Autumn Gold

Yesterday a very good friend brought her two year old Golden Retriever Lucy to my house for a play date.  It turned out amazing; fun for Elsa, Lucy, Luke and us, the humans who got to watch the fun.  Elsa is now 16 weeks old and growing like a bad weed.  Luke is eleven and the chief Honcho at our house now.  Lucy is an amazingly beautiful, wonderful tempered Golden who was a joy to have grace our home.  Here are some of the pics from the fun.

After all this fun Elsa had a three hour nap, nice.

                                       A good visual on size difference and shades of Gold

Let the games begin

Girls having fun

Let's see how you like your ears pulled

I cannot believe that Elsa didn't wipe out here, Lucy is some serious about getting the ball back.

Elsa is not particular about what she bites and hangs onto

Elsa feeling very powerful

Lucy prepares for the hit of a charging poodle baby

Lucy decided she'd had enough ear tugging for a while

A golden sandwich

Lucy's turn to do some chasing

Elsa running for her life

Elsa trying to be very tough

Legs are good for chomping

Lucy seeing that those baby teeth are indeed sharp

Everything was going great until the girls turned their attention onto Luke

Mmmmm middle of the head chomp, that feels good

Two golden beauties

Two steps back



With the advancement of positive reinforcement; one man has single handedly moved it all back two steps.  Yesterday I was at the park with Luke; it is nice to take them out one on one and let them take time to smell the roses.  That is exactly what we were doing, meandering around the park checking out flowers, watching others walk their dogs and basically taking it easy.  As we made our way around the park I inevitably saw someone trying their hardest to get their dogs to walk behind them.  I shook my head as we walked past; with Luke deep in a bush sniffing.

I see many people now walking with their dogs behind them.  I frankly hate it when they go behind me; for one I can't see what they are doing and we are there to enjoy together.  If you watch a wolf documentary you will see that when they walk as a pack; all the members are indeed following the "leader" but not by falling in behind.  Many of the pack members are out in front; which in no way means that they are leading, they are just out in front.  It is such a simple concept to think that just because you are out in front makes you the leader when it is far more complicated.  Simple minds.

Another dog ran by us with it's owner yesterday as we had stopped to talk to a woman and her very cute little dog.  The man was jogging with a large Jindo type dog; he ran by and when the dog stopped or attempted to stop and sniff he nearly got his head ripped of and was flipped totally over.  The guy never stopped, never gave his dog a "come on" command, just kept running at full speed.  Luckily the dog was very buff and looked like he was accustom to this.

When we walk our dogs are we not taking them out for enjoyment?  Is this perhaps one walk of the day the time to instill all the "leadership" lessons that we feel that we need to teach?  Daily routine is when you create your leadership status and it is not done by force or making our dogs walk behind us.  I believe the whole walking behind us is more a status thing to show other people how our dogs are walking behind us more than for our dogs, correct?  When I see people walking with their dogs behind them all I can think of is that it looks like the Marines, no fun involved in the walk.

Walks are for fun; having two very senior dogs and one senior we head out for sniffing fun.  Luke still loves the walk part but Jessie and Tilley are very much in it to read their daily pee-mail.  Dogs are meant to smell and they do it very well.  I love watching them pick up a scent and follow it to the end.  Yes there are times when I say "we are power walking so no sniffing."  But most of the time we walk and sniff and enjoy our walks together, that's what it is suppose to be about.

Tuesday ponderings



Good morning everyone, I hope that you all had a wonderful Howlloween.  It was a last minute sort of deal for us; having no small children and a plate that is running over at the moment I almost forgot about it.  At 6:00 my son and speed carved our pumpkin and set it out; I got the candy out and was ready for the few we would have at our door.  I had planned on having Elsa join me for each candy give out; kids in costumes is a great socializing moment but with a big day under her belt she passed out.  She awoke for one bunch of trick or treaters and of course loved them.

We had a walk at the Marina again yesterday; this time it was just Elsa.  It is extremely important to take puppies or new dogs out without their companions.  I've seen far too many dogs who cannot deal with life on their own; they've always had their pack with them and feel naked without them.  So sadly Luke stayed at home; but he did catch up on some much needed rest for his stiff legs.

We met some great friends at the Marina; one dog in particular who Elsa had not met yet was a big male with huge hair.  As he made his way in our direction I thought to myself that he would surely scare Elsa and he did.  Males are scarier in general than females and puppies just tend to give them more space.  She had a moment of AHHHHH and hid behind my legs only poking her head out to see him.  They sniffed and within 30 seconds she was diving on him like they were old friends.  This boy happens to love puppies which is really wonderful.

It was hot yesterday which seemed to suck the life out of all the dogs, old and young as well as me.  By mid afternoon I was ready for a nap.  Tilley seemed to have a not so great day; I am pondering taking her coat off.  Grooming is tough with her now as she cannot stand for long and she cannot stand on the table at all.  With her Vestibular disease lowering her head is the worst thing she can do; the moment she's on the table she  wants to fall of.  So she has to lie down making grooming a chore for sure, but I'm thinking with this SoCal heat that it needs to come off.  She has a coat for the cooler evenings which she seems to really like, unlike Luke who dreads the "evil coat."

We had some nervous ninny moments yesterday.  The dogs were all in my office with me; Elsa was of course fidgeting like crazy; Tilley was asleep on the dog bed and Luke took up his usual spot at the door.  Elsa wondered over near Luke as he slept and must have brushed his leg; he shot up like she'd jumped and landed right on him, such a nervous guy.  Then later in the afternoon Tilley did the same thing to my poor edgy boy.  He's the best dog ever but such a nervous worrier type.

