The booming weekend

NEVER BRING YOUR DOG TO A FIREWORKS DISPLAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Make sure that your dog is indoors safely confined; keep dog doors closed.

- Turn the tv or radio on to add some constant noise.

- If your dog is fearful; best to stay home with them.

- Many dogs become injured trying to get out of a house when they are in such a state of fear; often a crate is the only safe place for these guy.

- Never respond to fear behaviors with petting and hugging.

- Put on your best "chill" face; inform the entire family to do the same.

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

The lizard game

Larry the lizard

Many of you know about Luke and his love for the "lizard game."  It's not much of a game for the lizards; they run in fear as they should because Luke is not kidding around.  I have to say that it is a rare lizard that loses their life to Luke; they are very fast and I will only allow a chase if I know the little guy can get away.  That is if I am witness to the chase; many times I come out to find the game already having commenced.  Yesterday my hubby and I were out in the garage when I spotted the giant lizard, Larry.  It was used as a prank on my husband from a very good friend of his but I had other plans for it.

I planted it outside where the lizards typically hang out.  Unfortunately I didn't think of my camera until after the initial meeting so I'll do my best to explain what happened.  After placing the pretend lizard I went in and asked Luke if he'd seen any lizards today.  Right away his ears went up and he headed outside.  He hit the spot by the hose and found nothing so he turned to see if we knew where one was when it caught his eye.  He charged at it and immediately jammed on his brakes.  This lizard is the size of a large Iguana; so the drive to chase a lizard kicked in but the smarts of a poodle stopped the attack.  He made a huge arch around the lizard; huffing and puffing but staying far enough away should the creature attack him.  He sniffed and sniffed trying to figure this guy out while he kept his body respectfully sideways.  He was very nervous and remained ready to take off.  We watched through the living room window.

We then went outside and joined Luke.  He pretended that the lizard didn't exist and quite clearly marked his yard only feet away from the creature.  It was at that moment  "duh..........." I thought of my camera.  We picked up the lizard and I ran to get my camera hoping to capture the continuation of the interactions.

Once we went out and dragged the thing around Luke realized that this thing was fake; although he still had the same reaction to it as if it was real.  The body language from Luke was identical to the behavior he would display if this lizard was alive.  Larger than a typical lizard Luke was not being stupid, he kept his distance.  But when I put it directly in front of him and it continued to stare so he got uncomfortable and averted his stare.

A frozen staring posture is quite clearly a threat.  Even though Luke knew that this was not real he still reacted to it's posturing.  When I moved it closer he seemed a little shocked; and then it followed him to his double lounge.  He looked at it as if to say "really?"  And that was that, off with the head.   

Watching him interact with this iguana was really interesting.  Once Luke realized that it was not real he still continued to respond to it's body language.  Luke's communications were clear that he understood this was not just a normal toy.  

Luke a little uncomfortable with the staring lizard so close.

Moved closer he's a bit shocked.

Averting his glance as Larry continues staring.  

Another greeting

Really?  This is my double lounge

Enough is enough.

The END

Looking for Mr./Ms. Great Vet

I had to take Tilley to the Veterinarians yesterday.  As you all know I am not one to rush off to the vets and before I do go I arm myself with as much information as I can.  I have a very long history with vets; lot's of vets, lot's of stories and experiences.  This is a new vet; I recently visited him with Luke and his sore toe.  Today was Tilley; she's had a few symptoms which I was watching so today I decided it was time to go in.  I wanted a full blood panel, a urineanalysis and a full check up.

This facility is great for getting me in; even if they are booked they squeezed me in if it's serious.  Being fourteen years old is serious in of itself, so we got in. 

Protocol:  the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.

This word "Protocol," ya, not so much a fan of when discussing my dogs.  I had to sign a form which said that I understood that vaccines can be dangerous with a whole list of things that can happen even though Madame Tilley was not getting a vaccination.  I questioned this several times; I don't like signing things when they make no sense.  "It is protocol; I have to get you to sign it."  After much discussion I just signed the thing.

Next issue was the "doing it in the examining room thing."  I can't tell you how many times I done this.  If you are a long time reader you know that I always ask to have everything done in the room that can be done in the room.  So; the very nice RVT (Registered Veterinarian Technician) said that she was fine with drawing Tilley's blood in the room, cool.  But, when she brought in the price sheet for it all she told me that this was probably a one and only time.  Seems it was not allowed; and as we further discussed the situation it seemed that I was also not allowed to restrain Tilley myself.  Okie, dokie.  No way, no how was I going to restrain my girl........all 45 lbs and 14 years of her.  I explained my reasoning which is all canine behavior related.  Dogs do much better if they are restrained by their owner.  The RVT explained hers reasoning which was protocol, being bit, liability.................and we obviously did not agree.

