Off leash?? On the street??

Seeing a guardian walking with an amazingly well trained dog off leash can a beautiful sight. I am often asked from clients "when do we work off leash?" Yesterday as I arrived at the park; I unloaded Jessie and she started her sniff session immediately. We hadn't even left the spot where I had dropped her when I saw a couple heading our way. They were being followed by a very tiny yorkie; maybe 3-4 lbs. The dog was off leash and the couple was very much involved in a conversation as they walked passed us and up onto the street. I then realized that they were not going to check back on their dog; and the dog was coming to see Jessie.

The tiny yorkie had no apprehension when she approached Jessie. Because of Jessie's lack of good vision now she didn't see the little dog until it was right on us. She immediately postured and set about to teach the little dog a lesson in who the Queen of the world was. She was cut short when I opted to not engage in the lesson and got her moving on our walk. The little yorkie now a good 30 feet behind her owners trotted off with one glance back at Jessie. The idea of this tiny little dog on her own inspired this blog.

When is it a good time to have a dog off leash? I admit that having my dogs off leash and running free is just about the best thing. The dogs are free to run and play without restraint; but, there is a time and place for it. And I feel that a street in any shape or form is not the place. Anything can happen and in a split second a dog can dart after a cat, become spooked and bolt, or just forget their training and run off across a street. For me it is just not worth any risk of incident or accident to have a dog off leash while walking on a street.

The degree of reliable recall; having your dog come when called is also a big factor when considering taking off the leash. Of course if you never take it off then your dog is never going to get the off leash experience they need. Finding safe spots to have your dog off leash is getting harder and harder. There are dog parks which are a great safe place but many are too small and when you add too many dogs into a too small park you end up with a stressful situation. There are some amazing huge dog parks that I've seen online, lakes and acres for the dogs to run off leash, wonderful.

I often see people walking down the street with their dog 2-3 feet behind them off leash. I don't get this at all; adding a leash to this situation is basically like putting a seatbelt on as you set off to drive somewhere, a safety precaution. Adding a leash to a dog that is walking right beside you just makes sense and as a guardian it is your job to keep your dog safe.

Let's face it; we live in a leashed dog society. And although I do feel that leashes are overused there is definitely a time and place for them. Walking on the street is one place a dog should always have a leash on; they deserve that much from us.

Complicated yet simple

I often hear myself saying "who knows what goes on in that little head of his." This statement is most repeatedly about Luke; my thinker. He is a complicated yet simple guy; most dogs are very simple, simple in the good definition of the term (easy to understand). When you understand dog's; I mean really understand the way they communicate; learn and associate, you can then more readily "get" your dog. I am often called out to solve a strange behavior. A behavior from a dog is in simple terms; a reaction to an action.

Many behaviors can be figured out; dissected until you find the base cause and then sometimes we just never know why a dog displays a certain behavior. Dogs learn through association: connected, joined, or related to. They don't deal with long explanations; hidden agendas or mind games like humans do. Dog's don't hide behind the truth, they don't lie and they don't attempt to be someone they are not. All of this lends itself to a simpleness; that is as I said earlier, simple if you understand dog.

Take separation anxiety; how many people think that when a dog destroys things in your absence that they are angry and doing all of this destruction to show you? I know that almost everyone I speak to who is dealing with this considers their dog to be displaying their dislike for their owner leaving. Dog's don't do spite: a malicious, usually petty, desire to harm, annoy, frustrate, or humiliate another person; bitter ill will; malice. Dog's react; and if they are upset by the fact that you are leaving they will react in a form that anxiety causes. This often takes the form of pooping or peeing, chewing or trying to come out to find you.

Another example that I love "my dog only comes if I yell COOKIE." Let's take this statement apart in pieces. What happens when you yell cookies? The dog receives a cookie; correct? So when you call your dog COME; what follows? Usually the dog doesn't listen; there is nothing in it for the dog and you the owner probably get mad. You may voice your feelings or simply give up; hence the dog learns that come is either bad or neutral. It is a much better idea to come when you hear COOKIE. Without knowing it you have tapped into the way to train a reliable recall. ;)

I love to watch canine interactions; the number of these connections are down at my house being that many hours are spent in deep sleep. But when they are awake and communicating it is fascinating. Just yesterday Luke was laying on the bed beside my computer as I typed away. Jessie wanted to lay on the bed as well; both are dominant personality dogs. As she approached Luke froze so slightly it was almost undetectable by the human eye; but very much detectable by the canine eye. She immediately turned her head and backed onto the bed; it made me smile. She defused the situation simply by turning her head and not making a direct approach, simple.

Dogs are constantly learning; and you may be teaching things you don't want to teach your dog. This is often the cause of mysterious behaviors. "Everytime I talk on the phone by dog barks." Hmmm; do you get off the phone and address the situation? Do you speak to your dog immediately? Your dog knows how to get your attention without a doubt. Barking is sometimes caused by our reaction itself. Barking get's attention; when you need attention, bark.

Once you figure it out; it is all very simple yet fascinating.

Grey muzzle

This past weekend while out running some errands my husband said "look at that face." I looked over to the left and saw a small black dog with it's head out the passenger window. It looked like a chihuahua mix; solid black with a very grey muzzle which immediately gave away her age. Her eyes told of her years of experience; and that she was happy and content. This is a wonderful site; I love seeing happy old dogs; in their golden years and being taken care of and loved.

Sadly it is the old ones who often find themselves in rescues and shelters unwanted. Many people pass by these old dogs not wanting to have their hearts broken in the near future. But dogs in their golden years are usually easy; they don't require much training or exercise. What they do need is a soft bed; a gentle hand and a loving heart. Of course there may be adjustments to make; adding another dog to your home takes patience but the result can be life altering.