I've got a list of places I'll be visiting in the next few weeks with Elsa.  I've been researching dog friendly facilities and plan to hit as many as possible.  The outdoor malls are a great place and they tend to be frequented by lots of other dogs as well as tons of folks.  So we'll be out and about.  We have friends coming over to play tomorrow which should be fun; I'll definitely have my camera out for that.  Elsa and I visited this particular dog when she was younger but she was a bit  much for Elsa so hopefully she'll be ready to romp this time.

Dog Friendly



Like I said yesterday I am going to discuss dog friendly cities today.  I want to talk about what dog friendly means; it can mean a lot of different things to different people.  I often see "dog friendly" signs or statements on websites and shops but with further investigation it really means one tiny dog can accompany you if they are in a cage or bag type thing.  This to me is not dog friendly; it is merely an attempt at creating a dog friendly appearance so as to fool the general public.  If you happen to be one of these pocket pooch carrying types then it will be great for you and your dog but not the rest of us.

For me, dog friendly means open arm welcoming of friendly dogs; any size, shape or color.  Now with regards to a city being dog friendly, this encompasses a great deal more.  Does the city have areas where dogs can run free?  Can you have your dog join you at outdoor cafe's around town?  Dog friendly cities tend to hold more than the average amount of dog events which brings out the dog lovers.



Not too long ago I had a fabulous trip to Victoria which is on Vancouver Island, BC.  I have to say that it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.  To top off the natural beauty it was very dog friendly.  There were dogs everywhere and when we ventured just outside of the city limits there was a fabulous walk along the coast where all the dogs were off leash.  I was so happy to see this; dogs wandering along with their human companions  meeting and greeting other dogs as they passed.  No fences, no restrictions, no tension, just fabulous.  One of my readers wrote about Vancouver and it's dog friendliness.  Four paws up for the Vancouver area.

More recently I was in San Fran and it too was very dog friendly.  I found lots of new dog shops to snoop around in; one of which I found Jessie's cute little harness.  Every shop, hotel and restaurant had water bowls outside and there were dogs everywhere.  Running on the beach off leash, is there anything better?  I had the chance to talk to several dog owners who were enjoying the freedom of a beach run.  I really enjoyed San Francisco as well.

NYC, the big apple is very dog friendly.  Having just visited a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to a very different sort of life.  Apartment dwelling with dogs; not for me but lots of people do it.  There I saw dogs of all shapes and sizes out for their walks on the streets.  With taxis honking, trucks booming by and people covering the streets they seemed quite happy.  In the core of the city is Central park; there we saw more dog enjoying life with their humans.  Unfortunately I did not get to see the dog park there, apparently there is one at the other end from where we were, nice.

What about Southern California; here where I live in the heart of Orange County?  It's pretty good as far as being dog friendly but there needs to be more wild areas where dogs can accompany you.  The beach towns are pretty dog friendly allowing dogs on most patios to dine along with you.  Dogs are allowed on many beaches, leashed but not during peek summer hours.  There are a couple of dog beaches which are always crowded with dogs having fun.  The problem is the number of people vs. the number of dog parks.  I often visit dog parks for photo shoots and high traffic hours can make a good place a bad place.  Too many dogs shoved into a park makes for high stress level and lots of fights.

My biggest beef is that there are literally thousands of acres of open scrub land where dogs are not even allowed.  I've done a great deal of driving around the OC when I was looking for places to shoot for my book "Dogs in the OC."  Many of the largest natural parks do not allow dogs.  I get the leash law thing but no dogs even on leashes?  I really cannot wrap my head around that.  One day I stood at the opening to a park, it was all natural; wild land, as far as I could see.  Untouched by the developers yet and there was a big sign right there before you went in NO DOGS.  I stood staring at the sign; really?  I didn't have my dogs I was just looking for shoot spots, but left scratching my head.

The shelter system, that alone speaks volumes about a city.  Is it a high kill city?  Scooping all the stray dogs in only to end it all?  Or does your city have a great shelter with caring folks to take the time to rehabilitate and rehome?  Perhaps they have a great connection with the local rescues working to save as many as they can?  I know for one shelter here in Orange County; calling a rescue about a dog needing to be placed was a big no no and I was seriously reprimanded about it.  Another mind boggling incident.

What some of my readers had to say.

Katie says:  We're in the Dayton, Ohio area and I've found that dogs are allowed in alot of places-you just have to ask (you never know if you don't). We have an outdoor mall type shopping center and almost all of the shops (like Gap, White House Black Market, etc...) are pet friendly; and alot of the restaurants have outdoor patio seating so that Fido can join.


Angela wrote:  Perth, Western Australia....absolutely NOT dog friendly....no dogs allowed in pubs, cafes, restaurants, some parks, shopping centres, public transport, taxis and many more places. Dog friendly parks are rare, mostly on-leash only, never fenced for safty, hardly any trees so not good in summer with up to 45 degrees and agressive sun. only 3 very small areas at the beach for gods. Heard that it is more friendly over east in the Melbourne area.... So Western Australia is NOT a place you want live if you are a dog lover.


Malory says:  Dogs are a commonplace out here in South Carolina, however, their views on how dogs are to be treated are very different than how I was raised to believe in California. Dogs are "just dogs" out here. The ones that REALLY take care of their dogs are hunters with hunting dogs. I've noticed not a lot of dog savvy people live out here. I have never had any real issues with Bravo though.




Carol said:  St. Louis is about a 7 in my books, but improving rapidly. It's headquarters for Purina and the Purina Farms Event Center, home of the national finals for The Incredible Dog Challenge; we have more than 16 dog parks and dog swims (during late summer/early fall); we have 3 pet food pantries and many, many no-kill rescue organizations. I'm sure there are more qualifiers, but I can't think of them all!


