Do I know you?


Excuse me? Have we met? Do I know you? Funny how many humans are drawn to touch dogs; they walk right up and lay their hands on our dogs. They do it without asking, they have no idea if your dog is friendly, fearful, sick or want to be touched. This was never as clear to me as it is with Luke. When he was a very young puppy he made it well understood that he did not appreciate strangers coming up and touching him. In fact; he quickly turned from a fuzzy faced little fellow into Cujo if someone carelessly walked straight at him. It didn’t take long to realize that he was indeed reactive. A reactive dog is basically a dog that reacts much larger to things than a regular dog. There are many degrees of reactivity; Luke’s is fairly low but because of it he has been my greatest teacher over the years.

Like many reactive dogs he never misses a thing, not a person, dog, object or even ant walking by goes without notice. And he wears his emotions on his sleeve; he is an easy read as I have said before. So when people wanted to come up and see this adorable blonde boy they headed straight for him. Making a short line from them to him and covering ground quickly. Luke immediately saw this and turned on Cujo; and when I say Cujo, I mean Cujo. Not a little growling or bluster, a full on teeth show, puffed up, on his toes growling and barking show. Of course this pretty much stopped people in their tracks, but they were usually pretty close by the time it started.

This was long ago; he has come a long way from his puppy days of freaking out.  I have taught him to be more calm and of course watch how people approach.   He adores people, it was never the people he had an issue with, it was their approach.  Many dogs simply need time, space and a non threatening approach.  Anyone who knows Luke now would never believe that he use to be related to Cujo.  ;)



I started watching for cues; how far could people get without Luke feeling threatened? The answer was pretty close and if they changed their approach, they might just be able to come up and pet him with no big scary display. Most displays that are the result of an unwanted approach are totally avoidable. Many are caused strictly by the dog being on a leash and not having access to exit, this is huge. Most dogs do not want a stranger mauling them; as cute as they may be. Of course there are the dogs who do want anyone and everyone to kiss and hug and maul them, typically the Goldens. But they are few and far between.

Humans should use a general canine approach protocol, approach with casual, confidence and caution. That is to say; don’t approach by creepily walking up to a dog all hesitant like. You are sure to get a display if you are sneaking.

Don’t look a dog in the eyes; that is very threatening and unnerving to a dog.

Don’t walk straight up to a dog head on; again this behavior is considered threatening.

Don’t lean over a dog, this is a dominant behavior.

Do not rush at a dog; this can cause all sorts of behavior to arise.

Do not pet a dog on the top of their head. You will see a lot of ducking when you do this; again it is a dominant gesture.

And do NOT feel compelled to touch.

This may all sound very restrictive.  "How can I even say hi to a dog?"  It's easy, don't push, ask and take your time.  Let the dog tell you if they are cool with your approach.  I'm just saying don't assume that every dog wants you touching it, most don't.

When I meet a dog at the park or out somewhere I read, I read all the signals that I am being thrown. Often a dog does not want anything to do with me, but if I keep my distance we’re cool. That’s fine. I happen to be a person who has a fairly big personal space myself, step into it without being invited and I’m likely backing up immediately. If I’m in a line at a store and someone feels that they should stand so close to me that I can feel them touching me? You bet I’m going to take a quick step back and claim my space. Dogs don’t like it anymore than we do but for some reason, maybe it’s the cute fuzzy faces, we feel that we have the right to touch.



Even asking someone if their dog is friendly does not mean that a dog wants to be touched. Read the signs; are they standing still, backing up or slinking down in posture? This means keep your distance. Even if a dog is not approaching you is a pretty big sign. Tilley gives off really clear signs that most people get. She is quite timid with new people as far as advances. She gets very low and retracts, sort of scary like, but this is only if someone tries to approach her who she does not know. She is Miss Polite after all and it is very rude to rush right into touching with getting to know someone. If she is allowed to sniff and meet someone then she may allow a chest touch, but she’d rather you didn’t.  And if she has the proper amount of time to meet you then she'll probably end up in your lap.

Crouching down sideways is second nature to me now.  In fact it is so natural to me that I found myself doing it at the Wolf Center a month ago.  And surprisingly; it has the same effect with the wolves.

                              Don't forget tomorrow is the big giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHE'S NOT FRIENDLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Okay; give me a second............................pulling out my soapbox, okay good.  Up we go.  "SHE'S NOT FRIENDLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  My walk today was ridiculous; I frankly was a little astonished as I walked around the park with Miss Jessie.  For some reason I guess Jessie looks as cute as a button in her little red jacket/harness.  Everyone who was walking their dog came straight for us.  Oh; and not in a controlled manner, no they were coming and their dog was coming a good 15-20 feet out ahead.  Ah extension leashes, don't even get me started.

So; because these people were so far away I found myself yelling at them.  Like I don't already have to yell enough with a little deaf Jack Russell and Tilley losing her hearing quickly, geeeesh.  "SHE'S NOT FRIENDLY!!!!!!"  I belted out as they smiled and slowly reeled in their dog causing me to pause my walk and wait.  "Did they happen to see me rein in Jessie and keep her at my side?"  No because they weren't paying attention.  You have to always be paying attention; at least sort of.  Scanning, watching, assessing every situation, it's our job.  If someone walking towards you reins in their dog, then there is a really good chance that this dog is not dog friendly.  Or for some reason the owner does not want your dog interacting with theirs.  Pay attention.



