Optimum, health and weight



Optimum; it means best, peak or greatest degree obtainable.  Yesterday at the park I saw several dogs that were far from optimum weight which means that they were most definitely not as healthy as they could be.    What goes into the body as well as what you do with a body is how you achieve optimum.   If you feed your dog junk, the lower end type dog foods then they are starting off handicapped.  The body needs fuel and the higher the quality juice that goes into the body, the better your dog's body will be able to function.

Dropping just a couple of pounds can make a huge difference.  I see many dogs that are overweight.  Just a few extra pounds can put more wear and tear on joints causing early set on of arthritis.  Too much weight can cause all sorts of health issues, heart disease, liver problem, kidney failure etc. etc.  Not only does extra weight make it more difficult to move around, it causes them to gain more weight.  Carrying extra weights makes a dog more lethargic and less likely to be active, it's a vicious circle.

Moving is so very important, far too many dogs take a daily walk down the street and that is their exercise allotment for the day.  For the young and energetic dogs out there, they need to rip.  They need to stretch out and run.  Move, move, move.  As I've written before, they don't need a lot; dogs do not need to go to the park and run for hours.  They need quality exercise so if you can only fit in a fifteen minute run, make it a good one.  Chuck its, frisbees and a good throwing arm are great ways to offer your dog quality exercise.  That is if your dog is a retriever.  If not then a dog friend will usually help or you can even play monkey in the middle with them running back and forth.

The other day I was watching a show on tv that I hadn't seen before.  It is about dogs in NYC, they have a trainer who helps people with their dogs.  One of the dogs owners was concerned about weight, he thought that his dog might be obese.  As it turned out the dog was a perfect weight per standard for the breed.  After the veterinarian weighed her she said that this size dog should be eating more food per the feeding schedule on the bag.  Now I was interested, really?  The dog was perfect weight, why feed more?  Because the bag said so?

Optimum weight should be tested by feel, not by how much a dog is eating and most definitely not by what is written on the back of a food bag.  One of the dogs that I saw at the park who was not optimum weight was a shaved down Golden Retriever.  A breed which is commonly overweight, the shave made it easy to see what needed to be done.  Did owner see this need, I don't know.  But a simple feel test is one of the easiest ways to know how your dog is doing in the weight department.  You should be able to feel ribs easily.  The ribs should feel like they have a very thin neoprene covering on them.

It makes me very sad when I see a fat dog; they should be able to run around and play and they cannot.  Even young fat dogs are handicapped when they carry extra weight, they look years older than their actual age.  The old suffer even more by packing on the pounds.  Just imagine the aches and pains that come with age and then try to carry around more weight.   I like to keep my dogs lean, of course Luke is far too lean but at least he is not suffering from extra weight on his joints as he ages.  He is still very active for a dog his age and loves to run and play.  Elsa is the type of dog that can put on weight easily, she adores food and will eat just about anything.  Just the other day I cut back on her food a bit as I felt a little more sponge around the middle than I like.

Dogs optimum health is in our hands.  Of course they can be stricken by illness that can be out of our control but their weight and nutrition is all on us.  What goes into your dogs mouth should be extremely high quality food allowing their body to extract the nutrients it needs to run properly.  Their exercise needs and requirements should be met.  Both physical and mental exercise needs to be fulfilled on a daily basis.  I saw a lady the other day at Costco as she complained to a passerby about all the dog food she was having to buy.  Huge bag after bag, pallets of canned dog food.......all Pedigree.  Did she realize that she was feeding her dog empty calories?  That there is very little real nutrients in these low grade foods that her dogs can use?  Cheap yes but quality?  NO.

Optimum should be your goal, is it?

Fear


Thinking we would head up to the top of this lookout I quickly realized that Elsa was afraid.  It took only a few minutes of calmly walking around and then slowly nonchalantly  up the steps.  Calm.


Fear:  a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc.  Whether the threat is real of imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.  

Fear is a common emotion in many dogs.  I have met lots of dogs over the years who have been dealing with some degree of it.  The reason for fear can be as wide as the levels of fear itself.  How we deal with the reaction to a fear can help or make matters worse.  No matter what the fear is, it is indeed a fear.  So trying to use human common sense to rationalize a fear with your dog does not work.  No matter how ridiculous a fear seems, it is still a fear.  When that fear emotion is triggered we must act on it, calmly.

