Ticks

I had a thoroughly disgusting run in with ticks last weekend and I am now waging war on the horrid creatures.  I have always known about ticks and taken several off of my dogs over the years but last weekend was a first.  Not only did they have ticks; they had lots and lots of ticks.  We just moved to CT where people confirmed "yep there are ticks."  But we were also told that we didn't have to worry at this time of year; so I was leaving my worrying for later on.  We were walking in a beautiful park that is right near our house; this was our third trip to this specific park.

The first time through the park we didn't seem to pick up anything; we had stayed mostly on the paved paths because we'd never been there but did see that there were natural paths through the entire park.  The next visit was glorious and covered with snow so of course I didn't worry about ticks.  Our visit last weekend was through one of those forest paths; it was quiet and beautiful.  We had only let the dogs off leash for a short time as it is very hilly and difficult to see who is around the corner.  Once we were done we hopped in the car and went home.

At home both my husband and I noticed two very tiny black dots on the top of Luke's neck; and at the same time we both said "better check that those aren't ticks."  Oh yes they were ticks.  I hate ticks, I mean really really hate.  I can deal with spiders, mice, lizards and even snakes, but not ticks, I despise the little parasitic things.  Even though they are very tiny they carry a great deal of danger with them.  Not only is there the risk of contacting Lyme's disease but lots of other diseases as well.

So after discovering that those specks were indeed ticks, the freaking began.  I don't get hysterical, it's more a  calm smoldering rage.  I took both dogs down to the grooming area and commenced to brush.  Over 15 ticks in all is what I found on the two dogs.  FIFTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found the most on Elsa and they were already a good way down her coat.  I immediately put Frontline plus on Elsa but not Luke.  Luke is epileptic and the application alone could kill him.  I went over him with a fine tooth comb hoping I'd gotten them all.  Of course for days afterwards I've been scratching my own head with a major case of heebie jeebies.  Honestly, they should all just die; I see no good use for these vial creatures.

So several days later I have found an embedded tick in Luke's neck while grooming him.  I immediately pulled it out; treated his wound with neosporine and took the tick to the Greenwich Health Center where they will test ticks for Lyme and other diseases.  I have to wait until next week to see if it indeed was carrying Lyme.  The guy in the white coat told me that it did look like a female deer tick but we need to see what the test says about Lyme.  If it was infected then Luke will be treated with Doxycycline for approx. 30 days.  Depending on where you are and your vet the treatment may be different.  But it is treated with antibiotics for an extended period of time.

Catching it early is very important although sometimes you just cannot; you may not have ever known that a tick was even on your dog.  It may have latched on, ate for the full extension of their visit and dropped off leaving your dog.  Then the disease sets in and you may or may not notice the signs until they become more prevalent.  At this point it may be too far along to stop some chronic illnesses that your dog will suffer.

So you know, you or your dog cannot contact Lyme disease from another dog or human.  You must indeed be bitten by the infected bug itself.  After researching the subject of ticks the cause is a shift in the wildlife populations.  What the answer is to make it right is up for debate.  We have nearly rid the land of the large predators that prey on deer and used up much of the land in the forest where the deer use to live.  Now they must come into the lands where we live looking for food.  One thing is for sure, I say we band  together and eradicate ticks; they surely are waging a war against us and our dogs.

Ticks in Canada

University of Guelph information

Canadian Lyme disease foundation

Center for disease control and prevention

American Lyme disease foundation

Lime disease in dogs - CT Humane Society

A glimmer of concern

Over the years I have taught a great many dog owners about puppies and their level of concern.  "She doesn't even care if I get mad," or "she's just not getting it."  Puppies are carefree, happy go lucky, frolicking bunch in perpetual motion.  There are overly sensitive puppies or puppies with behavior issues who are not like this but I'm talking about the skipping, daisy picking, head to the wind with ears flapping types (like Elsa).  How do you portray a message to these types?  It's not easy, even when you deliver a message in anger they often wag and hop away leaving you even more angry.

It takes time and patience but it almost always happens.  I'm seeing it happen now; a glimmer of concern and I have to admit that I am loving it.  Elsa is an amazing puppy, she is confident, highly intelligent, very energetic and constantly on the move.  Now at almost 7 months old she is just starting to care so to speak.  Up until now if I got angry at her she would sort of look at me and shrug her shoulders as if to say "whatever," and be on her way.  As far as rewarding her with praise it was the same thing; she is far too busy to consider a pat on the chest as enough "pay" for doing something and again she was on her way.

This is very typical for puppies; and like I said there are of course those who are easy right from the start, like my Tilley.  So getting through to a puppy can be frustrating at best.  As far as error messages or feedback goes, it must be consistent; allowing a behavior because it doesn't seem to be sinking in can be a fatal error.  You are the leader, you must lead.

Connection is a huge factor; the act of bonding with your dog is ever important.  Once the "connection" begins it all becomes easier; that "whatever" attitude slowly turns to "oh no Mom is mad."   A bond is something that is continually growing; the more time you put in the more you will get out.  Bonding is give and take and once the puppy starts to give it is pretty amazing.  From there we all know what a connected relationship with a dog is like; there is nothing else like it.

In the reward aspect of all of this, food or high value item works with puppies.  You want to get a message across when you like a behavior?  Where's the money?  How many times do you think a puppy will come to you for a pat on the head, maybe two times.  Give them a piece of yummy food when they come and they will come forever.  There are puppies who are not food motivated and for those you must search for their item of motivation; perhaps a tennis ball, frisbee, tug toy or chew.

Once the glimmer begins it will continually grow as you work on your relationship.  The quiet moments where there are no distractions is when you can get some really great bonding in.  Just this morning I hauled the not so small Elsa onto my lap as everyone was starting their day.  We had a minute of snuggling and whisper discussion about the day ahead; it may seem small but it is some of the fuel that builds a lasting and caring relationship.

Excuse me Miss

Sitting in my xterra with my two poodles in the back; we were waiting for my son to come out of the CVS.  As usual I was having a discussion with my dogs about the weather, Luke's bath and ticks (blog on ticks later this week.) As I sat waiting I noticed a man speaking to I'm assuming his wife in a van parked behind me.  I had noticed her as soon as I came out of the store; of course because there was a dog in the van with her.  The two kept looking at my car; were they simply admiring Luke and Elsa in the back?  I mean, after all look how cute they are?  (just kidding)  Then the man took his hat off and headed our way.  As he got closer I figured he had a question about my guys.

