Acting the part

Act the way you want your dog to act.  That's right.  I was thinking about the importance of our behavior with our dogs the other day as I moved in to do Luke's nails.  He is a nervous ninny type, very suspicious and needs to know exactly what I am doing all the time.  He was laying out on the big lounge and I thought it was a good place to do his nails.  Problem was that he has never had them done there before, an issue for Luke.  So I calmly picked up the dremel and walked non-chalant like over to him and sat beside him.  He sniffed the nail tool, sniffed me, sniffed the air and then relaxed.   I ask him for his feet and he obliged, he sniffed me again looking for a reading of mood.  Finding a calm Mom he thought this might just be okay.

A week ago in a shuffle at the door, it was a big hub bub before a walk.  We had decided to take all three, Jessie was literally under everyone.  Luke was knocking into everyone like the whirlwind he is and I accidentally stepped on him.  I got the immediately eyeball,  his whole body in a submissive state he looked at me as if to say "why?"  He again is sniffing me, and with no anger reading I roughed him up a bit and all was forgotten.   I don't make a big fuss, if I did he'd think that something was up.  It is all how we act. 

Our dogs are always watching us, reading us, and looking for signals.  Of course there are dogs who watch more closely, like Luke, he doesn't miss a thing, ever.  But all dogs watch and read.  When you think about it, this is how they communicate with each other so it is the same way that they communicate with us.  When you watch dogs interact they throw signals fast and furious, so many that it is hard to keep up with everything that they are saying. 

This is why our dogs often lunge and bark at other dogs and we have no idea why.  They've probably had a lot to say before we even notice, sometimes it's not such a great conversation and both dogs can erupt.  So when we interact with our dogs we must be very aware of our own actions.  Are we being calm, solid and reliable in our communications?  Or do we fly off the handle, yelling, stomping or sending mixed signals?  Yep.  We humans are a strange bunch for sure.



I often experiment at home, I will change my posture, send signals both large and minute to see who's paying attention.   Typically they are all paying very close attention and know exactly what I am doing.  So when Luke started barking regularly in the yard because the neighbors got a new puppy I knew I had to stop it before it got worse.  If I yelled at him, he looked at me then barked more.  So I calmly but very seriously went out with a big posture, thanked him for telling me there was something out there, then told him to stop and go inside.  All was quiet for a long while and the next time I simply had to look at him and he came in and got a very big "you are the best boy."

If there is a situation where a dog might be fearful, our actions are the most important.  In a pack of wolves, it is the adult mature members who will be teaching the younger dogs.  The young ones will watch how the adults react to certain situations and learn how they should react.  When to be scared and run, when to very "whatever" about something and when to be slightly concerned and keep an eye out is all learned by watching.

So when something is going on, somethings up or something needs to be done remember that there are learning eyes on you watching your reaction, being educated on how they should act.

Restaurant Etiquette

Restaurant etiquette 101, that's right.  On Thursday I was out to lunch (ha ha) with my daughter down in San Diego.  We were at Corner Bakery, a great place with yummy sandwiches.  Anyhow we were sitting outside in the patio area, it was a glorious day.  As we sat to enjoy our meal I immediately noticed the tiniest of munchkins, a very small yorkie who was sporting an adorable moss green t-shirt and matching harness.  He was very cute but not well behaved in the least.  He was being a dog, his owner was being rude. 

The first error on the owners part was that she had her pocket pooch on an extension leash.  Ahhhhh, and........................she was letting him run to the very end.  In between all the table legs and nearly taking down several waiters as they tried to pass by his table.  He was barking his head off and................she was smiling.  Okay, as you know I am like you a huge dog lover so he wasn't annoying me but I was thinking about how much he must be annoying some of the other people who were trying to enjoy their lunch.  Even though the little monster was not bothering me, his Mom sure was.  All I could think was how rude she was being by not considering the others at the restaurant.

If you do bring your dog to enjoy a meal with you at a restaurant, be sure that they are well mannered.  I think our dogs should join us most definitely but not if they are going to bother others.  They should know how to sit or lay down by your side and stay there.  I highly recommend bringing a small mat or rolled pad for them to lay on.  Most patios are concrete, not comfortable to lay on for any dog.  As well as adding comfort while they join you, a mat gives them a clear place that you would like them to stay.  I've often brought my guys to restaurants and I always bring one of my many rolled quilted pads for them, it works great. 

If you were at a restaurant trying to enjoy a meal, would you enjoy me running around your table?  Add with that some shrieking, not so much eh?  It is very distracting as well, I was having a hardtime concentrating on what I was saying.  I did smile knowing that I had yet another topic to blog about though.  Like anything where we want our dogs to be allowed to join us, it takes one to ruin it for the rest of us.  As small as this little cutie was, it was still enough to bother people and it's not proper restaurant etiquette for anyone, human or dog.

Step away from the cell phone

                                                              Luke, Jordi & Ellie on a canyon walk

Walking at my snail pace I hear the sound of Tilley's feet catch up every so often.  She starts to pant easily now and staggers off the path now and again.  I am very aware of the sounds of my girls, we are on our morning walk while it's beautifully chilly out.  I glance across the field to see a regular, and like always she's on her phone.  An hour earlier I was at another park with Luke, he was being very googly.  Lot's of eye contact and sticking close.  We chat a lot, well, I guess I chat a lot and Luke listens.  It's generic chit chat, we talk about the weather, the other dogs at the park and life in general.  We are doing our morning walk.  Again, I glance across the park and there is another regular, and she is on her phone.

