Sleeping dogs

Good Tuesday morning; I hope that all of you had a great Holiday weekend and your pups made it through all the booming. I spent a good part of the day photographing my dogs; it is one of those luxuries, having them there to shoot whenever the whim hits me. They are amazingly good sports and will do whatever I ask of them; but typically it is "be yourself." I love capturing dogs being dogs and yesterday after a long walk and spending much of their time outside they were very tired. They were all crashed in the living room so; yep, I got out my camera.

One of my favorite things to shoot is dogs in action; I love being able to freeze it and see what you would never see unless you indeed froze time. But I also love shooting sleeping dogs; when they are at their most relaxed state, the complete opposite of action. They are adorable aren't they? As a trainer I know that a tired dog is a good dog and a tired dog also makes a great model; especially when you want to capture them sleeping. Jessie was on the dog bed in the living room; Luke on the couch and Tilley at the front door on the floor. I have to be very calm and quiet; but even at my best I still cause a stir. Just a small one and they usually drift off back to dreamland.

Jessie was looking totally adorable sleeping; I snapped away and she woke up. She had a little grooming session and went off again. Luke was asleep but sort of with one eye open; things were going on and he hates to miss anything so I have some with eyes open and caught a couple as he drifted off. Tilley was out; completely out and never stirred as I shot her, she had a long day for a 13 year old and was completely exhausted.

There is something very serene about watching a dog sleep; it is at that very moment when they are at their most relaxed. A dog that is asleep is in a safe zone; a place where they feel they can close their eyes and rest, I love it. I often see Tilley out in the yard asleep in the sun and I love that she feels secure enough in her yard to drift off. Luke has a more difficult time sleeping in the yard; if he does it is on her lounge and it is not a sound sleep. He is a much more nervous dog so closing his eyes doesn't come quite as easy.

Creating an environment where our dogs can feel safe enough to let down their guard; throw all their cares to the wind and close their eyes is our job. Once you have achieved this and your dog feels at home as much you; you can smile at a job well done. And enjoy one of the simple things in life; watching your dog sleep.

This and that

I was stopped twice yesterday on our walk; "what kind of dog is that?" They were asking about Tilley; who is a blue standard poodle. Both of my poodles are unrecognizable to the average Joe; they have no telltale pompoms. The simple fact that they have no puffs leaves people mystified; pondering as to what the heck they are. A couple of days ago while walking Luke; a Mother and her children were heading my way. I heard her loud and clear as she approached; "look guys a labradoodle, it's a labradoodle." When she got within talking distance I said "nope not a labradoodle; a poodle." "Really; just a poodle?" she said and then apologized for saying just. She said she didn't mean just.

This is something I've grown accustom to hearing after so many years having very different looking poodles. I have had poofless poodles for a long time; ever since I shaved them off because of a comment. I was at the beach with Tilley who at the time was in her prime and a super athlete; she'd had a great time swimming and retrieving. She was wet and covered in sand as we left the beach; a guy passed us and said "bet she'd rather be at the beauty parlor." Are you kidding me? Did he really just say that?

After countless conversations about Tilley being a frisbee dog and hearing "poodles can catch frisbees?" Another great one was "poodles can run?" I decided to take it off; all off. And that was that; no more poofs anywhere. Poodles have a bad rap; I'd had enough. I remember taking much heat from some of the members of a poodle group I was on. "Why would you have poodles if you don't want a poodle to look like a poodle?" was the comment. Newsflash; poodles don't look like poodles, it is the humans that make them look like poodles. Poodles are just curly coated retrievers; that's it. They are an amazingly utility breed; not like the prissy type dogs that most people think that they are.

The pompoms were originally adorned on the poodle to protect vital organs and joints from the cold water that they were retrieving in. Bred originally as a water retriever the poodle kept their pompoms and which have since been made even more elaborate.

But the poodle is a dog like any other dog. And like the other dogs; I adore them for who they are, not for the fancy hairdos that people put upon them.

Truck bed dogs

Happy 4th everyone; have a wonderful, fun and safe day. A reminder to keep all of your dogs locked up in the house safe and sound.

I am often at a loss for words; sometimes I just don't know what to write about as ponder my morning blog. But all it takes is a visual; just one and I've got my blog theme for the following day. Yesterday I was driving down to San Diego; it was moving day for my girls so we headed down to help out. We were driving along and there in front of us in the back of an SUV was a Great Dane with the window completely down. I gasped as I noticed that the dogs body filled the window; his entire body and half down his legs were there at the open window. If anything happened; a bump in the road, a sudden acceleration that dog would go flying out of the car and onto the freeway. I yelled through my car window "close that window;" and oddly enough they did. When I shouted out of anger they were several cars ahead; perhaps they realized how dangerous this was for their dog just at that moment?

The traffic was heavy; not bumper to bumper, we were moving and about 1/2 hour later a guy pulls in front of me with a big German Shepherd in the bed of his truck. The dog stood well over the edge of the truck in height; and was attached by a thin leash which was tucked into the truck bed tool box. The leash was in no way going to save this dog's life if an accident occurred or the dog lost his balance. I don't how many articles that I have read where a "truck dog" lost their life. They sped up ahead of me; leaving me shaking my head yet again.

As the owner drives in the comfort of the truck cab the "truck dog" hangs on for their life in the bed. It may look like a great ride for the dog; their head in the air, ears flapping in the wind. But this is a dangerous situation for the dog; a life threatening situation. Many dogs have slipped out the back of a truck; unnoticed by their owner they are dragged to their death. Others fly out from a sudden stop or acceleration. Dogs should accompany their owner in the cab and preferably in the back seat of the truck.

A little further down the freeway a car whizzed by with a very large Golden retriever hanging out the window. This was not just a head hanging out but 3/4 of the dogs body. One wrong move and that dog was going to end up on the freeway. Again I was left shaking my head; hence my need to blog about this issue today. Below are several articles I found on the subject.

Pets in pick-ups

Dogs riding in pick-ups

Dog days of summer

Our job is to protect and care for our dogs; keep'm safe and inside the truck.

Old dogs; what do they eat?