He came up to my window and said "Excuse me Miss; I see that you work with dogs.  You don't happen to be a trainer are you?"  "Uhhh; yes in fact I am," I said.  Then he got right into it; he had a question and asked away. He had a dog, the one in the car that I had seen.  It was apparently a yorkie, it was a whopper of a yorkie.  The man continued with his story telling me that the dog was a rescue and had become very dog aggressive.  He had taken him to doggie daycare when he first got him and that is where things had changed.  He explained that he now goes ballistic at the mere thought of another dog walking by and had on several occasions lunged and latched onto other dogs.  "How do correct this behavior," he asked.  Wow.

Thinking I had about 2 min. to talk to this gentleman I tried to come up with the most important facts about dogs and aggression.  While I was doing my best to help the man I was also thinking that many people think that there are quick fixes for behaviors.  Of course depending on a behavior, how ingrained a behavior is and the owner of the dog will factor in on how long it will take to get rid of a behavior.  The slower you go the better your prognosis of success as far as I'm concerned.  Never taking the next step to a more difficult level before 100% completion with the task at hand.

Breaking behaviors down into baby sized steps is the way to go; both as far as your starting point and your work table.  You don't try to stop a full on aggressive display 5 min. into it, you work with it before it actually comes into view.  That first glimpse, before the dog tenses up; you get in there are get started before they get started.  No matter what behavior you are trying to teach; it is all about patience, positive reinforcement and goal.  You must have an idea of what you are working towards; if you have no idea then how the heck can you effectively teach your dog how to get there?

So with my son back in the xterra I tried to sum up the best "quick" advice I could give him; told him to be patient as it could be months of work to get where he wanted to be.  I wished him good luck and we head off.  When I had been giving the man some pointers I mentioned positive reinforcement; this obviously hit a cord with him as he smiled.  I knew then that he had been researching the cure for a while and had discovered that there were other ways other than just yanking on the collar; which in fact does absolutely nothing but damage a dogs neck.  "Ah yes positive reinforcement" he said, shadowing my statement.  This made me smile.

Changes

Our pack has changed; the inner workings of each and every pack are fascinating.  Small and large happenings can have a drastic impact on the day to day activities within a family of dogs.  As you all know we have lost two members in a very close time span; an almost unbearable event for the humans but how do our canine pack members deal?  The passing of our little Jessie was most definitely noted; all three remaining dogs searched quietly for the tiny pack member.  I could see them looking around corners and sniffing items that she might be behind.  But due to Jessie being hit with dementia over a year ago her absence had already started back in the beginning of 2011.  Physical and mental health plays a roll in a pack as well.

Jessie had been a force to be reckoned with; an ever presence very alpha bitch.  No one messed with her; they learned quickly who the canine boss was and what you were allowed and not allowed to do.  She was an amazing leader; she was calm and only jumped to action if things got out of control.  Having a small dog with so much presence, so much "big dog" attitude is fun just to watch.  The pack was multi-dimensional and I loved every second with them all.  But nothing ever stays the same.

I was at the beach yesterday with Luke and Elsa; it is strange for me to have only two.  One thing that has been interesting during these last weeks is the degree of interest in my packs shift.  When I talk to other dog folks they are very curious to hear how things have changed.  I realized that people want to learn about the passing of an old and the addition of a new; it can be a scary unknown if you've never dealt with either.  Anytime someone is added or taken away things can change drastically.

For us it has been a big change and that includes Luke.  Elsa has been dealt a softer blow by virtue of her age alone; she is resilient like most youngn's and can move on and adapt quickly and easily.  She most definitely noted the absence of Tilley; she had very much been like a Mother/mentor figure for her.  They were physically close; Elsa is a very touchy feely type and often chose to lay touching Tilley.  She had also taken to caring for Tilley; she cleaned her eyes, face and ears on a daily basis, their connection was undeniable.  But Elsa is fine and showing no negative signs of the loss.  I feel ever grateful that Elsa was able to share so many months with such an amazing roll model.

As for Luke; he is not doing as well as I had thought he would.  I assure you that he is okay and will be fine but he is displaying much more fallout than I had anticipated.  Having spent his entire life with both Jessie and Tilley it goes without saying that he is feeling the loss.  For at least a week after Tilley's passing he seemed okay; I did not see any signs that he was not dealing well.  It took a little over a week for him to realize that she was indeed gone.  Did he think she was just away?  Did he not notice right away due to the upheaval in his life with the move?  For whatever reason it took some time to sink in; then he displayed some seriously heartbreaking behaviors.

Luke has always been my shadow, from the moment he joined us we have basically been joined at the hip.  But he has also always been completely fine with me going out; I work hard at making them really okay with my absence.  So when we returned from dinner one night to hear Luke cry barking all the way from the car we were upset.  I thought that perhaps it was just due to the fact that we had gone out at night, a first here in the new house.  But the following day when I returned from the gym it was the same.  He was also displaying some nervous energy in regards to his following; it had become more clingy, less relaxed.  So the next time I went to leave the house I really noted his need for eye contact; his insecurity about my proximity to him.

It has been a tough time; I like to take my dogs out for one on one, especially the new ones.  But with the monumental events in our life it has been difficult most recently.  Imagine when Luke is feeling so insecure about the loss and move; taking Elsa out and leaving him behind, it is not an option.  So they have tagged along with me for a good week.  Then it was time to work on being at home; together but home.  So I have been going to the gym with no problems.  I leave the television on which has been a huge help; it typically is for any anxious or nervous dog.

I have yet to take Elsa out on her own since Tilley's passing; but we will get back to that.  She has had a huge amount of one on one time before our move and will again; but trying to deal with so many factors in an equation is tricky.  You must balance out the positive and negative; too much either way can lead to more behavior issues.  I am trying very hard to keep physical touch as it was, too much can make it even more difficult to deal with absence.   Even when we humans need more hugs than normal it is the dogs we must consider.  Lavishing hugs, kisses and snuggles feels good for everyone at the time but can lead to an almost unbearable void in your absence.

