GGGGGGGRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yesterday I thought that it was time to take Elsa out on her own.  She's spent many a morning and afternoon out with Mom alone but that was before we moved.  Since moving and losing two of our canine family members Luke was exhibiting some separation anxiety.  What a heart string pulling behavior with all the loses that he has had to overcome.  So we did everything together for a while.  I've been wanting to get back to my usual routine for a while but haven't felt that it was the right time until yesterday.

I tried very hard to slip out but there is really no slipping with Luke, he is my constant shadow and always has been.  So being that Elsa is my second shadow we head down stairs as I told Luke to wait and I'd be back soon.  He stopped in his tracks as Elsa and I went to the front door.  I quickly harnessed her up and exited.  It is so very important to have one on one time with your dogs; especially the young ones.  I cannot stress how essential it is.  And if you happen to have two puppies at the same time?  Alone time is even more important, it cannot be something that you will get around to.  You must get them out alone at least 3-4 times a week.

Being alone helps to create a very tight bond as well as allow each dog to be all that they can be.  They cannot go through life having back up and heaven forbid if anything happened to one, they must be able to cope.  This is why I have always loved having three dogs; I could take one out and never had to leave one alone at home, they always had someone to hang with.

So, Elsa and I were headed to downtown Greenwich for some much needed "people" time.  She's been to the beach and socialized with dogs a ton so we needed some humans to visit.  She has already done lots of people socializing but you can never do too much of that.  Being that she has spent a great deal of time off leash doing what she wants, basically running willy nilly at the beach we were going to work on obedience around humans.

We got there and started right away, she acts very differently away from Luke.  She is much better when she is alone which is very normal for most dogs.  We were heading to our second block when we ran into a couple with a black lab.  They warned us not to go the way that we were headed.  Their very friendly lab was standing hunched over and trembling like crazy.  They told me that two dogs had just attacked him badly; they were up ahead and she described them for me.  Being the very protective Mom that I am I obviously decided to turn around.  I wanted to ask the couple what had happened but Elsa was doing her jumping bean routine which the obviously shaken Labrador did not need at the moment.  They did tell me that the dogs had been leashed, that was a good thing.

Elsa and I headed up the way we had came; crossed the street and ran into the most wonderful kids.  Two little girls and a caregiver; the girls were maybe 10 and 8 stopped and asked if they could visit with Elsa, YES.  She adored every second with them and they with her.  They told me about their dog at home; Pippin, a Portuguese water dog.  They could not stop touching Elsa's coat, it is pretty amazingly soft right now which is why I have yet to take it off.  We talked to these girls for a nice long time and then they went on their way; not before thanking me and telling us to have a wonderful day, great kids.

I then decided to load Elsa back into the car in case the attacking dogs were on their way back.  Having your dog attacked can do such a great deal of damage; not only physically but emotionally.  You can be left with a dog aggressive dog after an attack or a severely fearful dog.  There are all sorts of fall out behaviors that can come from a bad attack.  Although I did not witness the attack it was obvious from the literally shaking dog and the fact that the owners and passers by were checking the dog for puncture wounds that it had been severe.

This sort of thing is unacceptable; people know whether their dog is friendly or not.  If not then keep them away from other dogs; tell people this fact.  I don't know how many times I told owners that were coming my way that Jessie WAS NOT FRIENDLY.  She was a very dominant female and thought nothing of giving other dogs a good lesson or two about who the reigning Queen was.  If you have a very dog aggressive dog or two then you need to work with them in a safe environment.  You must find a training facility that works with aggressive dogs and has other dogs to use as guinea pigs.  You CANNOT use the general public to work and practice with; that is if you are trying to work on the issue at hand.

I was really mad, I'd finally left Luke at home alone and for what?  At least we had got in some good kid socializing which is also imperative.  But our trip was cut way short.  As we head back to the car I saw a woman with a boxer that she was preparing to take out of her car and walk.  I gave her the same heads up that the couple with the lab had given me.  She thanked me and said she was going home to walk her dog.

kids and dogs

I had the dogs at the beach again yesterday; it was a great day, no grouchy dogs, no grumpy owners.  Elsa ran and ran and ran; Luke did his normal wandering the beach socializing with everyone.  It was a quiet day being that it was a Wednesday and the kids were back in school.  The first dog we came across was a Puggle; (Beagle, Pug mix) they are a very popular "designer dog" these days and I see a lot of them.  Back in Southern California there were even more than here but out of a handful of dogs at the beach yesterday; two were Puggles.  The mix of a  Beagle and a Pug look much like a long legged, larger eared pug.

I talked to the first Puggle owner for a while, her boy was a big one, hefty with more of a pug body.  We discussed how they look very similar; almost all the Puggles I've seen look much alike.  Then another Puggle showed up, he looked a bit different; mostly it was his color.  He was not the typical fawn color like a Pug but more a tan/honey color.  His body was much leaner, like that of a beagle.  But this second Puggle had drive and ball obsession.  He had his own balls and his owner had her own Chuck it but it was my balls and my chuck it that he was interested in.  I could see that it had become a problem behavior.

We head down the beach and ran into a woman with a stroller; on the beach?  I don't know how she was pushing that thing across the sand.  She had with her a little girl, maybe two years old and two very boisterous Golden Retrievers.  Elsa saw the dogs and ran to them immediately, she really seems drawn to Goldens and completely forgets about her ball while playing with them.  I was still fairly far away, the sand is that deep type that is tough to walk in but I could see the little girl and started to worry right away.

It amazes me when people bring small children to the dog beach or park and allow them to wander around.  I can't tell you how many people I know who have had their knee dislocated by a brawling pack of dogs.  When dogs become totally involved with playing and running you have to keep your eyes peeled.  They can run full force into you without blinking an eye; leaving you flat on your ass.

My dogs are kid friendly; but not all dogs are.  Many dogs are freaked out by children.  One of the biggest issues for me is that the little girls face was directly at dog face level for most of the dogs that were in attendance.  I think children and dogs are wonderful together, every kid deserves a dog or two.  BUT; there must be a great deal of supervision when it comes to dogs and children.  I do not think that babies or toddlers belong at the dog park or beach.  I don't think that it is safe, there is simply too much running around in giant balls of dogs.

