Canine food banks

Our family regularly donates to our local food bank; it is something I feel strongly about. Not long ago I contacted this particular bank and asked if they took in dog food; they did not. Most human food banks do not take in dog food and after talking to many of the area food banks I understand why. Dog food takes up a whole lot of room; much more room that most food banks could accommodate. But the good news is that there are dog (pet) food banks. Here are a few I found online.

Save our pets food bank

The pet food bank

FIDO

Petco

In these difficult economic times many families are forced to make decisions they would never otherwise consider. When a family is having a tough time putting food on the table; feeding a pet may be impossible. These pet food banks are essential; they can make the difference for a family contemplating giving up a loved family member. There are many neighborhood pet banks out there; Save our pets food bank has a list of National banks on their site. Many local shelters offer food donations to people who need it; and pet stores are starting to offer the same.

If every family who could afford to; donated a bag of dog food to those who cannot, there would be far less animals in the shelters today.

Many of these pet food banks run food drives; just like the human version. What a wonderful idea; helping people keep their family pets by feeding them. When you fill up your dogs bowl; think about those who cannot and donate a bag of food. Having to even consider giving up a dog simply because you have fallen on hard times and need short term help with feeding is horrific. One bag could be the deciding factor in a dog and families life. Donate today.

Value of the Jibber Jabber

Do your words hold any clout? When you speak does your dog listen? Often we humans expect our dogs to know what we are talking about even when we have not trained nor associated a meaning to a word. Yesterday when I was at the park with Luke; I shouted to him as he was running up ahead of me. "Luke; there is a LIZARD over here." He flew into action; his ears had gone up at the mere mention of his name. At this park; he listens and he knows that when I have something to say, it is worth listening to. The word LIZARD has huge clout; he will drop whatever he is doing when he hears it.

This is the type of listening that is very cool indeed. When you see a dog react this way to a simple phrase; you realize the importance of association. As a long time dog trainer I have heard this phrase many, many times "why doesn't he heel when I say heel?" Then I ask the all important question; "have you taught him what heel means?" The awkward pause; "nope." "My dog will not stay no matter what I do." "Have you taught your dog what stay means?" "What?"

Dogs need words that mean something; suggesting that if you shout a bunch of words at your dog you will either get a reaction or not depending on what those words mean to your dog. Are you simply walking along and yanking your dog into place shouting "HEEL," without having taught him that heel means to walk beside you? Dogs don't come with the preprogrammed understanding to the words. You must associate a meaning to each and every one. Sometimes we associate a meaning to a word without consciously doing so.

When you start to educate your dog to the meaning of words; you will get a huge variety of reactions. Some words will have high value (clout) responses; some will get a reaction but nothing to write home about and other words will hold meaning but elicit a neutral response. Value, value, value: relative worth, merit, or importance. If you want a big time response you have to put high value on a word. One word that I have put a very high value on is "Here" This is my second and more valuable word for come. Come is commonly used far too often and the value can wane. So I have trained a recall response to the word "here." This word is not overused thus it retains its value and can be pulled upon when I require a quick response.

Anytime you end fun or introduce a negative activity in association with a word you devalue the word itself. My word for leaving an off leash area is "leash on." It does not get an ears up and running to me response; instead I get an "alright; fine, whatever" response, which is all I require.

Sure there are lots of times when I am simply yakking to my dogs. Perhaps the conversation is about our daily activities; my dogs enjoy listening to my ramblings. Speaking to your dogs is very important in the whole learning process. Try this; as you are discussing non value topics to your dog slip in a word that holds value. You immediately get an ears up "did I just hear what I think I heard" response. For us every word holds some sort of meaning; unless of course you have never heard a particular word before. But for dogs; there are very specific words in their vocabulary that mean something to them. With time and effort you can teach your dog many more words than they would normally learn in an average lifespan which
Dr. Stanley Coren says is an average of about 165 words. That is a total of trained, associated and accidentally learned words.

To teach your dog the meaning of words you must use repetition; the more repetition the faster the association. I am always teaching my dogs new words; and because of this it seems that they understand everything I am saying to them.

Some of my basic words are:

Car
dinner or feed
dogs
walk
leash
upstairs
out
in
sit
down
stay
leave it
catch
heel
finish
swing
roll over
shake
wave
this side
this way
toy
ball
over there
go
up
off
couch etc.

Some preemptive phrases that hold high value in my home are these: What does? Who wants? What did? Is there? These are commonly followed by something good; so they hold a pretty high value when used.

The more words you teach your dog the easier it is to communicate with them. I have met dogs before who have had no education once so every; and when talking to them it is clear that words have no meaning to them. If you take the time to teach your dog the meaning of words you can then implement them throughout your daily life. I often use a "leave it" on a walk as we pass by a string of munching rabbits. Even off leash Luke will turn his head and keep on going, but if I do not use it then he is off and running. I used the trained word "catch" to implement a non aggressive response to other dogs while on leash. It was a great word to Luke; he loves catching and it started a good association to dogs walking by who were had a threatening posture.

Words are great; what new word are you going to teach your dog today?

Bloat and Hip Dysplasia

Good morning; I'm going to discuss a couple of health issues common to large breeds today. The fist is bloat; this is when the stomach swells up to a dangerous size; it can be caused by food; stress, gas etc. Once this happens a torsion may or may not follow. Torsion is when the stomach flips creating a twist in the esophagus and duodenum which may cause irreparable damage. Many things can cause bloat and stomach torsion but the most common one is the sequence of events as follows: Dog goes for a run; comes home and drinks a lot of water, is then fed a meal of kibble, then drinks more water. This is always in the back of my mind; therefore I never feed before a run and always wait an hour afterwards. You can give them a quick couple of bites snack about 1/2 hour before hand; a piece of cheese or chicken works well.

If you do choose to feed kibble; buy the best quality you can for your dog. Never feed too much at one time. Best to feed several small meals than one big one. Too much kibble in the stomach at one time can be very dangerous. Kibble expands and with added water it expands even larger. Here is a list of recommended foods from the Whole Dog Journal. Food list You'll notice that Iams; Science Diet and Purina are not on there. My kibble of choice is Orijen; a newer food from Canada.