This was afterall only the second time I'd visited; admittedly they do not know who Sherri of Just dogs with Sherri is, right?  Understandable but, I try very hard to give a condensed version of who I am, my experience ya da ya da...............................  Fine; at least I was in the room so that Tilley could see me.   But when the young tech grabbed Tilley's leash and pulled her almost causing her to fall I started to simmer and said "she's got Vestibular, dont' yank her."  She then put Tilley between her legs and pushed down on her rear tellling her to sit, THE PAINFUL REAR THE VET AND I HAD JUST BEEN DISCUSSING.  I immediately told her NOT to do that as she explained why she needed her to sit. 

I understand that some people may become callus after working with dogs day in and day out.  Grab the dog, wedge in between your legs, get the blood and move on.  Well I'm sorry they don't all work that way; I'm sure not all dogs have got the memo.  I know that she would have had a wrestling match had she tried that with Luke.

These are not bad techs, nor are they bad people, and in fact I really like the Veterinarian.  The staff are simply doing it by the book.  And that my friend is my problem.  I want a veterinarian who will take time to get to know me and my dogs.  I mean really know me and what I want and expect.  Do you think for one moment that I EVER allowed a Doctor to just take my kids in the back room and hope that it all worked out okay?  NO.  My dogs need me; they need my presence to help them through the ordeal.  It is bad enough for them that at some point they all will be left at the vets to be spayed or neutered, which seems to be the catalyst to the huge fear they display from that point on. 

The photo above shows many of my requirements; and believe me these are but a few base points.  I have found a wonderful Vet but she is very far and I need to have someone I can rush over to in a pinch with three senior dogs.  So I am still looking; looking for that Veterinarian facility that will listen and work with me and my dogs.  And that does not come out of a book. 

Frustration leads to failure

Frustration:  The feeling of being upset or annoyed, esp. because of inability to change or achieve something.  The prevention of the progress, success, or fulfillment of something.

No one likes the feeling of frustration; it can literally make you feel like pulling out your hair.  Dogs don't like to become frustrated either; it can lead to fall out behavior or a complete shut down.  

As a dog trainer frustration is something that you must be aware of;  for the untrained or inexperienced it may go unnoticed. Frustration comes in many forms and when it is a dog who is becoming frustrated it may present itself in a hidden form.

Frustration is typical in training; sometimes it is hard for our dogs to "get it."  If the training goes on too long without some sort of progress a dog may become frustrated.  If what you are doing is not working; you much switch gears or move on. A very good example is when you are teaching a new puppy, and you are using a food to reward behavior. Most puppies just want the treat; if they have to wait too long for the treat they will start to exhibit some unwanted behaviors like jumping, whining or biting. So what do you do if your dog becomes frustrated?

The solution to this problem is to break a behavior down into baby steps. For some dogs the whole picture may be too much to undertake; so breaking it up into understandable steps will allow for success and progress.   Say you were trying to teach a "down" and your dog was just not getting it leaving you both frustrated.  Although the goal may be to have your dog do a lay down, you start rewarding them for lowering their head, then their neck and head, then for putting one foot out, then slightly lowering their body until they are in a down position. Once you get to the final goal your dog will more than likely have an "ah ha moment."

Again patience plays a huge factor in the learning curve.  If you lose your cool; stop and walk away.   Never train in an angry state; it is just not good for either of you.  Learning should be fun so when it stops being fun, stop.  When you see that your dog is not understanding what you are asking; ask for less and reward both of your success.  

Loyalty

Is there anything on this earth more loyal than a dog?  My answer would have to be no; there is no other creature on this earth more loyal than a dog.  Dogs are loyal to their owner, the family members within their home, although it does not stop there.  Dogs are as a species loyal to us, even when we humans are far from loyal to the dog.  

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

Josh Billings.

Loyal:  faithful to any leader, party, or cause, or to any person or thing conceived as deserving fidelity: a loyal friend.  

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A dog is by far much more superior in the loyalty department than we are.  Funny how that works; as a more intelligent species we should be the ones who show more devotion towards our friends, family, acquaintances or co-workers but sadly many of us fail.  

With a serious disadvantage they still come out winning for loyalty.  No matter what mix, purebred, size, color or shape they all start with a canine Mother from which they are swooped away at a young age, some far younger than others.  Starting at this point the dog who was either chosen, gifted or fated somehow to this life, must learn to live in our human world.   We have evolved to a life as we coexist, humans and dogs living side by side.  Although our dogs do far more than coexist; they have perfected loyalty along the way.  

Gained a few pounds, maybe more than a few?  What about that crazy haircut you got the other day; it'll grow right?  Don't forget that dud of a boyfriend you brought home last week, the one who made your dog get off the couch.  Remember when you were so busy with a special project for a week that you didn't have time to go for a single walk?  What about when you had to leave town for a job interview and you left your dog at the kennel; remember that?  Or when you lost your job and had to buy the cheap food for a month or two, remember?  None of this matters to your dog, none of it.

