BlackFriday



It is the shopping bonanza day "Black Friday."  Are you out there fighting the crowds for "stuff?"  Not me, at 6:20 am I am nice and snug in bed blogging with a big cup of coffee.  I have no intention of going anywhere near a mall or shop today; tomorrow maybe, I do have Christmas shopping to do.  But for today it will be hanging at home with the family and eating leftovers, one of my favorite things to do.  Isn't making mass quantities of food and having left overs wonderful?  You get to eat really great food and not do any cooking.

This is the time of year when many dogs will be visiting the veterinarians because they ate something that they shouldn't have.  The problem with the Holidays is that many people who typically pour their dog a big bowl of dry dog food feel that sharing the bounty is a festive idea.  That is until they have either a sick dog or a large mess to clean up.  Dogs can eat turkey; let me just get that out of the way.  There is a big rumor going around that turkey is not good for dogs, it's not the turkey itself but the fact that a dog has never eaten it before or that they are given not only turkey but all the trimmings.

Trimmings are not good for dogs and can even make a dog who typically eats turkey sick.  Bread and onions cooked in butter is a recipe for disaster when it comes to our dogs; heck it's not great for us to eat but if it does anything to us, it just gives us an upset stomach.  No trimmings, no crunchy skin, no cranberry sauce, gravy, no stuffing or sweet potato pie, just turkey, plain turkey.  I always give my guys lots of turkey around the Holiday season, and I may be out today looking for the birds now on sale that Thanksgiving is over.   As this Thanksgiving day I made mushroom and asparagus lasagna with homemade pasta so they won't be having any leftovers today; but I sure will.

Just remember when you are filling up your plate with turkey left overs, just the bird for the dogs, and everything in moderation.

Thanksgiving



Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope that you all have a wonderful long weekend with your friends and family.

We now have a breath of fresh air; very busy air to be exact in our family.  Elsa has been an astonishing zest booster to our very sedate pack.  She is amazing and I am so very thankful that Vicki allowed us to call her one of our own.  I am thankful for each and every day that I am able to share with my very senior dogs; sadly not everyone is given the chance to cherish their canines into their 15th and 16th years.

I am thankful for you all; for letting me share my life with you and perhaps help you just a smidgen as you go through your day to day alongside your canine.

Have a spectacular weekend everyone.

Reading the signs




The other day I was at the park with just Luke.  He enjoys his time alone with Mom as do I; we were sauntering around the park smelling the roses when across the park I spotted a woman coming my way.  She had with her a very large Akita.  As you know I love all dogs but I also know that some Akitas are fairly dog aggressive; so as she continued my way I was trying to make it clear that I was heading away.  Funny how some humans can be so lacking in sign reading.  I was very obviously moving away from her and her dog but she kept coming.  I finally had to make direct eye contact with her and then turn away in the opposite direction walking abruptly.  She got it.

Then I watched the woman and her dog turn and walk towards another person with dogs.  The guy was walking two pit mixes who were either over excited or not so dog friendly themselves.  As the woman got closer she yelled out to the guy asking if his dogs were friendly.  When someone pauses and then says "sometimes, er usually," that means no.  I could see it all unfolding before my eyes; it was going to get crazy in just a few more steps from the woman with the Akita.

I turned away just for a moment and then I heard it; lots of growling and challenging.  The man held onto his dogs tightly as they hit the end of their leash and the woman tried to calm her Akita.  This was clearly going to be the outcome of the interaction; the man knew it, he just hadn't wanted to voice it in public.  The woman also knew but was trying hard for this not to be how her dog reacts.  The woman could not read the signals of the other dogs; this is something that everyone with dogs should become knowledgeable about.

When I approach a person with a dog; I often veer off of the path and simply move out of the way.  I know Luke very well and know who he will and will not get along with.  It has much to do with the other dogs body language and even though some dogs are very friendly, they can give off the wrong body language because of circumstance.  Leash, proximity to owner and tension etc all play a part in the greeting of strange dogs.  If I ever think that perhaps this greeting is not going to turn out well; I will err on the side of safety and forego the greeting.

As I always say; "quit while you are ahead."