I know many people who have dogs that have either just bloated or bloated and torsioned. With quick action a dog can live through a torsion but many sadly die. Bloat and stomach torsion can also be genetic; do your research. I found this wonderful site that has everything you need to know about bloat and gastric torsion. My boy Luke is definitely in the high risk category; he fits all of the stats under the Build and Physical Characteristics section.

Hip Dysplasia; is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. Unfortunately years ago HD was a death sentence for a dog, but nowadays many dogs live long and happy lives with HD. There are many degrees of HD; it can be so mild that there is never any evidence of the disease to a worse case scenario when surgery must be performed. This article on Hip Dysplasia explains it fully with images. In the last year I have done extensive research on the subject of Hip Dysplasia; there are again many causes, the #1 cause being genetic. One important piece of information that I found was the flooring material used when raising a litter. It is imperative that it not be a slippery surface. ie; Newspaper, vinyl flooring, tile etc. Puppies need to be able to get tractions as soon as they are born. Hip usage starts when as soon as they make their way to Mom to nurse.

There are many natural treatments for Hip Dysplasia available. Depending on the severity of your dogs HD; some may be useful. Natural dog health remedies. Hopefully your dogs will never suffer from either of these; but if they do, do your research and know what you are up against.

Shooting my dogs and an earthquake

Yesterday I took the opportunity to shoot my dogs; even though I shoot them often I rarely get to a park to grab some nice action shots. My new camera is a beast and with my big lens on it; it is not something I want to carry everyday on a walk with my dogs. We headed out together which is different as well. Luke and my hubby had gone on their walk earlier in the morning so we decided to all go for our slow meandering walk. He grabbed the dogs; I grabbed the camera and off we went.

When we got to the park it was really quiet; a few random people here and there but unusually quiet for a Sunday, nice. Tilley was up for more of her rehab; she is making amazing strides so I was able to capture it for everyone to see. While Tilley ran after the ball Luke was being a very good boy waiting his turn; he'd already had his big walk with Dad so most of his ya ya's were gone. Jessie was clipped onto a 10 foot leash attached to one of the carabiners that I keep connected to my pouch. So while Jessie had her fun sniffing; Luke waited patiently, we watched and enjoyed Tilley having fun.

I had to end Tilley's fun when I think she'd had enough; she is one of those dogs who even now will just keep going until she drops. So once Tilley was done with her turn it was Luke's; and even with most of his ya ya's gone he still had energy to run and just have fun. I caught a non action shot of Luke that totally sums him up. It is the image of him simply standing; standing with the ball in his mouth for all to see.

After our shoot it was time to head home; what a gorgeous day for a walk and a shoot. Once we got home I spent a good part of the afternoon gardening with my poodles as my audience. Jessie had retired to the big bed upstairs in our room and there she stayed for the remainder of the day. The poodles rested their weery bones as I planted, pruned and weeded. About midway through my gardening I headed over to the hose. Luke was on his double lounge relaxing but started to act strangely; he was upright looking all around the ground beneath him. By the time I got to the faucet I was getting dizzie; the ground seemed to sway underfoot. My first thought was that my vertigo was back but then I noticed the water in the dog bowl swaying. It was in fact a good sized earthquake. At that point Jessie ran out the door and right to me; she was trembling. At almost 14 years old; nearly deaf and blind she didn't know what was going on when she was shaken from her sleep. It was over in about 30 sec., the dogs continued with their lazy afternoon and I my gardening.

By evening all were tired; the dogs and myself. As I got ready for bed I realized that my left arm had several cuts; a couple from a puppy shoot this week and the other identical ones from gardening. Visual reminders of a great week. Dogs and gardening. ;)

Are you paying attention?

Good Sunday morning; I hope that you all have a great day today. So I tried something new yesterday and let's just say it wasn't a big hit. I get it; you are here to read, not to write although I did have one comment from Mesa's Pet Resort, a big thank you.

So onto writing; I thought I'd write about an event I saw yesterday at the park. Yep; someone out there walking their dog was my object of study again. As I always write; I'm a watcher, and I like to watch how humans interact with their dogs. I was walking the old ladies back to the car yesterday when I noticed a Dad with a young and very exhuberant golden on the end of an extension leash. We were pretty far away so I could watch them together for a long while. The Dad was fairly young and had a couple of young children with him as well.

As they entered the park the man was not focused; he seemed to be in a hurry. His young dog stopped to sniff causing him to stop at the end of the leash. The man yelled at his dog "stop it". Stop it? Don't have a quick sniff? The dog bounded around and she then had to pee; she squatted down as the Dad was still walking. Again he came to an abrupt halt at the end of the leash and yanked on it "what are you doing?" He hadn't even noticed that he pulled her out of relieving herself; he was angry and there was absolutely no connection between the two.

Of course this left me pondering; are you paying attention? Often it is the little things that we miss that lead to other larger things. Noticing the small things that your dog is communicting or doing can help when working with issues; good or bad alike. When something is just in the fledgling stage; taking mental note of this can be a make or break point. Had this man being trying to teach his dog to pee while on a walk; he would have missed a perfect chance to reward this behavior. He also could have used the sniffing behavior to teach a "let's go" meaning to stop what you are doing and come with me lesson.

I see this human behavior quite a bit; you are out with your dog, your dog on a leash. You are going about your own business feeling a sense of "the dog is attached by a leash" so I don't have to pay attention to what they are doing. Wrong. Alot can happen on the end of a leash; yes they are safely attached to you but just what is going on at the end of that leash? Paying close attention to your dog is imperative; and when you do you open up the flood gates of possibilities. Modifying behavior starts by watching it. ;)

What are you doing this weekend?

First I want to remind everyone who reads this blog to watch the chocolate. Oh you can eat as much as you like ;) but make sure that your dog cannot get to any of it. Chocolate is lethal to dogs; the darker the chocolate the more dangerous it is. And the smaller the dog the smaller amount that is needed to be dangerous; please take great care to keep it out of reach.

Now; I thought I'd do something a little different today, I'd love to know what all of you are doing with your dogs this weekend. It would make for some very interesting reading for everyone. If you feel like it; leave your weekend canine agenda in the comments to share with all the other dog lovers. I for one love to read what others spend their time doing with their dogs. It doesn't have to be life changing; it can simply be sitting by the fire, watching a movie or going for your usual walk.

