Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there.  Being a Mom is about the best job there is and that includes being a Mom to our dogs.  My dogs know me as Mommy, Momma or Mom; it's who I am.  After coming into this world of course by their actual Mom and being cared for by their first human Mom, I stepped into the picture to be the main caregive, Mom.

What is a Mom?  A Mom is someone who loves you unconditionally, takes care of you, worries about you and has hopes and dreams for you.  I know a whole lot of amazing dog Mom's out there.  Woman who open their arms and keep their furkids in the safety of a Mother's realm.

A Mom can be patient, gentle, caring, fierce, affectionate and kind.  I could go on and on; a Mother is just there, always.    Be proud on this day that you care for your dog the way you do.

A big Happy Mother's day to all you Fur Mom's.  Me; I am my dog's Mom.

Opinions

Opinion - a belief or judgment that rest on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.  A personal view, attitude or appraisal.

Opinions are funny things, many people offer up theirs quickly, some hold their tongue and others share when asked.  I like to fall into the later category but often cannot help myself.  Heck I share my opinions with you all everyday here on my blog.  An opinion is just that; a personal assessment, never positive or certain.  But I often deal with people who state their opinion as factual, the only option, their way or the highway so to speak.

Dog behavior is not a perfect science.  As living, breathing creatures they are all different.  This is where lies the problem with the 'only their way,' folks.   Even within feeding, housing, caring, grooming etc etc. there are many different ways.  When asked I will always give my opinion; you may not like it or agree but that's okay because it is my opinion, not yours.

Obviously I have a lot of opinions, I've been writing this blog since 2007. But much of my opinions are backed by experience and research.  Again that is NOT to say that they are correct opinions, just mine.  So when someone comes to me attacking one of my opinions with their own claiming that I am wrong and they are right, I'm not a fan.  "How dare I say that choke collar training is bad," is what one guy who remained anonymous said.  How dare I?  I do dare.  It is my opinion and yes it is based on experience.

If you read something that you don't like, that's okay.  I don't mind if you don't agree but allow me my opinion.  You can have yours and I will have mine.  I think that everyone is entitled to share their opinion, in fact it is a great thing when people do.  As we go through life we learn a great deal, almost something everyday and if you share just a fraction of what you learn and how you feel about it you can help many others.  Sharing is different than ramming down someone's throat though.  Taking the I'm right and you are wrong stance is a good way to have people never listen.    

Just grass

This photo was taken last summer.  Tilley loved the grass and spent many hours soaking up the sun on her back just outside the kitchen window where I could watch her.  

Sitting at a clients kitchen table, I glanced outside to see her two pit mixes soaking up the sun.  They were sprawled out on a nice outdoor dog bed and looked very comfy, nice to see.  But in an instant the owner was up and yelling at one of the dogs, "OFF THE GRASS."  "What's wrong?"  I asked.  "I don't want them on the grass" she explained.  What?????????  "Why?" I asked, not understanding what the heck was going on.  She explained that she didn't want the dogs peeing on the grass.  "Okay, where do they go?"  I asked her.  She told me that they only are allowed to go on walks.  Really?  I was shocked and a little disturbed.

To me grass is grass.  Yes I like to have a nice lawn and I actually work hard at keeping it semi green.  Do I care if the dogs pee on the grass, no.  I cannot even imagine the inconvenience of having to walk the dogs for them to relieve themselves.  I truly enjoy being able to just open the door.  I mean not allowing your dogs to go on the grass would be much like living in an apartment.  What if someone has an upset stomach? Then what?  The joy of grass and dogs is the fact that you can hose.  I have the hose going all the time, especially first thing in the morning when their pee is the strongest.  I'm not out there every morning of course but if I happen to be out when they pee then I hose it off.

I like my yard to be usable so I also pick up after them regularly.  If they go when I am out there then it is picked up immediately, no poop lying around for days.  My yard is small so if I don't pick it up, it is likely to come into the house at some point, more work for me and gross.  I also find that there is no lingering smell if you hose the grass off frequently.

I love to garden so when I'm in the back so are the dogs.  We spend a good deal of time out there in our backyard.  I do not allow chemicals in the backyard on my grass.  No, my grass does not look like the gorgeous rolling greens on a golf course but it is healthy grass that won't hurt my dogs if they eat it.  I also like to keep baby fresh grass growing in a pot for those time when they feel the need to snack.  They love to nibble on grass and are constantly looking for the good stuff.

There is just too much chemical fertilizer and weed killer out there now.  Who knows what long term effects it will have on us all, including our dogs.  I know that several times when we've visited a park that is clearly over fertilized that Luke has had a seizure shortly after.  We don't visit those parks again. If I feel the need to give my lawn some nutrients, it gets a dose of organic stinky stuff and is quickly hosed in and gone.  But that is a very rare occasion.

Just yesterday as I was putting in some new flowers, both Luke and Elsa were sprawled out on the grass beside me.  They were soaking up the sun and enjoying the sound of the birds at the feeder.  Watching them as they relaxed and enjoyed the day made me smile.

It's grass, just grass.  There for all to enjoy and use.

In the hands of a stranger

It can happen and it does, dogs die when left in the hands of a stranger.  This is not a blog to scare you but to let you know what can happen.  Like anything in life, before you do it; research, research.  I'm talking about groomers and doggie daycare/boarding facilities.  The fact is that dogs have died while in the care of these facilities.  First let me say that I know lots of great groomers and daycare and obviously this is not about them.  After surfing the net for just a short time this morning I found many sad stories of dogs dying at both.

I met Kera, a bouncy and full of life boxer girl when she was just 4 months old.  Not long into our first training session I discovered that Kiara was not the first dog in this home.  No, Kiara was the second boxer for this family as the first had died at the groomers.  The dog had been left at the vets to be groomed, she had died at the age of 6 months old in a cage due to heat exposure.  A boxer left in a cage with a cage dryer on too high for too long which is a common cause of death at grooming shops.    So many things done wrong and the result was the death of the dog.  So sad and careless.