As we all know, dogs share far too little of our lives with us.  They pass through quickly, leaving a huge imprint on our heart.  Change is a fact of life; how we deal with that change will hugely impact how our dogs manage to deal with it all.  We must always be aware that change not only impacts humans but also our canine family and as such we must help them adjust.

Changes

Our pack has changed; the inner workings of each and every pack are fascinating.  Small and large happenings can have a drastic impact on the day to day activities within a family of dogs.  As you all know we have lost two members in a very close time span; an almost unbearable event for the humans but how do our canine pack members deal?  The passing of our little Jessie was most definitely noted; all three remaining dogs searched quietly for the tiny pack member.  I could see them looking around corners and sniffing items that she might be behind.  But due to Jessie being hit with dementia over a year ago her absence had already started back in the beginning of 2011.  Physical and mental health plays a roll in a pack as well.

Jessie had been a force to be reckoned with; an ever presence very alpha bitch.  No one messed with her; they learned quickly who the canine boss was and what you were allowed and not allowed to do.  She was an amazing leader; she was calm and only jumped to action if things got out of control.  Having a small dog with so much presence, so much "big dog" attitude is fun just to watch.  The pack was multi-dimensional and I loved every second with them all.  But nothing ever stays the same.

I was at the beach yesterday with Luke and Elsa; it is strange for me to have only two.  One thing that has been interesting during these last weeks is the degree of interest in my packs shift.  When I talk to other dog folks they are very curious to hear how things have changed.  I realized that people want to learn about the passing of an old and the addition of a new; it can be a scary unknown if you've never dealt with either.  Anytime someone is added or taken away things can change drastically.

For us it has been a big change and that includes Luke.  Elsa has been dealt a softer blow by virtue of her age alone; she is resilient like most youngn's and can move on and adapt quickly and easily.  She most definitely noted the absence of Tilley; she had very much been like a Mother/mentor figure for her.  They were physically close; Elsa is a very touchy feely type and often chose to lay touching Tilley.  She had also taken to caring for Tilley; she cleaned her eyes, face and ears on a daily basis, their connection was undeniable.  But Elsa is fine and showing no negative signs of the loss.  I feel ever grateful that Elsa was able to share so many months with such an amazing roll model.

As for Luke; he is not doing as well as I had thought he would.  I assure you that he is okay and will be fine but he is displaying much more fallout than I had anticipated.  Having spent his entire life with both Jessie and Tilley it goes without saying that he is feeling the loss.  For at least a week after Tilley's passing he seemed okay; I did not see any signs that he was not dealing well.  It took a little over a week for him to realize that she was indeed gone.  Did he think she was just away?  Did he not notice right away due to the upheaval in his life with the move?  For whatever reason it took some time to sink in; then he displayed some seriously heartbreaking behaviors.

Luke has always been my shadow, from the moment he joined us we have basically been joined at the hip.  But he has also always been completely fine with me going out; I work hard at making them really okay with my absence.  So when we returned from dinner one night to hear Luke cry barking all the way from the car we were upset.  I thought that perhaps it was just due to the fact that we had gone out at night, a first here in the new house.  But the following day when I returned from the gym it was the same.  He was also displaying some nervous energy in regards to his following; it had become more clingy, less relaxed.  So the next time I went to leave the house I really noted his need for eye contact; his insecurity about my proximity to him.

It has been a tough time; I like to take my dogs out for one on one, especially the new ones.  But with the monumental events in our life it has been difficult most recently.  Imagine when Luke is feeling so insecure about the loss and move; taking Elsa out and leaving him behind, it is not an option.  So they have tagged along with me for a good week.  Then it was time to work on being at home; together but home.  So I have been going to the gym with no problems.  I leave the television on which has been a huge help; it typically is for any anxious or nervous dog.

I have yet to take Elsa out on her own since Tilley's passing; but we will get back to that.  She has had a huge amount of one on one time before our move and will again; but trying to deal with so many factors in an equation is tricky.  You must balance out the positive and negative; too much either way can lead to more behavior issues.  I am trying very hard to keep physical touch as it was, too much can make it even more difficult to deal with absence.   Even when we humans need more hugs than normal it is the dogs we must consider.  Lavishing hugs, kisses and snuggles feels good for everyone at the time but can lead to an almost unbearable void in your absence.  

As we all know, dogs share far too little of our lives with us.  They pass through quickly, leaving a huge imprint on our heart.  Change is a fact of life; how we deal with that change will hugely impact how our dogs manage to deal with it all.  We must always be aware that change not only impacts humans but also our canine family and as such we must help them adjust.

Error marker

Correction:  punishment intended to reform, improve or rehabilitate, chastisement, reproof.

I try very hard not to use the term correction; in the most common understanding of the term it is a word associated to stopping a behavior.  Most of us learned that term correction was used to replace a collar yank, a choke collar "correction."  Being that the term itself has such a negative association I try very hard not to use it.  This is made easier by the fact that I do not give collar corrections to my own or others dogs who I am working with.

The only time I find myself using the term is when I see a "self correction."  I should start using the term "self error marker."  I love when this happens; a natural reaction is caused by an action performed by your dog without your interference.  This typically leaves a lasting impression; a lesson well learned so to speak.  A "self error marker," can happen at anytime and with any behavior.  The similarity to them all is that the marker is caused by some sort of behavior.

Yesterday we had perfect example of a "self error marker," happen.  Elsa was getting a tad out of control; she was getting over tired which is usually when she gets into trouble.  She was harassing Luke and after much ignoring of my redirection she chose to make one last dive at him at the exact same time as he decided to get off of the couch.  There was no anger intended by either; it was all circumstance.  As Elsa made a leap to pounce upon Luke he was in mid motion of getting off the couch and she crashed.  Elsa crashed to the floor; I watched it all unfold and watched her reaction to this "self error marker."  She made the smallest yipe; shook her head, stood looking at Luke at this time had finished his decent from the couch and was very nonchalantly looking at her.  I could tell that she thought that he was very serious, he had meant business this time.  She did a few double takes in Luke's direction and headed towards Mom for some reassurance.

This type of situation is actually highly desirable; a lesson given and learned without us, the owner having to be the bad guy.  I was nowhere near where it all came down and sat watching across the room so there was no negative association on me.  Once done Luke walk away calmly so Elsa was simply left with a "guess I pushed him a bit far lesson."