We are pretty much sticking to routine this weekend; a walk this morning, outdoor stuff later today. After sharing breakfast in bed; Luke and my husband will head out for their big walk. Then I will meet up with them in a bit with the old gals. Tilley has been doing alot of retrieving rehab and she has made great strides. She can go much further than she could just a week ago and for a dog with a crooked head it is amazing to see.

I'm thinking that perhaps we will hit the beach in the early evening with Luke as well. It looks like we are in for a beautiful day so The Montage may be on our agenda.

So what are you doing?

Sleeping with dogs ;)

As I lay here in bed; the sun is not yet up. There is a chill in the air; but I am cozy with my very own Jack Russell foot warmer. She's snoring; she is snoring loudy under her down comforter and not far from her is Luke; silently keeping the left lower quadrant of the bed warm. Dogs in bed; the statement alone is controversial. Many guardians love nothing more than sharing their bed with their dog; but is that where dogs should be? There is a great divide on the subject and some of the biggest opponents are the dog trainers. So here's what I think about the subject.

My opinion on dogs sleeping in bed with you is clear cut; black and white. If you would like your dogs to sleep in your bed with you and your dog shows no signs of grumblings, complaining about being moved or ousted then that is where they should be. Enjoying the company of your dog in bed is one of the great joys we have with our dogs. Snuggling with your dog is wonderful; listening to sleep can be a huge stress reliever. But what if everytime you move; your growls. Or when asked to get off the bed; your dog objects, offering the "just try to move me," look? Let's face it; your bed is the prime piece of real estate in your home and in a pack the leader gets it.

Often a guardian will toss some information my way as a side note. "Oh ya; he growls everytime I move in bed." This is the line; the line I have drawn for dogs in bed................off they go. But this is not a life sentence; they can earn a spot back on the bed but "earn" is the important word here. Back when Luke was a young'n we had an incident with him growling at my son for couch rights. Luke is the type that thinks he is all that and a bag of chips and his couch priviledge was fueling this. I was present at the time of the growl and Luke left the couch abruptly; he was kicked off for 6 months. We worked on a new set of rules; asking permission. There has never been another incident.

Being that sleeping with dogs is suppose to be mutually enjoyable; having you avoid your dog in your sleep is not good. If your every move elicits a growl which inturn interferes with your sleep; then this is a clear sign that someone has to go. And that someone is not going to be you. It is your bed; you dished out your hard earned money to buy it, you are going to sleep in it. But now you are feeling guilty; poor Fido has to sleep on the floor? Put your guilt aside; buy a nice bed for your dog and put it right beside yours, this is the best thing you can do for your relationship.

My dogs all have a their own bed in our bedroom; and they use them. With the girls being 13 and 14; it is not safe to be up on the bed if I am not awake so they are safe and sound in their own beds. Most often Luke jumps up on the bed in the middle of the night and everyone joins us in the morning. I feel very strongly that dogs need comfort; and a floor isn't comfortable, not even for a dog. Make sure that if your dog is not sleeping in your bed that they have a very comfortable bed of their own.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the folks who don't want their dog even in their room with them to sleep. Well; the best place for your dog to sleep is in your room, bottom line. Where you lay; your dog should lay. A pack sleeps together; they don't need to sleep on top of each other but they should all be in the same room. It makes me sad to think of a dog that lays alone at night; banished to the kitchen, garage or worse (outside) at night. Bonding occurs during these special times; in the absence of night bonding you are missing half your life with your dog.

Association

Happy April fools day; many of you may be the object of someone else's entertainment today, have fun with that ;) I had a good chuckle yesterday morning; upon returning from the gym I walked in the door to see Tilley out in the backyard draped in her blanket. With her recent haircut she has been sporting a coat at night; the coat is made of fleece, the same as her blanket. So when she got up to go out her blanket remained attached to her. There she was nice and warm smiling in the window upon my arrival; cute.

Association: the connection or relation of ideas, feelings, sensations, etc.; correlation of elements of perception, reasoning, or the like.

Dogs learn through association; often they learn an association that we don't like. A great example is my boy Luke; when he was young he quickly learned that when I called him to come in a park like setting it meant that another dog was around. I didn't mean to create this association but with a few repetitive behaviors from me I created it. So then I had to reassociate which meant calling Luke often in the park for other reasons. It worked well although he still has that "who's here?" every so often.

Dogs can associate the strangest things; and when you cannot figure out what is going on it is often a good idea to have a professional come in to try to piece together the puzzle. So how do you create a new association to a conditioned stimulus? Patience, baby steps and repetition are in order to achieve success. Another good example of association is "leash crazies" you know the dogs who come unglued at the mere thought of you opening the leash closet? I have worked with many guardians with this exact issue. The owner is unable to leash the dogs to go for a walk because they are worked up to such an extent that they are out of control.

This is actually quite easy to rectify; the problem is that the dogs associate the leash to the walk, obviously. So as the smarter species (ya right) we can outsmart them and give the leash a new meaning; or several meanings which in turn lowers the original association to the leash. Wherever the trigger starts; the cupboard door handle, the garage door or the leash itself is where you start. If it is a door handle then you walk to the door handle; touch it and walk away. Do this often and all throughout the day. So instead of your dog firing out of a canon when they hear that knob turn, they ignore it. Only move on when you have succeeded at each step.

Then work at opening the door; closing it and moving on. You are to remain very indifferent about it, giving your dog no reaction to use as fuel. Work your way up to leaving the door open. Then it is the leash itself; pick it up, put it down and go about your day. Lots and lots of touching the leash with no resulting walks. You want to get to a point where you can leave the leashes on the floor and no one cares about them. When you do need to take your dog out; pick up the leash when they are not watching and simply snap it to the dog unannouced and off you go.

Even dogs who get car sick can be helped with changing an association. Tilley use to get very car sick as a youngster; one day I realized that she started to drool before we even got in the car. Many owners simply stop taking their dog in the car at this point which is very sad indeed. But this gave me all the information I needed to help her; it was all in her head. For her the meant; Car=me feeling sick. So we changed what the car meant with baby steps. Lots of cookies and training while heading towards the car. Once the drool stopped outside of the car we did obedience in the stationary car with lots of goodies. Then we just chilled in the car with snacks and fun. Moving from there was a trip down the driveway and back; lots of treats and fun. You get the drift; we quickly moved onto small trips and soon she was a seasoned traveller.

