What a night and cooking day

We had our standard poodle get togeather lastnight and it was fabulous. 10 dogs and 18 people in my backyard and a ton of fun. We had poodles from the age of 4 months old all the way up to my old girl Tilley at 11 years old and everything in between. Representing colors were black, blue, brown, cream and light apricot. It is amazing to me that there were no issues throughout the night.

The only thing that did go on was my boy Luke trying to enforce his "top dog" status and " this is my yard" to the other two males. One of which was the 4 month old in attendance; the other a handsome teenager that Luke obviously felt he had something to teach to. So with my eyes ever watchful as to what was going on and all the dogs succeeding in their attempts to have fun it was a great night for the dogs and the human audience.

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I spent this morning shooting the most adorable puppy, honestly how cute can puppies be? After that I headed off to Henry's market to get the veggies and stuff for dog food. Today was a big cooking day, carrots, brocolli, sweet potato, rice, kale and oatmeal all to go with the ton of chicken I cooked up yesterday. As if it is not hot enough, what a time to be cooking up a storm. But I'll tell you it sure smelled good, good enough to bring both vegan daughters into the kitchen to see what was cook'n.

The dogs got a sample for dinner and after they had eaten; they were hovering. Perhaps his chasing games from lastnight sparked his appetite. Luke does not typically hover when I prepare food unless he is very hungry or I have raw beef on the counter. This was all just veggies being cooked today but he loved the smell.

I am going away in August so I have to make a pile of food. Nomally I keep about a 2-3 day supply in the fridge of cook daily so there is alot of bigtime cook'n going on.

Food review-Homemade Doggy Dinners

I love to try new dog stuff, whether it is a new treat, new leash/collar, toy or food I like to give all the new stuff a go. I am starting a regular "review" of new dog products that we try out. I have a varied pack of dogs from Luke the picky eater to Jessie; who will anything that hits the floor.

And they all love a good toy; Luke loves to try and dismantle them and Tilley takes the utmost of care, she likes to save them for a rainy day. So if you have a new product that you'd like to have reviewed; contact me and we'll put it through our tests.

I tried a new homemade dog food; I already wrote about the treats made by Homemade Doggy Dinners. all natural dog food and treats. The dogs loved the treats; and they loved the food, so two paws up for the product.

Taste - 4 paws + tail (no hesitation from any of our three to eat these goodies.)
Economy - 3 paws - (all natural, human grade ingredients cost a bit more)
Customer Service - 4 paws - very easy to get intouch with

Great products and company. Contact www.homemadedoggydinners.com

Leash aggression

Good morning, seems I missed blogging yesterday. I had planned on an afternoon blog which is out of the norm but I got so busy that the day just passed me by. The hot topic these days; at least from where I stand is leash aggression. For most who deal with it on a regular basis it is anywhere from bothersome to a nightmare. Most dogs have it at some point in time, even the best and friendliest of dogs can display some leash aggression.

Out of my three; Luke is my most dog friendly, Jessie is just plain bossy and Tilley doesn't even acknowledge other dogs. Jessie is often leash aggressive; its her nature but Luke also displays aggression when on leash. Jessie is not bluffing; I remember once when a lady let her Australian shepherd come right up to Jessie while she was displaying. Jessie came away from that meeting with a huge mouthful of Aussie fur.

Luke on the other hand is all bluster; lots of noise with nothing behind it. Most of the time he just walks by but whatever it may be; something can trigger a response to some dogs. I do know for sure that if we are in a tighter spot and I need to reel him in on his leash; that he will guaranteed give an aggressive response. Tightening up on a dogs leash does several things, first it lets the dog know immediately that something is up. They feel the stress you are feeling down the leash. Next it pulls them into an unnatural stance; messing up all their natural communication signals. And lastly it takes away their fight or flight reaction; if they feel any bit like they would like to move away, they can't.

I am seeing more and more pinch/prong collars these days. I'd like to say that they are fading into history but with certain trainers who are on tv; they seem to be coming out of the dark ages and breathing new life. I hate them and I'll tell you why. Dogs learn through association; bottom line. When a dog gets excited by another dogs presence while on a walk; they immediately feel pain. What are they learning? Strange dog = pain.

If your dog acts naturally aggressive with other dogs walking by; using a pain causing pinch/prong collar fuel the fire. The dog becomes agitated much quicker and redirected aggression can occur. Even if a dog moves forward with any pressure they receive pain. And I know what you pinch/prong collar users are thinking, they don't cause pain. I hear it all the time "I put it on my arm to see if it hurt." Then tell me; if they don't cause pain how do they work? Ponder that, what is different about a prong collar and a regular collar that stops them in their tracks?

Okay this was about leash aggression not pinch collars. So back to it. I had my three dogs at the beach the other morning. It was beautiful; very few people were out that early in the morning. Having all the dogs with me I know that Jessie loves to diisplay which fuels Luke into the same behavior. So when they made their first demonstration on leash I thought I'd do a little experiment. My dogs know the "leave it" exercise really well so I gave it a go.