Opening your home and heart to an old dog is a selfless act; there is no expectations of all the exciting and fun things you may do together for years to come. No; it may be a very short time that an old dog shares your life, and that short time may be an amazing one. Many people I talked to who have adopted old dogs have told me the most amazing stories of love; life and laughter with these golden oldies. The more you offer of yourself to a dog; the more you get in return. What you may have considered a good deed often ends up a monumental moment in your personal evolution.

Our home is a very different one from several years ago. It is quiet and non hectic; there is no loud and rough dog/dog play anymore, that was in the past. There is more snoring; slower paced strolls have replaced our power walks and there is a much greater need for patience. But when I see my ole gals so deep in sleep it makes me realize that this is how it should be; there should be no cares for old dogs. Yes things are very different with old dogs; but it is all in the stages of a dog's life. These golden years are the more reflective ones; time spent remembering the good old days and dotting on our beloved seniors. Second hand old dogs may have lived a life that you are unaware of; there past a mystery. But at the moment they need your love; consider adopting a grey muzzle the next time you visit a rescue or shelter. It will do your heart good.

Can you see me now?

Good Monday morning; I'm watching the sun come up as I write this morning and am reminded of Jessie who has little vision left. Very sad but she does very well by using her memory. Unfortunately there are dogs who cannot see simply because they have hair in their eyes. I'm an eye fanatic; for me a dog must have a clear range of vision and if that means that they get an eye trim then that is what must happen.

We have a regular OES (Old English Sheepdog) at our park; he is very cute and when I first met the dog I could see his eyes, which meant he could see. Well he is now sporting the more traditional blind style that the breed is known for. I remember as a youngster; I was speaking to someone who had OES's. I asked if they could see; "yes, they can totally see." And I was left to ponder how this special breed could see through a wall of hair. Well; they can't, bottom line.

No dog can see through a ton of hair. For those of you who have long hair like me; you know how annoying it is when your hair is in your face, right? Imagine not only a couple of strands but a whole whack of hair right over your eyes; it must drive one crazy. So I'm a fan of the snip and see; yep, cutting the hair around the eyes so that your dog can see. There are many breeds and mixes that need the eye trim; mine is one of them. And when they are carrying a bit more coat an eye trim is always in order.

If one of my training clients is having difficulty seeing; I recommend the trim. I show the owner how to tell what needs to be clipped. Hold your dogs muzzle in the palm of your hand; move down to eye level with your dog. Look down their muzzle into their eyes checking for hair obstacles. Often the top of the muzzle needs trimming as well as the area directly around the eye. I remember one canine client who simply could not catch; as much as the owner worked on it, it just was not happening. As I watched the non progress I realized that the dog could not see because of a mass of hair on the top of her muzzle. We did a quick utility clip and presto; like magic she was catching in moments.

Often behavior issues can stem from a lack of being able to see. Dogs can become fearful or aggressive if they are unable to view the world as they should be able to. Hair in a dog's eyes is a big issue with me; I don't care what breed or mix you have, cut it. If you show your dog and they must keep their blinding locks then pin it up or tack it down but make sure that your dog can see.

And to squelsh the long lived myth that dogs can see through hair; well they can't.

I love my job

Looking down at my arms I smile at the scratches and band-aid on my hand. Seeing these scratches means that I have either 1. had a great gardening session which I love or 2. that I had a puppy shoot. These scratches were from a puppy shoot and she nailed me good. Those puppy teeth do it every time and to me they are remnants of a great shoot. I've been shooting a lot of dogs lately; I'm working on another book. I often feel the urge to pinch myself just to be sure that I'm not dreaming; my job is hanging with dogs.

As a trainer I'm there to teach or fix; but as a photographer I'm simply there to capture and have fun, nice. A couple of weeks ago I was headed down to the marina; the California sunshine was beaming in my Xterra window as I headed west. I arrived to meet a huge and lovable guy and his guardian. I couldn't wait to get started and we headed out to the boat; that's right I was shooting a dog on a yacht. I first got to shoot the boy on his yacht and then captured him riding in a boat with a huge grin on his face; it doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

There was the shoot the day before at the park; action shots of a dog having fun just being a dog. I spent nearly an hour watching this guy have a blast; running, jumping and retrieving his toys. He had an amazing red coat that flew in the wind as he tore by in pursuit of his ball. The shots turned out amazing. A couple of days before that had been my puppy shoot; a blonde bundle of squeezable cuteness. Sometimes I just cannot keep my hands to myself and I need to get a good fix of puppy.

Last week I had one of my favorite shoots; a walk in a wide open field to shoot a gal who loves to run. The task at hand was to capture her in motion and motion is what she gave me. How great is it to see dogs running simply for the love of running? Acres and acres of wide open space; canine companionship and great canine conversation with the guardian, darned nice.

To be a dog photographer you must have a bucket full of patience. It is not typical for things to run smoothly or without a good amount of challenge. I'm lucky that all my years of training have offered me a never ending supply of patience when it comes to dogs. I can easily shoot 300 or more shots in one sitting but I'm always aware when I've got the shot; that one I'm looking for. And after the shoot there is always time to chill with the model; a perk you could say.

Exercise; seeking the balance

With our busy lifestyles today; many dogs do not get enough exercise. Many behavior issues can arise from a lack of exercise for our pooches. As the canine conscious guardians seek out ways to get their dogs exercise requirements met; they may go overboard. Can one over exercise their dog? Yes. I've seen it often in the high energy breeds; Labradors, Siberians, Setters and mixes. Owners who never miss a day at the park; they arrive at 6:00 and don't leave until after 9:00. That is a lot of running and stimulation.