Life is filled with ups and downs; at many of the down points you will find humans dropping off.  And oddly enough when the good times roll around the humans start to gather once again.  Not dogs; they stick around for the long haul, for better or for worse.  A dog is a simple creature; simple in their needs yet mentally complex.  As we finished up dinner last night; I rounded up the girls and got them situation each on a bed.  Luke was spinning with delight as I was about to sit down.  He get's very excited when I'm parking it; whether it is in the living room, family room or at the computer he loves when I sit down.  He gives me a contented poke as if to say "okay good, we're chill'n here for a bit," and finds a place to rest.  He loves together time and is very demonstrative about it.  Simple.  

When you live with a dog or a pack of dogs you quickly learn what dogs want; and that is us.  Whether you are sleeping, eating, watching t.v., swimming, running or boating, they want to do it to.  Good food, a soft place to lay their head and you.  That's it; simple and yet unobtainable by many.  We have dropped the ball as far as loyalty goes.  It is time for change and that change starts with us, humans.  We have a far way to go but if we all head in the same direction we may just become the humans that our dogs sure think we are.        

The basics

"I don't need my dog to do fancy stuff." "I don't care if they know obedience." "We want her to be happy, to do whatever she wants." Believe me; I've probably heard just about all the excuses. When I go to someone's house for an obedience session we sit down and I ask "what do you want from your dog?" We discuss specifics; things that they don't care about, things that they really care about and then the things that they hadn't thought of. There truly is no reason not to train a dog; they do much better when they know what is expected of them.

A dog that has never had any training; no guidance once so ever has a difficult time maneuvering through our world without incident.   It is funny how some people are offended by the idea of us telling dogs what to do; when in actuality a dog with no guidance truly is at a disadvantage in our human world.  So as much as you may think that your dog doesn’t need training; all dogs deserve an education.   A little help to make their life in a human world a smooth one.

“The basics” is a common phrase in training; but what does “the basics,” really mean.  In my training “the basics” includes a few extremely important behaviors, rules, regulations and manners.  The basics includes, name training, house training, sit, down, stay, not bolting out of an open door, walking nicely on a leash, not eating food off the counter, not destroying things that do not belong to you and coming when you are called.  This may seem like a lot but it is really what every dog should know “the basics.” 

Of course as a dog trainer I love “beyond the basics” stuff.  The sky is the limit when educating a canine; they are so smart it can be tough to think things up to teach them.  With my basic training I always include a trick; a trick can be the doorway to more training especially with children.  Funny, trick training and regular training are the same thing to a dog but not to us.  For us a dog sitting or lying down is nothing; but shake a paw and wow, that’s cool.  The fact is that it is just as easy for a dog to learn to shake as the sit and down, maybe easier. 

All dogs deserve an education; have you given your dog his fair share?

Most photographed

Baby Luke

 

He is funny, handsome, pushy, hugable, devoted, cute,  naughty, adorable, goofy and mine.  I'm sure he is the world's most photographed dog, Luke.  With all the dogs that have been a part of our family; dogs that I have worked with and met through my dog life, Luke has got to be one of the most fun to shoot.  Oh yes I know he is my dog but even more than Tilley and Jessie, Luke just calls out to be digitally captured.  His face and body reveal his inner most thoughts; he cannot hide them from me.  For me; Luke is a joy to capture each and every time I lift the camera to shoot him.

These images below were just a few that I had on my computer.  They are but a fraction of a percentage of the images that I have stored.  He is the most photographed dog.

Ready for the catch

Perfect

Tennis ball nibbling

Do we really need more pics Mom?

Luke's favorite spot

Watching the evil crows

He is so nosey; I can't do anything without him coming to see what I'm up to.

Underwater sports

Beach'n it with Mom

Listening to Dad

Pondering a retrieve

Doing a tough "leave it."

Luke is the most bowing dog; here I finally caught one.

Waiting for another throw

Climbing rocks at the beach

Sunset kissed

His happy face

Racing Dad

Lizard watching

The King's day off

Running with his Sis at the beach

Making a cookie mess in bed

A rare adorable moment with Jessie

The boy loves to catch balls

Exploring rocks

Stalking a shore bird

Not impressed

Filthy and sore; he took a bad wipeout at the park

"Don't bug me," face.

Being the most photographed dog is tough.

On the receiving end of Jessie's wrath.

Think he gets how adorable he is?  I think so. 

Are you sure?

Over the years I have met so many different types of people, dog people and non dog people that I sometimes sit back and think about it all.  I have helped many people choose a breed; find a breeder, choose a shelter or rescue dog or figure out if they really should have a dog at all. Lots of people think that they want a dog; some really want a dog even after weighing all the cons but some people figure out that they really don't want a dog. During a "get a dog" consultation I ask a lot of questions and I am very frank about my feedback for each individual.

