Christmas Eve Day

There is a nip in the air but alas, no snow.  Having recently moved to Connecticut we were looking forward to a white Christmas, but we will have to settle for chilly.  Elsa slept in this morning and of course so did Tilley and Luke, they always sleep in.  I believe that they are still on California time; Luke is good until 10 or 11 if I don't get him up sooner.

We spent yesterday in NYC, just the people.  We took the train into the city and as we were riding I was contemplating taking Elsa on the train at some point.  Dogs are allowed, they are not allowed to be annoying or sit on the seats but they can head into the big city.  If I do take her it will be just for a one trip stop for a trial run and work our way up to a full trip which is around 45 min.  Once you get to Grand Central Station it is pretty crazy, mind you it is the busiest time of the year so it wouldn't be this crazy when I go.

I saw quite a few dogs down town, some sporting pretty adorable little coats others without.  We hit Central park for a bit where there were lots of dogs of all shapes and sizes. As we head down the streets of New York City, right in front of us was a tiny Rat Terrier with her owner.  She was pretty skittish but her owner just kept trodding along.  She deeked and dived out of the way of the masses of people and startled horns, huge truck noises and blasts of steam coming from the ground.  It is a lot to take in as a human, I cannot imagine being 8 " from the ground and doing it all.

Today will be filled with baking, wrapping and walking the dogs hopefully at a beautiful area that we have found where they can run off leash.  The homemade cookies that I make for the dogs is down to crumbs in the bottom, that needs topping off so I will try to get to those as well.  We bought the dogs gifts during our Dog Food Drive back in California, glad my hubby thought to get them then.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, evening and Christmas morning.  From mine to yours; Happy Holidays.

Dogs in bed

This is a re-post.  It is from a little more than a year ago but I felt like it should be posted again, so many people have weird issues with dogs sleeping in beds.  Obviously my little Jack Russell is not with us anymore but just reading this made me smile this morning.  I woke up to a very large puppy licking me in the face today; soon she was up on the bed snuggling for all get out.  She is not allowed to sleep on the bed yet but she is definitely allowed up when asked.  Life is far too short not to enjoy your dogs in bed.
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Re-post
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As I lay here in bed; the sun is not yet up.  There is a chill in the air; but I am cozy with my very own Jack Russell foot warmer.  She's snoring; she is snoring loudy under her down comforter and not far from her is Luke; silently keeping the left lower quadrant of the bed warm.  Dogs in bed; the statement alone is controversial.  Many guardians love nothing more than sharing their bed with their dog; but is that where dogs should be?  There is a great divide on the subject and some of the biggest opponents are the dog trainers.  So here's what I think about the subject.

My opinion on dogs sleeping in bed with you is clear cut; black and white.  If you would like your dogs to sleep in your bed with you and your dog shows no signs of grumblings, complaining about being moved or ousted then that is where they should be.  Enjoying the company of your dog in bed is one of the great joys we have with our dogs.  Snuggling with your dog is wonderful; listening to sleep can be a huge stress reliever.  But what if everytime you move; your growls.  Or when asked to get off the bed; your dog objects, offering the "just try to move me," look?   Let's face it; your bed is the prime piece of real estate in your home and in a pack the leader gets it.

Often a guardian will toss some information my way as a side note.  "Oh ya; he growls everytime I move in bed."  This is the line; the line I have drawn for dogs in bed................off they go.  But this is not a life sentence; they can earn a spot back on the bed but "earn" is the important word here.  Back when Luke was a young'n we had an incident with him growling at my son for couch rights.  Luke is the type that thinks he is all that and a bag of chips and his couch priviledge was fueling this.  I was present at the time of the growl and Luke left the couch abruptly; he was kicked off for 6 months.  We worked on a new set of rules; asking permission.  There has never been another incident.

Being that sleeping with dogs is suppose to be mutually enjoyable; having you avoid your dog in your sleep is not good.  If your every move elicits a growl which inturn interferes with your sleep; then this is a clear sign that someone has to go.  And that someone is not going to be you.  It is your bed; you dished out your hard earned money to buy it, you are going to sleep in it.  But now you are feeling guilty; poor Fido has to sleep on the floor?  Put your guilt aside; buy a nice bed for your dog and put it right beside yours, this is the best thing you can do for your relationship.

