Stay





Stay is a behavior that all dogs should understand and be able to perform.  Asking and doing can be at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as a "stay" behavior is concerned.  Many dogs quickly learn that stay actually means nothing.  They are told to stay but the word itself is never enforced so the true meaning is never learned.

Stay:  to spend some time in a place.


As a dog trainer I work hard to ensure that my clients learn what stay means.  Once my work is done and I leave the dog and owner alone it can all be undone in the blink of an eye.  Stay is an exercise that I consider to be a very serious one.  When I say "stay" I mean it.  It means that you do not move until I say so.  A solid stay takes a great deal of training practice.   





The stay must first be taught without distraction so that there can be success and a clear understanding.  Distractions and environmental changes need to come once the meaning of "stay" is fully ingrained.  Distractions and environmental changes should be introduced in small amounts and at separate times.  Add too much and you set your dog up for failure.   


Baby steps of success is the quickest way to big time achievement.  Never call your dog out of a stay, especially in the beginning.  Calling a dog out of a stay opens up the possibility of future calls and not staying.  Always return to them and only use one predetermined word to release them from the stay.  Treat and praise while they are in the stay, not after they are released.  You want to create a very positive association to the stay, not the release. 


Stay is very easy to teach; although it is time consuming to impact a rock solid stay but well worth the effort.

Feeding time


Feeding time at my house is a structured event; it is because of this that we never have any issues.  Each dog has an eating position and number in the delivery system.  The delivery system number is important because we don't always eat in the kitchen.  As I've explained before we often eat in the backyard; sometimes out of bowls, other times I feed out of one big bowl so the dogs need to learn to wait their turn.  This order helps greatly in the natural grabbing instinct of dogs.

When I start the feeding process there is commotion, mostly from Jessie.  The poodles tend to be more mannerly about their excitement level.  Luke only comes into the kitchen at preparation time if I happen to be making one of his favorites.  Jessie bounds around with gusto anxiously awaiting her favorite time of the day.  When I do grab a bowl all the dogs know that it is for Jessie.  Luke and Tilley quietly stand back waiting.  Once Jessie has hers then it is Tilley's turn and she is more than likely lying on her bed patiently.


Often I have to add something extra yummy to Luke's bowl to ensure that he will eat a little something so he waits.  He knows that his bowl is last; this is very reassuring to him.  If feeding time was a free for all it would be very unsettling for a dog like Luke.  You can feed dogs in a supervised manner without all the order but you must have good control and there will still remain the element of  uncertainty.  To help with the sense of "is that my bowl?" you use names, very important.  When you have a pack your dogs must be accustom to listening for their name.  After all you cannot always do everything in a pack.

Once Jessie is done eating she is physically removed from the room.  This is new and due to her dementia, deafness and loss of vision.  It works well and even when we do have a toss the food around the yard day everyone is calm and under control.    I remember a time when we were visiting a breeders house looking at puppies; calm was nothing near what occurred.  We were in a very small room with probably 6 large dogs when a neighbor brought over a container of left over hot dogs.  The woman who was the owner of the dogs proceeded to toss the hot dogs around the living room and bedlam ensued.  My husband and I stood looking at each other as the dogs slammed into each other and grabbed out of other dogs mouths.  It was quite the experience and we left, puppyless.

Feeding time can be a calm and civil event if you take control and make the rules very clear for all involved.

Fuming


The sun feels good on an old body


Yep; if you are a member of my Just dogs with Sherri FB or my The Standard Poodle FB then you already know that yesterday I was fuming.  As usual it took but a quick trip to the park to inspire a blog.  Although yesterdays trip inspiration was not from simply watching others; we were involved.  It was a typical Saturday morning; I dropped Luke and my hubby off on the street near the park where they start their trek back to us.  I drive Tilley and Jessie to the parking lot of the park and we meandered at an old snail pace until we meet up with   the others.