Even a bunch of very friendly dogs could do a great deal of damage to a toddler wandering around.  The Mother of the little girl wisely told her daughter not to open her cookie box while all the dogs were around; which was very smart.  But it only takes a fraction of a second for something bad to happen.  Toddlers are so wobbly to start with and not at the right level at all for safety.  Dogs can get wound up and jump on a child before you can do anything about it.

You could see that the child had no fear of dogs at all; but she also had no hovering from her Mother.  I was on edge the entire time we were around the little one.  Small dogs were jumping on the little girl and the large ones were speeding by in a big game of chase.  One of those big ones was Elsa and I worried that she might slam into the little girl.  After a few minutes I grabbed Elsa's chuck it; waved it in front of her and got her attention away from the Goldens.  We head off away from the little girl down the beach.

Dogs and children can be wonderful together but there must be a high degree of supervision.  Without strict surveillance, accidents happen.  Having always had dogs and children we lived with a lot of baby gates and rules.  If the dogs were playing, the kids were up on the couch or in another room and that was just with our own dogs.  I do not think that small children or babies should be at the dog park or beach.  I think it is an accident waiting to happen.  There is enough to watch with just your own dogs interacting with strange dogs let alone adding a small child to the mix.

Chubs

The couch potato that stays nice and thin


First; how do you know if your dog is overweight?  Feel for ribs, you should be able to feel each rib.  Each rib should feel like it has a neoprene covering, not dough, just a thin layer of neoprene.  If you have to dig to feel them, your dog is fat.  I know, it can be a difficult thing to acknowledge but the sooner you acknowledge it the sooner you can get to work at getting it off.

There has been a video floating around the net lately of a hugely obese dog.  It is very sad and the people who took this dog in are working to get the weight off.  An obese dog is no laughing matter, it is a serious one indeed.  Although they are attempting to take weight off of the dog; the damage may have already been done.  Having an overweight dog is serious; they run the risk of all sorts of weight related health issues.

It is sad to see a dog waddling around, every breath seems like a challenge.  Too much weight can be the end of normal dog activity.  They can't run and play like the other dogs.  Overweight dogs are at risk from many factors that involve carrying too much weight on their structure.   Jumping can be dangerous as their joints take a toll with extra weight.  Their vital organs suffer from over taxing from their mass and day to day activities can be a huge chore.  Many overweight dogs become arthritic well before their senior years.  Obesity can rob a dog of their young and active years, in fact it can rob years off of their life.

A fat dog is a serious health risk, some of the issues which surround obesity are:


Early arthritis
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart problems
Repiratory Disease
Ligament injuries
Kidney disease
Cancer
A shortened life expectancy

The list goes on and on.  Not only is there a high risk of the above listed diseases but the simple fact that weight will interfere with their normal life.

Dogs do not get fat on their own; humans create fat dogs.  Too much of a good thing is often a bad thing.  Too much food, too many snacks, free feeding, the wrong food or foods and not enough exercise is what it comes down to.  Many dogs eat the proper amount of food, that is for an active dog.  My own Tilley has now at 14 years of age had her food intake cut in half.  She only has a very small walk a day and a couple of tosses of the ball, she doesn't need as much food anymore.  Any extra pound is just something that she has to haul around on her aging frame.

I remember over a year ago when I had to carry Tilley up and down the stairs for about 3 months.  It was a big eye opener, my knees were hurting and I realized that if I gained 44 lbs this is what I would feel like hauling myself up and down the stairs.

Of course there are health reasons why a dog cannot lose weight just like with humans.  That is for another blog.  If you have taken your dog to the veterinarian and they have gotten a clean bill of health other than too much food, then you have work to do.
But you must take it slow, you have a dog that is not only too heavy but also out of shape.  You cannot turn it around in a day.  Small walks and cutting back food to start.  Work up the distance and intensity as your dog slowly sheds the pounds.  Dogs actually lose weight very quickly when they have a change in activity level and food consumption.

I know many people feel that they should give lots of goodies to their dog because they love them.  If you really love your dog, take them out for a walk.  Feed them the highest quality food that you can and set a goal for you and your dog.  A sleek body has a much better chance of fighting off health issues.  And you'll have your pooch around for many many more years for it.

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention

Love your dog?  Time to get them into shape.

Chewing

This past weekend we watched a Jason Statham movie; during the movie both Elsa and Luke were chewing.  Luke loves to chew, he always has and when he chews he means business.  He often chews now to make a point to Elsa; he has the chew toy and she does not.  Chewing can be a loud activity; it most definitely was with Luke that movie night.  Elsa was not quite as loud but changed her chew item several times throughout the movie.  As she got up and down off the couch to find a new chew item I thought to myself "this is far better than having her wreck our stuff."

Having a basket full of toys and chews is the only way that you can allow a dog to do their much needed chewing and not have your house or stuff ruined.  I have to say that when people tell me how their dog has destroyed so much of their home it makes me shake my head in disbelief.  Yes; a thing or two being snagging and chewed on for a moment is one thing but having entire couches, table legs or pairs of shoes destroyed means that the owner of that stuff was not watching.

I simply don't allow my things to be wrecked.  I do not put everything away when we have a puppy, there are  the dangerous run by grab type things that get put away but they are very few.  Mostly the wires around the house are removed or hidden in case of a grab.  But other than that I teach my dogs what they can and cannot touch; much like I taught my children.  I do not want to raise a dog in an empty house where they do not learn to leave the people things alone.

Tilley never chewed anything but her own toys but of course that was Miss Perfect.  Luke left a few marks on the kitchen chair that he use to sleep under until he got too big.  Elsa has grabbed a sheepskin slipper several times but only had it for a moment, and socks she does grab socks.  But I have taught her to bring me socks for a reward so in the middle of making dinner I often am rewarded with a few freshly washed socks on the counter.  Elsa had not damaged one thing (knocking on wood) in the house.  There is no need for her to wreck our stuff because she has her own stuff.

So as we watched our movie she moved from a soft braided toy that she was mouthing, to a nylabone and then onto a rubber ball that she loves to squeak chew.  The more things that you give your dog of their own to wreck the better chance that they aren't going to wreck your things.  And of course; you must supervise, always supervise.  Puppies do not come pre programmed, knowing what is allowed and not allowed.  That's our job.

Presidential dogs

Not the President's dog but a PWD named Tux that I shot for my book and this cover. 