My dogs all have a their own bed in our bedroom; and they use them.  With the girls being 13 and 14; it is not safe to be up on the bed if I am not awake so they are safe and sound in their own beds.  Most often Luke jumps up on the bed in the middle of the night and everyone joins us in the morning.  I feel very strongly that dogs need comfort; and a floor isn't comfortable, not even for a dog.  Make sure that if your dog is not sleeping in your bed that they have a very comfortable bed of their own.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the folks who don't want their dog even in their room with them to sleep.  Well; the best place for your dog to sleep is in your room, bottom line.  Where you lay; your dog should lay.  A pack sleeps together; they don't need to sleep on top of each other but they should all be in the same room.  It makes me sad to think of a dog that lays alone at night; banished to the kitchen, garage or worse (outside) at night.  Bonding occurs during these special times; in the absence of night bonding you are missing half your life with your dog.

Substance and structure

Substance -  the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to the appearance or shadow; reality.

Leaning down to greet a new client; a German Shepherd puppy I grab hold of her front leg, nice substance.  I like a dog with substance, beef, good bone, meaty.  Sadly many of our breeds are taking a dive in the substance department.  Many breeders are heading down the path the leads to injury and structural problems as they adjust their goal to the "refined" look.   A longer neck, a lighter gate or refined face.

Luke does not have substance; he is from show lines and has a wonderful long neck, beautiful gate but he is always hurting himself.  When I grab his front leg I shutter at how little substance there is compared to Tilley or Elsa.  I want to feel a handful when I grab a leg; something that tells you that this dog could hold up after a long day of work.

Structure - a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part.

But substance does not stand alone; you can have substance without structure or balance and a dog will suffer.  I am not talking about what is required in a show ring; I am talking about work-ability, movement, ease in day to day life and being able to play hard and not suffer for it.  Some breeds have gone the other direction with so much substance that they can barely move.  This is as much as a hindrance as having too little substance.

Take the German Shepherd for example; a fabulous dog that has undergone extreme change over the years.  The dogs seen in the show ring are no where near the dogs of years gone by.  They have lost so much in the rear that many cannot lead a normal day to day, let alone a working life.  Why has this happened?  Humans are a weird bunch, if a tiny slope is good then an extreme slope would be better correct?  No, not even close.

How about the Dachshund?  Again another great dog but structure?  Really?  It is obvious when you look at the breed that they have back issues, how could they not?  Substance?  Yes many have great substance but every single one lacks in the structure department.  They may be the best show specimen ever but are they a structurally sound dog?  No.

When you follow along the years and watch a breed transformation it can be a bit scary to say the least.  Depending on a breeders eye and what is in at the moment can have a drastic impact on results.  Many of the "big hair" breeds suffer due to the focus put on hair instead of what's under the hair.  All dogs are meant to run and play and maybe work; but with human intervention much of that has now changed.  I see far too many breakable dogs these days, it is a sad truth.  

Scaredy Chicken

"What was that?"  "What was that?" I've got a scaredy chicken on my hands; not so scaredy during the day but when the sun goes down she is sure that the monsters come out to play.  Ever on guard after the sun sets, Elsa is a chicken.  Being a HIGHLY alert sort of gal she doesn't miss a thing; she is extremely aware of movement.  Whether it is a plane high in the sky, a rustle in the bushes or a reflection; she is constantly aware during the dark hours.  The dark has her spooked but she is worried about scary things during the day as well.  If she is outside barking at noises and then Luke joins to bark; she runs for the hills assuming there must be something seriously scary out there if the man of the house barks.

So what do you do with such a chicken?  As I always say, each and every dog is an individual and as such need a personalized attack strategy when dealing with behavior issues.  For Elsa I am sure that age will help her; she seems to have a high priority on self preservation, not a bad thing at all.  But age can definitely help with the "monster" issue.  I have tried the ignoring tactic; going about my business and showing her by example that it, whatever it may be is nothing.   This was not enough of an impact message for Elsa so we have gone to "Yay........check it out, fun."  Yesterday she was quite worried about the neighbor dog who was non stop barking at us outside.  I picked up her ball and we had a long game of retrieve which is one of her favorite things to do.

Out for a social walk yesterday we were hitting a few of the strip  malls hoping to meet some people and things.  One gentleman who was very elderly was heading our way; I knew in an instant that this was what we (as in trainers, we) look for.  He was quite small, shrunken over, with a cane, a leaning stride and a hat, perfect.  I kept my pace the same and as we approached him, Elsa's head slung down, he reached out to touch her.  She immediately started barking which I had already anticipated and kicked into action.  Her bark is not menacing, more a "hey I'm little and a bit scared" type bark.