Many prospective canine guardians feel sheepish about answering questions like "do you care about hair all over the house" or "do you want to spend alot of time training a dog?" These question may seem trivial and shallow to some but there is absolutely no point in getting a dog like a Golden Retriever or Labrador if you cannot tolerate a lot of hair. The same goes for activity and training compatibility. Are you a couch potato? Then you are not going to understand or want the type of drive that a Border Collie or or Cattledog are going to have.

It is most importance to know yourself and know what you cannot tolerate, can tolerate, learn to tolerate, absolutely love or look for in a canine companion. I remember walking through a shelter once when a volunteer asked me what I was looking for. I told her I was just looking to see if there was a certain breed in the shelter.   I was actually looking for a client and for a local rescue that I regularly scoured the shelters for. With my response the woman's kind face turned into a scowl as she blurted out that if I wanted a certain breed I didn't deserve to have a dog. I could have got into it with her right there but instead I decided not to lower myself to her level, smiled and moved away quickly.

Yes it would be nice if no one had any objections to living with any type of dog but the fact is that everyone is different. And a large part of the problem with dogs being dumped is that people do not "think" before acting.  I put the largest blame on pet stores (you know there will be more on pet stores later) as they rely on the impulse buyer which is the complete opposite of what should be done before adding a dog to your family. It is a huge responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly.

A dog deserves a family that has committed to raising and living with them for their entire life. They are not an item that should be returned like a garment of clothes you changed your mind about. So if people take the time to figure out what they really want in a dog "before" they get the dog and not after they get the dog there would be much fewer second hand dogs.

So when I ask the questions "do you like drool," "is your family active?" "do you want a pocket pooch?" and the answer is no, I say Good! These people are doing their research first, the way it should be done.  If after all the "do you" questions you come up with the answer no, then don't.  Having a dog is not a something that everyone should or wants to do.  I find it hard to get; for me life is dogs.  But there are people who love extreme sports like jumping out of a plane and they probably wouldn't get why I would never do that.  

I wrote this article years ago;   No Hasty Decisions; points to ponder

No one has the right to judge another on what type of dog that they choose to live with or where the dog comes from.  As long as the dog you choose is loved and a member of the family then you are doing it right. 

Pushy pushy

What a face.  Honestly he is such a doll; just a pushy doll and I ADORE him.  :)

Well here I lie in my bed and I've got bloggers block.  I've asked Luke several times to please give me a topic but he's ignoring me.  He chewed his nails for a bit but now he's gone to sleep; both Jessie and Tilley are long gone.  But; now that I think of it Luke has perhaps given me a topic, demanding behaviors.  When has a cute cookie asking behavior gone too far?  Well........tonight it went too far and I had to step in.  I made Luke a batch of his favorite cookies today; peanut butter.  He has recently decided that he really enjoys a cookie at bedtime.  He ever so cutely goes to the jar and stares at it, cute right?  Maybe, maybe not.

This is where it becomes complicated.  Luke is a skinny minny so when we can get some food into him we do.  With this recent bedtime cookie thing he has been pushing it a bit.  Last night he got his cookie then got down off the bed and stared at the jar again.  So my husband gave him more which is where I said "no" and I was ignored.  Hmmmmmmmm.  I could tell that Luke was in a mood, a pushy mood.  Every so often he get's something in his little head that says "I should see how far I can push?"  No sooner had he finished his second round of cookies and he was down staring at the jar again; this time I said "no, he is getting to pushy."  So no cookie.

He got back on the bed and lay down; but I could see his little brain on overdrive.  I said out loud; "he's in a weird pushy mood tonight."  As soon as it was out of my mouth and he hopped off the bed and stood over Tilley.  Tail up, on his tip toes, neck arched stomping all over her while she was trying to sleep.  Idiot.  I yelled at him to knock it off and go lie down which he did immediately and showed obvious signs of "okay, too far."
With the wind taken out of his sails he went to sleep and we had no more.

So; this second round of cookies was just enough to pump him, get him pounding his chest sort of.  You know; the give'm an inch scenario.  Luke is a pushy type of dog so it is very important to watch and see what is going on in his head.  Given too much of a good thing turns into a bad thing.  Tilley on the other hand can ask for cookies and receive them forever without ever inflating her head.  She is simply not that type of dog.  Sure she may ask more often if it always works but it doesn't lead to other pushy behaviors as in Luke's case.

Knowing your dogs personality and temperament type is extremely important when you are setting boundaries and making rules.  Luke has a bucket load of rules that the girls have never had.   He is a very good boy and does not like to get into trouble ever; but it is in his nature to try to be the boss.  Being that the position is already filled; we keep him in check by not catering to his every whim.  So we are changing the new little bedtime ritual that he likes so much; he'll get his cookies but only when we decide he get's them.  With only a few days of asking and receiving it quickly got out of control with him.