There's a guy we see often too, he's always on his phone.  Okay, I'm just going to say it "step away from the cell phone."  Leave it in your pocket.  As I watch the owners who are walking their dog while on the phone I realize that they are not on a walk with their dog, they are actually involved in a conversation and their dog just happens to be attached to their hand.  Are you present on your walks?  I sometimes have my phone on me, normally I leave it in the car.  But of course it depends on the park and how far we are going.  If I get a call I might answer, probably not unless it's one of my kids.  I'm on a walk, with my dogs.

My poodles and I at the beach

Walks are one of the most enjoyable parts of the day, you should enjoy them.  I mean the walking with your dog part, not just putting in your time doing your duty.  Walks should be interactive.  I talk to my dogs the whole time we are walking, not so much Jessie because she can't hear me anymore unless I scream at her.  I listen and I watch, and now when I walk the girls I crawl at a snail pace.  As I've said before it took some getting use to but I love it now.  I am blessed to have my dogs still with me in these very senior years, I'm enjoying every second of them.  And that goes for our walks.

Walking is such a great bonding time, it is a time you take your dog out just so that they can have fun.  Although it is primarily for them, we take just as much as they do from a walk.  We can see how our dogs are dealing with some issues, how they are feeling emotionally and physically and work on training.  What a time set aside for just the two of you, or more of course.  So put down that phone, get involved in walking your dog.  Take time to smell the roses so to speak.  Or at least to watch your dog read their peemail.

My daughter and Luke

It's all about the connection, and I don't mean with Verizon. 

Jump, jump, jump, jump...............HELLO

Ah..............the canine greeting, not so joyous for many.  Countless owners deal with the onslaught of an over exhuberant pooch greeting on a daily basis.  After being hit repeatedly everytime you walk in the door, many learn to live with it.  But when it comes to guests, it is not dealt with in the same "oh well," manner.  Do you have a leaping, projectile greeting dog?  If so there are a few steps that you can take that will assist in keeping their four on the floor. 

The first thing to remember is that kneeing a dog in the chest is not the way to stop them from jumping.  Kneeing is really a mean thing to do and a waste of time.  That and pushing them off of you each time they jump, this action can actually encourage jumping.  If you have a boisterous type, then each time you touch them it is enough of a reward for jumping.  It can become a game, they jump, you push, they boing back for another jump and it continues.

If you have a dog that is already conditioned to jump, you must take babysteps to non jumping.  The first thing you will reward are the short moments of non jumping.  The best way to reward with food is to drop it on the floor.  Use food that makes noise when dropped and try to pick a hard surface.  Drop magically, like the treats are appearing on the floor on their own.  When you drop the food on the floor instead of handing the food to your dog you stop the need to jump up for food.  After a while your dog will stand back and wait for the dropped treat, it is truly amazing how it works.   You also need to make yourself very boring and non inviting.  If your dog does jump up, simply withdraw.  Turn your body away and become like a tree, offer no attention.  Wait for them to get off and drop the food.

Once you have your dog primed for the food drop, you can continue with this working towards longer non jumping for a food drop.  Or you can add a sit, then only dropping food if they sit.  Once you start asking for longer sits before rewarding you can then move onto hand delivery of treats.  You can also teach a "place" exercise, this works amazing as it gives the dog a job to do.  When you come in they must run to a certain spot or bed and wait for their treat. 

For those dogs who are over the top crazy jumpers, they are typically wound by the whole process of yelling and pushing them down.  These guys need the withdrawal routine even more.  Dogs need alternatives, you cannot just say "don't jump."  If you say keep four on the floor and I will reward you, or sit and I will reward you then they have an alternative. 

Also, make homecoming a non issue.  This is probably the biggest thing that we do to fuel jumping, you walk in the door and throw a party for your dog.  Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Mom and Dad are home.  Spin, jump, bark, dive and catapolt at you.  Sound familiar?  So, in the door and past the dog without a word.  When they calm, then you can say hi.  Even if it is 20 minutes from when you walked through the door.

Like many behavior issues, the best attack is for you to remain calm and in control.  Hands off, mouth shut and wait, wait for that split second that they stop leaping on you and drop the goods.  It works. 

The Christmas Tree

                      
The day is drawing near, for many it is the dreaded day of putting up the tree.  Although some of you may  already have your tree up already.  Trees are being erected only to be torn down or dismantled by the canine helper in the house.  I know that many of you will only put decorations from out of reach and up, others have gates around the tree or forgo the whole tree thing completely.  Don't despair, you are not alone.  There is a way around this and you can have your beautiful tree with decorations from top to bottom.  It is work, nothing is free but it's worth every second and no training is ever a waste.