It's Presidents' day so I thought I do a blog to celebrate the Presidential canines.  Remember when Obama was choosing a dog for his family?  Everyone wanted him to choose their breed; but he finally settled on the Portuguese Water Dog.  We'll be seeing a lot more of them now; sadly a little bit of hype can do great damage to a particular breed or mix.  I remember when PWDs were very rare indeed, now you see them everywhere.

Obama chose the PWD, the younger of the two Bush's; George W. had Scottish terriers and a Springer.  The older Bush made the Springer Spaniel a household name with his dog Millie who had puppies there at the White house.  Gerald Ford's Golden Retriever Liberty also had a litter of puppies at the White house.  Many dogs have come and gone in the White house.  Some left a lasting impression; others passed through without notice really.  It all depends on the press put on the dogs themselves; which is typically due to the interest put on the dog by the owner.

Here are some articles that discuss the dogs of the White house.

White house pets

Time Photos - Presidents and their dogs


20 Most Recent

Sunday morning

We were up early this morning; wanting to sleep in, Elsa had other plans.  She's an early riser but this morning she was up because of a strange sound, an owl.  It was hooting it's little heart out right outside our window.  Being wildlife lovers we were thrilled to hear an owl; its been a very long time since we heard one.  So we were up listening intently to the birds outside coming out as the sun rose.  I took Elsa out and stood waiting for her in the chilly morning air.  Three hawks flew low over head of our fenced in area.    The dogs have been sniffing around the fenced in area lately; I think the chipmunks have moved in.

Elsa's had her partial breakfast and both dogs have had their morning snack.  Everyone is back in bed and we are pondering the day ahead.  I think we'll hit the beach early, before the crowds.  We had to turn around and leave the beach before we even had fun last week; I thought twice about the dogs who were already present.  Up until then each beach day had been a good one.   It wasn't a bad day the day we left, I just had a bad feeling about the dogs in attendance.   I go with my feelings always now; I've gone against them before and regret it.

I'm going to charge up the camera and bring it along.  Beach shots tomorrow.  Have a great Sunday everyone.  Wooohoooo, long weekend.

Weather

What the heck is with the weather?  Having moved North East I had prepared myself for a cold adjustment.  Walking the dogs around in Connecticut I quickly became aware of the common attire, down.  I had a short down jacket that had been pulled out on the coldest of days in CA, yes it does get chilly there.  We had a few days where it got down into the 30s which is crazy cold for CA.  But it had only been a couple of them and I loved every second of it.  I'm a Northerner from birth, born in Ottawa, Canada I was accustom to below zero temperatures having lived there for 36 years.

So I've been waiting and waiting like many others; waiting for winter to show up.  We had a hint of it one day with a snowfall but other than that it has been elusive.  Snow and cold are great for cleaning up the grounds, both for mud and muck and the nasty bugs.  I love when all I have to deal with is wet and not mud and wet.  And as far as the bugs or ticks I should say, well you all know how I feel about those.  Without the frigid temperatures the bugs will be flourishing this spring and summer.  Not good.

The temperatures here in CT have hovered around the 40 mark, yesterday was actually 50.  This is winter?  I'm not complaining about the temperatures but I am complaining about the lack of snow.  As a photographer I have been waiting to shoot snow, any snow.  Other than dogs in water, dogs in snow have got to be a favorite to shoot.  I love the look of everything covered in snow; how the snow flies as the dogs run, beautiful.  So I like many others in the North East am waiting; perhaps this year it will be waiting in vain and the snow will not be coming.  It waits to be seen.

DROP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Standing on the beach chucking Elsa's ball for her I notice a gentleman pick up my poop bag and walk towards me.  Hmmm?????  I called out to him that it was mine and I that I was taking it with me when I left.  The trash cans are a long walk but on the way to the car.  He got closer and closer and said "yes I know."  Then he pointed to one of his dogs; a  gorgeous black male Labrador standing in the water.  "Look at what he is holding" the man said.  I couldn't make it out, "what is it?"  I asked him.  "Someone else's poop bag," he said in disgust.

He continued to explain his predicament to me "he won't drop it."   "This is the second time he's done this, and it's disgusting."  I agreed "it is really disgusting."  There the dog stood, chest deep in the water mouthing the bag and occasionally putting it in the water to float around before picking it up again.  He was hanging onto the tied knot area of the bag which was now filled with water and poop.  The bag resembled a water filled balloon so of course I asked "what if it breaks?"  "He'll eat it, bag and all" the owner offered.  Then I inquired "is it just this that he won't drop or everything?"  "Everything," he explained.  This Labrador would never drop a thing.  The owner said that he had tried everything he could think of to get this dog to drop things, filet, dog treats, balls but nothing worked.

The dog stayed just out of reach of the owner and the man told me he'd tried lassoing the dog as well.  You could see the disgusted frustration in the owner; rightly so.  This dog was most definitely working it as he trotted off down the beach with his prize.  The dog had displayed very neutral behavior, there was no excitement, no running around trying to play keep away, he simply had found a new possession and was not about to give it up.  As the man walked away following his poop carrying Labrador he said he was going to continue trying to get the bag away from the dog.  I wished him luck and they walked down the beach.

This is the second time in a couple of weeks that I have met a Labrador that WOULD NOT DROP.  The first was a yellow female who grabbed hold of my chuck it with me attached and proceeded to drag us into the ocean.  I finally handed it over to the sitter who was watching the dogs so that he could get it.  He too told me "she won't drop it."  "Great, there goes my chuck it" I thought to myself.  He had to trick her to get it away and when I finally got it I stuffed it quickly into my jacket.  Those Lab jaws are like vice grips, strong and unyielding.

So just how do you get your dog to drop?  The secret is training the drop command from the get go.  Not when their jaws are completely formed and powerful against human entry; but when they are little, young and impressionable.  Too many people teach puppies to grab and hold on by taking everything that they pick up away from them.  Sure there are things that we need to take away, dangerous things but we must also give back.  If you never give back when you take, then your dog learns to clamp down and retain.  Many dog mouths are just too powerful for us to pry open.

It all starts with bribery; holding a very delicious treat you offer it when your puppy has something in their mouth.  Optimally you start this when they have one of their toys in their mouth so that you can give it back.  You offer your treat and ask them to drop.  If they want the treat they will drop the toy; you give them the treat and then give back the toy.   The more times that you repeat by taking a toy, treating them for dropping and returning the toy; the less impact those times have when you must keep the object that was in their mouth.   Teaching the drop command from the start is especially important for those retrieving type dogs who love to grab everything in sight.   Rewarding them for picking up things and bringing them to you instead of chasing them down and taking away.