I am always talking about how dogs are watching us, all the time.  Even when we don't think that they are, they are.  So when you react to an action or situation, your dog is taking it all in.  Calm is the first step in helping a fearful dog, the next is looking for the tiniest of success.  Often with fear there is no monumentally success ratio.  It is step by baby step to true success.  The get'r done method does not work in rehabilitating a fearful dog.  

Distance is the next step, whatever the fear is being caused by must be kept at a distance until it is no longer eliciting a fearful response.  The flooding method of rehabilitation for fear should never be an option with dogs. Flooding throws a dog into the very situation that causes the fear, head on, all triggers.  It can backfire badly causing a dog to shut down completely, react aggressively and/or cause many other reactions plus fallout behaviors of the situation itself. 

Often you will never know what has caused a fearful reaction.  This is the case with many second hand dogs.  You may not know what the dogs background life was so that leaves you with just big question marks.  This just means that you deal with what you have, reactions to a fearful thing, be it a place, object, person etc.  Association is what you must create, a new association to whatever the fearful thing is.  


Elsa is a confident dog but has a sense of alarm at new objects, especially within her space.  If I put a new pot out in the yard she will sound off attempting to rid the yard of the new intruder.  I take that as my cue to walk out and calmly past the pot.  She watches intently and then follows me out and sniffs it, finally realizing it is not an evil object out to get us.  


There are times when we are out that something will startle us all.  I hate when it happens but know that a quick response will erase any negative fallout effects.  Just the other day my husband was messing around with the sound system when it burst into such loud music that everyone just about had a heart attack.  I was sitting right beside Luke and he flew off the couch like he'd been shot out of a canon.  Knowing full well that this was most definitely enough to send him into a seizure I got up and we went to check out some lizards in the yard forgetting that we had all just had the begeezus scared out of us.  


Think ZEN when dealing with fear issues.




















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sleeping with dogs



Sleeping with dogs is a controversial topic.  Some of the harsh conventional trainers out there will tell you that it is a big no no.  Even people who are not trainers will say that a dog should never sleep with you.  What do I think?  You should sleep with your dog, at least have them in the same room with you.  I don't think that they need to be in the bed with you but if you want them there, fine.  Fine, IF and only IF they go up when invited, they will get off if asked and do not do any growling while on the bed.  Of course if one person in the bed doesn't want the dog on the bed then they should not be on the bed.  It needs to work for everyone.

Dogs are pack animals and as such they sleep together, they do everything together.  Some dogs are more concerned with proximity than others.  Many of them are fine as long as they are around you while others (like Elsa) need to be touching.  Elsa not only likes to touch she likes a lot of touch.  So she is not allowed to sleep with us at night.  She wraps herself around me and pushes, the weight of her makes you think that you are sleeping with an elephant and there is just no moving her.  She doesn't get grumpy about it, you just can't move her.  She is like a lead weight.  So she has to wait until the alarm goes off or I tell her that she can come up.  The bed that she sleeps on at night is right beside me on the floor but she tends to move around here and there.

Luke sleeps the whole night with us.  He gets up when we go to bed.  He has a spot at the end of the bed and is normally not in the way.  Although there are quite a few times when he sleeps too close to my side and my legs are mashed in one spot.  He will get off when asked and has never had an issue with the bed.  There should be strict rules that go along with sleeping in the bed.  After all it is the primo real estate spot of the house.  You own it, not your dog.  That means that you say whether or not they are welcome there.

Sleeping with your dogs is a great bonding time.  Packs sleep together, it is this quiet time that much connecting happens even when you aren't doing anything.  I feel strongly that dogs belong in the same room where you sleep but often it just cannot be.  Take our little Jack Russell (who is now gone) who was stricken with dementia.  She circled all night and paced unbelievably.  She went from sleeping in my bed, to a dog bed in the room, then to her crate and finally her crate was removed when she was keeping us awake with her constant pacing.   It was extremely sad to us when she had to be removed from our room but it was necessary for us to sleep.

Everyone needs sleep and as wonderful as it is to have your dogs sleep with you it has to work for everyone involved.  I've worked with many clients who just cannot have the dog in the room, they can't sleep.  So we create a plan that works so that everyone is happy.  With Elsa, the 500 lb. standard poodle, I cannot sleep with that kind of weight slung across me so we adjust.  In the morning when she is allowed up I put up with the heavy beast across me so that she has the close bonding time with us.


