Sunday

Good Sunday morning everyone; man I was up early this morning.  Before 5:00 am is early in my books; I'm actually okay with anything after that.  Tilley was the one who woke me up this morning; she was snorfling, rubbing her head, licking her feet etc. etc.  Enough that I knew it was going to wake up the baby, and it did.  So up and out before 5; too early.  It looks like a great day out; it rained all day yesterday and there is not a cloud in the sky this morning.  It feels nice and cool so I've been planning my day; lots of walks I'm thinking.

First I'll take out the old gals; it is a quiet, slow paced stroll, short and sweet as they say.  Too much and we've over done it so 1/3 - 1/2 way around the park will do.  Not sure where I'm taking Luke or Elsa; I will ponder that for a while over my second coffee.  Yesterday with the rain all day I hit Lowes; I had several things to pick up so I took Elsa along.  As I was on my way I thought of several things that I wanted to tackle; one was having her walk alongside a shopping cart.  And two was to haul out a big garbage can with her beside me.

She was amazing in the store; we'd made several Home Depot visits when she was young and it showed.  The cart thing was a bit iffy at first; she definitely does not trust cart/bike type things with wheels.  But within a minute she was trotting along by my side.  We stopped several times for people to say hello, no issues there, she adores people.  She had a couple of hmmmmmmm moments when she noticed large things that she didn't recognize but they were over quickly.

She did not like the guys rounding up the carts outside or the big flatbed carts so we watched, sat and ate.  She was fine with it all very quickly.  We also stopped at the pet store to pick up some food; she met lots of nice people there.  We talked poodles and discussed her lack of tail chopping.  It is really funny that most non poodle people do not realize that they do indeed have their tails docked.  It is a process that is done at the age of 3 days old; it's one of those things that have been done forever so many just continue.  But I am happy to say that many breeders are seeing that it is no longer necessary and stopping the procedure.

So we have a nice day in front of us; who knows what it will hold, I'll let you know how it plays out.  Have a great one yourself.

Rewards

It's raining, beautiful.  I love when it rains; especially here in Southern California where rain is scarce.   Although this means that many people this morning cannot get their dog out to go to the bathroom.  Like my big dogs, they get to the door, see the rain and turn around.  So we bring out the treats, ask them to go and they do, amazing what a little treat can do.

The rain today means that we will be changing up where we go for socializing; I had planned on making a trip to the skate park again.   We went yesterday and Elsa near had a panic attack; it was fairly busy and she had no idea what these whizzing around people were doing.  We need to go back, bring lots of treats and chill there for a good amount of time.  But that will be next week when it dries out; for today I think it's looking like we are heading to Lowes.  I have quite a few things that I need to pick up; I'll need a cart which is good practice for Elsa to walk beside as well as everything else.

Treats and rewards are so important when you are teaching new behaviors or exposing to new things.  When teaching behaviors, treats give us a way to let a dog know that they have done the correct thing.  It helps us to improve the chance of repetition; upping the odds of good behaviors being offered again and again.  Many behaviors are simply what dogs do, if they are undesirable then we need to reward them for not doing them and doing alternative behaviors.

Take for instance a scene that played out in front of our house yesterday.  A boy was running down the street with his dog, a border collie mix.  I could hear a car coming and see on the dogs face that he was indeed getting ready for the chase.  This was a fairly big dog; the boy was around 13, the running was giving the boy less control of the situation as he yelled out "LEAVE IT."  The boy knew what was coming as the dog lunged towards the road and they kept running.  They got through it and moved on past our house.

Car chasing is a very hard behavior to crack with a dog that has extremely high chase drive.  The secret is to find the reward that makes the difference; perhaps it is not food, more than likely it would be a tug toy.  What you need to get through to the dog is;  "don't do what you want, do what I want and you will be rewarded."  If you offer no reward then why would a dog not do what makes them happy?  By offering an alternative behavior, say sitting or doing a down stay you are showing the dog that there are alternative behaviors other than chasing.

Rewards help to create a positive association as well.  Giving people treats to hand to your new puppy make people a great and wonderful thing.  Placing treats on scary objects make those objects less scary and more approachable.  A couple of weeks ago I took Elsa to the park where there are several large bear statues; we was terrified as I thought she would be.  They are in a frozen stance, staring, this means danger.  So I remained calm, chatted happily and tossed treats by their feet.  Now each time we pass this bears she just looks for the treats they have.

Rewards are not simply goodies for your dog.  Rewards, when properly distributed have great power and intense meaning.  Dogs do not come programmed for a human world but we can definitely help them out by guidance and rewarding the good stuff.

