Interference

Good Sunday morning; I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.  I woke up to rain, yes rain in Southern California.  I checked the weather forecast just yesterday and there was no hint of rain on it but we surely need it.  So it's a nice change and I welcome a rainy day.

I started going through some images from a shoot the other day and laughed when I saw a few of them.  We had some interference during the shoot; not bad interference just interference.  I met several people at the park and there dogs to the photo shoot.  I was there about 15 min. early and watched a scruffy dog running around the park and checking up on all the dogs who passed by.  The bristle coated red dog was there with his girl; a little girl who was learning to ride a bike and as owner ran along side the little girl, so did the dog.  Only the appearance of another dog on the scene veered him from his duty.

As soon my dogs arrived so did the scruffy one; he came over immediately to assess the situation.  He met all the dogs; had a little romp and then was off with his little girl again.  During the shoot he came over once again to check out the situation; he had another greeting, made sure that all was well and was on his way once a gain.  Sometimes a dog on the scene of a shoot is a great thing; they can often be all that is needed to get an intense look that only dogs on high alert can give you.  If the dog that I am shooting in on leash then I can often capture the piercing desire to go to the other dog.

As a long time dog trainer I love nothing more than capturing canine behavior so when we do have the occasional appearance of another dog on the scene I surely take the opportunity to use it.  This boy appeared from the bushes; had a quick hello to this beautiful gal and was on his way with his owner who beckoned him on his bike as he drove by.

Interference is not always a bad thing.

That touch thing

I just finished giving Luke a massage; I regularly massage all three but I tend to focus on Luke the most.  For you long time readers; you all know he is a nervous ninny and a thorough massage does him good.  First he worries what I am doing; then he worries about why I am pushing him over.  Next he worries about why I am not letting him get up; all the while I am staying as cool as a cucumber.  He looks at me and sniffs to test my mood; then he relaxes.  He is much better than he use to be; after ten years he actually trusts me and really enjoys his massage, once we are into it.  How do I know he enjoys it?  He gets his googly eyes on; his eyes half shut and his third eyelid half up. 

Massaging your dog is not only beneficial for them; it is also great for lowering your blood pressure or destressing from a bad day.  The moment I start rubbing I can feel the stress leave my body.  Most dogs learn to love it if they don't from the start.  Many dogs are not the touchy feely type and need to learn to enjoy a massage.  But even if a dog enjoys a massage from you; they may not enjoy receiving the same treatment from a non family member.  None of my dogs would appreciate someone pawing all over them; it would be in itself, a stressful event.  So keep that in mind.  Several years back I talked to a gentleman who was offering Reiki for animals.  I understand the basic idea behind reiki and asked if there was a need for touch while doing it?  He assured me that no touch was needed; although if an animal enjoys it, they may touch. 

Massage not only feels good; it is very relaxing.  So relaxing that 5 min. after our session Luke remained on the couch as I vacuumed around him; something he never does.  Normally; as soon as I head his way he's gone, this was very interesting, he even had his eyes closed as I approached.  Massaging your dog regularly is a very good way for bonding time; it builds trust and helps dogs get over their touch issues.  I've worked with many dogs that cannot be touched in certain areas.  Owners say to me "oh ya very friendly, just don't touch his stomach," or "just don't touch his feet."  You should be able to touch everything; even their feet which is the most common issue.  Most dogs recoil when you touch their feet; even if they don't mind a whole lot. 

You must start slowly; and if they have any reservations about the process, add yummy treats into the mix.  Ah; good treats appear when the touching begins, your dog will soon look forward to the touching session.  Then once they are accepting the gentle massaging; you can slowly eliminate the treats.  When you massage you should have a firm but gentle touch; keep your hands flat on your dog, no digging fingers.  Keep one hand on the dog at all times; removing one if the other remains.  This helps to eliminate the startle factor; I learned this by getting my own massages.

Massage everything; spine, legs, tail, feet, ears, toes etc.  Luke loves a good face massage; he is particular about it but it is probably his favorite, the googly eyes come out bigtime for a face rub.  When you move; think "zen."  Pick up each foot gently and return it to the ground as if it is made of something very breakable.  But firm with your touch; you don't want to freak out your dog by acting apprehensive.  Canine massage should be short and sweet; unless of course you have one that slips into a coma from a massage...........then time may be limitless.  But my motto in life is quite while you're ahead. 