One man that did this with his little Yorkie only stopped a mere foot or two in front of us, paused to take out his earphones and said "pardon dear?"  Ummmm; your kidding right?  I could have said "my dog has rabies," and he would have kept coming.  There's the lack of the human's ability to read body language.  My body was saying nothing like please come over here and visit us.  No, not even close. 

There are things in life when throwing caution to the wind is a great idea; not when meeting other dogs.  Caution is smart and polite.  Diving in muzzle first and hoping for the best is not the way to go.  It could get your dog bit.  So what should all of these folks done?  Upon seeing another person and dog approaching, slowly reel in their extension leash way before getting to us.  Then at least 10 feet away ask "friendly?"  Which I would have replied ever so politely "NO."



With Jessie it really is a hit and miss situation, but mostly hit.  So why bother, she is a very dominant little female, old, cranky and out to tell the world that she is still the Supreme ruler of all the land.  So; as I said why bother?  After trial and error on how best to deliver the message I have stuck on "she's not friendly."  It seems to get the message across fairly clearly, to the point, no mixing words etc. etc.  I would group today's events into the bad dog etiquette category. 

You know the old saying "better to be safe than sorry?"  Well it is alive and well in 2011.

There will be a "dog stuff" giveaway on Thursday, more specific info Wed on my Facebook group.  

Winding down


As I sit typing I look over at my sofa to see three very special canines wrapped in blankets and sound asleep.  We've had a busy day; poor little Jessie is catching up on her much needed sleep from her never ending Sundown Syndrome.  It actually does end, it ends the moment she gets up in the morning.  It is then and only then that she is down, down for the count for most of the day.  Then the cycle begins again.  As I sit and watch her deep breathing, under her blanket I wonder why she cannot simply sleep like this at night.  But for some reason, bedtime now means up time for the poor little gal.   So we are learning to cope.



The poodles are happily tired, they spent the morning at the beach.  For a 10.5 year old and a nearly 14 year old it doesn't take much to tucker them out.  Tilley is exhausted, I knew she would be but sometimes the exhaustion is well worth it.   We were going to head out this morning without her, the walk we typically do is far too much for her now.  But after watching her hop around throwing her head in the air I had to readjust.  We CAN take her, we just have to adjust our walk.  We will make sure we get parking close by and take the first ramp down to the beach.  There Tilley and I will sit and watch Dad and Luke run around.  It'll be great.



Great it was, it was so wonderful to see her enjoying the beach.  Yes it was a lot for her, maybe a bit much but she was happy, so happy.  Tilley is such a water dog and she was chomping at the bit to get in.  Of course with the California surf being pretty huge she just waded as did Luke.  They got caught in a couple of big waves which meant wet shoes for Dad and two very wet poodles.  We did it slow, slow is the secret to success here.



After a wonderful beach visit it was up the ramp again.  Dad and Luke ran ahead and Tilley and I took our time, we smelled the roses and took in the amazing scenery as we meandered up the ramp.  We went so slow that I bet she didn't even realize that we were going up hill.  By the time we hit the parking lot it was obvious that we were at the end of the energy allotment for the day.  I fluffed up her many fleece blankets in the car and lay her comfortably down.































The car ride home was a quiet one, two very tired poodles.  Once home we washed away the ocean from their curls and they took a few to cool down.  Then it was onto breakfast, second breakfast that is.  They feasted on turkey, raw beef, banana, tomato, vitamins and egg shell.    And then a much deserved nap time, just until dinner time that is.  

The Frenchie

The French Bulldog; a wonderful breed gracing the homes of many.  This is a tribute to the little charmers. 

Dude, your breath.

                                                Sometimes your very own grass is the greenest.

Happy Hour.......................yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                    Awkward moment.

Sometimes new things.....................


                                                               .......................are fun to try.


We all have personal space needs.

Can you say Mr. July?


Got Itch?  Scratch.

Yes 100% of the time

"It's impossible, I can't watch the dog all day long."  "You can't watch a dog 100% of the time."   "I don't have time to do this."   Do you even know how many times that I've heard these phrases?  Too many times; I'll tell ya that.  All I have to say about this is; if you want your puppy to get a quick education, you have to be there.  Bottom line, if you aren't there you cannot give feedback resulting in no educating.  Whether it is good or bad feedback, if you are absent, so is the lesson.


Of course I realize that in real life there are times when you cannot keep your eyes on that new little bundle, that's what crates, exercise pens, playpens etc. are for.   For those short times when you cannot keep your eye on your pooch, placing them in a safe contained area is a great idea.  1.  It lessons the likelihood of an accident.  2.  None of your "stuff" is going to be destroyed.  And 3.  Your puppy is safe and sound in their containment compartment.  It is not mean, cruel or anything similar, it's smart.