I'm up early; getting a head start on the day. Jessie followed me down to the kitchen and had her piece of toast; tiny but she looks forward to her early morning snack. I've been wondering as of late what the really old dogs eat. I mean really old; the ones that make the Guinness World book of records. So I've been surfing around for these old pooch facts. And I found what I thought I would find; no dog food. Before dog food was around; way back when our dogs ate food, real food. I do not like to use the term "people food;" it's just food, food for all.

Walking my girls yesterday morning and see them charge around made me wonder if my feeding them real food will actually extend their life. Jessie is 14 and doesn't look it; Tilley is 13 with Vestibular disease but is doing amazing. So this is what got me to thinking and surfing the net for some other old dog diets. These are a few that I discovered while looking around for old dogs and what they eat.

Bella 29 years old

Uno 22 years old

Old dog secrets

So I'm hoping that my three dogs who eat real food will have the same results as far as longevity. I do know that when Jessie was 6 years old and nearly died that she was left with lingering issues. She was loosing hair; she had not grown her hair back from her surgery and was generally not doing well. This is when I switched completely to real food and she made a complete turn around before our eyes. This is one fact that I can state about eating real food.

Luke has also seen very few seizures (he is epileptic) since the complete change. I went back and forth for years; feeding real and dog food, now with only real food they are doing amazingly well and hopefully will into the far future. It is not science but it is something to ponder about.

Canine/human connection

What else is there? The canine/human connection is at the heart of our passion for dogs; there is nothing that stirs our heart more than seeing the amazing connection that some people have with their dog. Whether it is a child and a dog sharing a moment of quiet time, an elderly man walking his senior dog or a Dad throwing the frisbee for his dog............perfection. When it comes to a connection; there is no prerequisite, no previous experience required, it is simply a connection between two species that is mutually beneficial.

The connection is one of my favorite things to capture; that special moment when anyone looking at the image can see it. A connection isn't always a look; it may be visualized by a touch, a position of a hand, a head turn or expression. In fact their is no distance requirement for a connection; I have seen images of dogs where the space between the human and dog is great, yet the connection is surely there.

I feel so lucky to have the luxury of many daily connections. Often while out on a walk; one of my dogs will give me a quick glance over their shoulder, it makes me smile. While I am submersed in work I will regularly be the recipient of a head nudge; a need for a touch as I glance down to see those big brown eyes looking back at me. We share a moment; it may be a fleeting moment, often it evolves into a snugglefest, a connection either way.

One of my all time favorite connections is the check in glance; the reassurance that your dogs one and only is still within sight. Luke is always checking in; even when we watch television in the evening. He assumes his regular position; dead center in the family room facing the television (he watches with us) he will turn and look over his shoulder, we connect and he gets his "okay good face on" and continues his t.v. watching.

By watching a dogs body language you will often see a connection that has nothing to do with eye contact. Being a photographer I'm always watching; I'm actually a watcher by nature and love to witness a connection. A dog's ear posture, facial expression and body tells of a connection that is there. If I say the mere word "Daddy," to my girl Tilley her whole body changes, her ears lay as flat as possible and her eyes close in a slight squint. It is he alone; Dad who creates this connection without even being present.

If you watch for them; they are all around you, that is if you live with dogs. The amazing connection, the canine/human connection. A glance over a shoulder, a face rub, a wag from across the yard, a lean or a simple look that tells you that you are connected. You my friend are one of the lucky ones; as am I.

Behavior changes??

First let me say Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian Family and readers; party it up. Now onto dogs; over the years living with our dogs we get to know their ins and outs but your dog's behavior can change, age can bring on a change or they can simply start doing things they've never done before for no apparent reason. Often we cannot figure out what the change is all about. A couple of nights ago I came downstairs after dinner to watch some t.v. I noticed Tilley sniffing around the coffee table; something she has taken to in her age. I ran upstairs for a moment to grab a glass of water and came back down to see Tilley eating money. She had taken a dollar bill off of the table that I put there earlier in the day; I found it in the dryer. So not only did it have nothing good in it; it was really clean. She has always been one to eat wrappers; but those typically have residue of some sort in them, this was new. "HEY; DROP IT," I startled her. She dropped the money and lay her ears flat down; whooooops. I asked her "since when do you eat money?" Of course she didn't answer but she kept her ears flat realizing she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing, a rare occurance.

The day before this incident Tilley had gotten into the garbage; very uncharacteristic. For anyone who knows Tilley personally or knows of her; she is.................well Lassie in poodle clothing. She normally would never think of doing anything rude; let alone bad. I remember my male poodle Clyde; now long gone but in his old age he resorted to eating lipgloss. Having two young teenage daughters at the time there was much conflict in the house. Bonnie Bell made a killing on all the replacements I bought that year.

If your dog is displaying a new and strange behavior it can be due to you having inadvertently trained it. You could have created an association that you were not aware that you'd even produced but presto a new behavior. Often if you sit and think about what your dog is doing; pick it apart, you will discover the cause. Jessie is displaying a new behavior; when I start making dinner, our dinner she wants to go outside. She goes out the kitchen door and just stands there. It is like clockwork now; and if I don't let her out she will just stand there staring outside. She doesn't need to go outside; she just wants to stand on the other side of the door. I've been trying to piece together this behavior; did I somehow create an association between going outside and food? She is a little pig so food is where I start. It could simply be that she is 14; but to do it day after day and only at dinner preparation time. Strange.

Many new behaviors start from a reaction; a reaction from us towards a needy dog. Luke is needy; he likes special treatment, he likes to be fussed over. He has recently taken to eating 3/4 of his food then hesitantly walking away. He is waiting for me to say "Luke finish your dinner or breakfast." He then turns around and comes back and finishes. Funny guy. This is a quirky behavior; one that he has made up to suit his need to be fussed over. Some behaviors can be worrisome and these may require immediate attention; you might just have to figure them out or at least counter condition the behavior whether you figure it out or not.

Canine behaviors are a reaction to an action; they are caused by an association of some sort. Most can be changed with just a little intervention; some need more work. But almost all behaviors can be counter conditioned; which means to teach a different association response, one that is incompatible with the current behavior. For example; your dog wants to stand outside the kitchen door while you make dinner. You teach your dog that it is beneficial to lay on the bed in the kitchen while you make dinner by rewarding this behavior. She can't do both at the same time and she will choose the behavior that is rewarded.