As with runners who become addicted to running; there is a snowball effect. The more you run the more you need to run to feel the exercise satisfaction. When you exercise your dog to extreme; it is important to allow their body to heal. Like our own body; exercise is great but recovery time is essential. Vast amounts of exercise without time to recover can be damaging to the body. Over exercising can actually become an issue of its own. A dog can become accustom to expelling monumental amounts of energy on a daily basis so that they crave more and more to reach a relaxed state.

Along with too much wear and tear on the body; a dog can become overstimulated mentally. Dogs need down time; it is a time when they can fully relax and recuperate. Just like over exercising the body a dog's mind can be over stimulated. Dogs that become adapted to high levels of continuous mental stimulation may be easily agitated by a lack of or lower level of external stimuli.

It is a balancing act; finding the perfect amount that satisfies but does not over stimulate both mentally and physically.

Jumping up

Jumping up; almost everyone with a dog has dealt with it or is dealing with it. It is a very common behavior for dogs; dogs greet in your face. When I take my girls out for a walk and we return; it is a very in your face greeting that they receive from Luke. Unfortunately our face is up high; so dog's feel that they need to jump up in our face to greet us. They are not being bad or showing disrespect; they are simply greeting us in the only way that they know how. It is up to us to show them alternative ways to greet us. And if you have an very excitable type pooch then you may have more work cut out for you.

The old caveman way of stopping a dog from jumping was to knee them in the chest. Another option was the step on their toes method or knock them to the ground. First off violence is not the answer and secondly what horrible things to do to your dog when they are simply wanting to greet us. You really have to take the "bad dog" out of an exuberant greeting. So just how do you teach a dog to stop jumping up to greet you?

The method I like the most is the "four on the floor" routine. Small steps are the key to success once again. You cannot take a dog that is accustom to propelling itself airborne and expect it to simply stop cold turkey. So you start by asking for four feet on the floor and rewarding it. Treat delivery should be via the floor and it may take a while for your dog to realize that there are treats being dropped onto the floor. I like to use good ole cheerios or Charlee Bear Treats which make a nice clicking sound when they land. Often a sudden light bulb goes off in your dog "oh the place to be is here on the ground where the treats are." Keeping your hand behind you; try to drop so that the treats seem to appear simply by achieving four on the floor.

Along with this method you should also ignore jumping. That said; if you have a 140lb airborne hound, ignoring is not always easy. For these guys I find that teaching a "place" exercise really helps. Teaching a dog to go to a certain spot; bed or carpet when told and being rewarded for it can make the difference. Once your dog gets the whole "four on the floor" the rest is up to you.

The biggest problem with jumping dogs is the humans that they are greeting. "Oh Fido; ooooh look how cute you are, we missed you poochie." All this while hugging and kissing and over stimulating your dog. You can really help your dog in the jumping department by calmly greeting; or waiting to greet until your dog calms. Often when I get home the dogs are wound tightly; everyone is panting and circling in a frenzy, not good. So I will walk in the door and past the crazed hounds into the kitchen and outside. I make like I have some serious puddering to do in the yard and will only greet once everyone settles.

Humans think that the problem is within a jumping dog; and yet the problem lies in ourselves. Both fueling and teaching are on us. Teach your dog how you would like them to greet you and you'll both be happy.

I'm back

I'm back; I've been away for a week and it is good to be home. Believe it or not we had sunny 70 degree weather and snow in Canada on our trip; very cool. We received a wonderful homecoming last night and it feels great to be back with the dogs. I miss them like mad when I'm away and this trip away did not supply the dog companionship that I needed. I often am surrounded by family dogs but not this trip. There were a few scattered meetings here and there; one really great shoot but that's it. So I was in need of some canines when I got home. Enjoying breakfast in bed this morning surrounded by my dogs did the trick and now I'm back in the swing of things.

We had a new petsitter this trip away; she was wonderful. It is so important when you go away that you have someone you have complete trust in to care for your dogs or you simply don't have a good time. We've been very lucky with our sitters and so far the dogs have loved them all. It can be very time consuming researching and interviewing sitter candidates but in the long run more than worth your time and effort.

Recommendations are very important; if other people have used a sitter and love them then that is definitely a starting point. After interviewing the person; do you feel 100% comfortable with leaving your dog's in their hands? If you don't then keep interviewing; you really need to go with your gut with this one. We opt to have a stay in sitter; I think it is the best way to go. But there are other options for your dogs when you are away. Many doggy daycares do overnights and if your dog is one that is accustom to going to daycare that can be a great option.

Let your neighbors know that you will be away so that if anything is out of the ordinary they will take notice. Make sure to leave lots of information about your dog with your sitter; I basically write a novel. I feel like the more individual info you give them the better they can deal with anything that might arise. Like I always write; dogs are all individuals so throwing them all in a bucket and treating them as a whole is just not the way to go. My pack consists of three very different personalities and it is important for me to let the sitter know just who they are and how they react to stimulus.

Making sure that you feel just as comfortable as your dogs will while you are away is essential for a good trip for all.

So glad to be back. ;)

Runners

A couple of days ago; one of my daughters said to me "I don't get dogs that run away." She said that she didn't understand having a dog that wanted to run away from their guardian. I have to admit the concept of someones dog running away has always left me puzzled. I have never in all of my years of living with dogs had a dog that wanted to run away from me. I'm sure there are days when running away might have crossed their mind just like my kids may have had the same thought but in general they like it here. As a trainer I know many people who's dogs want to run away and there are many reasons for it.