So whether or not a city is truly dog friendly depends upon which dog owner you are speaking to.  For me it needs to be big; WE LOVE DOGS sort of place to impress me as dog friendly.  That and seeing lots of happy humans with their happy dogs.  

Really? The not so bright ones



Okay, so yesterday we decided that it was time for Elsa's big "off leash" day.  We have taken the dogs down to the canyon for years and years.  It is somewhere that they can run off leash which I believe very strongly that every dog should do.  Being in such cramped quarters as Southern California it is not easy to find a place to sneak away and release the hounds but the canyon has been pretty good.  We rarely run into anyone, even on the weekends and this was Friday so we should be good right?






The moment came and my husband asked if I was ready?  I nodded and he unhooked Elsa; she looked around a bit and was off like a wild woman after her big brother.  This canyon is Luke's stomping grounds, he loves it down there.  As they reached the end of the path I gave it a go "Elsa.....COME."  To my surprise she jammed on her brakes and came flying.  Treat, praise, treat, praise and she was off again.

We walked for sometime, Elsa following Luke's every footstep.  It truly is wonderful to have an older dog to show a pup the way.  I continued to call her and even when I called Luke she came.  Treating is essential and it's got to be good treats.  Something worth dropping the running and craziness for.   I have to say that they looked amazing running down there, they both matched the scenery color to a T, beautiful.

One of the paths had a huge mud mess that was impassable so I said, "that's good, let's go."  We turned around to see a large dog heading our way, he was very far int he distance.  As far as he was I could see his tail held high along with his ears.  We leashed both of the dogs and I panicked.  I did not see an owner so I reached into my pouch and got out my pepper spray.  When it comes to my dogs I am like a Momma Grizzly.

The came at an even pace, steady and never lowering his tail, eyes or ears.  Not something you want to see with no owner behind it.  Finally we saw a glimpse of a person, I yelled "call your dog."  He was so far that I thought he probably couldn't hear me.  The dog got closer and closer, Luke was now on his tip toes seeing that this dog was clearly challenging from the get go.  Elsa was barking and nervous, rightly so.  The dog approached Luke first and they stood shoulder to shoulder frozen.  The dogs hair was up the entire length of it's body, I had my spray ready.  I carry a pepper spray for these type of moments and I am not afraid of using it.

My husband yelled out to the man, he yelled something back and continued his snail pace our way.  Really?  It was like he was out for a Sunday walk but slower, like Tilley slow.  I then yelled as I was getting very mad, the dog kept looking at Elsa and there was no way I wanted him near her.  The veered off and peed on a bush, good at least it was a male.  Good for Elsa, not so good for Luke.  Luke is so great with dogs but if a male pushes him he will not back down and this male was pushing.  He attempted to come my way and I yelled at him so he went back to Luke.  They stood again frozen, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone threw the first punch.

The guy got within yelling distance and we called to him again to call his dog.  "He doesn't really listen."  Really?  Is he sh#$%ing me?  My husband and I looked at each other realizing that we had to deal with this, the owner had nothing.  So at his crawl speed he continued to get closer and closer.  The dog came over to Elsa and I could not back him away.  I hoped that the fact of her being a girl was a good thing and it was, he sniffed her, postured and finally backed off when I yelled and postured back at him.  I didn't want to use the spray if I didn't have to, I never want to spray a dog and my dogs would get the fall out of it.

The dog returned to Luke and my husband tried just walking away with him but the boys set up for more posturing.  I could see that it was just another second until Luke lost it.  He went after the dog backing him off.  Luke is a force to be reckoned with if he let's her go.  But at the age of 11 I do not want him getting into it; especially with a dog that looked like maybe a Shepherd/Akita mix.  The guy was now finally close enough and so that he could hear what was going on and I'm sure see the rage of my husband, he called his dog and low and behold it went to him.  He said again "he doesn't listen," and I screamed at him "then don't have him off leash."  We had a few words and he slowly sloughed off.   Honestly.

We let the guy get good and far away before even considering letting the pooches off again.  It is very important to always end on a positive, both for the dogs and for us.  Elsa was fine, it may have shaken her a bit seeing her big brother being so tough but she was fine, still I wanted to end on a fun note and we let them rip once again.  I had my camera with me and wish that I would have thought to take his picture and he slithered away, but I was too wrapped up in my dogs protection.

I did get lots of pics of the two blondies having fun and it was a perfect day of fun and obedience, for us at least.  A tiny glitch of stupidness, it boggles my mind how stupid some people really are.

Differences



We joined many of our friends yesterday on a walk.  This was Elsa's first walk out with the "poodle gang."  I wasn't sure what she would think about it all but knowing her happy go lucky personality I figured she'd love it and she did.  She was at first apprehensive; rightly so, as all the owners and dogs congregate it gets pretty crazy.  They all love to see their friends and catch up just like we do.  Luke adores his friends and is just as crazy as the rest to see them all.

As we approached Elsa started to hesitate; her tail went down and she jammed on her brakes.  I stopped for just a moment so that she could assess; she looked at Luke who was more than excited and we kept on going.  She barked a bit out of fear and then dove in.  She was a tad overwhelmed but in a few minutes she was good to go and loved the rest of the walk and meeting all of her new friends.  By the end of the walk she was a pro at all of this pack stuff.