Dogs are amazingly smart and learn things we don't want them to learn. If I grab a towel and head to the downstairs bathroom; all the dogs run for the hills. Towel in Mom's hand in the downstairs bathroom can mean only one thing; bath time. If your dog is exhibiting a new a strange behavior; first look at yourself, have you taught your dog something you didn't know you were teaching them?

**Of course there are some instances where a dog will change their behavior due to illness. If you suspect this could be the cause; get your dog to the vet immediately. Illness or pain can be a cause for a change in behavior or exhibiting new behaviors.**

Life in a shelter

I'm up early this morning; actually even before the birds. We have several feeders in the yard and to wake to the sound of silence is strange; I'm just hearing the first chirps now; it's 5:30. Last evening I took Luke down to the beach for a walk; he loves the beach as do I and I enjoy it even more when it is nice and cool. I got a few great shots of the boy and we just sat and chilled. Luke is a reactive dog; which basically means that he never misses a thing and when he reacts it is bigger than a normal reaction. Although now almost 10 years of age his reactions are somewhat reduced. I wanted to talk about dogs in shelters this morning; and the reason I started with Luke is that I always think about Luke in a shelter situation.

Dogs in shelters are not themselves; depending on the individual dog will factor in on how they adjust or handle living in a shelter situation. A shelter is no place for a dog; even the best of shelters is a highly stressful environment. When a dog is put into a shelter; they are in a completely alien place with strange people, strange dogs and lots of noise. I know that Luke would not be a model citizen in a shelter situation; he would most likely be one of those dogs growling at everyone. Growling is what he does when he is scared; very different when he is happy. He loves just about everyone in a normal surrounding situation.

Even Tilley; Miss perfect would probably be at the back of the cage with terror in her eyes, not exactly looking like "adopt me." I have been called in many times to help with a dog that seems to have all of a sudden changed. The people adopted the dog from the shelter; up to this point she has been wonderful and then she changed, she is displaying odd behaviors. Dogs adapt to life changes and when put in a shelter situation they do the best they know how; often this is a mask. This mask can take up to 6 months or more to come off but once they start to feel at home you will then see the true dog.

Any second hand dog can throw you a curve ball; heck even first hand dogs can display behaviors that are hard to figure out. But being that a second hand dog has had a life previous to the one with you; there may be flashback behaviors. Behaviors that are a result of past situations; experiences or interactions. Most shelters do their best; but it still is no place for a dog, it is the equivalent of prison. A dog is put into a cage; surrounded by others in cages and subjected to constant barking. The big difference is that they do not know why they are there. So you must expect a wide spectrum of behaviors from this experience itself.

Some dogs are more resilient than others and just deal with what life throws them. Others turn inwards; their way of dealing is to shutdown. These are some of the most hard hit; as they often dwell at the back of the cage, their eyes filled with terror and "keep away from me." For a dog that has only known one life; perhaps a dog that has lived in a home and is now in a cage beside numbers of others who bark constantly, it's tough. There is no escaping the noise; you cannot hide from the lines of people passing the front of the cage, peering in staring at you. This is no place for a dog.

They are scared; and scared dogs react to the situation at hand. Some will try to keep everyone away by snarling and growling, these are not all bad dogs. These are dogs in a bad situation. Once removed from this situation; even taken into a larger space where they can run and move away you see a huge difference in behavior. A dog needs space; they need to feel that they can move away or approach, take that away and there are consequences. When a shelter has a number of large "play" areas where dogs can be more free to interact with other dogs and people they suffer less trauma. Life in a shelter can become a little more tolerable.

More and more shelters are changing; creating bigger living quarters for the dogs and making it less prison like. I visited a shelter in San Diego not too long ago that was wonderful. The dogs were not stressed; many lay on their couch or bed wagging their tail, and they had ample room to roam around. As well as shelters becoming better places; more and more Foster programs are popping up. Rescue groups with lists of foster families taking in one, two or three dogs at a time and giving them a more "family life" environment to spend their time while they wait for their forever home.

Dogs have emotions and if you think that a dog growling at a shelter is a bad or odd behavior think for a moment; what if you were snatched up and thrown into a small cage? What if you had no idea why or where you were; you'd be pretty freaked out. This is only a fraction of the terror a dog feels when they are in a shelter; we must expect behaviors that portray how they are feeling. If you are planning on visiting a shelter anytime soon; first off, good for you. Secondly; don't pass by the dog at the back of the cage; the one trying very hard to disappear, this could be the most wonderful dog in the world. This could be your next heart dog.

Fear and fireworks

NEVER BRING YOUR DOG TO A FIREWORKS DISPLAY

With July 4th just around the corner I thought I'd talk about this particular fear based behavior. Tilley is my fearful dog; she is terrified of fireworks. She never use to be; back when we lived in Canada it was Clyde (my male before Luke) who was petrified of storms and fireworks. It was about 6 years ago when she first showed signs of fireworks fear. Up until that point she had been fine with storms and light up the sky celebrations. So what happened? Who knows but she is now one of the many dogs fearful of fireworks.

All dogs display their fear differently; Tilley digs, she is luckily not a runner. Clyde was a climber and runner; running is the worst. If they get out of the safety of their home they can end up anywhere as they mindless attempt to run from the explosions. But luckily Tilley doesn't run; she hides and has been found in the bathroom; perhaps she feels safe in the small room. I located her once in our closet; she had tossed the entire contents in the small area everywhere. She'd dug and dug to no avail; there she lay at the top of the heap that she'd created. Tilley is obviously trying to hide; to somehow get away from the object of her fear by digging a hole.

Since the appearance of her fireworks fear have tried our best to ignore it and go about our business as usual. We rarely go out to watch the displays; opting to be at home just to be sure that she is fine. But last year we tried something new; we have a great balcony off of our bedroom where we sit and watch. The displays are pretty far away so there is no loud booming or huge explosions right near where we sit; it is all in the distance. We got chairs out and brought the three dogs out there to watch with us. Because they are so far away; I thought it might just help her to become accustom to the sound so that she may have a lesser fear response. (NEVER BRING YOUR DOG TO A FIREWORKS DISPLAY) We sat with a glass of wine and chatted; Luke and Jessie lay on their bed and Tilley paced. She paced and sat; then paced some more. So I asked her to come and sit by me; I did not touch her.