On the road again

We're back on the road again; after being hit with a new wrench we are again a fine tuned machine.  I'm talking about Jessie's dementia which certainly threw our day to day for a loop to say the least.

Two previous dementia blogs.

Dementia #1

Dementia #2

Our pack is a fabulous one; has been for nearly 11 years now.  Sure we've had our ups and downs; trials and tribulations but generally we're in order.  So when Jessie was hit with dementia sometime around December 2010, everything was a mess for a while.  But I'm happy to say we are back on the road again.

I like when everything is running smoothly; but as life has a habit of doing, things can go from good to bad quickly.  So over the last several months of learning and readjusting we are pretty much there.  We've got a routine again; a loose routine of course as I'm not much of a routine person.  Jessie seems to be very comfortable with everything day to day with everything falling into place.

She's a funny little thing and often has me smiling simply because of her gusto for life.  She's 15.5 years old and for a small very fit and muscular girl is nothin; but her lack of vision, hearing and now dementia has just made things interesting.  :)  Her range of motion goes from nil to 100 miles an hour in a matter of seconds.  She sleeps in her crate at night which is essential as her symptoms start around 2:00 am and I need my sleep.  She paces and pushes to get out of her crate until we are up about 5:00am.

Once out she is like a torpedo and I'm not joking; I'm going to try to video her for you this weekend.  She races around the backyard like a crazy person (okay she actually is a crazy dog).  The goal is for her to pee and she knows it; once she goes she can come in.  She charges into the kitchen, around the corner and up the stairs like she has been shot out of a cannon.  The goal?  The morning treat.  Once she's had that she wanders around; goes out the dog door several times and then joins Tilley on her dog bed.  That is where she is at the moment.

The speed starts once again if she is going for a walk; she hurls her little body everywhere at such a speed that I can barely get her harness onto her.  She does these amazingly huge loud yawns when she is happy and/or excited so that goes on until we get to the park.  There she again bursts out of the car and we are on our way.  Somewhere in the middle of our walk she starts to slowdown until she is at a snail pace; often needing a lift the final steps to the car.

We have a bit more excitement during breakfast feeding time and then it is full blown shutdown.  Sleep fills the rest of the day until it's feeding time again.  It amazes me that she is up and alert around 6:00pm, no matter what I'm doing or where I am something in her body says food time.  She hurls her little body around with sheer delight over dinner time and then its shutdown again.

We put her to bed and it starts all over again.  I have a highly changing life day to day but she is pretty much set in this routine which is definitely a good thing for all.  Working around it took a while but now we are all happily back on the road again.

The Begging dog

Good morning; begging came to mind this morning with all the yummy food that is starting to be prepared and consumed this holiday season. And the fact that I had quite a begging situation lastnight. So how bad is begging and how far should it be allowed to progress or encroach?  Begging is a very natural behavior for dogs. Watch any documentary on wolves and you will see the exact same behavior within a pack. Begging goes as far as the "alpha" wolves will allow it. The act of begging is how a dog asks for the food that you are at the moment; eating. Begging in general is not a bad behavior; infact I consider it to be quite an amazing behavior.

Most trainers think of begging as simply unacceptable; but how well mannered is a dog that sits and watches you consume a delicious meal without attempting to remove it from you? I think it is a very controlled behavior when a dog can accomplish this; especially if they are drooling at the sametime.

When it is not acceptable is when they do attempt to take your food from you; whether by charm or cheer force. Dogs who try to take food from you forcefully by grabbing or jumping probably lack manners in all aspects of their life. Training and rule enforcement is a must to get this under control.

Even the ones who sneakily attempt to take your food; inching up on you without notice then ever so slightly moving their head forwards. If you give in at this point you have not only been had but you have just lowered your status within the pack. Eye contact is a great way to let your dog know they are way too close to your food. Moving towards them if eye contact is not enough and when they move back you sit and eat.

