Routine vs structure

Routine: regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

Structure: a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part.

Routine/no routine; that is the question. Just like us; dogs are very much individuals and what works for one does not always work for another. Routine can be a good thing for dogs; too much can be a bad thing. So how much is enough? Do you need any routine at all? I'm not a real routine type of gal myself; I like to be spontaneous, I'm not a fan of making plans. More than often my days are arranged by by appointments that I work around; but other than scheduled appointments I like to wing it.

My dogs generally eat breakfast around 10ish; give or take several hours. I do not want dogs that run to the kitchen in a panic if they haven't eaten by 6am, no thank you. Because I like my flexibility I make sure the dogs get food as soon as they wake up; when we have our early morning breakfast. So if breakfast is a little far off they aren't going to starve to death. Plus being that we are in Southern California much of our walking takes place in the morning when it is cooler. And walking dogs on full tummies is not a good idea.

Although feeding time is not on a routine at all in our house; the act of feeding is structured and the order of delivery is routine. Having routine allotment feeding helps to eliminate a free for all feeding. Each dog knows their turn and waits patiently for their delivery. The feeding place is switched up often. Sometimes it's in a bowl on the floor in the kitchen, maybe outside, perhaps tossed around the yard in a game of prey drive fulfillment and occasionally all the dogs are handfed by me. But the delivery remains the routine.

Too much routine can create behavior issues; dogs can become very set in their ways. Take dogs who eat at a very specific time; or go for a walk every day at 5:00pm. They can drive you mad if you fall out of that routine for some reason. It is hard to explain to them that you have to get something else done before they get their routine dinner or walk; they don't get it. So for me a small amount of routine is okay; but structure is better.

Some second hand dogs do very well with some routine in their lives. But you don't want to over do it. Routine can give an otherwise scattered dog some rhyme and reason to their life creating a more relaxed and confident dog. A small amount of routine used with a good amount of structure works well in my books. Structure is a more hands on type deal; something that you are more in charge of. When routine can run amuck; structure is basically up to you and that's a good thing.

Take a new toy situation for example. You bring a bag of new toys into the house; your dogs could go totally crazy jumping and grabbing, creating the not so desirable free for all scenario. But if you have thought out the whole situation first; and applied a structured facilitation then everyone has fun without loosing control.

So if you are a very routine type of person; try switching it up a bit for your dogs sake. It puts you in the driver seat and that is where you should be.

The dogs in our life

I am often asked "how do you know its time for another?" Sadly our dogs only share a portion of our life; their life expectancy is only a fraction of our own. They come into our life; enrich and leave us with life experiences and memories. Each and every dog that passes through our life leaves a mark; alone they assist in our human/canine evolution. All of us; as in humans, have made mistakes with our dogs. Making mistakes is a part of our evolution. You are the dog person you are today because of all the dogs who have come through your life.

Many of the dogs that leave the most considerable and lasting mark on us are not even our own; they may have simply passed by leaving life lessons upon us. What we do with those life lessons are our own personal evolution. As a trainer I am constantly helping others to understand life with a canine. Countless owners over the years have been overwhelmed by a sense of wrong doing. "Sherri; I wish I'd known." Going back in time and beating oneself up about things you wish you would not have done; is counter productive. We cannot go back in time and undo all the wrongs that we have done; heck I wish I could many times. And I wish I'd known back then what I know today. But the fact is; life is a never ending education.

Many of the dogs that slip through our lives are what we call "heart dogs." A heart dog is the equivalent to a human soul mate. It can be the loss of a heart dog that stops us from adding another to our life. "How can I ever love another dog as much?" I have loved each and everyone of my dogs; but differently. They have all been individuals; each sharing their life with mine. An intertwined species relationship that can and should be equally beneficial although I strongly believe that we are the lucky ones.

When I look back at the dogs who have progressively molded me into the dog person I am today I have good and bad memories. Some of the saddest moments have the biggest impact on change and the passing of a canine can be that. It can leave you an empty shell mourning the loss but it can also be the catalyst into dogdom. A great love can supercharge an understanding that may have otherwise been lost to you. I cannot imagine not having a dog in my life and as much as I love the dogs that I share my life with now; I also know that there will be others. And I look forward to knowing the dogs that I will share my future with. So make this day a great day; live, learn, love and move forward.

A dog's life

A dog's life; this statement is meant as a purely positive one. Must be nice; the life of leisure. Oh to be a dog. It would be wonderful if that is what it meant for all dogs as well. Right now my guys are all curled up in bed with me; they've had their share of breakfast in bed and now are somewhere doing fun dog things in their dreams. Not all dogs have the dog's life as it is by definition, understood as "you lucky dog." On the contrary; far too many dogs lead a sad and lonely life.