As we walked down the beach I could see a golden coming with his guardian. Luke noticed first as I gave them a little space. Once we were about 20 feet away; I said "leave it". Both Jessie and Luke's ears flew back to me; what? what? I hadn't used this verbal cue in a situation like this before and it threw them. Tilley of course was still at my side being as perfect as she always is. They all looked at me and we continued our walk. "Wow, that went well." So I tried it again with the same results.

By using a cue to communicate to my dogs what I would llike them to do makes them interact with me. They are then verbally and food rewarded to listening to me and not jumping into an aggressive response. Associating a positive reaction and food to the other dogs takes away any negatives of having dogs walk by us.

Another important factor in leash aggression; which is probably even more important than all the other stuff is your reaction. Dogs watch us; they watch us very closely. If leash aggression is something you deal with you are already stressed before you see your first dog coming towards you. You may not think you are; but at the first sign of another dog you tense up, reel in quickly and your breathing pattern changes. Your dog feels all of this and looks around immediately to see what the deal is. They see the other dog and respond to your behavior to match yours.

So what you need to do is act; cool as a cucumber is the order of the day. You want to do happy talking to your dog and make like walking by other dogs is as natural as getting up in the morning. You need to be really good; dogs don't fool too easily. Praise your dog for attention while walking by other dogs and use food treats in the beginning to create a very positive association. Do not change your pace; do not reel in your dog unless you have to. And if you do try to do it in a non panic way. Best to keep your dog about 2-3 feet from you so you don't have to reel.

Helping your dog get over leash aggression is a several step process with a big step being you.

Epilepsy quicky

Most of you know that my boy has epilepsy. It first appeared I believe when he was 4 years of age. Since then I've learned alot about the disease. I changed his diet from "dog food" to "real food" and he hadn't had a food related seizure since. He does have seizures rarely if woken from a deep sleep and sent into action before he is awake; I've written about this often.

I have looked into food related seizures and found that Rosemary could be a trigger. I had not been able to pinpoint the ingredient in anything when he had had a food related seizure. That is until now; the other day I got some new treat samples. They were all natural, great. Only hours after feeding them Luke had a seizure; its been a very longtime since he has had one. I didn't know why this happened and was really stumped at the possible cause.

I read the ingredients yesterday and sure enough; Rosemary is one of the ingredients. It was the treats and he reacted very quickly to it. So now I must make sure that Rosemary is not an ingredient is treats that I give him. Although I hate it when he has a seizure I was very happy to finally find a true trigger.

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/

Top of the Head Pat

You know when someone approaches your dog and reaches out patting them ontop of their head? I always wonder; do they really think; that your dog enjoys this? As your dogs head bobs up and down; and their eyes squint I wonder what they are thinking. "Oh ya, that feels great; please keep slapping me on the head." I really don't get how anyone can look at a dogs reaction to this and think that they enjoy it.

That said; not only is swapping a dog ontop of the head a strange thing to do, most dogs do not appreciate being pet ontop of the head by strangers. You will notice as you reach out with your hand over a dogs head they usually sink. Not all dogs sink but most do some degree of "please don't reach over my head." Reaching over a dog is a dominant gesture; very rude and an unwanted behavior in the dog world.

When you meet a dog, put your hand out palm up. If they are cool with that; reach forward under their head and scratch their neck of chest. They will definitely be happier.

Learning to put your nose under water

We had a busy dog weekend; with the 4th being all about getting Tilley through the day and yesterday was about finding a pool. I searched online forever for the elusive kiddie pool. My poodles love to retrieve out of a pool. I had a pool for my children when they were small which quickly was donated to the dogs once they outgrew it. Now each year I try to get them one. Last year the summer passed us by and I had forgot to get a pool with being in the new house.

So on Saturday I sent my daughter out to get one at Target; no such luck. I searched online to find somewhere that had them when I realized that it is not something you would order online. I hopped in the car and was off to Toys-r-us. There were only a couple left when i got there so grabbed one immediately, paid and was off. A whopping 7.99 for a bunch of fun for the dogs. The pool is the plastic kind that you can stack; not the inflatable type. On the way out 3 people asked me where I got the pool; so I got there just ahead of the rush for a pool.

I got home, filled up the pool and then searched. I was searching for a toy that can withstand being in the water, chewed on and left in the sun. I looked at the store but there was nothing for dogs; hmmmm could have been that it wasn't a dog store. Anyway I rooted through the dogs toy basket when I found their Old Navy rubber bones; PERFECT! This is exactly what I had been looking for; they sink, they are tough and I don't care if the dogs chew them. So I'm off to Old Navy today in hopes of getting more so that they have more to pull out of the pool before I have to throw them back in again.