Annoying barking



There is a knock at the door and you prepare yourself for the onslaught of frenzy barking. One starts, then the next and the next until you think that you might go crazy.  Perhaps there is added in a scramble to the door and general chaos as well.  Door barking can become an issue quickly if you do not nip it in the bud.  I am at the nipping stage myself.  Although I am lucky that I don't have barking issues I do have over excited door greetings from our new girl.  A good problem but one that needs attending to.

What do you do if you have a dog or dogs that barking non stop when people come over?  They bark so bad that people stop coming over and you are at your wits end.  First you must look at your relationship, the relationship between you and your dogs.  Who is the boss?  I know you think you are but are you really?  Who makes the rules?  Does your dog go to the cookie cupboard and you deliver the goods?  Do they bark at you at meal time and you get up off the couch and go get dinner ready?  Do they nudge and paw at you and you oblige with the massage?  It can be tough to admit but many people are not the master of their domain.

Being the boss means that you deal with everything, yes the dogs can bark to tell you that someone is at the door but you take it from there.  Having a boundary and not allowing them to cross it when someone comes in really helps.  Taking away the job that they have taken on as door greeter is essential.  It is not their job to answer the door and deal with whoever is at the door.  It is your job.  Many dogs don't want the job but because the owner has not taken it on they feel obliged to do so.  If a dog is fearful or apprehensive this can cause a huge problem with overly aggressive behavior due to an apprehensive dog.

If your dog has been a crazed door barker for a long time you cannot simply say, okay today this stops.  It is ingrained in their day to day, you must give them an alternative.  If you have more than one dog you have to start working with one at a time until they get the general idea, then put them together to work on it.  You cannot expect to get through to a charging pack of dogs who have habitually barked in a frenzied pack over time. You must teach each dog separately so that you have some sort of possibility of success.

But the biggest and most important factor to work on is yourself.  So many people become frenzied themselves by the crazed barking.  Yelling at the dogs, pushing and pulling that they are themselves creating a more frenzied atmosphere.  Staying calm, cool and collected during a frenzied situation can be tough but it is a must.  Dogs watch us and if we are acting crazed then they think that there is a reason.

Here is an example that is going on at my house:  As I have said before, my office is at the front of my home, Elsa watches out the window during the day.  As day to day passes by our window she is watching.  Every so often she starts to bark, a little bit of barking I allow.  If it continues I ask her to stop, if she does then she gets a treat and I will continue to praise her as the object of her barking passes by.  If she does not stop I calmly get out of my chair and usher her out of the room.  She is not allowed back in until she calms herself.  Note:  I said I calmly.  If I got all freaked out and yelled and pushed I would fuel the situation.

So the training starts with one dog.  You need someone outside to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.  As the first couple of barks are out you say "STOP," calmly but loud enough to be heard.  If you get a fraction of a second of quiet, reward it.  Use whatever your dog thinks is fabulous food, if they don't like food use a tennis ball and toss it for a reward.  If you can, toss the treat back behind your dog so that they have to go get it.  This helps to load "quiet" time.  You then go to the door, open it, and then close it.  If your dog has remained quiet the whole time then you should have been tossing treats the whole time.

Once you start to get some quiet you must quickly extend the length of time for quiet before rewarding.  If your dog barks and you say stop, they get a treat and bark again immediately then you can actually teach them to bark more.  To get some time in between "stop" and the treat use redirection.  You can go from treats in your pocket to start with and then move to getting treats in the kitchen.  The act of going to the kitchen once your dog is quiet adds more quiet time.  You can fill quiet time with praise as well once you are building and asking for more quiet time between the initial "stop" and reward.


Not only are you rewarding your dog for being quiet, you are also creating a "positive" association to someone being at the door.  There are many things that you can do with over exuberant door barkers.   Teaching a "place" exercise is a great assistance to the problem.  Someone rings the bell and they are trained to go to a certain rug or area, there they receive their treats.  It becomes a good habit instead of bad.  A boundary away from the door is also a big help.  Dogs are not in charge of answering the door and dealing with whoever might be behind it, we are.  The boundary enforces this way of life.