Off leash

I was at the park the other day; we were heading towards the car at the end of our walk.  Looking across the street I saw a black lab laying leashless staring straight ahead. I watched, of course.  Following his line of stare I found his owner walking away with a brown lab; this boy was obviously doing a long down stay.  He was doing really well but as I watched I realized that she was going to release him from far away.  Right in his path was a "people" photographer with clients.  Anyone who knows a lab also understands the whole locomotive concept.



She yelled his release and threw his ball from a chuckit.  Okay, the picture above sort of explains it all.  Doesn't take that much thought to figure out what is going to happen, right?  It happened and everyone was sort of in disbelief; the biggest surprise was from the owner.  "I can't believe he did that; he's never done that before."  He's never gone directly after the ball?  Hmmmmm, strange.

Anyhow this whole train of thought is about being off leash.  As you all know I had a run in the other day with an off leash dog down in the canyon.    I'm not a big fan of off leash if you don't have complete control; that and respect for others.  I never let my guys off leash around people without dogs; it just is not right.  I know that some people are very afraid of dogs and the sight of one off leash can be traumatizing.  Control is an elusive thing from what I see; lots of people let their dogs off leash and have absolutely no control.  It's just plain stupid.

Not only do we need to think about others but we need to think about our dogs.  Is taking the leash off really that important?  Of course there are times when you are in a big field; away from anyone else and it's time to take the leash off, completely agree.  I love off leash runs with my dogs but there is a great deal of thought put into them.  I let Luke off quite a bit at the park but I first do the huge horizon scan; and he is amazing off leash, comes right away.

I don't get people who walk their dogs off leash down the street; I will never get this and think that each time their dog is not hit by a car is another bullet dodged.  So many people walk down the street; their dog sort of by their side trotting along.  What difference would it make if they had a leash on?  It could save their life, that's a big difference.  We have a local yorkie owner who I regularly see at the park; her dog is always running around the street.  And I feel bad for the day it does get hit; drivers cannot see that little thing in the road.  It's not right.

Next time you consider taking the leash off; think about harassing others, the safety of your dog and your degree of control first.

Edible?


Real food.


Yesterday I was out shopping, I had a few bits and pieces to pick up for baking and the holiday season.  I was at Target and as I made my way to the cash I walked by the dog treat isle.  Just as I passed it I put on my brakes, I got my glasses out and decided to read the ingredients on some of the biggies.  Begg'n strips, pup-peroni, Waggin train and the one I've recently seen a big advertising push on Milo's kitchen.  The worst by far is by Purina, Beggin' strips; the following is the list of ingredients.

Ground wheat, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, ground yellow corn, water, sugar, glycerin, soybean meal, meat, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, bacon fat (preserved with BHA), salt, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (a preservative), calcium propionate (a preservative), natural and artificial smoke flavors, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6), choline chloride.
O-4005


Just disgusting if you ask me.  I have to say that if Purina does not man up to a major overhaul then it should be placed in the history books with many other companies that were the big ones "back when."  Back when meaning back when it all started; I remember that Purina was one of the very few dog companies.  Many of their products are filled with just that; fillers, crap.  Time to change Purina or move out of the way so that the companies who really care can step up.

But it is not just Purina, all of the treats that were on the shelves there were very substandard.  Another reason why you should frequent the small privately owned pet food stores.  As I read the ingredient lists and viewed all the packaging design meant to draw you in I realized that there are a few "big" words they like to throw around.  One is USA, one of the bags said that the treats are made by a company that is a US company but when I read the very small print it said made in China, disappointing to say the least.   

"Natural" is another word over used and given no meaning once so ever as far as health goes.  Natural stamped all over a bag by no means makes the food something that you should give your dog.  You can go online and read most of the ingredients from treats and foods.  

This is the list of ingredients in the hottest advertised dog treat:  Milo's kitchen - Beef sausage slices.  
Yep, there's beef in there but what else is in there?  Yuck.  FYI, Milo's kitchen is owned by Del Monte.  Interesting.  

Beef, Soy Grits, Sugar, Propylene Glycol, Rice, Salt, Monoglyceride, Garlic Powder, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (used as a preservative), Citric Acid, Sodium Erythorbate (for color retention), Sodium Nitrite (for color retention), BHA (used as a preservative), Onion Extract

Dog treats are a huge percentage of what we buy for our dogs.  Whatever you feed your dog, read the labels and if there are ingredients in there that you can not pronounce or know what it is, then move onto something else.

Below is a recent notice from the FDA, taken from the official FDA site. 