Tilley is a master at submerging her head under water; she can go completely under to get what she is after. Luke stops at his ears; but with the pool being a kiddie pool depth isn't an issue. To be honest the pool is probably more fun for me; I love to sit and watch the dogs splash around in the water. I should say poodles; Jessie is not a fan of the pool although I did put her in yesterday. She just stands there with a "I don't want to be in here?" face on. And will only stay in there as long as she has to.

I remember when the kids were little and each year I would get a pool for the dogs as well; the grass. The pool was on the grass, the grass was in the pool. Luckily in this new house we have a huge concrete patio so I will try to put it as far away from the grass as I can. Although Tilley likes to pile her stash of toys on the grass; she always has. But maybe if it is far enough away she'll find another spot. Maybe I'll try putting a towel by the pool for her to use for her stash. Grass and pools don't mix well and when they do its just plain gross after a very short time.

Its over

Its July 5th and it's all over, thank goodness. The celebrations of July 4th are behind us and we have a year to worry about the next 4th. It seems like I have always had one dog that is freaked by fireworks. When I was 18 with my very first dog Mandy (an airedale) I learned the lesson of never taking a dog to the fireworks display. At 18 you don't think about consequenses; I think that's pretty much across the board.

So needless to say Mandy had firework issues; she had thunderstorm issues and vehicle backfire issues. Back in rural Canada thunderstorms were frequent, fireworks were frequent and backfiring a common daily occurance; poor girl. But we did our best to help her overcome. Then my boy Clyde had the same issues although Clyde reacted much more physically to these noises. Once Clyde slipped into the zone he was gone basically; his fallout reaction was to run. There was no talking to him he was in the zone.

Since we lost Clyde 8 years ago this month all seemed fine with Jessie, Tilley and our newest addition Luke. Within a year of the loss of Clyde; Tilley started to exhibit fireworks issues. Here is Southern California we are lucky if we get one bout of thunder in a year so that is not something we worry about but we worry about the 4th. Tilley started reacting early lastnight, during our dinner in the backyard it started; the neighborhood fireworks.

Tilley quickly reacts by digging; I think she is trying to get away in her own way. She digs dog beds, bathroom mats, our bed, anything that she thinks she can dig into. And she trembles; her whole entire body shakes as her terror stricken eyes dart back and forth from people who might possibly be able to save her. Her ears are flat back listening for the slightest rumble in the distance; she is terrified.

As human nature would have it everyone jumps into console her; that's where I start my educational process. I let everyone know that this only makes matters worse. Everyone is to ignore her behavior and go on like nothing strange is going on. I then decide to get her ball and give that a whirl. Tilley has chase drive off the charts so that overrides her fear for the time being and she happily plays a retrieving game with me. But as soon as we stop she slips into her intense listening mode.

Once the humans got on board with the ignoring routine she was much better. She even joined my daughter and her friend on the balcony as they watched the fireworks. She quietly lay on one of the dog beds, listening but not trembling. It is a big and taxing night for Tilley but now on the 5th of July it is another one in the past.

Sled dogs

Ah the sled dog; you know the type with their head down and their back legs working overtime dragging their guardian down the street. In my quest for an actual non pull harness or other type of equipment I've been through alot of collars, leashes and harnesses. As a trainer I am always searching for good dog equipment, innovative, humane or just plain cool. My house if filled with leashes, collars and harnesses but there are very few on the useful hook.

My harness of choice at the moment is the Easy Walker Harness made by Premier. They look like a typical harness but the leash attaches to the front of the harness on the dogs chest. It is this connection that makes the difference. I have tried other harnesses with a chest attachment that when pulled on just shifted the whole harness around the dog. Some are made out of a cord type material which cuts into the real dedicated pullers.

I like harnesses because they take the pressure off of the dogs neck. I do not like to pull on a dogs neck with a collar so I don't like when they pull on a collar either. But why do dogs pull? Dogs that are excited want to run, they don't care what you want to do at the moment; all they know is that they want to go. They learn that pulling works; it gets them in motion and some never learn that they don;t have to pull. That's your job; to teach your dog not to pull.

It is always easiest to start when they are young that way you just teach instead having to get rid of a bad behavior and replace it with a good behavior. When you take your dog out for a walk; remember that you are in control. Don't have your dog dragging you around to every tree or piece of grass they want to sniff. You walk where you want to walk and they sniff when you say it is sniff time. Teach your dog some verbal cues for a walk," this way, turn, let's go" and "this side" are a few of the terms I use to help give my dogs a heads up. I don't like to just yank on them when I am going to change direction or move on.

Keep a pocket or pouch full of treats on you if you are working on pulling. Praise your dog for attention and non pulling and work in treats when they are on the move. If they pull; you stop walking immediately until they give you slack on the leash. Once you get the slightest bit of slack you move out again. Timing is everything, they must be able to associate pulling to stopping the walk and giving slack to moving again. Keep an active conversation going with your dog when they walk nicely; stopping all conversation when they start to forge ahead and pressure takes over the leash.