All dogs are different and each one reacts and displays differently.  Some dogs are not the social type; much like my Tilley.  She has never been one to socialize although she never exhibited any aggression towards other dogs; she just tolerates and goes with the flow.  Luke on the other hand is Mr. Social; he loves meeting other dogs and other people, he has always been like this.

For the dogs who are not social butterflies; that is just fine, it is who they are.  Although if a dog displays fear or aggression then you must address the problem.  If they are just not the social type then you must learn to be okay with that.  I don't know how many times I was approached over the years by people wanting their dog to play with Tilley.  She would be doing her amazing flying frisbee routine which would draw in the folks.  "Can my dog play with yours?" they'd ask.  "She doesn't play with other dogs," I'd apprehensively tell them; trying very hard not to sound snobbish.  She just didn't want to play with other dogs.

There are dogs who love being social but have poor social skills; the skills need to be addressed.  The bubbly social lovers may love to meet and greet but often have over the top out of control behaviors which also need addressing.  A dog with good communication skills is a joy to have around.  Even if a dog is not the social type, they can convey that to others without being rude about it.

Like us dogs are all different and just like we have to learn to be civil so to do our dogs.  Each has the right to be who they are and the fact that they are all so different is a wonderful thing.  Yesterday some of the poodle pack were anxious to meet the new one; some not so much which is perfectly fine.  Some dogs who are very social and friendly are not so keen on the whole puppy idea.  Puppies are different and some dogs are not puppy lovers.

It's important to watch, watch the behaviors of dogs you interact with.  And if your dog needs some help in the communication department, best to help them out with this so that they are not left communicating with no one.

The slightest little thing



Yesterday at obedience class Elsa was off; she was distracted and whiny, very unlike her.  I told the trainer that something was up with her; no "it's just puppy A.D.D." she said.  I knew she wasn't being herself; sure she is 14 weeks old and gets distracted but this was different.  I didn't push any of the teaching as she was so distracted that it was pointless; just then she did a huge mushy/runny poop.  "I knew it!!!"

We know our dogs; no one knows your dog like you do.  When you have a very close relationship with your dog; you know all of their little things.  I don't know how many hours I spend just watching my dogs; when I am working with them, grooming or playing with them I am always watching.  When we watch our dogs interact with people and dogs we learn all about them; we learn what is the norm and what is out of character.

I have been to Veterinarians before who didn't want to hear what I have noticed; they want the facts and that's it.  What is normal for my dogs is not normal for other folks dogs and what is normal for one of mine may not be normal for another of mine.  It is essentially important to know your dog/dogs very personally.  A different look; a certain tilt of the head can be all that is needed to know that something is off.  Luke is very expressive and one look can give me enough information to know that something is not right.

Tilley is a tougher read facially; with her it is more a behavior thing that tips me off.  Many dogs are very ritualistic on a daily basis and anything out of the ordinary may be enough to let you know that something is array.  Ears and tails are very good things to watch always.  An inch lower or higher can mean a great deal for dogs.  They are usually the first sign at how a dog is reacting to anything.

I have often been asked "how do you know?" when I explain how one of my dogs is feeling at a particular moment.  It is easy to know if you are accustom to how your dog regularly displays their emotions.  Yes I said it, emotions.  This word in itself causes great controversy in the dog world but how better to explain what is going on?  It's emotions.  It stems from the action/reaction but incorporates so much more as each individual deals with life.

Knowing your dog's every ism is so very important; are you in the know?

Nails



Nails can be an issue but if dealt with in a positive and patient manner; you too can conquer the nail cutting thing. At the moment I am using a dremel tool for nails.  Jessie started objecting to having her nails done about a year and a half ago and they got a tad long.  I stopped cutting her nails for a while because it became such an ordeal; this at the age of 14, not like it was something new.  So I decided to try the dremel and take a bit off at a time.

I bought this dremel, and I see that mine was quite a deal at the time at only 24.99.  Once I got the dremel I never looked back.  I love that I can whip through a lot of feet in no time and no one seems to mind at all.  Elsa even let me do it the second day here with no objections.  Everyone gets a treat when they are done; Elsa gets a treat for every foot at this point in time but that will change as she gets more use to it.

There are a few things that you need to be cautious about with a dremel.

1.  They heat up the nail quickly because of friction so no a quick 2 second count on each nail at a time.  I often go through all the nails once, then do them again if I want them shorter.

2.  Watch out for dogs with longer hair on their feet or body.  Elsa wiggled her way into a tangle one day which was luckily fixed pronto.  I got the dremel tangled in some of her hair and because she was wiggling so much it took a bit to turn the dang thing off.  Nothing bad happened but it could have; I grabbed  the hair that it was caught in immediately so it couldn't pull it in and tighter.  Take care.

3.  The dust is gross; of course it's gross it's nail dust.  I use to wear a mask but hated it so now I just blow on the nails as I'm doing them.  That or do it so that the wind is blowing away from you.

4.  You must hold each nail firmly as you grind; otherwise you will end up grinding everything but the nail.

5.   If you have more than one dog; be sure that they aren't nosey literally and end up getting their nose dremeled.

I sometimes still use my regular nail clippers; mostly on Luke because the middle two toes on his front feet grow faster than the rest.  Often chopping them off is quicker than grinding.  But the dremel allows you to take tiny bits off at a time which is good for those who are apprehensive about the whole nail thing as a whole.

Almost four months



Wow, no blog yesterday; sorry guys.  I can't even remember the last time I didn't blog.  I woke up crazy early but my eyes fought hard and won; they closed and we didn't get up again until 7.  Very strange for me but once I was up I was so groggy from going back to sleep; dogs never seem to get the grogs from napping too long do they?  So I had a late start and a slow one at that.

