The startle factor

We all do it; we startle. But what startles one may not do a thing to the next person or dog. I have three dogs as you know; both girls are pretty rock solid and Luke....................well he is not. He is about the most nervous dog we've had. He is not the most nervous dog I've met; far from it. He is not constantly looking over his shoulder, is not afraid of people or dogs; he's just jumpy. Luke does not like things that move on their own, door that blow, bags that blow, broom that slide down the wall and smash on the floor etc.

For Luke there is something mighty creepy about things that simply move on their own. He also is not a big fan of being stepped over; just try it and see. He flies up and out of position nearly knocking you to the ground; I have learned to let him fly before I step. I have actually tried to startle Tilley just to see how much it would take; in 12 years I've only startled her once. Jessie is starting to startle alot lately but I know that is because she is loosing both her hearing and her eye sight. Just imagine. I will often reach out to pet her and she startles; telling me that she didn't see my and coming towards her.

You can help dogs that startle alot by introducing them to as many things that might startle them small increments and work up. And like most behaviors the biggest help is your reaction; don't apologize, coddle or otherwise treat your dog like a baby. If you knocked a book onto the floor and it really startled your dog; say nothing bend down calmly and pick it up. Then go on with what you were doing.

You can actually create problems and cause issues that are already ingrained to become larger just by reacting. "Oh my gosh I'm sorry; did that scare you poor little guy?" I often slam doors because Luke has a real fear of doors slamming. He once had a seizure when he was very suddenly awoken from a deep sleep by a slamming door. This has left him with a fear of doors that move or blow in the wind.

Lead by example; your dog is watching.

Hackles

Hackles; is the hair on your dogs back. It goes from right behind their ears all the way to the and on the tail. Usually just the hair on the shoulders goes up easily with the neck and tail end being reserved for really big things. The hair on our dogs back goes up in times of alertness. It could be caused by fear or dominance. Fearful dogs approaching another dog will raise their hair as will an aggressive dog.

Situations like would be intruders can raise a dogs hackles. I think lastnight my guys hair would have been up. I know Jessie's was but I never know if the poodles hair is up or not. Although they both shook when they came if after fearlessly advanced on the invisible intruder in the backyard which is a good sign that it was up. When Jessie is really ticked off it goes from her neck all the way down onto her tail. She is very fierce looking. Jessie's hair even goes up when she is having an intense dream; raising shackles is an involuntary behavior.

It is very similar to turning red in the face. Some people have a very quick trigger to the red face situation as some dogs have a quick hair up trigger. But to really know what is going on with raised hair you must look at the whole picture, not only the hair. What are the ears, tail, head and body saying with the raised hair?

Puppies normally have hair triggers so to speak. Their hair goes up easily because they are not yet completely confident. But no matter what the cause the result is a dog who is not in a calm relaxed state.

Evolution of our dogs

It was approximately 15,000 years ago that our dogs began their evolution from wild wolf to domesticated dog. There is some disagreement as to the exact location of the first domesticated dog but no matter how long or where they first started all of our dogs evolved from wolves. You can see the genetic similiarities in looks and behavior. Watching a pack of dogs or a pack of wolves is very similar.

So how the heck did we end up with so many different looking dogs? We humans like what we like correct? As the dog worked it's way into more and more human lives; these humans started to pick and choose traits they either liked visually or found useful. Traits such as good hunters, gentle with humans, cute ears etc were specifically chosen and the dogs who had these traits were the ones who were bred with other dogs who had desirable traits. Thus the pick and choose process began.

Once dogs were found to be good little companion; humans started breeding down in size so these cute little munchkins could sit on the elite laps. Where there was a need a dog was bred to fill that need; hunting dogs were bred by picking the superior scent or sight dogs. The evolution continued over thousands of years to now; there are dogs for everything. We have herding dogs; scent hounds, sight hounds, companion dogs, go to ground dogs, gentle lap dogs who's natural prey drive are nearly all but eliminated.