So basically what you are going to do is to do a giant "leave it."  "See this tree, decorations, water under the tree and the skirt?"  "You can't touch any of it."  Bottom line.  It really helps if you keep your pooch around for the decorating, this gives you a chance to start right from the beginning.  As you pull out the decs, put the tree up etc. no touching!!!!!!  Tell them to "leave it" and mean it.  If they back off in the least, reward them.  The biggy is rewarding them for not touching the tree.  This can take the form of food treats or their own toys and stuff to play with. 

A new toy can help to keep a pooch's mind where it should be.

I cannot say how extremely important it is to reward them for not touching the tree.  Perhaps put a bed in the room with the tree and have them go there and play with some toys.  You can use a down stay as well as the "leave it."  Don't just reward them everytime you have to shoosh them away, best to reward a good behavior rather than a corrected behavior.  In other words, catch them doing it right.  Don't be cheap, treat them like crazy, it is a big deal that they are not single pawedly destroying your tree.  Afterall; why shouldn't they wreck the tree?  You need to give them a reason not to, because wrecking the tree would actually be a great deal of fun for them. 

I would highly recommend not chancing leaving them alone with the tree until you are 99% sort of sure.  With dogs there is never a true 100% sure.  After years of living with dogs you learn to never say "totally" or "100%."  By allowing your dog to spend time near the tree you take away the mystic of it all.  If you keep them away from it entirely in hopes of saving your beautiful tree and decorations, then there is a better chance that if they get to it, it won't last long.

Go ahead and put up that tree, dogs and Christmas trees can co-exist nicely, really.

The Big Dog, YOU!!!

I wanted to discuss "issues" today.  Many people I talk to have issues with two of their dogs, disagreements, spats and all out fights.  Others have a "tough" dog at home but would love to add a second and really don't know how to go about doing it right.  The most important thing about living with dogs is guidance and leadership.  Now; when I say leadership in no way do I mean physical leadership.  I am a very strong leader and never slap, hit or alpha roll my dogs.  I have strict rules, the dogs must abide by them, simple really.

So what exactly does being a leader entail?   If you are dealing with soft type dogs, meaning that they don't challenge you or anyone else.  They are easy and never do anything that would be considered rude even in the world of dogs then leadership is very easy.  Tilley is much like this, I call her my Lassie in Poodle clothing.  She would never step out of line or push.  Now, if your dog is more typical or dominant in personality then you need to have more structured rules and enforce them. 

Enforcing is another one of those very important things.  If you have rules but never enforce them, then you may as well forget about the rules.  The common heard phrase "rules are made to be broken," does not pertain to dogs.  Besides I'm pretty sure that phrase is strictly a teenager thing, I know I heard it many times when my kids were in their teens.  So; the rule is:  if you do not intend to enforce, don't ask.  It is much better to not ask then ask and let slide. 

If you have a couple of dominant type dogs then you have a lot of work to do.  You have to keep on top of them at all times.  You need to make up rules simply so that there is a great degree of structure within your home.   This doesn't mean that you have to be on guard at all times, just on your toes.  You will be enforcing the no nonsense rule, this is an important one.  With dominant dogs nonsense can lead to trouble.  Once dogs start fighting things can snowball quickly, sometimes out of control. 

There are times when it is not going to work, two very head strong dogs who are both struggling for top dog status with a history of physical violence may not be able to turn it around.   It is sad but there are times when placing one of the dogs is the safest and best thing for all concerned.  I know many people who live a life of rotation, dogs in different rooms of the house, but it's not a great option.  Of course many of the situations can be turned around with structure, rules, enforcing and training. 

We just had a great example of a pushy dominant dog just a few minutes ago.  My husband and I were play fighting when Luke decided to tell us to stop.   He dove onto the couch growling his toughest growl, not directed at anyone in particular, he was pushing his weight around.  This is when timing is everything, he was kicked off almost before he even landed on the couch.  Statement made.  He is now lying on the floor with his head down very moopy, he got the message.   He doesn't try it often but every once in a while he gives it a go.  This whole situation could have been directed to another dog or dogs and the same feedback would have been appropriate. 

Many folks are not the leader type, that's fine in our human world.  But when you have a dog you must be the leader:  a guiding or directing head.  If you allow your dog to be the leader, your life will be drastically different, and not in a good way.  So if you are looking to add to the family and have a pushy type, look for a mellow dog that won't push back.  If you have two hard headed canines at home; pull on your "top dog" outift and play the part.

URGENT

PLEASE HELP!!




EUKANUBA TRAVELERS!! A VAN WAS STOLEN IN LONG BEACH AT THE MOTEL 6! THERE ARE SHOWDOGS IN THE VAN: 2 AKITA’S (BIS DOG AND A YOUNG DOG) & 2 CORGIS.. IT IS A FULL SIZE WHITE CHEVY VAN WITH A BLACK BOX ON THE BACK.. THERE ARE 3 DOG STICKERS ON THE BACK WINDOW (AKITA, BRITTANY & PARSON).. CA LICENSE PLATE 8D50252.. IF YOU SEE THIS VAN, CALL 911!!!!


CONTACT THE POLICE OR DAVID PEEK (530) 917-6846 IF YOU SEE THIS VAN!