Dogs are pack animals; even though there is alot of studying going on at the moment trying to debunk this fact. Being followed around the house from room to room is enough proof to me that dogs are indeed pack animals. Dogs love nothing more than to just hang out with you. Have you ever sat watching a sunset; crackling fire or rippling water with your dog at your side? How wonderful is it? It is pretty great; some of the best moments are the fleeting ones spent quietly enjoying life with your dog by your side. The sheer enjoyment of sitting next to your canine companion is immeasurable.

So what of the dogs that never get to spend time beside their guardian? The dogs tied to a doghouse out back, left in the garage or backyard? These dogs miss out on the good things; yes they miss out on "the dog's life." It always leaves me confused when people tell me that there dog is not allowed in the house. Why on earth would you ever get a dog if it doesn't live with you? It just makes no sense; get a dog and put it in the backyard with the patio furniture. "There; we have a dog."

Dogs belong in a family; if you want a dog for your backyard, then there are some wonderful dog statues I've seen at the outdoor stores recently. They look very real and have no desire to be your best friend; have a look a one. You need to ask yourself; why do I want a dog that will live in the yard or garage? What purpose does this animal fill in your life? What good do you bring to the canine in your yard? Do you somehow enrich this dogs life? Even if you go out and play with the dog every so often; it's not enough. Dogs need to live with us.

That does not mean that you need to spend every waking minute of the day actually doing something with your dog; you don't do that with your human family. Sure you want to make sure that your dog gets out everyday; a great walk where they can be their doggy self. But much of daily life with dogs is simply chill'n. Just hanging out together; enjoying each other's company. If I am working then my dogs are all in "the office" beds. When I get up and go outside; everyone goes outside. We sit on the double lounge; listen to the birds, catch lizards (not me) and basically enjoy the company of each other.

How do you explain life with dogs? There are many words to describe the coexistence of a canine and a human but if you don't "get it," it can be lost to a human. Dogs belong with us; living in a yard is no place for any dog. I often hear breeders stating that "this breed must live with the family; you cannot leave this breed in the backyard alone." No breed or mix should ever live a life alone; it's just not right. Every dog deserves to live a dog's life.

I wrote an article on this subject six years ago for Pets Quarterly in Canada. Read it here; it starts on page 10

Tackling leash aggression

Yesterday's visit to the park has yet again inspired another blog on leash aggression. We were done our walk and making our way back to the car; the girls and I that is. Luke and Dad headed the opposite direction towards his car. We were almost there when a car pulled up; the passenger door opened to a symphony of scream barking. A young girl hopped out with a chihuahau mix then came another and yet another. When they were all out there was a Mom; two girls and three dogs. And all of the dogs were going off on my dogs. I was pleasantly surprised that Jessie decided not to retaliate; I guess at 14 she's over it.

The largest of the bunch was doing the most serious barking; the Mother bent down and grabbed him under the neck by the collar and strung him up; right off his feet. The dog quickly turned its attention to her trying to bite her. She put him down and he proceeded to growl at her; direct hard stare and all. This while the younger girls voiced their complaints for the treatment of their dog. What a crazy stressful scene; made worse by the harsh treatment in attempts to stop the frenzied barking.

So what should have happened? This one particular incident could have been avoided by waiting until we passed by; getting the dogs out of the car and redirecting them onto something else or grab a handful of treats and have everyone receive treats while we walked by. But if you want to teach your dog not to act this way you need to work; patience, understanding and lots of treats are way to get started. First each dog needs work on their own; it is very hard to teach three dogs a lesson when they fuel each others inappropriate behavior. Once you work with each individual you can then attempt taking them out together.

So you have a leash aggressive dog; there are several ways to approach the situation. One you can teach your dog a very solid behavior that is not conducive to displaying leash aggression; meaning you can't do this one behavior and act like a crazed dog at the sametime. Teaching your dog to watch you when asked is a great tool. You can use "watch me" "look" "me" or whatever word you want to get your dog to give 100% attention on you. Starting out you reward for just a look and then ask for longer and longer time looking at you. To build the time your dog watches you; use praise and continual rewarding. The rewards need to be really good for watching you. Many trainers spit food out of their mouth which really helps to have your dog keep watching you.