The turn cue is great for some of the most dedicated pulling dogs; this gives your dog a heads up that you plan to turn into them to change directions. Taught properly it breaks into their pulling mindset and has them set back a bit so you don't step on them. I use it with Luke when he is in his highest level of excitement. Being reactive; walking loosely on a leash is one of the toughest things that I ask him to do.

The equipment I use the most are harnesses and a 5/8" x 8' cotton webbing leash. If I take my Jack russell out on her own I will use the extension leash but only have it extending when no one is around and it is also attached to her back attachment of her harness. This gives her the sensaiton of running free without being off leash.

A few heads up for the guardians about equipment. Never use an extension leash with a choke or prong/pinch. The extension leash when active and not in lock mode is constantly pulling which means that it is pulling on your dogs collar. Constant pressure on a choke or pinch/prong is very bad for your dog.

Although I do like the head harnesses I see them being misused on a daily basis. Never yank or tug on your dog with a head harness on and never use an extension leash with them. The head harness gives you maximum control over your dogs head, by yanking on it you risk injuring your dogs neck. Keep the leash taut ensuring there are no jarring yanks on your dogs neck.

And work with your dog on not pulling; it can be a ton of work but if you don't do it how does your dog know that dragging you down the street isn't the way it's done?

A poison to watch out for

Good morning, as we all know there are certain items that we need to make sure don't get into our dogs. The ones that we've known about for a longtime are Chocolate, and caffeine which is in cola, coffee and teas. Onions which can be toxic to our dogs so skip the onions if you cook for your dogs. Grapes and raisin are one of the newer items on the list but one to keep out of reach of our dogs.

The newest addition to the poison list is a dangerous one. Xylitol which is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. Once extracted it is formulated into Xylitol; a natural sugar substitute. Although it is found safe for human consumption it is not safe for our dogs.

Xylitol is most widely used in sugar free gum and mints. If you look Xylitol up on the web you will find many sad stories of family pets who died or nearly died after consuming gum they snuck out of a pocket or purse. Check the ingredients list oon the gum you buy regularly and if it does contain Xylitol; switch to a different type of be 100% sure that your dog does not have access to it.

Xylitol causes dogs to secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very quickly. The second thing that happens is liver failure. If that happens, even with aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save them.

http://www.k911.biz/Petsafety/ToxicDogTreats.htm

Please spread the word, it could save a life or two.

Handsfree

HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my Canadian readers. I miss the being in Canada during the big celebration and seeing a sea of red and white. Today is also the day here in California that you can no longer talk on your cell phone in the car; good luck with that.

So on the same subject of handsfree; yesterday I was in the thick of gardening when Luke came out to find me; once found he wanted a snuggle. I was filthy; both hands were covered in muck so I told him to "come close." When he was little I taught him to come close; often he would stand just out of reach for a hug so I taught him to "come close."

"Come close," has reached a "can't get any closer" closeness. If I do not reach out to him with my hands he will then move in and we have our "handsfree," hug. Yesterday it went on for a good 2 min, and as is common I just about fell down. Luke loves this very close time; as he pushes and rubs his head under my chin. I have often seen wolves, lions and tigers do this exact thing but Luke is the first dog of mine who has done it.

He is a very physical guy, he loves touch; that is if he knows you. He is not into being touched by rude people he does not know but try to touch him. No more so than I would appreciate a stranger touching me.

So Luke has the handfree down already. And this closeness is very special which I never take for granted.

k9 issues & association

Being a dog trainer I have had to deal with many k9 issues. From fear based behavior, over excitement, pushy or phobic. Most dogs have some sort of issue just like humans; and it is not always an understandable issue. Many suffer from fallout behaviors, a behavior that was set in place by an occurrence. It is great when we know what caused an issue for our dogs but often we just don't know why they act the way they do.

For example; a dog may clearly dislike or fear children. Every time a child comes near the dog goes into a Cujo mode; is there a reason? There may be, I worked with a dog like this that had been living with a family and a young child. The dog was then placed into another family with teenage children. But the dog displayed awful aggression towards small children; which would seem like maybe the first life was not a happy one with the small child.

No matter where this issue stemmed from it had to be dealt with. Creating a positive association to small children from a far and then moving closer and closer to the trigger (a child) was the solution. This is one of the worst issues a dog can have; no one wants their dog to bite a child or anyone else for that matter. So extra caution and supervision is always a must.

Another dog I worked with had hidden issues. All seemed fine until we started with hand signals. Each time we raised a hand over the dogs head level he would cringe and leave the room. This dog was far from being mistreated and was a cherished member of the family. After much pondering I felt that is was clearly a confidence and submissive issue. So we then moved on to create a positive association to hands in the air.