It is essential that you should be able to complete a down stay with your dog while you are eating so you know that if you desire this amount of control, you have it. So rethink the whole begging issue; does your dog watch you eat from several feet away? Do their eyes watch every bite you take? Then that's pretty amazing to me. Having them not watch at all is a difficult task and needless in my mind.

Always reward your dog for good behavior, do not give in to those sad eyes moving in on your food or you have been had and out brained by your dog.

Sideways

I got into the car yesterday; put the key in and started her up.  A couple veered behind my xterra with their dog and walked around the car; I thought to myself "remember when?"  What I was remembering was when a direct approach to my car would send Luke into guard mode.  It was fine if someone walked by my car; even within inches was fine but just don't head straight towards it.

A direct approach for a dog is a dominant display; of course you must watch what the body in it's entirety is saying but in general it means dominance.  Depending on who is being approached factors in as well.  If a dog wants to send a neutral or non threatening message to someone or other dog then they approach at an angle.   When non house sibling dogs are out playing you will often see head turns, sideways advances to one another and huge circle approaches.  Often young dogs will also lower their body posture while creating a sideways approach.

This is canine mannerly greeting communications and not all dogs are cued into delivery or reading.  I remember one day way back when Luke was but a young'n and over flowed with enthusiasm.  His zest for greetings got him into trouble quite a few times.  One time in particular was when he saw a white German Shepherd across the field; nothing I could say was going to stop him from going to greet her.  Once he left I stopped calling him and let her do the work; I watched as it unfolded.  It was obvious that she was a very mature and confident female; she stood unimpressed as he ran straight at her, a foolish mistake.  He ran bubbling over with joy until about 20 feet away when he finally noticed her body posture.  He tried his best to jam on the brakes seeing that she was none too impressed with his charging approach, he completely altered his communication.  It quickly changed to a modified circle, head and tail lowered as she then charged him.  He turned on a dime and high tailed it back to Mom, lesson learned.

Body posture, angle, eye position and intensity all factor in with canine communications.  When I meet new dogs I always assume my default position; a non threatening neutral one.  Sideways is a common position for me to be in and it comes as naturally to me as walking.  Unfortunately photographing dogs can be difficult to assume a none threatening body posture but I try; often my camera staring at a dog is very intimidating so I will turn sideways and shoot.

When you meet a strange dog, a dog that is not yours or even your own insecure dog, turn sideways.  Making a direct approach can be interpreted as rude all the way up to scary.  Are you directionally  challenged?  

Sideways

I got into the car yesterday; put the key in and started her up.  A couple started my way and walked around the car; I thought to myself "remember when?"  What I was remembering was when a direct approach to my car would send Luke into guard mode.  It was fine if someone walked by my car; even within inches was fine but just don't head straight towards it.

A direct approach for a dog is a dominant display; of course you must watch what the body in it's entirety is saying but in general it means dominance.  Depending on who is being approached factors in as well.  If a dog wants to send a neutral or non threatening message to someone or some other dog then they approach at an angle.   When non house sibling dogs are out playing you will often see head turns, sideways advances to one another and huge circle approaches.  Often young dogs will also lower their body posture while creating a sideways approach.

This is canine mannerly greeting communications and not all dogs are cued into delivery or reading.  I remember one day way back when Luke was but a young'n and over flowed with enthusiasm.  His zest for greetings got him into trouble quite a few times.  One time in particular he saw a white German Shepherd across the field; nothing I could say was going to stop him from going to greet her.  Once he left I stopped calling him and let her do the work; I watched as it unfolded.  It was obvious that she was a very mature and confident female; she stood unimpressed as he ran straight at her, a foolish mistake.  He ran bubbling over with joy until about 20 feet away when he finally noticed her body posture.  He tried his best to jam on the brakes seeing that she was none too impressed with his charging approach, he completely altered his communication.  It quickly changed to a modified circle, head and tail lowered as she then charged him.  He turned on a dime and high tailed it back to Mom, lesson learned.

