Mourning a loss

Luke had been under the weather for about a week and a bit, I was worried but chalked it up to his sore shoulder.  He'd tweaked it again; a common occurrence over the years.  So he rested for several days in a row but it seemed to be more than a tweaked shoulder, he seemed down.  I made an appointment for him to have his senior check up, a full blood panel and urine analysis.  But over the days I thought that maybe, just maybe he was mourning the loss of his siblings.  They'd been gone now a couple months but we just moved back to our old house and when we left this house they were  with us so the memories were strong once again.

We lost our oldest on the trip to Connecticut, it had been heart wrenching but it could have gone unnoticed to the others during the turmoil of the move and travel.  It was a tumultuous time for them all and over the year before Jessie had slowly been disappearing from daily activities due to her dementia.  Once we got to Connecticut it was hectic from the get go, unpacking, settling, celebrating Christmas and the arrival of the rest of the family.

Then we lost Tilley, a devastating blow.  About 3 weeks after Tilley's death Luke started to display separation anxiety, it was heart wrenching coming home to his mournful cries.  Luke had never, ever displayed anxiety from our absence.  He was well adjusted and quite accustom to my comings and goings.  Had he just been hit with the loss of Tilley?  I thought so.

Things changed again, because of Luke's sudden onset of anxiety I stopped going out without them most of the time.  They traveled together, even though I needed to get Elsa out on her own I couldn't leave Luke alone and devastated in the house.  We went lots of different places and with the cooler weather, wherever I went they came too.  Things seemed to have turned around for Luke and he was dealing.  The bond between Luke and Elsa grew much closer over the next month.  Then another change.

We moved to CA and once back in our old home again he stopped playing with Elsa and just wasn't himself.  I think he quickly slipped into a funk once we got home and he realized that they (his life long companions) were not here.  We got his results back  on Saturday and everything looks pretty good.  A little bit of a high liver enzyme count but that is a common issue with older dogs.

I am happy to say that he seems to be dealing with his loss issues now.  He got a new haircut which always puts a spring back in his step and we've been out and about to new places.  He has been out alone with Dad, back into their old routine and he played with Elsa again on the weekend.  It has been a difficult time stepping back into our old lives but without our old dogs.  We have had to mourn again, the loss has been felt even more now that we are home.  Not only for us but for Luke.  I am sure that it was his emotions and his dealing with the loss once again.  After all he lived his entire life with those two girls, they were his life and now they are gone.  He must figure this new life out once again, he is no longer the wanna be leader but indeed the leader.  He has a new young lady looking to him for life lessons.

Dog emotions are much more intense and invasive than many people would think.  Just look into their eyes and you will see that their emotions are much like our own.

Earth day

Photo above from my photography site

It is Earth day today so the focus is on our planet and it's well being.  I think one of the biggest concerns as far as dogs go is what they leave behind.  Poop, it is a big contributing polluntant factor and there is a lot of it.  So what can you do about the inevitable substance that our dogs leave us each day.  Pick it up for one.  I cannot believe the amount of people who still allow their dogs to drop and walk away.  For some reason they think that their dogs poop is not their responsibility; wrong, very wrong in many ways.  The other day I was walking at one of the most pristine and beautiful places with my dogs.  As we walked the pathways towards the beach, there on the path smack dab in the middle was a mound of poop.  I was actually shocked to see it there.  "Really? 

There are times when we don't have a bag, afterall we are only human and it has happened to the best of us.  After scouring pockets, pouch and bag you realize all the bags are gone.  I know if it happens to me I get this horrible "nooooooo" feeling.  But I have bags everywhere, my camera bag, my pouch, car, purse and most pockets.  It is essential to pick up after your dog and if for some reason you think that it is not your responsibility then you don't deserve to own a dog.  Bottom line. 

Not only should we be picking up but we should be picking up with biodegradeable bags.  Sure those groceries bags are free but they don't breakdown quickly, adding to the mountains of waste.  I buy poop bags at homegoods and other discount stores, they don't cost a lot and it gives me the opportunity to have rolls of bags everywhere, for those just in case moments. 

What about the amount of waste?  There can be a huge difference in the amount your dog drops depending on what you are feeding.  The better the food the less the waste.  When I feed my guys real food they typically go once a day and at a much lesser volume.  I've seen some dogs that eat garbage food, the kind you can buy at the big box stores and their waste is monumental in size.  What goes in must come out unless it is used to fuel the body and that is exactly what real food does.  So for a few extra dollars go for the high quality bag of food instead of grabbing the cheap stuff, your dog will be the better for it and there will be less waste.

Buy from home; purchase your food and treats from home, good ole USA, Australia, Europe and Canada, wherever you happen to live.  Make sure that the products that go into the food is from here as well.  Many companies are based here in  but get their in your home country but buy their ingredients from abroad.  There is no way to no what is going into your dog's food if it comes from so far away.  Also if a company is more concerned with the almighty dollar than quality food you should avoid buying from them in the first place. 

There are lots of little things that we can do to help out.  One person can make a difference, let that person be you. 

Canine photography

I love this expression captured on a Toller in the show ring.  "How long do I have to stand like this?"

Being a canine photographer is about the best job in the world, for me that is.  Not everyone wants to spend their time waiting, waiting and waiting.   You have to or should love dogs; I've heard many stories from people who had their dogs photographed from non dog loving photographers.  There is also a great deal of patience required for the job, so much so that many people could not make it through one shoot without pulling out their hair.  Having an extensive training background in positive training was most definitely a benefit. When you use positive reinforcement training there is a great deal of waiting as well, patience.

Luke's favorite part of bath day; the after bath time when he has fun avoiding being dried.  Definitely his naughty face.

My favorite type of photography is lifestyle; moments that capture the dogs in our lives.  Most definitely my choice is to shoot candids, I cannot stand taking posed photos. Setting up dogs or people for that matter in specific places or positions and then asking everyone to smile goes against everything I love about photography.  Capturing a moment is what it is all about for me; at least this is what drives my passion.  I see so many images taken of dogs and their owners that offer no emotion, nothing shared, simple an image of everyone involved.  We've all seen lovely family photos; everyone staring at the camera smiling, everyone dressed in their best along with the freshly groomed dog.  It's a lovely shot of everyone but holds no sense of connection.  Fine for portrait photographers but not me.  I want to capture life as it unfolds, emotion, connection or a special moment shared.