"Who's this, yay a nice man to meet" I chirped in a very happy upbeat tone.  She immediately stopped barking and wagged like mad to meet the man.  He adored her, he was quite clearly smitten by her beauty and told me a very long story about a dog he had long ago who had puppies etc. etc.  We said our goodbyes and he kept his eye on her, stating at the last minute as we walked away "what a beautiful dog."  We had a great experience, those are the ones that puppies need to experience.  I clearly remember Luke meeting a man who was similar as this gentleman and his reaction was not as cute.  Luke was in the car at the time and the man was walking to his car which was beside ours; Luke considered him a threat and sounded the alarm.

Things can be scary in life, especially when you are little; how you deal with your dogs reaction has the most lasting impact.  Ignoring is the best reaction from me when Luke is frightened, same with Tilley, Elsa needs the YAYYYYY routine.  It's all about difference.

Regrouping

It has been just over a week now that we lost our little Jack Russell Jessie.  Whenever there is a loss or an addition to a pack; it shifts.  For us the biggest shift has been meal time; one less mouth to feed throws everyone for a loop.  Being that Jessie was absent for much of our dog life in general; it was those times when we was in attendance that there is a noticeable change.  The biggest thing is that Jessie was always fed first; the other dogs are having a time with this, especially Elsa.

Elsa is one smart cookie; she figures out how things work and likes to stick to it.  She has a difficult time veering from the norm and missing #1 during feeding time is no different.  She knew that she got her food 4th, so now she is in a slight state of confusion when I put her bowl down 3rd.  She stands, looking, hesitating and antsy.  I am trying to mix it up anyway with Elsa because of her steadfast adherence to ritual; so she will learn to be #3.

Other than feeding time there doesn't seem to be much of a change in our pack.  It is getting older and the care level is going up it seems everyday with Tilley.  For much of my day spent unpacking and organizing I can briefly forget about our loss; then suddenly I will have a panic about where Jessie is.  It only lasts a second or two until I remember, having cared for a dog for over 15.5 years makes it difficult to not have an eye out for her.  Especially in the end when Jessie spent many hours wandering; I was always going to find her.

I am sure that all of this will hit home after the hustle and bustle of the move, unpack and holidays quiet.  For now we are regrouping; getting adjusted and settling in.

Oh that tail

I have for many, many years now thought that the process of tail docking should end.  It is a hugely controversial subject and one that has gotten me into the thick of it with many a tail docking fans.  After many years of searching for a new puppy we ended up getting one from a breeder who feels the same way about tails.  The litter that Elsa is from was the first for the breeder which she did not dock tails.  I remembered years ago looking at a breeders website somewhere in BC, Canada who was not docking tails.  When it came time for us to get another puppy I could no longer find the link to the site so I was more than ecstatic when my breeder told me she planned on not docking.

"They aren't balanced," "they don't look like a poodle," "it has always been done."  These are many of the phrases I've heard repeated over the years.  Not balanced?  How can we possibly say that when our dogs are born with a certain length of tail?  Look at wolves, they are completely balanced with their long tails.   My son recently commented on Elsa's tail which inspired this blog today.  "Elsa totally uses her tail, why would they cut them off?"  he exclaimed while watching her play in the yard.  He could not understand the reasoning behind docking tails so I tried to explain where it came from.



Some breeds have very short or little tail at all due to their being guard dogs; others are docked due to the concern about their tail being caught in some sort of bushes, tethers or straps.  Have you ever seen a Doberman with intact tail and ears?  Very hound looking and not that scary at all.  Many breeders and tail docking fans say that it helps avoid injury or matting on the tail.  Hmmmmmm; how do wolves get by with those long tails in the forests and deserts?  Foxes have amazingly long tails; in fact I think all wild canids have long tails.

Watching dogs interact with other dogs and humans you see their tail in constant use.  You can clearly see dogs using their tails in life from day to day.  Speaking of balance, dogs use their tail continually for balance when running, walking, swimming and jumping.  Having it shortened or removed completely only handicaps a dogs movement ability.

Watching Elsa move around it is clear just how much dogs use their tails.  Not only for balance in movement but for speaking.  Elsa's tail is far more obvious than Tilley's or Luke's making it much easier to read the signs.  Her tail is more extreme because of the length and makes it far more useful when speaking to other dogs.  As a behavior specialist; it is clear why we should not remove tails.

Several years ago Tilley had a severe wound on her tail; the vet opted quickly to amputate.  Not only was Tilley 11 at the time which would have made the surgery extremely difficult and painful but she would have been missing her tail.  I would not allow the amputation and with around the clock nursing she healed and is very happy I'm sure to still have her tail.

An amazing study was done at the University of Victoria on the subject of tail length.    It is a very interesting read.

There are many of you out growing angry as you read this.  It is not meant to point fingers or name names; it is  hopefully a read that will get you thinking, pondering.  So many things from the past have been abolished, phased out or drastically changed.  After all, we know far more now than we did way back then, don't we?

