Dog day afternoon

I spent a good part of the afternoon yesterday looking for some new dog beds without any luck. Nope, I found a couple of nice ones but they would not have matched my decor; hey if I'm going to have beds strewn around my house they may as well match if I can get them. So, I will have to head out again on my search.

What I did get yesterday was a tiny throw rug that is perfect for Luke. There is one spot in our house where Luke is always wiping out. It is the doorway between the kitchen and the diningroom; the flooring goes from tile to wood and when he gets going; I mean really going he can't make the turn. Just on Tuesday he took a full spread eagle splat and hurt his leg so my shopping journey yesterday was to find a non slip rug for that particular spot and I got it. We'll see if it helps.

Speaking of Luke; he is very much a creature of habit, he likes the way things are and likes to keep them the same. He enjoys routine and one of his routines is that if I am in the kitchen cooking he is outside on the double lounge. This way he can keep his eye on me, the backyard and the comings and goings of everyone else. So lastnight I was making dinner and he was out on his lounge; yes we call it his being that he spends the most time on it. Anyway I was making dinner when he abruptly jumped off the lounge and came in with a look on his face. I looked around to see what was up and realized it was getting pretty breezy and cool; it wasn't cozy out there anymore.

As Luke was leaving the kitchen I asked him if he would like a blanket. He stopped dead in his tracks; those huge ears of his held high and he proceeded outside to wait. I went and got a blanket for him, he jumped up on the lounge and I covered him up. I know my dogs understand alot; I talk to them constantly and try to teach them new words all the time but this even surprised me. Mind you my dogs do enjoy blankets; all of them. And seeing that there was a blanket on the lounge the girls joined him and got covered up as well. Check out the images.

Just Jessie

Jessie's 13th birthday was yesterday; amazing. I can't even tell you how great celebrating her 13th is; we never thought we'd make it this far. When we added Jessie to our family almost 13 years ago I had no idea about all the "bad terrier" stuff there was surrounding the breed. They were not the in dog at the time but it was happening quickly as the show Wishbone was picking up speed. I researched the breed and found out how dominant and aggressive the little buggers can be so the first line of action was obedience class.

She excelled in class and loved all the dogs, a big plus for a JRT. I started Jessie on clicker training and she was a real little circus dog, in fact a big show came to town and they were looking for local talent to add. At the audition (like we needed an audition) Jessie stood out from the crowd. All the dogs could do cute little tricks but Jessie was amazing; she had a whole routine and went through her paces without a hitch. We performed at the big show that night to much applause for this little white munchkin.

It wasn't long before we learned all about Jack Russells; they are a fiery breed, tough as nails and up for anything. On one of our daily walks through the woods Jessie dove down a groundhog hole; and it was only at the last seccond that I grabbed that little tail and pulled her out. She was sprayed by skunks several times, hit by a porcupine, caught a bird mid-air and swallowed it whole, has eaten several rodents that were small enough to eat in one bite, tackled a groundhog 3 times her size and fell 30 feet from a tree she had sprinted up after a squirrel.

Jack russells are runners, they are triggered by movement and can be off before you even know what happened. Infact the number one cause of death for Jack Russells is being hit by cars so she did not have free reign around the property. And that she has made it to 13 is truly amazing. Our little Jessie was near death over 7 years ago and we thought that our 6 years with her was all we would have. This is the whole story if you are interested in reading it (you'll need a box of tissues; you've been warned!!)

Jessie

Jessie has always been the boss of the other dog members of the family. When she was young she quickly intimidated our male at the time Clyde who was a 5 five year old brown standard poodle; it was very easy for her. And when Jessie was only 10 months old we added Tilley to the pack, it was a perfect match and there was never a squabble for hierarchy, Tilley just doesn't care.

So here we are and Jessie is 13; I have had lots of 13 year old dogs but Jessie is our first small one and to be completely honest she looks amazing. No one would ever guess her age; she looks like a 2 year old. So here's to many, many more happy years with the little beast.

A dog by my side #2

I was thinking about yesterdays blog this morning and thought I would continue along the same lines. It's back at it today; I've been sort of off since Wed. so it's up and at it early and I again have dogs by my side, only two this morning though. Tilley is still in bed and it looks like she has no intention of getting up. Luke took my husbands warm spot the second he got up and Jessie is curled up tight beside my left knee.