Being that I have poodles and a huge group of poodle friends I hear about lots of groomer stories.  It is hard to find a good groomer, much like finding a good doctor or hairstylist for yourself.  But the difference is that we leave our dogs in the hands of these people and hope for the best.  Are they kind, do they like dogs, are they experienced?  There are people in the field who would have to answer no to all of these questions and that groomer or daycare might just be yours. No, it is not easy to find a good groomer or daycare; one that you can put complete faith in.  Pretty much anyone can put out their grooming or daycare sign and get to it.

Doggie daycare is popping up everywhere, for many it seems to be an easy way to make a quick buck.  If you have some space, presto a dog care facility.  Grooming is a bit tougher to get started into as there is more equipment needed and specialty this and that.  How can you know, I mean really know where your dog is safe?  Reviews, recommendations, experience (length of time in operation) and a visual.  That's right, have a good look around and if anything just doesn't seem right, leave.

That goes both for grooming facilities and daycare/boarding facilities.  There should be lots of friendly people there, watch how they interact with your dog.  Do they have training, do they have "official" certificates out where people can see them?  Can you hang around for a bit or is it a drop your dog at the door and leave sort of place?  Research, research, research.  It doesn't take long to find out what people think of a place and a facilities safety history.

Both industries are plagued with deaths and injuries that you can find on the internet.  Dog owners who left their dog happy and healthy and returned to an injured or dead dog.  It is simply a dog owners worst nightmare come true when this happens.  Unfortunately not a lot can be done when this does happen so it is up to us, dog owners to make sure that we are leaving our dogs in the best place possible.

If you ever get that second thought feeling about a place, please listen to it. All of this goes for veterinarians as well.  I almost cut Tilley's life short by not listening to that inner warning voice.  

Knowing your dog

Knowing your dog is so very important, but many people go through life without fully knowing or understanding them.  Yesterday when I was at the park a man walked by us with his two cute little munchkins and gave us a heads up.  "There is a guy with a black dog around corner that went after my dog," he told me.  I asked if the dog had been on a leash?  He said "yes, they were just saying hi and it attacked my dog."  I thanked him and we went on our way.  Needless to say I kept my eye open for the black dog but he seemed to have left.

This got me to thinking that many people really do not know their own dog.  Had this guy known his black dog he would have passed on the greeting.  Of course I didn't see what happened but it's a good guess.  I used to tell people from far away that Jessie was not friendly, it just wasn't worth all the bluster from her and shock from other people.  She was the ultimate "alpha bitch," and went through life wanting everyone to know that fact.

Another park encounter of ours was averted because I know my dogs.  We were walking down the path and saw a young looking, very friendly lab.  He had a spring in his step and was growing increasing ly excited when he saw my guys.  I knew in an instant that Luke would not like this dog, he's not a big lab fan.  I told Luke and Elsa "this way," and we veered into the field a bit just as Luke mustered up a gruff sounding exhale.  He'd been watching the dog and had his warning already when I made him change course.

At the moment Elsa likes everyone, she is still young and social.  In fact she will be 10 months old tomorrow and I love how social and dog savvy she is.  She has had so much socializing with a wide range of dogs that her skills have been becoming more and more fine tuned.  So far there is nothing that I have to steer away for due to her likes and dislikes.  Although if I do see trouble coming or stirring I will remove us.  One bad altercation can be enough to start a problem that was not there in the first place.  She has now met some grumpy dogs and we quickly find a nice one afterwards; a sort of back on the horse thing so there is no lasting impression, just a life lesson.

But knowing your dogs ins and outs takes time; it takes a great deal of watching and paying attention. How many times have I heard people say to me "I don't know why he does that sometimes?"  I say all of the time "Luke's not going to like this or that."  I know my boy and he is an extremely complicated yet simple guy.  Watching is so very important, not only watching but taking in and learning.  Why is your dog reacting the way they are?  Almost everything in a dogs life is caused by association whether it be positive or negative.  Our job is to make it mostly positive and help them through our human world.

When you go out with your dog, watch.  Don't be talking on the phone or in your own world.  Watch how they are dealing in your world.  Get to know them on every different level.  Learning how they see the world will help you to know how they feel about situations that you can then avoid if needed.  It's all about knowing your dog, do you?

Scent work

Scenting for dogs come very naturally.  That said not all dogs use their nose as much as some.  Over the years I have seen a big difference just in my own dogs and when you look at all the different breeds and their anatomy there is a big difference in their ability.  Dogs can smell far more than we could ever hope to. Their nose contains over 195 million more scent receptors than ours so it is fairly easy to understand why they can smell much more than we can.

I love to watch dogs while they are out for a walk, they smell everything.  Elsa is quite the scent dog, much like Tilley was.  On a walk I often feel like I am walking a scenting hound dog.  Her nose rarely leaves the ground until we've been out for sometime or if something happens to catch her ears, then eyes.  If we happen to be walking behind another dog you can see her following every footstep that the dog ahead of us has taken.  When at home she often scents to find us.  It amazes me how dogs can differentiate between 15 min. old foot steps and the most recently placed ones.

Hide'n seek has always been a big game in our house.  Tilley played by scenting out the hider, Luke and my now past boy Clyde would look more than scent.  Elsa is the same as Tilley and uses her nose a great deal.  So I have been thinking that scent work might be a good activity to give a go.

I have been looking into scent work and found The National Association of Canine Scent work 

They have created a group that has opened the door for all dogs to participate in scent work for fun at k9 Nose Work

I think that this would be a great way to channel much of Elsa's natural ability while allowing her to partake in a very natural canine behavior.  Allowing our dogs to do what comes naturally while using their brain and their body is a great outlet for them.  I am going to start some very beginning scent work at home to see how she enjoys it.  Unfortunately scent work training is not offered everywhere so there can be a short to very long drive to get to classes.  But if this is something a dog seems to excel at then who knows where it will lead you?  Follow the nose.

Maiden voyage

Autumn Shades Elsa

Elsa at only 3.5 months old with her Dad.  His new running partner but not for many more months.

Yesterday was a big day; it was kick off day to years of a great running relationship.  Although the day was a bittersweet one, celebratory for Elsa in her new partnership with Dad but a day marking the end of years of running for Luke and his Dad.  Luke has been retired from running for about a year; it was a very difficult thing for Steve (my husband) to do.  The cutting back process was much more mentally challenging than physical.  The idea of not taking Luke out for a jog was just not an option so it was a very, very slow process to where we are today.