It is a fairly easy process to change association; but you must think the process through. Start out with easily achievable goals and work slowly to your main objective. This is counter conditioning in it's looses form.

conditioning in which a second incompatible response is conditioned to an already conditioned stimulus; "counter conditioning lies behind many of the procedures used in behavior therapy"

It is an emotional response you are reconditioning; not so much a active response. But it is still counter conditioning; as you cannot be out of control crazy and calm at the sametime.

Dogdar

I have a finely tuned dogdar; no matter where I go, no dog goes unnoticed. When I'm driving my peripheral vision informs me of any canine presence. A speck in the distance; is quickly recognized, categorized and information stored. If I happen to be away on a trip; meaning without the daily contact of my own dogs then the dogs at large become more than just a visual. I have to touch at least one dog a day; I can't imagine not touching a dog a day.

Traveling around; all dogs. Small, large, purebred, mixes and then I notice the connection, the canine human connection. Often it is a fleeting thought process; being that many of my canine sightings are but an instant in time. I remember driving down the freeway a while back; I was headed to San Diego when I noticed a big brindle pitbull head sticking out a window catching the whoooshing air in his face. I passed them but kept (safely) watching the dog enjoying himself. He was sitting on the passengers lap; he was by no means a small dog(never, ever have your dog on your lap, it is very unsafe). But as much as the dog was enjoying the wind in his hair; the passenger seemed to be enjoying the dog enjoying himself as much. My lane started to slow and the pitbull vehicle pulled along my left side to pass; they honked their horn and the passenger gave me a thumbs up as they passed. The man waved at me; and I realized he'd read the back of my SUV Justdogswithsherri.com I smiled and thought; this is like being in a private club, the dog lovers club.

But isn't it true; you tend to gravitate to others like yourself. Because my world revolves vastly around dogs it is very difficult to stay away from the subject for very long. Yes; I can talk about other things but it's not nearly as much fun. So finding others who enjoy talking dogs as much as I do is great. Although even better is watching dogs; I love to watch them interact with other dogs and with humans. Who needs television when you have real life (reality) unfolding to watch.

Much of my inspiration for writing comes from watching; watching people and dogs interacting. Who knows you might just be my next inspiration when caught in my dogdar.

Ya gotta laugh

I'm still laughing; lastnight while watching Dancing with the Stars my son was complaining about the smell. With three old dogs someone is usually farting up a storm, smelling up the place. It's something you just get use to. So after the show I rounded everyone up; got them out and then we were off to bed. Just as I was about to get into bed I heard the yell "MOM!!!!" There was a bunch of other stuff said which I couldn't make out and then again "MOM." So I ran downstairs.

There was my son hunched over the coffee table with one foot held in the air. "Tilley crapped on the floor and I stepped in it." I started to laugh and I'm still laughing. He had no idea what to do with this log that was stuck to the bottom of his foot. So after my initial fit of laughter I went and got some toilet paper (appropriate) and cleaned off his foot. Tilley had obviously gone outside and come back in with a cling on. She didn't actually take a dump in the house; it was a freeloader when she came in after thinking she had done her business outside. Dogs sure can make you laugh; cry, scream and gag.

We've had many incidents like this at our house; often vomit is the cause. I happen to have a very strong stomach; nothing bothers me, I just clean it up. But if someone else has happened upon a mess before me; it can make for a really great laugh. Having my husband get out of bed and step barefoot into a cold pile of vomit; can result in a very sore stomach for me. I just can't stop once I start laughing and listening to the gagging just adds more fuel for laughter. Dogs sure can make you laugh.

How about being the landing pad for a projectile vomit. I will never forget the day my husband and I sat watching Fear Factor years ago. The contestants were to drink a concoction of something completely disgusting; we sat watching, not believing that these people were actually going to do this when WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH. A flood of vomit washed over my husband; it played out in slow motion. Luke had been sitting right beside him and it could not have been timed better. There was no heaving; nothing to warn of the imminent horrific event that my husband was about to be a part of. You know it; I started laughing and couldn't stop but I have to admit it was one of the strangest things ever. It was Luke had been watching the show.

As the main caregiver to the dogs; I just get'r done. Whether it is poop, pee, eye goobs or whatever, it get's cleaned up, clipped off, removed or sprayed. Seeing someone else who does not deal with these things well; is simply hilarious, to me anyway. Perhaps because it is such a nothing to me; seeing adults freak out and reduced to a gagging mess at such small but gross things is amusing. Even some of the bad things about living with dogs aren't really that bad; infact they can brighten a day. It's the small things in life; eh? Afterall it all washes off. ;)

Second hand dogs

I just finished at the gym and hit the supermarket on the way home. I'll have some happy dogs today; I scored on a pile of whole chickens at .69/lb. Got some tri tip; beef liver and frozen ground turkey, nice. So it will only be moments until Mr. Luke gets a wiff and is down in the kitchen. Okay; enough about my morning, I want to discuss second hand dogs today. First off what is a second hand dog? For me; all dogs who have had a previous home and now live with a new family are second hand dogs. This is no way means that they are second grade; in fact many of these dogs turn out to be the absolute best dogs.

There are alot of ways to get a second hand dog. One is to go to the shelter and adopt one of the many dogs there waiting for a new home. Another is to look in the paper or a Craigs List type place for a dog; many people acquire a dog and for some reason or other cannot keep it. These days financial issues are a common reason for rehoming a dog and sometimes life just throws us a curve ball. Yet another way to get a second hand dog is to acquire a rescue. Now the term "rescue" is used loosely these days; seems every dog who is a second hand dog is considered a rescue.

Rescue: to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil. So this pretty much explains where a rescue dog fits in. Many dogs are actual rescues; saved from a horrific life of pain, suffering and strife. Dogs taken from Puppy Mills that have been raided are indeed rescue dogs. Dogs abandoned and saved from a life on the street are rescues. Many of the lucky rescues end up in a foster for some rehabilitation before being rehomed.

