Vestibular disease

I've been up since 2am; had a couple of winks between then and now but now I'm up. I was waken by Tilley panting very heavily this morning; being that she'd just had a haircut the panting was strange. Not long after she stumbled around the room with her head wobbling from side to side. Having a dog with epilepsy I knew this was not a seizure but seemed to be some sort of neurological issue. I hopped out of bed and got her outside where she pretty much eliminated everything. She could barely walk; she certainly couldn't walk a straight line.

I had carried her downstairs and out; and carrying her back up the stairs was necessary as well. This is when I wished she was a toy sized poodle. Once back in the room she stumbled around until I forced her to lay down. She slept for several hours while I listened to her breathing and started my research. This is what I came up with after typing in her symptoms: Canine peripheral vestibular disease. I've never heard of it until now.

She has all the symptoms; eyes darting back and forth, head tilted, staggering movement and head wobbling. Being someone who suffers from vertigo I feel horribly for her; she is in a constant state of dizzy. Just imagine being on a never ending ride at the fair; horrible. I will try to get some food into her this morning, don't know if that will happen or not as she has vomited several times.

It seems that there are three different types of the disease. One; starts with a deep inner ear infection, often unseen from the exterior ear. Two; a brain lesion of some type which is a central vestibular issue. And three; commonly seen in older dogs which causes are unknown and usually start to dissipate within 72 hours. I will not panic; I am doing my research so that I am well aware of what I am dealing with. I have just given Tilley a Meclizine to hopefully ease her nauseas.

I will keep you all posted.

Rawhides

Okay; we had a big chew day yesterday. As I have said many many times before I am not a fan of rawhide; BUT Dad went out and got the furkids a treat yesterday. Heck it had been nearly 3 weeks since they had a present so he got them all a nice rawhide. So I gave in and they had a very supervised chew. Just like when they have their chew day; each dog is given one chew and I am there to supervise it all. Luke chose his spot; I chose a spot right beside me for Jessie so I could keep a nice close eye on her and Tilley ran from room to room, inside and out until she felt that she had found a safe place to sit and chew. It took her at least a 1/2 hour to find that spot.

If you are giving rawhide you should look for chews that have been made in either the US or Canada. Try to find the most natural product that you can and chews that are not made up of pieces pressed together. And always always supervise. I know of several dog that choked to death on a rawhide. Also I recommend chewing outside if you have carpets; there tends to be a bit of gum blood involved before the rawhide softens so it will get on the carpet.

They had a great time; I have to say that they sure enjoyed the chewing and these particular rawhides also had dried chicken roled inside for an extra treat. Once they had eaten about a half of the hides then they were removed. Always better to be safe than sorry. Also because this item has such high value; the dogs can become a bit guarding and as far as Jessie is concerned, alot guarding. So that's why I supervise as well. There is no wandering, no sniffing and no approaching anyone else's chew.

The rawhides did their job; we have nice clean teeth and happy dogs.

Grooming

Good Saturday morning all; hope you have a wonderful Saturday. I've been grooming for nearly thirty years (yikes). Of course in the beginning I was pretty awful but I have to say now 29 years later I can do a mean poodle groom. I started with a terrier; Mandy to be precise and at first it was the clippers and then I learned to strip a terrier coat. Not something I ever plan on doing again as it is such a pain. I'd much rather just shave it off; but you then ruin the terrier coat texture, so there you have it.

From terriers I quickly moved to poodles; somewhat easier as it just involves scissoring and clipping, no plucking (except for ears). And having gone from the terrier to grooming a show poodles then to the "poodle" clip to now has been a huge transition. I don't waste my time on fancy clips anymore; basically it all comes off with one swoop, one blade, that's it that's all. At this time of year it takes a bit more time because I like to have some coat on the dogs. It gets cold at night and I like my patio door open so, a little coat helps to keep them warm at night.

I clip them now with the 3/4" blade which gives them a beautiful length but the coat must be blown out and brushed well if the blade is to go through all that hair. It is much easier to just shave it all off like in the summer. So yesterday was a bath and blow out for both poodles and a little Jack Russell. Jessie (my JRT) is a quick wash and wear time gal; in, out and we're done. The downside to the wash and wear is the hair all over my house; so there is good and bad with all coats. The poodle doesn't shed but it must be clipped or scissored.

