Being away

Okay; I was only gone 25 1/2 hours but I still miss my dogs like crazy.  Being that two are very, very old and have "issues" going on right now I hate to go at all.  But this was my Christmas present; a trip to the California Wolf Center up in Julian, CA.  (More on that in tomorrows blog)  So we decided to head up late morning and come back the following morning early.  My son was here to care for the dogs but I still worry.  It comes with the territory, if I'm not worrying about one of my kids, I'm worrying about my dogs. 

I find that when I am away I am drawn mystically seemingly by a canine magnet to any dog in the near vicinity.  This morning I strolled the streets enjoying the very cool air when I came across an SUV with a Labradoodle, Irish Wolfhound and a Jack Russell.  It really resembled my pack and everyone was wagging at me.  I know better than to touch a dog in a car so I gave them some space but chatted up a storm.  I wished I'd grabbed my camera before I left the room, but I hadn't so I moved along after we finished chatting. 

The day before we had seen the cutest little dog sitting patiently as her owner waited for the next ride.  She was a horse carriage driver and she had her tiny companion in the passenger seat.  This time I did have my camera and capture the little patient pouch.  She seemed to be enjoying her sit in the sun with her owner and she was cute as a button. 

Before that we had seen two beautiful pitbulls leaving a very dog friendly restaurant.  The dogs were happily coming down the stairs after a nice meal with the folks.  I immediately thought of my guys.............ahhhh I miss them.  I think how they would enjoy the cool air, a walk in the woods, well maybe just Luke now but even just sitting in the woods, I can't get them off my mind.  I made several calls home to check in, everyone was fine. 

By this morning I was more than ready to head home and see my dogs.  Even though I do miss them it is good to get away sometimes.  Especially now with all the extra care around the clock, a day of rest is good for everyone.  That said the minute I open the door and see a leaping crazy poodle, I'm very happy to be home.   I wander around looking for the two old ladies.  Jessie is curled up and hasn't heard us yet, so I gently place my hand on her as she looks up.  I'm not sure if she knew we were gone but she was happy to see me.  Tilley was sound asleep in bed with my son, she was very happy to see us but not so anxious to leave her cozy spot.  It's good to know that when we are away, they are safe and sound in their own home.

Sleeping with dogs

Good Saturday morning; all of my three dogs are sleeping on the bed with me, I like it this way. They don't actually sleep on the bed; they typically join us in the morning when we have our coffee and then when I blog. It is a special time for them and for us. But some dogs should never be on the bed. Beds and sofas hold much controversy; should they or shouldn't they be allowed up? For me there are strict rules about the subject and regulations that need to be set in place.

First; all dogs should ask to come onto the your bed or the couch. And by asking I mean looking and you and waiting the "okay" before coming up.

It should be easy to ask them to get off; no complaining. Any growling, laser beam glares, lip curls or posturing is an automatic ticket to the floor. Many people tell me that their dog growls if they move them around in bed. This is a clear sign as to who your dog thinks is the boss; they are.

If they are not allowed on for some reason on a particular day they should be comfortable laying on their bed on the floor.

Dogs can become very stuck in their ways; like us they are all different. Some do great with routine; others become obsessive about routine. The ability to be flexible is a good trait; both for us and our dogs. If your comes unglued by the simple fact that they cannot lay right beside you; then time to switch it up.

It is fairly simple to link a positive association to "getting off" the bed or couch by rewarding your dog with high value treats for doing so. If you just tell them to get off and shove them off you may end up causing a physical display or challenge. So even though getting off the couch or bed is not the optimum behavior in your dogs eyes; it can be made into an okay thing with a "thank you" tidbit.

So beds and couches are fine; but there must be rules and the rules should essential be your rules, not your dogs. ;)

So..............what are we doing?

With their stomachs full they watch for signs of my location destination. Luke is my closest watcher, he actually watches my feet to see which direction they are headed. Being that the dogs just ate, that means that we are doing a whole lot of nothing, or at least they are doing nothing. This is part of the bloat and gastric torsion regiment we set in years ago. So I always plan to do my "without the dogs" stuff after breakfast. Before breakfast is their walk time, very early, then they have their cool down and then breakfast.

It doesn't matter what you are doing, your dog wants to do it with you. This is something you need to consider when getting a dog. If you are a jogging type then you'll need a dog that can keep up. If you love nothing more than to watch movies 24/7 then you'll need a sound couch potato type. Of course even couch potatoes need mental and physical exercise but they are happy with the spare time being spent on the couch.