But many second hand dogs are simply rehomed dogs; dogs who have gone from one home to another. When you add a second hand dog to your home there is often alot of unanswered questions. You may know a bit about this dogs past life; perhaps you will know nothing of their past life. Often when a behavior issues arises with a second hand dog the new guardian has no idea where or why it has appeared. Being that you may know nothing about this new dogs past life you must deal with the issue at hand. Having a professional help with the problem can be very enlightening.

I think the most common misconception is that a fearful dog means that it has been beaten. Many dogs are never socialized properly; putting an under socialized dog into a new environment is very stressful. And this stress often results in a dog that cringes away giving it a "must have been beaten," look. Recently I was asked if my little Jack Russell was a rescue. After telling a gentleman at the park that she was not social he concluded she must be a rescue. Funny the idea people have in their head of rescues or second hand dogs. And no she was not a rescue; she is a terrier and a very tenacious terrier at that, even at almost 14 years of age.

The most common behavior issue that I have seen with second hand dogs is separation anxiety; true separation anxiety. This makes perfect sense if you think about it. Even if the new home is a better place for the dog; he/she has a sense of wanting to go back home. Where has the family gone? Of course not all dogs display this and there are extreme differences and levels of separation anxiety if they do display it. We cannot sit our new dog down and explain what has happened; they have no idea why they are in a new home. So time, patience and understanding are in order.

Dogs adjust; they happen to be a very flexible species. Bonding can happen very quickly depending on the dog. Sometimes it never happens; this is a sad but possible situation, it all depends on the dog, the person, the past and present. Often a dog a dog may seem to be the best dog ever and after a few months they make a complete turn around. Dogs tend to hide their insecurities; once they relax into their new home you get to see the real dog come out. This can take days to months to happen and it is often when I get the call for help.

So if you are adding a second hand dog to your family; take it slow, get to know this dog as it unravels over time. There may be many hidden secrets behind those amazing eyes; many you will never know. But a dog is a dog and worth every moment shared.

Overdose; are we killing our dogs?

"My dog is needing her annual shots." Yep; many race off to the veterinarians or hit the pet shops that offer canine vaccines when that "vaccination reminder" comes in the mail. Have you ever considered the fact that we humans got our shots when we were little; and then never get another? Tetanus is one that we apparently need every 10 years or so but unless you are going off to another continent then you probably will not need another shot. So why then do our dogs need the same repetitive shots every year? They don't.

Rabies is the only shot that you must get for your dog; it's the law. But there have been great advancements with even these. Many vets are now giving the three year Rabies shot. But as for all the other shots; what do you really need? There are titer tests that you can get for your dog letting you know how immune they are to certain diseases. This information gives you the peace of mind in knowing that they are covered and do not need another shot.

When a dog is given a vaccination; it enters the body and stimulates the immune system into action. The immune system attacks the foreign substance and antibodies are produced to destroy it. These antibodies remember the specific agent and are stored away for later use if needed. Many vaccines protect a dog for life and there is no need to revaccinate.

These links offer a wealth of information on the subject. It's for the animals.

Shirley's Wellness cafe

Vaccination Liberation

Truth for dogs

Neither Luke nor Jessie have received any shots in years. Luke has epilepsy and Jessie has severe autoimmune disorder. Giving a dog that is not extremely healthy a shot can kill them. Many vets will recommend the whole cocktail of vaccines at once; add to that a heartworm medication and perhaps a topical for fleas and ticks. This is a recipe for disaster; your dog's immune system goes into full fight mode trying to fight all of the different substances it has been subjected to. Sadly many dogs die at this point; as their body cannot handle the stress.

If you are going to give vaccines; get the individual doses. Do not give your dog a multitude of substances and hope that their body can handle it. One at a time so that they can deal with each agent individually. And consider what you are putting on or in your dog before you do so. The same goes for any medication that the vet offers; research first, always research.

stop action

Yesterday I was working with Tilley and her rehab. A big part of it has now been having her go back to her first love; catching and retrieving. The chase and catch are the parts she loves best; this alone made her a phenominal frisbee dog. Although it is sad to see her lack of ability now with her vestibular disease; it is uplifting to see that none of her enthusiasm is gone.

I love to shoot action; after dogs my second favorite subject is movement. When my son was in football I shot every game and I couldn't wait to get home to see what I'd caught. When you shoot action you reap the benefits; amazing views that you would never have seen otherwise. Stopping action in it's tracks with dogs opens up a whole other world of dissecting behaviors.

So while I was playing ball with the dogs I decided to shoot some action at the sametime. I started with Tilley; for this I asked for the assistance of my son. I asked him to throw the ball as I shot. In the photo of her (grey poodle) you can see that she starts out on track and as her head lowers she looses her grip. You can see that she is struggling to keep her footing by her tail coming out to help in her balance. Because of her equilibrium issues she has a very difficult time when she is required to lower her head. Things like going downstairs, eating or retrieving a ball give her a challenge.

You can also see that in the images of Tilley; she slows down considerably as she approaches the ball. This because she has learned she no longer has the ability to stop on a dime. It is the final stage of picking up the ball where she has the most difficulty and she must be moving very slowly to achieve it. Also if you notice the ear position in the middle Tilley. It is slight but because of her loss of balance at this point her ears are no longer completely frontwards in the direction of her prey.

For Luke's images I decided to attempt to capture a catch. Not so easy; I was throwing with my left hand and catching the image with my right. My camera is very heavy so these are pretty good considering. A dog's eye never leaves their target; their whole body changes while their focus remains. Even after taking so many action shots I was still surprise to see just how wide he opens his mouth and how far back the ball goes on the initial catch.

Luke never left his position; to show you the sequence I had to move the images to the right a tad. But the last image where he is coming down from the catch; his back feet were still where he had been sitting. I have taught all my dogs to catch; it is a good behavior you can fall back on for many things. But it is important for them to not only know how to catch but to understand what catch means. This clears away any confusion as to chasing or catching an item.

Happy dogs make me smile

Sometimes a happy dog is all you need to make your day. I was crazy busy yesterday; rushing here and there and trying to get all the things I'd put on my "to do" list done. I was out in the backyard chopping the last of the stumps I needed to chop; Tilley was watching. Luke and Jessie were still in bed upstairs. As I pulled my very dirty work gloves off my son came outside and greeted Tilley. She ran to him; flinging her head in the air like a stallion. And then she smiled; she gave him 3-4 big smiles. This is something she has always done but it has gotten more rare in her age and especially since her Vestibular. The site of her throwing her head; smiling like crazy with her vibrating tail was a sight for sore eyes. This makes me smile.