So many dogs run and swallow which is so dangerous.  Elsa started out as one of these, she is an intense retriever so she has drive.  She is much like Tilley was in the drive department so I knew to get on it immediately.  She still likes to pick up socks (her steal of choice) but just mouths them or will even bring them to me for a treat.  A much better option for her safety than swallowing down.  Drop must be practiced on a daily basis until you have a fast response.  Depending on what item they have in their mouth you may need to up the value of your reward.

The poop carrying Labrador had been programmed to grab and hold on.  He had no history of dropping for a reward; unfortunately when this happens there is little or no chance that he is going to spontaneously changes his ways.  The trainer in me had wanted to help this man; but given the dogs history, our location and the fact that the object was a bag filled with poop and ocean water, he was on his own.  This dog needed training, big time, intense drop training.   But it cannot be done when you are in a full on behavior situation, it must be done beforehand.

Drop is one of the most important things to teach a dog; that and leave it.  If you can ingrain even a split second of hesitation in a bigtime stealing dog; you might just be able to avoid a very dangerous situation.  As I watched them walk down the beach I held tightly to my poop bag.  I hadn't thought of a dog grabbing it off the beach; my dogs would never touch a poop filled bag.  I won't leave a bag on the beach again, not after witnessing the disgusting turn of events yesterday.

  

Handling dogs

At the young age of 13 I started into the world of showing dogs.  It has now been a very long time since I stepped foot into the ring but there were lessons that I learned way back then that I still incorporate in my day to day with dogs.

Handling:  the manual or mechanical method by which something is moved, carried or transported etc.

Handling does not only occur at dog shows although the term is extensively used in that world.  The handling I'm talking about today is general, all purpose,day to day handling.  That might include getting a harness on, being groomed, going to the vet, getting in and out of the car or anything where you need to handle your dog.  Handling is a funny thing; when people do not know how to appropriately handle a dog it can become a huge wrestling match.

Let's take feet for example; most dogs need their nails done now and again but the simple act of grabbing a foot can be the undoing of it all.   There is grabbing and then there is grabbing.  A hesitant end of the foot grab will likely result in a great deal of tugging back from the dog, resistance.  The harder you pull the harder they pull.  When you grab a foot, grab with confidence, not pressure, just confidence.  Then DO NOT pull, push the foot lightly towards the dog instead.

If you need to brush a leg; don't pull.  It can be difficult to brush out a leg when your dog is pulling away from you.  You need to stretch the leg out but the more you pull the more they pull.  Instead grab the front leg by the elbow, wrapping your whole hand around it gently maneuvering it frontwards so that the leg stretches naturally out straight.

Back legs?  Hold the foot on the ground to brush up around the ankles.  For the rest of the leg, always brush down first; before brushing in an upward motion for those needing fluffing.  If needed hold the dogs leg by going in between the back legs from the back and grab the front of the thigh holding it in place.

Have you ever noticed that when you push your dog they push?  As well as when you pull they pull as I've already discussed?  Yep, they all do it so you must work around that, not challenge the physics of it.  It just is.  Manhandling never works, too much touching, too much to lean into for the dog.  One finger works wonders if you know where to place that finger.  Joint areas are good spots to touch in order to move a dog manually.

The head is also a great rudder for movement needs.  When I want my dogs to turn around in a tight place I will put a couple of fingers on the side of their neck where it meets the head and gently guide.  It is amazing how easily they turn; calm and relaxed without a fight.  The more nervous a dog is the more important it is to touch as little as possible.  When you want a dog to move closer to you; push them ever so slightly away and they will move towards you.  If you try to pull them towards you they will more likely than not, pull away.

Of course the more training you give your dog the less you will ever have to maneuver manually.  But there are always times when we need to physically move our dogs. For those times remember that less is more in this department.  Gentle guidance with strategically placed fingers works a whole lot better than the makings of a wrestling match.

Running free

Nothing makes my heart soar like watching dogs run free.  I completely get the whole "leash" thing but it is most definitely restricting.  When I was in CA I was constantly searching out new spots to sneak an off leash run.  My favorite spots are the ones that no one or very few people know about.  Sauntering around while my dogs run at full speed is a very rewarding activity; I always leave feeling like "job well done."    Dogs need to run, full out, top speed, pelting, bolting and dodging around.

A full out free run probably does more for their emotional well being than their physical.  I know that it fills me with such joy that I don't know who it's better for.  Having been plagued with ticks now here mid winter in Connecticut I hit the beach where the dogs are allowed to run free until March 31st.  No ticks on the beach, or not that I've seen yet.  Once March 31st has passed, then that's it, not one canine foot is even allowed in the park after that (shrugging shoulders).

We've yet to run into any problem dogs other than the one bully last week.  All the dogs have been cordial and friendly; they are all there for the same reason, fun.

Running free is definitely the best way to accomplish some quality socializing.  Leash issues not only restrain a dog from fully interacting with other canines; but they also create all sorts of behavior "issues."  Most problems are caused by the lack of freedom, they cannot move away or go to see.  A leash also changes how a behavior is displayed and perceived.  The leash causes physical changes, a look see can seem like a lunge; the holding back is the big problem.  This is why running free is so very important, especially with young dogs.

Happy Valentines Day

How do I love thee?  Let  me count the ways.  LOL


I love 


  when you come when I call.


  when I open the bathroom door and you are sitting there.


  that you seem to know when I need a hug.


  your over the top greeting when I come home.


  when we sit together.


  watching a movie with you snuggled on my lap.


  going back to bed in the morning and seeing that you love it just as    much as I do.


  that you love your family as much as I love you.


  seeing you have fun with others.


  seeing the two of you snuggled close.


  telling you that we are going for a walk.


  seeing your furry face first thing in the morning.


  that going in the car with me makes you so happy.


  looking down and knowing you will be there.


  falling asleep with my arms wrapped over you.


  hearing you snore during the night.


  seeing you dream and wonder what you are dreaming about.


  taking you to see new things and places.


  when you eat hardily.


  seeing how much you love to snack throughout the day.


  watching the two of you and your special relationship with one another.


  watching you watching me.


  how you stand guard of your home.


  seeing you so entertained by the squirrels that torment you.