I had just got the girls out of the car and we headed on our way when I noticed a woman getting her dog out of her car.  The dog saw us an immediately charged; hair up and menacing growling assault.  I immediately yelled at the dog loud enough to stop it.  It signaled to me by dropping it's ears and body.  I yelled to the woman that my dogs were old and didn't need this in an angry voice.  She then proceeded to reassure me that her dog was indeed fine; "no worries" she said.  As I looked back the dog made a huge growling, toothy lunge at Tilley knocking her to the ground.


Enjoying the peace of her own backyard


In an instant I jumped to stop any further assault while yelling at the woman.  She said she was shocked; I think not.  Once I got home I had time to reflect and realized we'd had a run in with this dog before.  She asked her dog over and over again "why did you do that?"  Hmmmmmmm; yes I'm a fan of talking to your dog but really?  This woman let her dog out of her car and remained fishing around in her car while this all happened.  She was not paying the smallest amount of attention.

I was fuming; of course I was, here my old 14 year old girl who wouldn't hurt a flea was knocked onto the sidewalk and having a hard time getting herself up.  Tilley is a neutral dog; a dog who gives off no threat, just neutral behavior.  It is this reason that I have used her over the years to help aggressive and fearful dogs.  No dog has ever attacked or gone after her.

The woman who owned this dog immediately jumped to save her hide.  She kept saying how beautiful Tilley was; I mean a ridiculous amount of times.  I then realized that it was her way of hoping I wasn't going to report her.  I checked Tilley over and we went on our way in hopes of erasing this mad situation.  I wanted Tilley to forget this; so we moved onto a fun walk.

I'm sure Tilley was hurt; like elderly people, falling down is much more serious when you are old.  If this sceanario would have played out with Luke instead of Tilley the end would have been far different.  This woman is clearly in denial about her dog and she has no control nor does she desire control obviously.  People like this should not have dogs.  If you cannot control your dog; never take off the leash.  The owner of the dog is solely to blame in this situation which is generally the rule, not always but usually.

Tilley is fine now; no doubt she is sore but she seems okay.  I on the other hand am still fuming.  

The Ottawa Valley Poodle Club



I was hoping I could make it; heck I'd traveled all the way from SoCal to Ottawa, Canada, I'd better make it.  I was invited to attend the Ottawa Valley Poodle Club Picnic from a good friend.  I was cottaging up near the Pembroke area which if you've never been, is gorgeous.   There are lakes everywhere with the Ottawa River running through it all.  We were right on the edge of a beautiful bay off the river, nice.  Saturday, we hopped in the car around noon and head out; the drive was amazing, farm land as far as you can see.  To my delight we did not have to go anywhere near a city on our way to the picnic.




As we neared we drove down several gravel roads and found our destination.  Poodles, poodles galore; being dogless it was a sight for sore eyes.  There were poodles of all sizes wandering around off leash; so I headed over to a standard poodle group of folks.  I sat down, introduced myself and the poodle talk commenced.  What a great bunch of folks and of course dogs.  I met so many wonderful new people and a few from the past which was a really great surprise.

Talking to all the wonderful poodles lovers it amazes me how small our world really is.  Some of the folks there knew a couple of my poodle friends from Southern California.  As we chatted the dogs played; they played hard.  Having three old dogs at home, I very much miss the crazy antics of the youngn's.  Watching them tear around, leaping over each other and diving in the grass was amazing.  There was a rainbow of colors, all sizes, just about every clip and each one an individual.  I could have chatted dogs and poodles until the wee hours but I had people to see and places to go.


One little munchkin caught my eye and everyone else's eye who was in attendance.  An adorable little black puppy; three months old and as cute as they come.  As she wandered over my way I made sure to get my share of snuggles; much appreciated as I was missing my guys terribly.  I loved watching her meander around the picnic, she was outgoing, confident and as sweet as they come.  What a cutie.

Thank you Olga from Poodleit.com for inviting me and everyone else from the Ottawa Valley Poodle Club for making me feel welcome.  I'm so glad I made it.