Many times a dog wants to run due to genetic make up. Take sitehounds for instance, it is a well known fact that you don't allow them to run off leash. They love to run just for the pure joy of running. They are also triggered easily to moving objects; which means they are gone before you know it. My JRT is the same, she has a feather trigger switch. Sledding breeds would also be in this running category although they do not trigger, they love to run. But in all of these cases the dogs are running after something; not running away from their guardian.

There are the scent dogs who follow their nose. Often they become lost in their scent voyage; finally looking up I'm sure that they realize that they are far from their home, their guardian and where they want to be. Beagles are one of the most common breeds that "take off." Again, most of the time the beagle is not intending to run away; they just can't help following their nose. And for this reason alone, these type of scent breeds need alot of training and consistent work on their obedience skills.

Boredom is probably one of the biggest causes of runners. Life in a backyard can be pretty darn boring; so given the opportunity of hopping the fence and having fun, many dogs take the risk. "Escape artists," is how they are tagged; these dogs who seek excitement outside of their own domain. Who can blame them though, many are labradors, border collies and other over energized breeds and mixes. Once they have a taste of what lies on the other side of the fence; the old saying of "life is always greener," is a factual statement.

And then their is the sad reason for running; no connection to home or guardian. No dog should ever feel this way but sadly many do. Their guardian more than likely sees them as "the dog." Now I know they are the dog but you know what I mean when I say "the dog." No bonding, no amazing relationship, just no connection at all. This is sad for both species, to never know how a dog can change your life if given half a chance to do so. Give and take, it is a simple process; but one which requires an open heart and open mind.

I know that dogs love to run but to have your dog run away from you emotionally is something entirely different. If you know anyone who has not connected with their dog; give them a glimpse into the amazing mind and heart of a dog by telling your story of dog love. I have met many people who are absent of a canine relationship even though they have a canine; and I always try to explain what they could be missing out on.

Obedience

Obedience is important, but what exactly should your dog know? I am a big fan of obedience, it is a way for us to communicate with out dogs without having to man handle them. There are a few body positions that are important and rules they need to know. Obedience is a vague word in itself and there are many meanings. The first dictionary definition is: the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person. This pretty much sums it up I think.

I speak more of behavior rather than obedience now and use the term obedience more for the military style competitive aspect of behavior. I definitely want my dogs to listen to me and teaching them to take a certain body position when linked with a verbal cue is important. The first and most important of course is the "come" behavior. Others that they should definitely know and comply with are sit, down, stay and wait. These to me are the bare minimum which every dog should understand and be able to perform.

I do not like to see dogs being controlled by physical means. Yes, there are always going to be times where you need to control your dog physically. But in general you should be able to control your dog verbally or vocally without relying on the physcial grab. This is only achieved with alot of repetition, training without distractions and working up to high distractions. Stay is one of the most important and one that most people don't really train to perfection. Many people tell their dog to stay but in their head they don't expect it. All behaviors need fine tuning over the years as most dogs tend to slip when we tend to get slack.

Rules are the same; taught and learned through repetition. Rules are more unspoken but taught the same. I have alot of rules, no jumping out of the car until told to do so, no jumping on the couch unless invited, no boltint out an open door etc. These have all been ingrained into my dogs heads and yes every so often they forget themselves and are rereminded of the rules.

By teaching body position verbal cues and rules you can communicate with your dog without the need of physical control, nice.

How long do they remember?

"Do you think they remember me?" This is often the question when friends and family visit after a long absence. The answer is not always easy to see. Depending on the individual dog it can be difficult to see recognition. But if you know your dog's every tiny behavior; this means watching, always watching you will know if your dog remembers.

How does your dog greet people they have never met before? Often there is a huge difference between strangers and friends in a greeting; sometimes not. Sometimes there is one tiny little behavior that only you could recognize for recognition. Two of my dogs are like this; only the tiniest of behavior lets me know that they remember the visiting person.

Then there is Luke; Luke is a clear read because his behaviors are so large. That said his behavior vary drastically with dog people and non dog people as well. He is a very complicated boy but watching his behaviors are very educational. What I see in Luke is a pumped up version of what my girls display.

I believe dogs remember a whole lot better than we do. Dogs know people intimately by scent, not only by visual. Because Luke displays his emotions so largely I can learn a whole lot more from him; I love it. Luke knows alot of young men; my son is 18 and has a large ring of friends who come and go. When a large group come over Luke will very quickly find the one he has not met before. He pushes by all the known scent until he finds the new one.

Several years ago when my son was younger we had parents coming over more often. It was very interesting to see Luke act like he knew people that he had never met before. When it was a parent of my sons bestfriends there was an obvious recognition from Luke; "oh you belong to that guy." One quick smell and he felt like he already knew this person.

Did Tilley remember her breeder yesterday? She spent the first 8 weeks of her life with this woman. She met her again at about the age of 1 year and then there was a 10 year span. I believe she did; one sniff and Tilley allowed a hug, this is completely out of the ordinary for Tilley. She was not threatened in the least by the close proximity which is something I look for in Tilley's expression.

Like elephants; I believe a dog

Patience is a virtue

Patience is a virtue; true. Just about everything works out better if you have patience. Over my years of training I have incorporated patience into working with dogs. Unless you are using the harsh choke'm method of training patience will do well for you. Many behavior modification solutions need to be well thought out; usually a quick fix is not in your best interest.