How do I love thee?  With all of my heart.  To my dogs Luke and Elsa and all the amazing dogs in the world.  Happy Valentines day.    


  

Dogs don't lie

Elsa clearly saying "I really want to play with you but I'm a bit apprehensive of your buffness."  This was a young 9 month old Golden who was indeed very  burly and confident for his age.  Elsa was almost 6 mos in this photo.

As I stood bleary eyed this morning, watching the dogs; it was not yet 5 am.  It was still dark so I threw on the outside light.  Just as I did I caught Elsa in full zoom; she had spotted my son and that was enough to send her into an excited frenzy.  She zoomed at least three full times around growling at both Luke and my son on the way by.  Finally she jammed on her brakes and they all came in for breakfast snacks.  What a happy, happy dog she is; she truly is a cup half full kind of gal.  This lead me to thinking about how dogs are what they are, no BS.

Dogs don't lie; they just don't.  Dogs don't tell you how much they like you and then stab you in the back.  They do not lead you along in hopes of a happy ending and then throw in the bad news twist.  Dogs simply don't tell you one thing and do another; if dogs don't like you then you are going to know it.  If they feel neutral about you then they'll tell you that as well.  Dogs tell it like it is; honest, reliable, forthright and true.

How many videos are out there in cyber land of seemingly friendly dogs being pet by a human when they suddenly lunge up and bite the human in the face?  How strange the humans think; they were being friendly one minute and the next moment they snapped.  WRONG.  If the human was watching and reading the dog they would have clearly seem that the dog was not happy and friendly one minute and then a mad dog the next.  The dog was very clear right from the start; it was the human who got the messages crossed, as humans do.

Over the years my dogs have given me very clear signals when they do not like someone.  I listen carefully when they give me this type of information.  On three particular occasions they have been very astute with their readings and the people they did not like were people that I did not even want in my house.  Dogs are beyond amazing at sharing their feelings.  Of course each dog is different but they all speak the same language.  If you understand dog behavior then you can read them all; some are an easier read than others.  Many dogs are free and open with their communications while others are a bit tougher to pull out.

A dog's language is subtle so subtle that most of their communications are missed by the human eye.   This is one reason that I love action and candid photography so much.  Being a huge fan of watching canine behavior; a posed photo holds no appeal to me.  It offers nothing as far as emotion.  But shoot an interaction, a spontaneous moment or split second and it can hold so much.

Sometimes when we are at the park or beach and my dogs are interacting with other canines, I will call Luke away from another dog.  More often than not it is a dominant male that has in a matter of seconds already sent Luke several threatening signals; which knowing my boy like I do will not be tolerated.  I step in before there can be any further communications.  I redirect Luke and we move on.

I remember years ago; I was telling a woman about how my dogs tell me things.  She had a bunch of dogs of her own but had never tapped into the whole communication thing.  It was perhaps because all of her dogs lived outdoors, out of the house, away from the family.  I was really surprised when I heard that they were all yorkie type dogs.  Who has a pile of small dogs like this living outside?  No dog, no matter what size should live away from the family, outside.  Okay, anyway.  She wanted to know how I knew what my dogs were saying.  I explained that I knew my dogs inside and out.  I knew their personalities so well that the slightest eyebrow raise could give me notice of something wrong.  Having her dogs outside meant that she had no connection to them once so ever.  There was no way she could know about her dogs as she should.

When a dog gives us a communication; it is up to us to deal with that communication.  Perhaps a dog tell us that they are really not comfortable with people coming and petting them.  They have told us this by their body language; so once we receive this information we then need to adjust our own behavior to assist theirs.  Too many people see shy or fearful behavior as a flaw and try to force the issue.  They have seen the signs but force the issue; which is actually ignoring our dogs clear communication.  They have told us that they feel uncomfortable and yet we humans try to mask that by force; this almost always backfires and we wonder why?  Dogs are so much clearer and honest about what they say.

It truly is sad to me when people miss out on all the communications they could be having with their dog/dogs.
Dogs speak the truth; they will not tell you one thing and do another.  Watch and listen, there is no other way to no other way to understand what your dog is telling you.

behavior - love it

Last night we were watching a movie; and of course Luke was snuggled on the couch with us.  Elsa was still wandering around having just eaten; she does her customary snorfling for crumbs.  Luke decided that he wanted to chew so he got off the couch and went and got one of the many chew toys we have.  When he decides to chew he chews hard, it was only a second before Elsa realized what Luke was doing; her job as reigning puppy is to take anything that Luke has so she went to work.  I was coming in and out of the family room at that point and Luke's teeth caught my eye.  He was showing Elsa his pearly whites as big as he possibly could; it is rare that I see this big of a display, but he was trying to convey his message.

Being the effervescent puppy that she is; she tends to brush things off from Luke until he is really serious.  Thinking he was only kidding she pushed it.  I put down what I was carrying and went and sat on the chair beside the couch to get a good vantage point.  Elsa was nosing in and Luke froze; even with the full display of his teeth she was still going to try.  His froze threw her, this move meant that he was more serious.  In all fairness Luke does do a lot of displaying which is usually bluff when directed at Elsa and she knows it.

When she really really wants something from him and he is saying no she grovels.  She lowers her body posture, closes her eyes to a squint and licks Luke's mouth, even when he is displaying all of his teeth at her.  Of course this typically works great and Luke is distracted by her cuteness long enough for her to steal the toy.  These girls are smart I tell you.  He is then left looking like he cannot believe that she got him yet again.  But last night was different; he obviously wanted to make a point.  He was on the couch, she was not.  He had the toy and she did not, bottom line.

So after he froze she pushed every so cautiously inward; he gave an abrupt bark and face bite at the same time which startled me and Elsa.  He wasn't kidding and she was shocked, really shocked.  I then moved over and sat beside Luke to get a better view point, I love behavior as you all know.  So there sat Elsa not knowing how to go about getting this chew; Luke really wanted it or at least wanted her to know that she was not having it.  She then moved close to me and pushed her head in between myself and my arm to get a peek at the toy.  This was very smart, she was now very close to the toy but wrapped in the safety of me, Luke would never growl at Mom.  She pushed and I held her from touching the toy so she pulled her head out and sat staring at Luke and he at her.  She dove in my arm again to see if she could steal it that way, I didn't let her.