First thing on the weekday mornings in our house is iffy for the dogs. They loosely watch the comings and goings. It could mean a walk, although more than likely it means waiting for me to get back from the gym first. They know this and only keep one eye open just in case. Sometimes I forgo the gym just so that they get first dibbs, they love when I throw them a surprise, it's good for them. Then there are times when I choose to garden first thing in the morning and the troops fall in to place outside with me.

When we lived back in Canada I often skated on a huge naturally ocurring skating rink that formed in the field behind us. It was pretty much as big as we wanted to shovel. The dogs that we had at the time loved it, we skated and they ran the snow banks beside us. They obtained enormous amounts of exercise running through the deep snow after us. And our time together was wonderful. After our skate we'd all pile back into the house full of snow, the dogs did their drip dry first and then joined us inside for a movie.

Of course weather factors in a lot when considering bringing the dog. Sometimes there are places that are just too hot or too cold for the dog or there may be somewhere that you are going that is not dog friendly so it may be best to leave them back in the safety of your home. The more outtings that you offer your dog the easier it is for them to adapt to new surroundings and situations. A dog friendly world is one where dogs are much better behaved.

Although my guys love their walks and outtings they love nothing more than times when the whole family is home and we are watching t.v. or a movie. Luke's favorite place in the world is where we are sitting stationary and he can lay down and chill knowing we are not going anywhere. Being out on adventures is great fun but there truly is no better place than HOME SWEET HOME with the hounds. :)

Seeing is believing

                                              This OES's owner takes care of the hair problem nicely.


Its thursday and I want to talk about eyes.   Sight is very important for a dog; they rely on much of their communications by visuals.  Of course there are dogs who cannot see because they were either born blind, had a genetic disorder or accident and they adjust, most do very nicely indeed.  BUT, unfortunately there are dogs who cannot see simply because they have hair in their eyes. I'm an eye fanatic; for me a dog must have a clear range of vision and if that means that they get an eye trim then that is what must happen.

                                              This little guy is cute but he can't see properly
.

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

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

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

Absolutely adorable, and he can see.

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

And to put an end to the urban legend that dogs can see through a thick wall of hair?  Well they can't.

Gentle Giants

Over the years I've had the chance to handle, train and photograph some giant breeds.  There is no criteria to make the "giant" category but more a list of who should be on it.  Of course the tallest breed is the Irish Wolfhound, a sweet and wonderful breed that I love.  Their grayish wirey coat with scruffy eyebrows gives them a character all their own.  They are quite a gentle breed, quiet and calm normally.  I have photographed several, one shoot took place at the beach where this tall gal ran into the beach bully.  The bully thought twice when he got close up.  I love this image, the face on the bully says it all.  "Oooops, sorry madame." 

Some of the dogs that fit the giant category are:

Irish Wolfhound
Great Dane
Kangal Dog
Scottish Deerhound
Newfoundland
English Mastiff
Saint Bernard
Great Pyrenees
Neapolitan Mastiff
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Leonberger
Caucasian Shepherd Dog
Borzoi
Kuvasz
Anatolian Shepherd
Tibetan Mastiff

The lifespan of the giant breeds is often very short.  There is no one pinpointed reason why larger dogs live shortened lives but the fact that their body carries around so much and functions  harder just on a regular basis is commonly the sad truth.  Their bodies suffer from far more wear and tear than the smaller versions.  Their organs must work harder to keep them going and thus wear out earlier. 

The tallest dog at the moment is Giant George, a 43" blue male Great Dane.  The heaviest dog which was last recorded as Kell, but before her was Hercules, both are English Mastiffs.  Sadly this record can be altered simply by over feeding a dog so I believe it should only be done on dogs that are deemed fit.  But the fact remains, the larger the dog the shorter the lifespan, sad.  Of course this is not an absolute, there are many big whoppers who are well into their teens, it is just the general average. 

I have worked with Great danes much smaller than the giant versions who were 10-12 years of age and doing wonderfully.  Breeding for bigger and bigger sized dogs only harms the dogs we love as does breeding tiny little tea cup sized dogs.  I think if people who breed these dogs focused on health and longeivity more than height the dogs could have their life expectancy extended, which would be a great thing.  Of course not everyone is breeding for size, those are few and far between thankfully and many giant breeds are living much longer than they ever use to.

Most of the real giant breeds have wonderful temperaments, this has be accomplished by years of dedicated work on improving temperament.  No one wants to deal with a 250 lb aggressive dog right?  And many of the giant breeds decended from fighting dogs used as guards or hunting.  So cleaning up the temperament was imperative to live in todays society and they have accomplished that. 