Baby it's cold outside

Tilley as a one year old

Okay, it's not really cold but it is cold for California standards.  Yesterday was a high of 60 with blustery winds, it was glorious and I enjoyed every moment.  We are suppose to stay in the 60s except for Wed which will reach the low 70s.  I'm loving it, since moving from Canada to California it has been tough doing Holiday shopping in shorts and flip flops so I'm stoked.  For all of you who live where it actually gets cold and you get snow, this blog is for you. 

Photo courtesy of Poodleit

I lived in Ottawa, Canada most of my life, I know cold.  While in Canada we had several dogs, an Airedale Terrier, Jack Russell and Standard Poodles. Both the Airedale and poodles suffered from snowballitis.   The only one who did not suffer from snowballs was Jessie our Jack Russell.  We actually had a melting area in our home at our back door.  A big gated in area with a side heater and carpet where the dogs would come in and drip dry.  I was fine with them coming in once their snowballs melted but hated if they distributed their snowballs around the house.  Do you know how many times I had to change my socks?  So they would come in, melt and then come in the rest of the house.

Photo courtesy of Poodleit

Seen here is a Dachshund in a full suit, I know my little Jessie would have been happy to wear this in the deep snow as she literally disappeared from sight hopping into the deep snowbanks.




I stumbled upon this wonderful site the other day, Poodleit .  I surely don't need them for snow now but could most definitely use them for burrs and other things that like to stick onto poodle coats.  Of course it would have to be cooler weather for them to sport the full coats but for sure nice to keep the burrs off the fur.   My standard poodles are much like giant pieces of walking velcro so anything that keeps the burrs and sticky things off is great.  For those of you with furry legged dogs; these are amazing for the snow.

Photo courtesy of Poodleit

And even if you aren't into the full on snowsuit look, the Splash guards would be excellent to save the hardest hit area.  Snowballitis targets the bottom of the leg first then depending on the amount of time spent playing outdoors and how small the dog is or how deep the snow is will factor in how far it spreads.   I remember many times; pulling apart baseball sized snowballs from my Airedale and poodle. 

Just a few breeds that might benefit from this type of weather protection would be:

Bouvier
Doodle
Afghan
Spaniels
Portuguese Water Dogs
Wire haired terriers
Big and small fuzzy mixes
Schnauzers and anyone else with furry legs
Grab a blanket and snuggle up with your favorite pooch, it's cold outside.

Cookies - repost

Having been known as the cookie lady (for humans)for years; it seems only fitting that I make dog cookies. I've made several different kinds over the years and have come now mixed up one that is pretty good. 
Most dog cookies are very bland; even the "organic" type. And then there are the ones that taste like cardboard; they sure smell like cardboard. I want something that my dogs want to eat. Lastnight I was making shortbread; a big hit with all the dogs, Luke included. Shortbread is great for adding calories which is what Luke needs but I don't want the sugar in them. Not that shortbread has a ton of sugar; what makes shortbread really amazing is the butter. And  Luke loves butter.

Tilley was my constant companion as I baked lastnight. I was using a cookie press so there is alot of random bits and pieces that fly off the counter; she was there to clean up the mess for me. ;) So now I have to put on my thinking cap and come up with a recipe that taste good and is good for the dogs. Calories are not a concern; if they are high in calories then the girls only get a small piece and hopefully Luke will put on some much needed weight.

This is one recipe that I've come up with that is pretty darn good. 
























Tilley is my floor cleaner; very vigilant about her job.







 They taste sort of like Cheese crackers.

1/2 Cup butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

I used my KitchenAid mixer for 3 solid minutes. Hand knead for 1 min to make sure all the cheese is blended in nicely. Roll out to 1/4" thickness using flour on your surface and top of dough. The dough is really nice to roll.


Bake large cookies 2 1/2" size for 20 min. Leave in for 25 min again at 275 to dry.
small size 1 1/2" for 15 min. Leave in for 15 min again at 275 to dry.

Dogs in truck beds, honestly.

Okay; I took the plunge today, I never do, I say I never will but I went shopping on Black Friday weekend.  I'm actually almost done my shopping, it was me I wanted to get some things for and do lunch.  So we head out, it is much less stressful when you aren't really shopping, or at least not panic shopping.  We hit the 5 freeway and were nearly there when we drove by a truck hauling a fifth wheeler.  It was a big fifth wheel and as we came up to the truck I noticed a dog in the back of the truck.  Turning my head as we passed until I had to completely turn around to indeed prove that what I was seeing, I was really seeing.

There was an Irish Wolfhound, behind the cab of the truck in front of the fifth wheel.   It was much like this set up and I could not believe my eyes.  The dog stood sideways and I could not see if there were any ties to speak of keeping the dog in the truck.  What I do know is that the dog had a look of bigtime stress on his face.   I wish I'd had my camera on me but I did not.  Imagine a dog so tall standing sideways riding on the freeway?  If you've ever seen the crazy traffic in Southern California, there is no question that at one point you will be jamming on your brakes.  Why on earth would this dog not be either in the truck or at least in the camper?  I know that people are not suppose to ride in fifth wheel in some States, although California does allow it.  And if my dog were to ride in a fifth wheeler I would definitely have them crated.  It would at least be a far cry from being wedged into a small spot in the bed of a fifth wheeler hauler.