Watching requires patience; watching and taking in tells you alot about whatever you happen to be watching. Keeping calm requires patience; and sometimes dealing with dogs, keeping calm can require a whole lot of patience. Take for instance a common issue at my house. I am on my computer and the dogs are outside; Luke decides he would like to come in; so tries a couple of barks.

My computer is at the back patio door so I just say "stop." He thinks about it but decides he would rather come in. I am remaining completely calm as I tell him to stop. One more bark; just a trial small bark to see if I really mean for him to stop. I calmly walk downstairs and look at him out the livingroom patio doors; there are no words, we have a visual understanding and he goes and lays down.

Patience in my photography not only helps the dogs but it helps me as well. There are many instances that one could loose their patience; afterall dogs are unpredictable and react in many ways to many different things. So if I did not have patience I could loose my cool very quickly. I often have to explain to the guardians that I am perfectly fine waiting for the dog to calm or relax.

Loosing your patience almost always results in doing something you will regret later or doing something you will have to undo later. So yes, patience is a virtue.

It washes off

You want to talk dirt? I have run into alot of people who do not like to let their dogs get dirty. My breed of choice - (which means that this is the breed I choose to share my life with at the moment, (I happen to love all dogs; with or without pedigree)) is the standard poodle. The poodle has long held the worst foofoo stigma a dog can obtain and wrongly so. Many poodle lovers do love the big haired, freshly fluffed look of the poodle but do not be fooled by the exterior beauty of the poodle. Like any other dog they love to get good and dirty and to deny them of this priviledge is just well....................wrong in my opinion.

That is one reason I shave my dogs down; they do carry more coat in the winter for warmth but other than that, it's off with the coat, the pompoms and anything else that's use is purely fashion. I am often stopped and asked if my dogs are labra- or goldendoodles because they have no telltale pom poms like a typical poodle. I've even been stopped by poodle people who I'm assuming have never given their dogs a bath because they don't have pom poms when they are wet and you can pretty much see what they truly look like in a wetdown state.

Don't all dogs love to have fun? If you have a pure white samoyed, a hairless xolo, an afghan with beautiful flowing locks, who cares? Everything washes off, and if you are worried about mats? Then cut off the excess hair so that you don't have to deal with mats or other things getting stuck up in your dog's coat. Of course if you have show dogs then you can't just hack off their coat but most breeders do take off the coat as soon as the dog is done their show career. If you want to show in the conformation ring then you have to either deal with a little less than perfect coat or stick to the rules of the game but once you're done you can do what you want.

Dogs love to have fun and if that fun means getting dirty charging through muddy puddles and filling their feet with salt water and sand then I say let'm rip. Of course I do not want to deal with 2 inches of thick mud covered feet on a daily basis, been there done that thank you very much; but on the weekends bring it on.

This statement might have a few of you shuddering as you read it but a dog is a dog is a dog. And I for one love to see a dirty one in any shape or size.

The stay

Stay and come are two of the most important behaviors you can teach your dog. Both stay and come are the most misused, under trained and under enforced behaviors. What exactly does stay mean? I actually looked it up and there are alot of meanings for stay but my meaning for stay is stay put until I say so. So if I put my dog in a stay, that means they are there until I give them the word to move.

The largest problem with stay is that people get lazy and don't enforce a stay. Stay is used in a casual manner meaning to stay until the dog feels like moving away. I see people telling their dog to stay but don't really mean for the dog to stay. So when you don't teach a formal stay, how will your dog ever know when you really mean for them to stay? The best course of action is to first understand what stay means. Then choose another word that will replace the lazy or casual stay, like wait, hold or pause etc.

But stay must mean stay. You can use whatever word you want, my word is stay for my official very serious stay. My casual word for "hey wait up," or "just hold on a minute," is wait. In official obedience trials a dog must do a sit stay and a down stay without altering position. In my obedience they can sit or down, it doesn't matter to me but they must stay in the spot I put them in.

Stay takes enforcing, which means that if they decide to get up and leave, you must enforce. Enforcing takes skill, patience and close attention to body language. You must be serious but not angry because an angry approach to your dog will almost always send them further away from you. Rewarding them for staying is very good through talking and food treats. Although you must be careful when you use vocal or verbal praise because too much can break a stay.

Just like with every behavior you teach your dog you must start out slow and grow with each success. Don't expect your dog to do a 5 minute stay the first day. Once your dog is doing a several second stay you can move up with your time. Distance is another tricky one, some dogs have a safety zone around them and once you leave that they feel they must come to you. Dogs who have separation anxiety can have problems with staying quite a distance from their guardian but this is a great thing to work with them on.

Biggest mistake

One of the biggest mistakes when teaching the stay exercise is calling your dog out of a stay. The way I was taught to teach my dog a stay was to put them in a stay, walk away and then call them. What does this teach? Calling your dog out of a stay teaches anticipation, that at some point your dog will be coming to you. I think this interferes with a very solid stay and that especially in the beginning you should always go back to your dog to release them. Teaching them that the only way out of a stay is by hearing the "release word."

My release word is "okay" and it is my release for everything, wait, boundary training, eating, jumping out of the car and stay.

Don't use Stay unless you mean it and unless you plan on enforcing. Lack of enforcement teaches nothing and leaves your dog with the sense of "they can do whatever they want."

Some dogs who are not use to doing what you ask of them may baulk at this exercise. "What do you mean I can't move?" They run around barking and jumping on the guardian. For these types of dogs baby steps are a must, reward each tiny success and stay close by. It is much easier to stop your dog before they move rather than try to catch them once they are up and on the run.