I remember a lesson that happened to a wild and crazy dog several years back.  It was just a dog in the park but the timing and delivery of the lesson was amazingly perfect.  It was a young male yellow lab who had spotted Luke from across the park and headed our way.  The owner was yelling and yelling for the dog to come back; the dog had no intention of going back.  I could see that the dog was only excited and not aggressive so I watched; there was actually little else to do.  It charged full speed, straight at Luke and was suddenly and instantly stopped and propelled up and backwards onto his back.  He his a soccer net that was right in his path; and being that he was so excited to get to Luke he had not seen it.  This was about as good as it gets.  He too stood up; shook it off, had a quick look around, looked at Luke and high tailed it back to his owner.  From the impact of that life lesson I believe it was probably the last time he charged off from his owner.

I have witnessed many, many "self error markers," over the years of training and they have always been a very welcome assistance to our normal training.  It's called life and sometimes life deals you lessons that you need to pay attention to.  

Getting through it

If you haven't already heard, I'm writing a book; I'm actually writing several, but this book is about my trip across the Country with my son and four dogs.  Getting through it has been difficult, it's like reliving it all over again.  But I will plod my way through and hopefully come out at the end less overwhelmed than I was after the real thing.  Below is an snippet from the book; these two paragraphs take place on the morning of our second day.  

Getting my book done is filling my days right now; I feel the need to get it done before I forget some of the key factors of it all.

*******************************

Leaving Flagstaff, AZ

As we left the meteor area driving once again through the middle of nowhere I really wanted to stop and let the dogs rip.   Looking out over the vast empty fields scattered sporadically with cattle I realized that this might be a no, no.  There were no fences anywhere so someone had to be keeping their eye on these cows.  We drove past many fields that were free of cattle and for as far as the naked eye could see there were no cows around.  I chose a spot that seemed to be perfect; we stopped and decided to let Luke and Elsa out for a tear.   The ground was frozen solid which was a very good thing as I realized that dirt beneath our feet was scattered with huge cow pies.  I wanted to let the dogs rip and rip is what they did.  So glad to be off leash in an open field it did my heart as much good as their bodies to see them soar. 

I knew it was too good to be true; within moments an SUV could be seen coming from the “meteor compound.”   The dog police (actually the cattle guard) were even out here in the middle of nowhere.  The SUV stopped short of my xterra and the woman in uniform got out.  She appeared as an ominous figure which freaked Elsa out so performing her best tough guy act she ran to protect her family.  I shouted before the Cattle Guard could say anything “guess you want us to leave?”  “Not allowed on this land, it’s privately owned.”  “The cattle ranchers own it, it’s private land.”  Heading back to the suv shaking my head I stated “yep we’re leaving, just wanted to let my dogs stretch their legs.”  I got the dogs into the xterra and climbed in myself leaving her talking to herself.  Not one other car had come down this road; there were miles and miles of cow free fields, really?

******************************************

It was a truly epic journey and I will do my best to share the adventure on paper with you all.  Stay tuned.  

Through my lens

Killer wolves??????????????????????????????????????

Last year at this time I had visited the California Wolf Center.  It was amazing and I got some wonderful photographs.  When we visited we were the only ones there; we had a private tour so I was able to ask away.  Of course I had a million questions; I wanted to know the truth to so many myths thrown around about wolf/dog behaviors.  I'm writing about wolves this morning because there is a new movie out; The Grey.  (The advertising before the teaser is Science Diet; one of the worst foods out there that I in no way support.)

I have not seen this movie "The Grey" and am not sure that I want to.  Liam Neeson is easily one of my favorite actors; if a movie features him then I'm likely going to see it.  But; this movie could be very detrimental to wolves, fallout hysteria.  I am a fan of The California Wolf Center on Facebook and this morning they posted an article from Global Animal Magazine; titled "The Grey:" - A Bad Fairy Tale About Wolves.  It is a good read; I had no idea that the numbers of wolves had risen, this is great news but the movie may be the undoing to a rise in numbers.

More than likely I would have seen the movie because of the leading man; even though when I saw the trailer on television I had my doubts immediately.  Everything looks great on the trailer, the actor, the scenery, the crash...............all but the pack of wolves out to kill everyone.   Once I read the opinion of director Joe Carnahan on wolves I will definitely not see the movie.  It is amazing that a movie can affect people but it will most definitely be fuel for those who would see harm come to wolves.  They could have easily substituted the wolves in the movie for some scary snow monster; I would have gone to see that for sure.

As I sit here in bed writing I am constantly aware of my own two dogs cozy and safe on my bed dreaming away.  When you love dogs; how can you not love wolves?  Our dogs have us to protect them; who is going to protect the wolves?  US.   Sadly I believe that this movie was a very bad selection for Liam Neeson; there will be fallout most definitely but after reading about the opinions of someone like the director I ask you to think twice before funding someone like this.

Killer wolves??????????????????????????????????????

Last year at this time I had visited the California Wolf Center.  It was amazing and I got some wonderful photographs.  When we visited we were the only ones there; we had a private tour so I was able to ask away.  Of course I had a million questions; I wanted to know the truth to so many myths thrown around about wolf/dog behaviors.  I'm writing about wolves this morning because there is a new movie out; The Grey.  (The advertising before the teaser is Science Diet; one of the worst foods out there that I know no way support.)

I have not seen this movie "The Grey" and am not sure that I want to.  Liam Neeson is easily one of my favorite actors; if a movie features him then I'm likely going to see it.  But; this movie could be very detrimental to wolves, fallout hysteria.  I am a fan of The California Wolf Center on Facebook and this morning they posted an article from Global Animal Magazine; titled "The Grey:" - A Bad Fairy Tale About Wolves.  It is a good read; I had no idea that the numbers of wolves had risen, this is great news but the movie may be the undoing to a rise in numbers.

More than likely I would have seen the movie because of the leading man; even though when I saw the trailer on television I had my doubts immediately.  Everything looks great on the trailer, the actor, the scenery, the crash...............all but the pack of wolves out to kill everyone.   Once I read the opinion of director Joe Carnahan on wolves I will definitely not see the movie.  It is amazing that a movie can affect people but it will most definitely be fuel for those who would see harm come to wolves.  They could have easily substituted the wolves in the movie for some scary snow monster; I would have gone to see that for sure.