I have huge issues with dogs riding in the bed of a trucks for any reason.  Dogs that are tied often in a truck bed can fly out and be dragged and if not tied they just fly.  Dogs should be inside the truck with you, bottom line.  And if they don't fit, either put them in the fifth wheel, get a full cap for your truck with ties or get a new vehicle.  Imagine the things that could hit your dog while they are in the back of a truck?  I don't even drive with my windows down on the freeway because there is always random things flying through the air.  And I never allow heads out the window unless we have arrived at our destination.

Pets in pick-ups

Dogs riding in pick-ups

Dog days of summer

Truck beds are for hauling stuff, not dogs.

Little Jess

Everyone in the family has been commenting on Jessie lately, there are changes that we are all seeing.  Today was a busy one, lots of in and out, hustle/bustle.  Some of our power was out for the day so we had our neighbor in having a look, then the electrician who luckily fixed our problem and Jessie slept away.  When she is up she is looking, looking for me always.  Or standing face in the corner or towards the wall, this is the really change behavior.

I was making dinner and went to check on Jess, she'd been sleeping on a pile of two dog beds by the fire.  When I went in the living room she was no longer there, immediately I worry "where is she?"  I headed to go upstairs and there she was at the landing, looking up and down the stairs.  I called to her loudly, her ears went up and she bolted down the stairs.  I'd been standing only 10 feet away at the time but the slight sound that she could hear gave her no directional information.  This is a tough transition for our little one, she is seeming lost more often and needing to check in.

When she goes down for a nap, she's gone to the world.  The type of deep sleep when nothing can shake you out of it.  She is startled regularly, even when she sees that you are standing there.  I'm not sure how much she sees but I know that she cannot see an arm coming down to touch her.  Later during dinner preparation I turned to see her standing, looking out the French door in the kitchen.  It looked like she was looking at something, I called to her and she tried to get outside.  I called again sending her into a panic to get out the door.  I then realized that she could see my reflection in the door but standing a foot behind her she could not tell where the sound of my voice was coming from.  I reached down and gently touched her, grasping her firmly I lifted her to my face "Mommy's right here Jess."

I talk to her when I know she cannot hear, and I try to check in as often as I can with her.  This is a scary time for all of us, losing sight or hearing alone can be very difficult but both at the same time is very challenging.  Communications are extremely difficult.  Jessie is displaying some very unusual behavior that I cannot explain and believe her age to be the cause.

Jessie just had her vet check with a full blood panel which came back great.  At 14.5 it is not her body that is failing her in these years, Jessie is losing her senses.  But with a little adjustment in the communication department, hopefully that little tank body will carrying her on for many more years to come.  After all, she is a Jack Russell Terrier.

Longevity

The lifespan of a canine is far too fleeting; ask anyone who has lost of loved companion. In terms of mammal longeivity the lifespan of a dog is relatively short. Although not as short as some mammals; the pocket gopher is the shortest lived with a life expectancy of only 20 months. Some whales and tortoises can live up to 200 years. It is surprising that within the dog species itself there are large differences in longeivity of individual breeds.

The breeds with the shortest lifepans are the Dogue de Bordeaux, Bloodhound and Irish Wolfhound with the average expectancy being 6-7 years. And the longest living breeds are the smaller guys; the chihuahua, Tibetan Terrier and Border Terriers. So in the big picture, some of the largest mammals live the longest and the smallest have the shortest time here on our earth. So why then does it seem that the larger the dog the shorter the lifespan?

There are alot of factors that play a part in lifespan. The skeletal system is a major one and those of very large and giant breeds suffer wear and tear on their joints early on. The body of a very large breed of dog has a great need for oxygen which is pumped through the body via the heart. This puts a great strain on the heart. The small breeds just don't have the stress on their body that the very large and giant breeds do.

There is no other species that has as many variations as the dog. There are many differences in coat type, size and structure. Dogs as a whole evolved from the wolf, but from there we humans designed what we wanted in a dog. It is the morphing that gave our dog more or less life so to speak. The wolf lifespan is approximately 13 in the wild and markedly more in captivity. So to generalize the average lifespan our dogs started off with was somewhere around 13ish.

All of my dogs have left me at the age of 13. This seems to be a ripe old age for our dogs to live to. I have known several giant breeds who were the smaller version, not so giant and they lived a good long 12 years. Sizing down seems to be a good idea for our dogs.   My guys are 13.5, 10 and 14.5 and all going strong, seems that dogs can and are living longer these days which is great news.  With advanced medical care and more emphasis put onto proper nutrition; we may be able to increase these years for all sizes.

Thankful for

First let me say Happy Thanksgiving to you all, I am so glad to be able to share my blog with each of you.  I am so thankful to be able to write this blog and have your feedback, sharing the love of dogs with you all.  Dogs bring such joy to all who truly share their lives with one or more.  Even the dogs that may not live with you but simply pass through your life on perhaps a brief encounter can bring much happiness.  Tuesday brought to me an hour of sheer bliss as I spent time with a five month old Borzoi.  I did a shoot with the young pup as we meandered through the woods with her Mom.  She was probably one of the sweetest puppies I've met in a while.

I am thankful for so many things in my life, of course my family; my wonderful husband, my three amazing children and yes my dogs.  My life revolves around dogs and I am thankful each and everyday that I get to share it with my three.   As I lay by the fire last snuggled up with all three on the giant dog bed I thought to myself  "how lucky am I?"  