A spontaneous ear cleaning between two siblings shows a special bond.  

Dogs can do the strangest things.

Action photography is also up there with my favorite things to shoot; capturing a moment in time that we would have otherwise missed.  A face, an expression, a motion so fast that we would likely miss it if not captured digitally.  I love when I get home from a shoot and see something that I had not even noticed while shooting that I've captured, that's an amazing feeling.

Sometimes as a photographer you have to do strange things.  I am regularly crawling around the ground; many times I've had to crawl in some pretty gross dirt or muck to get the shot.  I have climbed ladders, trees, sat underneath tables, lay on my back and held myself in some pretty strange positions all for sake of the shot.

Of course there are times when I need to pose dogs, for a specific shot or when a dog simple will not stay still long enough to capture anything.  Often an owner is looking for something specific that we need to set up.  If this is required I try my best to set it up and then let it happen naturally from that point on.

Dogs are amazing creatures, to be able to capture many of their amazing natural moments is also amazing.  As I finish typing this mornings blog Elsa is wiggling her way to get closer to Luke.  She is in need of a snuggle from him and moves in close enough to clean his face; this he does not mind in the least and leans into her, enjoying her affection.  With their faces pressed together, Luke's eyes closed while he enjoys the moment; I am kicking myself that my camera is in my office.  Oh well, there will be many more moments shared.

Dogs, they are truly amazing and how lucky am I to capture just a fraction of it all?





 

Leader of the pack

 

Jessie as a puppy, back in Canada.  Yes,in the snow!!!

I want to revisit the whole "leader" issue.  Over the last couple of years a very harsh, conventional television trainer has made "alpha" a common term and goal of many dog owners.  Because of this, positive trainers have been steering away from the 'leader' idea all together trying to gain some ground between them and trainers like 'him.'  Just because you are a positive trainer or want to train your dog using positive methods does not mean that you should drop the 'leader,' part.

So what does being the leader with regards to your dog really mean?  Guidance, education, patience, understanding and most of all helping them to understand how to behave in a human world.  It also means that we the humans are the boss and we make the rules but being the boss and/or leader has nothing to do with physical strength or usage.

The first thing that you need to realize is that dogs are not little hairy humans, they look at things in a much different way than we do.  That said we need to fully understand the canine to better teach them how to live harmoniously in our human world.  Too often I hear people say that they never tell their dog what to do, they can do what they like.  Being a true leader has nothing to do with stopping fun, affection or happiness.  Dogs are pack animals and as such need a leader.  If you do not step up to that position, they will; it is as simple as that.

I have seen many dogs who lack leadership and because of it suffer from insecurities.  Just like in humans not all dogs are meant to be leaders, there are leaders and there are followers.  Dogs need our guidance constantly throughout daily life to help them maneuver our world the best that they can.  Even the best of dogs need guidance, leadership to help them make their way through it all.  Saying that you allow your dog to do what they like is really letting your dog down as far as your job as a canine guardian.

All dogs, from the most fearful to the most harsh, tough and dominant types need leadership.  Good dogs can go bad when owners drop the ball and leave them dangling tryiing to figure it out on their own.  There are many common issues that result in a lack of leadership, barking is a biggy.  Many dogs are left at open windows, see through gates or doorways to do as they please.  Barking is a huge issue that can and does lead to bigger issues.  Dogs can start barking which quickly turns to frenzy barking and then to frustration.  If that dog gets out things can go from bad to worse.

Greeting is another issue that can go very bad if a leader does not take charge.  What does your dog do when people come over?  Perhaps your dogs launches itself at your guests, purely in a happy and joyful manner but perhaps not so joyful for the person being pounced upon.  Have you ever considered stopping it, showing your dog that we do not greet people this way?  If and when you decide to stop it you cannot just stop it, you must give your dog an alternative.  Far too often people just say, stop, stop, stop without showing the dog what to do instead.

Guarding is an issue often caused by a lack of leadership.  I have been called out many times to stop a dog from being over protective.   The dog has taken the door monitor roll; feeling like they need to take care of the stranger standing behind the door because no one ever told them not to.  When someone does come in the owner feels apprehensive due to their dogs behavior and the dog senses this as fear; so they step up the guarding mode and things go from bad to worse.

Being that Elsa is 9 months old I am giving her a great deal of guidance.  I often sit back and think; wow, she has only been in this world of ours for nine months, crazy.  She is learning a lot and learning it fast.  She has a lot of help from her mentor Luke; she looks to him for guidance often.  He has almost 12 years of life experience for her to draw from.  This is one great thing about spanning your dogs apart by several years.  With my constant guidance and Luke's assistance we are helping her to understand what is and is not appropriate.  She's a quick learner.

Education is never a waste; when you do want them to stop a particular behavior, educate.  Tell them what you do want them to do; don't cut the lesson short.  Expecting them to simply stop without giving them the information on what they should be doing is a puzzle with missing pieces.  Black and white is how dogs understand best.  Making things clear and precise; dogs don't get gray, they don't understand the meaning behind or hidden agendas.  "We do this, we don't do that;"  tell them, it's your job to educate them about our human world.

A vet visit

Yesterday I took Luke to the vet; he'd twisted his leg last week which is a common occurrence but he just hasn't seemed himself.  He was do for a check up and blood panel anyway so I called and made an appointment for 1:30.  This is the veterinarian facility that I've been going to with Elsa, I really like them.  But I made the appointment with a new vet, you cannot always get your vet so I wanted to meet another of them as a second vet at the same place. Was I glad I did.