I had Elsa out at the park today and it is clear that she is becoming much more aware of her surroundings.  The four month mark is just around the corner and it is somewhere around about that point that a fear stage can begin.  It is important to get her out as much as possible and introduce her to as many different things as I can.  She is highly intelligent and doesn't miss a thing which means that we really need to see stuff.  Many dog s go around on a day to day basis not noticing a whole lot, not Elsa.

Luke was the same, he noticed every thing around him.  He noticed body language and posture from humans and dogs down to the slightest eye movement.  It can be difficult to deal with it all if you have one like this and you must remain on your toes.  Always ready to counter a bad reaction; which typically means remaining calm.  You want to show that the things they may fear or worry about are nothing.

Today at the park we came across a couple of bear statues.  I had forgotten that they were there but as soon as I saw them I was ready.  Of course most dogs are going to be worried about these statues; they are the size of small bears, one adult and one adolescent.  They are frozen in their stance, giving off an dominant posture.  As they remain frozen it becomes more worrisome.  I immediately jumped into action with general happy chit chat as we moved about.  I asked for a sit at a distance and she complied nicely.  I then got some kibble out and put it between the bears toes.  Elsa was stretched out in the reaching but ready to run position.

I made a lot of "good girl" comments as she gobbled up the food.  Each time she looked up at the bears her tail went down a bit; ahhhhh that wonderful tell tale tail of hers.  I moved quickly not allowing her time to ponder or dwell and within a minute or two she was good.  Tail was up, the stress gone from her face and she was fine with these big beasts.  Just feet away was another statue, a smaller bear in a sitting position.  Again she reacted so I took a bunch of kibble and tossed them all around.  This was quicker, being that the bear was sitting made it less threatening to start.

We walked around and around the bears; had lots of treats and by the end she even ate off of one of the bears backs, nice.  Elsa has a very good turn around time; but it definitely helps that I don't buy into her fear.  Had I run to her side when she jammed on her brakes and balked; things would have gone from bad to worse.  Instead I took on the "this stupid thing?" attitude.  We eat meals off of these bear type creatures.

We also walked past a threesome of scream whining Boston Terriers.  I thought from afar that they might be nice to say hi to, they are typically a very friendly breed.  Not these three, they were carrying on something crazy and their high pitched whining was enough to keep me moving quickly past.  Elsa stopped of course being freaked by their behavior but I just kept the chatting going and moved on.

Its all about timing and response.

Canine cognitive disorder



Dementia - it is a horrible disease both for humans and dogs alike.  Having never had a dog with dementia until Jessie I am constantly saddened by what behaviors unfold from this disease.  Many people think that all old dogs go a little crazy but if you have never met a dog that has true dementia you will not understand the depth of it.  Around last Christmas it hit us; several months before Jessie had been exhibiting some strange behaviors that I could not explain and then the night pacing began.


Once the night pacing began it was clear that something was going on.  Steadily, a myriad of strange behaviors were added on a weekly basis.  So here we are some ten months later and I hate the disease even more.  Most of the time my once robust little Jack Russell is lost in a land of confusion or simply sleeping.  Of course the sleeping is a natural thing at 15.5 years old but how much of it due to this horrible disease?  Once up in the morning she wanders aimlessly; when her ritual of going out and receiving her treat is over she then roams the house.

She has favorite regular spots where I can almost rely on now.  She likes the big bed we have tucked into a nook down in the family room.  I like when she lays there; I walk by it all day and can check on her.  Every so often I hear the dog door; she goes out and in often with no purpose.  She is beginning now to have accidents in the house; something that had been a very rare occurance if for some reason the dog door had been closed.  Just yesterday I watched as she went out the dog door, back in the dog door and then out again and peed at the bottom of the outside steps.  At least it was outside, albeit a very strange place to go.



Jessie is still fired up by the idea of meal time; it has always been her favorite time of day, much like recess for children in school.  Mid morning and late afternoon her pacing begins; she knows that at some point this is when she eats.  It is also a time that I need to assure that she gets out; in her pacing she tends to forget to go out to relieve herself and has often gone wherever she happens to be pacing.  I hate this disease.

Being that this is the first of our dogs that has been hit by this horrible disease it is a learning experience for us all.  We take each day one at a time and watch for signs of new strange behaviors.  This morning is one of those mornings; Jessie has been walking in tight left circles more than normal.  She is having a difficult time settling; it is tough to watch.  I will often place her on a bed, laying her down so that she can rest.  Funny sometimes it is all that is needed and she will finally settle and rest her head.

Jessie now wears a collar and tags for fear that she would at some point get out.   It takes but a step out the door for her to be lost; she has no sense of where she is nor that she needs to go home.  I have tested her often, placing her in the driveway or front yard to see where she goes.  She simply gazes around not knowing what step to take, which direction to head.

What goes on in her head?  Anything?  It is a horrible disease; watching your dog slip away before you yet there they stand.  It reasons that with each dog comes new challenges; the more dogs you live with the more obstacles you will face.  Life is a learning curve; I just hate this one.

Breaking through



Last week I was working on getting Elsa to go to her "place" for a bit.  She did pretty well and had done it several times when we quit for the day.  The next day we went to her puppy class where the teacher said we were going to teach her to go to her "mat," great.  Same exercise, different verbal cue.  I had not put a cue on the behavior yet at home because Elsa was not reliable at all.