I have had many calls in the past from owners who are at the end of their rope.  Something has to change or the dog is going to have to go.  I know a couple who had two leather couches eaten before I got the call.  Another new owner had the legs of their antique dining room table chewed up.  And many who seem to have an un-house trainable dog.  The solution is such a simple one; and once many of these owners were enlightened their lives went back to normal.  Well as normal as it can be with a new puppy.



Dogs do not have to destroy your home or belongings and teaching them to use the outdoors to relieve themselves is pretty easy.  But you have to supervise them 100% of the time when they are out and about.  You just have to.  And if you find that you cannot, sliding here and there then there are going to be accidents, there just are.   The strict surveillance requirements of a puppy are high, but in the long run they pay off in bucket loads.  Perhaps even bucket loads of money, the money that you did not have to spend to replace all your great stuff.


Containment areas are extremely useful training aids.  Never over use them, or use them as a form of punishment.  A crate or ex-pen should be a happy, safe den like place where your dog is happy to go for a quick nap.  Puppies are a lot of work; often leaving you feeling overwhelmed.  Placing your pup in their den area is great while you sit and have a cup of tea.  It can be good for everyone involved.  And you'll be re-energized for all that supervising you'll be doing once they come out.  

Melatonin



We aren't back to normal but we are definitely chill.  After several tries at finding a medication that would help Jessie to sleep or at least relax through the night we have found the answer.  We first tried Clomicalm, commonly used for separation anxiety or depression.  But it basically put Jessie into a drug induced coma, not good.  Next we tried Benadryl, same result pretty much, she was in a state of drowsy, too groggy.    So for a week I did hours of research, site after site, story after story until I landed on Melatonin.

Melatonin for Canine Dementia  This is a great article.

So I went back to my vet; Jessie had a few more test done and we spoke about Melatonin.  He agreed that Melatonin would be a sensible next attempt at calming Jessie's nighttime pacing.  My vet told me to get 3mg Melatonin at the drugstore.  Melatonin is commonly used by humans as a natural sleep-aid.  When used in dogs it does not cause a drowsiness but instead it can induce a calming sensation.  Many people use it for separation anxiety, aggression and other behavior issues.


What I also found out that I did not know before is that many people are getting really great results with Melatonin and Epilepsy and nighttime seizures.   I will do further research into this in regards to epilepsy seeing that Luke is epileptic.

As far as the Melatonin for Jessie and her Dementia, it is helping.  She is still active at night but not nearly to the degree that she was.  It helps to keep her calm in the evening, she rarely startles when touched which is really nice, poor little girl use to jump out of her skin.  She seems to be getting more sleep which is allowing her to be more herself during the day.   So far I'm very happy with the results we are seeing.  There isn't a whole lot that you can do for dementia, this is definitely helping us.  

Naturally cool


                                                                                  What a face.


Between training and photographing dogs as well as the every day chance meeting of dogs I have met some amazing ones. Amazing to me can mean many different things but typically it means that this dog has had an impact of some sort on me. I want to share the story of some of these amazing dogs with you.


The first one is a stand out for me, he was a strikingly handsome mixed breed who had an aire of confidence about him. I was doing a shoot at the beach with a rare breed, the Sloughi.  The guardian of the these Sloughis said she had a mix as well that she was going to bring for some beach fun. She had told me what the best guess of his mix had been but as he stepped out of the car he looked to me like he had quite a few breeds mixed in there. Most obvious was his markings and height which were very much like smooth coated St. Bernard although he was much leaner and athletic looking.

It was a typical fun and relaxed shoot with the dogs running around and me photographing the fun. As I watched this dog interact with others it was obvious to all the dogs on the beach that he had "top dog" status without being obvious about it. Several times dogs charged down the beach with a "I'm the boss of the beach" display. Some dogs at the receiving end of the charge would cringe in submission and others would challenge back with a dispute following. But when these displays came the way of our mixed boy he stood his ground, never flinched with a look on his face of sheer confidence. The beach challengers were immediately stopped in their tracks and redirected their furry.

                                                 Having so much fun makes a dog thirsty.


It amazed me to see that his unruffled behavior was clear to all the other dogs instantly. We had a great day, super shoot and lots of fun.  As we headed out a dog charged from out of nowhere and attacked one of the rare breed dogs I had been shooting. It was the darker male, the dog grabbed him by the throat.  In the blink of an eye the mixed breed companion of these greyhound like dogs flew into action, grabbing and pinning the attacker to the ground. As we gathered the dogs and got ourselves together he held this dog down. There was no fighting and no discussion he just did what was required.

The pack enjoying a run with Mom

On my drive home I was very upset about the end of the day incident but reflected on the remarkable behavior of this stately dog. He was definitely the strong, silent type. Later the guardian filled me in on hero dog, he was a street dog found in LA.  When she first heard of him the guardian hadn't thought she needed a dog in her life but he ended up wriggling his way in was truly sent when most needed. He had helped her through many life ordeals and been by her side since the day she didn't think she needed a dog.  That amazing dog always comes to mind when I think about all the great dogs I've met.