Sunday morning

Good Sunday morning everyone; I'm now on Eastern time so hopefully my blogs will be posted earlier.  We had a great day yesterday at a beautiful area we discovered.  So many new things to see and discover.  I am hoping to connect with some dog people here so that we can venture out for some Eastern fun.  The place we went yesterday was very dog friendly, winter time is downtime for beaches so the dogs get to enjoy.  And enjoy they did, this is somewhere I will be visiting often.

Luke has been catching up on his rest since our big trip across the country.  A few of first days in the house he was my constant shadow so he is resting from that as well.  Elsa is discovering all the new things and figuring out what is what.  Tilley is resting and getting more to her old self everyday.  She, like me is a northerner; born in Manilla, Ontario she always loved the cold.  Taking her out at the crack of dawn this morning; she stood sniffing the cold air and wagged her tail.  She then decided to go on an adventure with me following her around in my boots and robe.  She is very tippy and needs constant supervision so that she doesn't fall on the uneven terrain.

Blogs may be short for a bit as we get settled in our new place; but bear with me.  There will be lots of new things "dog" to discuss, new places, new adventures, new behavior and life with dogs.  Have a great Sunday.

Where to stay

As you all know my son and I just finished a road trip across America.  We left sunny Southern California and drove to South Connecticut.  We stayed at 5 hotels that allowed us with our dogs so I have a good feel for where to stay and what to ask for now.  When we began our trip we had four dogs, not an easy number to tell the reservation people.  We didn't want to pay an exorbitant fee for having our dogs but understand that there would more than likely be some fee.



We discovered that almost all La Quintas allow dogs of any size and any number with no extra fee.  We stayed in 3 La Quintas.  One was nice, one a bit run down and dirty but with great outdoor grounds and the last very nice.  We actually stopped at a fourth; brought our bags and "dog stuff" up to the room only to turn around and leave.  The girl was nice at the desk and understood.  The whole hotel stunk of cigarettes and cheese (says my son).  It was run down and divey, not somewhere I wanted to stay.

Cost per night for the La Quintas was 70.00-90.00 with no extra dog fee.

We took a quick trip up the road and stayed at a Drury; my favorite hotel on our stay, easily.  When we got to the Drury Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee I was pleasantly surprised.  They also gave us the most convenient room and had lots of "grassy" area for the pooches.  We had complimentary snacks and wine on our arrival which was more than welcome after 4 solid days of driving.  Their breakfast was great and they were very friendly.  The hotel was clean and very accommodating.  Even though when we were originally looking for a hotel to stay in at all of our stops we were told that the Drury had a 2 dog limit they allowed us in with our 3.  Sadly we didn't stay at other Drury Hotels because we thought they had a 2 dog limit.

Cost per night was 119.00 with no extra fee for dogs.

Our last night away we stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn; there was nothing else that would accept dogs in the area that night.  It was a really nice hotel but although they allowed our dogs they did not seem "dog friendly."  We were told not to bring the dogs through the lobby and were given an end room on the third floor.  I asked for something close to the elevator because of Tilley and hauling all of our stuff but we were told that they were completely booked and that this was the last room.  Neither I nor my son bought the "full" line as the parking lot was nearly empty all the way around the hotel.

Cost per night 169.00 plus 100.00 dog fee.

The girls at the front desk were very friendly and the hotel was beautiful.  It was a king suite with a full kitchen, a great place if you are staying a while.  We were also told that they had a very strict barking rule as there were so many "business" people staying at the hotel.  They charge a flat 100.00 dollar fee to stay with your dogs which is non refundable.  Nice hotel but didn't receive a warm and fuzzy about the dogs which were down to three at that point.

When you stay at a hotel with your dog think about location, both in regards to the room and the hotel.  If your dog is not accustom to staying in hotels then you will not want to leave them unattended in the room for more than a very short time period.  Luckily there were two of us so when we arrived and got settled Brad went and got our dinner for the night.

Location of room was very important for us, we had a 5 month old puppy and Tilley who has a tough time going a long distance.  Plus she is so slow that it can literally seem to take forever getting anywhere.

All in all it was a great experience.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat for my dogs.

Facebook

Sitting here now in Connecticut I am reflecting on our long journey.  It was far from what I had expected; much better in some ways but gone wrong is one other.  Admittedly I am not a great traveler; I am not a patient person as far as long drives so driving from California to Connecticut was not my cup of tea.  Not wanting to put my dogs in the cargo of a plane, entrusting their lives to someone else I opted to make this very, VERY long drive.  As we headed out I had no idea of what was ahead.