Home



I got home last night to a very excited pack of dogs.  As I got out of the car in the driveway I could hear Luke barking; weird.  He's not a big barker but with Mom and Dad having been gone for over a week he was on edge.  Nearing the door I could hear that Luke was not in his normal spot; it sounded much like he was outside. Opening up the front door it was obvious that he was upstairs on my bed and being that he thought we (Mom and Dad) were not home he didn't come down.  I quietly said "Luke."

After that it was a tornado and excitement.  Tilley wobbled up the stairs and Luke spun and jumped and spun and spun.  My son went down to get Jessie; she could not hear the commotion.  Soon I had all three wagging madly and making a huge array of happy sounds.  My three dog pack fits nicely into my arms as we have a hug fest.  Nothing better.

Tilley followed my husband around for a while; she was so happy to have us home but Luke never left my side.  Staring, kissing with a few face bites thrown in for over the top excitement.  Being away from the dogs is tough; much harder on us.  They are left at home with a sitter and family members so they are well taken care of and in their familiar surroundings.  So they actually have more eyes on them than normal which is very comforting for me while away.

But there really is nothing like the connection of a back and once back together, happy again.

Summertime



Man it's been hot; yesterday I thought I might just melt away.   As I was out and about I was thinking about my dogs left back in the A/C and how happy I was that they were indeed cool as cucumbers.  I hate to see dogs out  sweltering in the heat needlessly.  Getting our pooches out before it gets too hot or after the heat cools is so important.  And exercise should always be saved for the cooler temps.

We walked into the cutest little shop yesterday and as I wandered around the store realizing that there was only fans to cool the building I was ready to leave.  The humidity level was up to..................oh say a zillion (maybe exaggerating a little) but what caught my eye just before I left was a dog in the back.  It was a big shaved Australian Shepherd; lying out on the wood floor with a fan blowing on him.  Smart dog and wonderful owner; she was up in the front where it was hot but he, her dog was cool in the back.  Of course; this made me smile and I stayed to look around for a bit.

I found this cute jute dog bone rug and of course had to have it, then we went on our way.  Back out in the sweltering heat again and we were looking for a place to drink, I could feel the fluid leaving my body with every step in the moisture filled air.  We passed a couple of stores that had water bowls out front with "WE LOVE DOGS" signs, love it.

I was happy to see an absence of dogs actually.  As much as it pains me to be void of dogs it makes me happy to know that people are keeping them indoors in the cooler temps and out of the sweltering temps.  Ah summertime, summertime............water, A/C and shade fun for all.

Respect



I was at an event the other day when an exuberant pup was greeting an older mature dog.  The little one was bouncing around with unending joy while the adult stood frozen.  The adult never flinched as the young pup bounded around.  Slowly the pup started to deflate; ears went back and the motion slowed.  The adult was still standing in the exact position that it started in.  Then the pups body started to lower and she came around to the face of the adult where she stood and looked for a moment.  She had finally realized that there it was not a shared joyous moment.  Like an "ah ha" moment she lowered her body and moved away.  There had been no harsh words; just a simple calm but well communicated message.

Funny that it can take a while with a very excited pup but they still get the message.  They were at the event for some time but there only a few communications were shared from that point on.

Yesterday I was at the park and witnessed the identical situation once again.  A young exuberant dog was meeting a mature one.  These two were on leash; strangers but soon to be friends.  The young dog jumped around whining and yapping with glee while the mature dog stood stone like.  A nearby snake caught my attention and when I looked back at the two dogs; the young one was now shriveling to a fraction of the size.  With her ears plastered back to her head, eyes squinting and doing nearly a commando crawl she was now begging to be friends.

She finally moved away which gave the mature dog time to give her a sniff.  That was that and they were cautious friends.  The young one was trying her hardest to behave without diving all over the adult.  And the adult was playing the VERY mature one; using slow movement and little eye contact to communicate his wishes in this relationship.  I love watching it; so much is said with only movement and the level of communication in dogs is exceptional.  Again; amazing aren't they?