Mean what you say



While I'm out walking my dogs I often run into people who are shouting verbal cues at their dog.  They are in panic mode trying anything they can to get their dog to perform some sort of behavior.  Some of the more popular shoutings are heel, stay, leave it and come.  When I do a photo shoot many people will tell their dog to stay.  Then I ask them if their dog knows what stay means.  They look at me strangely and then answer no.  Isn't it funny then that they keep yelling the command at the dog, hoping somehow that the dog will get the idea.  Hmmmmm?

It doesn't work this way; you must teach, then practice, then proof and then train and train and train some more.   Dogs do not come with a built in knowledge of these words.  Although it may seem that they should; just like the names Fido and Rover, the words sit,come and stay seem to go with dogs.  But unless you take the time to teach your dog what these words mean, then they mean nothing to your dog, no matter how many times you say them.



If you have taken the time to teach your dog some of these words and still they don't seem to work, then you still need work.  And all those sit, sit, sit verbal cues that your yelling at your dog are undoing any training that you have accomplished.  What you are now teaching your dog is that "sit" means nothing.  It may also be creating a negative association to the word as well, because of your state.  In this state you are probably growing angry and your dog knows it.

When you start educating your dog you need to do it in a quiet area with no distractions.  You teach them until they are consistently performing the behavior.  Then you add a tiny distraction, say someone walking through the room.  Next you would practice in different rooms and then as your dog succeeds you build the distractions.  Never expect your dog to perform in an area of high distraction if you have not trained them to do so in a high distraction area.

If you find yourself in a situation that is stressful and you know that your dog is not going to be able to be successful in what you ask, then don't ask.  Don't use your verbal cue if you are not going to follow through.  Make a mental note, more training in high distraction areas.  Lots more training, you cannot expect your dog to do their job if you have not done yours.

Retirement, slowing down and guilt


Retirement; just picture it, feet up sipping on a margarita, soaking up the sun on a white sand beach.  Sound good?  For many people retirement is a goal, how often do you hear "I can't wait to retire."  To leave the 9-5 world behind?  Although it may sound glorious for many of us humans, what does retirement mean for our dogs?  First off; retirement is only relevant if your dog is either a working, very active or performance dog.  For many retirement never comes into play, and life just sort of slows down.   For my three, Tilley is the only true retiree while both Jessie and Luke have slowed down.

And unlike us; dogs don't want to retire.  Retiring means giving up or cutting back on what you love to do.  For many working dogs it means an end of working, often resulting in a complete change of lifestyle.  Retiring is tough for a dog; it is not the envious retirement that we all long for.  Many dogs have a very difficult time when they retire, but keeping active can help.  Taking part in other activities that aren't as straining on their aging bodies helps.  And quality time spent together, that is always a good plan.



Tilley was a high flying frisbee girl; I never taught her to fly, she was a natural.  She was first introduced to the frisbee as a means of controlling her chase drive.  She had started chasing shadows out of control, which soon became a dangerous situation.  I started with a tennis ball which she quickly transferred her obsession to, from there we moved to a frisbee.  It was pretty obvious even in the beginning of her frisbee days that she was a flyer.  Forget waiting for the frisbee to come to her, she always went and got it.  Even if that meant jumping heights that were easily over my head to get it.  It was because of these go and get it tactics that she was required to retire from discing.





At first we slowed down, I tried my best to keep the discs lower to the ground which for me was easier said than done.  I wrestled with the guilt of her not being allowed to frisbee anymore, it was tough.  But there comes a moment when common sense must rule.  It was no longer safe to allow Tilley to land her huge air jumps, she could break something.  For a long while we went back to the tennis ball but even that had to be done with care.  Tilley has an all or nothing mentality and even the simple act of chasing a tennis ball could be extremely dangerous.  So after weaning to the tennis ball at the age of 9.5 we had to alter throwing tactics to ensure her safety.






Luke was also an amazing disc dog.  He was never an air dog like Tilley and if he did happen to get some air we all cringed until he was back safely on the ground.  His frisbee days ended with Tilley's which isn't a bad thing.  He still loves ball but like Tilley he has a very strong drive, it's those retriever genes in them.  He will do anything to get the ball and often gets hurt in the process.  So throwing for him is also a very careful event.  Jessie is just about completely deaf and nearly blind, so she is never allowed off leash.  She is happy to follow a path along and loves nothing more than smelling all the thigns their are to smell in the park.  Gone are her digging days. 

So here we are now; Tilley is nearly 14, Jessie nearly 15 and Luke 10.5 years of age.  Tilley only now gets a rolled ball and it is only rolled a very short distance.  She can no longer join us on long walks, she can't do it.  This is another step in the guilt department, when you know they can't do it any longer but feel so bad leaving them that you consider bringing them along.  Just yesterday as we headed out to the beach I thought maybe, just maybe we should bring all three.  Then I thought about how far they would have to walk, the steep ramp, the sand and all.  It was too much for both Jessie and Tilley and we head out with our baby, our 10.5 year old baby.  My heart strings were being tweaked, it is very tough but as a guardian it is our job to make tough decisions.  It is when we are called upon to do what is right, and sometimes that means going against what your heart is telling you.