Grooming is a great bonding time; if you have done your positive association time with grooming your dog will enjoy it. There are parts that they are fans of; like the bath but other than that they seem to like the one on one. I have a new forced air dryer that really helps with the speed in which everything is done; I love it.

So it's off on a run and the clipping time; maybe. It might wait until tomorrow. Have a great day.

Canine Longevity

We are all headed in the same direct; and that is towards getting older and as it happens it is a daily occurance. All creatures on this earth are headed the same way; I don't know of any that go in the opposite direction. It is a sad fact that our dogs do not live nearly as long as we would like; can you imagine having a dog your entire life? Well; in actuality we cannot enjoy our dogs covering our lifespan.

Without accidents or illness dogs typically live between 10-15 years of age. Smaller dogs normally live longer than the big guys; unless disease steps in. There have been several studies done on canine longevity although the stats are difficult to find. I did come up with a few sites I'd like to share with you on the subject which are listed below.

Dr. Kelly M. Cassidy 2007

Wikipedia; Aging in dogs

I have been hearing that many dogs are living longer now. Is it because of great strides in the medical field; better nutrition or simply more importance being put on the family dog? Good question. I don't know how many times I've heard people say; "we had a dog when I was a kid that was almost 20." And in the same discussion they will have told me that their dog ate what was left from the dinner table. I think the fact that more emphasis is being put on the health of our dogs and more guardians are learning and caring about what goes into their dog. And that covers food and medications; we are learning, slowly but surely we are learning. ;)

The play bow

Most people know that when a dog stomps down into a bow position it means that the dog is inviting play. Yesterday Tilley was play bowing to Luke; but that is as far as it went. In an excited state; perhaps wound up by Luke's whirling dervish behavior she invited play. When Luke responded with a play bow this went on for about 5 minutes, just bowing. Once it was clear that Tilley was up for play Luke proceeded where he was abruptly halted. Tilley put on her "face" and sat down ignoring Luke; giving off clear "get lost" signals.

So the initial bow does invite an interaction but like humans they can change their mind. While invited to play; Tilley knows that she is not stable on her feet anymore, surely not stable enough to withstand Luke's body slams. So although she wanted to play; her body said no. This can happen between any two dogs or dog and human; dogs play bow to us as well. But depending on the interaction between the two participants things can change quickly.

I have often seen an invitation to play; the other dog accepts and they start to romp. No sooner does the romping start; it is quickly ended with some serious growls and body language. So the canine guardians are left scratching their heads; what they heck just happened? IF you were watching very closely you would have seen; someone over stepped their boundaries or did something the other didn't appreciate. Thus the game is over; that's it, that's all. No grudges; the dogs simply move on.

So; as clear as a play bow is an invitation to play, proceeding body language must be watched to see how the play, is playing out.

Our lives with dogs

Each morning while out with my dogs I take note of the people walking dogless. The dogless state is such a foreign concept to me that I find myself wondering why people choose to be dogless. I know that some people are not dog lovers; I know as weird as it may seem there are people who just don't get the whole "dog" thing. I know that most of these people would be quickly transformed if they indeed allowed themselves to really get to know a dog. I simply can't imagine being dogless myself.

I never want to be one of those people out walking alone; dogless. When I walk with my dogs I think alot; my thoughts wander from human to canine issues and are filled with the canine/human connection. Our lives are meshed tightly; at least in this home. The mere thought of looking down while in my comfy chair and not seeing a sleeping dog at my feet is a sad thought indeed. Or scootching over to make room for one more dog on the couch. While puttering in the garden; I always have an entourage with me, some help others are happy to be part of the audience. And the constant sense that there is always someone around; someone watching your every move and action, I love that.

I have found that when I am out dogless; that I am constantly thinking "Luke would love this, or Jessie would hate that." Experiencing new places is much more fun with a dog; dogs tend to enhance the world around us, granting us a much larger picture of life itself. The world is a much larger place with dogs; they make us take the time to stop and notice the weird tree in the park that they pee on each time we are there. We notice what they notice; that is if you are paying attention. Do you take the time to notice the line of ants crawling across your yard? Luke does; and because he does, I do.