Continuous failure can cause frustration which can lead to mental shutdown. So quit while you are ahead and reward the smallest of success, building on that.

The instinct to guard

Dobermans; that's where it all started for me. I had one toy poodle growing up; I was lucky to have the one coming from such a non dog family. But luck was on my side when I met Jake; the one that started it all, a red dobie. Most dogs have a natural desire to guard their people; of course there are dogs with absolutely no guarding instinct as well but the guarding breeds were specifically chosen. These dogs have been selectively bred to bring out the guarding instinct. Guarding breeds have a natural desire to guard their territory, people or property.

Some of the more popular guarding breeds are the Doberman, German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd, Rottweiller, Dogo Argentino, Giant Schnauzer, Cane Corso and Malinois to name a few. More guarding breeds.

I have often had the guard dog conversation with people. "I want a guard dog." Many folks think they want a guard dog until they have a guard dog. Realizing too late that a guard dog is different than a watch dog. Guard dog breeds have been discerningly bred for years to bring out the natural desire to guard. Just like a Border Collie loves to herd; guard dogs love to guard. And when put in the hands of the average joe; can go very wrong. Of course not all of these guarding breeds have a strong desire to guard. I've met people who wish that their German Shepherd or Rottie would guard just a little. But if they do have that natural desire to guard you must be careful not to fuel it.

A guard dog breed in the hands of an experienced dog person can be wonderful; they know how to best fulfill the needs of these dogs and work with them properly creating healthy happy dogs. But in the hands of someone who either doesn't understand the instincts or wants a dog strictly to give the illusion of "tough guy," it can be dangerous. Guard dog breeds are typically strong willed dominant type personalities. They need strong leaders to follow; and if someone doesn't step up into the leader role, they'll gladly do it.

I have worked with many people who thought they wanted a guard dog. They purchased one of these breeds and were thrilled everytime the dog charged the front door and barked. Before long they had a problem on their hands and they needed help. If you have a dog with strong a desire to guard that is not going to be officially guarding property or territory, if you are not going to be training in the sport of Schutzhund then you need to defuse the guarding instinct. Some of the biggest offenders for guarding behaviors gone wrong are the smallest ones. Tiny pocket pooches are often over the top guarders simply because they have been allowed to or praised for growling and snapping at people.

Many dogs who are not specific guard dog breeds; guard. Guarding can be an out of control behavior for any dog but can be kept in check with leadership. My own dogs have a very strong guarding instinct; so when they alert me to someone's presence I calmly thank them and take over. Having them back away from the door and wait patiently for me to check it out is a step in the right direction. Being alerted is a good thing; having to hold back a dog who thinks that they are in control of a situation, not so much. What most people want is a dog that let's them know someone is around; and that let's that someone know there is a dog in the house. A guard dog is something more than that.

Before purchasing or adopting a breed for guarding purposes; be sure that you understand what you are getting. Guard dogs require a lot of training if they are going to do it correctly. You don't want to just sit back and cheer on a charging dog; that can get you into a heap of trouble.

There are many houses I'd think twice about going into unannounced; and behind the door of these coul be a Labrador, terrier, mix breed or even a standard poodle.

Walking dogs

Okay; how many of you walk on an angle, with your body compensating for the constant tugging inflicted by the canine on the other end of your leash? Probably a good percentage of you; I see it on a daily basis and even if you have a tiny little munchkin on the end of your leash it basically sucks to walk like this. It's not an enjoyable walk; and the power of the pull can vary from low level tugging to a dog who seems to be trying to win the Iditarod. (I have one of these types.) If you have one of these sled dog walkers and you aren't a fan of walking at an angle with one arm longer than the other; there are things you can do to help the situation.

The first thing to look at is your equipment. Constant pulling can damage a dogs neck and throat so a harness of some sort is best until you get the pulling under control. My favorite head harness is the Gentle Leader; I like the way it fits best. And for body harnesses I like the Easy Walker; it is specifically designed to aid in non pulling. Some harnesses can actually make pulling worse by giving the dogs something to lean into. I use this harness on Luke and highly recommend it.

The best way to stop pulling is to stop it before it starts obviously. So if you have a new dog or puppy, never allow pulling right from the get go. That means if you feel a tight leash you stop until you feel a loose leash. This teaches your dog right from the beginning that walking with a tight leash simply doesn't work. Tight leash=stop, loose leash=walking.

Teaching a dog not to pull who is already a well established puller can be alot of work but it is well worth it in the long run. To start off with get a Premier face or body harness. Next comes the work; no walking if your dog is pulling. Quite a statement; hmmmmmm how to walk without pulling. This may mean that you need to get rid of some excess energy first; an off leash major romp helps in the beginning. Once your dog is tired; you will have much better results. Even if you are simply going to the dog park to let them rip; you should not allow your dog to drag you there.

Babysteps are the only way to go; your first goal is to take one step with no pulling, treat and praise. Teaching your dog not to pull is much easier if you have a dog that pays attention to you. If your dog is totally focused on environmental stimulus it is much more difficult; so basic training in general is a good idea. Will your dog do a sit, down, stay and come on leash at the park? If not get to work.

From one step success you can quickly get two, three and more steps without pulling if you stay focused and your dogs is focused as well. Bring out the big gun treats; chicken, liver, steak, ball or favorite fluffy toy. Your dog cannot keep her attention on you and pull out in front not paying attention at the sametime. So often the problem is simply a lack of guidance from an owner.