But beneath all of dogs lies the genetic pathway to the wolf; a wolf in dogs clothing. We humans can often humanize our dogs; we dress them and expect them to act as humans in our human world. They are often discarded as "bad dogs" when they act as dogs and not humans. Most humans do not come with the built in ability to understand dog behavior yet almost all humans want to live with dogs. It is in our best interest to learn as much as we can before attempting to live with a dog in our human world. Afterall there are wolves lurking in there.

As years go by

I had the girls out for their walk yesterday morning; we went early as the temperatures were to hit in the 100s. By 8:30 it was already in the 80s and well into the 90s when we got back home. A half of our walk is in the shade which is really nice; especially because Tilley was really really slow. As we made our way around the park Tilley lagged about 25 feet behind Jessie and I. Jessie was on her extension leash; she was jetting in every direction with the energy of a two year old.

I cut our walk short and we head back. On the way back we ran into a nice couple; they immediately asked if "that one," meaning Tilley was old? Yep she is 12.5 years; then came the customary "awwwwwwwwwww" as they gently pet Tilley and commented on her beautiful collar. I piped in "this one" meaning Jessie is 13.5 years old.................................................what? They were shocked; even though Jessie is a small dog she is amazing looking for her age. Without knowing that she is missing the pigment that she use to have you can't tell how old she is.

We got back home and the gang happily chowed down some raw beef for breakfast. Then in was into the a/c and sleeptime. It's not just me that feels the heat; the dogs definitely slow down in this kind of hit. Can't wait till its over.

The legacy of a lift

Not all boys lift; many people say that they wish their boy lifted but doesn't. The usual reason for a lift is to mark; not just to pee. Luke is a very good example of one who lifts to mark. He never lifts in the backyard; unless of course there has been another male in his yard and he is forced to remark his territory. Other than that he doesn't lift at home; he just sort of stands there. Sometimes he bends slightly but normally; he just lets r rip.

When we go for walks anywhere; he lifts. He lifts all over the place and he does the tiptoe lifting. "Look how big I am dude." Unfortunately Luke is one of the worst aimers and stoppers. He tends to start running off even before he has stopped peeing. Of course this results in the leg stains, nice. And he often contorts himself into strange positions and ends up peeing on his legs rather than his target. He has even peed on Jessie's head several times.

Luke pees after the girls pee; he usually waits for them to go and then by peeing on their pee lets any rogue boys in the yard know that these girls are his girls. He gets rather panicky about it and hence Jessie has been peed on. But it is not only the boys that mark or lift for that matter. Jessie marks and she lifts. I have seen her back up a tree as high as she can to go. She marks like a male on a walk and by end she is going through the process but nothig is coming out. She also like to do the kick display; check this out everyone. And I often have to tug on her when she kicks dirt in my face. But she loves it and I let her do it whenever it is an okay spot to do so. She can really get goin too; I've seen her go for a good 10-12 feet kicking and backing up.

So there you have some fun facts about peeing. Happy Saturday

Leashes

When you live with dogs you live with dogs on leashes; if and when I can safely allow my dogs to run free I do. Dogs running for the simple love of running is about one of the best things in life to watch. But then there are times when leashes are a must and frankly just good common sense. Many of my clients use to ask "when are we going to work off leash?" They wanted to be able to walk down a street with their dog off leash. I don't even do that with Tilley and Tilley as you all know is perfect.

Why do I not walk down the street with my dogs off leash? Because it's stupid; that's why. Even the best trained dogs will bolt; cat!!!! chase it. This can happen before a dog even knows what they are doing. Why risk your dogs life? I see people jogging with their dogs 100s of feet behind them on a busy street and it makes me shudder.

Another good reason for leashes is when you have a dog that is; let's say not so social. Let's use Jessie as an example; Jessie is a very dominant Jack Russell. When she meets a new dog she needs to let them know that she is the Queen of the world and they must bow down to her. Well; not such a good thing to do to all dogs you don't know. Some dogs just dont' like having a 15 lb little tank body throwing themselves at them. So, Jessie is almost always on a leash basically for her own safety.