Once home from the beach we took the girls out for their snail pace stroll.  Up a small path and back again was enough to knock them both out for the evening, but they enjoyed every snail step along the way.

Very scientific


Finally; for those of you who have breeds of questionable heritage you can now find out just what's in the mix. DNA testing is becoming much more popular now that it is being offered to people who really need to know what they dogs heritage is. When you see a litter of mixed breed puppies they can look similar or each and every puppy can look entirely different. And yet those puppies have the same identical dna as one another so guessing as to parentage can be difficult.

Even if two purebred dogs have been bred their puppies can look very different; take the doodles for instance. You can have what looks to be almost pure labs all the way up to almost pure poodles and everything in between. So what if you add a third or forth breed? The results can number into the hundreds of different looking dogs. So if you really want to know what breeds were mixed together to create your dog you can now find that out through canine DNA testing.

Canine DNA tests available


You can have this test done with only a cheek swab although after I have researched the subject; it seems that a blood sample renders a quicker and more reliable end result. While you may be able to take a good guess at what breeds are in your dog; you could be way off. Some mixed breeds are simply the mixing of two purebred dogs while others can have 25 or more breeds in the mix. Dogs can come from a long line of mixed breeds adding more and more dna to the mix over the years.

But do you really need to know? I think it is more for interest sake; your dog may exhibit some behaviors that you want explained. Why do they chase everyone? Why does your dog seem so guarding? Some answers may be revealed by a DNA test but some may just be your dog being a dog. Remember all dog breeds are mixes; over the years humans picked and mixed what they preferred in a dog resulting in the breeds we have today.


Breeders of purebred dogs have been using DNA testing for a longtime. It is used to ensure lineage, coat color and type as well as health issues. Many canine disorders and diseases can be located by a DNA test before breeding.

So if you really need to know what may be in your mixed breed dog's lineage; you can now find that out for a small fee.

Nipping


Those tiny teeth, it may be fun and games but ohhhhhh man they can dig in.  Puppy nipping, no one likes it but it is a fact of life.  When I meet a new puppy I always allow nipping, much to the dismay of the new puppy guardian.  They are typically repeating "no bite, no bite, no bite," from somewhere behind me.  What I'm doing is looking for bite inhibition.

Inhibition:  the blocking or holding back of.


By allowing those little razor blade teeth on my skin; I can scrutinize the pressure that this particular puppy is using when he/she play bites.  This is extremely important, puppies need to learn to use their mouth properly before eliminating biting or nipping completely.  Stopping a puppy from nipping cold turkey can be difficult so if you first teach them to use their mouth gently the rest is much easier.  


Feedback is the key to stopping pressure first. When a puppy is nipping it is important to pay close attention to the pressure, reacting to the hard bites and letting the gentle mouthing and softer bites slide.  This is exactly the way another dog would play with your puppy.  Believe me; if your puppy bites another dog too hard she/he is going to hear about it.  I like to use a deep and loud OUCH.  Much like the tone an adult dog would use.  Once the sound is delivered you stop interactions immediately and ignore the puppy.  The puppy is left to ponder on what just happened.






Each dog is very different so you must adjust your feedback accordingly.  If you are too loud and scary, some puppies may be very afraid.  While other types may not even notice, making it more difficult to deliver a message.  The most important thing is to remove yourself; you are great, your puppy wants to play with you.  So by reacting to hard biting by removing the goods(you), your puppy gets the message.  


Teaching a puppy to use their mouth softly is very important.  So before you teach no nipping at all, make sure they know how to use those little razor blades correctly.

Routine


Surrounded by my dogs early morning while I type away in bed is one of my greatest moments.  We had a good night and Jessie is resting on my feet.  Its been a couple of very rough weeks with this Dementia; and working into a routine that works has been difficult.  Hopefully we have found the right combination to have a bit more smooth sailing for a while.

Routine can be a good thing or a bad thing.  It all depends on who is involved.  Some dogs thrive on routine, they know what to expect and like things as they should be.  Fall slightly out of the norm and they become nervous or anxious.  Others may become so set in their ways that they keep you on a time clock.  While other dogs can become painfully bored with routine and need a more scattered, random type life.  I like loose routine, switching things up every so often is a good thing.  Even for those type of dogs who seem to need routine, change can be a good thing.

I've seen dogs who become aggressive if they are not fed on time; hmmm like some men I know.  Others who expect a walk at 8:00 am every morning and if you happen to be busy, they will pester you and drive you mad. So you need a happy medium; casual routine.  When you add change, something different, a new twist to a routine day it helps your dog deal with more change.  I like change, I don't like to walk in the same park everyday or at the same time even.  If I happen to do something on a regular basis it's usually due to traffic, weather or convenience. 

But some routines like sleeping through the night are good routines.  This is the problem we are in right now.  Many puppies like to convince their new owners that they just can't sleep through the night.  You can spin into an awful routine of getting up with them every night, not good.  Often a behavior is hard to get rid of once it is set so keep your eyes open for new undesirable behaviors forming.  Unfortunately our non sleeping issue is due to Dementia and finding the right medication so that Jessie can sleep through the night is where we are at.