Body posture, angle, eye position and intensity all factor in with canine communications.  When I meet new dogs I always assume my default position; a non threatening neutral one.  Sideways is a common position for me to be in and it comes as naturally to me as walking.  Unfortunately photographing dogs can be difficult but I do it; often my camera staring at a dog is very intimidating so I will turn sideways and shoot.

When you meet a strange dog, a dog that is not yours or even your own insecure dog, turn sideways.  Making a direct approach can be interpreted as rude all the way up to scary.  Are you directionally  challenged?  

The orange one

Sunday afternoon; it was hot, so hot that we pretty much hibernated in the house until late afternoon.  Then I decided that some pool fun was in order.   I got out all the floaters and the sinkers.  The balls, the bones and then I remembered seeing Tilley's old floating dumbells when I was cleaning out a closest the other day.  I ran and got them; and started the filling process.  I dumped all the toys into the pool while it was filling; all the floaters spun around the pool as the water rose.  Tilley loved this, it really triggered her drive and she was having a blast chasing them around the pool to retrieve.

Luke wasn't really in the mood except that he had sniffed out a new toy; the orange one.  These toys have strictly been preserved for water use and the chew marks on them have just been from Miss hard mouth Tilley doing her thing.  Luke has never been allowed to play with or chew them so the intrigue was high.  Tilley immediately spotted the dumbells; the orange one and the yellow one.  She obviously preferred retrieving them over everything else; although she still took everything else out of the pool. 

Not Luke he only wanted the dumbells are preferably the orange one.  The yellow one was identical but the same color as the tennis balls so it lacked that something special.  He did retrieve the yellow one a couple of times but the orange one was still "the one" he wanted.

Luke doesn't like to walk in the pool; I think because it is very slippery.  He tries to coax the toys to the edge.

Waiting for Tilley to drop the orange one.

Having a discussion

I decided to put the dumbells away so that they would play with the rest of the toys.  This was the second best and once retrieved from the bottom of the pool shows just how much water a poodle face can hold. 

Bring'm in

If you have a dog that lives in your backyard, you too are missing out on so much. Dogs offer us unquestioned companionship with no boundaries. A dog just wants to spend time with their human. If we can offer our time and add quality in ways of fun activities while spending that time together, bonus. First and foremost, our dogs need our companionship and we need theirs. Making the decision to take the first step is all that it takes.

Taking that first step from having an "outside dog" to an "inside dog" and allowing your dog to live as a true pack member is a big one. Making the transition is a lot of work and takes a great deal of patience. You will need to teach your dog the house rules, no eliminating in the house, no jumping on the table or counters, no eating items that do not belong to you.  Starting out with partitioned areas of the house first and allowing more freedom as your dog adjusts to her new living arrangement is a good idea. Your dog’s excitement level may take a while to diminish, until they start to understand that they now live in the house with the rest of the family. This can be a make or break time, commit to your decision to be patient and help your dog with the adjustment.

There are several things to consider when you decide to make the transition from "yard dog" to family member.

-Decide where your dog will eat, sleep and be allowed. If you don’t want your dog on the couch, beds or certain rooms, start right from the beginning.

-Add new toys to your dogs supply, you will want your dog to have toys that will occupy their time while indoors.

-Supervision is a must for housetraining and house rules

-If you have not trained your dog, start today.  If you have done basic training, do a refresher course. Your dog will have a difficult time performing even the basics when excited by being inside of your home, practice, practice and patience

-Involve the whole family in the exercise of training your dog. Make sure that everyone is on the same track.

-You will want to crate train your dog for when you cannot be around.

-Get some baby gates for partitioning off parts of the house while the training is underway.

-Prepare your family of the impending upheaval that will occur in the first while of the transition. Explain that this will be confusing for your dog as well.

-Address any concerns that your family may have about the dog coming to live inside.


No dog should ever live alone, no matter what breed or mix.

Eye on rescue

I attended an adoption on Saturday held by I.C.A.R.E. dog rescue.    First let me say how inspiring these rescue people are.  Everyone is dedicated to finding these dogs a forever home; not just a home but a great forever home.   Below are some of the dogs that were there; looking for their one and only.   All are looking for a home; if you might be interested in adopting one or two, contact I.C.A.R.E. dog rescue for more details.