First thing to be cut out of Luke's runs were hills.  The hills were too hard on his back legs and even though he could do it, he was very sore later that night.  So running on flats, then only running occasionally to walking, then less walking to small walks.  When Luke could not run any longer my husband said to me "I'm going to need a new running partner."  Even though he had a tough time thinking this let alone saying it.  He loved jogging but not alone, it's not the same running without a dog.  He really enjoyed jogging with a canine partner.

It seems like it was just yesterday that Tilley had gone through the same cut back until finally ending the whole jogging thing completely.  It is a sad and difficult thing to do.  They quickly learn to love the outing as much as we do and when you have to leave and shut the door behind you looking at those wondering eyes, it can be almost too much to bare.  But we do what me must and these type of things must be done with your head and not your heart.

So it had been Luke and Tilley and then just Luke for sometime before Elsa entered the picture.  Knowing full well that Elsa could not be a jogging partner for months it was pretty much perfect timing to slowly wean Luke out.  His walks have gotten shorter and more of a sniff fest, he is 11.5 years old and showing it now.  Yesterday was the big day, and as exciting as it was it was also a strategic moment.  Steve was still not ready to hook up Elsa and walk out of the house without Luke so he took Luke out and Elsa and I went in my car.  Luke went for his normal walk with Dad and then we met up in the park and switched.

I told Steve to be careful and not to break an arm as they turned to leave. It takes a while for running teams to get in sync with each other, tripping is common.  As they head in the opposite direction Luke looked back and my heart ached for him.  I tried to make it fun by giving lots of treats and going along a path that he loves to sniff on.  I looked over my shoulder several times and saw Elsa doing the same, she kept looking back.  This was the very first time she'd gone off alone without Mom, another tough moment for me.

I was anxious to hear how it went when they returned.  "So, so how did it go?"  Elsa did great, she made a few instant stops which tweaked Steve's back a bit and dove out only once to say hi to another dog.  Other than that she had done amazingly well.  "I know she's going to be great," Steve said about his new running partner.  How could she not be great, she is one of the most athletic dogs that I know.  I would have to even go so far as to say "a match made in heaven."

The ride home had been difficult for her, once in the car and not running; the change of everything seemed to hit her.  Steve said that she was upset, wouldn't settle.  She seemed to be looking for me and was not comfortable in the car.  She'd driven across the country in this car so it was not the car but the situation itself.  This only meant that the change that had begun was a good one.  More time spent with Dad to build and grow their relationship was needed.  Time standing on her own four feet away from Luke was also good.

The last several months of our lives have seen great change and daily activities were done differently due to all the change.  This latest change like I said is bitter sweet but in the long run will a win win for all involved.

Canine groups and social media

These days Facebook is a big part of our lives.  I have met many people who are still not a part and do not want to be a part of FB.  It took me a while to get into the swing of it and even then I joined and didn't participate for a very long time.  Then I had another look see and liked what I was seeing.  Sure there is some bad stuff that comes with it but that is life in general, nothing is all good.  But there is so much good that has come out of a group like this.

Over the years I have been a member of many training, breed specific and dogs in general groups.  I've since left them all and now only use Facebook.  The other groups had drama, arguing and rudeness, more than I could tolerate.  What I've noticed is that Facebook doesn't have near the issues with rudeness.  For one I would never put up with it on my own groups but the groups that are not mine are just as nice.

Social media has give us a means to share information fast and wide.  I have gotten so much news via FB that I would have a hard time not having it.  I feel like our world has gotten smaller and smaller and I love it.  I have started several groups, one of which is nearing the 4700 member mark.  I just love it, I have met people around the world with common interests.  As a group we share news, bits and pieces of our lives and learn a great deal from others.

When a piece of important news is shared it is shared with speed across the word via Facebook.  The recently announced new dog food recalls is big news this weekend.  If you are not on Facebook or some other media outlet then it may take a while to get to you.  Our world is ever changing, years ago there was no Facebook and I for one am glad that it is here.  I enjoy meeting all the new people who I get to talk to and who have become a part of my daily life.

When I traveled across the country I felt like I had support throughout the travel and I did, my Facebook family was following us every step of the way.  That is amazing.  I will never forget the feeling on being connected to so many great people.   I for one think that it is a great way to connect with others.  If you are not a Facebook fan yet you should give it a try, you can always leave it you hate but I bet that you won't.

My groups on Facebook include

Just dogs with Sherri
The Standard Poodle
Sherri Regalbuto Photography
Bloat
Shutting down puppy mills
OC Standard Poodles
Poodles in need around the world

Give it a try, I'd love to meet you there.

Out of April and into May recap

First let me share that there has been another big dog food recall.

Dog food recall

Wellness food recall 

Please share these recalls with all of your dog friends.

It's been a busy week.  This week was pretty much gray here in Southern California, I think I saw the sun peek out only once.  We had several days of drizzle and one of actual rain.  When it rains I am out, rain typically keeps a good percentage of the people in with their dogs so that means more chance of a free run for us.  We met a labrador friend of Elsa's and they played and ran like crazy in the rain.  It was this friend of hers that let me know that she was indeed coming into heat.  Poor guy, at six months of age he didn't know what hit him.

Luke has had a very bad eating week, I mean worse than normal.  It could very well be the fact that Elsa is in heat or just Luke being Luke.  He's has decided that he does not eat out of a bowl at mealtime but enjoys eating sporadically throughout the day.  When he does eat it is at a snail pace so a time consuming event to say the least.  He did just finish two whole pieces of cheesey turkey meatloaf that I heated up for my breakfast.  When he eats we go with it and give him as much as we can get in.  So he enjoyed most of my breakfast.

Over this week Elsa has also learned the joy of staying in bed and rarely gets up with me when I go down to get coffee and/or breakfast.  She gets up when I get ready for the gym but goes right back to bed with Luke when I leave.  When I get back from the gym the two of them are snuggled in my bed.

We have been working on the dog door lately with very little success I'm afraid.  Elsa really doesn't like it.  She is fine with pushing it but does not like that it hits her in the back as she goes through.  At this point with her in heat, I'm glad that she is not wanting to use it.  I frankly don't want her out there when I'm not home.  There is no fence high enough for a male after a female in heat.