And as for sleepy heads; they eventually made their way outside. Jessie found a spot where the sun was concentrated in a beam when everything else was shaded. There she lay soaking up the sun on her old little body; I love to watch her enjoy the sun. When Luke came out to see what I was up to; he was in the mood for some love'n. He's a head pusher; he just loves to get his head in to the crook of my neck and push. With his mouth open doing his happy huffing it is a joy for the two of us. This often happens in the middle of gardening; with my hands both covered in dirt our snuggle session is hands free. And it's a good thing as I often need my hands to catch me before he pushes me to the ground. There is nothing like it.

By the afternoon I had done yard work; ran my errands, worked on several of my books which are underway and mixed up a great dinner for the hounds. It is very quiet at my house in the afternoon; that is serious naptime for all the seniors here. As I came into work on the computer some more I found Luke on my bed; stretched out rubbing his face, open mouth huffing and wagging his tail. There he wass all alone in my room on his bed (actually my bed) loving his life. How can that sight not be good for you. I watched in silence for a few moments and then asked him if he was enjoying himself. He wagged even more knowing I had come into the room. He proceeded to rub, huff and wag with a few snuggles for Mom thrown in for good measure.

Physical force training

"It is our obligation to make them smile; hey you volunteered for the job."

There are alot of topics I'd like to write about this morning; but one has gotten my undivided attention. I've written about this often; it is a subject I am passionate about. The inspiration comes from a dog that I have written about recently. Luke and I were at the park yesterday; it was a great day, not too hot and we were alone for the most part. After we had our fill of exercise we headed back to the car when we heard something that stopped both of us in our tracks. A bit of a scuffle and a yelp; and another yelp. We stopped and looked around.

There he was; the Shar Pei/Pit mix I've written about before. Although this time he and his "owner" were with another person and her dogs. They were about 100 feet from where we stood; Luke and I both watched. There was some yelling; "NO, NO, NO."" Followed with some serious face pointing; dogs love that, and yanking, lots of yanking. Along with the yanks was more yelping, the dog was wearing a prong collar. I couldn't tell if the problem was within the three dogs or perhaps it was us. Had this dog seen Luke and gone off?


The two women walked a few feet and there was more; some barking, yanking, yelping and then the pit mix was on it's back. With all four feet in the air; this dog was not relaxing, what a stressful situation to be put into. I watched and stood on the edge of my fence. Say something or don't. As I stood watching the owner holding the dog down and her friend standing soothing her two dogs from the stress of the event I shook my head.

This type of situation really gets to me; I find it so hard to contain myself. It is a situation that you have to evaluate in pieces. Somewhere this person learned to do this to her dog; if not a local trainer then she learned this on television for sure. Both of these women thought they were doing a great job. I'll show him, I'll train him up like a pro. The humans had bought into this force method hook line and sinker; they were in the thick of it. The anger filled the air and the physical force control agenda was in full swing. So for me to step in and say "hey; have you tried positive reinforcement?" would have probably been very bad timing.

I stood and watched until the dog was allowed to regain his footing. They chatted and laughed about the incident as they got closer to where I was standing. I drew an imaginary line for myself; one more yelp and I'm going in. As I loaded Luke into the car I listened carefully for the sound. I closed the back hatch and got in my SUV still shaking my head; so much anger. During this whole process; the yanking, yelling and flipping there was so no educating, only physical force. Madness it is; agitation; dosed with some pain and physical restraint, a recipe for disaster.

Dissection:

Mix breed sees a trigger and initiates ritual behavior.

Owner immediately yanks on the pinch collar delivering pain to her dog in attempts to stop the behavior.

The pain adds to the aggitated state that the dog has quickly entered.

Yelling and physical pushing is added; these are not only futile attempts to stop the dogs reactive behavior, it is actually fueling the behavior. The owner is lucky that the dog has not displayed redirected aggression.

The dog now has a clear association to other dogs; pain.

Everytime a dog walks by or is in viewing distance; the dog is yanked on causing pain from the collar. Yelling persues and perhaps an alpha roll. In the dogs mind this is all caused by the appearance of a canine.

No attempt is made to re-educate; the only goal is STOP. I will make you stop.

The dog knows no other behavior associated to this situation. It has never been given an option.

After a physical struggle the walk continues and the behavior continues at each new dog interaction. No lessons, no advancement, only anger, stress, frustration and agitation.

Where is the human/canine connection? Where is the education we as humans are obliged to give our dogs? Where is the compassion? This scene set before me at the park yesterday is a clear sign that we've got so far to go. Yes our dogs should behave and when given and education they should follow our lead. I am a strong leader and feel that all dogs need a leader.

Leadership: an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction.

Being a leader has nothing to do with size, strength or the ability to inflict pain. A good leader; leads. Leading effectively through education, patience, compassion and understanding. Many dogs like the one I have just talked about need educating and patience; and a leader who will take the first tiny sign of success and help it grow.

Sadly with trainers still teaching these abusive methods of training; the compassion part of a human can lay dormant for a much longer length of time. It often takes a look from the outside in that leads to the moment when we realize the err in our ways. Thankfully my moment came many years ago.

Guarding

Guarding behavior is very normal for dogs. We humans don't like it much; although there are some people who think it's cute when their dog guards them. I was almost bitten when I was very young; we were at a cottage and the dog that lived there was chewing a bone. Having come from a very non dog family; I was never told to leave dogs alone when they were eating or chewing. I approached the dog to pet it; I got closer and closer where the dog would have obviously frozen, given me the lazer beam eyes and a display of his teeth. I didn't stop; as a child you don't see these warnings. The dog lunged at me and grazed my arm; he then ran back to his bone and threw me a couple more dagger stares.

Yes; he was guarding his bone. Some dogs never guard; some guard with dogs and not humans,there are all different levels of guarding. What factors in on the level of guarding is the value that an individual dog puts on an item. When a dog guards a human; they are claiming you, this is my girl or guy. And it is not cute; no matter how cute the dog doing it is. Guarding needs immediate attention no matter what level it is at.