Once your dog understands this well you need to work on the same behavior but with small distractions. Distraction work is called proofing; this means that you are creating many different situations that your dog learns to work around. When you add distractions you typically need to up the value of your treat. Once you have achieved some distractions you will want to practice around other dogs; but the first work needs to offer the other dog and you some distance. Do not set yourself up for failure; keep as far away as you need to, to achieve success. Once you have success then you slowly start moving closer and closer.

One of the most important things for YOU to do in this training is to remain calm. You need to show your dog that other dogs mean nothing, no big deal at all. Your dog is attached by a leash so don't worry about it. Keep your dogs mind active while you walk by other dogs. I like to use direction changes as well as the watch; my dogs have been taught turn, this way and let's go. These direction cues are useful for walking by other dogs because they interfere with the whole focusing on the other dog.

I also use "catch" while walking by other dogs. My dogs all LOVE catching; especially when it is food. When you are doing a fun activity and getting food while walking by other dogs; it makes walking by dogs a good thing. Many behaviors snowball once they get going; that factors in good and bad behaviors. So once you start making walking by other dogs a good thing; it just gets better and better. You can get closer and closer until you actually have contact; a monumentous event.

But be aware there can be moments of regression; if another dog goes after your dog it can set you back in your training. But get right back on the horse and attack it head on; promote the positive and try to erase the negative.

New toys

Ah Friday; the day we all wait for is finally here once again. My husband and I made a trip to Costco last night where we bought a package of new dog toys for the pooches. As I made my choice carefully; comparing the two different types I envisioned the empty carcasses strewn across my family room in a pool of white fluff; oh well. I bought the toys and brought them home; new toys for all. Dogs love to get new toys; even though they have two baskets full of old and haggard ones already, a new toy is a big happening in our house. A toys life is not a long one in our home but the joy they bring is immeasurable.

We arrived home and I went into the house with an armful of stuff; I tossed the box of toys onto the floor and watched. Luke was of course the first to check it out; he pushed it around a bit and rolled the box over. Although the toys were boxed; both the head and tail end were sticking out for all to see and touch. Next Tilley meandered over to see what this was that Luke was so interested in. She too rolled it around and stood staring; then looked at me with a "are these for us?" look on her face. I put a few more things away while watching the new toy interest displayed by the dogs. Once I was done messing around I gave 100% of my attention to the dogs and the new toys.

Jessie was a late arrival; she finally came down to see what was going on. She started her regular greeting but couldn't find a toy. She is a toy grabber during a greeting; she can't greet you without a toy in her mouth. I yelled at her (she's nearly completely deaf) to come to me. It was at that moment that they all lost it; it was a free for all of grabbing. Luke latched onto one of the toys heads and postured; with his head turned sideways and his body frozen he was not letting this little Jack Russell get all of the goods. Enough was enough "LEAVE IT." Everyone sat focused on the toys; no one looked away in fear of loosing the chance for a new toy.

I slowly broke open the box; there were a few grab attempts which stopped the opening procedure. Once all were under control I commenced the box opening. Things are dished out in the same order always in my house; Jessie, Tilley, Luke and the dogs are well aware of this. So first Jessie got hers; she grabs it and runs off shaking the life out of the new stuffed giraffe. Tilley is next; Miss patient, there is no grabbing with Tilley. I actually have to wing the toy around so that she will grab it; then she quietly takes her toy and lays down with it. She gets to know her new toy from top to bottom and only then will she get on with the gentle mouthing of it.

Now Luke; last but definitely not least. Considering that he is a reactive dog; he does very well to wait his turn but he can wait no longer. He makes a grab which results in a mock disgust from me; he then sits back down and waits. He is rewarded for this with the toy, finally he gets his new toy. You cannot mistake the pure pleasure when a dog leaps tossing his head around like a wild stallion with the toy hanging out of both sides of his mouth. He lays down madly chomping the toy; it's squeaks can be heard across the house. Not long after the chomping commencing and the squeaks are silenced; after all the goal is to kill the toy, at least for Luke it is.

I make myself comfortable and continue to watch the happiness a new toy can bring. The dogs have positioned themselves strategically; enabling them to enjoy their toy while still keeping an eye on the other dogs, just in case. Luke is a "the grass is always greener" kind of guy and eyeballs the other toys continually. He knows that he is not allowed to make a grab for them; but he cannot help but wonder what he is missing out on. The other girls need only to leave their toy unattended for a moment and it is snatched up by the blonde guy. But a simple "leave it" results in an immediate drop where he is left staring at the toy only inches from his face. He will not touch it again; he might turn his head away to assist his urge to chomp the toy for he does not like it when Mom is angry.

Ah the joy of a new toy.

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.