The other day at the park there was a bunch of woman exercising on mats; the teacher of the group had an old golden off leash. I played the whole scenario in my head before we even got close to the area where they were working. The big lumbering golden was going to come and say hello to Jessie; she was going to take a mouthful of his golden locks from his body and the lady would yell at me, nope not happening. As I got closer and saw the golden coming our way I shouted "my dog is not friendly." She shot up off her mat and apologized immensely for her dog wandering our way. Much better than the first scenario.

You can tell when someone has a dog that is not entirely social; they will give you space. They either pull their dog in or get off the path; perhaps position their dog on the other side of them. Watch for these signs; they are there if you pay attention. I don't know how many times I've reigned Jessie in to have someone else keep coming our way; letting their dog go to the very end of their extension leash until I have to say "she's not social."

Come on, not all of us want a stranger in our face.

Heat'n up

Its really hot out; so I think I'll be skipping my gym workout and get the dogs out early, really early. I was thinking about a poor husky I saw the other day as I was driving home. It's owner was out for a jog and decided that his dog should go as well; in the 90 degree weather and he is a Siberian Husky? Hmmmmmmmm..............makes ones ponder doesn't it? People just don't seem to get it; it is too hot to run dogs when it is 90, even when it's in the 80s its too hot to run dogs.

Yesterday as I came out of the grocers you could just feel the heat coming out of the pavement; it was so hot down beneath my feet that I it must make it at least 10 degrees hotter. Even in my own backyard where we have a very large concrete patio; which is very light colored, almost white it's hot. I cannot stand on it in my bare feet for more than 10 seconds before I have to run for shade.

Dogs react; they work on the action/reaction method of behavior. But we as humans are suppose to think first right? So think before taking your dog out into the heat; they cannot tell you in words that they are about to pass out. But if you are watching their body will tell you that.

Luke and trouble

Luke got in trouble yesterday; this is a very rare occasion of course because my dogs are all old and very well behaved. Although you would never in a million years guess that Luke is over 2 because he is such a crazy guy. Anyway; he didn't get in big trouble and he didn't do anything really bad but he didn't listen to me. So as a result he was scolded for not listening; again not hugely but Luke does NOT like to get into trouble and will always stay in the background hoping not to do anything wrong if the girls are acting up.

Yesterday afternoon in the extreme heat he found a lizard in the wood pile. The last one he found in there he killed so wanting to save the little guy I called Luke into the house with me. He immediately ran through the kitchen, down into the familyroom and out the dog door. Hmmmmm, he's a smarty. So out I go and round him up again making quite sure that he knows what I mean this time.

We go upstairs to the computer where I tell him to laydown and stay which he does. Before too long I'm pretty involved in what I'm doing and look around to see that Luke is gone. My bad; I wasn't paying attention. So down I go and I'm going to make a point; I need to use startle tactics and bluster. Booming out the door and clapping my hands Luke knows immediately that I mean business. He runs to the door while keeping a close eye on the wood pile; at this point it is instinct vs. survival. Survival wins of course; like I said, he's a smart boy. Even with such a distraction it is very important to follow through; you cannot let it slide. Especially with a dog like Luke; one who has a dominant personality, you must follow through.

So upstairs we go again; I tell him to laydown and stay, which he does. He also knows as this point that there are no options but to lay there. I keep a close eye on his position. Then an hour later we both go outside and I downplay the whole lizard in the wood issue trying to help him get over his obsession. It works and he is soon over the lizard zone. Now because he got into trouble he is doing his best to be adorable. He is not leaving my side and wants constant eye contact. As I sit on the couch at the end of the day to put my feet up for a few he is there by my side and he is not going anywhere anytime soon. He is adorable.

Greenies

I was in a petstore the other day. There was a woman looking at all the Greenies and the salesperson was explaining the differences between all the different types. Satisfied that she had learned all she could about them she grabbed a pack; I held my tongue.