Luke had never been to this vet which is a plus for him and his nerves.  When we went in he required quite a bit of eye contact from Mom which helps him to know that all is well.  He checks in with me constantly. As I signed him in he tried to jumped up to say hi at the desk but didn't quite make it.  The waiting room is small but there was no one else there so we sat quietly and waited.  He seemed to be shifting around a lot so I asked if he would like to sit with me?  He understands what this means and prepared himself for the lift onto my lap, cute.

He sat on my lap for the entire waiting period before we were called in.  Luke has a tendency to turn into Cujo at the vet trying to keep anyone away from him that might take him away.  But with his age he has mellowed and he didn't know he was at the vets yet.  He had his googly eyes on and seemed quite comfortable on my lap.  We chatted and basically just chilled.  When a guy with a cat in a box came into the waiting room, Luke's eyes changed immediately to big round worried saucers.  His mouth pulled forward ready to growl, he let out a huge and threatening growl.  The man turned away and Luke relaxed realizing he was not there for him.

Then a woman came in with an old labrador, Luke caused a huge scene.  He barked and growled and carried on all from my lap.  It only lasted a few seconds and he then relaxed again, that was the extent of his display which is very good for him.  The tech came out and called us to a room, Luke was a bit anxious but not bad.  We waited and the very nice tech girl came in and got on the floor with him.  She was very gentle and very calm in her actions.  He didn't mind her at all.

Next the vet came in and I quickly gave her a rundown on the behavior that might come but it didn't.  She too got on the floor and proceeded with the check up.  He was so good for her as he always is.  She was very gentle, calm and she listened.  Listening is one of the best things that a good vet can do, owners know their dogs best and if they aren't into listening then they have only guessing whats going on to rely upon.  Luke weighed in at a whopping 41 lbs, SKINNY.  Obviously his weight is an issue but it's not a new issue so not that much to worry about being that he'd only dropped a mere one pound.

I talked to her about his epilepsy and that it was mostly stress related.  I asked that his blood draw be done in the room with me holding him.  This was the big wait and see for me.  She didn't mind at all, she completely understood and did not seem rattled by the request.  It is something that I feel very strongly about being that my dogs are much more comfortable with my arms wrapped around them versus a complete strangers.

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Last year I had visited a completed different facility who asked me never to return again because I had the same request to be with Tilley.    It was this same veterinarian that completely missed a high white blood count in her panel.  Upon showing it to another much better vet at yet a different facility they quickly put her on antibiotics seeing that she had something going on inside.  Was this the mass on her spleen that eventually took her from us?  More than likely I believe.

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So with Luke's check up done he needed to have his blood drawn and get a urine sample.  The girls came in with the syringe, I held Luke's head and we were done in less than a minute.  Luke is amazing and trusts me with his life so having blood drawn from his jugular with Mom wrapped around him giving him kisses wasn't too too bad.

They said that they would take him out to get a sample and I said I'd do it.  I've done it a ton of tons so I grabbed the bowl and head out with my boy.  I told him to "hurry up," and readied the bowl.  It took less than a 1/2 a minute and he was filling up the collection bowl.  What happened next was a bit of a drag, he sort of shook and trotted off at the same time knocking the bowl enough to spill it all over my hand.  I stood letting the bulk drip away and laughed, in fact I was smiling knowing that most people would be mortified by this.  I laughed all the way back into the office, handed them the bowl and asked where I could wash my hands.

The vet came out again and talked to be in depth about Luke.  She said that she will call on Sat. or earlier with the blood test results and to call if I had any concerns.  This was a great visit and Luke was more than happy to be leaving with me and not left behind.  Elsa had loved this vet so much that she wanted to stay the first time I took her.  Canyon Animal Hospital is a wonderful Veterinarians and one that I definitely recommend.  Yesterday I saw Dr. Brower and really, really liked her, the vet that saw Elsa for all of her visits is Dr. Hamil who is wonderful as well.

More is not always better

I am a huge fan of exercise, both in my own life and for my dogs.  I try to hit the gym at least 4-5 times a week but I'm not there long.  I see folks who are always there for hours at a time, more is not always better.  For my own workouts I'm in and out.  I am not a gym rat, I don't want to hang out at the gym all day; I do a concentrated 1/2 hour workout with no resting between sets and then I'm done.  Short and sweet is how I like it.  This is the way I look at my dogs workouts.  Of course as they age like Luke is now a long slow meandering walk is what is on the menu but for Elsa she needs some intensity in her workout.

Over the years I've met a lot of people who hit the dog park or beach and stay for hours at a time.  They think that their dog needs to run and run for hours, they don't.  Have a look at the life of a wolf, they save their full out sprinting for the hunt.  Other than hunting they don't do a huge amount of running around other than a bit for fun and play.  They save their energy for when it is needed.  Like us, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Our dog's bodies need down time when they can recuperate, regenerate and rest.

Yesterday I had the chance to get Elsa out for a nice walk with a friend, we snuck a quick off leash few moments to throw the ball with the chuck it.  I still can't get over how far I can throw that thing, I'm a horrible thrower without it.  I truly throw like a girl on my own.  So with only a few mega tosses Elsa had sprinted quite a distance.  There is no halfway for her, she always gives it her all.  Even after just a few tosses and a walk afterwards Elsa was zonked.

It is amazing how getting out and about can be so tiring to a dog.  The act of experiencing life and new things, doing training, meeting new people all factor into a busy outing.  The intense physical exercise is only a part of the whole.  The mental exercise is just as important.  There is a fine line between enough and too much.  I've met people who say that they use to go the dog park for an hour, now they have to go for three hours or their dog just can't get enough.  Why is this?  The dog has become accustom to massive quantities of continual motion and they more they get the more they need.

Downtime is very, very important.  As much as I love an active dog, they must learn that there are times when we simply 'chill.'  Dogs can become obsessively active if that is all they know.  With our guidance they can receive a great amount of exercise and learn that there is more to life than constant motion.  You can see when a dog cannot settle, when they are so use to moving continually.  They often have dilated pupils, it's from exhaustion and it is not normal or good.  Elsa had a bit of this in CT from the constant squirrel watch, it was difficult for her at such a young age to turn off the 'squirrel patrol." This was all new to her so she thought that if they were out running around that she had to be on guard.   I had to physically put her down for naps so that she was not becoming over tired.