Feeding giant breeds has changed as well.  Way back people simply pumped extra calcium and protein into these guys as they were growing.  People figured that they had so much growing to do that they best supply them with lots of stuff to grow on.  This caused much damage as they grew at disproportionate stages.  There is much information about feeding giant breeds now and this is one source I have found.  The Great Dane Lady.

Each giant breed has their own list of genetic problems which can typically be found on the National Breed site club pages.  It is worth while to do some research so that you know what type of issues may arise down the road.  I love giant breeds, they stand statuesque and regal, canine art.  But like other breeds, they have their own set of issues that you should know about.  If you are considering a giant breed, educate yourself on the size specific issues.

Some of my favorite shots from 2010

Looking back over the past year at my many, many canine photos there have been a few that stand out for me.  Photography and art in general is a very personal.  What you dislike, someone else may love.  What you might love to put on your wall, another may consider it a shoulder shrugging piece.  I pretty much love all images of dogs, no matter what breed or mix it is.  What I look for in my favorites is something that stirs emotion, any emotion. 

These are a few of my favorite, that were close at hand.  I have many more but you might be all day looking at them.  Happy 2011 everyone. 

Coyotes

I was abruptly awake, laying there wondering what had waken me.  My husband asked "did you hear that?"  Then I heard it off in the distance, perhaps a block away on the next street down from us, a coyote.  There is no mistaking the high pitched yelping of a coyote in the cold night air.  The sound travels, sending shivers down your spine, only because I know what they are here for.  It was loud and clear in our room as I lay concentrating on the audible sounds as was Luke.  He sat up, his ears raised, listening intently.  It is very clear that this was not the sound of any dog. 

The first thing I thought was "thank goodness we have not given Jessie access to the dog door at night."  Coyotes are common in these areas, I've seen them often.  We've even seen them  midday in the middle of the road and they don't seemed highly bothered by the humans around.  When we first moved to Southern California we were told about the coyotes and that they could easily jump a 6 foot fence.  From that day on Jessie has never been allowed out on her own.  Coyotes regularly eat cats and they also eat dogs when they can get them.  It is typically the small dogs but they will take a larger weaker dog if they are in a pack, scary.

I know of many cats that simply went missing; never to be seen again.  Most people in the area keep their cats inside.  I worry about puppies left outside, when they are young or small they are vulnerable to attack.  Coyotes surely know the where abouts of young, old or sick dogs that they might take.   Walking through the park with the dogs I often come across remains, mostly rabbits but not always.  Leaving small, old or young dogs out overnight is risking the life of your dog.  Aside from coyotes no dog should be sleeping outside, they all deserve to be inside with the family.

Coyotes have lived here a longtime, it is their right and we have to modify our lives to coexist.  It is as simple as that and if you are very cautious about your dogs safety we can all live happily together.  I was told by a woman one day as we chatted about our similar looking Jack Russells that she'd had a tug of war with her little dog and a coyote.  She was at the park, her dog was on an extension leash and as the dog went over a hill the coyote was waiting on the otherside.  It was only because of the fact that she had a leash on her dog that she got it back, but the coyote had not given up easily.  They'd struggled back and forth but the woman was not letting the coyote take her dog.  It finally dropped it and ran off.  Another couple I knew had their very old Brittany Spaniel sleeping outdoors at night, a pack of coyotes entered their yard and took her.  This is horrifically sad and avoidable. 

Several years ago I was doing a photo shoot with a couple of gorgeous Kuvasz.  I was looking for a very intense look that these dogs can possess.  They are a natural guarding breed often used to keep coyotes and wolves away from their flocks.  During the shoot we worked hard to obtain this "look," when suddenly a coyote showed up at the field.  The intense expression on their faces showed that they knew this was not just a dog in the field.  It was amazing and I was able to get the "look" shot which made the cover of Dog World magazine.  It was a very cool moment.

As I lay there listening to the coyote communicating to others I thought "pretty impressive that there are wild coyotes here in Southern California."  Pretty cool indeed. 

Spoiled

I was in a discount store the other day; of course I was in the dog section checking out the goods for my dogs.  Beside me was a woman with a handful of dog stuff, a jacket, a few toys etc.  As I rummaged through everything I overheard a discussion that is quite common.  First the kids arrived to see what Mom was getting for the dog.  Perhaps they had a new dog at home?  Not sure, but they for sure had someone that was very special and needing a new coat and some toys.  The daughter asked if she could get a few different items for the dog which Mom said "no" on.  I had a really cool coat (which unfortunately they didn't have Tilley's size) in my hand when Dad showed up on the scene. 