There are so many articles on the dangers of Greenies yet people still keep buying.

#1
#2 (VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES)
#3

These are just a few that I pulled up quickly on the ever popular Greenies. I do not feed greenies to my dogs; never had and never will. Anything that can be consumed like rawhides, pig ears, greenies or those other dental chews by pedigree should in my opinion never be used. There are lots of things out there for dogs to chew on that do not breakdown in size possibly causing choking or blockage issues.

I use real bones; and I use the tough Nylabones. I do regular inventory of all bones and toss any that are small enough to ingest. Poor Jessie has to use the wolfsized bones because of the larger dogs in the house. But at least she is safe from choking.

Please do your research and if the petstore owners are not going to be ethical about a product and the manufacturers are still pumping them out to get a piece of your hard earned money; then you have to do the work for all these people and research like crazy before giving your dog anything.

Dog tired

Tired Dogs

After todays walk the dogs were very tired. Luke went on his usual hike with Dad; and the old ladies with me. Luke and Dad took off about 20 min. before us and headed to their 3 mile route. We went to a regular park; just the otherside of the hiking route of the boys. We were only 1/4 way around our walking path when I turned to see if Tilley was keeping up; in the distance I could see the boys. Tilley was exceptionally slow today and the boys had done their 3 mile hike and were catching up with us. Tilley knew right away who these guys closing in on us were; you can tell by her ear drop.

Once the dogs had their greeting we headed around the path; the girls still needing their exercise and Luke had needed his much deserved cool down. The walk is enjoyable but slow; Tilley is much slower these days. She is off leash and keeping her own pace; slow. Jessie is on her extension leash giving her the ability to run around and get the extra speed burst she enjoys. By the end of our walk Luke is very thirsty and in need of a good drink; luckily I brought some water just for this. I have a flexible bowl that stays in my car so up he goes for his drink.
Then we head home.

Once home the dogs get a good 45 min. cool down, have a drink with ice and then it's breakfast time. Raw beef, green beans, apple and oatmeal; funny it never seems like I have to force Luke to eat a raw meal. Once everyone is done eating it is crash time. The afternoon was spent in very deep sleep; occasionally Tilley was up and playing but it was fleeting and it was back into their exercise induced coma. Happy dogs.

Life experience

It is true that the older you get the more life experiences you've had. Does that mean as well that the older you get the smarter you are? Not always. And the more people I meet the more I realize this to be true. Where am I going with this? I'm leading to puppies and their life experiences. It amazes me everytime I see the little ones and just how well they have adapted to life after only being here for a few short weeks. Even the ones having the disadvantage of being raised in a home where there is no socializing no external stimulus; these handicapped pups adapt to their mundane environment.

I have seen vast difference in puppies of the same age. But the really big difference lies in the socializing and life experiences that each litter of puppies has. There are puppies who are literally left for most of the day and only on occasion see a human; not a great start in life. These puppies fall short in the life experience; and when introduced to "real" life often seem shell shocked. They lack the confidence to go out and discover; this is sad to see and completely avoidable.

There is alot more to raising puppies than making sure that they are being fed. If you are a breeder you have the job to ensure that each puppy in your charge is given the best advantage at dealing with their future life. There is tremendous amount of information for a puppy to learn from day one to the 8-10 weeks they are with the breeder; before they are cast into our big world. So what should a breeder be doing?

Early neurological stimululation is becoming very popular in the circle of better breeders. This involves several exercises that are done with the puppies from day one. There is alot of research that goes into these tests and they are very specific in function and short in duration; only 3-5 seconds long. With these tests they have found that puppies in later weeks are more able to make decisions and become far less stressed than puppies who have not been given these early neurological stimulation exercises.

Along with these very specific interactions there should be daily life interactions. Being picked up, held close, rubbed, exposed to loud noises and life in general. But there is also a limit to what a puppy can handle and over stimulation can have negative effects as well as no stimulation. But when given the proper amount of early neurological stimuation; these puppies are far more equipped to deal with life, bottom line. Puppies who are outside or kennel puppies lacking the experience of environmental stimulation when they are young are far less equipped to deal with anything life has to throw at them.