As I sit here in bed writing I am constantly aware of my own two dogs cozy and safe on my bed dreaming away.  When you love dogs; how can you not love wolves?  Our dogs have us to protect them; who is going to protect the wolves?  US.   Sadly I believe that this movie was a very bad selection for Liam Neeson; there will be fallout most definitely but after reading about the opinions of someone like the director I ask you to think twice before funding someone like this.

strangers

Stranger = a person with whom you have no personal acquaintance.  A newcomer.

A stranger is a stranger for our dogs and as such are given the stranger treatment.  That treatment will vary vastly depending on the dog.  Many dogs treat strangers as if they are long lost family members; others are cordial but that's as far as it goes and then there are dogs who treat strangers as strangers.  We drill the message "don't talk to strangers," into our children's heads as youngsters; teaching them that you don't talk to people who you do not know.  But with our dogs we expect them to welcome strangers with open arms or legs as it is.  What's the deal?

We all want friendly dogs; we want everyone to think that our dogs are just the best dogs right?  Even the best of dogs reserve the right to pass judgement on those who they do not know.  In the beginning, way back when our dogs lived in wolf packs there was no such thing as a good stranger.  Strangers meant something bad; an invading member of rival pack perhaps or a wolf out for no good.  There were  no friendly strangers and all were dealt with by a fiercely united pack.

So what if you have a dog that is not so friendly with strangers?  You help them first to realize that strangers are not a bad thing.  Do not have strangers approach your dog if they don't want to be approached; this is the first step for your dog to realize that strangers are not out for them.  No eye contact, touching or talking to your dog.  Once your dog sees that strangers are not solely interested in them; things start to lighten up.  From there you can move to strangers come bearing gifts.  Still no eye contact, just treats offered from an open hand that is not reaching out.

When you meet a dog or enter into someone's home that has a dog you should remain neutral.  The dog will react how they will react and it is this that you need to gauge your greeting.  As much as I love dogs I do not greet dogs when I enter a home either for a shoot or training.  I watch the dog without looking at them and adjust my behavior accordingly.  Even dogs that are of guarding or aggressive nature will adjust their behavior to more appropriate if you are neutral.

One of the biggest mistakes that humans make when they meet dogs is to pet them; often even lavishing attention on them.  Depending on who is on the receiving end of this attention can send a situation in a very wrong direction.  Luke use to be a very competitive guy; he loved to intimidate when at all possible.  When someone came into our home and started petting immediately; he took that as a sign of weakness.  After all these strangers were paying Luke (the king) lavish attention, and they didn't even know him.  This to a dog means that they are conceding his status over them.  Once these lowly newcomers then attempted to take matters into their own hands by walking into our house; Luke found it necessary to remind them who he was and who's house this was.  The people were always shocked  "I was just petting him," they would state with a puzzled face searching for answers.  Ah yes; the human who does not understand canine.

Watch your dog interacting with strangers; their behavior will give you all the clues as far as what needs working on.   It may be a fear based behavior which typically escalates only when the human persists in a greeting.  There are dogs who will never be interested in meeting strangers; that is fine as well, they are good with their pack and don't need anyone else in their life.  Listen and watch; our dogs really do give us all we need as far as the information that we need.

Electric fences

I have to say that I am shocked; since moving to Connecticut it has become obvious that most use electric fences.  I haven't been here long enough to discover why people opt for an electric fence over a traditional fence but I will find out.  My first day out in daylight brought this to my attention.  Looking around as I drove the neighborhood I realized that there were no fences.  I thought maybe it was because the properties are so big; they are all around the 2 acres range.

Now that I've been here for over a month I've been around.  Even the smaller properties in town have no fences.  Talking to some of residence they have concurred that they indeed use electric fences.  Like I said; I'm shocked.  I'm shocked that this many people use electric fences.  I'm a fence person; I love fences, I mean really really love them.  They make having dogs in my life really easy, safe and secure.  But the fences I love are the physical type, chain link, page wire, wood, block wall or stone, not electric.

Over the years I have heard many stories of dogs who go through the electric zap but don't come back.  Just imagine a squirrel driven dog; chasing a squirrel is definitely worth a zap.  Coming back through the zap to get home, not so much.  Fallout, with dogs there is always fallout behaviors.  Just like with pinch or prong collars the association is unavoidable.  Pain is quickly paired with whatever is near, a dog walking by, a person jogging or a child on a bike; the dog believes that this event caused the pain.  The same thing can happen with electric fences; dogs walking by cause painful zaps, perhaps it is vehicles that cause the pain to happen.  Whatever it is that would draw a dog near or across the fence line is the cause of the pain by association.

Great article on electric fences and collars. 

The link above is an article published in the Whole Dog Journal; it is a good read although I was nearly in tears and almost could not continue reading about the Airedale Andy.

Electric fences will not keep a dog in if they want out badly enough but they will definitely keep them from coming back home.  They do not have any safety value as far as keeping other dogs or animals out of your yard.  With the amount of deer in the area I would think that keeping them out of the yard would be enough to put up a real fence.  Sure they can jump a fence but I'm sure they'd rather go next door to the house without a fence to eat.  As far as using the excuse that fences may be unsightly?  I don't get this one, I love fences.

I cannot imagine putting a collar on my dogs and starting the electric shock training.  Knowing my dogs so well I do know that they would both be traumatized; the emotional fallout would be horrific.  I will never use an electric collar.  For me the good old fashion fence system is my choice of canine containment; zapping is not even a consideration.

Masters of the scent

This deer shot was taken in Victoria, BC several years ago.

We were all sitting quietly in the family room; after a big hike and a play session with a new friend Elsa was baffed.  Luke was curled up under one of his favorite blankets enjoying the warm fire and his peeps.  In an instant it all changed, Elsa's nose shot straight up in the air; she inhaled hard moving her nose around to catch the best scent.  Then she barked, Luke stuck his nose in the air and did the exact same thing.  Luke now standing on the couch and Elsa running around the room trying to capture the scent they were onto something.  We lowly humans sat wondering what they were smelling; obviously something very potent as nothing had changed in the indoor environment.