Dogs have been with us for some 10-15 thousand years; it is a rough dating process. But dog remains have been found as far back as this, they may still find older remains but to date it is about 10-15 thousand. So we have had dogs at our side for a very longtime and in this time there has been a huge evolution, with the dog but with humans as well. Many humans are now seeing dogs as companions instead of "just dogs." Oh there are still some still to be educated but that takes time.

And there are still lots of people who completely miss the whole dog thing entirely, sad but true. I have often talked to "new dog people," about when they were not dog people. They admit to having been one of "those" people; being completely taken by surprise when they got their own dog. They had no idea what they had been missing. A dog by your side has many meanings but each and everyone is positive. There is the dog at your side that I wrote about yesterday; patiently by your side no matter where you are, there they are. There are the protection dogs, educated to serve and protect and that is what they do.

On Saturday I was at my daughters college graduation; there were massive crowds in attendance but one caught my eye; a young yellow lab guiding her human safely through. This union of dog and human was amazing to watch; the girl walked confidently through the crowd, the dog walked with purpose glancing every couple of steps up to her humans face checking in so to speak. There are dogs who we entrust with the lives of our children, seizure alert dogs, hearing ear dogs, therapy dogs and the list goes on and on.

There are hundreds and thousands of human/dog teams who makes regular visit to the sick, elderly or incompasitated just to brighten their day. Even if a dog is not our dog; that dog laying or sitting beside us can bring peace and tranquility. We often ask alot of our dog and then there are times we ask nothing. And speaking of evolution; over the years there has been a huge "behavior/training" evolution. We humans have discovered a better way to communicate and help our dogs to live with us in our human world a much more positive way. There are still some trainers left back in the dark ages but it is hopeful that they will be left in the history books with all the other archaic things from the past.

Living with dogs you take the good with the bad; as do our dogs. Not all humans are easy to live with just like some dogs are more difficult than others but at the end of the day if you have a dog at your side; you are one lucky human.

A dog by my side

Is there anything more relaxing than having your dog at your side when you are relaxing? Well there maybe but not alot of other things can fit this bill. When your shadow dog lays down at your side wherever you hang your hat; it speaks volumes. There is a sense of peace, tranquility and sheer honesty that is conveyed by simply laying by your side. As I write this blog I again have three by my side, Luke between my legs; my left leg is falling asleep. Tilley is on the pillow that fell off of the lounge beside me and Jessie at the end where her little nugget sized body can fit.

We aren't or weren't doing anything, just sitting watching the birds at the feeder and listening to my new Randy Travis greatest hits cd, nice. We all fit nicely under the shade of the umbrella and the breeze is cool with just enough wind to put you into a sense that it is naptime. I fell asleep in this same spot yesterday; my arm wrapped around Tilley; listening to her deep breathing was enough and I was gone. It was a short time after that I had a wake up poke on my feet; Luke standing wagging at me waiting for an invite up. Instead I got up and started dinner for all.

Sometimes just chill'n is what everyone needs. Just sitting with your dog can be the best place on earth.

Rabbit dogs

Well, even the trainers dogs are bad sometimes. That's right; infact it seems to bring some comfort to others that my dogs are bad sometimes. But as I always say dogs will be dogs. My husband and I took all three dogs over to a nearby High School for a run this morning; this is where I usually walk Jessie because there is so much concrete (she's allergic to grass). But this morning instead of splitting up we all went to the school, Tilley loves it and Luke has not been there for years.

Being that the first thing he saw as we pulled up were three squirrels and a rabbit he was primed. Before I could open the back hatch he was whining and pacing back and forth. And being the cautious guardian that I am; I stuck my arm in as I raised the hatch knowing full well that there was a good chance Luke would forget his manners and dive out. So as a very tiny reminder I touched his leg and brought him back to reality.

With Luke leashed the whining got louder until he was allowed out. You would never know he had gone on two walks yesterday; one being a huge run in the canyon. Being reactive is at it's worse when he is highly aroused and the critters had done their job. We meandered around the parking lots and school having a nice little Sunday walk when I had a quick look around and thought I should let him off leash to let off some steam. No sooner had I unleashed the beast when rabbit darted off to the left of us and he was gone like a flash.

I wasn't too concerned as we were in a very secure area and he had headed off towards the fenced part of the school, he had to stop sometime. What was bothering me was that he was screaming his head off while chasing the rabbit down a hallway that was acting as an echo chamber. You could hear it everywhere and anyone within a mile was surely freaked by the sound. All I could think was "I sure hope nobody is down there." Just imagine a huge dog running your way screaming, not good.