A short power workout and/or a long and steady walk, then chill.

Not on my turf

Yesterday I had just got home from the grocery store and was getting stuff out of my Xterra.  I had climbed almost into the back seat to grab something and as I was getting out I was met by a growling, barking, hackles raised, black pit mix.  "Great, just great" I thought to myself.  I put all the stuff that I had in my hands down to assess the situation.  Hmmmmmm, I was pretty sure that this was my driveway I'd pulled into.  I was not an intruder at someone else's house so why had this dog come over to my house to growl at me? This was the same dog who I'd seen taking a dump in my yard from my office window.

This situation was not okay, I was not in training mode; I'd been out shopping and just wanted to come home to see my dogs.  I yelled at the dog "get out of here," which only fueled the barking.  The dog was not confident, it's tail was down through the ordeal.  I looked across the street to see the owner of the dog chatting with one of her neighbors, really?  This dog was barking up a storm, there is no way she couldn't hear it.  Then suddenly a little boy appeared, he was calling the dog and trying to round it up all the while apologizing about the incident.

He somehow managed to round up the dog, it was growling the entire time.  I knew it was growling at me but I'm pretty sure it was growling at his attempt to get it back home as well.  The whole time the woman stood in her driveway, it was like she was deaf yet she was having a conversation.  I was mad, really mad.  Going to someone's house to accost them is unacceptable and very, VERY avoidable.    It is one thing to come after me, but what if I'd been unloading my dogs?

I gathered up my things again and took a step out of my car.  Instantly I heard the barking and growling, what????  It had charged across the street once again and was bound to finish this. Okay so we have a serious problem, the dog is a spooky one; I don't know what started this all but I'm going to finish it.  I will have to talk to the owners about the situation.  It truly boggles my mind when people act this way, negligent.  Especially when they have a dog breed that has got a bad rap.  If you own a dog that is deemed "one of the bad ones," then you have to go above and beyond to make sure that dog does not do anything that my be construed as aggressive.

Most people who have these types of dogs work very hard to show the rest of the world that they are not bad.  I know lots of wonderful, loving and affectionate pit bulls and mixes.  I have also met a few over the years who were not so great and it was through no fault of their own, it was their negligent owners that had caused the situation.

Allowing a dog to wander around in a neighborhood oblivious as to what it is doing is just unacceptable. If this happens again I will call the authorities.    The dog finally left and I took my moment to get out of the car and go into the house.  Looking back I could see that all of the dogs at the house were running around outside, across the street and to all the neighbor houses.  I was fuming mad, and I still am as I write this.  I'm sure that the authorities will be called as I can't see anything changing in the near future.

When to add another

"When should I add another?"  This is probably one of the most common questions that I am asked.  About a month ago I was stopped at the beach by a woman with an older dog, we chatted and when she found out that Luke was 11.5 years old and Elsa was 8 months she asked lots of questions.  She had wanted to add another dog to her family but with her dog being a very senior 10 year old she wasn't sure that it was the right time.  The right time is a difficult question and one that I asked myself a great deal before getting Elsa.  Our difficulty was the fact that we had two very, very old dogs to care for as well.  I knew that Luke was young and healthy enough to deal with the addition of a puppy.

When I added our little Jack Russell to the family I already had another dog who was middle aged, it was a great time to add her and they got along great.  Clyde, who was the boy we had when we added Jessie was already very bonded to us and had all of his training, he was a joy to live with.  Shortly after the addition of Jessie I desired a third and so we added Tilley when Jessie was only 10 months old.  This decision of course made it very difficult for me in the end.  As the two grew older the thought of losing them both in a close span of time became more imminent.  I will not do this again.

Of course the thought of losing two dogs within weeks of each other is not the main concern when you add family members but it is something to think about.  Adding Tilley shortly after Jessie was never an issue behavior wise because Tilley came to me pretty close to perfect.  The most important thing to consider is that he first dog should be well bonded to the family, well behaved having lots of training under their belt and be able to help in the new one.  It is amazing how much a new puppy watches the older dog to learn things.  If you have a young and uneducated dog and add another then you are in for a whole whack of work.  A joyous time can turn into a nightmare if you don't wait until the right time.

If you are wrestling with your first dog and unwanted behaviors and then add a second one into the mix;  just think for a minute what you will be up against?  Puppies can be frustrating at the best of times so if you have work to do with your first dog, do not add the second one just yet.  When your first dog is still young enough to enjoy a puppy, which can be anywhere from 3 years to much older then add another.  My ball park addition age is 3 years of age.  With three years comes life experience, a good deal of training should be have and they should have something to offer a young'n.  Of course all dogs are different so 3 years may be too young to add another to your home, you may want to wait 5 years.

There is also those who will wait too long and at the last possible moment go for it.  This is often a bad option as the very old dog wants nothing to do with a new and spirited puppy.  If your dog is too old, sick or just sore then think twice about adding a puppy.  The option of an older rescue may be a good choice then but the right dog must be placed to make it work and allow your old dogs to still feel comfortable in their golden years.

When we added Elsa there was a great deal to consider; had we waited too long?  With Tilley being 14 and dealing with Vestibular disease, Jessie 15 and suffering from dementia, Luke 11 years young I looked to my future to answer that question.  Tilley was doing really great for a 14 year old and could offer a great deal to a puppy, Jessie wasn't really a consideration as she was already in her own little world and Luke, well he would finally have someone to play with once he bonded with her.  The question was, was I up for more work?  As you all know dogs are my life so we welcomed her in with open arms and having lived through the last couple of months I now see that this addition was more than perfect timing.

The joy of a sleep in

Sleeping in; it's what we all wait for as the weekend approaches.  But what if you have a new puppy?  Well the chances are you are not sleeping in for a while to come.  I remember thinking to myself "I wonder if I'll ever sleep in again?" with the addition of Elsa to our family.  She's an active girl, she is ready for action from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning and for some reason that seemed to be 4:30am from the get go.  Because of this I instilled a routine early on which I think has helped to get us to this point.