We will be heading to the beach probably tomorrow and enjoy a day puttering around at home.

Happy Cinqo de Mayo everyone.  Get out those avocados and tequila, of course for the humans.

What to expect when your females comes into heat.

She is not impressed with the underwear situation.

It is a rare occurrence these days to hear that a dog is or will be coming into heat.  Elsa just came into heat yesterday and as such I figured that I'd write about it for those who want to know.  It is now customary to alter our canines on or before they reach six months of age.  Many rescue dogs are spayed or neutered at an extremely young age. This is due to the fact that the people in charge don't want the dogs that they are saving to have a litter of their own.  I know of many dogs who were altered before they were seven weeks old, way too young in my books.

There is now a move to waiting, but with waiting comes a great deal of precautionary measures.  No dog should ever be bred on a first heat, you can read about the reasons why in the articles listed below.  But to keep as simple as possible, they are still babies themselves.

Canines can come into heat anywhere around six months of age.  It can be sooner or much later depending on the dog.  Tilley had her first heat at the age of 14 months, late.  Elsa will turn 10 months old on May 10th.  Elsa's Mother had her first heat at the age of 7 months so they are all different.  Heats last much longer than most people think and they can be confusing.  Many people think that when a dog stops bleeding that they are safe to be out and about.  Big mistake.

The female dog's vulva may start to swell from two weeks before they start their heat or just a day before.  Elsa was just a day.  Once they start to bleed which for Elsa was yesterday it is considered day one of their heat.  Heat can last up to 21 days, yep that's right, 21 days.  It can be much shorter or longer depending on the dog but you must take great care that they are not accidentally caught by a male.  Luckily there are not too many intact males out there these days, most have been altered at a young age.

It is the Estrus stage when they are ready to breed and can become pregnant.  This can be anywhere from 5-12 days after the beginning of the heat.  But can very from dog to dog.  It can be sooner or go much longer that their receptive stage hangs around.  So like I said, great care must be taken so that an "oooops" doesn't occur.

Elsa is in the proestrus stage right now, this means that she is showing signs, bleeding but is not receptive to breeding or at the stage when a breeding would result in puppies.  That said if you have a female who is bleeding, keep her away from any possible "oooops."  Males can be very persistent in their attraction.  Luke has already noticed the change and has been extremely.............lets just say randy.

From a great deal of research and my own past experiences with unaltered females when the time comes that they are at the point of conception everything changes.  They may have been quite adamant about keeping males away up until now.  But at this point they will typically, of course not always be persistent themselves.  I clearly remember Tilley back it up to my male at the time who was a senior brown boy.  He was attempting to do the deed but when he did not perform to Tilley's liking she got quite angry with him.  Clyde had been long neutered so don't think that being neutered means that they lose interest.  She gave this same routine to poor young Luke which was when we decided to have Luke neutered at 10 months of age.  Looking back now, I would have dealt with it and waited another 8 months to a year to have Luke altered.

Reproduction article #1

The heat cycle

How long does it last?


We eventually had Tilley spayed at the age of five years old and I would not wait that long again.  It was much more difficult for her to recover.  That said I believe strongly that dogs are being altered at too young of an age.  There is much research being done on the subject, and like most things that are in the fledgling stages of change, is at a very controversial phase.  


Article on when to alter by Dr. Karen Becker

Dogs Naturally Magazine - long and short term benefits and health risks of altering

So; after reading this I am sure that many of you are wondering "is Sherri going to breed Elsa?"  Are there going to be little Elsa's up for sale in the next couple of years?  No.  I know that being the wonderful and very public dog that she is that I would have no problem placing her young but it is not something that is high on my "to do" list.   There are a great number of things to consider before even thinking about breeding.  Far too often people just want a puppy from their wonderful dog.  You can actually come closer to getting another great dog like yours by going back to the breeder where your dog came from originally.

There are a great deal of risks involved in breeding, for the puppies and the Mother herself.  Most people don't consider this when they dive in.  There is a huge financial obligation, vet bills, feed, health test costs etc. etc. etc.  The list goes on and on.  The biggest one for me that many people don't consider is taking back puppies who just don't work out or need to be pulled.  If you breed your dog you need to step up and care for those puppies for the rest of their lives.  That is huge.

The next couple of weeks at my house are going to be fun to say the least, poor Luke.

Feeding a non eater

"He's not going to starve himself."  Well maybe not but he's going to get so skinny that if he is hit with any sort of illness his weight will be a huge issue.  As you all know I do not like when dogs are allowed to get overweight.  Being overweight can cause a great deal of health issues; diabetes, heart disease, severe joint issues, liver and or kidney failure, problems breathing, decreased mobility and more.

Article on obesity in dogs

But today I'm talking about the extreme opposite, skinny, underweight or Luke.  Luke is skinny, really, really skinny.  He has always been skinny and he has always been a very poor eater.  He grew up on real food and has over the years been sporadically fed dog food as well.  He is a tough customer, very complicated and emotional.  Many people may think that his lack of eating like a normal dog is something that I may have caused but I can assure you it is not.  I have had dogs for thirty years and Luke is my very first non eater.  His much younger housemate Elsa eats like an eating champion at an eating competition.

After years and years of trial and error I am finally figuring Luke out a bit. But mood has much to do with his desire to eat or not.  He is by far the fussiest dog we've had, he likes things a certain way, his way.  Even then when you do it his way he might not be in the mood.  He will eat like a hog one night on a homemade beef meal and the next night, forget it.  It can be frustrating at best, many nights I've thrown my hands in the air saying "fine, whatever."

Naturally dogs hunt, stalk, kill and then eat so for many of them the idea of a boring bowl of food placed in front of them is just that, boring.  Luke is not a big bowl eater, he likes to eat on the go.  We learned quite sometime ago that we can get a great deal of food into him on our walks.  He loves to snack, it is his favorite way to eat.  He also enjoys when I take food outside and toss it around.  This makes him work for his food.  I have also used a kong to feed him with, this is very similar to the instinctive way of eating.  I fill the kong with his food, partially freeze it and offer it up.  He has to work for his food and he likes that.