When we started the teacher was working with her and it didn't go well.  Elsa of course was distracted, there was a separate puppy session going on in the corner of the room and she is after all 14 weeks old.  As I watched I could see several issues that she was having, one of course was the distraction factor.  Most learning at classes is for the owners, puppies learn much better in a quiet familiar surrounding.  Elsa was all over the place but her teacher was confusing her by clicking all over the place.  The teacher was clicking for interaction with the mat plus for releasing her off of the mat.  When you are starting to teach your dog a new behavior you need to focus on one thing.  That one thing is the one and only thing that is going to get clicked and rewarded.

Seeing that Elsa was being confused by the whole session I ended it.  Yesterday I gave it a go again.  I got out an orange piece of fleece and put it on the ground.  She got clicked for going on it immediately.  Watching her it was clear that she had no concept of the "mat."  I walked away from it and approached it again and she walked out ahead and hit the mat; clicks and treats.  We did it again and again until she was reliably targeting the mat.  This means that she was looking for it and going there once she saw it.

I picked up the orange fleece and moved it around the yard; she targeted it each time.  Several times she came and lay down beside me; I simply ignored this so she then targeted her "mat" again.  After about 10 minutes I wanted her to lay down on the mat so I waited once she hit the mat and she did lay down.  She got a big pay load then and understood that quite clearly.  The goal is to have her go to her mat and lay down; and she got that within 15 min. of working.

Like many dogs, Elsa needs black and white guidance.  She does not do well with interference or gray.  Too much body movement confuses the object at hand.  Not that she has her "mat" we will proof it, meaning that I will put that mat all over the place and I will get further and further from it expecting her to go to it and lay down.  The clicker helps to mark the correct behavior even when you are so far away.

Every dog is different and as a trainer, experience lets you see how dogs are working and not working with particular guidance.  Having been a trainer now for nearly 15 years I can quickly see when something is not working and not going to work.  Continuing on a path that is not working is futile and often frustrating for both owner and dog.  When a dog is not "getting it," you need to stop and change it up.  The whole concept of positive training is thinking; how can you teach a dog a behavior?  They are all different just like us.

The art of the catch







I've been going through my computer lately; uploading a lot of photos onto discs, I have so many.  Yesterday I was weeding through a shoot I did with my two playing catch when I thought that catch would be a good thing to discuss.  Dogs love to catch; at least most do, the ones who have a degree of drive that is.  Of course there are those that never catch let alone catch on cue; like my poor old boy Clyde.  As hard as I tried to teach that boy to catch he just never got it; even the floating popcorn would hit him in the head every time.

Catching is a natural behavior; much like chasing, but teaching a dog to catch is where it differs.  First you have to teach your dog what catch means; not simply the act of catching, this takes time.  There is no chasing involved; the goal is the catch, that's it.  When you hold up a ball and make like you are going to throw it; but you don't, you shout out "catch" and your dog changes turns around to catch it.  Then you know your dog knows what catch means. I use the catch behavior for many different purposes; it is one that I typically teach all of my training clients as well.  Most dogs love this behavior; especially when it can be put on a verbal cue.

It is a great way to add some fun to "heel" training; attention redirection work and just about anytime you want immediate attention.  "Catch" quickly becomes a very positive word; especially when you throw it in with chase and retrieving fun.  Switch it up, throw the ball for your dog then tell them to catch it.  This also helps with listening work; your dog must learn to listen to what you are saying or perhaps catch a ball in the head a few times.

Training starts with a light and fluffy toss item; I use unbuttered, unsalted popcorn.  Okay a bit of butter for those who don't like it plain, like Luke.  Have your dog sit in front of you and say catch as you make the tossing motion.  In the beginning you want to try your very best to throw it right into your dogs mouth, or at least in the vicinity.  Do not let them pick it up off the ground should it fall there.  If they want it; they have to catch it.  When they do catch one; immediate celebrations are required and continue the catch work.  You have to make it a really big deal; have fun with it.

Once your dog is catching popcorn you can move onto a little heavier treats and then the sky is the limit.  Tilley is a catching maniac; for her the catch is where it is at although now with her Vestibular disease she has a difficult time with her precision.  And it is more luck if she catches the item.  Once a dog understands what catch means then you can use it at different times and with different items.  Different items may take a little practice; I taught Tilley to scarves for a photo shoot.  It was a lot of work on her part; they float and change directions in the air but she was amazing at it.

I will often send my guys out on a fake throw; they run out into the middle of the field to chase the ball when I yell "CATCH."  They jam on their brakes and turn on a dime ready to catch the incoming ball; very cool.  

Just yesterday I was using catch to deliver treats to Luke as we did some heeling practice; he loves it.  Have a great Friday; now go play catch with your dog.

Stay



I'll be working on stay for the next while; for me it is one of the most important things that you can teach a dog.  Now that I have a new puppy I am realizing how much I hate it when dogs don't know what stay means so we need to get training.  Elsa is a very smart puppy, crazy smart and as such I expect a great deal from her.  She loves to work and only gets frustrated if she is not "getting it," which means moving by baby steps so that she is achieving success.

We began the stay yesterday at class; she was tied off on a wall tie so she couldn't just run everywhere.  This enabled us to get a basic understanding done fairly easy.  But teaching a solid stay is not going to be easy with this girl; she's a mover, always on the go.  So we will work slowly and with food treats which she has shown she will do anything for.  When dogs are so food driven it does give you the ability to train quickly and happily.  The secret is to not have such good treats so as to create a focus entirely on the food and nothing else around, it is a fine line you need discover.

Anytime that I am out with my older dogs, I can ask them to stay anywhere.  It is a very useful tool for any type of situation.  Stay should be solid and reliable which means that it needs to be trained in high distraction areas as well.  You begin at home or in a very quiet place so that the dog can get a grasp of what is expected.  Once they achieve this you can start adding small distractions, gaining some distance and time.  Each obstacle, duration, distance and distraction needs to be worked on separately until the dog is doing so well that they can all be done together.