My little Jack Russell showed right from the start that she was going to be a guarder. At 12 weeks of age she gave me quite the display of her tiny teeth when I tried to move her rawhide. That was nearly 14 years ago; and since then we have never had rawhides in the house. Reason one was Jessie; and two is that they are not good for dogs. And three is that I know of two dogs who actually choked to death on them. So with the rawhides gone we didn't have any problems; solved until the entry of raw bones. There we have a slight issue; but that has been solved as well which I will explain a little later.

The approach of many to a guarder is "oh ya? I'll take whatever I want." So; often people snatch the food bowl away from their dog, or the bone or toy or whatever they are guarding. Now think for a minute. The dog is guarding because they think that you want their stuff; which you pretty much just proved correct. What we need to do is teach them that we don't want their stuff most of the time; but if we did want it, that is a good thing.

What I do with Jessie and raw bones is trade and offer good stuff for any approach. So she is outside with the other dogs chewing; I will walk up to her and offer her a piece of raw beef which I cut off the bone before giving it to her. I do this with my poodles as well. What this does is make my approach a good one; instead of a negative one. I also trade bones; I take out a plate and tongs (meaty bones that are already chewed are pretty gross). I pick up Tilleys first and put it on the plate; bring it over to Jessie. Jessie drops her bone to see what I have and I give her Tilley's; picking up her bone. I then bring Jessie's to Luke and give Luke's to Tilley. This is another exercise in "my approaching is a great thing."

Many place guarders can be managed by taking their "place" away. If a dog has issues while in a certain bed; the easiest option may be to get rid of the bed. But some dogs will just choose another spot to guard.....so for these guys you use the "approach is good" routine. Depending on the level of guarding that your dog is showing will factor in on how long it should take to get rid of. Some dogs turn around quickly; others are diehard guarders unwilling to let it go without a fight. Baby steps are the best line of approach when dealing with guarders.

So whatever the object of the guarder is; you need to convince them that having people around it is a great thing. Management is the first step and then the work should begin. The goal of the work is to teach your dog that sharing is wonderful. Never punish a dog for guarding; that is a sure fire way to guarantee a bite down the road. Punishment only caps the beast; eventually it comes out and when it does it's not going to be good. So best to educate; shooting for a wagging tail instead of a tooth display.

Dog stuff

Three dogs in this image are wearing the Easy Walk Harness.

Good Monday morning; I thought I'd talk about some of the dog things that I like today. If you have recently been looking for something cute, useful or specific you've found that there is so much dog "stuff" out there it is mind boggling. So what is the good stuff? Hard to tell until you try it of course and then most of the "stuff" ends up either in a bin in the garage or the garbage. I love trying new dog items but I give them a big once over first. Much of what is available today is really useless.

The three categories of dog stuff are as follows:

Essentials; things you need to have when you have dogs. So the essentials are a leash, an attachments device like collar or harness. You need a bowl for food and water, a bed or two, toys, crate.

Wants: things you like and make living with dogs easier or more enjoyable. Some desirable items that make life easier with dogs are baby gates, xpens, grooming table, extension leash, a coat for warmth. My guys only wear one when they first get shaved at night and even then they hate it. These are the things that you could live without but having them sure improves life with dogs. I found a great water bowl recently and I love it; could I live without it? Yes. But it is great to bring on walks; Luke is a big drinker and I can throw it in the dishwasher after he is finished sliming it up. I also have bowls that I LOVE. The stainless piece comes out and can go in the dishwasher as well as the non slip holding container. It is less bulky than alot of the other bowls I've had making it easier to fit into the dishwasher after every meal.

People things: things designed for dogs but markets solely to the humans who love them. Ah; these are the things we truly buy for us. We think we are buying the items for our dogs but we aren't. A wardrobe; a different little outfit for each day, special fragrances for our dog, treats made to look like little bones or crowns. Jewelry for dogs? Hmmmmmm.

My favorites:

Harness: The Easy Walk Harness

Leash: cotton web 6' and up

Bowls; are the ones mentioned above

I have to admit I love dog stuff; but I do tend to go for the most useful things that will enhance my life with dogs. I like the company that focuses on durability as well. I'm not much into the accessory type things for dogs; if I want accessories I get them for me and save the very coolest dog stuff for my dogs.

Nice little Saturday

What a nice day; the sun was shining and the birds were loud, it is surely spring here in the OC. My husband went off early with Luke; he has been downgraded from a runner to a walker now. At 9.5 he is showing signs of age already so a nice long walk and short time off leash is what his weekends now consist of. They use to consist of 3-5 mile runs with Dad Sat and Sun. Sad when we have to make that call; for their own good.

But we had a great time together; I met my husband with the girls later at the park. We did our snail pace walk and some micro fetching for Tilley. Being that she was an amazing frisbee dog; seeing her still enjoying a good retrieve is fantastic. Even if it is only a few feet away. Jessie got her power sniffing in; if it was up to her it would take us several hours to make it a 1/4 mile around the park. But being that sniffing is so important; she gets her fill.

We spent a good amount of time in the yard today. Jessie slept sound in the house while Tilley and Luke were my audience. As I planted they watch and Luke followed; he is my constant assistant. They normally sleep during the day so tonight they are crashed; completely. They had a smidge of frozen yogurt before finding the perfect spot to curl up and start dreaming. A great day enjoyed by all.

Human interference

Tilley was on the receiving end of a full frontal display this morning. This was a very rare occurance and one that needed some attenion. All the dogs were on the bed with us as is customary in the morning. They had their tidbits and were re-curling to go back to sleep when Tilley thought that she smelled something over near Luke. Typically Luke only gives the slightest of freezes if he is perturb by her snorfling around; this morning he was not in the mood. As I watch closely; he displayed all of his front teeth and growled. Tilley could not hear the growl; nor was she watching him. Immediately I touched Tilley to get her attention and told her to knock it off. Not hearing warnings is something I'm becoming very aware of.

The important factor in this event was that Luke not be scolded. He was simply communicating his feelings and on seeing the body language; he may need to be off the bed a bit more as his head tends to grow from time to time. Tilley was in his space but he has never in all of his 9.5 years minded this. If it was Jessie doing the rummaging she would have got a very loud growl and tooth display and she would have not heard or seen it either. This blog is about canine communication and human intervention.