FDA Continues to Caution Dog Owners About Chicken Jerky Products

November 18, 2011
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China. These complaints have been reported to FDA by dog owners and veterinarians.
FDA issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification in December of 2008. After seeing the number of complaints received drop off during the latter part of 2009 and most of 2010, the FDA is once again seeing the number of complaints rise to the levels of concern that prompted release of our earlier warnings.
Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities.
FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.
FDA, in addition to several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S., is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA’s Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (VLRN) is now available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified a contaminant.
The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.


Elsa and Hank very excited about their play date.

Elsa had another play date a few days ago.  It was with a new friend, Hank.  Hank has recently joined a new family and is loving life.  He is a year old boy and so much fun for Elsa to play with.  When we first arrived Elsa heard his large bark coming from inside the house and her tail lowered.  We went around the side to get into the back yard to do our introductions.  It took all of 30 seconds for them to become best of friends.  Elsa is 18 weeks old in these pictures and growing fast.  Enjoy, they sure did.


As usual Elsa has a hard time hiding her feelings.


As confident as Elsa is she is very respectful of her elders.  This you can see with her body posture.


She pretty much loved him.


Hank doesn't mind being attacked and Elsa enjoys being the aggressor.


You can see that undocked tail is always in use.


A little snuggle break.


Just plain fun.


Everyone loves a good head chomp. 

Saturday morning


 One of my favorite covers, real cuties.

Good Saturday morning everyone; the sun is just coming up but I've been up a good long time.  Miss Elsa is an early riser; something I'm going to need to change pretty soon.  Her stomach does most of her thinking so we're going to have to change that as well.  It looks like a beautiful day out there so we'll be headed somewhere, just not sure where yet.

I'm really excited to have connected with Meals on Wheels for my first annual DOG FOOD DRIVE.  I am hoping to get a big turn out; food will help those in need.  The general public who are needing a little helping hand, Meals on Wheels and two local rescue groups.  If you are in the Southern California are a I sure hope to see on Dec 3rd with a bag or can of food to donate.  Word of mouth would be great too; if you are reading this, tell all of your dog friends that I'd love to see them as well.   Mark it on your calendar!!!!!

Yesterday I had a training session with two puppies; they were Cavaliers and I could barely stand how cute they were.  Isn't it funny that no matter how often you've been around puppies they still make you melt.  They were head shakingly adorable and doing their best adorable behaviors.  Lots of kisses, gazing into my eyes, tiny wiggles of happiness and general undeniably irresistible.  Tough job but someone has to do it, right?

It is time to get up and get going on this gorgeous day; hope you and your pooch have a wonderful one.    

Keara and Charlie


Yesterday I had a visit with two of my all time favorite training students.  I've known these guys for years; done a great deal of training with their owner and each of these magnificent dogs.  Keara on the left and Charlie on the right.  I spent a lot of time with these two over the years; first with Keara and then Charlie some years later.  Two more wonderful German Shepherds I have not met in all my years of training and I was so excited to see them after a several year absence.  


I met Keara when she was but a youngster, a 6 month old gorgeous young lady.  Now well into her senior years she is still the wonderful girl, albeit mellowed a bit. 


Charlie; a young three year old and full of the energy of youth.  He truly is a hunk and one of the sweetest boys I know.  At over 100 lbs I had to brace myself for his exuberant greeting, he seemed as happy to see me as I was to see him.  


Keara voiced her joy at seeing me; it sure felt good.  


I met Charlie when he was only weeks old; he was and still is a dog who loves life.  Some of the dogs I've worked with over the years I remember well, others have taught me great lessons, some have sort of just slipped by and a few have made a big impact on my life.  These two most definitely impacted my life living a lasting memory.  

Proofing



Proof:  the act of testing or making trial of anything, test.   Proofing a behavior is very important; I am working on proofing my release right now with Elsa.  This means that I am making sure that she is not releasing too soon or on her own.  She must wait for me to say the release word before she is released for anything.  We are using feeding time for our proofing now as it is a very intensely driven obstacle for her.  I do not want her thinking that the first word out of my mouth when her bowl is down and she is waiting; means that she gets to eat.  So I am throwing all sorts of words and tones at her.