And it is not only my dogs that I am thankful for, all the dogs that I get to meet and interact with throughout my days add so much to my life.  I am always honored to have met them and been able to either help in their education or photograph them.   Often I am privy to their affection which of course is just added bonus.  There are times when  a client dog gives me a snuggle or face touch, it just doesn't get any better.    I also love to hear about others and their dogs; their stories of an amazing life shared.  And yes, I love to see your images of all the dogs that you spend your life with, the loves of your life.

On this Thanksgiving day, give thanks to that four legged family member.  After all how lucky are we to spend our lives with dogs?

Crazy for a leash

Okay I want a show of hands; how many of your dogs go spinning out of control when they see their leash? I thought so. Over the years I've seen so many dogs who just loose it at the sight of their leash in the guardians hands. Sometimes even the meer opening of a closet, the leash closet is all it takes to send your dog into a whirling tornado. This usually starts out small and over the months grows into a huge uncontrolable issue. And why does it grow? Because we fuel it.

Leash desensitizing is one behavior that is very easy to stop. It may take a while and needs commitment, consistency and dedication for the long haul if you want to accomplish the task at hand though. Desensitize: To render insensitive or less sensitive. To make emotionally insensitive or unresponsive. How nice would this be? Imagine picking up your dogs leash and seeing only a slight reaction, maybe raised ears instead of having your dog launch themselves at you? So the goal in desensitizing the leash is to stop the craziness, correct?

Like I said, it's easy. So what do you do? Pick up the leash, at different intervals during the day. In the beginning you put the leash on the floor in a room, leave it there. After a couple days when your dogs stops staring at the leash, kick it when you go by. Once your dog has stopped responding to the kicking, you pick it up and put it back down. Next you will pick up the leash and move it somewhere else, put it on the floor. Perhaps put it on the couch for a couple of days or pick it up and carry it around for 5 min. or so then put it down.

The big secret is the unknown. You are changing the association that your dog has with "the leash." "I might just be moving the leash, or maybe just putting it away." This really helps your dog in the "control" department.  Once a leash means walks and only walks; and if your dog LOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS their walks then it's pretty difficult to calm them. But if the leash movement means lots of different things then your dog is always guessing.

Now here is the icing on the cake; hook your dog up onto their leash and take it off. That's correct; go to your dog, put on the leash and then take it off. Walk away like no big deal. Then put the leash on and let them drag it around for a while, that sure takes the umph out of a leash. What you are doing is taking the almighty power out of the leash. You can even hook them up, walk out the door, and walk right back in taking the leash off and dropping it.

Mix it up, you will be doing your dog and yourself a big favor. Oh and don't get crazy excited about telling them they are going for a walk either.

Quit while you're ahead

I have several sayings that I try to stick to throughout my life, and as a Mom I have taught these to my children over the years.  I guess one could say that they are my guiding principles, my husband calls them this.  They pretty much can be used in any situation, any circumstance, time or place.  One is as the title says "Quit while you're ahead."  When would this ever be a bad idea?  I often hear myself saying it when we have been at the park for a good while, best to go home now.  Everyone is happy, healthy and nothing bad has happened.

In training, this statement is very wise indeed.  Always end on a positive which can be loosely translated to "quit while your're ahead."  Had a good training session? stop.  Been at the dog park for 1/2 an hour of fun?  Quit. I often see dogs at the dog park who have obviously been there far too long and like small children, they are tired and cranky.   Stranger had a nice greeting and visit with your pooch?  Quit.  Pushing it can often lead to a negative; it is always best to quit while you're ahead.  Even when tossing a ball, frisbee or stick I will after a good amount of tosses say "let's quit while we are ahead." Luke tends to tweak himself when he goes after a ball.  Poor ole' Tilley will sometimes stumble and hurt herself so if none of this has happened and we've had fun, quit.

Many activities or interactions can lead to negative association if they go on too long.  So think about length of time and degree of enjoyment, quality is often much more preferable than quantity.  And just maybe "quit while you're ahead."

Vestibular repost

                                              My daugther and Tilley before the onset of Vestibular

I wanted to talk about Vestibular again.  It is such a common issue with dogs and yet something that is really unknown to most unless you've known someone who has experienced it or gone through it yourself.  Since Tilley's onset of Vestibular disease back on the 11th of January I've met several people who had the same thing happen to their dog.  The sad thing is that they had no idea what it was and to end their dog's suffering they had them put to sleep.  I want to tell as many people as I can about this horrible yet very short lived experience.  Of course all dogs are hit differently and all dogs will recover at a different rate, but they can recover. 

Now at 10 months after the onset of Peripheral Vestibular disease, Tilley is doing amazing.  She has good moments and some not so good moments.  The mornings are good and bad, good in that she is rested and has more spunk although it takes her quite a while to get her footing straight.  Going downstairs is about her worst activity, being that she lives in a perpetually crooked world.  Lowering her head makes matters worse but she does it and has only stumbled a couple of times.  She can run after her ball but has learned that she must slow down before trying to pick it up off the ground.  She took several spills, head over heels before realizing things had changed. 