Then she had a tantrum; she sat right in front of Luke and barked.  Her barking resembles the sound coming from a chimpanzee when she throws a fit, it is very annoying.    Luke wasn't even phased by this immature display of emotion.  He continued to chew, loud and hard.  When she could stand it no more she tried again; she put her front feet up on the couch and moved in.   You could see that he was softening; maybe he was done with his lesson for the day and he let her lick his mouth but when she reached for the toy he stopped her there.  But it wasn't long after that Luke all of a sudden pulled his head away from the toy and let her have it.  It was very obvious that he no longer cared and let her snatch it away.  Of course the fun was now over and realizing this Elsa brought the toy and pushed it onto his head.

She dropped the toy that she had so badly desired right between his feet and licked his mouth.  She'd finally got it and now gave it back to Luke.  Luke took it and then she started her stealing behavior all over again.  This lead to an all out brawl; Luke got off the couch and they moved into the living room for a wrestling match.  She knows how to push his buttons and he is loving it.  

Yanking

Today's blog is sort of like a continuation from a few days ago (Head's up).  I was driving home from the grocery store where I had purchased some chicken and pork for my dogs.  As I drove down the street I noticed a woman with a young Golden; the dog was probably around 7 months old judging from it's lean build.  The owner was frustrated, I could see that right away.  The dog was pulling and as she crossed the road she was quite obvious that people were watching.  She tugged and tugged to no avail.  The youngster kept pulling.  It was difficult to see how the dog was connected; I strained to see the collar under the hair and finally saw that it was a soft choke that was all in one with the leash, sort of rope material.

The woman was clearly not enjoying herself; funny how common it is to see a yank trainer growing angry because of the lack of results from the yanking.  I watched her cross the street and go down to the right.  She left my range of vision so I watched her in my side mirror.  With her frustration at it's peek she stopped and pulled the choke up around the back of her dogs ears; right in the soft spot.  This soft spot is where many trainers; including ones who are on television tell you to put the collar.  This spot is one place that a collar should never sit.  It lacks the large muscles that surround the neck further down towards the shoulders.  I hate to see when people pop it up to this spot; especially when delivering strong yanks.

Dogs being dogs they quickly become accustom to yanks.  Most get so use to receiving them that the owner soon has to resort to stronger and stronger yanks.  This yanking motion can be very dangerous causing serious damage to the dogs neck,   I have written many times about how anger seems to be connected to yank training or conventional choke collar training.  Typically the level of anger grows at an exponential rate when in public.  "People are watching" is a common concern from many owners; oddly enough the concern of people seeing them yank away on their dog's neck is not a concern.

If someone who does not understand dog behavior has only received a training education from a conventional trainer then it makes a great deal of sense that they don't see anything wrong with yanking away.

Please don't yank on your dogs neck.  

Bullies

Waiting patiently for me to pack up the car.

Bullies:  a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people (or dogs).

In our human world bullies have recently come into the scrutiny in the public eye.  Bullies are no longer tolerated; not for any reason, as it should be.  What is the motivation of a bully?  To belittle.

Yesterday I took my two to the beach; Elsa seemed to be overflowing with energy so she needed some big time running.  I packed up the car, got the leashes ready, made sure I had treats, poop bags and an extra ball for the chuck-it and we head out.  The crying began as we pulled into the park where the beach is, they both love the beach but Luke is my vocalizer.  Once out of the car they can barely contain themselves as we head through the path that leads to the beach.  I had to make a few stops just to get some focus; they were that excited.  As we come through the path to the beach opening they both do a speed scan to see who's at the beach.  Only two dogs stood right in the middle playing; leashes off and so were my two poodles as they sprinted that way.

They were there in 2 seconds, it took me a bit longer.  They were all in full play by the time I got to the other folks on the beach.  There was a male yellow Labrador who was Elsa's age and a one year old Italian Spinone .  The lab and Elsa hit it off right away but once the ball came out Elsa was all over it.  It is tough to find a dog that can beat her to the ball with speed.  The boys chased after Elsa as she chased after the ball.  Luke did his normal routine and went to socialize with all the people and dogs down the beach.  He is quite the social greeter, when he sees a new dog coming to the beach he goes to say hi and welcome.  Very cute.

After a good while of great play a herd of Labradors joined the scene.  These were older labs, you could tell by their girth.  They were all mature except one who looked mature but acted not.  A year old brown male Labrador who was a little wound with too much energy.  He ran around fine for a bit; checking on all the different dogs and going after his ball when he decided to do some pushing.  The Lab pup that Elsa had been playing with seemed to be his target.  The two started playing but it got very rough really quickly.  The younger dog was still having fun but you could see concern creeping in.

I'm pretty vocal at the park and when I see things that need attending to I usually make some noise.  By noise I mean AHHHHHHH which comes out naturally and usually draws some attention from owners.  These labs were with a pet sitter/walker, not their owner.  The sitter and the owner of the lab pup were talking.  The young labs Mom was obviously concerned as was I about the degree of roughness that was being delivered to the youngster.  He was bowled over and pinned several times, grabbed by the neck very hard and thrown to the ground.  I made quite a bit of noise then, this was just too much.   "He does that," is what I heard the sitter say.

The problem with allowing this type of bullying is the fallout that comes with it.  With no human intervention to stop the bully the young dog is left to defend himself.  He is learning that you must be aggressive and the bully is learning to continue being a bully.  This older Labrador was unrelenting, he was not giving the pup a chance to even get to his feet and he was very aggressive in his play.  He was not being vicious but was most definitely aggressive; too aggressive and should have been told that this was not acceptable.  The longer a bully is allowed to be a bully the harder it is to stop.  The two swirling Labs ended up in the water with the bully pinning the young dog under.  This is when the owner of the pup had enough.  The pup stood up and was now getting seriously mad, as he should have.

Elsa ran by with her ball and caught the eye of the bully.  He decided to chase her; of course there was no way he was catching her and they ran for a longtime.  When they did stop I was on top of it; there was no way I was allowing this bully to bully my girl.  He stared at her for a bit and I physically stepped in between the two.  He thought for a few moments and then looked around  finding  his previous target again.  It was obvious that he saw this young male as a threat and was making a very clear message (I'm the king of the beach) by beating the crap out of him.  Not okay.