Watching Tilley chasing shadows makes me much more aware of each shadow cast by the tiniest of creatures; they never go unnoticed by her. And because of her; even when she is not with me I notice the shadows. Witnessing my dogs interact with other dogs is another great joy of living with dogs. Each new acquaintance is met with gusto; and the intricate pieces that each meeting brings to it is large in a dogs life. Even when a dog is not interacting with us they are enriching our lives. Often I am simply in attendance as my dogs enjoy their life; laying closely together all snuggled down they take great comfort in each other. This simple act can be so calming to the spectator, how can this not be a part of our life?

I love the sound of Tilley snoring in the night; Jessie digging up her bed until it is just right. And the sound of Luke as he is in full chase of whatever he is chasing in his dreams; all of this is a huge part of the amazing life with dogs. And I love it.

Shoots

I'm back at it; shooting dogs. My focus (pardon the pun) is now standard poodles; yes that is my focus alot of the time being that I live with standards but now I'm looking for others. I am well into my book and want to finish it up in the next couple of months so I will be out and about. Typically when I do canine shoots for books or magazines they are set up; we have a predetermined appointment both date and time but every so often I'm out driving or walking and I see a shoot before me. If I'm lucky I have my camera; introducing myself I give my quick schpeel and I'm shooting.

Over the years of shooting I have only ever been turned down once. The woman looked at me like I was a criminal; and after that one time I wondered what she thought was going to happen. What could be the worst thing about someone taking your dogs picture? I've been approached many times about having my own dogs photos taken; I always oblige, I'm a proud Mom. I was even approached by a pro photographer at Salt creek where he was doing someones modeling portfolio. The model took the dogs and tried to make them his own; although both dogs looked at me like "what gives?" Both poodles were in full coat and the wind was strong that day; I know the shots would have been amazing.

And over the years of canine shoots I have also been stood up for a shoot. It was for my Dogs in the OC shoot; and luckily I had set up several back to back so I hadn't travelled the distance for nothing. And I'm sure that person now regrets not meeting me on that day. All in all shooting canines is great; it is alot of work if you want to get a great shot. For me a great shot includes a wonderful expression; not always easy to get. A great expression comes from a happy, relaxed dog. I have seen photos of dogs who had a stressed face; but many don't notice that. Being that I specialize in canine behavior I can't miss it. So along with my shooting skills I use my canine behavior skills to get the shot.

So many dogs, so little time.

Back at it-exercise regime

Well; here we are, the first Monday of the New Year. So what better to start off the New Year with than our dogs? Being that it is Monday; my dogs have the day off and a much needed day off at that. They've been hard at it over the last couple of weeks and need a quiet down day; especially Luke. He's been hiking and jogging with Dad nearly every day and loving it I might add. But he's tired and from the look of him laying under the covers on the bed with me; he is in no hurry to get going.

While we're on the subject of exercise; how do you know how much is enough for your dog? There is no guideline for how much is enough for dogs; all dogs being different as well as their guardians, enough exercise is a personal thing. I like to see a dog who is relaxed at home; resting and chill so to speak. Pent up energy can wreak havoc on a dog, your relationship with your dog and even your home and belongings. I remember a dog that I use to see on a regular basis; the guardian was a runner and the breed of dog was a lab. Even at a young age this dog was in the park chasing after her ball that had been thrown clear across the field with a "chuck it." She was run to the point of exhaustion.

Some breeds are go getters; you know the dogs that will keep going until they drop. Tilley is a dog like this; although she has a nice "off" switch at home. In Tilley's younger years; there was never a point where she would stop chasing either a ball or frisbee. It was my job to know when she had had enough. I think the intensity of exercise plays a huge factor in how much is enough. Young dogs that are in good shape can pretty much go all day long; should they? If you are talking about a nice walking hike than sure. If you are planning on running your dog then you should cut the time down and if you are strictly power exercising with a ball, then cut it way down.

When a dog goes after a ball or frisbee it is typically with everything they have. There is alot of stress put onto their body. I've shot alot of dogs in action and when you can stop time and see the stress it is much easier to understand. And just like the runners who can't seem to get enough; you can cause a "need more" scenario with your dog as well. I believe all dogs need to be off leash and running but just as important is environmental stimulus; new things, new adventures. Even taking new routes each day help to stimulate a dogs brain; helping with the relaxation at home.

So more than just quantity is quality of exercise; don't just consider the body but factor in the mind as well.