Well the rabbit lost him by the end of the walkway and he started darting around in search of his prey when I yelled. Oh he heard me because he came quick. I said nothing and let my body speak the whole thing, he quickly flew into heel position and we continued our walk. I hadn't told him that he couldn't chase after the rabbit; rabbits are fair game everywhere else. So it was my bad, not Luke's.

Saturday morning

Good morning; it is Memorial weekend and I attended my daughters graduation walk from SDSU yesterday; a very proud moment. The weather was amazing and it was a very full day. Today the girls will be heading for fun in Vegas. My weekend will a nice quiet one for us, and one of the first things on the list is bed shopping. I have long said that the dogs are no longer aloud on the furniture and the above photo explain why, digging.

Luke is a digger, always has been. He doesn't dig in the yard, not that kind of digging he digs for comfort. He is constantly trying to fluff. This mess in the photo was a bed awaiting its cover. I had washed the bed cover because Jessie threw up on it and this is what happend, ruined. I don't even know when he did it; I just looked over while watching tv and there it is staring at me.

Luke knows that he is not allowed to dig, he gets in trouble everytime. He even dug the wood floor the other day and the tile floor in the kitchen. I wonder if this is a result of being outdoors alot with his litter. There were alot of holes in the backyard; maybe Mom was a digger and show the pups how to get comfort. Well however he became a digger, I am off once again to buy beds. Not that I mind, it is one of my favorite things to purchase.

Busy busy

Hi everyone, I am extremely busy for the next couple of days. Will try to get onto blog asap.

Sherri

Touching

So lastnight I woke up several times to the glorious smell of skunk. Not something I'm accustom to smelling here in Southern California; Canada yes. I have one of the worst skunk stories ever from when we lived in Carp, Ontario. It is bad; really bad and not something to talk about first thing in the morning, I don't want to ruin your breakfast so perhaps I will tell it some other time. But the smell lastnight was very strong and I was really hoping that it wasn't in our backyard. Upon waking up today, the smell is gone which is very good news.

Now onto the dogs; as you can see from the above image Tilley and Luke slept together lastnight, this is a first. They are not a touchy feely couple; if it was up to Luke I think they would be but Tilley is what I'd call a cold fish. She is not demonstrative with Luke and after 8.5 years of living with him still has him thinking that she can just tolerate him but I know better. The only times the dogs really lay together is on the kitchen bed which is huge. Everyone wants to be in the kitchen with us so they all lay on the bed.

Jessie and Luke tend to sleep together because Jessie loves using him as a giant snuggle bear. But Luke has issues about who sleeps where and what of his gets touched. He does not like having either one of them step on or touch his feet and will normally get up and move elsewhere if they do. But it is his nighttime sleep that is sacred; he has his bed or should I say two beds, Tilley has hers and Jessie her own as well. There is no sharing of beds at night.

I'm thinking that it was Tilley who trespassed lastnight; Luke would not have joined her on the bed. The bed they are on is where Luke sleeps everynight so she at some point in the night joined him. Maybe she was chilly and wanted the extra warmth of him beside her; although it was not cold lastnight. She did have a stressful day at the vets yesterday and she was extremely tired lastnight. She actually growled at both Luke and Jessie when they approached her on a bed in the familyroom. She made it quite clear that she was not in the mood to be bugged.

But as I wrote yesterday her confusion of late; perhaps she was simply confused. Well, for whatever reason she was there this morning and it was very cute to see them together.

k9 Cognitive dysfunction syndrome

What is cognitive dysfunction syndrome? It is more or less the equivalent of human Alzheimers.

Lastnight Tilley was making her communication noises that she needed out. My husband got up and let her out; she peed and came back in. Once back in the bedroom she was restless; seeming like she needed out again. I was almost asleep when I heard her "need out" noise again so I hopped out of bed and took her downstairs. She went out; wandered around and I'm not quite sure if she did anything out there but she came back in. Once back in bed she acted the same again, she was restless once again and wanted out.

I thought that this was going to be one of those nights; an upset stomach and no sleep for me so I opened up the dog door and went back to bed. I hadn't slept well Sunday night and needed to sleep; to me this was the best option for that. I knew she might be upset being left out of the bedroom but if she was going to be up all night we didn't both have to be. We ended up both being awake most of the night anyway. The dog door is beneath our bedroom so with Tilley going in and out; I heard every swing of it.