Who are you?



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.



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.

Training



Training methods are a controversial subject; most trainers are stead fast in what they believe.  I don't know how many discussions I've been in with trainers of the "other" kind over the years but it's been a lot.  I know of several big conventional trainers in my area; people often ask if I've heard of them and what do I think?

 Conventional vs positive. Conventional training being that which uses collar corrections to stop an uwanted behavior..............been there done that.  I am not proud of giving collar corrections but I sure am glad that I have that experience to back up my choice of being a positive trainer now.  I've been attacked for saying that I do not and will not collar corrections; but these folks don't know where I come from and don't have the knowledge to attack so they should just stick to their training and mind their own business. 



There are many conventional trainers out there and when and if they are ever ready to come over to the "light" side then we will welcome them with open arms. I have to say that I have met many a crossover trainer. I am a crossover trainer; someone who started out using conventional methods and crossed over to the positive methods of training. But I have never in all my years met someone who started out training positive and crossed over to the dark side.

Being a positive trainer takes more thought; time spent looking at the big picture and not just the immediate instant gratification of conventional training. Timing is important in conventional training but it all comes down to that correction. Often when I am working with a dog they may become confused which can lead to frustration, frustration often leads to shutdown. So to avoid confusion you break a behavior down into baby steps, thus allowing a dog to achieve at much smaller intervals. By breaking a behavior down there is much less chance of a complete shutdown.

I am proud to say I am a positive trainer; positive meaning I will not use pain or fear to elicite a certain behavior from a dog. I should perhaps say that I am a feedback trainer; I believe that feedback is the biggest and most important tool in training or behavior modification. Training and working with dogs is not always a bed of roses; and this is where patience plays a huge part. Being patient and working through the hard times and the bad times is where the evolution stems.

The more one learns about true canine natural behavior; the easier it is to understand and modify it. Body language plays a huge role in behavior modification; both in the canine and the human. Ignoring the importance of using your body in behavior modification is like taking an olympic runners NIKE's from him. Dogs use infinitesimal movements to portray a message; we can do the same if we take the time to learn. Real behavior modification using positive methods of training takes a great deal of education to achieve; but once you have accomplished the education it is amazingly clear. Once you've got it; you've got it. Our dogs are totally worth the effort.

A happy place



I remember an amazing shoot I had several years ago, dog and horses. Deep in the canyon surrounded by nature and animals; what could be better. Well for this photographer with a passion for animals, nothing. Standing still, quietly taking in the surroundings and watching; it was beautiful. The animals were happy and I certainly was happy.

When I get the priviledge to shoot horses, I am thrilled. With my busy schedule shooting dogs it can be hard to fit all the animals in. But horses is something I'm hoping to change in the near future. In my opinion horses are one of the most beautiful animals you can photograph. They stand alone in an image and they are true natural beauty. They are very different from dogs to photograph; but a flawless subject to shoot.

So far all the dogs I have shot for my book have been very happy and content. You can see the bond they have with their guardian; being able to view this from the sidelines has been pretty impactful. When an animal; be it a dog, cat, pig or horse is in a good and happy place, the result is great photos.

This is the reason I love shooting where dogs are happiest; environmentally speaking that is. Right now my three dogs are very happy curled up together on my bed. Actually I have shot several dogs on their guardians beds and those were amazing photos. So having animals in their happy place produces wonderful images. The type of image that when you look at there is no denying that this is a happy dog.

The moments do arise rarely when a dog is just not comfortable having a giant black eye staring at them and that is when my behavior experience kicks in. At the first sign of uncomfortable I switch gears, take a break, put down my camera and sit on the ground with the dog.

A true passion.

More



You have a dog but you'd like to have another dog for both your family and as a companion for your #1 dog. Great idea! I am a big fan of having two or more dogs that is if that is what you and/or your family want and not just to keep #1 out of your hair. I believe dogs deserve a great human family and a great canine family.