How you behave during a display of unwanted behavior really helps or hinders. As I have said many times before; your dog is watching you. I happen to have one of the most obviously watching dogs I've ever met so through Luke I have learned just how much our dogs watch us.

The other day it was breezy which puts Luke into an uncomfortable state. His association to wind was caused by a slamming door; caused by the wind. This slamming door awoke him out of a deep sleep and he slipped into a seizure. Now when the wind blows he watches the doors. I am very careful to make sure that all slamming doors have stops at them. But I'm only human and errors occur occasionally.

So the other day as I came in off the balcony; the stage was set. Luke was standing in the middle of my bed; his eyes flying from the slowly closing door to me. He had panic written all over him but I was too far from the door to stop it. With the impending slam I flew into action immediately. Cool as a cucumber; Luke circled me, tail down, crouched posture and seeking eye contact. I wouldn't give it to him.

So as I busied myself around the room he followed at my heels. I opened several doors and closed them loudly, picked up some clothes off the floor and asked the dogs then to follow me onto the deck where I sat and rocked. Luke shook off his fear very quickly but never stopped watching me. How you react is EVERYTHING.

If you can figure out what happened to your dog to create an issue then great. If there is no explanation to some sort of issue it makes no difference. You need to best map out a solution and deal with it. By taking baby steps you can help your dog with their "issues."

Often you will need a professional to get you going in the right direction. Just like when a human has an issue; flooding is not a good idea. I am not a fan of flooding; which means to completely submerge a dog into its fear. Sort of like throwing someone with arachnophobia into a room filled with spiders. One step at a time is always the best way to truly help your dog.

And remember; your dog is watching you.

Life with dogs

Good Saturday morning; yes I did sleep in and so did the dogs. Jessie is loving her step stool I bought for Tilley and her; I can tell by waking up with Jessie squished up against me somewhere every morning now. I vaguely remember hearing the her little feet hit the stool and then I woke up and there she is. Tilley lay on her bed for a longtime moaning; she communicates her wishes through odd sounding groans. This is how she wakes us at night if she needs out.

I hopped out of bed thinking she needed out and she just lay there staring at me, okay. I crawled back into bed as she continued her attempts at telling me something. I said to her "come on then." And she slowly got herself up (she's 11) and hopped up onto the stool and on the bed. That's what she wanted; up on the bed but she was too lazy to get there. Luke was already up on the bed covered of course in a fuzzy blanket that looks like a continuation of himself.

Our dogs are very much a part of our family; daily plans are made around them often and when they cannot come the decision as to best accomodate them being left are made. The poodles have just left for their extreme canyon running and will come back exhausted. There will be no wondering what they are doing for he rest of the day, especially Tilley. Jessie will be going down to the beach later with us. It is getting increasingly difficult to find somewhere to take Jessie; she is very allergic to grass which is great fun. So the beach is a perfect place for this little one; and often it is my daugther who will take her.

Now that my children are adults they take great interest in all of the dogs. Each has a special connection with each dog; Luke's being the most physical out of the three, of course. When all of my kids are home I am constantly called to "see how cute" one of the dogs is being. I agree and go about my business happy that my kids take notice. Compassion for animals is in my opinion one of the most important things you can pass onto your children; the future. If humans have no compassion for animals; all will surely be lost.

You cannot teach compassion by shoving it down someones throat as many of the animal rights groups attempt to do. Humans are complex creatures and sometimes it takes a little work to figure out how best to get a message across. Example is the best and most impactful way to teach compassion, I think anyway. My children have seen me care for our animals, with respect, kindness, patience and guidance. They have seen me stop the car and jump out to rescue a dog in the street, take the dog into our home and find the dogs guardians.

Our little Jessie almost died 6 years ago, we spent thousands of dollars trying to find answers; this is just what you do. And just last fall Tilley almost had to have her tail amputated; but I was determined to save it which I did through weeks of around the clock care. My children have watched all of this and learned through my actions. This is how animals should be treated; bottom line. You treat your animals just as you would treat any member of your family.

One big happy family.

TGIF

What a blast; the poodles and I attended a poodle gathering of sorts at one of the members homes yesterday. I wasn't sure how Luke would react to being in someones yard with all those other dogs; it really depended on how large the yard was. When we arrived he was already wound and whining; whining is never good when Luke is doing it. This means that he is already over excited; so I kick into my super calm and mellow mode to assist him.

Once in the backyard he was his typical whirlwind until everyone was there and he had made the rounds. I have to say I was so proud of my boy; the only pushy behavior he displayed was to dominate a 5 mos old puppy which I already knew was going to happen. He loves to strut his stuff and its easy to look big and tough to puppies who are still insecure. But all in all he was the perfect gentleman as he was the only boy there. Tilley took a bit to warm to our new enviroment but was chasing shadows before too long.