But to get enough calories into him I need to be constantly feeding him throughout the day and he is not always in the mood.  I don't know how many times my kids have asked "what kind of dogs turns down meat?"  Luke is the kind.  I can offer him up some great meatballs; one day he will eat 5 and the next day, he will turn his head.  If he is not in the eating mood and I try to force the issue he will literally get up and leave so there is no force feeding.

If sadly you have a dog with eating habits like Luke you have your work cut out for you.  First let me say how sorry I am that your dog eats like Luke, it is not fun and a constant worry.  I am not a big fan of store bought dog food but it has surely worked to get extra food into Luke. All throughout the day I offer it to him, sometimes he eats it other times not.

I have found a cookie that Luke loves so I make them often and he never turns them down.  He likes really tasty food as well.  I hate the term "people food," and do not like to use it with regards to real food.  Real food is just that, not our food that we've laid claim to, it's just real, fresh food.  But, Luke does like people food.  He likes flavorful, sauteed, barbecued and slow cooked.  He loves good food.  He would much prefer a savory marinated steak over a raw one.  So the boy has taste, but he also has a bad case of the fussies so the whole eating ordeal is a constant one.

So far we've done pretty well, his birthday is in August and he will be 12 years old.  I always have food on me, stuffed into a pocket, pouch or my top.  So if you ever meet me and when I bend over  to tie my shoe, food falls out of my clothing, you'll know why.  

Toxic Chemicals

Yesterday I had a run in with some toxic chemicals, it was not my doing but someone who had come into my home supposedly to clean it before we moved back in.  I'm pretty sure that all they did while here was to spray stuff around, nothing was clean but there sure was a lot of cleaner around.  I had decided to do some cooking and turned on my oven to heat up; within minutes I was hit by a strong but familiar smell.  Oven cleaner.  I know that I did not spray it in my oven.  My oven is self cleaning like most ovens now.

I quickly turned off my oven and wiped it out the best I could.  You could see where it had been sprayed but not wiped away, really?  I then turned the oven on again.  The smell was still there, I figured it would take a while to dissipate.  After working in my office for about an hour I came down stairs with an armful of laundry.  As I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw Luke on his couch and it looked like he was trying to get up.  I realized quickly that he was having a seizure, I dropped my clothes and ran to him. 

He was just starting to seizure, I guess he'd been trying to get up to come and let me know like he always does.  I sat with my arms around him, holding his feet so that he didn't hurt himself or me with them. It was a milder seizure, not the typical distortion causing effects like usual.  I sat for a longtime and he seemed to be coming out.  Although he was with me mentally he seemed to still be in it.  Then he started to trembled and left once again, not fully as he still had eye reactions when I put my hand to his eyes .  This lasted a really long while, too long and I started to worry.  Why was he not stopping?

My mind was racing trying to figure out what might have caused this one.  He hadn't had a seizure in a very long time.  I actually had thought he might have grown out of seizures, it can happen.  Just then I thought of the oven cleaner, Luke is extremely sensitive to chemicals.  It was chilly yesterday so the house was pretty shut up.  I ran to the living room door and flung it open.  Running back to Luke I hoisted him into my arms and ran outside, I pulled a chair out from under the patio table with my leg and sat with him.  Within seconds he was back with me and licked my arm.  It took only seconds for him to be pretty much good to go.  I put him down and he shook it off.  No wobbling, no foggy behavior like a typical seizure.

Was it the fumes from the chemical in the stove?  I'm pretty darned sure, otherwise why would he immediately be better out of the environment? I hate chemicals, I don't use them.  I think that they do far more damage than we even realize.  I use Earth Pawz and Method brand cleaners which are readily available at most stores.  I also use a lot of good old baking soda and vinegar. 

When you reach for the bottle of cleaner or worse still disinfectant you need to think before spraying.  We have been brainwashed into thinking that bacteria is our enemy.  Kill it all before it kills us.  Hogwash, we need bacteria.  Of course not all of it but much of it.  All of these disinfectant cleaners not only kill the bad but they kill the good as well.  When our body is not subjected to bacteria, it loses the ability to fight for itself.  That is why I strongly believe that dirt is a good thing, and living with dogs even better. 

Our dogs allow us to be subjected to lots of different germs which inturn enables our bodies to grow strong in their fighting ability.  Of course I'm not saying that anyone should live in filth, just healthy germ surroundings.  Stop trying to kill all the invisible creatures and let your home become healthy healthy again.  The marketing people of these products spread fear in the general public, don't listen.  Go into your cleaning cupboard today and take out all of the bad stuff.  Below is a link to Healthier Home and Family that explains how to recycle those toxic products.

I read a great article years ago how we as a society are so less healthy because we have less dirt in our lives.  We put too much emphasis on clean and disinfected which is literally killing the good and allowing the bad to flouish.

There are so many toxic substances that our bodies and our dogs bodies are subjected to on a daily basis, don't let your home be one of them.  We need to be thinking about what we use.  If you have a cleaning service you can request that they only use green products.  I used a cleaning service once in my entire life and regret it big time. 

Just to let you know, Luke is fine now. 

Dirt is not our enemy, it is our friend. 

The dangers of disinfectants
Toxic

Good epilepsy article:  

Healthier Home and Family

You are what you eat

I remember years ago watching a National Geographic documentary on digestion.  The video was about people but it left a lasting impression with me, the need for fuel.  Our digestive system is different than our canines but we both need fuel and the better the quality of fuel that we put into our dogs the more nutrients their body can extract.  I remember watching on the video as the food went through our system in the documentary and at each stop our body pulled the needed nutrients out of the food and dispersed it to where it was needed, very cool. 

There is a great deal that we put into our dogs bodies that they cannot use and much of that is poor quality dog food or treats.  A while back I was at a big box store when I decided to read through some of the treat ingredients.  Even knowing that these big name companies made very poor quality goods I was still shocked to read the ingredients.  I literally stood there with my mouth hanging open thinking, really?  Do people know what they are giving their dogs?  Often the answer is no.  Do you read the ingredient list?