We have deer here in Connecticut and they come very close to the house.  We all thought that perhaps a deer had just walked by; I turned on the outside lights and had a look, nothing.  We listened to the best of our ability; our much inferior ears could not hear a thing and our noses certainly could not smell whatever it was that the dogs were smelling.  It was over as quickly as it started and everyone settled once again.

The next morning I had a look around outside the house; I checked the area that would be just outside the family room and sure enough, fresh deer tracks.  I know that dogs are amazing at scenting but the fact that they smelled a deer walk outside the house is still amazing to me.  Imagine being able to smell things like that? Was there a time when we human had that degree of scent ability?  Perhaps, but it is most definitely long gone now.  Luke has amazed me with his scent ability for years; he is our great spider hunter.  I have written a previous blog on him and his amazing spider talents.  (Click here to read the past blog on Luke's spider talents)

Having Elsa around reminds me daily how amazing dogs senses are; old dogs lose much of their senses so it's been much less vigilant around for a while.  I could come and go without the old girls even knowing.  I could vacuum all around their snug little bodies without them stirring.  Watching Elsa with her seemingly bionic ears and eyes brings it all back.  Dogs are far more superior than us in many ways.

What color is your retriever?

For many years my husband has said "I'd love a Golden Retriever."  He happens to be quite allergic to dogs so that's not happening anytime soon.  He loves the look of a yellow lab; the Old Yeller types, something about those retrievers.  When we added Luke to our life we had added the Golden part of a Golden Retriever.  As he grew I stood watching him while my husband tossed the ball or threw a frisbee it dawned on me "we had a golden retriever."  Of course I pointed that out to my husband............many times.  He
adores our poodles; he is one of the great supporters of the versatility of the breed.

Now we have yet another Golden Retriever; no not an actual breed replica but she is gold and she is an amazing retriever.  In fact I know that she will be an amazing whatever as she is up for anything, anytime.  I ran into a woman at the beach the other day; in fact her yellow lab went and saved our ball from floating away.  Both Luke and Elsa had stood up to their ankles in the water watching it go out with the tide.  Too cold for some very smart poodles.  "Great," I thought to myself; then hoped that a Labrador might come by to save it and she did.

When we stopped to talk to the woman with the lab I told her about Tilley and how she was an amazing frisbee dog.  She told me how her son wanting nothing more than a frisbee dog.  This lab girl had tons of drive but she was very short legged and hefty so she obviously did not resemble the sleek types that fly in the air.  But; she most certainly had speed, amazing speed for such short legs and with enough training I'm sure she could be a great frisbee dog.  Maybe not the airborne type like Tilley but definitely a great catcher.

I love watching all the dogs at the beach; they are all different, each having their own talent.  Some dogs excel at just about anything they do; others have very specific talents and shine in their own arena.  It is especially amusing when you see dogs who look they are little lap dogs; only to see them charge across a field and dive into the air grasping a tiny disc catapulted by their owner.  Seeing the huge buff body of an English Bulldog seemingly swimming with ease is quite the scene when it seems that they should sink.  Of course many of the breed do sink and should always wear a life jacket.

Dogs are dogs and as such should be given every opportunity to excel at their passion.  Each dog is different; I know many Golden retrievers who have no intention of retrieving anything.  I know German Shepherds who will hold the front door open for an intruder and Yorkie's who would give their life defending their family and home.  When a new dog joins your family it gives you the opportunity to do something new; discover your new family member and how they will enrich your life via new experiences.

When we were waiting for the day that our Elsa would join us I clearly remember saying "I can't wait to meet her."  I was very anxious to see who she was and would be.  She is still unraveling, she's not done yet but taking the journey around each corner with her as she grows is an amazing part of it all.  But one thing is for sure; we have added another amazing Golden Retriever to the pack.

Snacking and TV watching

Yesterday was the big football day; not that I am a football fan at all but I love the action.  Some of my best memories are those from when I use to shoot my sons football games in High School.  I love to shoot action; and seeing the resulting photos with people flying in the air and emotion playing out on their face is amazing.  But my better half and my son were watching the big games yesterday so I was sort of floating in and out of the family room.  Luke was snuggled on the couch for the entirety of the both games.  We'd gone for a big hike in the woods, met a few new friends and saw some cool new sites, Luke was exhausted.  Elsa joined him now and again but she was mostly scouting for food.

One of the many joys of old dogs is that they know; they have their training done long ago and life just gets simpler.  I remember when I had three dogs and I could leave a coffee table full of food and walk away knowing that when I got back it would all be there where I left it.  Luke is amazing; he would NEVER eat off the table unless asked to do so.  Even then he'd probably have huge stress issues about doing it; he's a "only needs telling once," sort of guy.

As I sat watching Elsa watch the food on the table I realized how far she'd come.  She is by pure definition of the meaning; a chow hound.  She loves food too much and has a very difficult time controlling herself around it, any of it.  So when she walked past our legs, brushing the nose level table filled with food without giving it a second glance I was proud to say the least.  She is learning that the only way to get any of the food when we are eating is to go and lay down on her bed.  (Of course not everyone always listens to these rules (humans)).

The table is off limits, that is what you must ingrain in their heads.  If it's on the table; you don't touch it!!!! Simple, right?  Not always.  Some dogs just "get it."  Others need a ton of work, supervision, feedback and more supervision.  Elsa is one of these types, it has everything to do with how much they really want that food.  But that said the closer the bond that you forge the easier it is.  Puppies in general don't give a hoot if you are mad at them; it typically doesn't really phase them.  Once your puppy starts to mature and you become an important person in their life then it starts to matter.  I am seeing that now at 6 months of age.

One of the most important things to remember when trying to teach our dogs what to touch and not to touch is our role in the matter.  You must keep an "I can do this," attitude otherwise you can't do it.  If you have a wishy washy attitude; sort of like "ah..........she keeps taking stuff," then she always will.  The ever famous phrase "give them an inch and they'll take a mile," stands true with our dogs.  One sniff of the table leads to a lick which leads to a head turn which leads to a full on steal.  So dig your heels in and make a statement "no touching my stuff," believe it, follow through and you will soon have a dog that you can be proud of.  One who can join you for those football watching days of food and kick back.

