dogs one at a time. Yes it is very nice for dogs to have dog company but first you need to bond with your dog so that you are the most important being in their life. Often when people get two puppies at the sametime; the puppies tend to bond with each other instead of with you. Unless that is; you take huge steps to spend individual time with each dog separately.

Now, you are thinking about adding another dog; so when is the best time. It varies but I have a 3 years of age guideline. I think if you have had your dog for 3 years then you have a solid bond; they should be trained to perfection by now and so adding another untrained dog will not put you in overload mode. Many breeds mature at the age of 3 or so it is written and this itself will help in puppy raising. Many adult dogs actually help train new puppies the ropes of the house.

When you do add another dog to your home it is imperative to match personalities. Yes it can work out perfectly even if you just bring a dog home on a whim not considering personality but the best chance for it working out is to do your homework. It is always the best idea to get the opposite sex, it is just easier. That is not to say that all boy/girl couples get along. It is really more about personality. You know the phrase "opposites attract?" Well this is a good guideline to stick to.

Matching personalities is no more important than when adding an adult dog to your home. A second hand dog is a different story all together than bringing home a brand new blank slate puppy. It can be tricky to find the right dog to join your little pack but if you take your time; consider the dog you already have in your home and choose accordingly, a growing pack is a good thing.

Its got to be the food

Good moroning, I am at the moment sitting in bed with my boy Luke. He had a seizure this morning early; 5:00. I was waken by my husband telling me Luke was seizing. The first thing that entered my head was the food, I fed the dogs dog food lastnight. I had run out of meat so gave them dog food. It is a very good food but this is just way too coincidental. Luke has not had a seizure since August; when I started feeding them real food only.

It was not a bad seizure like the ones he usually has; it was silent with no body convulsing. But he is left with the same fallout behavior, needing to touch me for at least an hour after the fact. I just bought the small bag of dog food last week just in case I ran out of "real food," with being so busy lately. I cannot be certain that this is the cause but it is very likely I think.

Luke does have seizures when awakened suddenly if he has been in a very deep sleep. This I know as a fact; it has happened far too often. Even before he seizes there are times I know it will be coming. If he is sound asleep and the girls start barking; he is up and running before he is even awake. I then prepare to get him through his seizure. Other things that can cause the same effect are doors slamming (I've written about this before) when he is asleep, anything that abruptly wakes him out of a sound sleep.

At the moment he has relaxed enough to move to the other side of the bed. Which means that in maybe 20 min. I will be able to get out of bed without him panicking. Poor guy.

Monday

Good Monday morning; another week to get on top of. Lots of shoots; lots of dogs and lots of writing. All three of my dogs will be participating in R&R today. The poodles had a huge run in the canyon and Jessie had a big hike with me. Monday is always their day off just to lay around. Luke will be on his little dog couch as that is his new place to hang. He loves that little couch so much that I am contemplating getting a few new ones for the bedroom.

I was at the mall for a short time yesterday and was again struck by the fact that there is a puppy store in the mall. It appauls me that no one at the top, you know the big wigs has enough balls to stop a store from selling animals at the mall. As I was walking past the store two little girls ran by me shrieking "puppies." It actually seems to be a sort of zoo for many but for those who have the bucks, its the place to make your impulse purchases. I'm sick of it.

The weather is suppose to be much warmer this week which I am not happy about but; I do live in Southern California. So I will make the best of it and might just try my old clippers one last time on the poo's today. Luke will be very unhappy with the loss of his coat but when the temps are up in the high 70s low 80s he really needs the coat to come off. Also if they are going to be hitting the beach; like I said fuzzy slippers doesn't really do it for me.

Give your dog a hug and a kiss and get on with the new week.