I have written about this often but everytime I hear a new story I feel obliged to write again. This is such a sad story and one that I hear far too often and I can never seem to tell enough people. New dog vs. old dog. A family adopts a new puppy; the family already has an adult dog of approximately 6-8 years of age. Each time the puppy crosses the line with the adult dog it growls and is immediately corrected by the owners (first mistake). Everyone then lavishes love on the new puppy and shuns the adult (second mistake). As the puppy grows it becomes more obnoxious and the adult dog is feeling unsettled; it attempts again to reprimand and is in turn punished(third mistake). The puppy is now a year old and when it pushes the older dog a fight ensues. Family members are bitten; the younger of the two dogs is bitten and the adult dog severely scolded (fourth mistake).

Now there is tension between the dogs; the new dog may have never had any thoughts of being the top dog but the owners gave it that spot very clearly. Having been stopped dead in her tracks when attempting to teach the new dog where she stood; the older dog was feeling the need to speak louder. Each time she needed to escalate her lesson because the humans were mixing everything up. Then there was another fight; many people were bitten in this fight. The younger dog received a ripped ear and the older adult dog? The dog they had lived with for over six years; the family dog? She was sent to a shelter where by now she has been euthanized.

The fact is that humans do not come equipped with the knowledge that is needed to clearly understand canines. Many people translate all dog behavior into human behavior which is completely wrong. As a human parent; would you want to stand back and let your children make all the rules? I for one would not and neither does an adult dog. By disciplining the adult for trying to teach a puppy you do several things wrong; and they can all be detrimental.

1. You lower the status of the adult dog; clearly sending the message that the newcomer does not have to listen to the adult canine.

2. You give a puppy more status than they should have.

3. You create a need for more force; the adult dog needs to correct the mess you are making.

4. You create a monster so to speak; with no rules and regulations many puppies become very obnoxious.

and

5. You set these dogs up; for the final disaster.

This could have had a happy ending; had these humans had a clue to what they were doing or had the good sense to call in a professional. These are some of the heart wrenching stories; dogs being dogs and humans reacting blindly. Our human nature tells us to defend the victim; the one taking the brunt of harsh punishment. Good common sense in a human world; but wrong in the dog world. It is the right of an adult dog to dish out discipline; this is how puppies learn. They learn how far they can push and if they cross that line; they quickly hear about it. With the more naturally obnoxious puppies; there is often alot of lessons to learn and it can get loud. And as guardian it is our job to step in and help educate; supporting the top dog.

If you see the list of 5 errors; they all start with YOU. It is the humans who are at fault here. The dogs were being dogs; and the dog paid for the humans negligence and lack of canine expertise. There really should be a manual to read before getting a dog or two. I cannot count the number of times that I've heard of people getting mad at the adult dog who attempts to scold a puppy. I often tell people who have a new puppy to go find an adult for a few lessons in life. You would never, ever see the wolf pups running the pack.

**With regard to disciplining; I am not speaking about dog fights or attacks. I am strictly referring to discipline in order to educate. Tilley was told this morning for snorfling too close to Luke; that is just plain rude and she knows better. I didn't like that Luke gave Tilley a toothy growl but I am glad he did; it let's me know that he is maybe getting a bit testy in the morning. Good to know.

Go with your gut

This image is one of my students who has never seen and never will see a choke collar. He is a star student in every way.

GO WITH YOUR GUT INSTINCT"So is it bad that she peed when he yanked and yelled at her?" This is what a woman asked me after talking to her about her experience with a trainer. I cringed as I pictured a sweet honey colored lab puppy being so afraid of the human on the other end of her leash that she peed. I was in a local furniture store and after reading the back of my xterra the sales asked me about the dogs. She told me about a wonderful young lab she had; sweet as can be and the horrible memories she had from the few training classes that they had taken her to. I explained further that I was a positive trainer and had no use for choke collars. The story was as follows:

The couple took their dog to a local "conventional" trainer. After the trainer told them what to do; they were told that they were going to ruin her and he took the dog; yanking and yelling her into submission. The sweet young lab then proceeded to pee on the floor. She had no doubt given all the signs of submitting to this horrible human but he did not stop in his abuse to her. This is sadly and far too often a reality for many. New owners feeling like they should trust the trainer hand their dogs over.

I have worked with many dogs; undoing what these harsh type trainers have done. Their answer for all dogs is to literally yank them into submission. And many use the psychological tactics; undermining the owners confidence. "You are going to ruin that dog." This is the same phrase told over and over to many new owners. One young Golden who was as sweet and amazingly smart as can be went through this exact situation. Unfortunately the owners turned this dog completely over to the trainer, only returning weeks later to find that their once bubbly and happy Golden was now a shell of what once was. They were mortified and explained to me; "we didn't know." Together we worked with the dog; lots of positive confidence building and he recovered nicely and is the amazing dog that he always was.

A dog trainers job is to build the guardians confidence; creating a sense of "I can do it" for the guardian. Afterall when the training is over; you are going to be alone with your dog so you have to have the knowledge to do it yourself. The training is mostly the owner; teaching the owner how to teach their dog.

Most recently I talked to a guardian who told me of the horror stories she experienced with a trainer. She said "they were so mean to her." She hated it and can't believe her dog had to go through this experience. So stop right here.

If you go into a situation and your gut tells you "NO." Then leave. Do not put blind faith in someone who is doing an unjust to your dog. Even if someone has been a trainer for 25-30 years; they could possibly be the worst there is. It was the "there has to be a better way" feeling that lead me to find positive training so many years ago. I started my training with one of the worst; harsh and demanding woman trainers there is. My experiences from this fuel my passionate about spreading the positive word. Our dogs deserve better.

There are so many people out there who are looking to make a buck anyway they can. They have no conscience; no passion for animals. These type people are driven by greed and power. I have met many trainers who are power hungry and use their physical power over innocent animals to fuel their pathetic thirst. I'm sick of it; but still today there are so many people who just don't know that there is a better way. So tell your friends; throw the word around as much as you can, positive reinforcement. With these two words alone; typed in to surf the web can bring a wealth of information for anyone who is interested.

There will hopefully be a day when we look back shaking our heads stating "we use to yank dogs around with a chain around their neck?"