Summertime

It's officially summer, day three.  And it's freaking hot here in SoCal; and as many of you know I am NOT a fan of freaking hot, not even mildly hot.  For one it's just too hot to do anything and two; it's just too hot.  Okay enough whining; time to get down to "how hot is too hot?"  It irks me to no end when I see people out at 3:00 in the afternoon; 95 degrees running along the sidewalk with their dog.  Typically the dog looks like it's about to keel over; have they not noticed this? 

My rule of thumb when taking a dog out for a run or walk for that matter is; first; feel the surface that the dog is going to walk on, take your shoe and sock off and stand barefoot for a solid minute.  Hot?  Freaking hot?  Even when the sun is out and it's not 95 degrees, the surface of asphalt can really heat up.  You should always do the barefoot test first.

So the surface may be sort of hot but seem okay to walk on.  What most people don't consider is the heat that rises from the asphalt or concrete or anything for that matter.  The little guys suffer the worst here, the closer they are to the ground the hotter it is.

The heat in general knocks me out; but it also knocks out my dogs. Yesterday I made sure that they went out for their run nice and early before the searing heat hit us. By the afternoon it was pretty warm and I really didn't know where everyone was, so I had a walk around the house.  There were dog bodies laying in three different rooms but all in the same position. They were on a bed of some sort either human or dog, flat out on their side with their heads hanging over the edge. It was pretty cool in the house with so they were all just chill'n. 

Many of my clients have asked me if dogs are bothered by the heat because their dog had seemed very low key. My answer is yes and to enjoy this short down time. As soon as the cooler air hits they will be back to their old energetic self. Having a little break from a high energy dog is sort of nice for a while.  Many dogs have lessened appetites during the hot months of summer; I've never noticed this with my guys but they definitely drink a lot more. It is very important on these days to make sure they have lots of nice fresh water to drink. 

Consider coat color as well; dark colored dogs suffer much more than light ones in the sun.  You must factor that in when taking them to enjoy the great outdoors.  My dark gray girl suffers from the heat much more than my blonde boy. So watch the dark colored dogs and make sure to keep them nice and cool in the shade, pool or AC on the hot days of summer.

Dogs are smart, give them the option of AC or no AC and they'll choose the cool indoors when given the chance. I feel bad for dogs that cannot get cool indoors when the temperatures soar up into the high 90s. Even the shade is hot when the temps are that high. Honestly I hate the idea of outside dogs at anytime of the year and try to educate as many people as I can about "outside dogs." 

So pour yourself a tall one, fill up the bowl with fresh spring water and relax on hot dog days of summer.

Finding the good guys

Life in general can be a challenge to sift through the mediocre, bad and deceitful.   How many times have you thought that you were hiring the best only to find out you made a very bad choice and may have just hired the worst.  Perhaps someone you thought was an upstanding, honest and reliable person turned out to be someone you would have never associated with.  Well the dog world is the same; it can be a monumental task to say the least.

When I started as a dog trainer; I heard that I was the second trainer at least a dozen times.  Second trainer because after the first guy was paid he never came back.  Can you even imagine?  One very nice training client had put her faith in a training facility where you leave your dog.  She had faith in him; he was a professional and he said that her dog would be ruined if she didn't leave him.  When she returned to pick up her dog she found a shell of her former dog; listless and scary skinny.  She was mortified; felt betrayed and was guilt ridden.

Finding the "good guys" can be a challenge.  Research, recommendations, more research and a visual is imperative.  The most important thing to remember is; if you are EVER leaving your dog somewhere you must  be able to visit.  Whether it is a breeder, a boarding kennel, training facility, groomers or daycare you should never be denied visitation.  I have heard of several places that do not allow visits, never.  Their reasoning is that it will interfere, upset the dog.

If anyone ever says that you cannot stop by and see either a facility where you are leaving your dog or getting a new dog then I say DON'T DO IT.  If someone doesn't want you to see; then there is a reason.  Being a professional anything is never a guarantee of honesty; trust or care for you or your dog.

We work hard to gain the trust of our dogs.  When we achieve that trust it is our obligation to find other trust worthy people who we choose to care or work with our dogs.  When you do find someone who is reliable and honest; share them with your friends because you have found  one of  "the good guys."

1000 words in one moment

I take a lot of images; often getting the shots is all about me being fast enough, like yesterdays blog photos.  Other times it's being in the right place at the right time.  Photos can portray every emotion there is; a photo should stir emotion.  That emotion can be anything from joy, happiness, fear, sadness............anything really. 