We have been seeing some changes in her lately; behavior changes. She has several times now seem to be lost outside, not remembering that there is a dog door to come back in. There have been a few days of restless wandering; she seems to have a purpose of some sort but I can't figure it out. So I wondered do dogs get Alzheimers? Yep, their form is called Cognitive dysfunction syndrome and the symptoms are basically senility.

This article explains it pretty well. I am not positive that this is what is going on but it would sure explain alot of it. It is a sad thing for dogs just like people; they can come to not recognize their family and surroundings which can be very scarey. Time will tell but for now I'm keeping a close eye on my little wanderer.

Millers (yep goin there again)

Large scale breeding has come to my attention. There are hundreds of websites online showing adorable little puppies; set up in an oh so cute setting for you to choose from. Just type in any breed and you'll find them; any breed, mix and designer dog you could ever want. They have each puppy set up beside flowers and tiny items to play on our ahhhhh emotion. Just go through the available pups, make the call and your pup is on it's way.

Just yesterday I stumbled onto a site; this was not the typical miller site that hides the facility and breeding dogs, no they brag about it. They have aerial shots of their huge breeding business, lots of photos of their kennels indoors and out boasting high tech modern grooming and breeding areas. Even though these dogs seem to be well cared for with regards to grooming and feeding they live in kennels. That's right, they are kennel dogs and that is their life.

Dogs are not livestock; dogs should not live in kennels. I am not talking about putting your dog in a kennel when you go out; I mean a kennel is where they live. The whole set up is a breeding facility; it is a thriving business which earns them their money and the more they can sell the more money they make. And although the animals are caged, fed and groomed it is very sad to think of a dog living in a kennel.

I have several issues with these type of facilities: 1. Dogs should not live in kennels, they are pack animals and need a pack to live with, that's us. 2. Pumping out so many dogs is irresponsible; good breeders breed when they have a waiting list for puppies. 3. Anyone who owns and operates a facility like this is nowhere near a dog lover. Dogs simply deserve more and if you think that pumping out huge amounts of puppies is okay; having breeding adults live their life in a cage and selling puppies to whoever coughs up the money for one, then we as humans have a far way to go still.

Sad, very sad.

What you feed your dogs

Years ago; probably close to 20 I asked my vet at the time if it mattered if I bought generic food or the more expensive brands. He said "there is no difference in dog food; why spend more?" As I said that was a very longtime ago and I have come a long way since. I no longer feed dog food preferring to offer my dogs "real food." I do not call it "people food," to me people food is pizza, pancakes and bacon, tacos you know the stuff we humans love to eat but know that we shouldn't.

Real food is just that, good natural food like meat, veggies, fruit and grains. I do keep a very high quality dog food on hand and feed it occasionally just incase there is a time when I need to go away in a hurry. This ensures that my dogs are use to the food and whoever is here with them can feed them this in my absense. The brand I choose is Orijen

Feeding your dog a real food diet is not difficult; yes it is time consuming but it is well worth the effort. Many people don't prepare their own meals and are not likely to spend the time making food for their dog. For those who have no interest in real food for the dogs; do your research and purchase the best, high quality dog food that you can. And I can guarantee you that you cannot buy good dog food at Walmart or the grocery store so if that is where you are buying your food, change.

The best place to buy good, high quality dog food are some of the smaller privately owned pet stores like Pet supply warehouse or Wild's Pet Food in MV, for those of you in my area. Anyone not in my area; there are good pet food stores everywhere, you just have to look around. Do your research about food and select the best you can find. Here is a great link to check out foods.

http://www.geocities.com/rottndobie/wholedogjournal.html

Now, if you are interested in cooking for your dog or feeding raw there are also a ton of sites with loads on info about it as well. Even if you aren't interested in preparing your dogs food from scratch, adding some extra meat, veggies and fruit every so often can be very nutrious. And one of the most important things that is against what most people have been told, switch it up. Do not feed the same thing all the time. A variety of foods is the best way to make sure your dog is eating a well balanced and rounded meal. As well, if they are accustom to eating different things all the time they won't have diarrhea if they have something different.