After reading many of the garbage treat ingredient lists I went onto read the dog food lists.  I was even more shocked as I went through the bags and bags of sheer garbage.  Dogs need meat, most of their diet needs to consist of animal protein but much of the dog food out there has very little meat in it.  Even then it has been processed, processed and processed again before it reaches your dog.  Reading the list of ingredients on a bag of low quality food I was left conguering up an image in my head.  The kibble going through a dogs digestive system and at each stop where it was to extract nutrients, it just kept going until it reached the final stop, your backyard. 

I see people going through the cash in these big stores with a giant bag of food under their arm or in their cart and wonder if they knew would they still buy it?  So many people just watch the big ads on tv and don't think, they don't look into the nutritional value of the food themselves.  Heck, this big dog food company says that it is a great food, it's even shaped like veggies so it must be good.  If you take a bowl and fill it with some of your dinner, chicken, beef or lamb with a bit of veggies you would be fueling your dog with such better quality food than you could ever get in a bag. 

There are good foods out there, they will never be as good as the real fresh stuff but they are far better than what you will find on the shelves of the big box stores or grocery store.  Go with food made by the small companies and look up the ingredients, you want meat to be the bulk of the ingredients but good quality meat, not by products.  If you buy your dog's food now at a big box store or grocery store, stop.  Unless of course it is a health food grocers like Whole foods.  They just don't carry good food, they carry the big producers goods and they are not what you should be feeding your dog. 

There is a wonderful site called Dog food analysis that reviews and rates foods.  You should only be feeding a 5 or 6 star food found on this site.  Click on reviews and type in the name of the food you want to look up. 

So as you sit down to have your whole grain cereal, protein packed greek yogurt, orange juice and organic banana this morning thinking about what you are pouring into your dogs bowl.  How much of it will be used to fuel their body keeping them healthy and how much will end up in your backyard?

Inside/outside?

Good Monday morning, I'm running a bit late this morning.  I had a blank head this morning when I typically blog so hit the gym first.  I hope you all had a great weekend, we did; quiet but very nice.  We had a big walk at one of our favorite parks on Saturday.  Elsa and I stumbled upon an Earth day event going on as we came to one end of the park.  It was small so we took our time wandering around all the booths.  Events like this are great social exposure for dogs, all sorts of people and dogs to see.

I don't know how many times I was stopped by people with puzzled faces.  They loved the look of Elsa but just couldn't figure out what she was.  Once my husband and Luke joined us they were even more confused.  "What are those?" is the most common question that we hear.  I've heard everything from Airedale and Weimaraner to Greyhound, but by far we get 'doodle' most often.  It doesn't matter to me at all what people think my dogs look like.  They are by true definition a curly coated, non shedding retriever/working dog.  Far from the walking bouffant hairstyle that most people think when they hear "poodle."

So one group of guys who stopped us wanted to know if they were indeed poodles.  It looked like a Dad and his two older sons and they were fans.  The Dad said he'd always wanted a poodle and wanted to know all about them.  Were they great companions?  Did they do dog type things like retrieve balls etc?  The big question that initiated this blog was are they indoor/outdoor dogs?  I was stopped in my tracks at that one and said "indoor."  This question is a common one and has many different meanings to various folks.

I almost got into my "no dog is an outdoor dog" schpeel  but didn't.  I kept on topic and told him about the breed and their amazing talent for any sport or activity you'd like to participate in.  Then I got to thinking as we walked away how people think that specific breeds are okay being outdoor dogs.  Let me just make a blanket statement here and now; "no dog is an outdoor dog by choice."  Dogs are pack animals and as such should live with the pack.  If you want a dog to live in your backyard, get a nice resin or concrete version.

Living a life alone is a horrible sentence for any dog.  So many people say "they don't want to come in."  Of course if a dog lives outside it's entire life, coming in is a strange and foreign concept.  It really has nothing to do with preferring to stay outside, alone and away from the rest of the pack.  My dogs are as much indoor/outdoor as I am, we live in a house together but go out much of the time.  The whole idea of having a dog and putting it in the backyard to live is just such a strange concept to me.  But it is done a lot.

Not only is living alone in a backyard a very sad life for a dog it sets them up for failure.  Just imagine a dog that lives in solitude in a backyard trying to contain their enthusiasm when someone goes outside on occasion?  It almost always leads to tying the dog up or putting them then in a kennel.  Dogs are such social creatures that they deserves far more than a life in a backyard or cage.   I truly wish that there was no such thing as "outdoor dogs."  If keeping dogs inside with you in your home was a prerequisite to canine ownership perhaps people would think twice about acquiring something that they really don't want.

The whole idea that different dogs can be okay with living alone in a backyard with no human companionship is just wrong.  Not only are you doing an injustice to your dog but you are also short changing yourself on an amazing relationship that you can only achieve by "living" with your dog.

NO DOG, BREED OR MIX IS AN "OUTSIDE DOG."

Early birds

We hit the beach this morning before the crowds.  The sun was just peeking through the marine layer as we got there.  

Have a great Sunday, I hope you get to spend it with your dog/dogs. 

Dogs in cars

Yesterday I was out shopping and when I made my way across the parking lot when I had the crap scared out of me.  A huge pit bull hit his car window as I passed.  I was more than startled and cursed under my breath.  It is warming up here in SoCal and across the country and this is when your dogs need to stay home.  When I was in Connecticut it was winter, well sort of.  It was nothing compared to the winters we had in Ottawa, Canada years ago.  We had mostly mid 40 degree temps for three months solid in CT.  Great weather for taking your dog along with you.

At Costco this week I was making a quick trip in to get bird food.  I parked close to the door which was amazing that I got this spot first off, and when I got out there was a golden retriever sitting barking in the car beside me. It was about 70, hot enough that this dog should not have been in the car.  The windows were all completely rolled down which is asking for trouble.  Yes the windows should be down but if someone reaches into your car and gets bit, you are in a great deal of trouble.  With the windows all the way down, someone can also help themselves to your dog if they felt the need.  If it is hot enough that you feel like you need to unwind the windows all the way, it's too hot; the dog should just stay at home.