January 3, 2010

Today's blog is an update of canine issues; being that we will all be starting anew tomorrow I figured I'd wrap up a few things this morning. Last night was another rough one; Tilley was up half the night in, out, in, out and in again. I decided to stay in my own bed this time which enabled me to get a few winks at least. I watched her outside for along while; not sure what was going on with her. She seems fine now; of course she is sound asleep and will catch up today.

Our change of eating structure is going amazingly well. Yesterday I watched Jessie very closely as she finished up her food; I wanted to see that this new behavior was sticking. But she chose not go to her bed but she never left her bowl. She stood tightly against the stove; not moving so much as an inch. She has learned very quickly that when she moves in on someone else's meal; she is removed. After watching her glued to her bowl behavior I asked her to go to her bed; which she did reluctantly. And there she stays until she gets a very LOUD and clear "okay."

I shaved poodle faces and feet yesterday morning; which means we now have a new dog. I cannot believe the transformation of Luke when he gets his face shaved. He goes from a Fozzy Bear type look to Mr. Fancy Pants. I much prefer the Fozzy Bear look but every so often that big fuzz face just needs to come off and start a new. He gets his face washed regularly but being a light colored dog the hair around his mouth stains and it's not a good look. So off it comes and we start the face growing again.

Tilley on the other hand has the most beautiful face; far too pretty to hide behind a mountain of fluff. So she gets her face done more often; and at nearly 13 she is still amazingly beautiful. And speaking of Tilley; she had a little slip up behavior wise lastnight, yes even the incredible Tilley is still a dog. We were finished watching our movie and getting ready to head up to bed when she leaned over and grabbed the last coconut square off the plate which had been sitting right in front of her nose. I reactively yelled out AAAHHHHHH and she dropped it immediately. Being the dog she is; she froze and was mortified by the turn of events. She stood there; as if cast in stone not knowing what to do. We ended the ordeal for her by putting everyone out for what we thought was there last trip out for the evening.

Why had Tilley grabbed the goodie off the table? Unfortunately she has learned a bad behavior by experiencing it often. My son often eats downstairs while watching tv; he most often leaves his dishes and leftovers there on the coffee table. Tilley has learned that the food is up for grabs once all the people have left. This is something we will be working on in the coming weeks(WITH THE HUMANS.)

And speaking about Tilley yet again; her wound which was left from applying bloodroot is healing; slowly but surely. It is difficult to airdry the wound and keep Tilley from licking it. When she does get at it and in attempts to heal it herself by licking; she undoes alot of healing that has already taken place. So with the least amount of bandaging as possibly it slowly healing.

With Monday around the corner Luke will be needing his day off. After slowly getting himself up and at it lastnight after the movie he limped to the door. He was stiff; he's had alot of major exercise over the holidays and is just starting to show his age. When no one calls him to get a move on Monday morning; it will be a welcome one, for all I think. But Monday morning will be my call to get a big move on while the dogs rest

massaging your canine

Yesterday I had a fabulous massage at the spa; with all the photo shooting, sitting at the computer and lifting weights I was pretty knotted up. This of course got me to thinking about massaging our canine companions. I often massage my dogs and they definitely enjoy it; even Luke who can be a little unsure if you try something new on him. Most dogs love a good massage; but there are dogs who object to that degree of touching for some reason or other. A dog can be uncomfortable receiving that level of touch simply because they are not accustom to it; they may be unsure or they may have never learned to enjoy touching so much.

It is fairly simple to warm your dog up to being massaged using positive association. If you have a puppy then your work will be easy; puppy's are easily pliable and you can introduce new things to them that sometimes are difficult to introduce to an adult. Depending on the level of acceptance you have from your dog regarding touching will factor on how quickly you get to the actual massage. Using a favorite treat you will start with short touches; start with the most accepted area of touch to start off with and work your way to the "hot spots."

Most dogs have foot issues; you touch they pull away but with lots of repetition and gentle firm touches associated with really great treats you can even have a dog that loves to have their feet rubbed. Tilley has always loved to have her feet rubbed and after talking to her breeder; apparently Tilley's Mother loved it as well. If you have a very nervous dog then it may take you months to achieve a full body massage but stay persistent and keep it at baby steps to reach your goal. Never force a dog to accept touch, convince them that it is a great thing. Make sure that each session no matter how short; ends on a positive note.

Be confident when touching your dog; if you are unsure and apprehensive they will know it and become wary. A sure and steady hand helps to relieve any apprehension. Stay calm; zen like and your dog will follow suit. Massaging your dog is an amazing bond building exercise; total trust is required by both and when you achieve this, it's only up from there.