I am a huge Facebook fan; I have several groups that I have started and am on every day.

Just dogs with Sherri  with 857 members
The Standard Poodle  with 3695 members
Shutting down puppy mills  with 66 members (new and growing slowly)
Sherri Regalbuto Photography  49 members
Poodles in need around the world  309 members

My two largest groups knew that my son and I were making this journey; we'd already discussed it quite a bit.  Luckily my son has an iphone and I was able to post our progress across the country.  As we ventured onto the highway there was a feeling of not being alone knowing that not only was family with us but hundreds or thousands were also with us.  Receiving continuous comments from my Facebook family put a smile on my face daily.  I felt like we were all on this trip together.

When issues came up and we needed help; I just posted the need and they were there.  My Facebook family has been beyond amazing.  I now have friends around the world; friends who I feel comfortable sharing with.  I had no idea that this amazingly huge trip would make me look at Facebook a little differently.  Not only does it enable you to tap into friendships that you would never have been able to do otherwise; it changes your life.

To my Facebook fans:  I cannot express how wonderful it was knowing that you were all out there keeping an eye on our travels.  When I was down you picked me up; you cheered as we got closer and closer to our destination.  When we lost our little girl along the way; heartache and constant tears streaming down my face were comforted  knowing that you all understood.  You gave me your opinions and much needed "if it were me" advice.  It truly is amazing how close a group can become without ever meeting in person.   But after all  the heart of a being is what's inside, correct?

I lost a member of our family on this trip; but gained a whole bucket load of friends.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you all; thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sincerely;  Sherri.

Hotel etiquette

We are almost there; our new home, our destination after 6 long days of driving.  I can't believe we made it across the US.  We are sadly missing one of our passengers but we are almost there.  Over the last days we have stayed at many different hotels.  I had no idea what the dogs would think; how they would react but I have to say that I am way impress with my dogs.

Tonight we walked into the hotel room; Luke had a look around, sniffed the suitcases and jumped up onto the couch.  It was like he was saying "okay, cool."  Tilley has had the hardest time, she is the oldest and set in her ways.  Elsa and Luke have just taken everything in stride and after tomorrow it will be six very long days of driving, stopping and driving.

Hotel etiquette is lost on many; hotels that allow dogs are really going out on a limb.  Sadly I've seen many people just pushing it; asking for those hotels to stop accepting dogs.  Poop, poop everywhere.  Nothing drives me more crazy is people who do not pick up after their dogs.  The hotel puts out bags, garbage cans and has a special place to use and people still let their dog take and crap and walk away, disgusting I think.

Barking dogs?  I was in the shower and heard Elsa barking; I ran out and asked her to shhhhhhh.  She was barking because someone was letting their little yapper bark, bark, bark and bark.  She only did a couple of chicken barks but the other dogs in some room was barking up a storm, really?  Were the people really able to sleep through their dog barking like this when we could hear it so loud through the walls?  Honestly.

This is all new to my dogs; I have hoteled with dogs many times way back when I started with dogs.  With all the changes and new things thrown at my dogs I am extremely impressed.  Ya they're pretty great.  :)

Always in my heart

I cannot believe how the events of the last few days have played out.  I am at the moment, sitting in Nashville, TN with a few moments to spare, a nice breather from our non stop trip.  This past Friday our little Jack Russell; Jessie who was a wonderful 15.5 years took a turn for the worst.  For almost a year our little nugget has struggled with Dementia; a disease that has never before struck our home and I frankly hope that I never see it again.

Dementia left our little robust, spitfire girl with little more than a desire to circle.  What she did have as far as memories were from long ago, set in stone type memories.  Feeding time, or the meaning of a leash and that is about it.  With our essential relocation Jessie became much worse; her world as she knew it was now gone.  As my son and I traveled across the country we could see her growing worse by the day, so bad that the decision became essential.

No one ever wants to make this sort of decision; taking away the life that you have nurtured for over 15 years is not an easy thing to do.  What needs to be done is for the human to step back and look at life from the canines point of view.  There was no question, it was time.

I thought that it might be easier this time, she's been failing for a while.  It is never easy; with the decision made I came unglued the moment I walked into the vet.  I held her tight in my arms, whispering to her how special she was and what an amazing life we'd had together.  I held her close, I kissed her head and breathed in her scent, stinking as it was.

In the 15.5 years of Jessie's life she did a great deal of teaching and making us laugh.  The tenacious little 15 pounder went down a hole after a ground hog, took on a Rottweiler and many

 several big and scary dogs, fell 30 feet out of a tree chasing a squirrel and kept on going and leaped high to grab a bird in mid flight, swallowing it down.  A girly girl she was not.  Always ready for a rumble she ran this pack as the "top dog" for over 14 years.   