This is yet another reason to go to a breeder who is doing their best to achieve better puppies, no matter what breed or mix you are thinking about.

Trust in a whisper

I remember bellowing across the empty room DOOOOOWWWWWWN; as I raised my arm high in the air to signal a down for my dog. Obedience class was not a relaxing place and for our dogs it must have been the night they hated each week. Heeling round and round, direction turn and continue round and round as you yanked your dog into place when they inched away in attempt to get to safety. Not anymore; not for this trainer anyway, nope there is no more yelling, yanking or pushing. That was alongtime ago and oddly enough it seems like a lifetime ago.

My training and behavior work now focuses on the connection; the human/canine connection. Building a better bond with your dog takes dedication and above all else trust. Trust is something that you cannot take; you must earn it and it is one of the most important things for humans and canines. Take for instance my boy Luke; nervous ninny type, worries about anything new and stresses about things he doesn't understand.

The other day I was scraping teeth; Tilley doesn't like it but doesn't fuss too much, Jessie lets me do it but would rather not. When it comes time to Luke he is amazingly good; this always shocks me because it is a pretty strange thing to be doing. The only reason he allows me to do this is because he trusts me; there is no way anyone else could do this. Same goes for teaching your dog new behaviors or living your everyday life with them. You must build trust.

Then there is communication; there is no need to bellow out orders to our dogs so that they hear and understand what we want. In the lowest whisper ask your dog if they would like to go in the car? Or maybe ask them if they'd like a cookie? Bet those ears go up right away. Dogs hear far better than we do; why do we feel the need to yell at them? I also use please and thank you with my dogs. This was something that got my guardian clients big praise as well. When you say thank you to your dog; it is more than words. It comes from a different train of thought; one that is far from the "do it because I said" idea of training. I love when I hear people say thank you to their dogs.

Dogs are so much better than us at body language as well. Do an experiment tonight or whenever your dog seems to be wanting what you are eating. As they sit and watch your every bite; stop eating and freeze. For some dogs this will be enough to get a head turn in response. For others you may need the lazer beam stare so slowly turn your head looking them; you should get at least a head turn in response. Even better they will move away. You just spoke dog.

If you yell and get excited when dealing with your dog then your dog will do the same. They see you getting stressed out and upset and inturn will evolve into the same mode. Instead try to use calm, relaxing and quiet words. Speak softly to your dog and they will listen close. Use your body to enhance your communications with your dog; not only will it create a more claming atmostphere but it will give you and your dog a stress free environment in which to live.

How feeding dogs has changed

Feeding our dogs has changed alright; although there are still many who grab the bag of crappy food and haul it home to their pooches. But I must say that there are so many people feeding really good stuff to their dogs now that it is inspiring. I recently found a supplier of raw meat for the dogs; he has apparently been coming for a long, long time. There are many people waiting in the parking lot for his drop off; each one talking about what they feed.

Back in the old days; you know before I was born, the way to feed the dog was to give them our scraps. Whatever we didn't want and the kids wouldn't eat the dog got which although it may not be perfectly balanced was a whole lot more nutritional than some of the dog foods out there. Iams and Purina are the heavy hitters out there; and two of the worst foods out there as well. Oh; have you seen Iams new ads on tv? They are boasting about prebiotics (don't know why they can't call them probiotics, will have to look into that.) If you don't dig; really dig into the whole "dog food" subject then there is a good chance that the advertising will work on you.

I know that many people feel that dogs should receive lesser quality than us. There are a few folks out there that don't get the reasoning behind feeding dogs quality. I've dealt with many training clients who desperately wanted to feed real or quality food but their partner was dead set against it. It's that whole "it's just a dog mentality." Well, if you want to have healthy happy dogs and stay out of the vets office as much as possible then you should feed your dog well. There is a ton of information out there about all the recalls; look into it.