The eyes of hope

Buddy

Bo; getting lots of love'n.

Spanky; this adorable boy is 80% blind.

Grace; what a beautiful girl.

This little lady was as cute as they come.

Tinzy

Margarita is a STAR:  She is just back from her work as a body double for the star K9 of a movie coming out featuring Steve Carell.

Freckles; such a sensitive little guy.

Adorable puppies

Fergie

Alvin; how adorable?

Lola; if only they could talk.

Delyla; this girl is adorable and LOVES to swim.

Toodles

Ginger

Cuto; handsome guy.

Star:  new girl on the block.

Titan

Mandy; such a cute little puppy.

My stuff

I thought I'd tell you all what I use as far as equipment, bowls, toys etc.  I have to say that I am a minimalist as far as equipment goes for the dogs.  The simpler the better in my books.  I like quality; nothing irks me more than a poorly made product that people are trying to pass off on the unsuspecting dog owner.  Even though I have my favorites I love to try new products and love it even more when I find something that I like.  There are things that I find that I believe would be great for giant or very large breeds and the little pocket pooches.  With a Jack Russell and two standard poodles I'm in the small/medium - medium/large range.  My poodles, although tall are very light weight so I don't need any real heavy gear.

My leash of choice is the simple cotton web lead.  I prefer the 8-10' length because I like that it allows me to let'm roam now and again.  I don't want a leash that keeps a dog by my side and cannot extend out.  I do have a couple of very short leashes for specific times but for the day in and day out I use my 8-10".  I use the 5/8" width and I have both black and red.  The red is by far a better color as it does not get lost as easily in the grass, I'm forever losing my leashes.  The leash is easily gathered up in my hand for when we need a short leash and then I can just let it out again.

Luke wears the Easy Walk Harness by Premier.  I really like it for dogs who like to pull.  He doesn't pull often now but I still really like this harness.  Jessie wears the Yap Wrap that I have tested and reviewed.  I love it for her; it is very comfortable and nice and secure.  It also doubles as a vest to be harnessed and buckled up when in the car.  I would really love to get one for Tilley to help her get around, it has a great handle on the top that I could grab to assist her but it looks like they are only for small dogs.  I'll check it out. 

Tilley wears a slip on greyhound martingale with an attached leash.  I can easily slip it on and off and it is faux fur lined to be extra comfortable for her neck.  I got it at a dog show years ago and love it.  Martingale collars pull over the dogs head and tighten so that it cannot be slipped.  Not that Tilley needs that at all but dogs who might slip their collar are prime candidates for this type.  I like that I can easily slip it over her head and off again. 

Our food bowls are stainless; I have several.  I like to keep at least two bowls for each dog so that they have a clean bowl always.  All the food bowls have non slip bottoms.  I prefer the type that I can throw into the dishwasher.  There are several porceline water bowls around the house.  One in the kitchen, one in the downstairs bathroom and one outside. 

We have a basket full of toys; everything from indestructible to very destructible.  Of course when the dogs are using the rip apart toys they are supervised.  I get most toys at discount stores but again love to try any new toy out that might be a hit with the gang.  I do stay away from rope toys; I do not like how they frey and can be pulled off to edible strings.  We have no string toys.

Beds; as you know, lots of them.  Beds in every room of the house.  I usually purchase them from either Costco or Homegoods/Homesense.  It is essential that they have zippers so that you can remove the casing and wash it.  And they must be good and squishy, no thin beds for my guys.  They get the squish test before purchase.

I buy biodegradable poop bags from several different sources so that I always have a lot.  I prefer the non scented ones; the smell of the scented ones is just a bit too obvious and obnoxious.  Plus my husband hates the scented bags. 

I use a dremel tool for nails and have a box full of grooming equipment for my poodles.  I have a tiny soft baby brush for Jessie who is the one that gets brushed the most as she sheds.  My poodles are shaved down fairly utility like so not much maintenance there other than the initial shave.

Like I said; simple.

Sebaceous Cysts

WARNING:  GROSS BLOG.  THIS BLOG CONTAINS GROSS MATERIAL, CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

This photo was taken before the second growth started on the orignal one.