The vet came in and was wonderful; but it doesn't help.  Jessie left this world wrapped tightly in my arms.  She remained there long after she was gone, her confused circling now over.  Her struggles with the unknown were now gone and she was free to run and chase whatever her hearts desire.  Our little girl is gone, never forgotten and always in my heart.

The dog food drive

Sorry for the delay on the Dog Food Drive but with a move right around the corner things are a little bit crazy right now to say the least.  We leave tomorrow, but more about that later.  The dog food drive was wonderful; we were able to get food to a family who was very much in need of a helping hand and lots to a the wonderful group at  I.C.A.R.E. dog rescue. 

It was a very windy day and chilly night but the donations came in and I would like to thank everyone who came out to give.  A special thanks to the folks at Wilds Animal Supply on La Paz who let us crash their lot and a extra heart felt thank you to the members of the OC Standard Poodle group for everything they gave.  I would like to make December third, National feed the dogs day.  Who's with me?  If we band together we can help a lot of dogs.

National feed the dogs day can be a coming together of people to help feed mans best friend.  A big event, a small group effort or a single can of food purchased and given to someone in need.

These are some of the folks who donated to Feed the dogs first dog food drive.

Kathie Taylor and Jedi
Irene
Loretta and Libor
Lynn, Sheima and Shasta
Judy Kargel
Teri Azar & Rozy Carter
Audrey Messick
C. Loreno
Jessica Frawley

Thank you all so very much for helping to Feed the dogs.

Quality of life

We've had the discussion many times and sadly more often these days.  Quality of life; just what does that mean?  For us it means our happiness right?  Depending on the person and that persons specific "things" that are important to them in life.  But what about our dogs?  How do know when the quality of life is gone for a dog.  It is a tough call; how bad is bad?  What is important in a dogs life?   I don't know how many times people have said to me "don't you think it's time?"  How do you know when it's time?

For starters, eating is a biggy for me.  If a dog is not eating and they are typically a fabulous eater then it can be a huge sign.  Of course not if they are just sick and stopped eating; I'm talking about the end of life not eating.  Do they enjoy at least a fraction of their day?  Do they really enjoy it?  It truly is a horrible thing that we guardians are most often forced to do; make a decision on life.  But as a dog owner it is our duty and the more care that we give our dogs the longer they live making it more imperative for us to decide.

I always say that I would be very happy if my very old dogs just slept away; I think most dog owners would like this.  No decisions to be made, life just slips away when it is time.  If our dogs were in the wild they would be long gone far before we ever even start considering that it might be time.  Our dogs lives are literally in our hands; and that my friends can be a very sad thing.  Taking the best of care that we can through their short lives is our pride and joy.  Taking it away at the end is one of the most difficult things we will ever be faced with.

I think when you reach a point when the thought crosses your mind, it is our worst nightmare.  We brush it away as a "what am I thinking?" moment.

First Annual Dog Food Drive

First let me say "thank you" to all those folks who came out and dropped off food to our food drive.  It was a big success for a first time event.  Other people also dropped off food early at Wilds Animal supply on La Paz during the week, thank you, thank you.   So many dogs in need, too little food to go around.  If everyone gave just a bag or two, more could be saved.

Full blog later

Wow

December 1st, already?  Wow, where does the time go.  The big countdown is upon us and the hustle bustle is now kicked into over drive, my favorite time of year.  December has come in with a bang here in Southern California, literally.  I awoke to a huge boom and crash in the yard.  The wind started sometime in the night; it is crazy loud.  When the sun comes up I will have to see what crashed but for now it has been challenge enough getting Elsa out.

She's a spooky type, environmentally that is.  Anything out of the ordinary makes her unsettled.  So this weather today is not going to be her thing; it is not the wind per say but more the fall out from the wind.  She really seems to enjoy the wind in her face; her ears flying around.  It's the smells that the wind brings and the stuff everywhere.  This morning I opened the kitchen door and she stuck her head out; it smelled very different.  She turned and looked at me so I head out without a second to lose.  Very important to be chill.

With her head in the air she sniffed and took in all the different scents.  She looked around at all the stuff in the yard; she was spooked for sure.  So we will be heading out in all the bluster for a walk a little later.  I love the wind; always have.  Perhaps it is my Scottish heritage; I love the freshness of it, especially when it carries with it a chill.  I'm sure the yard will be a mess today so I'll have a great deal of clean up after the winds stop.

The only concern that will come from my adult dogs will be Luke worrying about doors slamming today.  I will be making sure that they are all either tightly shut or propped open securely.