May 16th

It's my B-day today; and what could be better than waking up to a Mimosa and three dogs snuggled in beside me? Not much. I share this day with a twin brother; yep he's a whopper at 6' and me all of 5' 1", no we are not identical. I've always shared my b-day from the day I was born and even now as my hubbies b-day is tomorrow. Pretty quiet day planned, some gardening which I thrive on; and I love when the dogs follow me around to each garden. Luke likes to help; Tilley is a watcher and Jessie does not do garden following. Jessie was very sick Thurday afternoon and throughout the night. She was vomiting bigtime and just felt really sick.

Dogs do not typically display their emotions when they are not well; it is a big mistake because being "not quite right" can get you attacked and taken out by the pack. Not that this would happen here but it is an ingrained hidden behavior. You could tell just by looking at her that she was feeling awful; I haven't a clue what she got into, she spent most of the day with me but it might have just been one wrong tiny thing she picked up and that was it.

So yesterday I spent a good part of the day washing dog beds, at least she hit all dog beds and not the carpet. She makes no attempt to make it outside and simply hurls it wherever she happens to be; lovely. But by late morning she was better and when we got home from grocery shopping she was charging through the house like a tiny little horse once again. With dogs it seems to be never ending; like with children and I wouldn't trade a second of it.

Luke has just head out for his big run and I must get out of bed and take the old ladies for their walk before it heats up. Have a great weekend everyone.

Fishing for a big one

Good morning; as I said yesterday I got an idea for my blog while driving home from the gym. I was sitting at a light; one that is just around the corner from home when a guy and his dog caught my eye to the left. It was a golden puppy, probably about 4.5 months old; of course adorable but acting very much like a fish caught on a line. The puppy was bouncing around grabbing his leash and tugging and the gentleman looked a bit frustrated. But it didn't last long and the puppy lost interest in the leash and moved onto other things.

This got me thinking about how many people deal with leash issues. It is very common for puppies to behave this way; one, they often baulk at having a leash attached to them and two it can be great fun having a game of tug of war with your guardian. It may be cute when they are small but it looses something as they get older and more obnoxious. Then of course there are the dogs who walk beautifully without tugging at all but just want to hold the leash in their mouth; typically goldens.

The big secret to walking your dog without getting into a tug of war is to reward them for not grabbing the leash. Just like anything else there is alot of treats delivered in the beginning and as they get better at walking without leash grabbing and as they mature the treats slowly reduce until there is only praise and the occasional treat for being an amazing dog.

The next important step is to not pull back; the second you pull, your in the game. This can be difficult because if you try the ignore routine and keep walking then you are pulling and again; your in the game. So you must have them drop the leash before you move out and reward them for not tugging. This may mean that you are not only going to be teaching them no leash grabbing but the drop command as well.

Once you have the drop you must reward and keep your dogs attention as long as you can. This stops them from repeatedly grabbbing, dropping, getting a treat. You may also want to add a few body boofs; this is when you move in pushing them off balance, sort of like you accidentally bumped into them just when they go to grab the leash. If it is annoying enough the association is created without them thinking that you are intentionally bumping into them.

Leash grabbing only gets worse if you don't address it and believe me you do not want your dog to be another fish story; "the big one that didn't get away."

Clickers???????????????????????

This morning I woke up and had bloggers block; it happens. So I dragged my butt out of bed and hit the gym. On the drive home from the gym I found my inspiration; but since then I took Jessie down to the harbor and found more inspiration so one won over the other. Tomorrows blog will be my early morning inspiration and todays is from the harbor. When we were walking along the path; Jessie was madly going about her business of chasing and trying to kill squirrels while many dogs went by. She doesn't care about other dogs when there are squirrels to kill.

One young rhodesian ridgeback went by with his guardian who was in "serious" mode. Didn't look like they were there for fun. I'd give the pup about 6 months; very cute and very attentive. So as they walked by Jessie who was very involved with her hunting the pup glanced our way; "LEAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!" was delivered very seriously. The dog had only glanced at us; never made a motion our way at all, okay so whatever. What caught my attention was the use of her clicker, when the dog continued to walk by (like he had a choice) she clicked and kept moving. And you can bet I was watching ever since I heard the bellowed "LEAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Watching..............nope, no treat, no praise came, only a click and then nothing. Further on I heard the samething again and nothing came after the click. There was also no reaction from the dog to the click; a telltale sign that it is not being used correctly. If I get my clicker out there is mass craziness; especially from my Jack Russell who I have used the clicker on much more than the poodles. Okay, for those of you who use a clicker or are contemplating clicker use there are a few strict rules and if you don't follow them then there is no point in using a clicker.