We discussed the danger of collars as this bully was grabbing and twisting the collar of the young lab.  While this was all happening Luke stayed out of it which is highly unusual for him.  He usually likes to be in the middle of it all when dogs are being too rowdy.  Perhaps age and wisdom kept him out of it, smart boy.  Elsa seemed done with the bully after being chased and had no desire to interact with him further.  The young lab who was the target was completely done being pummeled and tried to stay clear of the dog.

It is not okay to allow bullying; not even if it is a big friendly Labrador.  A lab can be a tough dog to shake, they are built low and heavy much like a tank; just try to get one of those off of you.  This blog is not directed at one particular breed; any dog can be a bully and it is up to the person caring for that dog to NOT allow it.  It is no fun for the dog or dogs being bullied and will most definitely cause fallout behaviors from it.  Play is great, even rough play is great but bullying is different and this was bullying.  Because it was directed at this one particular dog made this a "guy" thing.  But a bully can be a bully in general and a very unwelcome dog at the park or beach.

Stopping it is quite easy, you just don't allow it.  When a dog starts bullying the owner must step in.  If the dog does not stop and continues then a clear message must be delivered by leaving abruptly.  Like any canine related behavior; stopping it before it takes hold is very important.  Once a bully is in their full bully mode it can be difficult to stop; just like it would be hard to stop a charging bull.  Knowing that you have a bully and admitting that you have a bully is the first step.  It is nothing to be ashamed of; it is simply a fact, it is what it is as they say.

Bullying is not okay, not in our human world or the canine world.

Heads up

I was driving down a small street the other day; we were moving slowly, slow enough to watch a woman who was walking her elderly labrador.  As I watched I was left shaking my head; first the dog had a pinch collar on which saddened me.  The dog had to be at least 12 years old and each time the collar was yanked on she looked up to her owner who was oblivious to the dog on the end of the leash.  The owner continued to walk and each time the dog attempted to stop and smell the roses she continued; yanking the dogs neck.  I shook my head, saying to myself "poor old girl."

This is a common situation that I see while out walking my own dogs.  Many people tend to walk their dog with the attitude that the dog is attached, nothing else required.  I believe that in all fairness we should give our dogs a "heads up."  We are turning, we are stopping or let's go, we are walking.  I also do training with my dogs so that they know when we are moving, we are moving.  Dogs sniff and smell, fact.  That said they need to learn when it is not appropriate to be wandering off sniffing everything laid out in front of them.

Direction training; why not?  I have taught all of my clients not to simply yank.  I use several terms in my training and with my own dogs.  TURN, means that I am going to turn into you so watch out; the dogs learn to stop, slow down or just pull back so that I don't trip.  THIS WAY, means that I am changing direction.  It could be any direction so pay attention.  LET'S GO, this is pretty self explanatory.  It means we are on the move so stop lolly gagging and get a move on.  WAIT, this is a very casual meaning of the verbal cue STAY. It means to hold on, wait in the general vicinity until I offer a LET'S GO.

All of these are very useful as well as the other regular cue that I teach.  Why not tell your dog what you are doing instead of simply yanking on them?  Sure there are times when a yank will happen; when a dog dives into the bushes after a very enticing smell, things happen as they say.  THIS WAY is probably one of my most used verbal cues; even Elsa has it down already.  It is good for when you are walking on leash and doing direction changes as well as when the dogs are off leash.  When I shout it out when the dogs are off leash they look up to see where I'm going and follow.

Teaching the TURN cue is fairly simply taught by having your dog on leash, with them walking beside you say clearly TURN and turn into them.  It can be a little abrupt for some of the more meek types but by using treats as soon as you turn you take that negative effect away.  It has only ever taken a couple of repetitions to see a dog holding themselves back when they hear TURN.

THIS WAY is a little easier; using THIS WAY you immediately change direction and reward your dog for following.  With any of the directional cues you start easy and work up to a good jog with your cues.  Using cues also helps to stay connected and not be on one of those walks that I see far too often; owner walking along, perhaps on a cell phone and the dog just hanging around on the end of the leash.  Come on............get involved and stay connected with your dog.

Get a grip

We've got squirrels, lots and lots of squirrels.  We have so many that they are driving the dogs and myself crazy. Poodles have drive; each individual varies but mine have a bucket load full.  The Standard Poodle was the original water retriever so the drive to chase it high.  Elsa's drive is higher than Luke's; he can sit quietly watching a squirrel for hours, standing like a statue with his tail only slightly vibrating and his nose dripping.  You might occasionally hear a tiny whimper but unless they run for the glass he is very statuesque.

Elsa on the other hand comes unglued; she has taken to using the back of the couch as her runway and shrieks a good amount of the time that she is in pursuit.  The good thing about poodles is that they have an off switch; even if they are in a highly stimulated zone I can talk them down by simply asking them to "stop" or "get off the couch."  If I am previously occupied by writing or working on photos then it will continue, escalating to the crazy zone.  Before we moved to CT my dogs had never seen a squirrel in a tree; they only knew that squirrels lived in the rocks at the marina and loved to stalk them there.

We have big families of the grey ones here and depending on the day there can be one or twelve running around.  When they really get going with their squirrel squabbles it is the toughest on the dogs.  They race up trees fighting the whole way, going round and round until one gives in.  There is a tree only about 5 feet from the living room window, a perfect spot to squirrel watch from the back of the couch and this is where I often find Elsa.

The secret to getting a grip on this wild and often out of control chase drive is to nip in the bud.  Much like any other behavior, once it starts and is at full throttle it is much more difficult to diffuse.  So if I foresee a squirrel chase getting out of control I need to stop it before it gets to that point.  Elsa often charges up and down the stairs after the squirrels; she runs down to the front to watch them and when they get out of sight she charges upstairs to the back of the couch.  Getting a grip on these instinctive driven behaviors are tough to crack once they are full on.

Any environmental stimulus that can rev a dog into a frenzy needs to be dealt with.  The dog or dogs who get themselves wound by the squirrel or whatever it may be needs to learn to get a grip.  Luke has got things pretty much under control; I simply don't allow the craziness.  Every once in a while Elsa will push Luke past his limit with her charging around the house, but knowing that it is now becoming a daily issue I am addressing it much sooner so that it does not get to that "crazed" point.

There is lots of training to do, new things to learn and teaching "how to get a grip."