Soon she started to relax; everything around her was calm, I got my camera out with my big zoom lens and shot fireworks and she watched us intently. This is when it is EXTREMELY important to play "chill." You need to do your best and most relaxed display of behavior ever; sort of like "what fireworks?" She was soon relaxing; not completely but there was a marked improvement. I decided to get out her ball and see if we could even create a positive association; all is well when you are playing with a tennis ball. I tossed it around to see if there was any tiny interest; Luke snatched it up in a flash. This was good because it took Tilley's mind off of the noise and flashes and onto Luke stealing the tennis ball. And with Luke playing ball; this had a very calming affect on Tilley.

She is not cured of her fireworks fear but she sure got through it last year with flying colors. This year I am hoping to try out a product call the Thunder shirt; I am very excited to try it out and hope that it gets here in time for the fireworks display. And on Tilley's next visit to the vet I will give it a try as well; she comes unglued when there is a veterinarian visit required.

For all dog owners; even ones who do not have dogs that already show signs of fear during fireworks, pay extra attention to safety.

- Make sure that your dog is indoors safely confined; keep dog doors closed.
- Turn the tv or radio on to add some constant noise.
- If your dog is fearful; best to stay home with them.
- Many dogs become injured trying to get out of a house when they are in such a state of fear; often a crate is the only safe place for these guy.
- Never respond to fear behaviors with petting and hugging.
- Put on your best "chill" face; inform the entire family to do the same.

Far too many dogs end up in shelters or worse on July 4th; left in their yard they become frenzied and attempt to escape the noise. Once they are out they will just run. In this state they have no idea where they are running; they are just running. So lock up the dogs on July 4th and NEVER BRING YOUR DOGS TO A FIREWORKS DISPLAYS.

Monday morning-temperament testing

Good Monday morning; we had a pretty busy weekend and it ended with three dogs in the shower and drying well into sunset. Because the dogs had a later day bath they were a bit damp come a very late dinner; Jessie was shivering. So my hubby went and got her a big down comforter; wrapped her up like a burrito and she slowly stopped shivering. Only her eyes were peeking out of the blanket; enough for her to watch us eating our dinner, she doesn't like to miss a thing. But she was very happy to be in there; snug as a bug in a rug.

I've been photographing a lot of puppies lately; love it. From little balls of fluff piled all over each other to 2 week old first attempts at walking up to little rowdies running around brawling. There is nothing like watching puppies; you never need a television if you have a puppy around. It is simply fascinating watching them learn; seeing them take in each new item, event and situation. How they react to everything is very individual; each has very distinct personality traits that make them the dog they are. So each puppy with it's particular temperament will best fit a certain type of family situation and it's human pack members.

This is where puppy temperament testing comes in. I am a huge fan of temperament testing; being a tester myself I witness first hand just how different a litter can be. It is amazing to see each individual reaction as I go through the tests. There are many tests that we do; it takes about 15 min. per puppy. Most good breeders who raise their litters in their home with them have a good read on their pups already. But having a stranger do a temperament sometimes brings out surprises.

When you have a litter of puppies; no matter what breed they are, they quickly establish a hierarchy. Size means nothing; it is all attitude so often the biggest looking puppy is the gentle giant and the tiny frail looking puppy may be the toughest in the litter. But take each of those puppies away from their litter; into an unfamiliar environment all alone with a stranger and see how they react, things can be very different outside the pack. So what does all these different temperament results mean exactly? What it gives the breeder is a look at where each puppy would be suited best to live; or who would be best suited for each puppy. Often a litter is very similar making placements much easier; but sometimes it is quite clear that a particular puppy is best suited to a certain type of home. Maybe a more experienced owner is required, perhaps someone who has time to work with a slightly unsure type of puppy or a person who really wants to train and work with an over achiever. Often prospective puppy owners have a definite something they are looking for; perhaps a therapy dog, a superstar agility performer or a best friend for the children. This is where you can fine tune placement with temperament testing.

Even after many litters I am still fascinated to see the difference within a litter. What a breeder does with puppies can effect a test; puppies who live a sheltered life who are not able to get out and explore different environments, people and items will be more apprehensive. The more they experience in their early weeks makes a huge impact in their later life; it sort of gives them an advantage in life so to speak.

Temperament testing is not the end story; it simply gives you a glimpse into where a puppy would be best placed. From that moment of placing it is up to the new family to move ahead and get the puppy socialized to their new life. Having the puppy that best suits your life and family makes things run a whole lot smoother for everyone involved.

Good morning

Good Sunday morning all; it is overcast here, June gloom and I love it. Yesterday was wonderfully overcast making it a joy to walk the dogs. My pooches have all had their early morning snack and have hunkered down and entered back into the deep sleep zone. No one is in a big hurry to get up and get going which is just fine with me. Taking your time and enjoying the moment is what weekends are for.

Last night I got into my new book; Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD. So far I'm loving it and have heard rave reviews. Its just out but if you want it you should probably get a copy now; they are going fast. I got mine on Amazon.com and it got to me in three days. This is going to be one of those "must have" books for all canine guardians. I'll let you know when I'm done and how I liked it.

So onto today; a trip to Long beach is in the works, should be a nice day for it. But first will be an outing for the dogs; once they've had their walk and a nice breakfast they will be out for the day. Then it'll be back at it on Monday with a full dog week ahead. All three are headed for the shower bath and sun dry first thing tomorrow morning. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Things have changed- reflections

Walking around the park with Tilley yesterday I realized how things have changed. I clearly remember being out with my poodles and having that sense of safety, with big dogs around you don't worry. They can handle themselves pretty well and made me feel that if anything came down that they would protect me too. But things have changed; as I scan the park to be sure that there are no young rowdies running around. I just cannot have a young energy packed dog barrel into Tilley; I hover around her like she is a toddler, ready to catch her if she falls.

I kick her ball around the park to get her running; she loves it but falls often now. With her added Vestibular disease she's also crooked at 13 so if she gets going too fast she tends to head dive every so often. When other dogs do come around I'm like a hired security guard standing between the other dog and Tilley; always ready to intervene when needed. One wrong move and she is down for the count; but I'm there to help her to her feet again.

Aging is a fact of life; change. Change as a dog ages is neither good nor bad; it just is. With my little Jack Russell the change has been that she doesn't see or hear like she use to. She is often running around the house in a panic because she cannot find me. She doesn't clean up the kitchen floor like she use to and she is startled by our touch constantly. But as far as her body aging; that doesn't seemed to have started yet, she is still the little tank she's always been.