First, the clicker is a sound that bridges a behavior with a reward. There must be a clear association that hearing the clicker sound means you have done something correctly and earned a reward. If you do not reward the dog then it is simply a sound. And if you think your dog will work for the sound of a click; try that with your hubby or kids.................ya nothing. The clicker is used to mark behaviors that you like; then you must reward your dog for the behavior.

It is very useful for teaching new behaviors; that is if the dog knows what a clicker is. I see people misusing clickers all the time. I'm not sure if some very uneducated trainers are teaching people or not teaching people about them correctly or they have heard something about these clicker things and thought they'd give it a whirl. Timing is of the utmost importance when using clicker training. And once a behavior is learned and generalized you can then remove the clicker.

I don't use clickers often in my everyday life and tend to use words as markers. If your dog only understands clicker language and you don't have your clicker on you then you cannot mark a behavior you really like. Plus my hands are far too full as it is so having one less thing to drag around is good. The "clicker" training idea is a good one; it is positive and dogs tend to love learning with it. Although there have been a few who are afraid of the clicker; but that's another blog.

If you are interested in using a clicker or already using it and think you might now be using it correctly; do some research. There are a ton of good books out there on the subject. Don't shoot the dog is one by Karen Pryor.

Dog sounds

I love the sound of dogs; not crazy nonstop barking sounds but the everyday small sounds that our dogs make. Lastnight I got the idea for this mornings blog by listening to my dogs settle. I crawled into bed after 11 (late for me) and as everyone hunkered down in their spots I clearly heard three deep sighs. The first was Tilley as she let the days thoughts leave her and started to drift away. Then Jessie and Luke; it made me smile to hear them.

Often I am startled awake by the sound of someone dreaming; I can typically distinguish who it is as I listen to them and wonder what adventures are unfolding in their dream. Sometimes it is fleeting while at other times it get's pretty intense. Dogs make lots of sounds other than barking and growling. Luke is a howler; he get's going if a siren hangs around for a while. His ears go up at the first very distant sound of a siren but if the sound remains for over 30 seconds his posture changes and he begins his howl; I just love when he howls.

There is the joyous greeting sounds; it sometimes starts before I even get into the house. If the dogs are looking out the front window and see me get out of the car I can immediately hear Jessie's little crying. Then there is the stampede sound down the stairs to the front door when the frezied barking starts. The bark is quite different when it is at me; it's more a whiney type bark. Once I'm in there is much more whimper crying from Jessie as she charges around with a toy in her mouth. Her little feet sounding much like a tiny horse running around my house.

Luke and Tilley stay at the door; they do alot of yawning and bowing. I have never had a dog bow quite as much as Luke, and he stays in his bow if you get your hands on him. It is quite a sight; skinny boy with his butt in the air for a good minute or two. Then the talking starts, lots of happy sounds which resemble us talking with our mouth completely stuffed. You can't make out what they are saying but you know it's good news.

The morning brings the ear flapping noises; ya gotta have a good shake when you first wake up. Then comes the big stretches that are accompanied with the very loud and audible yawn noises. And if you really need someone to pay attention you make cute little baby yawn sounds; that is sure to bring on the aaahhhhhhhh reactions, guaranteed.

Without the sounds of a dog in a home; it simply is not complete.

I love the sound of dogs.

Top 10 with the AKC

Retrievers (Labrador)
Yorkshire Terriers
German Shepherd Dogs
Retrievers (Golden)
Beagles
Boxers
Dachshunds
Bulldogs
Poodles
Shih Tzu
Miniature schnauzers

Sherri's top 10

Lhasa mix
Labrador Retriever
Golden retriever
chihuaua
Boxer
Pit mix
Border Collie mix
Boston Terrier
Husky dog either Malamute/Siberian
Australian Shepherd

This is the top 10 list for dogs in America, this list is comprised from the number of dogs registered with the AKC. This does not represent the dogs that the general public purchase unregistered, designer dogs or mixes. But unfortunately it does represent a vast number of dogs in puppy mills. Puppy mills can and do register their dogs with the AKC; says alot about the AKC eh?

As far as the "top 10" I agree with the top dog; you really do see more labs than any other purebred dog. Although I think even on top of the purebred lab you see more Lhasa mixes; you know the long bodied fluffy guys with the slightly pushed in face? I swear a couple of weekends ago while out on a walk that is all that I saw.