When Elsa woke up at around 4 am in the morning I would take her out and then offer her a handful of her puppy kibble. After that she went back to her crate for a little more sleep and I went back to bed.  She got very use to this routine and it most definitely helped us on our road trip from CA to CT.  She like many human youngsters did not understand the pure joy of sleeping, she had too many things to do.  Why sleep when you could be doing anything else?

At nine months of age I am happy to say that she is learning the joy of sleeping.  We don't often sleep in and we never sleep in late if we do.  I'd feel like half my day was gone if I slept in until 10 in the morning.  Sleeping in for us is maybe 6:30 or 7:00 and then we have coffee in bed and enjoy the quiet morning and not having to get up and at it quickly.  Just this morning I got up to grab a coffee, it was 6:40 and Elsa was curled up on the bed alongside Luke.  I asked her to come down with me and she lay there stretching and yawning so I went ahead.

As I finished pouring the coffee she slowly came into the kitchen, we had a snuggle and she went out.  As soon as she came in she headed back up to bed.  She is now back in bed in her place as I watch my two who resemble wooly bookends as they dream away.  Both twitching in full on dream mode.  She has begun to understand how wonderful sleeping is and loves her slow moving mornings as much as we do.  Of course being that we are all sleeping in together in the same bed makes it much more enjoyable and if we are really lucky Elsa's Dad will bring us breakfast in bed.  This morning we are.  :)  Have a great Sunday everyone.

It's all about introducing the good things in life.

Clear and imminent danger

This creature thing was set up for Halloween last October in Essex, CT.  It would most definitely had gotten a clear and imminent danger response from Elsa until she realized that it was not alive.  

Clear - free from darkness, obscurity or cloudiness.

Imminent - likely to occur at any moment, pending.

Reading the description of the two words above should make it quite obvious that the term 'clear and imminent danger' means one thing but does it?  Not to dogs, nor to us.  It really depends on who you are, who your dog is and what the situation is at the precise moment of sensing danger.

Yesterday I took advantage of some rain to head out and sneak an off leash run with Elsa.  I took along her chuck-it to ensure some power exercise got done.  When we arrived at the park there was no one around; the park was quiet except for the rain coming down and dripping off the many surfaces that fill the wide open spaces.  As we made our way to the area that is mostly fenced we passed a couple of landscapers taking cover under trees and then we came across one in the play ground.  This one was not sitting well with Elsa, she had not expected to see him huddled under the slide and reacted immediately.  She physically startled seeing him and then commenced her chicken barking.   We call it chicken barking because she sounds like a chicken, not because she is being a chicken.  It is a sort of clucking bark, not a full on bark, more under her breath.

I kept my composure and continued at the pace that we had started off not giving any body cues that I found this guy strange or scary.  He was simply getting out of the rain but he was under the slide, holding a phone and wearing his hood up over his head; to Elsa this was a clear and imminent danger.  She most certainly saw him as a threat.  I continued to chirp along to her "come'on let's go."  But she was not letting this guy sneak up on her, no way, no how.  She continued barking well after we had passed him, looking over her shoulder just in case.

Our dogs see things much more differently than we do and depending on their degree of experience often consider items, events or people to be scary.  Elsa is a dog that considers anything new to be suspicious until she checks it out.  She learns very quickly and stores the information as 'already been checked.'  She will often sound off when she sees things that concern her as we walk at the beach or park while Luke says nothing and is obviously not concerned with what she is barking at.  At 11.5 he has seen most of what there is to see, he is much better at deciding what is a danger and what is not.

Young dogs don't have the life experience under their belt to make appropriate decisions about danger.  They often miss dangerous situation because they lack prior experience.  Even though Elsa is a very well traveled nine month old; she has seen and done far more than most her age but she is still young.  She still jumps to conclusions quickly due to her young age.  Luke would have known that the guy under the slide was a non issue because of his body.  Had he moved towards us in an ominous way things may have changed.

Clear and imminent?  Not always.

Friday the 13th

Statistically Friday the 13th is a good one for me.  I got engaged to my wonderful husband on Friday the 13th and had my second little girl on a Friday the 13th so I am waiting to see what good will come of today.  Happy Friday the 13th to everyone, it's not all bad.  :)

Luke has been under the weather the last couple of days, he tweaked his shoulder and has been out of commission.  He has never been the picture of perfect structure and regularly twisted or injures something.  When both he and Tilley were young she would run rings around him.  She could turn on a dime at high speeds leaving him in the dust or tumbling from trying.  As Tilley became a frisbee star Luke became interested as well.  He was an amazing catch but much different than Tilley. Tilley would never wait for the frisbee to come down, she would effortlessly go up in the air to get it.

Leaping in the air was something that we never wanted to see Luke do, even at a young age. He just could not manage the landing; his was more like crash landings.  So controlling the frisbee to keep it low was the trick for him.  Now well into his senior years he is suffering from his lack of quality structure.  I hear so many people say "I don't want a show dog," talking to prospective puppy breeders as they are told about how well put together a dog is.  You may not want a show dog but you do want structure; that being said every show dog does not have good structure, far from it.  What you want is a dog that is put together properly so that they can move without getting hurt.

Movement is huge and having been in the show ring since the age of 13 it is something that I am continually watching.  I don't care what breed or mix it is, I like to see a dog that can move and move properly.  Tilley was one of the most put together dogs that I've known.  Would she have won ribbons in a show ring?  Most definitely not, but she could out move many of the dogs in the ring.  Often structure and substance are over looked in lieu of beauty, this is a sad occurrence.

Take the German Shepherd that we see in the show ring today; they are a train wreck.  Their movement is all wrong and the poor dogs can barely walk let alone run.  All because of a trend for a particular visual effect.  At some point in time things must go back to the dog itself, we humans must stop creating sculptures to look at for our enjoyment and give the dog back their sturdy and highly functional bodies.

With some extra rest Luke will hopefully be back to his old self in a couple of days.  But age is quickly sneaking up on him and bouncing back is taking longer and longer.  As I watch Elsa mature into a beautiful young lady it is quite apparent that her structure is wonderful.  Her movement is effortless much like Tilley's was and seeing her fly through the air often gives us pause, does she have invisible wings?