Barking is not all bad, when it becomes annoying is when we cannot stop it.  Stopping it is one thing but giving your dog an alternative action is another.  Some dogs don't know that there is another option other than frenzied barking, they've never tried it.  You can teach them that quiet is an option and one that will be rewarded.  If your dog is food motivated it can wield a great deal of power.  Use it.

You can also help with door issues by simply desensitizing your door.  This means that a knock on the door or door bell ring does not always mean that someone is behind it.  If you do it during the day and then do not react to it, you will slowly desensitize it.  If you have a willing neighbor who will help you out for a couple of weeks have them come by and simply ring the door bell and walk away.  Knowing  that it was just your helpful neighbor you ignore it and go about your business.  If you have a pack of frenzied barkers when the doorbell is wrung, involve them in something fun out back.  You need to switch it up, change the meaning of the doorbell or knocking at the door.

By no means is this an easy task once it has been ingrained in your dogs day to day.  It becomes an instant reaction to a simple action.  If you are serious about changing the behavior then the first step is saying to yourself "I can do this."  You are in charge, not the dog or dogs.  You are the boss and no matter how cute that little munchkin is, he/she is a dog and you are the rule maker of the dogs.  I often find myself saying "I'm not having this," as my guys start to join in with some neighborhood frenzied barkers.  I just won't have it.  Perhaps it's okay with the neighbors who live with the frenzied barkers but not in my house.

Take it one step at a time, even the smallest fraction of quiet is a success, reward it.  As you reward the small successes they will grow.  The goal is to extend the time between when you say "stop" and they are rewarded.  It must be done fairly quickly or you will end up rewarding for more barking.  Dogs are smart, far smarter than most people think so ask for longer lengths of quiet as soon as you start to get some quiet.  Promoting barking can cause a great deal of problems down the road, stop it now.

Leave it




Yesterday I took the dogs to Dana Point Harbor.  It is a lovely place to walk the dogs; there are lots of other dogs, beautiful scenery, fresh air and a crazy amount of squirrels.  Depending on the time of year there can be a lot or a ridiculous amount, yesterday was the ridiculous amount. I mean truly, there are so many that I was shaking my head much of the time.  It was obviously baby season watching the 4" little critters crawl around everywhere until Mom would shriek and they'd all go running for cover.  The old timers, the big guys just sit and don't bat an eyelash when you go by.  They know that the dogs are on leashes.

The last time we were at the harbor there were just a few or least we only saw a few.  Anyway we worked on our "leave it."  Elsa did amazing and quickly moved her attention from the little creatures to Mom and kept walking.  Luke on the other hand is a diehard sled dog when we are around the squirrels.  He has always had a problem around them and gets into his "zone."  He no longer lunges and dives at the squirrels but pulls hard and steady due to his level of excitement.  He has dilated pupils and is very difficult to even talk to.  At 11.5 years old I have given up trying and often opt for a bungee leash for our harbor walks.

We were doing pretty well at our walk until a giant family decided that they should dart from one side of the path to the other willy nilly style.  There were adults and babies, the adults ran straight across while the babies ran around a bit before getting to their destination.  This was more than any dog with drive could take and the dogs commenced to pull so hard that I had to brace myself.  "Good grief," I thought as we veered off the path to get some sort of composure.  Once we were back we continued the walk without another crazy incident like that one.

I had a lot of treats with me, I always do but next time I will bring higher value treats.  The whole thing with the leave it exercise is that you have to have something good enough for your dog to leave whatever it is that they are wanting.  Will they leave a squirrel for a cheerio?  Not likely.  A piece of chicken, maybe.  It all depends on what a dog likes.  Luke would not take any food when we first got to the harbor but once we got underway the craziness of the squirrel diminished to just a high level of excitement so he then accepted treats.

We walked past a couple with a brown lab watching the squirrels.  The dog sat in a trance like posture, his stare fixed on the squirrels.  He looked like he might burst any second but he didn't.  He was much older and that in itself is a huge difference between dealing and unglued.  Luke can sit and watch the squirrels but he will not leave his "zone," until we leave the harbor.  Elsa is so young that she reacted to every squirrel she saw, but she did not have dilated pupils which was nice.