#2 the Yorkshire terrier is undoubtedly one of the most popular in the pet stores and with the online shady breeders (puppy millers). Because of their size they can easily pump out hundreds in a small space. But with all the bad breeding of these little guys comes health issues. And the yorkie is one that is in the "tea cup" size as well which is detrimental to the breed. Dogs bred down in size so small that health and physical issues ensue.

I can't believe that German Shepherds are above Goldens, that just doesn't make sense. But anyhow; what I see in German Shepherds are poorly bred specimens rarely resembling a purebred. There are lots of beagles around, ah the never ending desire to have the popular dog. I'm sure that they will be dying off in popularity now that the PWD will be surging. The movie Shiloh did to the beagle what the 101 Dalmations did to yes; the dalmation. I definitely see alot of Boxers out there; I have two living behind me. Remember the beasty girls who attacked Luke?

The rest in the top #10 AKC dogs you see around. Bulldogs are more popular than before; they are almost always in a pet store. I do not see alot of poodles in general; lots of poodle mixes. When I was growing up almost everyone had a miniature poodle and I just don't see them often now, I actually see more standards. And Shih Tzu's I rarely see, I mean the real purebred specimen but there are alot in the show rings. And yes I do see schnauzers but again, not like I use to.

So what is the Top 10 AKC list really? It lists the number of dogs registered with the AKC in year, that's it, that's all. Many dogs go unregistered, I did not have Luke registered. His litter was registered but I didn't bother spending money for nothing. I was not going to show him or enter him in official obedience trials so he was not listed. Many good dogs are never registered and thousands of dogs from millers are.

Many dogs registered with the AKC are show dogs so you may not see them out and about living with the general public. If you go to a conformation show you will see dogs that you have never seen before. Before now, not too many people knew what a PWD (Portuguese Water Dog) was.

So does the AKC list represent what we see in the average home; it's close but not right on. I think my list is closer to reality ;)

Wolf in dog clothing

Our dogs today have the same genetic material as the wolf; same DNA, same behaviors albeit modified. Over thousands of years humans have altered the dog to their liking. Being that there are so many humans doing the altering we have landed with hundreds of breeds and mixes in our world today. But they all came from the same genetic stuff.

Over all the years of conformation showing, training and photographing dogs I have not met all the breeds but I've sure met alot of them and it is surprising how different they can be; but at the sametime very similar. The most obvious difference is where the humans have intervened, exterior image and general interactions with humans themselves. When I meet new breeds I am full of questions; I am usually dealing with longtime breeders so they have the clear and concise answers I am looking for.

Aside from the visual differences there are the differences in submission to humans, being how easily they follow direction and their drive. Many of the small companion type breeds have had their drive reduced to nearly none. Watching dogs interact with birds and small rodents; it is clear to see the behavior selection process in breeding. Many breeds have been selectively bred to think on their own; take the Australian Cattledog, they need little or no guidance in their job and thus can be difficult to have follow our rules.

Then there is the submission; I am not talking about turn over, belly up submission, I am referring to taking orders in general. I have been around many dogs who continually growl and baulk at orders given; these dogs seem to be closer to the wolf than the other more pliable breeds. And although they are built from the same genetic material it is in the selection that keeps these strong behaviors intact. These natural behaviors of different breeds are very important; very important to know about when you are choosing certain breeds.

I know myself enough to know that I do not want a continual dominance challenge for the life of my dog. I like drive but do not want to deal with trying to curb it around every corner. Over thousands of years we have been modifying and tweeking dogs to our liking. Some breeds have kept their "wild" side, some show none of where they once came. This is where the terms "soft" and "hard" dog comes from. And they vary from mush; everything in between and all the way up to titanium.

There is as much difference between humans; when the perfect match gets together it is a wonderful thing. But far too often the wrong dog ends up with the wrong human through no fault of the dog. Knowing yourself is as important and knowing the dog to find a good match.

Drop it

The "drop it" command is probably one of the most important things you can teach your dog. Dogs like to pick up all sorts of things; some eat weird stuff and other love to chew up anything and everything. It is imperative that your dog have a very solid "drop." Unfortunately many dogs resort to the swallow fast option when asked to hand over an object that is in their mouth. These are the one's that need training the most; as there are literally hundreds of dogs that need surgery because of what they swallow down in a panic.