Happy December all.  

Baby it's' cold outside - REPOST (crazy busy)

Tilley as a one year old


Okay, it's not really cold but it is cold for California standards.  Yesterday was a high of 60 with blustery winds, it was glorious and I enjoyed every moment.  We are suppose to stay in the 60s except for Wed which will reach the low 70s.  I'm loving it, since moving from Canada to California it has been tough doing Holiday shopping in shorts and flip flops so I'm stoked.  For all of you who live where it actually gets cold and you get snow, this blog is for you.

Photo courtesy of Poodleit


I lived in Ottawa, Canada most of my life, I know cold.  While in Canada we had several dogs, an Airedale Terrier, Jack Russell and Standard Poodles. Both the Airedale and poodles suffered from snowballitis.   The only one who did not suffer from snowballs was Jessie our Jack Russell.  We actually had a melting area in our home at our back door.  A big gated in area with a side heater and carpet where the dogs would come in and drip dry.  I was fine with them coming in once their snowballs melted but hated if they distributed their snowballs around the house.  Do you know how many times I had to change my socks?  So they would come in, melt and then come in the rest of the house.

Photo courtesy of Poodleit



Seen here is a Dachshund in a full suit, I know my little Jessie would have been happy to wear this in the deep snow as she literally disappeared from sight hopping into the deep snowbanks.




I stumbled upon this wonderful site the other day, Poodleit .  I surely don't need them for snow now but could most definitely use them for burrs and other things that like to stick onto poodle coats.  Of course it would have to be cooler weather for them to sport the full coats but for sure nice to keep the burrs off the fur.   My standard poodles are much like giant pieces of walking velcro so anything that keeps the burrs and sticky things off is great.  For those of you with furry legged dogs; these are amazing for the snow.

Photo courtesy of Poodleit


And even if you aren't into the full on snowsuit look, the Splash guards would be excellent to save the hardest hit area.  Snowballitis targets the bottom of the leg first then depending on the amount of time spent playing outdoors and how small the dog is or how deep the snow is will factor in how far it spreads.   I remember many times; pulling apart baseball sized snowballs from my Airedale and poodle.

Just a few breeds that might benefit from this type of weather protection would be:

Bouvier
Doodle
Afghan
Spaniels
Portuguese Water Dogs
Wire haired terriers
Big and small fuzzy mixes
Schnauzers and anyone else with furry legs
Grab a blanket and snuggle up with your favorite pooch, it's cold outside.

A dogs mind

I often hear myself saying "who knows what goes on in that little head of his." This statement is most repeatedly about Luke; my thinker. He is a complicated yet simple guy; most dogs are very simple, simple in the good definition of the term (easy to understand). When you understand dogs; I mean really understand the way they communicate; learn and associate, you can then more readily "get" your dog. I am often called out to solve a strange behavior. A behavior from a dog is in simple terms; a reaction to an action.

Many behaviors can be figured out; dissected until you find the base cause and then other times we just never know why a dog displays a certain behavior. Dogs learn through association: connected, joined, or related to. They don't deal with long explanations; hidden agendas or mind games like humans do. Dog's don't hide behind the truth, they don't lie and they don't attempt to be someone they are not. All of this lends itself to a simpleness; that is as I said earlier, simple if you understand dog.

Take separation anxiety; how many people think that when a dog destroys things in your absence that they are angry and doing all of this destruction to show you? I know that almost everyone I speak to who is dealing with this considers their dog to be displaying their dislike for their owner leaving. Dog's don't do spite: a malicious, usually petty, desire to harm, annoy, frustrate, or humiliate another person; bitter ill will; malice. Dog's react; and if they are upset by the fact that you are leaving they will react in a form that anxiety causes. This often takes the form of pooping or peeing, chewing or trying to come out to find you.

Another example that I love "my dog only comes if I yell COOKIE." Let's take this statement apart in pieces.  What happens when you yell cookies? The dog receives a cookie; correct? So when you call your dog COME; what follows? Usually the dog doesn't listen; there is nothing in it for the dog and you the owner probably get mad. You may voice your feelings or simply give up; hence the dog learns that come is either bad or neutral. It is a much better idea to come when you hear COOKIE. Without knowing it you have tapped into the way to train a reliable recall. ;)

I love to watch canine interactions; the number of these connections are down at my house being that many hours are spent in deep sleep. But when they are awake and communicating it is fascinating. Just yesterday Luke was laying on the bed beside my computer as I typed away. Jessie wanted to lay on the bed as well; both are dominant personality dogs. As she approached Luke froze so slightly it was almost undetectable by the human eye; but very much detectable by the canine eye. She immediately turned her head and backed onto the bed; it made me smile. She defused the situation simply by turning her head and not making a direct approach, simple.