Once you can get a couple pull free steps you will need to achieve more steps and eventually be walking again. The rule should always be that a tight leash results in stoppage; once the dog offers a loose leash by backing up or coming back to you, you immediately praise and walk. Timing is everything; immediate stop and start upon pulling and slacking is essential. Also; talk to your dog when they are walking loosely. I carry on huge conversations; lots of happy talk and stop talking immediately if there is pulling. Treat along the way while your dog is not pulling. "See how great it is not to pull? You get treats for not pulling." Also use your obedience while on walks; don't create a mindless walk where the dog with an active mind seeks out his own entertainment. Do lots of sits and downs along the way as well.

Luke is my sled dog; always has been. Luke is also a reactive dog; which simply means that every emotion he has is bigger than life. His reaction to everything is very obvious and he becomes over stimulated easily; so when he is going for a walk, he is very excited. This can be very difficult to stop; but what you can do is to teach an excited dog to be more calm by example. Becoming stressed; flustered or excited fuels a reactive dog so you have to go over the top to be chill.

Never yank on a dog's neck to stop them from pulling. One it is very damaging to their neck and two; you pull the dog pulls back. It is a loosing scenario for all.

Educating canines

Here Tilley is learning to do a back flip; in her younger frisbee days.

Train: to form by instruction, discipline, or drill

Educate: to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction: to provide with information. To persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way.

I use both of the above terms with regards to teaching dogs. I like the term educate and use it more often when teaching new behaviors. Then when a dog has a good understanding of a behavior that they can perform under normal situations; training takes over. Very much like an athlete that learns a new move and then trains to perfect it. Training is the conditioning that leads to a well proofed behavior; meaning that the dog has a full understanding and can execute it under any environmental distraction.

Dogs learn extremely fast; if you deliver the lesson appropriately. I was briefly watching a training show on television lastnight and upon seeing how she was dealing with a behavior I quickly changed the channel. I make it a point not to watch people who aren't educating dogs correctly. Seeing several things that this trainer was doing which was leading to confusion in the dog had me grabbing for the remote.
Educating canines should be kept simple; clear and uncluttered.

Dogs like black and white; they do not do well with grey. Too much talking and too much touching can interfere with the thought process. Arm waving, talking and touching is often our way of trying to explain to our dogs but it can also be the road block on the way to learning. This is why when you start out in your quest to educate your dog it should be done somewhere quiet without distractions. So if you go to a group training class with your dog it is more for you to learn how to teach your dog. Once you understand what you are suppose to do then the best lessons for your dog will be at home in the quiet.

Once a dog gets the basic idea of what you are asking in a quiet environment then you can move to small distractions and work your way up to big distractions. Let's say you are teaching the sit behavior to your new puppy in the living room. Once your puppy clearly understands this behavior in the living room you must then move to another room. Teaching your dog a behavior and then expecting them to do this behavior anywhere is asking them to generalize. Some dogs generalize well; once they "get" a behavior they can do it anywhere; anytime. But other dogs have a tough time generalizing. "What? I've never been asked to sit at the park, I only know how to sit in the living room." By going back to the beginning of the behavior lesson the dog can "get it" quickly and move on to the present stage of the behavior in each new environment.

As I always state; all dogs are different which means you must watch your dog as they learn. This enables you to discover what will best suit their individual educational requirements. My three all learn very differently; Jessie is an instant gratification gal, show her the food and she can learn anything within minutes. Tilley takes more repetitive work and lots of cheering on from the trainer. Luke is easily over stimulated by touch, talk or body movments; he becomes easily excited so we work very calmly with no touching and quiet praise.

Anyone can educate their canine; but it is always best to educate yourself first. It is very difficult to teach your dog if you do not understand what you are trying to teach them. By sitting down and thinking the whole behavior through you can visualize how best to teach your dog. Your confidence in the knowledge of what you are teaching will shine through in your students ability to learn the lesson. Now go teach your dog something new.

Canine bits and pieces

Good Saturday morning all; as I sit here blogging the sun is just peeking over the trees and the birds are chirping. The pooches are surrounding me as usual; this is my view while I blog every morning. This is my creative spot; I can write other places but for some reason this is where it works best. We've had our early morning snack and soon it will be out for our walk. Yesterday morning I took Tilley out with Luke to one of our favorite parks. This was only her second time there since January; sometimes there are other dogs in attendance off leash and Tilley cannot withstand any body slamming so we have to time it right. And we did; we were met by Luke's best friend, another standard poodle. One who looks quite a bit like Tilley actually.

We had made it halfway around the park when they pulled up; Luke didn't see her at first so I told him she was here. He turned abruptly, scanned the park and charged like a fool across the field. Watching them greet each other is something to see; in fact I'm hoping to capture it in the next couple of weeks for you all to see. After their exhuberant greeting she comes over and greets Tilley. Tilley is not the touchy feely type so when she is on the receiving end of lavish hugs and kisses she just lifts her head and accepts it. Sort of like "okay, if you really have to."

Before my poodle walk yesterday I had Jessie out for a sniff session of her own. She is all about the smells; we don't get that far having to sniff every piece of grass up and down but she has fun. As we made our way back to the park two women came down the path; they froze when they saw us and took a different path in the road. I too had to go that way and when they saw me coming I heard one say "oh no she's coming this way." They got as much distance as they could and waited for us to pass; they looked as uncomfortable as anyone could. So I shouted to them "not friendly?" One of the woman yelled "no; we were hoping to get good vibes from you." I said they weren't going to get that from my girl and we continued our walk.

These dogs weren't displaying; nothing. In fact they barely looked at us as we walked by. Definitely workable but nothing was going to change by running away. These type of issues have to be dealt with systematically as I wrote previously on leash aggression.