A Day to never forget

Remembrance day/ Veterans Day; a day to remember all of those who have fought.   Humans and dogs have and are serving their countries proud.  Take this day to remember.

The Holidays and Puppy Mills

The Holiday season is just around the corner; which means that the millers are milling at all time highs.  What are the hopes and dreams this season; these folks who mass produce dogs for for a living?  Peace for all mankind?  I think not. Bucks, the almighty dollar from you for their merchandise................puppy mill puppies.  It is a sad state that these still exist; truly, after all the publicity, the television shows, the documentaries, people are still sauntering into these stores and purchasing puppies.  Not only puppies but all the rest of their pet related supplies; giving money to the companies that support the horrendous treatment of dogs.

I have a new Facebook page, please visit and spread the word.  Shutting down puppy mills.  

The only way that these perpetrators of suffering can be stopped is to stop the purchase of their goods, the puppies.  Each time a puppy is bought; more money is put into the hands of these horrific people.  (Let's just call them people for now.)  I live in a pretty nice area; we have many malls and shops around.  It boggles my mind that some of these malls allow the sale of puppies after all the hype.  The closest store to me that sells puppies is Barkworks at The Shops at Mission Viejo.  I don't know how many mill puppies I've worked with over the years but it is very sad to see them.  I've met sick, dying, deformed, behavior challenged and worse all purchased from the pet store.

Many of the people I meet who have purchased puppies from the stores knew what they were doing.  They sheepishly say to me "I know I shouldn't have but I looked at those eyes and that was it."  Sad indeed.  Purchasing a puppy from a pet store is far from saving a life; it is dooming the dogs left behind at the mill, the Mothers and Fathers to more suffering, further torture, a life that no dog should ever have to endure.  Each and every puppy that is purchased from a pet store puts money into the hands of the people who inflict heinous crimes against dogs.

No dog deserves to spend their life behind bars; pumping out puppies for the profit of their captors.  Make a statement here and now; never set foot in a pet store that sells puppies.  Spread the word; the only way this will ever stop is to stop the buying.

dog door

How on earth did I ever live without a dog door?  I can't even remember how many years it was that I wanted one in my home but I am sure glad we have one now.  We got ours over four years ago now and I hate the thought of not having it.  I remember feeling so bad if I was out just a bit longer at the store or a friends; feeling like I should rush home to let the dogs out.  Adult dogs are fine to go 4-5 hours but of course there are times.

Every dog and human for that matter has times when holding it is not an option.  If I came home and found messes in the house I'd never get mad; I always felt bad for my dogs.  Just imagine having to go so bad but there is no way you are getting to the bathroom.  Did you see the movie Bridesmaid?  Specifically the scene where they are trying on dresses?  Honestly, one of the funniest movies ever.  Anyway it happens and when you gotta go, you gotta go.

We have a fabulous dog door; the kind that fits into a patio door so we can take it out and bring it with us when we move.  No holes in the wall and it is so easy to fit into the door.  When I got our door I had to consider that we have big and small dogs.  The door had to be tall enough to accommodate the poodles and low enough for Jessie our Jack Russell.  All of the dogs use it with ease and I don't have to stress if I'm out for  longer than I had anticipated.

I have yet to teach Elsa about the door; I'm frankly amazed that she has not taught herself but she seems mystified by the adult dog's disappearance into the house.  She watches intently as they go in and once they are gone she stares at the door and then charges off.  Once I teach her how to use the door; my days of having her outside for a bit are gone.  My kitchen looks out into the backyard; I have a full wall of windows so wherever she is out there I can see her.  I'd have a lot more running around to do if she knew how to follow the big dogs into the house.

Of course when you have a dog door you need to be sure that your yard is secure.   You must be sure that your dogs will not get into something that may be dangerous.  That can mean anything if you have a chewer; I can't believe how many people have told me that their dog chewed up their entire sprinkler system.  You Labrador owners know what I'm talking about.  One of the great things about a dog door is that it can eliminate a great deal of anxiety and boredom.  A dog may grow anxious in the yard but if they have the option to go in the house then the anxiety may lower.

Going in and out gives more options of what to do for the day.  Typically dogs sleep while we are gone but if they are awake they can go out and in at will.  Of course there is the chance that they may bring things in the house that you'd rather they left outside.  Plants might be dragged in, lizards or other gross things that they may find to amuse themselves outdoors.  My guys sleep and normally they are all in the exact same spot as I left them now; of course Elsa would be something different if she were left with free run of the house.  

For now I'm not gone long, a couple of hours at the most.   Elsa is a long way off from having free reign in the house so she will remain in the dark about the dog door until I feel that she and I need her to know about it.  Of course that is unless she finds out on her own how the dogs are disappearing into the house.  Otherwise it's on a need to know basis.