Signs of intelligence

I met a woman yesterday while out on a walk with my dogs.  She stopped me to talk and admire the dogs; turned out that she too had a standard poodle at home so of course we chatted a bit.  Her dog was a little more than 10 years and so was considering adding another; she was very interested in Elsa and Luke's relationship.  During our conversation she asked about their intelligence and the difference between them.  All dogs are intelligent; that said some are more so than others, just like in people.  Who is the most intelligent?  Not an easy answer.

Having had standard poodles for 30 years; high intelligence is a given.  Each dog has been extremely different; they have all had very individual personalities and learning capabilities.  My boy Clyde who was the canine man in my life before Luke was probably my least driven.  He was intelligent but in his own way; he was what I categorize as a "porch dog."  He was mellow and wonderful but without much agenda.  Does that mean that his intelligence was lower on the smarts scale?  No.  Just different.

When they do intelligence tests with dogs it is often to see what a dog can figure out.   A dog with a chill type  personality may display no drive to figure out a test put before them; this shows no less intelligence.  Perhaps they are more intelligent by waiting until the humans figure it out.  Intelligence is such a huge topic, complicated by questions leading to more questions.  In my own dogs over the years I have seen such a variance in learning and display.  To be a good trainer you must adapt to each dog as an individual and not look at dog as just that; a dog like any other.

I have worked with tiny little mixed breeds who amazed me by their intelligence.  Some of the most intelligent dogs I have met have been breeds who are not the "obedience" type.  Intelligence and willingness to do repetitive work for humans are two completely different things.  Most of the higher intelligence dogs have a problem with repetition from my experience.  Once they have figured out and completed a desired behavior; repeating it over and over again seems monotonous and mundane.  That said there are amazing dogs who thrive with repetition; take the Border Collie, highly intelligent with drive that shoots off the charts.  It is the drive that keeps them in perpetual motion; continuing to repeat a job over and over again.

To truly understand a dogs intelligence; one must watch and be most highly aware of a  dogs individual behavior.  We  lowly humans often miss many canine behaviors so the degree of their intelligence recognition is absent.   My two now, Luke and Elsa are both extremely intelligent; perhaps two of the smartest dogs I have lived with.  I know them inside and out and watch daily as their intelligence plays out.  Luke is a reactive dog and because of this is an easy read; if you know what you are seeing that is.  He has taught me the most of any dog I have ever worked with.  He has always been able to learn what I ask of him and more, but.  Recently we moved to a new home, it has a huge two story entrance where the dogs can look over a rail to the front door.  Luke has yet to put the visual range of looking over the rail together with the getting to the front door by going down a set of stairs only 8 feet away.

Elsa on the other hand will run to the rail, look over and then charge down the stairs to greet the visitor while Luke stands looking over the rail crying.  Because our voice comes from over the rail he is having difficultly leaving the close proximity cue; moving away to finally come closer once again.  Elsa got it all in a heart beat.  At almost 7 months old Elsa is what I commonly categorize a dog with her degree of intelligence as scary smart.  Given to someone who has no idea of such a high degree of intelligence; Elsa would soon be running the household.  She is amazingly astute at seeing, taking note and storing in her memory bank.  Elsa is one of those dogs that people talk about being smarter than their owner.  (not than me of course  ;))

Watching her as she thinks and processes information is pretty amazing.  She has outsmarted Luke several times but only for a couple of repetitions and then he figures her out.  Dogs are amazing, they are all so intelligent but we must factor in drive and motivation with it as well to make it all a complete.  No two are alike which is another wonderful thing about dogs.  Watch and learn.

The Beach

Playing ball at the beach is the best.

As I wrote in yesterday's blog we hit the beach.  I was hoping that it was going to be quiet due to the game being on and all the partying but I also forgot that we are now on Eastern time and the game didn't start until after 6.  So it was crowded with everyone trying to get their dog's yaya's out before the game.  We had a great time, Luke was being Mr. Social and head down the beach as soon as we got there to see who all was in attendance.  Elsa stayed closer skipping from socializing to chasing her ball, but the ball won out most times as she loves just about nothing better than retrieving.

We were not there long, like my main moto in life says "quit while you're ahead," and we did.  You don't need to be at the park for hours to get in a good work out; it's pretty much concentrated fun and exercise.  So after about a half hour, everything had gone well so we left on a positive.  Enjoy the pics.

Or retrieving 

Meeting all the other dogs is great for everyone.  This newcomer, the little lab pup in the middle could barely get himself small enough.  Feeling very insecure but loving every second he went to visit everyone.

Putting on the brakes mid run when he heard some commotion that he needed to check on.

Elsa was lucky that this little labrador lady didn't mind having her ball stolen.  

The wet sand is the best for running really fast.

Sometimes the ball is forgotten when you see a new friend.

Run and retrieve

Most dogs love the game of keep away, no matter if they are the chaser or chasee.

Met this guy just before we left; he was the most fabulous Bulldog.  I adore bulldogs, he came running a full speed and into my lap almost sending me backwards with my camera.  He thought that was pretty funny and jumped around snorting at me.  They are honestly the most fun to watch.  He went after the ball when it was thrown for Luke had fun just running with the big dogs, knowing full well he couldn't get it with those little legs.    Another great day at the beach.

Sunday light

Yesterday's blog was a pretty heavy one so I decided that I'd keep it light this morning.  The sun is not up yet here in CT but Elsa's been out and I'm enjoying a hot cup of java with both dogs snuggled in bed.  It's been a while but Elsa has now learned about just going back to sleep when on our bed.  It use to be such an exciting event; the mere fact that she got to join Luke up on his throne that she couldn't settle.  But watching Luke as he remains in dreamland has helped her; she now soaks up the relaxation and calm in the wee hours of the morning.

I'm thinking the beach today, as you all know from yesterdays blog I'll be staying out of the woods from now on.  With the Super Bowl happening I'm thinking that the beach may be more quiet.  I will also be bringing my camera today which I'm always excited about.  Most times when I am out with the two dogs on my own I don't bring my camera if they are going to be off leash.  It is so important to watch them closely and it can be difficult to be vigilant while shooting.  So with hubby in tow I will have my camera with the extra set of eyes there to watch Elsa's where a bouts.

I hope you all have a great Sunday; enjoy the day out and about with your dog early then snuggle up to watch the game.  I would love to receive pics of everyone enjoying the game with the dog/dogs.  Send them to me either on my Facebook or at Sherri@justdogswithsherri.com   I will post all the images that I receive on a blog this week.  

Stay tuned for beach shots tomorrow.