Everything changed in an instant, what had been excitement and fun soon turned into a convincing job.  "Why do we have to spoil the dog?"  This was all he had to offer.  I hate that word "spoil," it has such a negative connotation to it, doesn't it?  He repeated it again "why do we have to spoil the dog?"  No answer came, Mom and the kids continued their search for a new coat and toys for "the dog."

Spoiled:    to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc

And this is exactly what it means to me; over indulgence.  Now that can mean either too much behavior indulgence or indulgence in the form of treats.  Either way the result is not good, spoiled is not a good thing.  Most times when I hear the word "spoiled" when referring to a dog it means "much loved."  Most dogs who are taken care of, loved, and have a great family are often called spoiled?  Is a dog who has a comfortable place to lay, two healthy meals a day and a loving family spoiled?  Not in my books, they are cared for properly.  

Many people throw the word "spoiled" around loosely.  But if you asked them what they really mean by their label of a spoiled dog it would probably not be a negative.  I have met spoiled dogs; those who have been unruly, untrained and badly mannered brought on simply by being overindulged by their guardians.  But when I see a dog wrapped in a blanket on a cold night, sleeping on top of a comfy bed or wearing a new coat to keep them warm, "spoiled" never comes to mind.  A dog that has an amazing nutritional diet, healthy snacks and clean water I never think "what a spoiled dog."  On the contrary, I think "what a great canine guardian." 

For me "spoiled" means getting things that you don't deserve.  Don't all of our dogs deserve to be taken care of to the best of our ability?  I think so.  Let's trash this out dated "spoiled" word. 

Happy New Year

Here we are 2011 already, seems impossible.  I want to wish all of you the best year, happiness, health and success.   I am hoping that this year will see a drop in the number of homeless pets, an end to Puppy mills, and more focus put the way that we humans treat dogs and animals in general.   If we all give just a little, imagine the good that can be done.  It takes but one to start change.

Happy New Year all.  Hugs to all the dogs out there.

Stanley is in the parade

I wanted to write about Stanley today; a Chesapeake Bay Retriever that I met many years ago.  When I first met Stanley it was in the San Diego area at the beach for a shoot.  I met his Dad, Craig as well and as usual the shoot was a lot of fun.   We were also joined by another woman who had two Chesapeakes there as well.  All that the dogs had to do was play in the water while I shot away.  Right off it was obvious that Stanley was a natural water dog.  He had the drive and natural intensity of the breed.  The humans chatted about the dogs, both Stanley and one of the other dogs were rescues.  Stanley had only been with Craig a matter of months when I met him but they already had an amazing bond.

The shots turned out great, how could they not when the dogs were in their zone?  What a great turn of events; Stanley had been dumped only months before a few blocks from Kern County Animal Control on Christmas Eve.  He roamed the streets for several days before he was picked up and then moved to a rescue group in San Diego.  It was there that Craig fostered and later adopted Stanley and as they say the rest is history.  Since that fateful day Craig and Stanley have come together as an awesome water team participating in Dock Diving and Surfing.

 Bakersfield news all about Stanley

 Stanley's story is yet another sad one with a very happy ending.  Stanley will be on top of the Natural Balance float at the Rosebowl parade so keep an eye out for him.  He'll be the dark brown stud muffin on top.  How's that for mov'n on up?  Pretty great I'd say.  From his past life of a lonely dog left to his own in a backyard to riding atop a float at the Rosebowl parade with his Dad.  That's a very happy ending.  Way to go Craig and Stanley

Signals

I remember way back in the beginning, standing on the sidelines watching a guy work his dogs in the obedience ring.  He was way up there as far as levels go and there was no speaking going on.  "Cool," I thought to myself, "how cool is that?"  He went through his paces, silently motioning to his dog.  His dog understood everything and it was poetry in motion.  I was spellbound.  Little did I know it at the time, but teaching a dog hand signals is very easy.  The part that is not so easy is attention; of course your dog must be watching you to "get" the signals right?

Watching is the key and one that dogs are far more equipped than us to perform.  It's what they do, how they communicate is through body language and to communicate in this way one must watch.  We humans do a lot of babbling, often we aren't even looking at one another when we speak.  But dogs are always watching us, I love watching dogs watch humans.  The other day I was walking behind a woman st the park with three toy poodles, they were adorable.  One of the dogs was constantly seeking eye contact which she was not getting.  Her owner was busy talking to a friend but the little one never gave up and as they left the park she was still trying to connect with her owner.