  Eating is a biggy; I have never had a routine feeding time.  Sometimes the dogs eat before me, other times after.  Exercise factors in when I feed my dogs; much more so than a time clock.  I do not want my dogs barking at me because it is past their feeding time.  And feeding itself can be routine or not, sometimes I just take a bowl full of food outside and toss it.  They actually love this and I feel that I am able to tap their inner canine when I feed this way.  Many times when Luke won't eat I'll toss his food, it triggers the prey drive in him and he will chase his food down and eat it. 

But even more than routine or no routine; a dog needs leadership.  If your dog is accustom to following your lead; then routine or no routine won't have such a huge impact.  But switch it up, too much routine for anyone makes for a boring life.

A dog


Just pondering; A dog is.

Canis lupus familiaris – our dog. History has put us together; kindred hearts keep us there. The dog has the unique opportunity to educate humans; not all humans will open up to this exclusive event; this loss is theirs alone. But for those who are willing; those who allow another species to participate in their constant evolution, these are the humans who will be forever changed. The culmination of canine and human creates a more compassionate human when the human truly connects with the dog concerned.

The canine life starts quickly; at the early age of 8-12 weeks they are whisked away from their litter and placed into a new and strange environment. There is a lot of pressure on us as guardians to get it right; it’s not always easy but we find a way to make it work. Those tiny minds come to us looking for guidance, leadership, trust, companionship and patience. It often boggles my mind as I work with a new puppy; just how much that fresh new mind can absorb. We take an animal of an entirely different species and we mold it to fit into our human world; pretty amazing when you think about it. They quickly learn life lessons; how to reside in a home, how to get along with humans and how to basically behave appropriately in a human world. I will often sit back and think to myself as I am working with a new puppy “man this dog has only be alive for 2 months or 3 months.” How can such a young creature learn so much in such a short time frame?

Dogs pretty much fit it anywhere they are needed or wanted. You have the high performance competitors; the therapy dogs that have guardians who want to help others and people who cannot see who rely on a canine. There are dogs work long hard days keeping other animals in line for their guardians, dogs who fight alongside with police and military personnel, dogs that help people with their day to day life. Whether it is a seizure alert dog, a hearing dog, a Seeing Eye dog or a service dog; they are always there to help.

We go back along way with our dogs. Since the very beginning of man and dog, man has been manipulating the genetic make-up of the Canis lupus familiaris to better suit their needs. Breeding specific dogs in the beginning to enhance certain behavior traits, dogs that showed superior hunting abilities, dogs that were more human friendly etc. But the manipulation quickly changed to one of exterior as well as interior; and there arose the different “breeds” fledge. Many of today’s biggest fans are on a constant quest to find perfection. Humans delve in the mystery of the visually perfect canine; the never ending manipulation of genetic DNA; trying to perfect perfection itself. Many are now at a point of repair.





















From the humble beginnings; our dogs are the direct ancestor of the gray wolf. Very few resemble the
amazingly beautiful wolf now; all but a few have been transformed and mutated into dogs that have no similar appearance to the wolf from where they once came. Desirable traits were pulled and these dogs bred to create more suitable dogs to live with. With different classes of humans came the vast varieties of desirable canine traits both behavioral and aesthetically. And so with human intervention we are left with some dogs that are smaller than cats; dogs that have pushed in faces who have respiratory problems, dogs with so many wrinkles that they have skin health issues, long dogs with back problems, stout dogs who can barely move, huge dogs with short life spans and dogs who can barely reproduce themselves.

It is sad to see the state of some breeds now; perhaps we should look to the ancestor of our canines for guidance.

Bath time


Ah dirty dogs, I love a good ole dirty dog.  Not dirty as in it's been way too long since they've had a bath.  A dirty dog as in they've been out playing in the dirt.  Dogs love to get good and dirty don't they?  I love nothing more than a dog with a full face of sand or dirt happily digging up a storm.  Of course not everyone appreciates a dirty dog; especially Mom or Dad when it's bath time.


"Don't sweat the small stuff."  I love that saying, it is so true.  Having fun far out weighs a dirty dog and the requirement for a bath once you get home.  Of course there is some dirt that once dry; will simply brush away.  I love that dirt.  Just recently Luke was out with my husband (top photo) on a run.  With the recent downpours of rain there was a great deal of mud.  Unfortunately there had been accompanying winds that had blown leaves onto the mud.  Luke didn't see the mud when he took the slope at top speed.  In a flash he was down for the count.  It was worse than the image portrays, it was black gunk mud.  I laughed when we met up in the field later, knowing full well that my thought of maybe bathing the dogs in the afternoon was now cast in stone.

In her younger years Jessie would dig until she just about dropped.  Her mouth so chuck full of dirt from shoveling along with her little digging feet that she could barely close her mouth.  She often resembled a small pig on the ride home.  And as the saying goes "she was as happy as a pig in s*%t."  I know that many of you are now dealing with snow instead of mud but just wait, spring is just around the corner and the mud will all be revealed.  Then it's bath time, with the happiness of a dirty dog, there is equal happiness seeing the dirt wash down the drain.  Those little eyes peeking out from beneath the water and suds, there lies a clean dog under there. 