Leash greetings

Our society is mostly a leashed one, leash laws are in place everywhere.  They are there for a reason and are often enforced.  So as we walk our dogs through the streets, parks and beaches we come across others with their dogs on leash.  We may or may not greet depending on the look of the other dog, our own dogs reaction to other dogs on leash or if we want to stop and say hi.  If we do it can be all undone in a moment, that friendly greeting can go bad quickly and not because of either of the dogs being grouchy.  If you are not careful with your leash the two dogs can become entwined quickly.

Yesterday I had Elsa at the park for a walk, we ran into a guy with a nice Weimaraner.  I am trying to teach Elsa that we can simply walk past dogs without engaging every time but this looked like a nice girl so we went to say hi.  She was very nice and Elsa got very excited.  Within a split second Elsa was in a tangled mess.  The other dog was on an extension leash and the guy was not controlling where she went at all; he was allowing her to pass that precise point where tangling starts.

Dogs greet by circling, each wants to smell the other dogs parts so of course it's going to result in a circling behavior.  If you allow your dog to go past the neck to neck they are going to get tangled.  I keep Elsa front and center because I never want to deal with tangling issues.  But when you are dealing with other people you cannot control what they do.  So his leash quickly got wrapped around Elsa as she bounded around and I grew angry.  I grabbed her to stop her from moving an unwrapped the leash from her legs before she got hurt and said "okay that's enough."  We moved on.

Allowing dogs to greet on leash can be a challenge at the best of times, many dogs show leash aggression.  They feel constrained by the leash and often act very different from their off leash self.  But the leash can cause problems all on their own.  If a dog becomes wrapped up and feels like they cannot get away they can become defensive causing aggression and a learned behavior.  The leash can also get wrapped around them so tightly that they fall to the ground.  Tangled leashes are a big danger both physically and mentally.  Tangles are to be avoided at all costs.

If you want to say hi to another dog keep your distance, do not cross that invisible tangle line.  Once two dogs facing each other cross collars the tangle can begin.  If you want your dog to move around the other dog then you need to move with your dog keeping the leash at a short length.  If you are one of those folks out  there using an extension leash, reign that baby in and lock it when you approach other dogs.  They are by far the most dangerous leash out there for tangle accidents.  If you approach someone with an extension fully extended, keep walking.

Barking dogs

When we were on our way back home; driving across America I hoped that a particular neighbor might be gone.  This neighbor is the one who's dog regularly took dumps on my front yard.  The owner would never pick it up and was often standing out front of her house waiting for her dog to finish and come home.  I don't know how many times I bagged up that s*%t and threw it back onto her yard.  So anyway now more people live in the house and there are three dogs, three dogs that bark at every single dog that walks down the street.

My office is in the front of my house, I love it.  I have a sliding door which is usually open allowing a great breeze to come through all day.  Elsa likes to lie at the door and watch the world go by.  She is doing very well with it all being that she spent nearly four months in the silence of the forest with nothing going by.  She is learning to watch and not bark.  Yesterday a boxer went by with it's owner, I don't know this dog but as it passed by my house and beyond the three dogs at "the" house went crazy.  It was so loud that I could not believe that no one was asking them to stop.

The commotion went on well past the dog passing their house, the sound echos through the neighborhood and keeping my own dogs from joining in is a challenge.  When there is that much craziness happening of course it winds up all the other dogs around.  The poor dog walking down the street with it's own was clearly upset as I would imagine the owner was as well.  I quietly reached for some treats and asked Elsa to stop.  She was doing her chicken barking, the barking that is the quiet, under her breath barking.  I wanted to stop it there before she got herself into a frenzy and she did stop.

She came over to me and sat in front of my chair, she got her treat and we remained calm, zen calm.  Remaining calm when this sort of ruckus starts is essential in the display that you show your dog.  If you get all fired up then your dog reads that as your frenzy behavior.  My most common response to barking that starts is shhhhhhhhhhh.  I have to say that being able to go back to whisper talking to my dogs is nice.  With both Tilley and Jessie I had to resort to yelling much of the time due to the loss of hearing.

If for some reason the barking does not stop when I ask it to then I get up and calmly move her away from the window.  I don't get all fired up, I keep my zen mood and simply let her know that if she does not stop then she is not allowed to look out the window.  Luke is very good about stopping, he never likes to get into trouble, not  even zen trouble.  He is such a good boy.

Barking is fine if it is done in moderation, a couple of barks followed by "thank you," and then I take it from there.  The crazed barking and behavior from the dogs down the street is horrific.  I'm sure that people dread walking by if this is what they are in for each time they do.  I know that I would choose another path if it happened to me.  Allowing your dogs to go off on people and dogs and not even attempting to control it is unacceptable.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.  :)

Barking dogs

When we were on our way back home; driving across America I hoped that a particular neighbor might be gone.  This neighbor is the one who's dog regularly took dumps on my front yard.  The owner would never pick it up and was often standing out front of her house waiting for her dog to finish and come home.  I don't know how many times I bagged up that s*%t and threw it back onto her yard.  So anyway now more people live in the house and there are three dogs, three dogs that bark at every single dog that walks down the street.

My office is the front of my house, I love it.  I have a sliding door which is usually open allowing a great breeze to come through all day.  Elsa likes to lie at the door and watch the world go by.  She is doing very well with it all being that she spent nearly four months in the silence of the forest with nothing going by.  She is learning to watch and not bark.  Yesterday a boxer went by with it's owner, I don't know this dog but as it passed by my house and beyond the three dogs at "the" house went crazy.  It was so loud that I could not believe that no one was asking them to stop.

The commotion went on well past the dog passing their house, the sound echos through the neighborhood and keeping my own dogs from joining in is a challenge.  When there is that much craziness happening of course it winds up all the other dogs around.  The poor dog walking down the street with it's own was clearly upset as I would the owner was as well.  I quietly reached for some treats and asked Elsa to stop.  She was doing her chicken barking, the barking that is the quiet, under her breath barking.  I wanted to stop it there before she got herself into a frenzy and she did.