Teaching hand signals is most easily done by luring.  Ever see the Frisbee dogs, how everytime they are about to get a toss they run around their owner with a simple sweep of their owners hand?  A Frisbee in the hand motioning around your back and then quickly throwing as the dog comes around accomplishes this.  A sit is taught almost immediately by luring food from the dogs nose up over their head.  They quickly respond to this hand motion by sitting.  Same with down, as the dog is in a sit lure your dog to the floor by bringing the food from above their head to the floor.  This hand motion soon becomes the signal to "down."

Sometimes a behavior has a very common hand signal, sit is a swoop, down a motioning downward, stay the all familiar hand out in front.  But what if you want to teach something that doesn't have a hand signal?  Consider how you are going to teach the dog the particular behavior, what hand motion will coincide with it nicely?  Will you remember the hand signal?  Is it different enough from other signals so your dog will not become confused?  Choose your signal and cast it in stone.

Now many people say that there dog will only do behaviors if they have food in their hand.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard this.  The big secret to get rid of that annoying food prerequisite is to get rid of the food.  After several luring repetitions our dogs recognize a hand signal, take the food out of the signal hand and continue to signal exactly the same way.  Put the food in your other hand behind your back, or on a shelf beside you .  Deliver the food reward with your other hand, not the signal hand.  So even though you have not lured your dog with food they will still follow the hand signal because they got the reward.  Then you ween off the treats intermittently. 

Teaching hand signals helps to keep your dog constantly watching you.  If they aren't watching they might miss something.  It is helpful when your dog grows old and possibly loses their amazing hearing.  I have always used hand signals with my older dogs.  It's also very impressive, stand proud, you spent a great deal of time teaching your dog and it shows.

Dementia

At first you see the symptoms as just that of an old dog.  Then they start to get really strange, so strange you start to wonder "what the heck is going on?"  I've had a lot of old dogs and although they all have slowed down, become frail or just plain wobbly they have not seemed off in the head to put it nicely.   If you are a longtime reader then you know that Jessie had started out with an odd behavior of standing at the back door.  I thought she had somehow associated this with feeding, now I am thinking that it may have been the beginning.  She has now since moved her door standing to the other side of the house, upstairs in the hallway.

Dementia is in the house.

Dementia:  severe impairment or loss of intellectual capacity and personality integration, due to the loss of or damage to neurons in the brain.

After researching dementia; I have come to discover that she has many of the symptoms. Dementia is common in old dogs but not all old dogs get it.  Jessie is the first of all our old dogs to have it.  We visited the vets today to make sure that we were not dealling with anything else.  She now also has a grade 2 level heart murmur which she did not have before and I will get the results of a urine analysis tomorrow.  But we are pretty sure it's just dementia. 

There is not much to do about this and it sucks bigtime.  During the day she is pretty much in a coma from being awake the entire night.  She is now peeing in the house at night.  The dementia causes her anxiety at night, and this may lead to the peeing.  I'm heading out in a moment to pick up some potty pads, a first.  We have gone over the whole nighttime scenario again and again.  We had her in our room lastnight just to see if she could settle out of her crate, no.  She got me up at 11:30, I let her out and went back to bed, she paced and paced and paced.  She scratched, flapped her ears, paced at the patio door and paced some more.  With a fear of no sleep for anyone I took her down to the kitchen, let her out again and got a bed set up for her. 

I watched her for a while as she paced around the kitchen seeming like she was on a mission but wasn't sure what the agenda was.  "Someone has to get some sleep," I said as I turned out the light.  She never settled and when my son got up at 4:30 he said she was pacing and howling.  This is the toughest thing I've dealt with, everything else we've been through with the dogs just needs nursing and tlc.  There is not much to do for this dementia but we are going to try drugs to help her relax at night.

The vet has given me Clomipramine, typically used for separation in dogs but also dementia.  She got hers in cottage cheese this evening and has been tucked in.  Hopefully she will have a good night sleep and this will all work itself out.  I can only hope for a good night sleep for all.

Hachi

I watched Hachi (A dog's tale) last night, I've been wanting to see it for a longtime and finally it arrived today (Netflix)  So after dinner we all headed down to the family room, Luke of course was out in front.  He did his regular happiness spin and settled down in front of the coffee table facing the tv.  Then before the movie started he decided to take up the end of the sofa on one of the cushions.  My husband moved the candles so that Luke could see the tv, I'm not joking he does watch t.v. and he did watch the entire movie.