Do people really think that their dog enjoys sitting in the car while they shop or eat?  I only ever bring my guys in the car if I am running in and out and if it's really cool weather.  Why chance anything when the temps are warming up.  It just makes no sense.  Also like the pit that startled the life out of me yesterday they can grow anxious and indulge in some pretty bad behaviors.  How many people have had their cars ruined by their dog left in the car?  If you are not there to supervise, what your dog is doing and what people are doing to your dog in the car you will never know.  Your dog could be teased relentlessly causing all sorts of fallout behaviors and you will never know why or what the cause of this new horrible behavior is.

Just leave them at home in the comfort of their own home.   If you are going somewhere that they can join you then heck ya, take'm with you.

The little things 3

It's the little things, it truly is.  What brings us the most joy in life are the little things.  The tiny things that happen all day long that we miss if we don't take the time to stop and notice them.  I believe that it is all the little things that make up the best part of life.  I am very happy these days, it feels wonderful to be back home and I am not taking one moment of it for granted.  When I smile, I stop to notice what it is that is making me smile and it is most definitely the little things.

Yesterday I took the poodles for a walk, the sky was ominous but we headed out knowing that most others would be staying home.  When we got there it started to rain, just lightly.  As we reached the other side of park the skies opened up and let us have it.  It was pouring on us as Luke glanced over to get an okay from me about this walking in the pouring rain business.  It made me smile.  As we made our way around the park I was so happy to be walking in the rain with my dogs.  Elsa shook off some of the downpour as the rain lightened once again.  It was really great.

Enjoying a dig at the beach, side by side.

In the afternoon I spent many hours filling my garden with new flowers.  Elsa is a huge help, or at least she thinks she is.  She inspects every hole, every flower and every action that goes into putting flowers in the garden.  She's a funny girl, my little strawberry blonde lady is my constant shadow and has a zest for learning that I have rarely seen.  Smile.

As Elsa and I gardened, Luke had retreated to his couch where he can view us through the living room window.  After a while simply watching was too much for him and he stood with his huge ears up staring out at us.  The kitchen door was open so I called for him to come out.  He obviously wanted to but was just being Luke, he wanted a special invitation.  When he heard my call his face changed, his ears dropped and he pounced into action.  I could hear him slipping around the kitchen corner before he came charging out the door like he'd missed some great event.  He came running over with his mouth open, head held sideways and huffing in happiness.  What a guy.

By late afternoon it was time to start dinner.  I absolutely love my kitchen, it is not at all the most beautiful kitchen and I would love a big renovation but it has large windows that make me feel like I am outside even though I am not.  This means that when the dogs are outside I can see them no matter where they go.  Luke was back on his couch and I was watching Elsa check out all the new flowers.  Taking a moment, I stopped cooking and just watched her as she inspected each new plant that had been added to the garden.  Then I heard Sir Luke come through the kitchen, he did a big stretch as he exited the kitchen door and then sprung into action.  He charged to the middle of the yard and gave a huge and menacing bark.  He stood for a moment and then looked over his shoulder to see if I had seen his display which I had.  I smiled knowing that he had just made an entrance, this was his yard and he was just telling everyone.

As I sit and finish up my blog the view before me is my two dogs at the end of bed snuggled close enjoying their early morning snooze.  It is a little thing but it sure makes me smile.

Drive

Drive is a term commonly used in the world of dogs.  If you happen to have a retriever, herding dog or any other type other than a couch potato you may have seen it from time to time.  Some dogs have moderate drive, some have none at all and then there are the ones that have drive and then some.  What is drive?  To put it into easily understood definition, it is the desire to chase.  Some would call it work ethic but I think it goes beyond that.

Tilley had off the charts drive, even as a softly spoken, princess like girl she had endless hard driven drive.  She had so much drive that with a lack of chase objects being thrown for her she resorted to shadow chasing; a common fall out behavior of too much drive and not enough to chase.  Because of her strong drive she became an amazing frisbee dog once we channeled her drive.  Directing or channeling is very important.

Prey drive is where it all started but most dogs with strong drive now immerse themselves more in the chase than the kill.  Being that killing is not on the agenda for most families today.   I remember years ago when Tilley chased down a rabbit, it was like watching a lure coursing trial.  When she finally caught it she promptly brought her prize to show us.  It of course died of fright but Tilley had not killed it intentionally, rabbits die of fright very easily.  I'm thinking that being in the mouth of a dog would be a frightening experience.

With different degrees of drive comes the different levels of control required.  Drive is something that you need to get control over, especially if it is in the very high department.  Elsa has got huge drive as well, she is much like Tilley although she has yet to indulge in shadow chasing.  Although I have seen her notice and watch a couple but I've put the brakes on that behavior immediately.  Deciding what you are going to allow and not allow your dog to chase is important from the get go. Many dogs with high drive become car, bicycle, skateboard and roller blade chasers which can most definitely be a dangers game.

Teaching your dog to direct their desire to chase can be difficult but it most definitely can be done with work.  The tough part will be if you have allowed an undesirable chase to go on for some time before trying to stop it.  Often people use flashlights or laser lights to entertain their high drive dogs, this is a big mistake.  Drive can turn into OCD very quickly so a high drive dog needs a great deal of guidance and channel work.

For those who are desiring a driven dog, there are lots out there and most people have a specific reason for wanting drive.  Many people want a dog that simply retrieves a ball; there is a big difference in levels of retrieving.  There are dogs with low level drive that love to retrieve and then those that will retrieve all day long, like Elsa.  But luckily Elsa does have an off switch which many driven dogs do not have.  The Border Collie is a high drive dog that often comes without an off switch.

Drive can be a huge hassle if you are an inexperienced owner who knows nothing about it or how to deal with it.  My advice is to quickly get training in, serious obedience training.  You need to work around high distraction areas once you've got the easy stuff done.  Control, control, control.  You must be able to have your dog stay in a high drive situation. Basically you need to teach your dog that there are other things to do instead of chasing.

Drive is something that you cannot simply ignore and it will go away.  It comes with the dog, so as long as you have the dog you will have to deal with the drive.  That is if you have a high drive dog.
Sadly drive had been a serious enemy to many dogs.  Dogs who end up in a regular family home who know nothing about drive.  These dogs can become out of control very quickly and many end up being re-homed or brought to rescues or shelters.  There are breeds that tend to have more drive than others but any dog can have drive or overdrive.