If for some reason the barking does not stop when I ask it to then I get up and calmly move her away from the window.  I don't get all fired up, I keep my zen mood and simply let her know that if she does not stop then she is not allowed to look out the window.  Luke is very good about stopping, he never likes to get into trouble, even zen trouble.  He is such a good boy.

She came over to me and sat in front of my chair, she got her treat and we remained calm, zen calm.  Remaining calm when this sort of ruckus starts is essential in the display that you show your dog.  If you get all fired up then your dog reads that as your frenzy behavior.  My most common response to barking that starts is shhhhhhhhhhh.  I have to say that being able to go back to whisper talking to my dogs is nice.  With both Tilley and Jessie I had to resort to yelling much of the time.

Barking is fine if it is done in moderation, a couple of barks followed by "thank you," and then I take it from there.  The crazed barking and behavior from the dogs down the street is horrific.  I'm sure that people dread walking by if this is what they are in for each time they do.  I know that I would choose another path if it happened to me.  Allowing your dogs to go off on people and dogs and not even attempting to control it is unacceptable.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.  :)

Getting over the maintenance issues

Being that I have one of the most groomed breeds, maintenance is an ongoing thing.  For those of you who have smooth coated or dogs that do not require clipping or trimming there are still things like ears, nails and teeth to attend to. Typically my dogs are shaved down with no pom poms, nice and trim.  This makes for very little grooming other than the shave itself.  That said Elsa has a great deal of coat now which I am not use to dealing with.  Oh I did my fair share years ago but not in a long while.  I don't like the time that it takes to brush and comb out but she does look beautiful.  It's all that puppy hair that is the issue and the look.  I know that once I take it off it is never coming back so I've been holding off.

 

Both of my dogs get regular ear cleaning, weekly nail trimming and teeth scraping.  Luke has always been a very good boy about all of these things even though he is the nervous type.  Trust is the first issue, if your dog trusts that you will never hurt them then you are over the first hump.  The next thing to conquer is the association to being touched, brushed and squeezed.  Feet are a biggy for many, dogs don't like having their feet touched, or at least most.  But if you start working on foot touching early it should not be a problem.  If you got your puppy from a great breeder who works on this from the get go then you are really lucky.

Maintenance can have a very negative association so you must create something positive out of a negative.  I have used food, massage and mushy talk turning the stress of having general maintenance done into a great activity. Elsa really did not like any of it, as a very busy girl she did not enjoy having her freedom snatched away for some poking around stuff.  With lots and lots of treats she has turned into a very good girl about it all.  Of course now she is having to deal with a great deal more grooming which in the long run will be a good thing.  Once that coat comes off everything else will seem like a breeze.

As far as nails go you must use as many treats as it takes to make it positive.  I start with a treat per nail and Elsa is now up to two feet for a treat.  Luke gets a treat at the end and all of my dogs have always been rewarded at the end of nail cutting or grinding.  If your dog fusses and tries to get away when you do nails and your reaction is to hold them tightly and just get it done, things are going to go from bad to worse.  The more they struggle the tighter your grip gets on them causing their stress level to continually rise.  They may even growl or snap which can be very detrimental to your relationship.  Once a dog growls at you it can be very difficult to get back to where you were before the growl.

A growl can come from a created dominant dog, meaning that the dog may not be a dominant type but because of how they were raised, basically being allowed to do as they please they have become the boss of the house.  Or it can come from fear, so a growl must be dealt with.  You may need to call in for some back up help from a positive trainer.  But no matter why a growl needs attending to.

I am surprised by people when they tell me that they have never thought about nails, looked in their dog's ears or picked up a brush.  In my breed many folks use professional groomers like many other people who have full coated breeds.  The groomer does it all and they never think about it.  Everyone should brush their dog and at least get accustom to looking and checking out all the parts.  Just hoping that it is all good because you go to a groomer is not a good idea.  Going over your dog and knowing what everything should look like is what general maintenance is.

Maintenance is a great bonding time; I use it for some very close and personal mushy time which of course everyone enjoys.  :)

Easter weekend at home

Luke with his happy face on while searching for ground squirrels at Dana Point Harbor. 

As you all know I am back in town, we arrived in Southern California just over a week ago.    I also know that many of you are wondering why?  Well it's a long story, one that I am writing about in a book which will be number two about my trip to CT and back.  But for now here are some pics that might help you to understand a bit more.  When you've lived here for nearly fourteen years it's hard to live elsewhere. This was a bit of what we did this past weekend.   Enjoy, I sure did.

Dad, Elsa and Luke

Some of the local wildlife.

We had come to see the sunset and as we rounded the corner of the marina it started.

Elsa watching the sunset, beautiful.

Then Sunday morning we hit The Montage in Laguna Beach with the dogs.

Elsa is so funny, as soon as her feet hit the sand she has a zoom, digs and zooms some more.  Here Luke joined her in a good dig.

Handsome old guy

Elsa asking Luke "did you see the size of that wave?"  

Not too hard to look at.

Heading home for breakfast with the wind in their hair.

Thank you for being you

Being that it is Easter Sunday I want to wish you all a wonderful day with your family and friends.  I would also like to thank you all for being a part of my life, crazy as it is.  :)   There are many people out there who are very negative about social media but I for one have met so many wonderful people on all of my groups that I cannot imagine going back now.  We have connected from all around the world, getting to know each other and sharing our lives.

I so enjoy getting to meet you all. 

For everyone on all of my groups, have a wonderful day.

Just dogs with Sherri

The Standard poodle

Sherri Regalbuto Photography

Poodles in need around the world

Bloat

Shutting down puppy mills

Place

Place is probably one of the best things that you can teach your dog.  Of course you can use any word you like and multiple words meaning different areas that you want your dog to go.  We have taught Elsa "bed" being that we have lots of beds around the house there is typically one in every room that she can go to.  When we are eating in the family room she knows to go to her bed if she'd like any food.  All we have to do now is look at her and she runs to her bed.  Throughout the day I can say "bed" and she will charge to the nearest bed, it is a wonderful thing.