Also, if you aren't into feeding real or raw then how about just adding a bit to your dogs food? Look into perhaps the best quality kibble to feed; or maybe the great new freeze dried raw which I use all the time; love it, love it. And a very important part of feeding our dogs is to switch it up, by offering different foods in whatever form their food comes helps to provide a better balance of nutrition.

Have a great day, go eat an organic apple and give you dog a piece.

New beds

I have been searching for new bedroom dog beds for sometime now. I do not spend alot of money on beds; I think it's foolish if you do. Dogs can be very hard on beds even if they are really good dogs like mine ;) As most of you know Luke is a digger so he pretty much destroys fabric eventually. How often I catch him digging is how long the bed has to live basically. And you have to factor in puking on the beds which almost always results in tossing the whole thing.

When looking for a bed; there are things to consider.

A bed must have a zipper so that you can remove the outer casing and throw it in the wash.

They should be large enough for the dog to spread out on.

Do the squish test; is there enough stuffing to keep your dog off the ground?

Will the fabric hold up? I usually go for better fabric but sometimes I've bought a cheaper one; they do not hold up at all.

Try to match your decor; there is no need for your house to look crappy because you have dog beds around. I have tons of beds; almost 2 in everyroom and in my opinion my house looks nice.

If you don't want your dog sleeping on the couch or your bed then a dog bed is the best alternative. Afterall they need their comfort; when was the last time you slept on the floor? It is hard and not comfortable at all. If they choose to lie on the floor when I have offered beds that is fine with me but to not give them somewhere comfortable to lay in each room with you I think is wrong.

Now especially as our dogs age; at 9, 12.5 and 13.5 they need more comfort than ever. If you have a dog that suffers from arthritis or some other sort of physical ailment; they really need comfort. Check your beds often for the fluff factor; have they flattened out to a useless thickness? Time to head off to Costco, TJ Maxx, Marshalls or Steinmart. This is where I buy all my beds; they simply have the best prices. These last ones are from Costco; I think they are 36x40" more than large enough but hey nothing is too good for my guys.

Mall dogs

I was at the Mall on the weekend; I was there looking for something very specific so you could say I was on a mission. I was not window shopping or leisurely strolling down the walkways; so when I passed the "dog store" I didn't bat an eye. Do you know how hard it is to not look? Although not looking is the best thing for someone like me because if I look I may open my mouth.

I have once walked into this store; once in I very loudly walked around saying "this puppy looks sick." The young people working there; their eyes darting back and forth to one another didn't know what to do. This was alongtime ago and by now I'm sure they have been educated on what to do when a radical enters the store. Imagine being called a radical because you don't agree with the horrific places that these dogs comes from?

Not only are these stores selling puppies and kittens they ask outrageous prices for everything in the store. They don't carry the good stuff; you know the food that is actually good for your dogs? They don't care if their products are good or not; just that you cough up your hard earned money for them.

I honestly don't know how people can still do it; walk in these pet stores and pretend like they haven't heard; they don't know. How can anyone not know not that Oprah and all the big news shows have spilled the dirty little secret of the millers and the pet stores? Everyone knows and shame on the ones who are still going in and fueling these disgusting places.

Luke's Birthday

Luke's birthday video

It was Luke's birthday yesterday; I cannot believe he turned 9, where the heck has time gone? Honestly time flies by so fast doesn't it? And we all know that the older you get the faster it goes whizzing by. Our morning was spent moving one of our daughters down to San Diego but that was done nice and early and we were back home before you know it. We wanted to do something special for Luke but what do you that is special when everyday is pretty much a special one with your dogs?

We stopped at Steinmart to get Luke a new toy; although we bought three. Dogs don't understand the birthday thing so everyone gets to celebrate for each others birthday. My husband wanted to see if he could get some shortbread at TJs for Luke; we realized at Christmas time just how much he loves it. But I reminded him that we had just recently discovered Luke's love for Maple cookies as well. We had those at home so we headed there.