A quick look back

Happy New Year everyone. As we start the New Year it is natural to look back at the old and try to remember what the year consisted of. Last year was not monumental; nothing extraordinary marked 2009 for me except that at the very end my book Dogs in the OC got some notoriety. But let's have a quick look.

January 09 brought with it some of the not so great things about living with dogs. Cleaning up and new great grooming equipment.

My book (Dogs in the OC) was finally sent to the publishing company and in February I awaited the first printed copy.

March consisted of alot of behavior talk and dealing with the fact that I live with one of the most fussy dogs in the world, and continued to bash my head up against the wall. a big 12 years old in March 09.

In April 09 I was in full shoot mode with many many greyhound sessions. Learned a ton about the breed, heard many wonderful stories and got to meet a ton of great dogs.

May is a busy birthday month; my birthday, my hubby's birthday and Jessie. Last year Jessie turned 13.

June brought lots more discussions on behavior and dominance.

I had a quick trip back home in July; discussed the fear factor and the idiot vent.

August was the beginning of the hot season for Southern California. A time I don't really enjoy but it does get me up and going early, really early. We also celebrated Luke's 9th birthday, a big turning point for our baby and I believe he finally matured this year ;)

Wind, dog behavior, a sense of smell, walking in the park, canine zones and the myth of dog food were all just a few of the September blog subjects.

Toxins was an important subject in October; as was having fun and the golden years.

November brought the "Don't even get me started" series #1, #2, and #3.

December had a bit of a negative tone to it for Tilley; but she got through it and we learned about a very new treatment. And we talked about jewels.

Above is a tiny glimpse of what 2009 covered here on Just dogs with Sherri. I hope you stick around to see what 2010 will bring. I can guarantee there will be lots of dogs talk and no subject is off limits.

Happy 2010 all.

New Years Eve

Happy New Years Eve day everyone. First I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and taking an interest in your canine/s. Now I'd love to know if you have any great New Year's resolutions concerning your dog/s? Each and every year I make a pact with myself to be a better dog Mom. For me that means more research and more time spent with each dog individually. There is always progress to me made on oneself; so onto the New Year and a better me; I say.

Spreading information is a very important part of canine guardianship. I cannot tell you how many times I start speaking about something canine related in a way that I expect the person whom I am talking to already know about. It is then that I get the puzzled look and I realize they have never heard of this before; time to spread the info. So many people love their dogs; just as much as us but aren't into researching the mountains of info that there is out there. So when you find out some new and exciting news; share it.

Every little tidbit of info; whether it be about behavior, a new product either dangerous or good needs to be shared. There are many people out there that still don't know about the dangers of chocolate for our dogs; surprising but true.

Life is an never ending evolution; how do you plan to evolve in 2010?

A dog is a dog

A dog is a dog is a dog; correct? Yep. From the tiniest of pocket pooches to the giant Irish Wolfhound and Leonberger they are almost identical in their genetic makeup. Sure they look very different from one another but inside all is the heart of a canine.

Often dogs are treated to match their outward appearance; this is caused by our natural human visual response. A tiny little dog tweeks at our "it's a baby" reaction where the big brute dogs tend to give off the "tough guy" vibe. But all dogs; big, small, long, lean, buff and average are the same inside. I have often witnessed small dogs living in the home while larger dogs in the same family live outside. Or cute looking dogs live in the house with the family but the rougher ones live outdoors. This makes no sense once so ever; all dogs no matter what they look like deserve to live indoors with their family.

Take the pocket pooch trend that Miss Hilton launched to catastrophic proportions. Do you really think because a dog is small that they enjoy being treated like a living doll? Nope. The tiny dogs are still dogs and love to hike, smell, play and do all the things that other dogs do. Yes of course you need to take more care; especially if you purchased a "teacup" dog. Please if you are looking to get a small dog do not be duped into buying a teacup size; they have a slew of medical issues due to being bred down so far in size. Let alone their breaking point; they are a fragile bunch. And the term teacup is strictly used as a marketing plow.

Where dogs differ is obviously in the exterior and their hardwired behaviors. Hardwired behaviors are instinctive traits that are not taught; they are there from birth and are passed down by dam and sire genetic information to their puppies. Different breeds can display vastly contrasting hardwire behaviors due to human intervention. Thus we are left with dogs that do what they must; they are driven to. Border collies must herd; Golden retriever must retrieve etc.