Dog play

Good Sunday morning; it is a chilly one here in Connecticut and the sun is just up.  I hope you all had a good day yesterday; we spent much of it outside in a snow storm playing with the dogs, what fun.  Elsa has decided that snow is pretty wonderful; I believe it comes a close second to sand.  She loves sand and when her toes hit it, its like something happens inside of her.  She comes unglued and tears around like a maniac out of control.  She has always been like this, even when she'd just hit the sand at a park in the playground area she'd be off flipping out at the end of her leash.

Speaking of sand we were at the beach again on Friday.  The dogs had a wonderful time and it was not very crowded; we saw maybe 6-7 other dogs in total which is a nice number.  Far too often there are just too many dogs and when the number of dogs goes up to big numbers so can the stress levels.  The chance of fights or other behavior issues rise with stress levels.  So hitting a dog park or beach in the off hours is always the best bet.

Not all dogs that visit beaches or parks have learned how to play nice.   Many people bring their dogs to interact with other dogs but don't give appropriate feedback.  Feedback is essential and if your dog does  not know how to play nice then best to not bring them to an off leash park before working on behavior problems.  Certain behaviors may be okay at home with siblings but might not fly with strange dogs at the park.

There are a large number of dogs who do not have good communication skills.  They may naturally have an  obnoxious personality even though they have had a great deal of socializing with other dogs. Or they may lack the experience of playing with and reading other dogs.  No matter why, they need feedback from their owners, you.  If they won't quit you need to remove them.

When Luke was a puppy I took him often to the dog park to play with other dogs.  It made all the difference in the world.  To this day he is very social; but he has his limits.  He puts up with a lot, more so with females which is very normal; but even with males he puts up with a lot of nonsense.  One line that he draws is with mounting, many dogs will not put up with this.  Mounting is a very dominant behavior and can get a dog into serious trouble; it should absolutely never be allowed with strange dogs.  One foot on the way up to a mount can be all that is needed to start a fight.

Elsa has amazing communication skills, I just love to watch her ability to read and interact appropriately.  Giving dogs the opportunity to interact with other dogs is a wonderful thing but like many things in life more is not better.  Too much can be a bad thing; dogs get tired, cranky and then problems begin so like I always say "quit while you're ahead."   Had a good short visit at the park?  Leave on a positive, don't hang around for a negative.  Dogs don't need hours and hours of full speed running............patience grows thin when tired.

This and that

Friday; TGIF right?  Wrapping up the week and heading into the weekend is always a welcome time.  What a week; it was an emotional one for me as I worked through some separation anxiety with Luke.  He is no doubt taking note of his missing siblings and learning to cope.  Helping him through it makes dealing with the loss myself a must; I have wrapped my arms around his head numerous times a day telling him that I am so sorry that he lost his life partners.  Sometimes we forget, it is not only us that suffer with loss.  Luke lived with both Jessie and Tilley his entire life; it's not easy to adjust to them being gone.  But together we will make it through, we are a pretty tight pair.

This week was also filled with getting out and socializing.  Elsa makes us get out which is a great thing.   With her bubbly, cup half full attitude she enjoys everything that life has to offer her.  Even a tiny cranberry can bring much joy for both her and anyone watching her.  I offered her one the other day and she played with it for a good 20 minutes before deciding that she would eat it.  She tossed it around just like the bugs she played with back in California.  She bats at it, curls her lips up at it and generally takes great joy in the tiny red piece of shriveled fruit.  It is uplifting just watching her enjoy such tiny things.

We met several other poodle people while we were out being social.  I am stopped often when people see the two blonde poodles strutting down the street.  Both Elsa and Luke have those big smiley faces and people cannot help but smile back.  I think today that we might hit the beach again; it is much more crowded on the weekends so today might be the day.  I was really hoping that the weatherman was correct and we would indeed have snow last night but again we were passed over.  No snow this morning.

So what's on the agenda for this weekend?  Hmmm?  I think getting out for some exploring is ahead.  I really want to have a good look around so I'd like to dedicate at least one day a weekend for checking out the surrounding cities.  We hit New Canaan last weekend with the dogs; what a great little town, so cute.  We visited one of their great parks with the dogs although it was so cold that my fingers were numb.  Elsa very much enjoys the cold; Luke is still thinking about it.  Perhaps a nice warm jacket will help?  I'll give it a go; he's never been one to wear stuff but maybe a nice new down jacket will warm him up to the idea of these cold temps.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are going to be doing with your pooches.

Return policy

Recently I've spoken with several people who acquired a dog and then for some reason or other had to return it.  In these tough financial times, sadly many people find themselves in situations that they had not expected.  Losing a job can be life altering and then not being able to secure another form of employment can change everything even further.  What happens when you get a puppy and either the puppy doesn't fit or for some reason you simply cannot keep a puppy?  The return policy.

Over the years I've heard a great deal about return policies; some are amazing, others not so much.  In my opinion when you choose to breed you take on the responsibility of all that you breed.  Meaning that each and every dog that you put out there in the world, you are responsible for.  If that means that you have to reclaim a puppy due to being duped by someone, then you do it.  If one of your families finds themselves is need of returning a puppy because they are a statistic of today's financial issues; then you take it back.  No matter what, you take your puppies back.

I spoke to one breeder who said "you better be sure because I don't want any puppies back."  Her stance on returning was not; she wasn't taking back a puppy for any reason.  When most other breeders that I know write in their contract; if for any reason you are unable to keep your puppy, it will be returned to the breeder. Of course the more puppies that you put out there the higher the possibility that some will come back.  I guess other than taking back a puppy is the money issue.  All puppies should be taken back if needed; that's just a given.  But the money issue is a tricky one.

Knowing many breeders and their policies, they are all different.  One particular breeder that I know takes puppies back and returns money no matter what.  Her thoughts are for her puppies alone; "give me the puppy, here is your money back."   Returning monies paid for a puppy when that said puppy is returned most definitely makes things more simple.  It leaves nothing lingering; all ties are severed, nothing to discuss further.
Sometimes it just doesn't work; for whatever reason a puppy chosen hasn't fit the family.  Should the family pay for this?  I think not.  Those people who may have had thought that a puppy would fit wonderfully could suffer greatly with the loss of that money.  Maybe money is the reason that they cannot keep the puppy; either way I think that it should be returned.