The best as always is to start when you first get your dog; but you can start this at anytime. One of the important things to remember is to never, ever chase your dog down for an item. This is a game and one that most dogs love; dogs will go and find something they know they are not allowed to have so that you will chase them. For the swallowers; it is the chase that makes them swallow. They would rather swallow it down than hand it over.

What you have to teach your dog is that if they hand over an object; you will reward them. Most rewards come in the form of a treat but if your dog is not motivated by food you can use anything; a ball, a pull toy or a squeaky toy etc. You must train this when your dog has things that you can return to them; you need to teach them that you don't want to take their things from them. The object of the game is to teach them that dropping things is a good thing; drop the item, get a treat and get your thing back.

Typically in the beginning of training you need to bribe with a food item while associating the word "drop" with it. When you do enough training with items you can return to them; the couple of times that you cannot return an item do not have as much lasting impact. This should be done several times a day and even once they have a great drop, keep it up every so often to keep it fresh.

Drop can save your dogs life; or at least a trip to the vet, or a bout of vomiting and diarrhea. If they drop something amazing; like a bone or coyote poop make sure to go over the top with praise and a treat if you have it. My guys definitely like coyote poop and if they eat it, sure enough we have a day of throwing up dogs. So if I can catch them before it is swallowed, I'm impressed and very happy.

Make sure that "drop" is one of the things you teach your dog.

Mother's

Wow, I actually did miss yesterday; I was busy and so busy that I thought I had blogged but didn't, sorry folks. So anyway this is Mother's Day weekend; I thought I'd blog about Mom's. The definition of Mother is: something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source. There are alot of definitions but I like this one the best. How often are we as dog lovers referred to as Mom. We aren't truly our dog's Mother and most of us know that but we act as a Mother.

A Mother to me is one who cares for, defends, teaches and above all is maternal over. My dogs know me as Mommy; it is how I am addressed to them and they know that. If someone asks them "where's Mommy?" They will seek me out. During the years that I did group training I referred to all my clients as either Mom or Dad. Heck; I had alot of clients and although I could remember every dog name I could not file away and recall the human names so for ease sake they were all Mom or Dad. Often the Dad's would baulk at this title until they got use to me.

Mother's are a fierce creature typically; you never mess with a Mother's child be it human or otherwise. There is no more protective status on the planet than a mother. It is a great feeling caring for others; and although my dogs and children are well grown I still love to care for them all.

Almost all mothers will defend their offspring with their life. Even the most gentle of dogs will turn into demon dog if you mess with her pups. You just do not consider coming between a Mother and her pups, cubs, kids, joey or children.
As I awoke this morning and enjoyed my coffee in bed; the above images show my view. There isn;t a better one at this point in my life and I am very happy being Mom to these three. I am at my happiest when I have all dogs and children under my roof; and no matter how old they all get I am still Mom.

Teaching the big 'O'

The big 'O' - Obedience (the act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance)

In my opinion obedience training is essential, that you can control your dog via verbal or physical cue to listen to you. The amount of obedience training that your dog receives is purely a personal decision; everyone requires different levels of compliance from their dog.

Okay, this is how I really feel about the whole obedience thing excluding obedience competitions etc; just the average dog in the average family. If you have a dog and you are planning in anyway to be around the public; that is in your own home or out of your home in public areas then you need to be able to control your dog! Bottom line. If you have no means of control once so ever; then you and your dog need work. And training starts with very small baby steps and grows as your dog can achieve more success.

If your dog is one of those amazing breeds that pretty much doesn't do a whole lot of anything and you do not want your dog to do anything in particular then you've got it easy. For most people; dogs will be dogs and we must teach them how to act in our human world accordingly. When I speak of control; I am not talking about collar or leash control. Yes in our world both are essential and often they are a last resort control tool but it is essential that you have some sort of verbal control over your dog; how else can you communicate other than yanking on them?

The basics that I feel every single dog should know, understand and follow-out are

sit
down
stay
come
leave it
drop
boundary training
a clear understanding of "good" and "bad" feedback sounds

These are the bare essentials of living with dogs. From these basics, the sky is the limit. The more you train your dog the easier it gets. Our dogs actually learn to learn and the more verbal or physical cues you have to communicate with your the better life is with dogs.

So, if I ask you to ask your dog to go to certain spot in the livingroom, down and stay while you have a cup of coffee sitting on the couch; gonna happen? Or not?