Dogs are constantly learning; and you may be teaching things you don't want to teach your dog. This is often the cause of mysterious behaviors. "Everytime I talk on the phone by dog barks." Hmmm; do you get off the phone and address the situation? Do you speak to your dog immediately? Your dog knows how to get your attention without a doubt. Barking is sometimes caused by our reaction itself. Barking get's attention; when you need attention, bark.

Once you figure it out; it is all very simple yet fascinating.

Elsa

Since we added Elsa to our family many, many people have asked me "why did it take so long?"  Yes I could have walked out and got any puppy, anywhere.  But, adding a puppy to my very aging pack and having it work was going to be tricky.  I have been trying to add a puppy to our pack for several years and got very close several times.

My specifications were that the puppy not be dominant and would listen to her elders.  It had to be a "her" because Sir Luke is King around here; or at least he considers him as such and at the ripe old age of eleven I didn't want to dethrone him.  So it had to be a female and it had to not be a girl with a hidden agenda.  I have gone through many litters, testing and watching for just that gal.  One girl was a very close maybe but in the end showed that she was a bit too big for her britches for this pack.

Another puppy and another breeder was an almost, but the puppy was sold out from under us as we were discussing temperament and such.  Moving on.  Then there was a beautiful puppy that was offered to us but in the end the owner choice to keep her and that has been an amazing match itself.   So after several years and scores of litters we finally found her as you have all seen.  Is it a match made in heaven?  I'll have to ask the gang; but she's about as close to "special order" as we could get.  

Humans

We had the dogs down in the canyon again yesterday; I was of course worrying about running into "stupid," again.  You know that guy that we ran into last time we were down there?  The really intelligent one?  As we pulled up to the entrance I got Luke out first and "stupid" was just coming out.  His dog went to the end of his extension leash and right up to the side of my car as the owner was texting.  He yelled at his dog "hey, no."  Honestly; I pulled Luke back around the car.   Really?

We waited and he finally got the dog into the back of his car; once there he signed for the dog to sit, he also asked the dog to sit I don't know how many times and he never did.  The guy finally closed the back of the truck so we head down to the canyon.  So glad we missed this guy and his untrained dog.  Humans!!!!!

In the afternoon I decided to take the little one (Elsa) over to the strip mall for some socializing.  We met lots of folks; although no one wanted to stop and greet her.  It is nice when people stop to say hi but she also has to learn that not everyone wants to say hi so this was one of "those" outings.  That is until we were getting into the car; a woman beside my vehicle was getting her kids into the car.  She spotted Elsa and wanted to say hi; her kids also climbed out of the back of her suv to say hi.

We had a nice greeting, the woman thought that Elsa was adorable (of course).  Her little girl came over and was apprehensive, holding her arms in the air and shrieking.  Ahhhhhh a giant squeaky toy.  Then the Mother pulled out her training skills from Caesar and showed her little girl just how to do it.  She actually did a Caesar "chiccchhh chicchhhhh" on my dog.  What a funny human thing to do; try to train someone else's puppy.   Even as a trainer; unless asked to train someone's dog I would not do this.  Humans.

Dog food drive

Now that the "official" Thanksgiving day and Black Friday are over I'd like to draw your attention to my first annual Just dogs with Sherri Dog Food Drive.  (Flyer above)   I am very excited for this and really hope that as many of you as possible turn out carrying a can, several cans or a bag or two of dog food.  So many people these days have to place their dogs or hand them over to a rescue or shelter simply because they cannot afford to feed them.  Let's feed as many as possible; at least over the holiday season.

I have already had calls, FB messages and emails from people telling me that this has inspired them to "give."  They have bought and donated food to people, shelters and rescues, and I frankly could not be more excited.  If this is enough to create a thought when you are buying your dog's food to buy two and give one; then this is what it is all about.

I received a call from a woman who was considering that she might have to get rid of one of her dogs.  She asked if she could get food and I was gushing with happiness that the word is getting out.  Please come on by and donate some dog food or if you live far away from me then donate anyway.  It is a rough time for many people; giving even just a little is always appreciated.

I carry sample bags of dog food in my car to give to homeless folks on the street with dogs.  I look forward to seeing many of you next Saturday at the event.  If you are a  member of an organization; perhaps you'd like to take up a collection?  Maybe your company can get together and give even more?  If you live elsewhere, why not start your own dog food drive.   The thought has crossed my mind that perhaps December 3rd will become "Feed the dogs," day across the world.  Why not?