The movie was much better than I had anticipated.  Richard Gere stumbles upon the adorable puppy at a train station.  With no one in site to claim the puppy he brings it home to a wife who is none too happy to see it.  She (Joan Allen) plays the cold hearted role demanding that they place the dog, in the beginning.  Of course she quickly see's the special relationship between Gere and Hachi and allows the dog to stay.  It is a heartwarming story based on a true story that unfolded in Japan 1924.  Hachi was apparently an Akita and has a place of prominence on an Akita Club site.

The Akita is not a dog for everyone, they are a very large, strong and intense breed.  The Akita can be dog aggressive as it was originally bred to fight.  But with the dedication of many great breeders they are becoming a more social breed.  They have a natural guarding instinct and need a great deal of socializing from early on.  I had the chance to photograph some beautiful Akitas several years back and they could not have been better behaved and friendly, big but very friendly.   Akitas are wonderful dogs in the right home with an educated owner, they are not for everyone.

No matter what dog you get, whether it be a mix or purebred there should be much thought, research and consideration into the decision.  Don't run out and buy the cutie from the movie, no dog is like the movies.

I would definitely recommend the movie Hachi, it was really good and of course, about a dog.

Opening presents

Luke's pupils are dilated here, he's in the zone.  And being given the go ahead to tear he has become over-stimulated and quickly moves onto the next where he is then stopped in his tracks.  If you don't want your dog to enter "the zone," you don't allow this level of excitement.

This one is actually his and at the end of the gift opening.  This was a good opening.

Ah presents; who doesn't love presents?  Well Luke adores new presents and considers every package that comes into the house a possible gift for him.  The gift monster was man-made, a creation of allowing a behavior to grow.  "Oh look how cute."  Last Christmas it became quite obvious that the behavior had to be placed under control.  But I mean honestly, how cute is it that he wants to open every gift?  And combating everyone in the room that thinks he is the cutest thing ever is not an easy quest.

Here there is a lull in the gift opening, look at that innocent face.

So we tackle the problem head on; a firm "leave it," is used to let him know what he is and is not allowed to rip open.  As long as the person who is doing the unwrapping cooperates then everything goes to plan.  Luke walks away and lays down knowing that this is not for him.  Several times he went over to the gifts to find one for himself which again was adorable because it was his but not so cute if he had wrecked someone elses gift.

The process of changing a behavior must be done with consistency and the more over stimulated a dog becomes while doing it the more you must stick to your guns.  Luke needed several very serious "leave it's," from Mom.  This let him know that we were not kidding about the destruction.  We then had a dog that was under control, sure he still wanted to rip into every gift, opening it to display the goods inside.  He wanted to see what was inside but he didn't.  He waited for the "okay" from the owner of the gift and then went to town if he was given permission.

What a good boy; "As good as gold and better."  

Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day  this is my favorite Holiday because this day has the same charm as Christmas without all the work.  The day for us is spent lazing around; although we did run the dogs bright and early.  We eat lots of leftovers (love leftovers) and spend time with the family.

I hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas had a great one; we did as did the dogs.  Luke was in full swing yesterday; opening presents is one of his favorite activities and this joy can sometimes become a bit of a hinderance.  He learned the wonders of gift opening on his first Christmas; we always get the dogs something.  Once he opened his first gift he thought it would be fun to open them all.  Encouraged by onlookers he has become a little bit of a crazed gift opener.  If someone does not want his assistance you must be very firm with a "LEAVE IT".  Then he just wanders off to the next gift.

Both Luke and Tilley opened their gifts, which were these that I blogged about earlier.  And they also got adorable gifts from my son which I will post hopefully tomorrow.  Jessie has yet to open her gifts, we're dealing with a few very difficult issues as of late with her (more on that later as well.)

The dogs had turkey for dinner as did we, turkey and tofurkey that is.  The dogs had just the real stuff, the tofu turkey was for a few of the humans.    I always save the organs for them and they get turkey meat, cooked carrots, cabbage and egg shells.

I am enjoying this quiet Boxing day surrounded by the dogs.  Happy Holidays everyone.

Merry Christmas

May your toys be squeaking and the tennis balls be plenty.
Let your beds have great warmth and your cookie jar always full.
May you enjoy each and every moment with your companion.

To all the canines and their wonderful companions, have a wonderful Christmas.   From my doghouse to yours.

Comfort

Does comfort every get old?  Nope.  Plain and simple; who does not like to be comfortable?  I love nothing more than climbing (and I literally mean climb) into my bed; with flannel sheets that are prewarmed by a dog.  Hate to get into a cold bed at night?  Ask your dog to lay there while you get ready for bed; works wonderfully and they don't mind a bit.  Once it's warm just ask them to scootch over a bit.