Presents are a big deal in our house and we always like to make it a big event. First the bag of toys goes into the kitchen to have the tags removed; then back into the bag for gift giving. "What did we buy?" is the cue word for fact that there are presents. This alone sends all the dogs into overdrive; especially Luke. My husband did the honors and I taped the proceedings. Luke got his first because it was his birthday but normally it is always the same delivery order; Jessie, Tilley then Luke.

My husband had chosen a toy that he knew Luke loved; although Luke loves all toys and the one goal is to get the squeaker out destryong the sound effects. It is strange because he loves squeaking the darn things. Once they all had their toys and had enjoyed them for a bit it was cookie time; which was also great for all the dogs.

Celebrating a dogs birthday is for us; they don't know it's their birthday but in todays world isn't it great to have spent 9 happy years with your dog? Something I say should most definitely be celebrated.

Thank goodness for crates

I love crates; anyone who knows me knows this fact. Having dogs and crates is a wonderful thing; especially times like lastnight. Although all of my dogs are out of crates at a young age Jessie has been returned to her crate for nighttime sleeping. She loves her crate and stands at the door waiting to be let in at night. To her it is her own private little den that the poodles cannot use. And lastnight I was really happy she was in there as I was awoke to the familiar slosh of puking.

Any dog guardian knows the sound; it's not a good one but we know it. Out of bed to see what's going on and barely awake Jessie is standing there with her puke face on. I let her out of the crate; pull the blanket containing the vomit and replace it quickly with some old towels. I love having a patio door right off my bedroom; out goes the blanket, outside. Back to bed.

Just as I'm falling asleep SLOSH again; out of bed, toss the towels, replace again and back to bed. This morning she is fine; charging around like nothing and wanting food. Who knows what she ate that she shouldn't have; thankfully her stomach knows when to toss the goods. I love crates; I don't mind hosing and washing towels, I do mind scrubbing puke out of carpets. Honestly; I hate carpet and these are all going very soon...............what a stupid invention.

Designer dogs

Okay I know I said I was going to talk about tiny micro dogs today but that will have to wait; I want to talk about "Designer dogs" today. The definition of a designer dog is a mixbreed or mutt. Two purebred dogs bred together resulting in the "designer dog" or mutt. There is a good chance that you know someone with a designer dog; they are everywhere. But not only are people scooping up this little 1/2 & 1/2s now they are breeding three breeds in to make even more of a mix; even more "rare." And folks unfortunately you are all buying it, the hype, the false advertising, the whole enchilada.

When I saw an adorable puppy the other day I simply said cute and asked her name; but the proud guardian felt compelled to tell me "she's a chiweiniepoo." Oh wow, you have a chiweiniepoo? I just smiled looking at this obviously very poorly bred dog with runny eyes and a gimp back leg. The guardian was beaming with pride; poor little thing I thought to myself. The young lady had no idea what evil lay behind the whole operation where her puppy came from. People pumping out whatever they can for a buck.

So are these designer dogs really healtier than the purebreds of today? Nope. By breeding two dogs together you do infact produce a larger gene pool but if they are bad genes then that is the bottom line. Breeding must be done with alot of research behind it; health and temperament lineage must be researched well before mixing dogs together whether they are of the same breed or not.

Unfortunately I have only met two really great ethical breeders of the "designer dogs." All others pumping out the large array of mixtures are in it for the money; I'm sorry to lay it on you like this but that is the fact. You may think by my stand on this topic that I am against the designer dog but I am not. What I am against is the unscrupulous people who are pulling a fast one on all the innocent people out there. Just as I am against all the people breeding purebred dogs and doing no health testing, no anything, simply pumping out puppies for a buck.

I stumbled onto a website this morning; a Designer dog breeds website. This was their actual web address even. There are pages of "designer" puppies listed and you can buy them right off the web like you would any other piece of merchandise. This is so sad; and the idea that people think that they are going to get a healthy puppy at the end their purchase is even more disturbing. This is where the puppies come from in your local pet stores as well people; the same horrific puppy mill.