One of the most common reasons I deal with when people want a second dog is that their first dog has some form of separation anxiety. Very few anxious dogs are "fixed" by adding another dog to the family. Typically a dog suffering from some form of separation anxiety is suffering because of your absence so adding another dog to the scenario isn't going to fix anything. Seek professional help in this case before you contemplate adding #2.

So let's say your #1 dog is well adjusted and you just want another dog to come into the family, you have a big heart and more than enough love to go around. The first thing you need to consider when thinking about adding a second dog is who exactly is your #1 dog? What sort of temperament do they have? Where do they fit in amongst your family? It is imperative that you choose the second dog to mesh with the first dogs personality.

Generally I advise going with the opposite sex, it is usually a safe bet and even if they do have their differences things run smoother with a male/female pair. Some breeds are very dominant by nature and adding another of the same breed, even the opposite sex might be more than you want to deal with.

Matching physical size is something to think about as well. If you have a huge beast of a dog who is high energy and loves to play rough you don't want to bring home a fragile type who breaks easily. But you also may not want to go with another beast sized dog when picturing two beasts running around your home.

And hair, are you happy with the amount of hair you deal with on a daily basis? Could you handle double the hair or would you prefer to not add anymore additional hair? These are all things that you should think about.

Age of #2? Do you think your dog gets along well enough with other dogs that bringing home an adult dog would work? Or should you consider a puppy who is less threatening than and adult? Many dogs get along great with other dogs but have a difficult time with puppies, especially if they are up in their senior years and cannot enforce rules with the new little rascal.

No matter who you bring home as an addition to your family think first about your #1 dog or existing pack. You do not need to go to extreme opposites when choosing an additional dog as that can backfire as well. Adding a very dominant dog to a home with a very submissive dog can ruin the first dogs life as they know it.  Just like bringing home a calm sedate type dog into the life of a high energy, super powered dog that can't stop. That can cause too much stress for the second quite dogs life.

But when you do bring home another dog, don't expect it to be love at first sight. If it is then you are truly lucky. Often it can take up to several months for dogs to mesh. When I brought home Luke almost 7 years ago Tilley did not approve and wanted nothing to do with him. She set things straight right off and let him know she hated him and didn't want him around. But with enough supervision and feedback from us she slowly grew to tolerate him, accept him to now although she'd never admit it, love him. This all took over two months, two very rough months.

Dogs in our past


White's Mocha Supreme
1987-2000


This is Clyde; one of the greatest loves of my life. This photo is old;  my husband came home with it lastnight. He had found a bunch of old dog photos on his laptop and thought he better put them on a cd before they were gone.

So here he is; Clyde. This is one of my favorite photos of him. He is about 11 in this photo, the same age that Luke is now. Just looking at the photo brings tears to my eyes; not sad tears but tears of recognition. This dog had such an impact on my life, he lived through alot of change.

Clyde was an amazing dog; and he really was the one who sealed the deal with males and me. I love male dogs; there is just something special about them and the relationship they have with their female guardians. Well, maybe not all dogs or guardians but my boys and me so far. He is the reason I carry a special spot in my heart for the boys.

When I think back to my life with Clyde I cannot remember a time when he wasn't right there by my side. He was a constant companion; no matter where I was or what I was doing. When a dog touches your life like this; with so much influence on your past, you hold that memory inside for a lifetime. I have often mistakenly call Luke; Clyde. Not that they are alike in anyway; infact they could not be more different in personality.

Clyde was one of the cutest puppies I've ever seen; but of course he was.  We were inseparable for thirteen years.  As a young stay at home Mom, Clyde was my constant companion, guardian and best friend.  We lived on several acres surrounded by farm land so we had a good time with lots of room to stretch our legs.  Clyde was one of 13 puppies, all brown and all adorable.  I brought him home at 6 weeks of age and it took but moments to wriggle into my heart and there he stays.  