It's early and I've just had my coffee.  I can see out my window that the sun is just starting to come up, looks like it will be a beautiful sunrise.  Jessie is completely under the covers; I'm not sure how she breaths under there but she loves heading right down to the bottom of the bed.  Luke is curled up a few feet away; of course on top of the down comforter and Tilley is still in her bed right beside us.

I have to admit it makes me very happy to see dogs that are comfortable.  Especially when it is an older dog but any dog will bring a smile to my face in the lap of coziness.  It bothers me when I see dogs laying on concrete and I always want to grab a bed to throw under them.

When you're a kid you can sleep just about anywhere.  I remember many a sleep over both my own and my kids sleep overs where there are kids sleeping everywhere; all over the floor.  Try that when you are middle aged; doesn't feel so good.  I'd be the first to shotgun the couch; somehow as you get older the floor becomes much harder.

Dogs naturally gravitate to comfort; I've never had a dog that didn't lie on clothing that were dropped on the floor.  And even when they are on my bed; they much prefer to nab any clothing item to snuggle up with.  Not only do they like comfort; they really like the smells of home and you.

I can hear Jessie snoring under her pile of blankets down at the bottom of the bed; I guess she breaths just fine down there.  Luke is curled up tightly in his corner of the bed and Tilley is just now eyeing my husbands warm spot on the bed that he has vacated.

There's no place like home.

New boots

Continuing with my rain blog from yesterday, I needed boots for all this rain.  I got new boots and I'm pretty excited about it.  Since we moved to California from Canada I lost my rubber boots somewhere.  I hadn't replaced them because frankly it hardly ever rains here.  But it's been raining more and I wanted to not have to do the tip toe thing around outside so we were off to find rain boots today.  It wasn't easy, I don't know how many stores I went into only to find Large, x-large or above size 10 left.  I take a 5.5 or 6 so obviously most of the kids around had scooped up my boots.

 I finally found some at Greenthumb nursery where my hubby suggested we check out.  I have to tell you that what I found I was very excited about.  There they were, after umpteen trips in and out of stores with no boots in hand, I had found them.  And not only had I found them but they had my name written all over them.


I got these Holey Coastal boots.  They don't go up as high as a normal rubber boot but I'm not splashing around in deep puddles, just shallow ones.  I love walking in the water and mud and not worrying about it.  I hate it when I step in a puddle in my runners and it seeps through the sides slowly drenching my feet.  These are sort of Crocish I guess you could say but man are they comfortable.  And as soon as I saw them I thought about the walks I take in the early morning as well, returning with soaking feet.

These are very comfortable and have a great sole.  Of course it was the paw prints that caught my eye.   When we went into the store I saw them immediately.  My husband said "hey Sher, check these out" but I already had a pair in my hands.  Like I said they had my name written all over them.  Dog walking shoes, how great. 

I'm a utility gear gal, I love anything that makes my life outdoors or with dogs easier.  And these fit that description to a T.

It's still pouring

It's raining again, pouring would be a more accurate description of what is going on really.  It started last Wed and today makes it a week of rain, strange for Southern California.   We do get bouts of rain but typically they come in the January/February months.  Which is precisely the last time I remember getting as much rain.  So we are in for a very green New Year which isn't a bad thing.  

Because of our recent weather the dogs have been doing more sleeping.  Although my guys now at 10, 13.5 and 14.5 sleep a great deal normally, rain makes everyone sleep more.  I have been having to consciously get everyone outside to relieve themselves.  Left to their own they will hold it until they can hold it no longer, that's not comfortable for anyone.  If it is pouring like it is at the moment they will go to the door and look, then decide that they really didn't have to go afterall and go lay down.  This is when I don my rain gear and get the treats out.  Hey, if I expect them to get wet, I'm getting wet.

So we all head out, albeit very slowly.  Jessie takes 1/2 inch steps so the 15 feet to the grass takes a while.  She, unlike the poodles does not understand the whole "hurry and you won't get as wet," thing.  Tilley tries to move but with her Vestibular it takes a while as well.  Luke is a run out and go and run back kind of guy, thankfully.  So I wait while the girls do their things, and when they are done I cheer like they just completed a marathon and give them a treat.  Wow?  A treat for going to the bathroom?  This puts a spring in their step and they forget he rain momentarily.  On the next trip out they have a quick second thought, then quickly remember the food/pee trade and out they go.