As a dog photographer I meet a great deal of dogs who have no idea what stay means.  Their owner says "stay" but their reaction to the verbal cue is quite clearly gibberish to them.  Stay is very serious for me; when I say it I mean it and I enforce it.  If you say stay and then grow tired of your dog who does not stay and simply let them move on, you are sunk.  Your dog will never understand what it means and never deliver a stay.  It must be ingrained from the get go; stay means just that, STAY.

I look forward to our training, I know that it is not going to be a cake walk having such an on the go sort of dog but there will be great celebration when we achieve small success.  A stay is a must have for all dogs.

Shopping for new clippers



My favorite trimmers have officially died, sad but true.  About three and a half years ago I purchased a great new trimmer; the Laube speed trimmer and I never looked back.  I have a full sized Andis trimmer as well but for doing face and feet the Laube is by far the better tool.  It is quiet and it doesn't heat up; plus it is cordless so if I need to touch up Tilley I can do it while she relaxes on the lawn.  Having poodles means grooming, it is a simple fact of life.  Even though I do not clip my poodles as such; poodles, they still need to be shaved and trimmed.

I have been grooming for over 30 years; I don't mind doing it and the fact that I do myself has saved us thousands of dollars over the years.  I cannot imagine forking out 100.00 dollars every six weeks for each dog.  Yikes.  So I do it myself and I do it just the way I like it.  But now I need to shop; I will likely replace my trimmers with the same thing albeit newer version.

About a week ago I was trimming Tilley's feet when the tickling got too much for her she shot her leg out with such speed and force that she sent the trimmer flying.  It was too fast for me to react to and they landed on the concrete; I knew then that it was probably not going to be great for my trimmers.  I turned them on and they seemed to be fine; I finished Tilley and was happily surprised that they were not completely demolished.

Then yesterday I got the little lady out to clean up her face; trimming sessions are very important when poodles are young being that grooming is a way of life for them.  I turned on the trimmers and began, nothing was coming off.  Hmmmm?  I then remembered the Tilley incident; could this be a delayed reaction to landing on the concrete patio?  Well, whatever the reason they died.  I took them apart trying to figure out the problem but alas I am not a trimmer technician and these trimmers do have a life.

So now I am in need of new trimmers; I will ask all you groomers out there for recommendations on your favorite trimmers and if I don't hear about anything new and wonderful I will simply replace the ones that I love.  In the long run it is very little money to put out compared to having someone else do it.

clicker training



I've opted to use a clicker again; it's been a while.  Just a month ago I was cleaning out my "dog stuff" cupboard and found my first clicker; it had rusted so I pitched it.  Long ago I moved happily from conventional training to positive training, I learned the basic concepts of clicker training and loved the philosophy behind it.  Jessie was my first clicker trained dog; she is now 15.5 so yes I've been clicking for a while.  It is not new at all; clicker training originated with the large sea animal trainers in the zoos and aquariums.

I often see new owners out in parks clicking away; they are proud to be clicker trainers but many haven't grasped the whole "click" idea.  I see them clicking to get their dog to come to them; clicking as a cue but clicker training is not a cue but a marker.  Originally used as a way to communicate a correct behavior to the performing mammals.  Often the dolphins and whales were too far away or too high in the air to get a reward to for the appropriate behavior.  By linking the clicker sound to a reward they were able to mark behaviors that were far away.

Over the years I dropped the clicker and replaced it with the word "yes."  It is not as intense nor does it offer that loud instant sound that is so great about the clicker itself but it is a definite alternative.  Now that we have a new addition and after talking to the training at our puppy classes I decided to give the clicker another go.  It definitely breaks noise and distraction better than yes and although I hate the whole idea of having to hold yet something else, I'll use it.  I will use it until we get on a role and likely switch back to "yes."

Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot the dog catapulted clicker training into the training world and since then it has steadily grown.   The book is a fabulous read and if you have not read it already I suggest that you do.   After reading Karen Pryor's book many years ago it changed my world as far as training is concerned.  So yes it is a good read.

Timing is all important with clicker training and it is probably one of the hardest things to teach a new dog owner.  This is why I opted not to use clicker training in my own training of clients.  I felt a hard negative push back from owners as they struggled with a new dog, training and the whole clicker thing.  But if you are dog savvy and/or willing to learn and plod through the beginning of clicker training then it is definitely a great way of teaching our dogs.

Many behaviors can be quickly learned with the clicker.  It is great fun to shape behaviors with the use of a clicker.  My little JRT (Jack Russell Terrier) literally learned to jump through hoops, crawl, pray, spin etc etc with a clicker.  The clicker also helps a dog learn to learn and learn to offer new behaviors which is something that many dogs have a problem with.  Luke is one of those.

So if you've never understood the clicker or are just curious; get Karen Pryor's book and have a read.

  

Re-introducing



Good Monday morning everyone, I've been away for four days and it is nice to be back.  We were in NYC, NJ and CT.  This trip was a bit different, well at least the away preparations were different.  We left our old dogs at home with the sitter and Elsa went for a sleep over at a new sitters.  Having a puppy and old dogs together is a huge amount of work so we now have a second introduction to do.  Re -introducing dogs always comes with a lot of behaviors.  Even if they've lived together for years there is a re-establishing period.

Many of my training clients over the years have said that after they return from a trip that their dog behaves quite badly.  Even if you only have one and they go off to board or are sit at your own home there is a re-establishing period.  This morning I am picking up Elsa and there will be a short time when everyone is out of sorts again.  She is a very active girl and will no doubt give the old dogs a lot to growl about.