You know you have a new puppy, when...........................

I find that I am laughing to myself quite a bit these days; things that may otherwise seem pretty strange become the norm when you have a puppy.  These everyday occurrences may not seem normal for many folks but anyone with a new puppy will relate.

You know you have a new puppy, when............................


-  You need to keep a camera in every room.

- Every15-20 minutes you are heading outside.

- You have a minimum of one toy basket filled to the brim in every room.


-  Each time you undress, treats drop out of all your clothing.

-  You put on your jacket and smile because there are already treats in the pocket.

- Out shopping you head to the pet section of the store first.  (I actually do that all the time anyway.)

- You wonder if you will ever sleep in again; and by that I mean until 6:00 am.

-  You are constantly seeking friendly dogs and people so that you can successfully socialize your newest family member.

-  You have become accustom to stepping over baby gates.

-  Pin cushion has a definite meaning to you now.

-  You want to throw a party when you notice that first little pin has fallen out.

- You are throwing a party and consider your attire and the puppy.   A fairly sheer blouse, hmmm perhaps a teeth rip.  High heels, hmmmmmmm you might step on her feet with those things.

-  The daily poop-o-meter check is a given.

-  Finishing a conversation is something you look forward to in the future.

-  You have several containment areas set up around the house, for your sanity.

You realize just how quiet everything was before you got a new puppy; wouldn't life be a boring place without a little turmoil thrown into our lives now and again.  Give your puppy a hug and smile knowing that today will not be a quiet or boring one.  Those days are down the road.

don't go the yank and choke method

Some topics need revisiting over and over again.  This of course stems from the fact that I see the behavior repeated again and again when I am out with my dogs.  Today I was dropping my hubby off at  his car, we had met up at the park, he runs Luke and I do the old lady saunter.  As I pulled up to the curb I saw a woman walking three dogs, I see her often.  Her dogs were going off on a couple of other dogs that were walking past, she reached out the back and kicked one (Caesar style.)  My husband asked if I'd seen it and then asked why would she do that?  We then got into a big discussion; conventional vs. positive. 

First another quick story, I was shopping for furniture one day with my daughter and after spotting several items that I wanted I gave the sales lady who asked for my number one of my business cards. She thought it was cool that I was a dog photographer and told me about her young female labrador. She said that she was in the throws of finding a trainer and that she had attended a private class with one trainer already and wasn't sure she wanted to return. She told me about the trainer yanking on her dogs collar and becoming so aggressive with her young labrador that the young and very intimidated dog had squatted and urinated during the class.

She asked me if this was normal and I know she noticed me cringing as she finished her question. By the look on her face she knew my answer before I opened my mouth. My heart truly hurts when I hear stories like this, imagine the poor little lab in the hands of this brute? A client of mine several years back was told that she and her husband were going to ruin their dog which was a beautiful and gentle Golden retriever puppy. They were talked into leaving the dog for training and were not allowed to visit. When they did come to pick up their dog they found and underweight, emotionless shell of what they use to know as their bouncy and happy go lucky golden puppy, that's when I got the call.

I've been a dog trainer for a longtime. I was training dogs at the age of 13.  But way, way back then there was only conventional training. When I say conventional I mean the type with a choke collar, if the dog does not do what you ask you give them a quick yank on the leash to smarten them up. And the longer the disobedience goes on the harsher the yanks get which brews anger in the "trainer."

Amazingly enough to me there are still conventional trainers out there. With all the information written in magazines, newspapers and the internet about Positive inforcement training there are still the old collar yanking ones not willing to change their ways. I was introduced to positive reinforcement training  over 15 years ago. When I found out about it I felt like "why didin't I know about this sooner?" For the longest time I felt so guilty about the things I had done in the past but I finally had to let it go.

The years of conventional training I now look back on give me a better understanding of why I hate it and why I train the way I do. I am not a person who only knows one way, no I have been there and understand the difference big time. I think the biggest difference in conventional and positive is the emotion it creates. I remember being in the old classes where anyone who's dog was not performing properly slowly became angry at their dog. I watch people who rely on collar yanking now and see the anger in their reaction to non compliance.

This is where the conversation with my husband went, anger.  You could see the anger in the woman as kicked her dog and yanked it around trying to stop it from misbehaving.  It is far more than one way or the other; both methods of training come from a core idea and from that idea a person evolves.  

Positive reinforcement takes more patience and definitely a whole lot more thinking. I had a trainer friend of mine who was just learning about positive reinforcement tell me that she loved the way I thought things through when we were discussing a behavior issue. No two dogs are exactly alike and many times I would get a strange and new reaction behavior from a clients dog. I would then say "hold on, I need to figure this out." Why was this dog acting this way to a common behavior that I used on a regular basis, what was the difference here?