Luke kept a close eye on me the entire time we were at the get together; I was watching him watching me. If I started making a fuss over one of the other poodles he immediately came over to get some eye contact "yep, I'm your boy right MOM?" What a guy. And as one of the other poodles jumped up to say hello he was by my side in a flash. No one else would know how closely he was watching me unless they too were watching him; he is a corner eye watcher. He is constantly throwing side glances to keep my whereabouts well known to him. He is kind of like a Nav system.

About an hour into the visit he started hanging out with the people instead of the other poodles and about 1 1/2 hours into the gathering he was ready to go. He was using his eyes and his body language to let me know that he was good and ready to go home. One thing that Luke did that really amazed me; I know what you're thinking Luke this and Luke that, hey it's my blog! So anyway, there had been a babygate at the door to go in the house so that the people could go in and not the dogs. Once everyone started to leave it was taken down. As I sat in the yard watching my two; Luke went to the entrance of the house and stopped; he knew it was a boundary and turned around and came back.

Even when a guardian and their poodle were leaving he stopped in his tracks as they crossed what Luke thought was a clear boundary. Funny when all this hard training kicks in; it is very rewarding. When it was time for us to leave Luke was right by my side, Tilley was still chasing shadows and took several calls to get her head out of the clouds or should I say off of the ground.

Now that you've had your dose of poodle talk; have a good weekend.

This and that Thurs.

I found a new homemade dog food company. Someone who read my blog sent me the info "thank you". As you know I make my own food but there are times when I run out or am just too lazy so this will be in my freezer. They make treats which I have to tell you my dogs ate like they were made out of liver, even Luke. I got home with them yesterday, peanut butter puffs, apple pie cookies and freeze dried chicken. The cookies smelled fabulous and from the dogs reaction they were delicious.

Every morning my dogs get a cookie or two before they get up, this prevents anyone from starving to death before I get their breakfast made. This morning I gave them the cookie from Homemade Doggy Dinners, the peanut butter puffs. Luke sat in front of me salivating which is a normal behavior for Tilley but not Luke. So I guess I will be ordering a bucket of the peanut butter puffs.

I have not tried out the food yet but it comes in what looks to be ice cream scoop servings. Round balls of complete dog food frozen; ready to thaw and use at anytime. I'm going to try it probably tonight and see how Mr. Fussy feels about it; will let you know.

The poodles and I are going to a poodle get together this morning. It is to be held in someones backyard so we'll see how that goes. Poor Jessie stays home for this event; she wouldn't have fun anyway; she would just want to boss everyone around and become angry because no one was listening. But she won't mind because I will fill a marrow bone with peanut butter and cheerios and she'll be pleasantly occupied.

Have a great pre Friday.

What's cook'n?

Well, what was cook'n at my house only moments ago was liver and London broil. I forgot that I didn't have any meat ready for breakfast this morning so I was out barbequing in the am. My dogs had salmon lastnight which went over big. Luke doesn't typically like Salmon a whole lot and much prefers Halibut, yep.

But this morning I had a half frozen london broil and some fresh liver I just bought. I don't give my dogs liver often, only as a special treat as it is pretty rich. And when they do get it, it is mixed in with other meat. So this morning they had two types of beef, rice, pumpkin, flax seed and arugula.

Lastnight was salmon, pasta, red pepper, and zuccinni. Pretty good grub I'm thinking. Even with this good food Luke still prefers; and I hate to use this term "people food." And I don't mean it in the same way that most people do. Most people use the term "people food" as in not dry dog kibble, anything like meat, potatos, veggies etc.

When I say "people food" I mean prepared stuff like Lasagna, sheperds pie, spaghetti, crepes etc. You know the kind of food that actually has a recipe if not in a book but your head at least. Luke loves good food, he has well educated taste buds for a dog and would choose bangers and mash over plain old beef anyday.

The boys got taste; what can I say?

Asking permission

I often tell my clients that their dogs should not make decisions like getting up on the bed or couch on their own. You should wait until their dog asks if they can get up; this always results in the guardian looking at me very strangely. Ask? How is my dog suppose to ask? I am discussing asking; because my Jack Russell asked to get on the bed this morning. She has just realized that the new ottoman is for her use to get up on the bed but once up there she is not sure about going the whole way.

You are probably asking yourself "okay what did she do to ask?" Right? Dogs can ask permission in many ways but usually it is just a waiting game with some eye contact. She was sitting on the ottoman beside my bed as I was typing. She looked at me, then the bed and back again. Then she took her front paw and tapped the bed; she must have done this about 8 times when I told her okay.

I wanted to see if she would eventually just come up but she only came onto the bed when I gave her the okay. It was pretty cute to watch her poking the bed and then directing her eye contact on me as she waited patiently. This is exactly how the rules in the house should be followed. But it doesn't happen overnight; it takes alot of establishing who is in charge and what the rules are that must be followed.

It truly amazes me when I go to a new clients home only to be pounced upon by their out of control beast. The dog jumps up on the couch, stomps all over me and physically tries to take the pouch with my treats in it from me. Hmmmmm. Dogs who get away with this type of behavior quickly become worse in other behaviors.