If you have not had breakfast yet or you have a queasy stomach then best NOT TO read this one or leave it for later in the day. Sebaceous cysts; a volcano like bump that is commonly found on dogs. It seems that no breed or mix is predisposed to these little annoying lumps so any dog is fair game. I don't remember the first time I saw one but it was on Tilley; she has now had them for years and it is has become a common attack strategy when we see one. First we take note; lump, next we wait and we wait and we wait until it decides to erupt and erupt it does, usually. They open up much like a volcano and release the contents which can vary from gray goo, maybe a little blood to tiny little dark gray pearls. The tiny beads are common and have been inside almost all of Tilley's and by tiny I mean like large sized grains of sand but there are a lot of them with the accompanying goo.

So what are Sebaceous cysts and what should you do about them? All dogs have oil glands in their skin; these are what produce the oil for their hair, which contain a substance called Sebum. When a hair follicle becomes blocked for some reason then the natural flow of oils cannot be expelled. This causes a backup so to speak and a lump can form; it can grow to a good size before it opens up, if it opens up. Tilley has had them when they simply dried up and went away but typically they have come to a head and opened. This is when great care must be taken to keep them clean; infection can set in fast and make matters far worse.

Tilley has had a huge lump growing on her for several years.  We have had it checked and the result was fatty cyst, nothing to worry about.  So over the years we have just watched it grow.  All along I had thought that it was a sebaceous cyst that just never opened.  Recently it started another lump on top of the  original lump, a little alarming.  Again I had a vet look at it and he was very unalarmed by it.  So I left the vets contemplating what to call this new thing.  It was big enough to now have a name.  Blunk; it has been called and remained the name associated with this monstrous bulb.  The cyst was the size of two golf balls, substantial to say the least. 

Just this past weekend I said to my husband "if it would just open up I could tend to it."  It had gotten so big that it was shiny; I assumed it could not get any bigger without splitting open.  It felt very much like a balloon filled with water.  Only a few days later she blew a leak.  A tiny spot of fluid ran down the side of the cyst; I quickly got a clean cloth and squeezed ever so gently.  A drip of what looked like coffee came out; strange.  But that was as far as we got, nothing more came out.  That was until yesterday morning when it started to leak again.

This shot was taken at the end of the squeezing; now changed color with some blood.

I quickly got Tilley outside in the sun and grabbed my glasses.  It was dripping out at a pretty good rate but what was coming out was again coffee like, very watery and dripping to the ground.  I grabbed a pile of napkins and applied a small amount of pressure.  The leak started in the newest section of the growth; this is what I thought I might be able to drain, if not the original growth.  As I squeezed I felt it give and gush; I now had a handful of coffee with what looked like a few grinds in it.  This was very different from other cysts.

I continued to press; coaxing the contents out of their encasement when there was another gush but this time it shot past the cloth and squirt across my shirt.  I had to laugh; this is what I'd wanted for her and this monster that was freeloading (be careful what you wish for).   It was at this point that I realized that the whole thing was unloading.  Tilley is such a trooper; a tougher dog I've not met.  A couple of times she glanced back at me as if to check on the status. 

The hole is quite small compared to the sized of the original blunk.

The coffee and grinds substance started to change resembling a consistency that I am accustom to.  It was getting gooey; filled with black and white tiny grains.  We had several big gushes; constant drizzling and lots of cloth changes until we reached a point where I thought we were just about done.  I tried a bit more pressure and had a couple more big gushes when I looked at the spot where this monster had lived for several years.  It was gone; almost.

Now I have to care for the open wound; luckily it is a very small hole.  We've had them before when the whole thing opened up.  So I will keep it clean; apply hot compresses and get the remaining goo out.  It will hopefully heal and regrow hair as the others have done.  This has been a monumental moment; I thought she was doomed to live with this montrous growth.

I've taken care of dozens of them; yes they are extremely gross but fairly easy to fix so to speak. If they open up; you use hot compresses, a cloth with warm water. As warm as your pup can stand and put it on top; let it sit and then gently squeeze. It may not seem like there is an end to the goo but there is; believe me. When you start to see blood; which may be a few days you are nearing the end. I like to keep neosporine all around the opening but not covering the opening. Best to keep a dry bandage on it if you can; this stops licking. Perhaps sit out in the sun with your pooch to let it dry without a bandage for a bit each day.