 Life is not a science and if even you do your homework it sometimes goes wrong.  What matters is that the puppy is placed in a home where it fits; that is what is the most important thing.  For a breeder this means work, but that is the work that you chose when you started breeding.   Returning all money is most definitely the easiest and cleanest policy to have but; then there are the people who dupe you.  They convince you of the great home they have for your puppy; they are just the greatest family.  But then you find out otherwise; do you return money to these people when you take back your puppy?  A thought to ponder.

Tying up the funds can draw out the agony which has already been placed before you.  Litigation may follow as these less than upstanding citizens attempt to retrieve their funds from you.  Is it worth it?  The time and the effort to keep their money?  That is a very personal question both with regards to situation and personal option.  I do think in the long run that even for these "bad" folks that it is easier to just give it back.  You have your puppy back which is the important part; there is good in that fact alone.

Breeding dogs is huge; there are so many aspects to it if..............you are an ethical, reliable and "good" breeder.  It's easy if you have no heart and pump out puppies like they are pet rocks.  But if you want to breed dogs so that other people can enjoy healthy, happy dogs then do it right.  Making money should NEVER be behind it because money is behind the bad ones.

First snow

Elsa trying to figure this stuff out.

Yesterday was our first snow here in Connecticut.  It was the first snowfall for the poodles; they saw and walked in snow in Flagstaff, AZ and New Mexico on our trip across the country but never the fresh stuff.  Elsa took a few hesitant first steps very early in the morning and soon discovered that this white stuff was pretty great.  Luke not so much, I could tell that he was not a fan of it at first.  He's getting up there and this simply made his feet cold.  But he too ignored the white stuff after a while when Elsa convinced him that a good romp would do him good.  I of course couldn't wait to shoot them in the snow; I have not had the chance to shoot snow much living in Southern California.  This wasn't a huge snowfall but it was snow.  Enjoy, I sure did.

Seems good enough to play ball in.

Except that the snow on the ball is weird.

Who's moving first?

It's on.

I'll get you my pretty.

Having fun

The body hurl

Elsa looking very human on her two legs

The neck chomp

The ball stare down

Zooming

Elsa using her full tail to lure Luke in for the attack.

Loving every second playtime.

Luke has wonderful ball removal technique

Luke, pondering this cold white stuff

New puppies

Today's blog is a response to a request for a blog topic.  It happens to be something that I am very passionate about and have written about often in the past.  Choosing a puppy should take a great deal of time and effort.  I don't care if you want a mix, a tiny yorkie, giant Irish Wolfhound or pound puppy; we need to look inside as well as outside.  Temperament!!!!!!!!  As someone who does temperament testing I get to see the vast difference a litter can hold.  It really bothers me when people sell puppies as soon as they are born; it is often all done by color.  Other breeders let people choose once the puppies are moving around; 2-3 weeks seems to be a popular age.

What are you getting?  If you choose a puppy before the age of 6-7 weeks of age then you have absolutely no idea of what you are getting.  That said, if you do not take puppies away from the pack and visit on their own then you really don't know what you are getting.  Within a pack or litter, the puppies typically work out a hierarchy.  It can change as the puppies age but the behaviors that you see within the litter can be drastically different once you stand a puppy on it's own.   Often the tough guy of the bunch is the biggest chicken when they are all alone.  Maybe the little meek puppy is the best at handling different sounds and sights.  You just don't know until you test.

The first thing to look for when getting a new puppy is a breeder who places puppies into the most appropriate homes for their temperament.  Many times a litter may be very similar so there can be many choices for a family; but other times they are all very different and there may be only one suitable puppy.  Then there are times when there is not a puppy to fit; this may be the case when a family is looking for something very particular.  I cannot tell you what you want in a dog; that is something that a family must sit down and decide.  It may be a super athlete, you want a super charged, energetic, go getter.  Maybe you want a quiet, mellow and calm dog; the ones I call "porch dogs."

Are you looking for a therapy dog?  One that can visit either children, elderly or sick patients?  You may be wanting to do search and rescue, go to ground, dock diving, competitive obedience or flyball.  When you are looking for something particular you need to look for something particular.  For myself, I was looking for a dog who was very social, a tail wagger who was not dominant.  I needed a puppy who would respect her elders and it had to be a "she."  I went through a great number of litters and it just never seemed to be the right fit.  When I found Elsa's breeder I told her what I was looking for; we spoke over the weeks until the temperament test.  Elsa was the one for us.

My question for those who don't try to match puppy to family is why not?  Why not give the puppy the best chance at having it be a forever home?  One of the biggest reasons that a puppy doesn't work is that it is not the right puppy for the family.  Like I always, always say, every dog is different and every person is different.  Knowing what you want and what you can and cannot live with is a good thing.  This fact alone has many dog lovers shaking their head claiming "you should love them all."  That would be nice in a fairly tale world but it is not reality.  I know that I love all dogs, that in no way means that I want to live with all dogs.

Temperament is important; so is health and structure.  Is genetic health testing important?  Most definitely.  And my question again would be "why not?"  Why not do the best you can?  Why not be sure, or at least as sure as you can be?  Of course things can happen, dogs get sick just like people get sick.  But if a breeder chooses not to test then they are working blind and in my opinion not doing their job.  I have heard many breeders say "they have very healthy lines, no problems in their lines," but without the tests they don't really know.    Even though dogs may seem to be healthy they can be carrying secret genetic health issues that will be passed down to their offspring.   But that lacks breeder will never know and neither will that new puppy owner until it rears it's ugly face.

If you are getting a shelter or rescue puppy then make sure it is the puppy you are looking for.  I believe that all rescue groups should be doing temperament testing; many do not.  Of course they cannot do genetic testing because many dogs come from an unknown background.  But they can fit puppies and/or dogs with the appropriate family.  I have been to many behavior appointments where the cause of the "issues" is the wrong puppy in the wrong home.  Sometimes it has been the wrong breed entirely; the person has not done their research.  There have been misplaced rescue dogs from the groups that do not do temperament testing.

Having a dog join your family can be a time of transition and challenge when it is a good fit.  When it is a mismatch it can be a continual struggle to make it work; creating a situation that could have been easily avoided by matching puppy with family.