As you all know I run a tight ship and I would imagine Miss Elsa got away with murder while we were away.  Implementing rules and regulations right off is essentially important for a quick and obstacle free re-introduction.  We will also have some obedience and manner refreshing; I'm sure those slipped as well.  There will also be almost a week of missed new obedience to catch up on.  Puppy learn so quickly; Elsa is like a sponge now so best to take advantage of it.

Our old guys may have thought now that she is gone, she's gone.  Maybe she was just a visitor for a few weeks.  They will voice their disapproval and show their joy at seeing her again.  My job is to get our life back on track as quickly as possible by being a strong leader and not allowing any nonsense.  And we'll be back on track once again.

Dog people



I love talking to dog people; when I'm away on a trip it is even that much more important to find these folks.  I miss my dogs desperately when I am away so I'm always looking; always searching for someone who wants to talk about their dogs.  So far I've been lucky; almost every trip away has produced some dogs and their people for me to chat with.  This trip has kept us on the move but I still found a few. 



I met a few dogs walking in the streets of NYC; happily trotting along with the companions.  With horns honking, a steady stream of people and no grass in sight they seemed quite happy.  Once out of the city is where I got to stop and talk for a bit.  I met a gentleman with his Afghan, Sinbad.  Sinbad was eleven years old so we swapped old dog stories.  He looked old as he plodded along after his owner until another dog showed up across the street.  Sinbad lost years in a moment and displayed and strutted all the bluster he could for this other dog.  It made me smile.



Then we headed down to the shore; there sat the dog who Sinbad had tried so hard to tell off.  He was sitting with his owner so of course we headed over.  This guy was supefor friendly and crazy energetic.  My husband missing our guys as well had a big greeting with this rambunctious dog.  He stopped for a moment; suspicious of my camera, but that didn't last.

I'm glad that there are so many dog lovers in our world, makes finding a dog fix a little easier on my trips.  ;) 

The big and small



Dogs are dogs right?  Well perhaps they are dogs but they are far from the same.  You can really see the outward differences when you are looking through the eyes of a new puppy.  Two days ago when we attended our puppy class, there was a very small boxer in one of the rooms.  As we went in we were asked to move to the big room; this puppy was at his first class obviously and he was quite literally frozen.  Tail down, curled up body posture with a fixed trance like stare, he had shut down and frozen.  Perhaps the puppy had been in a secluded litter, they didn't get out much so anything can make them freeze.

As each dog enters the playroom for the after learning part of class; they are quickly assessed.  Funny how some dogs just give off immediate "not friendly" body posture.  Then others that look very scary to us, give off no "not friendly" posture.  The scariest dog so far that Elsa has met was a little white Bichon; surprising.  Just the other day she was running along side a huge Great Dane jumping up and her mouth to invite play. 

Many people have told me that their dog hates husky types, some Golden Retrievers and others small fluffy ones.  It can mean that they have had a bad experience leading to negative association.  They can also just have a dislike for a reason that we cannot figure out. You can always help you dog get over these issues with the implementation of positive association over time. 

If the problem lies with the dog approaching; if the dog is not well versed in proper dog language then just pass on by.  Don't stir things that don't need stirring, move onto the next friendly dog.

The wobble board



I had Elsa at her second puppy class yesterday.  We spent most of the time going over some agility equipment and things that might be new to her.  I'm not sure if agility is the way she is going to go but it was definitely great to have her try all these out.  Anything new is good when they are this age (13 weeks).  So she ran through the tunnel which I was really stoked about because up until several months ago we had our own tunnel that had finally died and I'd had to throw it out.  I have several shots of my other dogs using it; they all loved to run through.

She went through the tire which was like nothing for Miss Adventurous.  She experienced some new shaped ball things and walking behind a stroller.  The best thing by far was the wobble board; something that all of you in agility would be familiar with.  As I am not an agility person; at least not yet I'm not this was new to me.  A board with a ball underneath it that a dog stands on to acclimate them to the feeling of wobbling.  Mostly used for teeter totter training; it gives the dog experience standing on moving objects.

The wobble board

I wasn't sure how Elsa would feel about this; I know that my boy Luke would have had a cardiac arrest.  But if he had been introduced to this as a very young puppy it would have given him some wonderful experience.  I have seen many dogs when put onto a table, crate top or anything else that might wobble turn the whole experience into a shaking horror story.  Often when something is unstable under a dogs feet they will instantly try to correct the situation which immediately set in motion a very bad experience of more shaking as the dog tries to solidify their stance.  This wobble ball experience will help to take away that panic reaction.

As Elsa approached the board and then placed her front feet on it she acknowledged the tip and was rewarded.  She went on and off the board several times with half of her body and it was only the one time that she was on with all fours that she had a tiny bit of concern.  I'm sure that the experience would be much like someone on a surfboard for the very first time but not knowing you were going to step on one on top of that.  She did really well and I will be asking my hubby to make me one of these.  Perhaps I'll even get Luke up on it; well maybe he'll at least try one toe.

I was convinced after seeing the board and pondering about it for a while that all very young puppies should experience this.  It would be wonderful to have them get acquainted with the wobble sensation.  It would do them all a great surface in their future lives no matter where they go or what they do.  If a breeder had one of these boards they would have to give each puppy individual exposure as you would not want anyone having their toes squashed under the board while others climbed on top.  But one on one is very important even as very young puppies.  You would have to be careful not to overexpose or frighten working up to a full wobble as each puppy progressed.

It is a great tool for confidence building; something that Miss Elsa is not lacking in any way shape or form.