Even Luke is now showing his age and although he is not frail like Tilley; he is much less able to take a hit from a younger dog. He will be 10 in August and he looks amazing for his age; everyone says so. As a big dog it is his body that is failing him first; his energy level is intact as are his eyes and ears. So with an energy level still going strong it is difficult for us to cut his walks shorter. Its been a process; slowly slowing down.

But things sure haved changed; from the days when miles and miles of running didn't phase any of the dogs to now knowing a stroll around the park is enough to put them out for the day. When they go down for a rest now; it's a much needed deep sleep. Tilley spends most of her day now on the couch in the family room sleeping. Jessie typically is on one of the beds in our bedroom and Luke rest but is still my constant shadow; even if getting up and moving is becoming a slower process.

If it were somehow in my power to control time I would leave us forever in 2005.

Resilience of a dog

The tears started as soon as I laid eyes on him; and as soon as they started they were gone as he licked my face, Courage. I met Courage yesterday; the German Shepherd that had been left in his yard to die. Courage narrowly escaped death being rescued by OC German Shepherd rescue from the accused. The rescue group are an amazing group of people. I'd read the stories of his struggle to survive and now here he was giving me one of the warmest greetings I've ever received. So you know; he looks amazing and extremely happy as you can see from the above images. So after our greeting we moved on as he had clearly done; living in the past is such a human thing to do and I had to shake off my own memories of what I had read and just enjoy this wonderful boy in the here and now.

The amazing resilience of a dog; it is truly inspiring to see dogs that have been mistreated, abused, starved and worse, hold no ill feelings towards the human race. I've met dogs who were dumped out in the middle of nowhere; left to die from the very humans who were their caregivers. I've met dogs who have been injured by a human hand; others who have been left with no human contact in their backyard. Many dogs are abandoned by their humans and still many hold no contempt for us. Dogs move on; some are left with residual issues caused by trauma, many simply never look back.

How can a dog brought to the edge forgive, forget and move on with complete trust in humans? Dogs are truly amazing; to put so much hope in the next person that they meet is beyond inspirational. Dogs have great hope; and many end up in the hands of wonderful rescue groups like the one above. The dedication and caring that these groups fulfill fuels the canine hope and they do come to the rescue. The sheer determination of a canine to keep plodding along when life has dealt them such horrific situations often leads them to a second chance at a wonderful life; many throw 100% of themselves into this and live again.

Recently I photographed a huge adoption event; I was admittedly hesitant and thought that it might be tough to do, so many homeless dogs. I left with a new sense of hope; hope in people. I was inspired by the number of caring people; all there for one reason, the good of the dog. Perhaps it is this that dogs see in humans; there is hope and it lies in the amazingly dedicated people who rescue them. Compassion is a powerful ignition; when humans have it and use it for the good of animals, great things happen. Each voice and every hand that reaches out to help animals is influential. Never worry that you are but one voice. You can make a difference; one voice at a time. SR

Controlling the beast

I'm sure everyone who walks their dog on a regular basis has crossed paths with a not so friendly dog on a leash. Typically the owner of these dogs is mortified; which they should not be, it is alot more common than not. In our world of leash laws; we have taken away our dogs ability to freely communicate. Correspondence get lost as the leash tightens. And as we humans tend to do; as the leash tightens igniting a frenzy from our dogs, we are sent into a stress induced adrenaline rush. So not only are we left with a dog that needs work; we need even more work.

Just the other day I had Luke out for a really nice walk; it was cool, we were relaxed and enjoying the fresh morning. Up ahead was a woman I'd seen before; two doxie's (weiner dogs) that were a bit feisty but nothing had happened before. This fact could have been because I usually give feisty a good big space. But this morning was different; one of the little dogs went off on Luke and slipped his collar which enabled him to charge us. He made impact and Luke countered his tiny attack; I pulled Luke in and the woman grabbed her dog. I quickly kicked into chill mode "whoa; that was pretty weird eh Luke?" This is imperative; and we happy continued our walk unphased. And I should add that the woman did not apologize for this attack; please always apologize.

There is another dog that we see regularly at the park; this is not a small dog but it acts in the same manner. The problem is with this one is that it looks like the gentleman who walks this dog is just barely hanging on. No one wants to see a big dog going crazy on the end of the leash with someone who looks like they are loosing their grip; literally. Control is the first issue; you need to make sure that this dog is not going to slip their collar or slip out of your hands. Had the doxie that went after Luke gone after one of the other dogs at the park; things could have turned out very different for the little dog.

Along with control is space; you must give yourself enough space to calm the beast. When you start working with a dog that has leash aggression issues you need to go far enough away from what causes the problem to alleviate the problem, then start there. Often sight alone starts it all so you may need to be 40-50 feet away to start teaching the calm. But the first thing that needs to be worked on is your own calm and knowing that your dog is firmly attached by their collar or harness and that you are capable of holding the leash is a starting point. When you know your dog is securely attached and that you have good control; calm is within reach for you. Having a flustered owner on the other end of the leash only fuels a leash aggressive dog.

So take a breath; chill, hold tight and get some distance. Now go walk your dog.

A dogs point of view

Yesterday I was stopped at a red light just around the corner from my house. I have several schools right in the area so the traffic is horrendous at certain times of the day. It was lunch time and I knew the traffic would be heavy before I started out; so there I was sitting at the light patiently awaiting my turn. I watched the crossing guards leaving and as they passed me I heard some serious barking. Being that I was just sitting there anyway I turned around and watched a canine/human interaction. It wasn't a good one and it was all the humans fault.

A doodle of some sort was barking at the women as they approached his van; the women stopped and wanted to say hello. I could see the dogs tail through the window; it was low and wagging, his body posture was relaxed. The dog was friendly but on guard as well; this was his car and the ladies both had on hats and sun glass and were facing him straight on; how rude. They tried talking to him to soothe his barking but their actions only fueled the barking. I felt like yelling "turn sideways" out the window. One of the women put a hand out and he barked even more; the light turned green and I had to move on.