She has an amazing appetite, can make it up onto both sofas and one lower human bed in the house.  Tilley is very happy and healthy other than her Vestibular and now a spine issue.  We are very careful how we roll her ball for her and try to avoid any spills that she may take.  She lives to retrieve so although we have cut way back but it is something we cannot take away from her.  Back several months ago she was completely paralysed in her two front legs.  The vet gave her a 50-50 chance of recovering and after many tears she showed her true colors and made a full recovery.  A shot of cortisone, pain meds and predisone and she was back at it.

Below are previous posts from when it first hit and pics at the bottom of Miss Tilley now at 13.5 with her residual effects of vestibular.  She has a slight head tilt to the left and her body then wants to go left.   She is also very unstable on her feet, that is until she sees a ball then somehow this old girl can fly.  Unfortunately it never goes away but it most definitely gets better.

Tilley's initial onset post.

Video of what it looked like in the beginning

18 days later, she turns a corner

What is Vestibular disease?

Taking liberties

Many people ask me if I've ever been bitten, my answer would have to be "not by a dog."  I have been involved with dogs for over 35 years, I started in the conformation ring, moved onto training, owned a pet walking service, been a professional dog trainer and dog photographer and the only thing that ever bit me was a duck of some sort.  Yep a duck, or it might have been a goose.  I was actually doing a photo shoot with a couple of very beautiful Belgian Tervurens, quite an intense breed.  The shoot was fabulous, the dogs were wonderful, it wall all good but the duck/goose.

We were shooting at a lake, a small man made type lake with tons of ducks and geese.   I was minding my own business, I would never harass a duck or goose and always keep my distance.  Well this one, let's call it a goose, this one grey goose was harassing me.  Not the dog, me.  It followed me everywhere, I kept moving out of it's way and it kept coming.  Finally when I was completely involved with the dog I was shooting it came up behind me and bit me in the lower back, right where my jeans and shirt left an opening.  I was shocked, I had a few choice words for this bird and we moved off far enough that I could keep it in my peripheral vision.

Other than that I've really only had a handful of diffusing situations.  The type of  moment when your dog reading skills need to be at their finest.  Three were training clients and two that I can remember were photo clients.  Quick thinking and very fast but slow and calm turn a ways solved each instance.   Each of the scenarios were caused by the dogs realization that I was in their space.  Only one actually barked at me, the others I avoided any vocalizing by moving quickly out of their space by simply and smoothly turning sideways.

One such incident was with a rescue Mastiff, we'd been getting on fine, not great but he was putting up with me.  He was standoffish enough to let me know that we were not friends.  All was fine until I moved in for a close-up and I crossed an invisible line, one that I knew I'd crossed by the change in facial expression and rise of his ears.  I snapped quickly to get a shot with his ears up and then turned away which immediately solved the issue.

We humans tend to be presumptuous, taking liberties with the canine species when we meet them.  So many people tell me how others move in on their dog even when they have been asked not to.  Some have to resort to holding out their hand to stop an interaction "no they don't like strangers," as the stranger persists.  "All dogs love me."   Very few dogs want you pawing all over them, they don't know you.   Dogs will clearly tell you that they don't want you in their space, are you listening?  Are you watching and reading their signals?  Dogs are great communicators.  Ducks?  I'm not that educated on duck behavior to be honest.  To this day I do not know if he loved me or hated me.

Out of sorts

We head out yesterday for our morning walk, things were different right from the start.  I head downstairs with Luke and Jessie at my heel.  I normally take the girls out together and then Luke.  With Tilley at 13.5 and Jessie 14.5 they are a good match, speed wise.  Luke needs more physical exercise so this was different taking slowpoke Jessie and speedy Luke out together.  The difference was instantaneous, both Luke and Jessie are dominant dogs, they have always butt heads, but mostly butt head Luke is the instigator.  One step out the door and he was wound, chomping at the bit and completely consumed by being out front.

Right away I ask for control, we are not moving forward before Luke get's a grip.  Jessie is in my arms, this is fueling his obnoxious behavior.  Asking for control is not easy for a reactive dog on a "top dog" mission in this state.  So with high pitch shrieking, spinning and a bark here are there, I waited.   I received lots of eye contact as he tried to get a grip, Jessie waited patiently in my arms.  Being nearly deaf and blind, being in my arms is a must.

As soon as Luke was able to achieve a sit we moved on and he was more calm.  It is essential to nip over excitement in the bud, it is much harder once they are in the zone.  The ride to the park was pretty normal until we got to getting out.  All of my dogs are trained to remain in the car until told otherwise, again very important.  I don't want dogs diving out of the car and endangering their lives.  Both Jessie and Luke wanted out first, Luke won this one as I assisted him out.   He waited patiently as I lifted the old gal out and hooked her up.  After that we were good; Luke looked back at me several times as we walked along.  He seemed to ask "what's up?"  We were walking slowly, really slowly.  But he got into the swing of our snail pace walk before too long.  For a boy who likes to speed walk, he did pretty darn good.    

How much is that doggy in the window?