Proofing behaviors means that your dog can perform a certain behavior under any circumstance.  They have learned a behavior and can achieve success under high distraction and in any environment.  Proofing means practice, practice, practice.  Most dogs do not generalize well; which means that when you teach them to sit at home they may not be able to do it anywhere else.   If you want your dog to perform behaviors out in public then you must "proof" them out in public.

When you first teach a dog behaviors; it is best done in a quiet, non distracting area.  That way you can be sure that they are getting a grasp on the task at hand.  Once they have it you can then move to different environments like different rooms, the backyard, front yard etc etc.  As they achieve success you can add new and more difficult environments.  Then once you have gotten a handle on environments you work with distractions; starting with very easy distractions and working up to intense level.

Some dogs generalize more than others; for these dogs you may excel through the proofing stage.  But all dogs have their obstacles; it may take a while to find your dogs tough spots but when you do you will also need to work through them.  So far Elsa has shown that she generalizes quite well but already has a few blocks that we need to get over.  We are working on waiting to get out of the car until I say so; she's having a tough time with this.  I also require that she sits before getting out; I will not have dogs diving out of the car willy nilly.  She has a tough time with stay when she wants out of the car; so we are working very hard on that.

It is very important to know your dog inside and out; understanding them personally helps you to help them to achieve success.







A food drive



Every Holiday season brings with it the thought of others who may not be doing so well, especially in these economic times.   Many folks give generously over the holidays both with food and monetary gifts.  There are food banks all over that collect food, gift cards and money for those who do without.  Our family gives every year, when I grocery shop I buy more than I need and start to fill bags that I keep on my dining room table.  This year as I fill my bags I am also thinking about all the people who have felt the need to turn over their dog due to lack of funds to simply buy them food.

I'm having a food drive.  I am hoping that many of you will join me as I collect dog food donations.  I am contacting several of the local rescues and Meals on wheels to donate the food to directly.  What about the big guys?  As I was driving from the vets with Elsa last night I considered getting in touch with the big guys, the dog food makers and asking for a helping hand in donating food.

I will also be contacting as many of the local pet food stores for a donation as well.  Saturday December 3rd will be the official "first annual Just dogs with Sherri food drive."  I like the sound of that.  Hopefully this will mean that many of the dogs who will go hungry or be turned over to a shelter or rescue will not.  In these economic times many people just need a little help, nothing monumental, just a helping hand.

I will post more details on another blog and all the details on my Facebook group.    Whatever you can give, whoever you can call, text or share with, please feel free to spread the word.   How about in your own town?  Maybe we could make this something really big; "Feed the dogs day?"  If you can give one can, one small bag, a big bag, a bunch of food or a truck full, please do.  Every bite helps towards keeping families together.

More about the drive later.

Sherri

Life's a chang'n




Wow; rough morning for me today, so this blog will be short and sweet as they say.  My rough start to the day is a bad and good one at the same time.  Bad because one of my kids just left, moving to another state; good because she has met someone who makes her very happy, and that in itself makes me happy.  Sitting at my computer with my first coffee of the day I feel strange, life is changing.  Something that I have said for many years is that life is an evolution and it really is; isn't it?

When I look back at my early days, the days that started my life in the whole world of dogs I am happy with my canine evolution.  Life is about moving forward but occasionally we do have to look back to see how far we have come.  Many of us look back and shudder at the things we did or the ideas that we thought were correct.  I have often apologized to my now long gone dogs; telling them that I just didn't know.

Many of my clients over the years have been so upset with the things that they have done with their dogs.  "Sherri I just didn't know," is a phrase that I have often heard.  My response is the same for all; you cannot go back and change things, killing yourself over the past is futile.  Life is about moving on, learning and growing, changing.   Looking at yourself now and yourself 20 years ago, you've changed.  It's all about evolving into the person you will finally be.  Sure we all start out with a base, our core so to speak.  But as we venture through life our evolution commences.

Spending many hours these days out socializing Elsa, it becomes very obvious to me that each and every moment in our lives plays a part in who we are.  How we face life, deal with each issue and handle sorting it all out is who we are.  Hand in paw we go through our lives learning and teaching; becoming a part in the whole picture of a dog and his human.  Man's best friend?  Most definitely.  But are we a dog's best friend?  Through life we most definitely are given the chance to be; whether we take that chance or not is entirely up to us.

Now time for a second cup.  Have a great day.

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.

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.