No one can truly understand what a dog means or meant to you. Your relationship is a personal one, one to be cherished and stored away in your memory. These memories can be drawn upon at a moments notice; when you most need them to help you to move on.

Clyde is quietly with me still; he was, is and always will be a part of me. I miss him dearly.

Waste not



I hate waste; I never mind buying food if it doesn't go to waste. Throwing perfectly good food in the garbage is a huge issue for me so it rarely gets thrown out in this house. If we don't eat it; chances are I'll feed it to the dogs. Don't get me wrong; my dogs don't eat garbage, no cut offs  for them.  The only thing I will give my dogs that I won't eat is gristle or tough pieces of meat. Everything else is exactly what I would eat; I just ran out of room in my stomach so into theirs it goes. Just this morning I only ate 1/2 my banana and 1/2 my yogurt so yes; they are getting it for breakfast.

Especially in a world that is quickly shrinking; with places where food is scarce it truly is an awful thing to throw good food in the garbage. Let's say I cooked chicken, spinach, squash and rice for dinner. My eyes were bigger than my stomach; I though I was starving. Once halfway into dinner I realize I took too much food; no big deal. The dogs eat it for dinner.

I have a basic food that is prepared for my dogs; but! If one of us can't eat all the food we had on our plate I don't stress over it; the dogs get it. They eat as well as we do, I try to buy as much organic food as I can so what is good for us is just as good for our dogs.


There are foods that I don't give the dogs; the typical things like onion, chocolate, saucy dishes etc. But if it is  fresh homemade food with not a ton of butter or spices on it; their getting it for dinner.  What is that old saying that I've heard a zillion times?  Oh ya "my dogs don't eat table scraps."  Scraps has a bad association; the food that is left over that is not worth eating, the yucky stuff.  Well I agree with that; a dinner of cut offs is no food for a dog.  

I remember being out for dinner onetime; a very high end place. I ordered Lobster; very indulgent but a rare treat. I couldn't eat all of my lobster and there was no way I could see it go in the garbage. I ordered a doggie bag (a real doggie bag)  and brought it home for my very appreciative pups for dinner.

So the next time you are scrapping good food into the garbage; look at those eyes staring at you and think twice. Especially if it's meat; put it aside for your four legged kids for dinner.  

Thunder shirt


First let me say that I hope all of your dogs are safe and sound at home where they belong.  No doubt there will be dogs who were freaked out by the fireworks and are now wandering the streets looking for home.  The shelters will have them in their hands more than likely today but it never fails that there will be lost dogs, so very sad. 

We sat out on our balcony last night to watch the fireworks; we had'nt realized how much growth had gone on over a year as we watch the amazing explosion just over the peaks of the trees.  There is nothing really close to us so everything is in the distance.  Last year we did the same thing and Tilley never flinched; with her hearing leaving she didn't hear the big booms.  This year seemed like a boomer year and she indeed flinched.  With one exceptionally loud boom and flash of light she started to dig.  I took that cue to run and get my Thunder shirt.  I've had it since right after last years July 4th and only got the chance to give it a whirl.

I knew exactly where it was; I'd seen it earlier in the day when I was looking for a specific collar.  At first glance the Thunder shirt looks complicated but once you get it; it's easy.  I wrapped it around my digging, panting girl and she calmed somewhat.  Not sure that I'd wrapped it tightly enough I rewrapped her like a burrito.  Once wrapped she was most definitely less frantic.

The Thunder shirt did not stop her fear but it surely made a dent in the degree.  I have to say that was surprised that Tilley was bothered with the fireworks with her hearing even worse than ever.  No matter she started her digging which is her typical response to fireworks.  Where she thinks she is going is away, just away from the sound and lights.  But with the Thunder shirt she was able to lie down and once down stairs away from the light show she quickly fell asleep with her snazzy wrap tightly hugging her body.