Born in the bottom of a rusty cage, he made his way over the filth to eat.  There wasn’t much to suckle and what was there was a fight to find through the clumps of matted and foul smelling hair that he knew as his Mother.    She was a small unrecognizable girl, a Yorkshire terrier under the putrid hair that she had accumulated over the years of living in a mill.  She did her best to care for her puppies, even in these horrific conditions she was a good Mother, the best that she could be. 

He was only one, with his Mother barely hanging on she could only conceive but one, her little body knew her limits.  So it was only he that she had to care for but even one was a lot when no one is caring for you.   He managed to get just enough to grow, he was alive and that’s all that the millers cared about.  Thriving meant nothing here, you were either alive producing or on your way to make them money. 

It wasn’t long before the pup was opening his eyes, what lay before him was his life for a short time, hers for a lifetime.  She sat there in this cage for as long as she could remember, here in her hideous so-called life given to her by those who were her captors.   She had been purchased as a loving pet, her original owner duped by the one that had tossed her in a cage and left her to simply produce.  And now she was with pups yet again, just one this time and he would be with her long enough to see the despair and then be swept away in a box.

As the sun peaked over the disheveled building the frenzy of barking commenced, it was collection day.  Any puppy 4-5 weeks and over that wasn’t half dead was stuffed into the collection boxes and thrown onto the transport truck.   This was what it was all for, the fat check in return for the puppies.  The more puppies, the more money was to be had.  There were no long goodbyes, no sad faces watching their pride and joy move onto a new life, no this is simply a money making business fueled by greed.

The puppies arrive at their destinations across the country.  They are set into new cages, ones with big windows on one side so that the prospective buyers can pick and choose.    The retailers draw you in with the big windows in the front of the store, filled with happy, romping puppies in them.  You know that you cannot fight the force of an adorable puppy face and you just have a quick peek.  Just  looking.

It isn’t long until you are thinking, the sales associate is hovering,  they can spot a deal in the making.  Their sales pitch begins, they spew lies as they reel you in.  “No, we don’t buy from Puppy Mills, no we have a list of reputable breeders we buy from.”    Noticing the little puppy in the corner of the cage you ask “is there something wrong with this one?”  “Oh no, he’s just tired.”  With his head wobbling from the sheer weight of it he struggles to keep going.  From the filthy cage where his life began to this brand new pink and purple one where again, there is no one who cares, really cares.

So you are duped into buying the little fella, the impulse purchase.  Impulse and the AWWWW factor is what these stores rely on.  And the employee agrees as he pushes, he’s so small and seems like he needs you.  You take him home where you expect him to fill your home with puppy happiness.  But he won’t eat, he cannot hold his head up and he isn’t waking up.  After a day of not eating you rush him to the vet where they take drastic measures to try to save his life.  Finally with people who really care it is too late.  The Dr. and techs are rushing to save him, but with all of their attempts his tiny life slips away, he never stood a chance. 

This is a fictitious story that I wrote as I considered all the folks that will be wandering into the pet stores this Holiday Season.  Although these dogs are not real, it is a very real story played out everyday across the country.  Please, as you pass by a store that sells puppies, think of the ones left behind in the filth and horror, take a stand.  

Mani Pedi time

 

 This is my girl Jessie's foot, just so you know it was an image request shot from a dog magazine.  I do not paint my dog's nails, just wanted to clear that up.  :)

Nails, almost everyone I talk to are mystified and petrified about nails, dog nails that is.  Many people like to just ignore nails entirely.  Do you have to cut your dogs nails?  Have them cut by the vet or the groomer?  Most dogs these days need assistance in shortening their nails, they don't get out hiking enough to wear them down naturally.  Although there are dogs that will never need their nails clipped until they are well into their senior years.

Several different elements factor into nail wear and tear.   Where you take your dog for walks, what is the surface that your dog typically walks on?  Are they usually walking or running in a field?  Or do you walk them down the street and paths where they are striding along on pavement?  Next is your dog's physical structure, their gate is a large factor in the natural grinding effect.  Dogs naturally wear nails down more when they are running around, so if you have a slow saunter type pooch, chances are their nails need some attention.

So perhaps it is mani pedi time, yes?  If you are squeamish about the whole process, your veterinarian or groomer will be happy to oblige.  But I must say it is easy to do yourself.  I use to use clipper type nail trimmers but have since switched to a dremel tool.  After many years of clipping, my little gal Jessie decided that she really hated having her nails cut.  I took this as my cue for change, I bought my first dremel and now my maintenance process has been altered.  Both methods are simple, the dremel is a tad less scary when contemplating hitting the quick.  The quick is the tender tissue part beneath the surface of the nail.  Not seen in a black nail, but you can see it if your dog has clear nails.  Once you start cutting or grinding nails it becomes a very easy process, you simply take off the point that grows quickly from week to week.  

Nails should just touch the floor, they should not lift the foot at all.  When standing still the dogs nails can clear the floor or just touching which is the proper length.  Left too long they can alter the way a dog walks.  Many dogs never grind their nails down naturally and they continue to grow until they cause pain.  

When starting out, take your time; use lots of treats and start with baby steps.  Never hold your dog down to cut their nails, this only causes them to panic and prove to them that it is horrible having your nails cut.  It should be a positive activity, if that means one nail per day then that is how you start.  Lots of treats and patience.