When I uploaded the photos from the dog walk the other day, I'd hoped that I had captured a moment.  Sifting through the images I stopped on one particular shot, the shot.  The one I'd hoped to have captured and I did.  It is a moment; one that you cannot set up, a time that I was very happy that I had my camera with me and ready.  I'd taken a couple of shots of cute puppies in a cage; puppies who were looking for a forever home (top photo).   I don't know how many shots I have of dogs looking hopeless out of cages; I do know that I have too many. 

I walked over to where my husband was chatting with a guy who had this dog (below) and a Golden type dog looking for homes.  When my camera clicked the shot; this gal very shyly turned her head and quietly walked away.  No more shots of her were going to be taken.  She didn't freak out, she just wasn't a fan of having her photo taken. 

I headed back to where I had been photographing the tiny chihuahua puppies.  Standing back to take in all the booths and checking out what I might have missed; I turned around, the below image was before me.

The little girl desperately wanted to touch; I would imagine she'd been told not to put her fingers in the cage.  This little puppy wanted just as desperately to touch the little girl.  The pup reached out several times and I took a few shots hoping that I'd caught the moment.  For me this is a powerful image; and a little overwhelming.  I feel like we are missing the point with dogs; so many sad homeless dogs, so many left abandoned and abused.  We have such a strong natural connection; the human/canine connection.  So many miss it; countless humans will never get it, the emotional connection well beyond their grasp. 

What are we doing?  We need to reach out and take that tiny paw;** make the connection and become better human beings.  Like I said; 1000 words.

**Not literally; you should never reach fingers into a cage.  This little girl had it correct.

Disc dogs

I planned on attending a local dog walk Saturday morning but lagged and arrived late. The event was still on but the disc dogs were done. This is the group of disc dogs and their owners that Tilley and I had the chance to play with a few times. Disc dogs in Southern California is an impressive group of flying canines and their human partners. I was disappointed that I'd missed the chance to shoot some flying dogs but Benny Wong was a member of the Purina Incredible Dog Team offered to throw the disc for one of his dogs for me. He brought out the youngest member of his pack and gave us an amazing disc flying display.

Below are a few of the images that I captured of Benny and his dog Skid; a three year old Border Collie who was more than happy to oblige.

Skid keeps her eye on the prize

Leaping, diving and running are all part of the fun of discing.

Disc dog anticipation.

The close bond between dog and handler is evident as they play.

With a disc in her mouth she looks for the next toss.

It's a serious workout.

For a dog with high drive; disc catching can be one of their favorite things to do.

Yep, dogs can fly.

Just imagine catching everything with your mouth; add in the amazing leaps and flights.

Focus.

At the end of the day it's all about the human, canine connection.

Thank you Benny and Skid.

Happy Father's Day

I want to wish all of you dog loving Dads a great Father's Day.

Driving down the street the other day I had to smile; there was a very big man with the tiniest of dogs.  In fact the size difference made the dog almost invisible.  At the park when we are making our rounds I smile seeing a guy playing fetch with his boxer.  Guys with dogs is a wonderful thing; men who have a close relationship with their dogs; for me are the best guys out there.

 Happy Fathers day to you all.

They really are amazing

Yesterday my husband and I were outside having a conversation when Luke came out and wandered around.  All of a sudden he was very excited; definitely after something.  He was over by the side gate; his tail wagging furiously which is a sure sign that he had found a lizard.  As I watched he stood fixed right at the crack of the gate door.  He was wagging and searching for the lizard which had obviously scooted under the door.  He suddenly darted into the house and then came out again charging the gate.

I watched intently; he sniffed under the door, the crack and along the route which the lizard would have traveled.  Right then it dawned on me "did he just go in and look out the window in the kitchen?"  Shrugging my husband said "maybe."  As I watched Luke's frustration growing at the gate he made an abrupt turn and charged back into the kitchen again.  I immediately got up to see where he'd gone; he was standing behind the kitchen table looking out the window.  He was undoubtedly viewing the lizard on the other side of the gate.  What????????  How did he know that this window looked out to the other side of the gate?  This window is literally behind the kitchen table; not a daily viewing window.

Smart, smart, smart.  Had he seen me out this window as I walked through the gate at some point?  There was no mistaking that he knew clearly that the lizard was on the other side of the gate; not just slipped away somewhere that he could not see.  I went out to be sure that there was indeed a lizard on the other side.  Luke was behind me in seconds.  Feeling his excited breathing on the back of my legs I carefully opened the gate to have a peek without letting Luke in.  With booming excitement he could not contain himself; he burst open the gate and past me after the lizard.  Yep it was there, a good sized lizard.

Problem solving; oh yes, he had solved the "I can't see the lizard" problem.

Something a little different

I am always telling you all about my dogs; how cute, how good, different behaviors and basically why they are the best dogs in the world.  Today I'd like to try something different; I'd like to hear from you all.  Now I know if I just say "tell me about your great dogs," I'll get more than I bargain for.  We all think our dogs are the best in the world right?  Just as it should be.  So..................what I'd like to know is; what is the one most important lesson that your dog or dogs have taught you?