Many high drive dogs make wonderful performance dogs; with their drive they can excel at agility, flyball, frisbee or any other canine sport.  We directed Tilley's drive first to a ball, then moved it to frisbees which she lived for.  She loved nothing more than the chase and catch so we indulged her desire albeit curtailing it to objects that were allowed.  I simply taught her that chasing of shadows was not allowed anywhere other than her own backyard and she obliged.

Drive can be your enemy if you just want it to go away, but if you take on the challenge and channel it drive can become the making of an amazing working dog.

Dog Friends

Do dogs have friends?  Most definitely.  Do they enjoy having friends?  Most definitely.  

Friends:  a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

So what are friends to dogs?  Friends are members that have been accepted into the outer pack.  They can be human or dog but are recognized immediately as friends.  When you see a dog meet one of their dog friends it is quite endearing to watch.  They know instantly who it is and are generally excited to see one another.  A friend can do things that a stranger cannot, they are given a wider range of acceptable behaviors than strange dogs.  

There are dogs who become acquaintances, those that you see or pass often in a familiar park but a friend is different.  A friend is another dog that your dog is much more intimate with; more than likely they have spent a great deal of time together just chill'n or playing.  They often know their friends names and the mere mention of the name can bring upon excitement. 

Elsa has known Hank since she was just little; you can see how she feels about her friend. 

Elsa was just 4 months old in these images, she is now as tall if not taller than Hank. 

Yesterday we were at the park when one Elsa's very good friends appeared with my friend.  She let him go across the park and he ran full speed towards us.  He is not great friends with Luke yet as they have only seen each other a few times and it is a male.  I let Luke go first so there wouldn't be a problem and then Elsa.  They both new that it was Hank.

Luke puffed himself up and Elsa threw herself at him shamelessly.  She adores him and could not wait to have a rough and tumble with him.  Hank is nearing two years of age so he is a wonderful match for Elsa to romp with.  Luke has a different relationship with him being that they are both males and Luke is quite the senior guy.  He tends to want to establish his rank and Hank wants to be good friends with him because of it.  They will be friends but different friends than he and Elsa.  

Once the two youngn's started their tumbleweed routine I took Luke out of the picture.  The two ran, spun, rolled, leapt and ran some more.  The two run and tumble so much that you have to keep an eye on the poodle pile as to not be run over by them.  At almost twelve years of age Luke does not need to be a part of that craziness.  So we wander off and eat treats while the young two get out some of their ya yas.

Hanks owner use to have Luke's best friend Ragzz, they had a wonderful relationship.  Sadly she passed away due to kidney failure far too early.   I have not said her name since to Luke as he always lit up when I asked if he wanted to go see her.  Now Hank is Elsa's BFF, funny how things work out.  They played off leash for a good long while and Luke even joined in for a bit of fun.  He loves other dogs, especially when they are friends; even if they are boys.  

After their romp we hooked them all up for a nice walk around the park.  Elsa reached over often to give Hank a kiss, she has most definitely welcomed him into the pack.  Each and every dog that our dogs spend time with helps them to become a better all round dog.  Playing with others heightens their ability to tolerate vastly different behaviors from other dogs.  I am not dog park fan, I know of too many bad incidents occurring and do not frequent them myself.  I like to get out and about, we meet a lot of people and a lot of other dogs.  Some become good friends, others stay as acquaintances but all are part of life lessons.

Dogs have friends?  Oh yes they do.  

Dogs reading dogs

Reading dogs; most people haven't a clue what dogs are saying unless they have taken an interest or are in the business of reading dogs like trainers.  Of course not all trainers can read dogs.  I remember taking Tilley to test for her CGC over fourteen years ago.  She was at the time a timid little thing and when we were asked to approach the guy sitting on the chair she pulled away.  The "trainer" who was suppose to have had many years experience under his belt turned to me and said "what's wrong with her?"  Really, really?  Are you kidding me?  I left at that moment shaking my head.

This person who was suppose to be dog savvy didn't understand or couldn't read her apprehension about approaching the guy?  I really could not understand it.  There are many people who deal with dogs on a regular basis that don't "get dogs."  To get dogs you must want to get dogs, take an interest.  Often our own dogs don't get dogs and there can be many reasons why.  Some dogs are just plain obnoxious; oh they understand when a dog is getting mad or doesn't want to play, they just ignore the signs.

Many dogs have poor dog reading skills because they were never given the opportunity to hang out with other dogs.  If they lead a sheltered life away from strange dogs out in the world then they can have a severe handicap.  Dogs must be with other dogs in their early weeks and months so that they can learn how to communicate.  Elsa is an amazing communicator, she had the chance to interact with other dogs at her breeders home.  Once she came to our house she was given the opportunity to interact with very old dogs, one who had dementia, the other vestibular disease and Luke.  I took her to puppy classes so that she could play with other puppies and dogs.  There she played with everything from tiny micro puppies all the way up to a full grown and very mature Great Dane.

We have been seeking other dogs from the get go.  Dogs must learn to read so that they do not get themselves into trouble.  Running into a dangerous situation can be avoided if you know what you are seeing.  If you have a dog who is not gifted in reading dog language then you need to tune up your own skills so that you can teach them.  When Luke was young he was the type to charge in and see what happened.  This got him into a heap of trouble often.  He was also the target of a great deal of aggression simply from his posture.  He was never aggressive, he is a very confident dog and carries himself accordingly.  Many other dominant type dogs don't like this and see it as a direct threat.

Watching is the only way to perfect your skills.  We approached a couple of puppies this week at the park, Elsa reads them like a master teacher.  She knew that the first puppy, a young boxer was a great playmate.  They spent a good amount of time boxing each other happily.  The next puppy we met was a recent rescue, insecure, curious but teetering on the edge of snapping.   She kept her distance and watched.  I saw the same behavior and ended our visit short.

  If dogs do not get the chance to interact with all sorts of dogs they just never perfect their reading skills or their own communication skills.  Even still some will never be good at either, that's where we come in.  Dog communications are truly amazing, they throw each other the tiniest signals that you will most definitely miss if you are not looking for them.  I could literally watch it forever, it is fascinating how they can say so much without ever uttering a single sound.