Well; off on our walk, have a great weekend.

Nail cutting

Good morning; I first want to tell you that I have joined the I love my dogs fan site. I would like to thank everyone over there for the warm welcome. This new site is a wonderful extension of the HUGE Facebook site I love my dog. I am very excited about this new endeavor.

It is nail day at my house; a day that comes around every couple of weeks or more. I know the whole issue of nail cutting is a scary one for many canine guardians. Anyone can cut or dremmel their dog's nails, you just need to be aware of a few things. Being that I started my whole dog life in the conformation show ring; nails are a non issue for me. It is something you simply have to do when you have dogs going in the ring; the judge is noticing everything. There are several options with regards to doing nails; you can cut them with either a guillotine type clipper, the scissor type or a dremmel. I have used all of these and have now after 30 years of cutting nails; settled on the dremmel.

The first nail cutter that I used was the guillotine type; which worked great but I found that the scissor type gave me a better cut. When you do cut your dogs nails it is very important to just cut off the very tip. If you are lucky and your dog has white nails then you can actually see the quick and avoid cutting it. A dogs nail has an inner fleshy part called the quick which is surrounded by the hard nail protection. If you cut too far and hit the quick it will bleed; and that hurts. The deeper you hit the quick the more it hurts; so you must be careful. Less is more when cutting nails.

Many dogs keep their nails ground down simply by walking; if you have one of these then you are lucky. But most need a trimming now and then. The back feet tend to stay shorter as they are used to propel the dog into motion. So they often don't need as much attention as the front feet. When a dog's nail are left too long it interferes in the way that they walk. The proper length is just clearing the ground when standing in a relaxed position. You should be able to slip a sheet of paper under them. Some people keep their dog's nails very short; but you must be careful not to hit the quick.

No matter which means you decide on for doing your dog's nail you must prepare your dog. Lots of positive association work before the actual cut. A common scenario is created when you begin to cut without preparation. Your dog freaks out; causing you to hold them tighter, this freaks them out even more and they fight harder. This is freaking you out now and you grab them tighter so that you don't cut their quick. The whole scene snowballs until the dog is completely and 100% convinced that nail cutting is the worst thing in the world; they don't forget this.

To start off on the right foot so to speak; introduce the clippers and food. Show the clippers and give your dog a treat. Again baby steps are the way to success here; touch the clipper on your dog's foot, treat. Tap the clipper on their nail and treat. Do this over several days until you can pick up your dog's foot and clip one nail then treat without resistance. If you get resistance from your dog then you still have positive association work to do. NEVER EVER hold you dog down firmly to cut their nails; instead make getting their nails cut a worth while necessity.

For Dremmel usage; I found it best to work on the positive association and then up to barely touching the nails for a half second. This was done for several days in a row until my dogs were showing no signs of stress. When you use a dremmel you must be careful not to burn your dog's nails. The dremmel heats up the nail with by friction so small 1-2 second touches ensure that you don't burn their nails.

To this day I still give all the dogs a treat after having their nails done. Do they enjoy it? No. But do they tolerate it? Yes. I have made it very clear that if they let me do this then they will receive a treat at the end. It is also important to build trust with your dog; more on that in a later blog.

If you do hit the quick by mistake; there is a product called quick stop that you can apply. The bleeding typically stops quickly; if it does not stop within an hour, call your vet.


Step by step how to cut your dog's nails

The tail

In this image you can clearly see Luke using his tail to maneuver a sharp turn.

This is a controversial subject; and these writings are my opinion on the subject. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. Now donning my safety suit.

How important is the tail for a dog? Way important; and this crucial piece of anatomy is often chopped off. Certain breeds; even mixes sometimes have their tails removed or docked (full or partial removal of the tail.) My own breed; the standard poodle has their tails docked as do Jack Russells. My dogs all have docked tails; do I agree with this procedure? Nope. I would love my next dog to have an intact tail but sadly they are removed as young as three days old. There are a few breeders who will set aside a specific pup with tail intact but at three days old you have no idea if that is the dog for you temperament wise so not a good idea when choosing a puppy.

Dogs tails are essential for optimum communication and maneuverability. I also feel that they deserve to keep their tails just because. Who are we to say that a dog looks better with their tail chopped off? Hogwash is what I say. Wolves have long tails and all of our dog are decendents of the wolf. Luke has a longerish tail which I love; it is a nice visual and is a tell tale about how he is feeling.

Tails are huge in communication; I watch tails all the time if they have them. Tails speak volumes and cutting them off hinders a dogs ability to fully communicate. Dogs who have little or no tail create a challenge for the receiver of their communications. And if you watch dogs in action you see just how much they use their tails. Tails are used for balance and direction changes. As a lover of action photography I get the chance to see the tail in action alot. By freezing dogs in full out maneuvering positions you see the tail usage clearly.

Tilley almost lost her tail several years back due to a severe injury. On our second visit to the vet for this reason he suggested that we amputate. At 11 years of age I did not want her to undergo surgery nor did the idea of chopping her tail off sound good to me. I could just imagine the pain she would have to endure. I gladly report that she still has her tail, completely intact. It took around the clock nursing for several months but we came through with a full tail. :)

I am also happy to say that there are a few rebel breeders out there who are taking a stand and not chopping off tails. Many of these people are involved in some type of performance with their dogs and see how much dogs do use their tails. If you do some research you can find these breeders. Perhaps there will come a day when we look back shaking our heads at the idea of cutting off tails, we can hope.

Here are several links in regards to tail docking.

Young Lawyers Animal Rights committee

Advocates for animals

Communication study