We just don't get it; dogs are not humans, they have a different language than us. In dog language these woman were being very rude in their abrupt approach; and the women were not listening to what the dog had to say. I've been witness to humans doing all the wrong things so many times. Many dogs do not want to say hello; and upon hearing this some people cannot believe it. "Dogs love me," they state as if to say that the dog is mistaken in their not wanting to meet this human behavior somehow. They proceed; pushing their emotions out ahead of what the dog is feeling. The dog displays clear "leave me alone" body language yet the person pushes on. Finally; left with no other recourse the dog growls. "What's wrong with that dog?"

This whole scenario plays out far too often; the dog was speaking loud and clear but the human wasn't listening. Recently I was at a dog event; there were a lot of dogs in cages and as I passed one bunch of cages a small scared dog was growling and snapping at a boy who had push his hand near the cage. The person in charge went of and asked the dog what the problem was. She did the same and the dog did the same; it snapped at her hand. Being that the woman worked with dogs regularly; she should have known. She put her hand near the cage again and got the same reaction; she looked surprised. The dog was visually stressed; he had no where to retreat, he had no other option but to keep the people away with his own behavior, being that he could not move away himself.

I meet dogs on a regular basis; probably far more than the average person and I greet with caution. Just because someone says that their dog is friendly does not mean that I; a strange human can proceed like the owner does. Of course there are dogs that are cool with everyone; they would go home with anyone and climb right into your lap. But most dogs are different when dealing with strangers; it's a fact and their right. Do you want a stranger coming up and giving you a hug? Probably not. And if you are like most people you also have a larger personal space when dealing with strangers vs. loved ones; I sure do.

Most dogs are master communicators; far better than we are. Watching my dogs meet new dogs while on walks is fascinating. Luke is a dominant and confident dog; he displays this very well. Most young or insecure type dogs will greet him with squinting eyes and lowered body posture; the way that they should. If we happen upon another dog like Luke; we skip the greeting and move on.

When I am out with Jessie and I on a rare occasion decide to let her greet someone; most dogs amaze me. Jessie is about as confident as you can get; even nearly blind and deaf she gets her message across loud and clear. Many dogs will stop in their tracks; take a second take and make no further approach. Others will attempt a slow approach; as if approaching a ticking bomb. Jessie gives them one faster than lightening head turn and huge growl and they withdraw. If the dog then approaches with a lowered body and no eye contact; there may be a greeting if her Majesty agrees.

We are our dogs caregivers and as such it is our chosen obligation to protect them. Many times I have flung an arm out to stop an advancing child or even adult. Your dog will tell you how they feel about a greeting; watch carefully. And if they are not into a particular greeting; go with their wishes and pass.

Our problem as humans is that we assume too much and watch too little.

Variety vs same ole

Many canine guardians are told to feed one and only one dog food (kibble) by the veterinarian. Coming from a professional it seems the thing to do right? I am happy to say that we've come a long way baby; things are changing and in a great way. Canine nutrition is very controversial; from the die hard Purina or Iams feeders to the completely raw feeders and everything in between. No matter what you feed your dog; variety is a very important factor in getting the best nutrition that you can. Variety also makes life a whole lot more simple and less diarrhea filled. ;)

In the old days; my old days, we fed kibble. After asking my vet at the young age of eighteen if there was a difference between the expensive stuff and the generic food I received the answer of "they're all the same," I fed of course generic food. Okay I was young and didn't question like I do now. So my dogs ate their dog food; and enjoyed it, although now looking back, if that's all you get then you better eat it right? My dogs today eat nothing like my dogs of the past did; and I am happy about that. Life is an evolution; a never ending supply of education. What you do with that education is entirely up to you; I tend to keep it in the brain for a while, mull it around and toss what I feel useless material. Keeping the good stuff and implementing it into my life with varying degrees.

I feed my dogs a huge variety of food; they get tidbits throughout the day as I see fit and I let them try new things everyday. Tilley just tried fire roasted red peppers last night. She did as I thought she would and turn her lips up at it at first; it's a weird texture, but after I told her that it was indeed to eat she gave it a go and wanted more. I was making lentils with the peppers so let her try it; they were regular peppers, not the hot type. Last night my guys actually had a kibble night; it is rare but I make sure they get kibble at least once a month. This is so that if I ever had to dash off somewhere leaving my dogs care to someone else; they could eat kibble in my absence. The one kibble I use is Orijen; I feed all the different flavors to them as well. This is for emergency sake; not everyone is cool with making dog food or feeding raw, so it is a realistic scenario I am prepared for.
If I go away on a planned trip; all food is prepared ahead of time and put into proper portions.

Taking the leap from dog food (kibble) to real food can be very scary; I completely get this. That big bag of dog food is safe; someone said it was the best thing to feed your dog right? You feel good knowing that complete nutrition is in the bag; but is it? Not all foods are made alike; that includes dog food. So if you are a kibble feeder do your research and make sure that it is the best food you can buy.
And don't be afraid to mix it up; feed several different foods to your dog. Start of course by adding a little bit to your dog existing food until you have switched completely. Then start again with another blend; you will soon discover that you can switch things up more quickly when your dog becomes accustom to eating different foods.

In the wild; wolves do not eat the same meal everyday and neither do my dogs. This morning they will eat chicken, ground egg shells and veggies; then tonight they may have some raw beef, cranberries, arugula and bonemeal. Tomorrow maybe some nice salmon for breakfast probiotics, apple and carrots and then eggs for dinner, different all the time. They get cheese and toast in the morning as a snack before going on their big walk and I keep organic chicken and rice strips in my pack for along the way. Another food I like to keep on hand is freeze dried Stella and Chewys; I love these little weird pucks of food. When I'm in a pinch for time it is a great substitute meal. I use them as treats all the time and to sneak some extra calories into my ever so fussy Mr. Luke.

The fact is that the fresher the food; the more nutrition. I buy very little prepared foods for my family and that includes my dogs.

Counter surfing

Anyone who knows me; knows that counter surfing is a big no no. My clients know how much it bothers me; they've all heard my ranting about dogs on the counter. Counter surfing is when a dog get's their paws up onto your counter and surfs around for food. Many dogs do it but there is no excuse for it; unless of course it doesn't bother you. Hey; your house, your kitchen, your counter and your dog. Makes absolutely no difference if I hate the fact that your dog gets on the counter; you live with your dog, not me. But in my house? No surfing allowed.