So even though our dogs may seem so different; they are all still dogs. Over the years humans have taken the different breeds in distinctively different directions, deep down they are all still one. The amazing canine.

Old dogs new tricks

There is never an age when you cannot teach a dog something new. They are perhaps one of the most amazing creatures; and even when they are well into their senior years they are more than willing to learn. I have already disgusted that we are in a very transitioning stage with our dogs now. Jessie is loosing her hearing quickly and because of this I have had to make some changes. Last night she displayed to me that she's got it down.

I have been removing Jessie from the kitchen when she is done eating. This has been for her own protection but it has been very upsetting to her; so I change it again. I decided that she could be on the corner bed if she stays there. She isn't so offended by the bed appointment as she can still see (barely) what is going on. But she went further last night; while waiting for her to finish her 3 second chow down I watched to see where she would go after she was done. To my surprise she went no where; she stood at her bowl, gave a quick glance over her shoulder and Luke but didn't move an inch.

I watched longer; she quickly through a look over to Tilley and then back to me. At this point I realized that she had already got the idea "the association." Move towards someone else's bowl and you are removed. Smart little dickens she is. So I let her remain for a few moments longer just watching her. Sure enough she was not moving towards anyone's bowl. And you must know Jessie to get that this is huge; Jessie will literally stand between one of the poodles legs waiting to snatch their food, she is not stupid but she is fearless. And unfortunately just about completely deaf so that she no longer hears warning growls.

She made me smile when I realized that even at this age; 13.5 years old she has learned this new adjustment very quickly. I will still remove her and would like to teach her to automatically go to her bed; which will be much more difficult. She can stand and not move hoping that I will not remove her, that she is okay with but to remove herself would be a whole "freak'n with her head thing." Jack Russell's don't move away from the food, it is just not in them to do so. Oh they can learn to but it is a challenge.

So it again comes down to association; it is all about association. Create an association and you've got it.

The pack

Much attention is being put on the pack mentality of our dogs these days. Because of the popularity of a conventional trainer on tv; many positive trainers are trying to move away from the idea of "the pack." With the popularized trainer using harsh methods and using "the pack" to explain much; the good guys are looking for a different way of explaining things. Every pack; each situation, environmental surrounding and the individual members changes an outcome of dog behavior. I have seen people who live with a bunch of dogs which in no way resembles a functioning pack. A bunch of unruly dogs living together is considered a pack, but a fine tuned one it is not.

There are many stories of wild packs of dogs killing prey and farm animals at night. These packs mostly are stray and are a dangerous bunch. The pack is constantly changing and when they hunt it is more a frenzied attack rather than a well thought out plan for a meal that a pack of wolves would take part in. But as far as our lives with dogs; the dogs we live with in our home as part of our family is indeed our pack. At least to our dogs; we are part of their pack.

It doesn't take alot to witness pack behavior in your own home. Just go lay on the floor of your living room; the pack will follow. Do you have a shadow with you on your daily wandering around the house and yard? That's what packs do. Packs do stuff together; everything from walking, sleeping and playing, all together. And every pack has a hierarchy which is another touchy subject. But as far as the pack; humans are the bosses and dogs are the dogs basically. That is how it should be.

When I am called in to fix a problem behavior it is often caused by lack of leadership. The dog basically came into a home where no human took the "leader" role. In life there are leaders and there are followers; both in humans and in dogs. But when it involves a dog and a human it is important for the human to play the leader role. This has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with patience, guidance, educating and understanding.

Let's talk about the difference between dogs and wolves for a minute. Wolves consist of family members; rarely a strange wolf will be allowed into the pack to live. Usually strangers are driven out or killed. And often there are members in a pack that just don't get along; when this happens, normally the wolf of lower status will leave to find another lone wolf and start their own pack. When you have dog pack members in your home that do not get along, it can often be resolved with guidance and strong leadership. But sometimes it just isn't going to work and it may be the best for everyone involved to place one of the dogs.

With a pack of dogs; you may be able to bring in a new member who will be accepted over time, much easier than a strange wolf. A pack of dogs who have a strong leader can have a much calmer, less volatile pack than a pack of wolves. Wolves; although very intimate and are hardwired not to hurt other pack members tend to be in a state of status seeking. There are always resources to fight over; but we teach our dogs that fighting over resources is not acceptable. With a strong human leader you can keep status seeking behavior to a minimum if you know what to look for.