The beach is a great place to see dirty dogs.  All those noses stuffed full of sand.  You can see the sand filling every little nook and cranny as your dog charges through the toe spreading sand, glorious.  Sand is one of those dirts that just lingers.  When you think you've got it all, there is always more hidden in secret compartments.  Even after a vigorous bath it can still hideout.

But when the inevitable bath comes; I often think how wonderful it must feel to for a dog.  A 20 minute long massage with warm water running over you, not bad I'd say.  Once the initial "oh no a bath," passes I think some dogs quite enjoy a bath.  Although I'm sure that they would never admit it.  

So go ahead, throw caution to the wind and let them get good and dirty.  It washes off.   

Puppies puppies


It seems that puppy season has begun early this year.  Being that I am very involved with dogs there is never a shortage of puppies around.  Many people I talk to either know of someone who just got a puppy, they are getting a puppy or just got a puppy or they are having or have a litter.  And my puppy pains are stirring.  How wonderful is it to get a new puppy, a new little life to mold and guide, fresh and ready to take on the world?

Finding a puppy and choosing a puppy can be a daunting task.  Admittedly I find it very difficult; the more you know about what to look for the harder it is.  Acquiring a puppy should not be done on a whim; open the paper, go see the puppies and bring one home.  If you have thought and thought and consider if you really want a puppy, done your homework to figure out what type of puppy you want then you go.  If you find one right away then you are lucky.

No matter if you are getting a mix or not you want to know what type of temperament your puppy is starting off with.  You may be getting a dog from a shelter, a resue group or a breeder but you still want to know the temperament.  I have done alot of testing over the years and there have only been a few puppies who have raised red flags with me.  Many of them have issues, some issues need an experienced dog person to deal with and some are just basis issues most can work through.


A litter of puppies can be vastly different, you can have everything from a very fearful pup, middle of the road guys all the way to very dominant and even aggressive.  What if you go in, look at the pups and pick the one with the adorable white feet?  What if that puppy is very touch sensitive, reacts to touch in a negative fasion and is extremely aggressive in resource guarding.  Are you ready to tackle these behaviors?  If you have small children then this would totally be the wrong dog for you.

Although many people think that temperament testing is useless and consider environment to play a larger role in how a dog turns out, I believe it is very important.  By understanding how a puppy reacts to different things in life that will be thrown at them you can better decide on what puppy should go to what type of home.  There are litters that are all great and anyone could take anyone of the puppies home.  But most have big differences and you cannot see these differences if the puppies are never pulled out alone and tested.  They will react entirely different within the pack than out.

Environment, socializing, training and basic life lessons play a huge part in how a dog develops.  Each and every dog I have ever had came with some sort of issue, mostly easy but sometimes there were issues that were alot of work.  You should know what issues may arise and decide if you are willing and capable of dealing with those.  There will be issues that arise throughout your dogs life that cannot have been foreseen but at least you can have a general idea of who your puppy is if they are tested.

It is the inside of the puppy that you want to look at, not the outside.

Vestibular- a whole year

I cannot believe a year has gone by already; although it does seem like forever ago.  For some reason this disease has put a great deal of distance between the onset and now for me, weird.  My husband feels that it was yesterday that she was struck.  Odd how time passes differently for everyone.  Anyhow, Miss Tilley has made it through a year of tilting, imbalance and basically a world that is no longer on an even keel for her.  She was struck with Vestibular disease January 11, 2010, a year ago.  Boy has she come a long way since that horrible night. 



January 10, 2010 had been a great one.  We took the poodles to the beach; both Luke and Tilley ran and played on the beach like young dogs.   In the blink of an eye it all changed, the morning of January 11, 2010.

So here we are a year later; and I have to tell you that she is doing amazingly.  The residuals of the disease have given her a permanent head tilt, but she can run and even catch a ball now.  She must be very careful when she lowers her head to pick it up her ball as this motion causes her to tumble over often.  And I believe she is off balance in general.  She seems to tip over if she is not looking forward.  She has a very hard time going downstairs but she does it, again the lowering of her head is a difficult behavior.  She has a slight right eye droop that most would not notice and because of her head tilt she has a natural tendency to turn left.    Turning right takes some work but she manages with some effort.

This female wolf  is behind a double fence for her protection from the younger wolves.  15 years of age is a very old Wolf.

As I said in my blog yesterday, there was a wolf at the California Wolf Center with Vestibular disease.  I was fascinated by this and reminded that wolves and dogs share 99.98% genetic make-up.  What dogs get; wolves can get.  I just never considered a wolf getting vestibular disease.  But Bonnie told me while we were discussing the crooked wolf that it is rare because a wolf's life expectancy in the wild is only around 5-7 years.  This girl that had struct with Vestibular at the center was 15, she had far out lived her wild relatives. 