Not all dogs are made alike; a very true statement. Some dogs need very few rules, they just don't push in life like my Tilley. Then there are the dogs who are constantly pushing and being generally obnoxious. So implementing rules is a very personal deal; because not only are dogs all different we are even more different. What you may think is a totally acceptable behavior I may find completely unacceptable. I like order in my house and dogs running amuck does not work for me.

So the decisions lie solely on you guardian; whether or not you implement and enforce is entirely your decision. But never underestimate your dog; they are way more intelligent than you think. How does your dog know that they have to ask? By setting clear boundaries from the start, establishing that you make and enforce the rules. Obedience training is a must, even the most basic of commands gives you a way to communicate the good manner rule.

What a dog wants

Ah, the heat has broken finally. What a weekend; it sucks when you have plans for a great weekend and then it turns out that you don't even want to venture out the front door. My poor plants and flowers took a beating so it will be a big gardening day today. The dogs were in as well, only out for a quick backyard run and back in again.

Summer is now upon us and with summer comes new puppies; lots of new puppies. If you are in "the search" stage; you should be asking yourself alot of questions along the way so that hopefully you will end up with the perfect match for your family. Adding a dog to your family is a win, win situation. You get the dog you wanted and you give a dog the life they always wanted, right? But what does a dog want in their life? Wow, have you ever considered what your dogs life aspirations are beyond the food bowl and cookie jar?

If it was up to them what would they want their life to look like? Well, looking at my three on the bed with me at the moment; a comfy place to sleep comes to mind. They love comfort and those people who think it is weird that a dogs wants somewhere comfortable to sleep just don't get dogs. As I have said many times before; my house both inside and out is filled with dog beds, all of which are used on a daily basis. So comfort would definitely be on the "want list" for our dogs.

Next would be companionship, both canine and human. Dogs in the wild don't need humans but our domesticated guys need us for sure. I am a huge believer in multiple dog households, that is only if you want more than one dog though. I think it is very good for dogs to live with dogs as well as humans. Humans are great to live with aren't we? Well, not all of us but even as great as some of us are; we aren't dogs and dogs need other dogs in their lives.

Food is a big one; for some dogs it would be number one on the list; like my Jack Russell. And I'm thinking if it was really up to our dogs they would be eating a raw diet, or at least a "real food" diet. I don't imagine any dog would choose to eat a dry bowl of the same kibble day in and day out. They would like bones as well, dogs love to chew bones contrary to what some people believe. I've seen it with my own eyes.

Exercise would be on the list as well, dogs love to run and they love to join us on outtings. Of course they have their favorite forms of exercise; many dogs love to retrieve, some obsessively like my girl Tilley. Almost all dogs love to run free and when you watch them; there is no mistaking the pure joy of running for them. Some have learned that frisbee is the greatest thing in life, others may love the challenge of the agility course but whataever it is; dogs love to move.

Dogs love to go different places as well and experience many aspects of our life with us. Where we go our dogs want to follow, travelling as a pack. Taking our dogs to different environments is good for their mind, it is very stimulating. It also helps them to enjoy life more; the more they are introduced to the easier it is for them to enjoy our human world.

Dogs are a simple species in regards to "needs." They are happy with very little; they don't need fancy collars, leashes, clothing, eye wear, houses or designer beds. They need us and we need them. Having chosen to be a canine guardian you have takne on the responsibillity of giving your dog a good life. Is your dog enjoying their dog life?

Dogs and feeling good

Yesterday we spent a good deal of our time indoors. It was well over 100 stink'n smoggy degrees, yep I love the heat. My daughters and I were just chill'n in the familyroom; the dogs were spread out. Jessie my little JRT was on the couch with my daughter; they were both laying down enjoying each others company. Tilley was on the big dog bed and Luke was on the leather couch with me.

My daughter said "don't you notice how dogs make you feel better? They always love you." She was talking about when you are feeling down and the meer presence of your dog makes you feel much better. I thought about the studies that have discovered that animals can actually lower your blood pressure. They make people in nursing homes feel better when they visit and can put a smile on just about any face.

When life gets a bit over stressful or just a bit too much I often will tell my dogs that I need a hug. They are more than happy to oblige; its almost like the stress leaves instantly as I bury my head into their curly coats. There isn't a whole lot in life that I enjoy more than just spending time with my dogs. Whether it is going on a hike, going for ice cream, a car ride, grooming or simply laying on the floor with them it is always relaxing.

Humans like to be needed and we like to be loved; dogs deliver 100% in this need. I love caring for my dogs and I love how they turn to me in need. Just yesterday Luke hurt his bum ankle when he jumped off the bed; with his big stressful eyes he came to tell me what had happened. As he limped my way his eyes were telling me the story and looking for sympathy (he's a boy what can I say?) I checked his leg, gave him a hug and kiss and he was all better.