The hair may or may not grow back on the spot where the cysts formed; I've had it grow and not grow back. Problems can arise with a cyst if they do not come to a head and continue to grow . If they become red and warm to the touch; best to head to the vet. They are often removed surgically; but only if they become a problem.

Massaging your dog

Sitting with the dogs I often get a great calming effect from petting them.  It is a known fact that touching and connecting with a dog is good for our health.  It is a win win sort of situation; especially when you offer a massage to your dog.  I often massage my dogs and they definitely enjoy it; even Luke loves it and he can be a little unsure if you try something new on him. Many dogs love a good massage; but there are dogs who object to that degree of touching for some reason or other. A dog can be uncomfortable receiving that level of touch simply because they are not accustom to it; they may be unsure or they may have never learned to enjoy touching so much.

It is fairly simple to warm your dog up to being massaged using positive association. If you have a puppy then your work will be easy; puppy's are easily pliable and you can introduce new things to them that sometimes are difficult to introduce to an adult. Depending on the level of acceptance you have from your dog regarding touching will factor on how quickly you get to the actual massage. Using a favorite treat you will start with short touches; start with the most accepted area of touch to start off with and work your way to the "hot spots."

Most dogs have foot issues; you touch they pull away but with lots of repetition and gentle firm touches associated with really great treats you can even have a dog that loves to have their feet rubbed. Tilley has always loved to have her feet rubbed and after talking to her breeder; apparently Tilley's Mother loved it as well. If you have a very nervous dog then it may take you months to achieve a full body massage but stay persistent and keep it at baby steps to reach your goal. Never force a dog to accept touch, convince them that it is a great thing. Make sure that each session no matter how short; ends on a positive note.

Be confident when touching your dog; if you are unsure and apprehensive they will know it and become wary.  A sure and steady hand helps to relieve any apprehension. Stay calm; zen like and your dog will follow suit. Massaging your dog is an amazing bond building exercise; total trust is required by both and when you achieve this, it's only up from there.

Trust

Trust:  reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.   Confident expectation of something.


Let's talk about trust.  Are you a trusting kind of person?  One that relies on the hope that everyone is who they say they are and acts accordingly to that?   If someone tells you that they are a Doctor; do you blindly trust in that simple fact that they are a Doctor means that they are a good Dr., or do you have a glimmer of doubt?  How about when it comes to your dog?  Like a pet sitter, Veterinarian or dog trainer?   I for one am a doubting Thomas; trust is something that must be earned in my books, especially when dealing with a member of my family and that includes the four legged members.


As a dog owner or canine guardian we have a big responsibility and that includes protecting our companion.  Turning our dog over to a stranger who has not earned our trust can be a scary scenario. I've heard of far too many negative stories with regards to owners handing over their dog with blind trust.  There are times when you get a warm and fuzzy about someone; but there is still that apprehension when handing over your dog.  Leaving your dog in the hands of a stranger is an iffy deal.  Let's face it; people can say whatever they want to and sometimes they say what they think you want to hear.


Recommendations are very important when having to leave your dog somewhere strange or with a stranger.  If you know several people who trust a facility or person then it makes it a whole lot easier.  Sometimes simple questions and responses help to relieve an uneasy feeling.  If you are having feelings of doubt about leaving your dog or allowing someone to take your dog; listen to those feelings.  I had exactly these feelings one time when at the vet and I should have listened to them before my nightmare unfolded.  


Never be afraid to ask questions; it is our chosen responsibility to care for our dogs.  If you have a new doggie day care to leave your dog at and are feeling not 100% sure, ask to stay a while.   Maybe you have a new groomer and are apprehensive about walking away, don't.  Anyone who is a true dog lover and professional will understand; and if they don't, there's a reason.


We work hard to build the trust of our dogs; they deserve our best to sift out the untrustworthy for them.  Trust is not a given; it is a goal built on time.

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?