Safety first



I am a safety nut; and I can proudly say that I am my Father's daughter.  Born and raised under the ever watchful eye of a "what if'r."  And now I am a "what if'r."  We have recently been doing a few renovations in the house; one was to remove some horrendous shag carpet which we replaced with laminate flooring.  It looks great but it is really slippy for the dogs.  They are accustom to non carpet floors but in this room they are use to having big time traction so it seems more slippy.

I've been out to a discount store several times and scored some great throw mats.  I cannot believe that I found four that match and they all look great on the floor.  They blend in so that you barely see them.  Yesterday I head out to the store again for some runners for a couple of the spots in the house that seem to be slipped on more often.  With older dogs slipping is a biggy; it is not a fall down and bounce back up thing like with young dogs.  If they go down it's a bad thing so for my tall, long legged poodles we got runners and throw rugs galore.

Now we are fixing the railing in the house, I'm very excited.  When we bought this present house which was only about 4 years ago there were several spindles missing.  As a safety conscious Mom it was one of the first things that I noticed.  Who takes spindles out of a rail?  It is not longer to code and well......................dangerous.  As Tilley becomes more frail and teetering it has become a big worry.  Just the other day I was sure that Jessie was going to take a flying leap off the side of the stairs; with her dementia I worry what is going or not going on in that little head of hers.  So we getting that fixed as well.

There are so many places to be injured in a typical home.  Electrical wires are a big dangers with young dogs and puppies, anything that a puppy can grab that might fall on top of them is a big danger.  Just the other day we were hanging a mirror in our newly renovated family room.  It is a freaking heavy mirror which we had decided to relocate.  One spot was a spot right over a dog bed which was a big NO, I said "what if it fell?"  So it was placed in a spot where there is nothing below; just in case.

For me you can never be safe enough; there is always some sort of danger lurking around a corner.  Take a good look around; you too might just be a "what if'r."  ;)

Coyotes



I've heard a lot of coyote stories lately and over the years.  Here in Southern California we have coyotes, many coyotes.  It is common knowledge that the cats that go "missing" are not simply missing.  It amazes me that so many have outdoor cats in a place where outdoor cats become midnight snacks.  But it is not only cats that lose their life to coyotes, dogs do as well.  I've heard of many small dogs being taken out of their backyard, never to be seen again.  Very sad.

Through the years I've heard story after story of single coyotes and coyote packs taking dogs.  One story was about a Jack Russell on an extension leash that the owner saved only because of the leash.  A coyote grabbed to dog as it crested a hill; the owner tugged and tugged, the coyote finally released the dog.  He was rushed to the ER and stitched up, lucky.  The largest dog that I personally  know of was a Brittany Spaniel, a big dog for a coyote.

Just this morning when Luke and my husband were out on a walk; several people warned my husband about a coyote up on the hill.  It was up on the hill where they were headed and as they had been warned, there it was.  It was a young coyote, mangy looking and bold, too bold.  It hid behind some bushes in ambush position.  Seeing this my husband made a quick U-turn and head back.  Even though a young coyote is not a threat to Luke, you never know what their posse looks like or if they are learning to hunt.

They coyotes here are small; probably a bit smaller than Tilley.  But they are very dangerous and extremely experienced killers.  Any animal that eats cats has got to get the job done quickly before becoming injured themselves.  Often when I am at the park I see the remnants of the nights hunt.  Tufts of hair, bones and other pieces strewn around drawing the crows to feed on the less than prime morsels.

Today I was out getting a new ID tag for Jessie; I also picked up a cat bell for her collar.  With her hearing gone I like to know where she is and because she cannot hear me calling her at least I can hear her if she is moving around.  As I was in the kitchen working on their dinner I heard her jingle into the family room when I stopped chopping and thought, "she sounds like a cat."  I've never seen a coyote in my yard but I have seen them several streets over and I do not want them thinking that we have a cat in our yard.  Nor do I want them thinking that Jessie is a cat.  So the cat bell will be tossed and we continue to be vigilant; no dogs out at night and the dog door shut tight.

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.