Packs of stray dogs that band together don't seem to display typical "pack" behaviors. Afterall they are not a true pack like a wolf and have no strong human leader to keep things under control so it ends up being a sort of free for all. Some experiments have been done on large stray dog populations where they found that although the dogs did come together for food resources and breeding they did not pack together like a wolf pack.

Perhaps the dog being completely domesticated to live with humans found that once they are stray they become a little lost. And we cannot ignore the fact that a pack of stray dogs is not living as a pack of wolves that are fearful of human and do not live with human intervention. The surrounding enviroment is completely foreign from a secretive wolf pack way up in the mountains somewhere.

I believe that I live with a pack of dogs; a very nice pack I should add. But "pack" is not how they are treated or controlled. I do not believe in alpha rolling as a "leader" to keep members in line. I do believe in constant guidance; clear cut educating of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Something we have the priviledge of giving another species.

This and that

First let me say that I got a lap cozy from my son for Christmas. It is for a laptop and being that I blog nearly every morning in bed; blogging will never be the same. I LOVE IT. Okay; the holiday was wonderful, Boxing day was even better but it's back to reality today.

Luke went on his big hike today with Dad but the girls are still waiting. The dogs have had such a smorgasbord of food over the last couple of days. Perhaps like us it will be difficult to go back to normal food; we'll see. We had another growl incident this morning; and we are in a constant state of change at the moment. Luke was laying in the kitchen after his big run; Jessie decided to smell his head which Luke was fine with until she got to his eyes. It wasn't a huge deal; he just gave a soft growl like "okay, enough sniffing." Jessie heard nothing but luckily I did this time. I quickly shooshed her away and all was well.

Jessie is not taking her new feeding kitchen routine too well. She has caught on very quickly; knowing that now she must stay out of the kitchen after she eats but she is getting somewhat upset. I may have to modify the change and just find a spot in the kitchen that is a safe distance for her to stay. Yesterday after being whisked out of the kitchen she stood facing the wall under the diningroom table. Today she went into the livingroom facing the window with her head hanging down. Hmmmm; not great.

So I will tweek the routine until it is right for all. No only is Jessie nearly deaf and loosing her sight but her routine is changing which can be upsetting to an old dog. I don't want any of my dogs upset, so I will work on making it fit for everyone.

Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day After Christmas; this is my favorite Holiday because this day has the same charm as Christmas without all the work. The day for us is spent lazing around; although we did run the dogs bright and early. We eat lots of leftovers (love leftovers) and spend time with the family.

I hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas had a great one; we did as did the dogs. Luke was in full swing yesterday; opening presents is one of his favorite activities and this joy can sometimes become a bit of a hinderance. He learned the wonders of gift opening on his first Christmas; we always get the dogs something. Once he opened his first gift he thought it would be fun to open them all. Encouraged by onlookers he has become a little bit of a crazed gift opener. If someone does not want his assistance you must be very firm with a "LEAVE IT". Then he just wanders off to the next gift.

The girls were not quite as enthusiastic as Luke; they spent the day snuggled on the couch and in front of the fire. Tilley enjoyed her soft pink boot toy but Jessie really wasn't interested. Once dinner came they were all very interested in sharing turkey dinner which they got to indulge in. I always save the organs for them and they get sweet potato; more turkey and cooked carrots.

I am enjoying this quiet Boxing day surrounded by the dogs. Happy Holidays everyone.

Stepping back

She yanked; she pulled, stepped on the leash, yelled and snapped her fingers. All this was delivered to the dog on the end of the leash. I don't know the whole story; all I know is what I saw unravel before me; and I didn't like what I saw. This young woman was walking a pit mix in the park. As I stood chatting with a friend the woman with the pit used us as a distraction; that is about the only good idea she had. Her dog was obviously excited by our presence.

There was a huge void in the human/canine connection; there was no praise, no reward, no guidance. What I witnessed was very common with choke collar training, anger. What was missing was the education factor; it was simple "STOP." Stop pulling; stop looking at those dogs over there and stop acting like a dog. Choke, yank and choke some more. When she wanted his attention she snapped her fingers; she kept snapping them to no avail. Why should he stop doing what he wants to bend to her every whim?