Dogs can do strange things and if you watch long enough and hear the guardian's explanation of background behavior it can almost always be explained. Not that the explanation always helps, sometimes you just need to move on from the cause to the solution. Often a behavior can be quickly solved by one tiny step from a guardian. I love dog behavior, I could honestly watch canines interact with other canines or with people for hours. I love the new guardians who have opted for using positive reinforcement, it has created a whole new breed of caregivers. Far from the yank and choke when a dog misbehaves, positive trainers search for way to optimize the possibility of good behavior repetition.  And that my friends is great news for all dogs.

Sunday

Good Sunday morning everyone; the sun is just coming up here in Southern California and it's really chilly.  I actually turned on the furnace this morning, first time this year.  I apologize again for no blog yesterday; I am up to my eyeballs these days so please bare with me for the next couple of months.  One of the things on my busy list was a party we had at our house on Friday night, one of my daughters is moving to Colorado so it was a good bye party.  :(

We had about 25-30 people I think so I had Elsa leashed up for the meet and greets.  Tilley and Jessie were up stairs fast asleep for the entire event; it would be far too dangerous to have Jessie wandering around with people coming and going and Tilley just isn't up to it.  So Luke and Elsa were out for part of it; which was great for socializing.   Up until now Elsa has not met a person she has not adored; and everyone at the party seemed to be quite taken by her.  I have to admit she's quite the charmer as was Luke and the two together got lots of AWWWWs.

I had Elsa leashed because there was food which meant people were sitting with a plate on their lap and we aren't so good with that yet.  Plus the whole in and out thing with people coming and going; I did not want her slipping out unnoticed.  She was our greeter extraordinaire as she bounded and lavished her affections on everyone who walked through the door.  I was not working on sitting at all; that would have been pointless with the amount of people and the important thing for me at the moment is that she adore people, all people.

I wandered around letting her greet and talk to everyone until she finally fell asleep on the kitchen floor as I talked to some of our friends.  That was my cue that it was time for a nap; it is very important that puppies or adults dogs not get over tired over stimulated.  Luke had been shadowing me through the house seeking eye contact every now and again.  He loves people but it is also not a normal thing to have this many people in our house so he was looking for assurance once in a while.

I took both Elsa and Luke upstairs so that they could nap and relax.  All the dogs sleep in our room nightly so they are more than comfortable being there for an evening nap.  After an hour or so I brought them out again; Elsa was rested and rejuvenated.  She had her second wind and was ready to make the rounds soaking up as much attention as she could.  Luke again followed us around seeking his eye contact from Mom.  It is so cute when he does this; I will glance over at him and notice a piercing stare from him.  I know it well, it is a "Mom, I need you to connect with me for a second."  We have a very short connection and he's good to go again.  Sometimes he'll need a touch but this night he just needed a visual connection.  Our relationship is amazingly connected one.

It is truly a joy when a puppy adores people; I have often told clients that their dog who is bounding on people is a good problem.  I have dealt with many a dog who is either fearful or aggressive towards people and that is no fun to deal with.  The bounding on people out of sheer joy problem?  I'll take that any day.

Rabies vaccines

A much needed repost

Rabies vaccines; it's a hot topic these days. www.rabieschallengefund.org The Rabies challenge has brought it to the forefront and is digging into the facts. I have always got rabies vaccinations for my dogs but now into their senior years and having health issues I am not willing to compromise their health. With Titers you can reliably test the amount of immunity a dog has to certain diseases.

Great article on Titer testing

With a good titer result; our dogs are still protected but sometimes this isn't enough for the officials. With simple common sense it should be; you can have titers done for humans as well and that seems to be enough for us. Why should be re-vaccinate when the dogs body has enough immunity? They are finding out that over vaccinating is alot more dangerous than once thought.

I have a very inquiring mind; I always want to know more. If I hear about an important issue that I hadn't heard before then I dig in; I want the facts. I listen to what people have to say; take what I think is important and toss the rest. Life is a constant education; to deny facts, to turn away in an "I don't want to know" manner is really useless.

Take the whole Autistic/vaccine debate going on in the human world right now. Many just don't buy it; thankfully many are also digging.

Information on the Rabies challenge

We are only human and humans make mistakes; but to turn away from the facts is a disservice to us and our animals. Before you re-vaccinate; research, research alot.

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.  

Dog friendly cities?????????????

No long blog today, just a question.  How dog friendly is your city?  Love to hear from you all.  I will be blogging about this subject tomorrow and your comment could end up in the blog.

Thanks guys, have a wonderful Sunday.

Sherri

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.