After all the comments, and hopefully I'll get some comments, I will add mine.  I can't wait to read this.

Dogs in cars

Summer is just a few days away but in many places it's already been really hot.  Here in Southern California it could be mid January when we get summer temperatures; no matter where you are it is the temperature more than the season that I'm going talking about.  Dogs in cars; really?  Really?  Many people still leave dogs in cars to die from heat stroke.  Even if the temperature is only 75 degrees outside a car can quickly heat up to over 100.  Just the other day I went out to a store to do some clothes shopping and as I pulled up there was a car next to me, all the windows were wound up with a dog inside.  There really is only a clothes store here so this owner was shopping.   Really?  Do they think their dog is happy sitting in the car waiting for them to finish up? 

Before I left home I did my customary head count; one on the couch, one on the dog bed in my room and one on the dog bed in the family room.  Everyone was sound asleep and I left knowing that they would probably still be in the same spot when I returned, and they were.   I NEVER leave my dogs in the car for more than a few minutes and never if it's even slightly warm.  If I know I have to stop somewhere for any length of time they simply don't come.  On the rare ocassion when we are out and decide to do a quick stop; I stay in the car with the dogs while my hubby runs in.  It is just not worth the risk; plus I really really don't get it.

More than once I've entered a store and had them announce over the loud speaker that there is a dog locked in a car that needs out.  I can't see a dog panting and stressed and just go home.  People need to know that someone will say something and you will be the center of attention for leaving your dog in a hot car.  DON'T LEAVE YOUR DOG IN YOUR CAR.  JUST DON'T.  Running in quick to grab something is one thing; IF it's not hot out.  It is so sad to see dog's die every year because they were left in a car.  You are not doing your dog any favors by hauling them along and locking them up in the car while you have a leisurely shop.   

Last summer on a day that was a scorcher I had been in the parking lot of Petco. When I pulled into the lot I noticed an SUV a couple of cars over from me. The SUV had a pitbull mix and an American Bulldog in it. The windows were open a crack but the temperature was well into the 90s.  I thought to myself, okay someone just ran in and are coming out, even though a minute in this heat in a car is too long. I was having a conversation with someone on my phone sitting in my car and could feel my body starting to melt. I've said this before; I am not into this type of heat. I turned to check that the car with the dogs was gone and it was still there with the dogs panting profusely.

I excused myself from the conversation and went into the store. I asked the cashier if she knew who's car was outside with the dogs in it. She responded with a useless shrug of her shoulders and turned away. I shook my head and yelled it out "who has their dogs in the white SUV?" A young man admitted that the dogs were his and I told him he better get out there immediately. He actually thanked me which certainly surprised me.  As I walked out the doors he was right behind me, got into his suv and drove away. I stood there in complete astonishment that people still don't get it. How many times do people have to see dead or near dead dogs in a car on tv, an email, a blog or a story on the web to "get it."

Dog's don't want to sit in a car and wait for you to shop, even if it's not hot out.  Besides leaving them at home helps them adjust to being alone which in itself assists in making sure they don't have any separation anxiety issues. 

Enjoy your summer with your dog together.

The Doberman

 Jake (Jagameister's Smack Water Jack)

Why a blog on Dobermans?  This is the breed that started it all for me; and very specifically, above is THE dog.  Thirty six years ago I was handed Jake's leash and the rest as the say is history.   Janice; if you are reading this, this one's for you.

Moving onto the present................................

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Below is:

               
                                                Drake (Luddington's Harvest Knight)

I met Drake for a photo shoot this past week; it was my very first full Doberman shoot since my Doberman days so long ago.  

For me, dogs are art all on their own and Drake was surely that.  The whole shoot was filled with WOW, cute, awwwww and head shaking moments for me. 

Not only is Drake gorgeous; he's the biggest sweetheart, most definitely a poster dog for the breed.

Showing off his goofy, playful side.

An awww moment

I was smitten and I think the feelings were mutual.  For a while he wouldn't leave my side far enough to photograph him.  What a face.

I use a term often; airplane ears, it is the Doberman that started that as well.

Kissed by the sunlight; still holding his deflated ball. 

Camoflauge

After the ball

I fell in love with the Doberman Pincher many, many years ago.  Getting the chance to be up close and personal again brought back so many memories.  As I sifted through the photos;  images of the many Dobermans in my past flooded my thoughts.  This is a wonderful breed which exudes energy, athleticism and presence.  The Doberman Pincher has a regal heir about them which can camouflage their fun, goofy and mushy side.  Yep; after thirty six years I still love Dobies.  