The bottom line is buyer beware; do your research and if you want a mixed breed dog that's great. Just don't be fooled into buying a mixed breed dog for big bucks buying into the "healthier" line. There are lots of mixed breed dogs out there that don't cost thousands of dollars waiting for a new home. And please; don't buy a puppy from a display list online; ethical breeders don't have pictures of puppies set up with cute backgrounds that you choose from.

The Harbor

I took Luke down to Dana point harbor yesterday for his walk; I get tired of the same ole and wanted some new scenery. I have to think about going there before deciding; Luke gets into his "squirrel zone" when we are there and nearly rips my arm from my body. Being reactive means that when he gets excited it is nearly impossible to get him back to a normal mode. So I grabbed his 2" wide collar, his easy walk harness and his bungee leash and off we went.

Typically Luke cannot wait to see other dogs; he is very social but when we are at the harbor he sees nothing but squirrels. Many dogs pass by us but he offers no acknowledgement of them. This intense zone is an odd one because he doesn't want to kill the squirrels; he's not the type. Nor is Tilley but something comes from deep inside that they cannot control; unfortunately Luke is more physical in his stalking zone constantly pulling.

Every once in a while I make him sit and try to get a fraction of attention. The first sign that he is listening is a rather pissed off fleeting glance out the side of his eye; but I want more. With a gentle one finger touch he comes back to me long enough for a quick face rub and then he is gone again. This "zone" is unstoppable; you cannot get rid of it but you can control it. Even in this highly aroused state I have control; which actually amazes even me. With a firm "leave it" Luke's body adjusts; it is a very small body movement and if you weren't watching you'd miss it.

Along our walk we saw lots of other dogs; a pair of beautiful English setters which you just don't see around. There were many mixed breeds both large and small; a bassett hound, several aussies and one of the smallest chihuahuas I've seen in a longtime. It was a 10 week old with one blue eye; I shuddered to think what one playful paw of Luke's would do to this little thing, although Luke never even saw it. This dog was actually smaller than the squirrels; which got me to thinking about the drastic sizes that we humans have created in the dog species. More on that tomorrow.

But as far as the squirrel walk; I think this type of mental exercise is good for dogs; Mother nature vs Mom.

Two steps behind

In some cultures it is customary for a woman to walk behind her man; and from the point of view of a big celeb trainer all dogs should walk behind us. Not in my books; there are times when a dog should be behind us but out on a "leisurely" walk is not one of them. His philosophy is that only the Alpha in a pack walks up front; this is wrong if you've ever watched a documentary on wolves. Sure the alpha is saying where the pack goes and the lower members are following his lead but they aren't actually walking behind him.

There are alot of places I take my dogs; one is a great park where I can often sneak them off leash for a while. I usually see some of the regulars while we walk. There are a couple of ladies who walk their dogs there; the dogs never leave their sides as we pass and they stretch their heads to get a whiff of my guys. I always think to myself that they don't look like they are having much fun. No sniffing; no wandering for these dogs. And every so often I see a dedicated audience member of this walking behind idea. The owner is growing mad as they attempt to keep their dog behind.

I for one like my dogs out front; I can keep my eye on them out there. Plus; I have 8 foot leashes so that they can stay out from under my feet while we enjoy our walk. No I don't want to be dragged down the street but fun is why we are out on a walk. I can hit the treadmill at the gym if I just want my own exercise. I'm out with the dogs to let them be dogs; sniff, lift and do whatever makes them happy of course within normal limits. Not allowing a dog to sniff is just plain wrong; that is what dogs do. I have rules; when we are walking and I want to walk then we walk. When I decide that the dogs need a sniff then we do the snail pace walk and they get their sniffing in.

I believe in being a strong leader; I'm pretty strict and I have alot of rules but life is way too short to always be working, fun should be a huge part of everyones life.