When a dog is highly excited; no matter what the trigger is you must find a way to make that dog want to listen to you. If all you have to control your dog; to connect you to your dog is a chain around his neck then you have nothing. There are times when you need physical control; but if you have nothing else to fall back on then you basically have nothing at all. This dog was completely focused on us and the human on the end of his leash was a mere annoyance. When he wouldn't down on command she stepped on his leash making it impossible for him to do anything else; or be strangled.

Training and behavior modification has come so far since the choke collar "caveman" days. It is sad to see people stepping back into the past. Had this woman brought some hotdog with her I bet she could have easily convinced this boy to listen to her and like doing it. Why not say "hey; listen to me instead of obsessing on those dogs and I'll give you something yummy?" Would you go to work everyday; do everything you are asked without getting paid? I think not.

Like I have said many, many times ASSOCIATION is what it is all about with dogs. What association do you think this dog was learning about the presence of other dogs? Not great right? But if the presence of other dogs resulted in guidance, praise and food reward; the result would be a very positive association. So please, we've come so far; don't go backwards. Step up, not back.

It happened

It happened; sooner than I had thought it would but we had a scuffle last night. Things are now going to change; as life changes you must adapt so we are adapting. I cooked up some gizzards and giblets last night for dinner; the dog's dinner that is. They love these and after Thanksgiving I stocked the freezer up with them. Jessie of course was done nearly before her bowl had touched down onto the ground and then started her ritual of moving in on Luke. I have already changed the eating routine once by placing Jessie on a bed in the kitchen once she finished eating.

By giving her a clear boundary it enables her to achieve a greater level of "stay there" success. If you don't make it clear then she starts her sneaky one step approach to the bowl. So with Jessie on the bed and the poodles finishing up their gizzards I turned to load the rest of the dishwasher. No sooner had I turned my head and there was a dog fight. My instinctive reaction kicked in and I quickly rushed the fight yelling. It was over in seconds and Jessie banished from the kitchen.

Now some people might fell compelled to yell at the big dog for going after the little dog but size nor age had nothing to do with this. Jessie was attempting to move in on Tilley's dinner. Normally Tilley doesn't mind so much but this is gizzards we're talking about. Tilley was obviously enjoying this more than usual and was not about to let the small white one steal it from her. As Jessie quickly moved into take what was left of Tilley's food; Tilley would have given a warning growl. Jessie couldn't hear it.

Seeing that Jessie was not backing off Tilley was forced to up her warning by lashing around hitting Jessie; which is when Jessie retaliated. A simple turn of the head was all that would have been required from her to defuse the situation. Jessie has always been quick to heed a warning around the food bowl but she is now unable to hear the warnings. This is a recipe for disaster; so change is required. Jessie will now be banished from the kitchen entirely once she has finished her meal.

After the initial commotion Jessie attempted to come back into the kitchen. It is difficult now to communicate with her as she is nearly deaf and has little vision. So my message had to be loud and clear even for Jessie. With a dish towel in hand and blustering up I let her know that she was not welcome back into the kitchen. This is now the law; once a law passes in this house, it is cast in stone. Dogs do not do well with middle of the road rules; it should always be black and white. So it is written.

We'll be walk'n for sure

I'll be walking with the dogs for sure this morning. There are wind warnings and it is suppose to be in the low 60s, nice. The poodles are sporting a fuller coat now as it can get into the 30s at night. The weather is strange here; it can be in the 80s during the day and then drop 50 degrees at night. It is not strange that I have the air on in my car during the day and the heat on in the house at night. So keeping the perfect length of coat on the poodles can be difficult; especially for Tilley as she is dark and heats up quicker than Luke with his blonde curls.

Funny here in Southern California; one of the most common breeds I see is the Siberian Husky. I often wonder how they feel about the scorching temps being that they are a northern breed. If they are born in these warmer temperatures and not a transplant from a colder climate then I am sure that they adapt very well. These type breeds have huge shed times where they shed their thickest insulation coat as the temperatures rise.

This is a wonderful article on how the northern breeds adapt to warm climate.

Any dog can overheat; high levels of activity in very warm temperatures should be avoided for all dogs. They must be allowed to cool themselves; but there is a point that their cooling system may not be able to function. Heat exhaustion can happen in a flash so even though it is winter; the temps will rise in the warm climates like Southern California so take great precaution with all your dogs.