Vestibular disease is awful in the beginning but it is not a death sentence.  A dog stricken with this disease will need around the clock care in the first few days.  Then things start to change and as everyday passes you see a tiny improvement.  Some days may be worse than others but you get through it and so do they.  Each dog is different and each case different.  Some dogs are hit hard with the disease, I feel that Tilley was lucky as were we.

I think that it is very important to share this information, it could someday save a life.  Since Tilley has been hit with Vestibular I have heard of several dogs being euthanized at the onset.  It is a horrible thing to watch but the worst of it over in a couple of days.   I wrote this blog at the end of the fifth day after the onset. 

These two videos show what Tilley looked like in the beginning. 

But look at her now!!!!!!!!!



California Wolf Center


This morning I would like to share my recent trip to the California Wolf Center with all of you.   This trip was my Christmas present.  I am admittedly not the easiest person to buy for and I have to say that my husband did amazingly getting me this.  I have been very excited from the moment I got it the information to take this trip.  It was a bit dampened by my old girls recent health issues but as my blog stated yesterday we made arrangements for their care by my son.  So we left on Friday morning and returned Saturday at noon.




The trip was glorious, not only because of the fact that we got to visit the wolves but the scenery is spectacular.  A very welcome break to the hustle bustle of Southern California.  The weather could not have been more perfect, nice and cold.   The Wolf Center is a mere 4 miles approx. outside of Julian, CA.  The drive from Julian to the Wolf Center is beautiful and with all of our recent rain, green.  As you pull in off the main road you start your trek on a dirt road (love it) and again with all the rain, a very mucky dirt road.  We were luckily in a big four wheel drive SUV, wish I'd taken my xterra though, it would have been a great off road drive.  Anyhow, we were met at the locked gate by Bonnie who is the Animal Care and Facilities Manager. 

Another quick trip down the road and you are at the facility.  We started immediately, I got my two cameras ready and couldn't wait.  My husband had hoped to get me inside the enclosures but at this time of year, mating season is just around the corner.  Because of this, inside visits are not available right now.  So instead of waiting we decided on the outside visit and could go back if we liked it, which I will be doing. 

The first enclosure we saw was the Alaskan Gray wolves.  When we walked up two of males in the enclosure  scooted away to the back and the one and only female in the enclosure stayed and allowed me to get fairly close for some beautiful images.  She was very relaxed as you can see. 



We went around the back to see if we could get some photos of the boys but they were being elusive.   During all our viewing Bonnie filled us in on the wolves, who they were, how long they'd been there, who was who in the hierarchy and all the behaviors that they display.  I was fascinated by their behavior, they are a very easy read and display very similarly to our dogs.  We left that enclosure and headed over to the Mexican Wolves. 



These guys were very hard to photograph as they were extremely skittish.  They basically did drive by viewings of us and I tried my best to move as little as possible or they were gone in a flash.  Wolves in general are extremely suspicious of anything new, be it a person or object.  So shooting as calmly as I could possibly accomplish I got a few shots.   Mexican wolves are an endangered species, these wolves are housed here for re release in hopes of re-populating the species.


This male had been eating before we got there.

Checking us out.

This ball was placed into the enclosure and covered with food to entice play.  First it was licked by the female and then marked by all of the males one after another. 



After our visit with the Mexican Wolves we then moved back to the Alaskan Grays in hopes of seeing "the boys."  We were not dissapointed.   They were up close and personal.  This pack of four boys has actually divided themselves and their enclosure into two separate areas and packs.  The area up front where I shot most of the images is a neutral territory but up at the back had been divided.  They did this themselves as Bonnie explained to us and seem to stay clear of each others sides.  The one female goes where she wants. 



As I stood and watched the communications going on between the males it was clear that something was going on.  It was not long before a dispute errupted, it was very loud and impressive but no one got hurt.  Wolves are hardwired so that they do not hurt one another, this is instinctive.  There is a lot of noise and posturing but that is where it usually ends.  There is a rare occasion when it goes further than this.  Once the dispute was over, the posturing continued for quite a while. 


We had booked the private tour, I enjoyed having our guide to ourselves.  This enabled me to ask the zillion behavior questions that I had.  Hearing how passionate Bonnie was about the wolves along with the wealth of knowledge she was able to share with us made the trip.  

By the end of the tour the boys had settled down and come once again into the common grounds.  I was cold, my hands were freezing but it was fabulous.  I could have stayed for several more hours just to watch the subtle inner communications within the pack. 

There was also a very old girl that was housed within the enclosure.  A 15 year old female Alaskan Gray with Vestibular Disease, she had a tilt just like my girl Tilley.  I will discuss her, Tilley and Vestibular disease in tomorrows blog as it will the year Anniversary from when Tilley was struck with this disease.  

If you are in the area; I would definitely recommend a trip to the California Wolf Center.  This is a wonderful place for anyone to learn about this amazingly beautiful species that is very misunderstood.  The wolf is a  much needed predator, they will all but disappear without  human intervention.  It was we humans who detroyed their vast populations and it is now up to us to fix it.  

Visit them on Facebook as well:   California Wolf Center