The biggest issue with surfing is the initial trial visits; do they result in a reason to return? Did your dog find some food up there making it an irresistible place to stay away from? Does your dog have access to the counter when you are out? If so why wouldn't they surf up there for the chance of finding a tasty morsel. The bottom line is that dogs are opportunists and if the opportunity arises to eat food from the counter; they will. That is unless you ingrain a clear message of "off limits," with regards to the counter.

It all starts from the first sniff; when you are teaching the no counter surfing lesson you have to let your dog know that the counter belongs to you and you do not share it. A sniff at the edge of the counter is the beginning of going up and onto the counter; nip it in the bud. Young dogs need to be stopped from climbing up on the cupboards to try to reach the counter. Even though it may be cute because they are little; this is just the beginning. A straight head sniff quickly turns to the head turned sniff which is the the step before going up and on, stop the first sniff.

When you are trying to teach the no surfing lesson is of utmost importance that your dog not have access to the counter when you are away. So baby gate the kitchen off, use a crate or put them in another room. If they only do it when you aren't around; this is what they learn. Size is not an issue when teaching your dog not to counter surf. Some of the worst surfers are the tiny but very ingenious dogs; the ones who figure out how to use chairs, trash cans and other objects to get up onto the counter. The line must be drawn in the sand so to speak; "this counter is mine, not yours."

Once your dog understands and would never consider jumping up onto the counter; then the sniffing rule can become more relaxed. My three will press their noses up against the counter when I get out fresh meaty raw bones but I know very well that is as far as it goes. I can leave the bones on the counter and exit the room knowing they will still be there when I return. The bones may have an audience but no one will touch them. Counter surfing is an annoying. expensive and possibly a dangerous habit. Never knowing if your stuff is safe or if you've pushed your stuff far enough back to keep your dog safe, not good.

Making a huge fuss; the big "I cannot believe you just did that," act is very important. But catching them as their first paw leaves the ground is the secret. Once they are up there and eating you've lost your chance; they are already rewarding their own bad behavior. Treating your dog for not surfing is a great way to convince them that staying off of the counter is beneficial. Using a firm AHHH if they attempt to sniff the counter and using your body language if need be. You must make it clear that the counter and it's contents are yours. Often teaching your dog to stay out of the kitchen while you are working in there is another step to help in the non counter surfing lesson. Once you can keep them out then you allow them in every so often and keep them away from the counter.

The counter needs to be a clear boundary; first in your head, then you put that fact into your dogs head.

More greetings

My boy Luke huffs; it is the best way I can describe it. It is a greeting behavior that he displays to people he likes. I have not seen another dog do this but I'm sure that they are out there. This huffing behavior started at a very young age as an open mouth greeting. He also does it when he is very happy; if that mouth opens up you know whatever is going on is to his liking. Yesterday he went over to my son who was on the couch; he dug his head into him thoroughly enjoying a snuggle. From the side you could see his mouth open and you know right away that he is loving every minute of this.

Open mouth greetings can be disconcerting to some; especially when added to a highly reactive dog. This means that not only is the mouth open but chances are that the dog is jumping as well. Luke has nailed several people in the face with his open mouth in his younger years which was a problem. He has since learned to control his jumping and saves it strictly for those he is head over heels for. And these people don't seem to mind being smacked in the face once in a while; all for love.

About a year ago I was watching a documentary on tigers. The guy that was in with the tigers was explaining that tigers chuff. A chuff is a sound tigers make to say hello to each other. They also make this sound just to tell you they're in a good mood. Visually; it looked like what Luke does but when I took a closer look, a tigers chuff is more of a universal tiger communication. A chuff seems to be more related to a sound than an action.

When Luke huffs, his mouth is held open in a relaxed manner. His lips are pulled down almost over his teeth and his tongue is pulled up from the back. His breathing is heavy and very audible. This is a clear communication of happiness. The rest of his body concurs that this is a positive canine behavior. Often when he is huffing he is also rubbing up against whoever the huffing is directed at. His head is held to the side and there is soft eye contact. We have come to enjoy this communication as it is a very pleasurable experience for both Luke and for us.

Anyone who knows Luke knows that receiving the open mouth huffing is a good thing. Each dog is an individual and although there are many universal canine body behaviors; some are more of an individual style. These if you do not understand them can be quite confusing. That is why it is imperative to watch the entire package, body, ears, tail and eyes and not just one factor of a behavior.

Another greeting behavior is the bow; my poodles are huge bowers, especially Luke. But all of my dogs do it and they often all do it at the same time which is very cute to witness. It is typically reserved for when I return from an outing but again Luke will throw me a bow whenever he feels like my attention has been directed his way. He will also stay in a bow position if I start rubbing him and has been known to hold this stance for a several minutes. He has obviously learned that humans find this to be a good thing.

The greeting bow differs from a play bow in that it is more a stretch type bow behavior. The play bow tends to be a faster movement; front down, butt up quickly and often bouncy. The greeting bow is more prolonged; a stretching process which involves the neck and head stretching out and often turned to the side. Luke likes to put his feet on my feet and dig his nails in; not so enjoyable so I am always aware of his big feet when he greets me. A play bow is usually at a distance; ready to tear away if it is accepted by the dog or person it is being sent to.

Then there is the crotch sniff; not so people friendly but a very natural behavior for dogs. Often when people are out with their dog they meet another dog on a walk. They may want to say hello but as soon as they go in for a sniff the owner will briskly pull their dog away. "How rude" they say to their dog; that isn't nice. Well; it is actually not rude and it is what dogs do, of course their are dogs who do it too much and then we must intervene. Jessie is very into sniffing; although she draws the line if anyone tries to sniff her. She has a very long greeting process before another dog is ever given the chance to sniff her butt and if they try they usually don't try again for a while.

Any way a dog delivers a greeting to their owner is always a great one; there isn't much better than being greeted at the door by a smiling canine face.

Puppies

Yesterday was filled with puppy shoots; but it started by cancelling the shoots. Then as it turned out; a change of events and they were on again leaving me dashing to let everyone know we were still on. So after cooking up a bunch of chicken; whipping up a yummy breakfast for the hounds and making sure that everyone got out for a little walk, I packed up my gear and headed off. One thing that I always check when going on puppy shoots is my batteries; I tend to not be able to stop shooting once I start. They are just so darned cute; it really is hard to say when.