This not only makes Luke feel better but it makes me feel better. We have an amazing bond; I cannot imagine having dogs without such a close connection. The slightest change in behavior or physical stature will let me know that something is off; up or going on. It is this very intense bond that gives me what I need and what they need.

And lets me honest, who doesn't love the greeting you get when you walk in the front door? You may have just stepped out to get the mail, be gone for a couple of hours or been away on a trip and you are always welcomed home. When I walk in the door I am greeted by a tiny Jack russell running in circles with a bone in her mouth, Tilley bowing over and over again with the occasional toothy smile and Luke bowing, spinning, jumping, hair biting and open mouth huffing who tops it off.

It sure makes me happy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Size doesn't matter

Does size matter? Not in dogs it doesn't. From the tiniest of pocket pooches to the largest of the giant breeds they are all dogs. Recently I had a 4 pounder in my arms; this tiny dog fit the bill of a pocket pup to perfection. She was trembling which is very common to the breed (a chihuahua) but she was very friendly which is nice to see in this breed. As I held her I realized how difficult it was to hold her comfortably. Being so tiny it was almost like I couldn't get a good grip on her.

I've worked with lots of tiny dogs but not in a while; and everytime I meet a new one I am amazed by the tiny size. My small girl (a jack russell) weighs in at 15 lbs which is a good arm full and she gets heavy after a while.. There are physical precautions that need to be taken with tiny dogs; obviously but everything else about these dogs is all dog. The same goes for the giant breeds; there are physical issues like fitting them into a car or being crushed as they try to crawl into your lap but they too are dogs just like the micro breeds.

The tiny breeds definitely suffer fallout of human behavior like being held continually, being treated like a little human, over protectiveness, not being able to be a dog basically. The happiest tiny dogs I've met are the ones that live on the ground most of the time; the dogs who's guardians treat them like a regular dog. It is sad for a dog to live as an accessory, never interacting with other dogs, never sniffing, never running with packs of dogs. This is probably the biggest issue for tiny dogs to deal with.

The big giants deal with perception issues, big dog = bad dog. Many of the giant breeds like Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Mastiffs etc are the most gentle of dogs. Often people purchase these breeds in hopes of having a "guard dog," only to discover that their dog is a lover not a fighter. The old phrase "attitude is everything," is more definitive in dogs than size. It sometimes seems impossible that a pomeranian and an Akbash could be of the same species. But what's inside gives us a better look at similarities in a species.

Humans designed the exterior packaging of a the canine. We have taken them to extremes, distorting their bodies into what we see as desirable. The original dog is in there, sometimes you really have to take a good look to see it. Each and every breed and mix is all canine, no matter what their shell looks like. Whether a dog has the whole package jammed into the tiniest body or spread out over a vast expanse of a dog makes no difference to the canine heart.

I just love them all, the compact, mid-size and full-size versions.

The beach and teeth

I'm already back from the beach and its only 8:20 am. I decided as I was going to bed lastnight that I would try to get up early and hit the beach with the dogs before the 8:00 off the beach rule. It takes me about 15min to drive there, then find parking, leash up the dogs and I'm good.

I opened my eyes at 5:55am, lay there and took in who was where in the room. My hubby is away so the dogs tend to sleep on the bed then. Luke was curled up and sound asleep on the end of the bed; Jessie was in Luke's bed and Tilley was in her own bed. I contemplated going down for my coffee and then decided to just enjoy not having to get up; when I remembered the beach.

So at 6:15 I pelted downstairs, grabbed a coffee and bowl of cereal and ran back up to my bed to check emails and eat. The dogs had no intention of getting up although Jessie had now moved to the bed. I grabbed a quick shower, let the dogs out and checked the car for leashes, rugs, water and bowl.

We left at 7:10 and I figured that would give us a 1/2 hour walk on the beach. I was right on; we were able to park right on the street in front of the beach, throw leashes on and hit the beach. We walked a full 1/2 hour and made it back to the car at 8 on the dot. The dogs love the beach and so do I; especially this early when there aren't too many people out yet.

So I am now preparing their food for breakfast; which this morning is raw beef, organic rice, flax seed, green beans, olive oil and blueberries. Then about an hour later I will finish scraping their teeth which I started lastnight. Both Tilley and Luke's teeth are amazingly clean. Especially Tilley's because she uses a bone to clean them whenever they need it. Luke's back teeth only need a quick scraping but Jessie's need some work now that she is 12.

I hadn't realized they were quite as dirty so she will be my main focus today. Cleaning their teeth on my own and giving them raw marrow bones to chew ensures that I don't have to have any of them put out to have their teeth cleaned which is dangerous; especially at this age.

They don't love it but I will write more about how to prepare your dogs for home teeth cleaning. And how to prepare yourself with the knowledge and guts to do it.

Have a great day, its suppose to be a scorcher here.