When she was younger I taught her "place;" which at that point was a very bright orange piece of fleece that I moved around to help her generalize the behavior. But she has not used that piece of fleece for a while now so I am going to reassociate the word "place" with a new small rug.  I will go out this week to get one, it will have to be something obvious so that she will be able to locate it quickly.  I plan to put it at the front door, far enough away so that it is not in the way but she can still see what is going on and who is coming in.

Teaching the place behavior is fairly easy when you use behavior markers, either a clicker or pre-chosen word and reward.  "Place" will become this little rug so no matter where it is she will be required to go there.  In the future I may choose something else to do the same exercise with but use another word to associate with it.  Perhaps a pad that I bring to outdoor restaurants and picnics.

I remember teaching a labrador puppy the place exercise when she was very young.  It wasn't long until she got it and would charge from anywhere in the house to that spot awaiting her treat.  It is a very useful and wonderful exercise.  So I'll be off to find a cool new rug for the front door this week.

Have a wonderful canine weekend everyone.

Association 101

I've written about association and dogs a great number of times.  Below are two previous blogs on the subject.

The Association Factor

Association

Association - the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories.

Association is one of the most important things to consider when dealing with dogs; this is how they learn.  Yesterday I took my two to the beach.  A couple of days before we had gone to a beach area but not walked on the beach.  As we drew nearer to the beach Elsa started becoming unglued, once we set foot onto the sandy surface that was that.   She was so excited that she immediately started digging like a wild girl. Elsa has always had a thing for sand but with that came the association to the beach.  At this point the beach has meant being off leash and pretty much doing as she pleased.  This was a tough one for her.

She whimpered and whined in anticipation; she was sure the leash was about to come off.  But alas it was not coming off anytime soon.  Through our walk she very much resembled a rabbit, often leaping with all fours at the same time.   She zoomed, barked and basically exuded all her typical beach antics albeit on the end of her leash.  I felt bad that she couldn't get off her leash but I also realized that she needs to learn control.  All dogs learn through association; action/reaction.  Elsa is a fast learner and things tend to be cast in stone with her in very short order.

Often our dogs learn and ingrain things in their head which we are unaware of.  It can take some unraveling to figure out what is going on in those canine heads of theirs.  Off leash activities can quickly become just that, off leash.  I have seen many dogs who think that off leash means doing what they please.  Going to the park and running off leash means that you don't listen to commands, you don't abide by rules and you basically run a muck.  So how do you stop this bad association?

Switch it up; as Elsa had to learn yesterday, you can walk on the beach on a leash and live to see another day.  Control is important and dogs must learn that even when they are in the area of "free reign" they must listen.  When a dog sets environments and behaviors in stone it is essential to change. Luke had the same behavior when he was young with a secret "off leash" spot that we had.  So I took him in every so often on leash and worked on obedience; leaving after a good session and not letting him run free.

Doing things that are off the norm is good for dogs.  It puts you very much in the driver seat.  It does not take dogs long to feel like they are the ones making the rules and running your life and this fact can turn into reality if you are not careful.  Letting our dogs have fun is very important but when that fun takes over we need to step in and switch it up.  Canine guardians need to take the "we're doing this today," attitude.  Human guidance is essential in a human/canine relationship.

Common courtesy

Common courtesy in the dog world.  Yep, there are things we should and should not do as far as our dogs are concerned in the human world that we live in.  Yesterday I hit a favorite park of mine with Elsa.  We were just getting into the park when we met a wonderful six month old lab puppy.  He was smitten with Elsa as was she with him.  They had an on leash mini play session, great for more dog socializing for both. His owner and I were chatting a bit about letting the dogs off leash which I did not do with Elsa, it was much too public a place.  She said that she often let him off for some "chuck it" fun but sometimes people got mad.

I am all for sneaking off leash fun, I do it when I can and with a puppy; only when it is extremely safe to do so.  We must  either be alone or with others who are being off leash. Having dogs off leash in an on leash area where people are walking their dogs on leash is only okay if you have 100% control, which of course is impossible so let's say 90%.  Still then if you walk by someone who is leery of dogs you may be in trouble.  All it takes is one incident to ruin it for everyone.  Even if you have the most friendly of dog or puppy you can still be in a serious predicament if your dog approaches that dog fearing person.

I know quite a few people who are not comfortable around dogs, they should not have to tolerate a loose dog in the park where they walk.  Often simply seeing that a dog does not have a leash on can send canine fearing folks into panic mode.  I have run into many people myself who get very irate when I ask them to leash their dog.  "He's friendly," they often say of their dog who is bounding around aggressively at my dogs.  Hmmmmmm..........this makes me really angry because these are the folks that ruin it for us all.

Even the best of dogs can never be under 100% control unless they are leashed.  My perfect boy Luke is amazing off leash, he walks by my side like a champ and is rarely tempted to bolt off.  But, he is a dog and has his own mind so he could at some point decide that he must go see another dog or person.  He is extremely friendly with both dogs and people but not everyone wants to say hi or get to know him, this is what we dog lovers must understand.  

Before I unsnap a leash I make sure:

Am I in an off leash area?

If it is not an off leash area are there other dogs around on leash?  If so how far are they?  With Luke I can unhook and not worry but not Elsa.

In an on leash area, are there people walking without dogs?

Do I have control of my dog?  Luke?  yes.  Elsa, no.

I am constantly looking for off leash areas that are safe and secluded.  Luckily I have a good sized backyard where my dogs can run and play but it is not the size where they can go for a run.  So I'm always on the lookout for a new spot.

Sadly many of the secluded areas are spots where I've run into the worst dogs.  People who have aggressive dogs think that they are safe in these areas, wrong.  If your dog is aggressive you should never unsnap that leash, no matter what.  Acting like it is the first time your dog has gone after another is a common response that I have heard far too many times.

So before you unhook, look around and ask yourself if it is worth it?  Are you being a courteous dog owner?