The first bunch of puppies were only about 2.5 weeks old; eyes just opened and giving their tiny legs a try. I don't know what I would do if I had a litter of my own to watch day in and day out; nothing but watch puppies I would guess. They are so adorable just laying there I could watch them forever. So I shot away as they wriggled around and thoroughly enthralled me. Mom came in and out of the room watching me closely as I would expect any good Momma to do.

After having my fill of puppy shooting we moved onto Mom and Dad; both gorgeous and wonderful to photograph. I got some amazing photos; non posed and natural. By simply sitting back and watching their behavior unfold you get a feel for a dogs individualism and that is what I like to capture. Of course sometimes I can't just watch and I have to interact; especially when my model wants to interact with me. It can be pretty amazing.

Then I was off to my next batch of puppies; 5 weeks and on the move. Of course they are no where near as active as they will be in another 2 weeks but still very different than 2 week olds. I first met Mom and her daughter from a previous litter and again I was smitten; beautiful girls and as sweet as can be. The puppies will no doubt turn out to be someones love of their life. They were adorable; some sleeping, some brawling and one having a bath.

The puppies were moved to their play area and I crawled around trying to capture them with my camera; not an easy task. The puppies played; investigated and played some more. Wrestling is a huge part of puppy learning and figuring out who's who as far as status hierarchy. Even at only 5 weeks of age it's pretty clear who's on top. And you cannot help but smile watching them try their tough guy routine. While I was shooting the puppies; Mom caught my attention playing ball, it was obviously her favorite thing. As Mom played ball the first daughter was completely immersed in following the puppies and having fun with them.

A pretty amazing Friday; wish all Fridays were like this one.

Hard core chewing

Image #1 - Shows just how meaty the raw bones are; lots of good stuff on there, oh and my wine.

Image #2 - Jessie using her back teeth

Image #3 - Luke having a serious hard core chew.

Image #4 - Luke was growing bored of chewing decided to wander around and have a peek at the other bones. He is pretending not to be looking at Jessie in this shot but she knows better.

Image #5 - Jessie freezes and hard stares at Luke; he postures back at her. At which point I told him to go and chew his bone; which he did.

Hard core raw bone chewing; that's what it's gotta be. I had some extra time on my hands lastnight so decided to video tape the dogs and their chewing. I have been asked so many times "how do you do it?" Give bones is what they want to know; how do you do it? Having heard "never give your dog a bone;" all their life, most people are understandably leery. But like the Nike commercial says "just do it." I've walked many people through the whole process; but I thought this would definitely clear up any question that you might have about giving your dog a bone.

First off; raw bone chewing is the best way other than scraping to clean your dogs teeth. They can get to places with bones that you will never get to with a tool. It is also such a natural behavior; they love it and I truly believe it is good for their whole being to chew bones. With all this it is also a great time to work on any guarding issues; yes there can be serious guarding issues with raw meaty bones.

So I when I decided to video tape I got out the bones; trimmed up any loose pieces of bones; got out the camera, a glass of wine and gave the dogs a bone. I shot alot of images and got some nice video footage. I even got some very nice posturing from both Jessie and Luke. Bone chewing is a very supervised event at my house. Making sure that no one wanders over to someone else's bone is very important. Especially with the reigning Jack Russell around. Please enjoy. ;)

Bone chew #1

Bone chew #2

Bone chew #3

Bone chew #4

Bone chew #5

Bone chew #6

Bone chew #7

Bugs be gone? Not in a healthy world

Bug b gone; I'm sure you've heard the adds on the radio? Just yesterday I heard it again and you would think that the couple on the advertisement live in the Amazon Jungle how they explain their yard. If they use this great bug killing product their children and dogs can go out on the lawn again; this is California!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure there are bugs here; there are suppose to be bugs here. The only ones I object to in my yard are the black widows and we have a lot of them. So should we be spraying bug killer all over our yard so that no living bug is left? NO.

Not only are we inundated with pest killing products to apply directly onto our dogs; but we can spray and pour substances everywhere we live to ensure that no bugs; bug us. Not all bugs are bad; in fact very few are really bad. Sure I hate fleas and ticks but even they can be kept at bay with safe products. One thing many people don't realize is that fleas are easily drown. With regular weekly baths in the summer months you can drown those pests away. Often fleas will vacate to the ears or anal area during a bath so you have to prepare for this. When you put your dog into the tub or shower create a thick lather with shampoo and water around their neck and rear end area so that once you start to bathe the dog the fleas have nowhere to run and hide.

The secret to getting rid of fleas is to catch them before they populate your home. Once those suckers lay eggs in the carpet you've got a major problem on your hands. Plenty of regular vacuuming and bed washing definitely helps to get rid of them. And check your dog regularly; you can see fleas and where there is one there may be others. More than once I've hunted down a flea that jumped off one of the dogs; all hunched up crawling along the floor with my reading glasses on it is like a game of cat and mouse, and this game has only one winner.

And what about that golf course looking yard? Is it worth having the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood and risking your dogs health for it? I don't think so; it's just grass, who cares if it's the best in the neighborhood? If my grass is green I'm happy and even happier knowing that I am not adding to the chemical pollution of our planet. I just recently fired my lawn service because they would not stop using lawn chemicals on my yard. I do not want my family subjected to these products.

Say no to chemicals; NO TO TOPICAL PEST TREATMENTS ON OUR DOGS, NO TO CHEMICAL BUG SPRAYS IN OUR YARD OR HOME, NO TO CHEMICAL LAWN BEAUTIFIERS AND NO TO INGESTIBLE PEST TREATMENTS FOR OUR DOGS. It is easy to get started on a safer, healthier life by taking it one step at a time. There is so much information out there for all to read; just look it up on the net.

Eco Smart

The Cedarcide store

Planet Natural

The bottom line is PLEASE do not believe what you hear or read about chemicals being safe; do your own research and dig into anything you plan on feeding or putting on your dog. Even if it something you only plan on using around your dog; research the product. I have a very good friend who lost her dog as a direct result of bug spray. The dog was in her prime; a much loved member of the family. Because of lies about the safety and careless use of toxic chemicals from the company who was spraying the yard; she passed away. I had a difficult time writing this blog as there is so much to say it could be made into a book. So this is very much a condensed version; just enough to get you thinking about what's in that bottle?