Doberman Club of America 

Doberman Club of Canada 

Nature's Logic-Review

Luke likes what he smells

I recently did a food test on Nature's Logic dog food.  When I do a test on food or a product the guinea pigs are either my own dogs or one of the other test dogs that I have listed on my site.  This food test was done by my group; so I had to like the looks of it before it even got tested.  If I don't like what I read; I'm not going to give it to my dogs for a test.  So I obviously liked what I read about Nature's Logic first. 

No hesitation; Mr. Fussy pants digs in.

Association of American Feed Control Officials state that Nature's Logic is complete and balanced for all stages of life.  If a food is not at least substantiated by AAFCO then don't waste your money.

The food is made in the US which is great; it is also a high protein food.  My gang tried the dry chicken and beef dry food; and all the canned flavors.  I even gave Luke the sardine variety and he ate it.  The first night I opened the can and took a sniff; it smelled pretty good for canned dog food.  Everyone ate like champs and no one got upset.  That is a big test first and foremost for me; being that my dogs eat a huge variety of food they should easily be able to eat a "good" new food without a problem.  There was no problem with the transition to these foods. 

I especially liked the ingredients on the canned food and plan to keep several cans in my pantry.  In fact when I last visited the pet food stores I bought more of the beef for Luke.  With less processing and a higher moisture content it is much closer to real food than dry.  Each of my dogs enjoyed all the different flavors; Luke really enjoyed the beef and chowed down which is very unlike him.  The protein source ingredients on the canned food is impressive:  Beef, Beef Broth, Beef Liver, Sardines, Cottage Cheese and is filled with fruits and vegetables. 

The dried food was a big hit with all three of my dogs as well.  I fed them from their bowls and did the toss the food around the yard routine.  All the food was eaten except for Luke's of course, he always has to leave something.  Although he did not leave as much as with other dog foods.   I had a small bag of each type of dry; because Jessie is small I was able to keep her on the chicken dry for two weeks.  She has done great on it; she eats every bit and has not had upset once.

Unfortunately I was unable to get a raw sample from my closest store so I will visit another shop and let you know when I try it.  The list of ingredients again is impressive and looks to be a very high quality frozen raw food for dogs.

Nature's Logic has a thorough website listing all of their products, ingredients and locations to buy their foods and supplements.  A FAQ page is included on their site which is extremely helpful; there were several questions that I had which were answered on their page.

The gang and I give this dog food 4 paws up.  If you are going to feed your dog, dog food, feed them the best you can buy.  

Retrieving

This is a game not played often anymore between these two.  Tilley gets the ball and Luke tries to get it         from Tilley.

Ah the joy of retrieving; even at the age of 14 years Tilley loves nothing more than retrieving.  Yesterday I filled up their kiddie pool and tossed some tennis balls and sinking rubber toys in for her.  Luke gets out his one ball and Tilley proceeds to empty the pool.  She usually puts all the toys in a pile and then waits for them to be put back into the pool so that she can start over.  She has a bit of a time because of her Vestibular disease but does pretty darned good.  

   
   Luke's ball went over the rail and down the stairs, he stared at it for so long then charged down after it.

 

Taking a corner after the ball.

Found it; happy guy.

There are many different types of retrieving dogs and some who have retriever in their name but wouldn't think of chasing a ball if you begged them to. I have had several training clients who were very upset that their retrievers didn't like to retrieve. My husband always wanted a golden retriever; now we have one. Luke is golden color and loves to retreive; there you go. Both poodles are maniac retrievers; and love nothing more than chasing the ball. In fact both dogs love to retrieve just about anything. 

Tilley has OCD and chases shadows which quickly became a problem.  With her shadow chasing bad behavior I had to switch her chase drive onto something else for her own safety. First it was balls and then onto frisbees which she was unbelievably amazing at. She has actually been on Pet Star twice; I'm in the process of trying to get a video of her from Animal Planet.  We progressed to the frisbee; other options are Flyball which is a great outlet or field trials or perhaps agility.  

But not all dogs have drive; it actually amazes me when I see dogs interacting in a friendly manner to rabbits, birds or other small critters. Some may never become interested in retrieving; so for those guys you have to look at what they like to do.  My dogs are all very wired to chase, but they do not all kill. My JRT use to kill small things like lizards, birds, mice, rabbbits etc. But my poodles just love the chase.

Retrieving is great for exercising your dog; especially if you are not big on jogging yourself. But you must take great care if you have an obsessive retriever; they tend to not watch where they are going and only keep their eye on the ball so to speak.  If you have a retrieving loving dog it is wonderful to give them an outlet for this drive.  Teaching them what to retrieve is a start; where and when is the next important thing.  Tilley has learned not to chase shadows anywhere but in her own backyard and at the age of 14 she reserves it for when I join her in the yard.  

So if you want to get your dog retrieving, you must make the item to be retrieved the greatest most fun thing in the world first.  If you don't accomplish this, forget it.