We've also been doing more indoor retrieving.  It is of course short runs and more repetition but it gets tails wagging none the less.  Jessie is good for one, maybe two if she's really in the mood, mostly not though.  When the dogs were young and we had bouts of "inside" time we played all sorts of games.  Hide'n seek was a big favorite with my guys.  We've always played it with all of our dogs and each one has loved it.  We actually spoke about trying it again this weekend, it's been a while.  We have to be careful because of Tilley's slant but I'm sure she'll be up for a short search.  

Another wonderful game was hide the treat.  I'd get out old blankets and hide Charlee Bear treats throughout.  Of course the dogs were put away while I dispersed the goods and then let out.  I would tell them to "find it," and off they'd be on a mad search.  They loved this game as well.  

Sometimes you just can't get out, but that does not mean that you can't spend some quality time together while getting rid of a bit of excess energy as a bonus.   

Inside a rescue group

Looking for a forever home.

These baby girls are looking for their forever home.

I have met many rescue groups, visited far too many shelters and worked with countless second hand dogs. There are lots of rescue groups popping up and I wanted to have a look into a well run group to see what makes them tick. How much goes into the actual rescue, rehabilitation and placement when it’s done right? So I looked up a local group here in Southern California, I.C.A.R.E. dog rescue. I made a trip out to one of their adoption events to get some photos, meet some dogs and a few of the people who are dedicated to finding great homes for some unwanted dogs.

As I write this blog there is a new post on this rescue groups FB, fosters needed for 13, 3 week old puppies with no Mother.  Rescuing dogs is far more commitment, dedication, passion and work than most realize.  Countless hours spent nursing, training, rehabilitating and caring for a dog that will hopefull someday be a families best dog ever.  It is a selfless job and thankfully there are many wonderful people out there willing to give up there time, to save a dog. 

I.C.A.R.E. is run by a group of committed people who take unwanted dogs and find them a wonderful forever home. These unwanted dogs are placed in great foster family homes (no kennels here) until they can find their very own family. Foster homes are essential with this type of rescue group, so I.C.A.R.E. is always looking for people who would like to get involved. They solicit new foster families via Craig’s list, their Facebook page, website and events. “We can’t take anymore dogs until we get more fosters,” said Danielle who is one of the founding members and adoption coordinator. This is the wonderful thing about a group like this, each dog is put into a home where they can relax and be more themselves. This allows the foster family to let the adoption people know what it is like because they have seen firsthand how the dog behaves in a home environment.

This very handsome boy is looking for his new family

"Can I live at your house?"  Those eyes!!!

 When someone contacts the group as a prospective foster they must fill out a foster application, foster contract and have a home inspection done. Once all the visits and paper work are done its go time. The foster guardian is given a dog and all supplies needed to care for the dog. The group pays for everything; the only requirement from the foster family is a happy, safe home environment. This makes it much easier to obtain foster families for more dogs to be saved.

  What a doll.

I.C.A.R.E. displays their available dogs at adoption day events, their website and Facebook site. I found them through Facebook. When a family is interested in one of their dogs they are required to fill out an application, then they go through a slew of other related questions and are invited to come to an event to meet the dog. If they have children, they meet there.  If they have another dog they can meet at the event or have their trainer come out to the house to see if it is a match.  If that goes well and they still are interested in adopting the dog then a home visit is required. These steps ensure that the best match can be made and there is no need to re-home again.

After the home visit an adoption contract is signed. One stipulation on the contract is that if for any reason the owner needs to find a home for the dog that it MUST be returned to the rescue group. Dogs are micro-chipped with the new owner information and the rescue information as a back-up. Safety nets are always a great idea.

The group consists of the 5 founding members:

Daniel and Corrie Bravo (President and Vice President)

Danielle Robillard (Adoption Coordinator)

Elias Galvan (Behaviorist/ Trainer)

Amanda Tobon (Foster Coordinator)

and volunteers. It is like a big dog loving family with everyone working together towards one goal.

This group gets dogs in from owner surrender, shelter pulls, strays and rescue to rescue transfers. Daniel Bravo, President of I.C.A.R.E. says “sometimes we just get puppies handed to us from nowhere.” But wherever they come from; I.C.A.R.E. is a good place to land if you are an out of luck canine looking for a forever home. To date the group has 100% success rate, pretty impressive batting average I’d say.

GREAT NEWS:  Pooh Bear was adopted this weekend and now lives with a lady Pitty friend.

This little gal also got adopted; she sure caught my eye, what a cutie.

This blog is dedicated to all those who dedicate their time and life to saving dogs.  You are my heros.