All dogs are different, drive is different and how they react to a chase object is different.  Tilley use to get into stalk posture, way down low and did her entire walk this way.  She was like a panther in slow motion.  Even her head turning was slow, it was the only mode she knew when around so many squirrels.  Dogs are dogs and when put in the middle of a whole lot of critters?   Well........they will be dogs

Aging



The golden years are meant to be the ones when you put your feet up and chill, do whatever you want.  The same goes for our dogs, it is a time to give lots of tlc.  Senior dogs need patience most of all and understanding.  There is nothing more sad than seeing an old dog in a rescue or a shelter.  Their owners hand them over when they don't want to deal anymore.  How you treat the old is a true sign of who you are I believe.  "This is too much work," "I can't do this."  "This is too hard."    These three phrases often come with onset of age in the once much loved dog.  Sad, very, very sad.

This past December and January we lost our two oldest.  It was something I knew would be coming but caught us off guard and suddenly.  The oldest, Jessie suffered with Dementia or Cognitive disorder for over a year.  It came on slowly causing me to try attempt to figure out some strange behaviors that she started.  From the time that I realized what it was to the end it became far worse.  She became incontinent, lost and very very confused.  She needed constant guidance and supervision.

Many old dogs seem confused, but Cognitive disorder is much different than a bit of confusion from age.  When I tell people about it many have said "maybe that is what my dog has."  Dogs can get it at any age but it is often seen in old dogs.  It is not a little bit of confusion nor is it incontinence, dementia is very much a different affliction and if your dog gets it you will know.  There is not a lot to be done if your dog is stricken with it but give great care accompanied with a bucket load of patience.

Tilley was hit with Vestibular disease over two years ago.  This too can come with age and is a very difficult disease in the beginning.  Many people sadly euthanize their dog at the onset, it hits hard and very sudden.  It too is a very clear affliction, not just a bit dizzy or wobbly.  I carried er haround for days, she could not even get to her feet.  Then for many months after I carry her up and down the stairs.  She recovered but lived in a constant tilt, she adjusted and did amazing for an old girl.  After dealing with Vestibular for a year she was hit with a spinal issue causing complete paralysis of her front end.  Again I carried her until we figured it out and got her back on her feet.  Patience, patience, patience.

Both the girls became incontinent which is common in old dogs as well; more so with the females.  This meant daily blanket washing, underwear and pad changes and lots of supervision.  It became a huge hassle because Tilley could no longer be left with the dog door open having to wear underwear.  My freedom became less and less but with a great deal of planning through trial and error we worked it all out.  It was a great deal of work but after spending so many wonderful years with a dog it is the least we can do for them.  Wouldn't we want someone to do the same for us?

Old dogs have different nutritional needs, they often need much less food due to the lack of movement.  Every extra pound on them makes their life more difficult.  After carrying Tilley for so many months I realize what an extra 40 pounds would feel like hauling around.  As dogs age often food becomes more important so they seem to be hungry all the time.   If you have guilt issues looking into those seemingly starving eyes then switch to a very low calorie treat.  Much of the care decision with old dogs needs to come from the head and not the heart. It is more important to give quality food than quantity.  

Old dogs should be kept nice and lean and they still need exercise.  Their exercise needs to be trimmed down, perhaps from big hikes to small ones.  Maybe runs now need to be walks but they need to move.   The more they remain stationary the harder it is to move and more painful.  Senior dogs need to get out just as much as young dogs.  Even if it is just for a nice long sniff session, it is really good for them.  Again, patience is required with senior dogs as they walk much slower.  As Tilley and Jessie got well into their senior years our walks were at the speed of old snails and took some getting use to.

Dog beds or comfortable places are a must.  Quiet places where they can rest undisturbed is really great. I remember Tilley going up to my office and sleeping for hours at a time.  Her hearing was going so she never heard my comings and goings.  It made me smile to see her so comfy on the big bed as the breeze in on her face.  Loss of hearing and vision is very common in old dogs.  This is something that you should check on a regularly basis on your own.  With the loss of vision, the first problem is seeing in low light so be sure to have lights on for your older dog.  A fall down the stairs can result from not enough light.

If you notice a hearing loss be sure to accommodate for that by speaking louder and being more visual.  Try to avoid startle moments which can be very upsetting for an older dog.  Make sure that people know that your dog cannot hear properly.  If your older dog is becoming hard of hearing you may want to think about letting them off leash.  One day at the park I had Tilley off and when I called to her I realized she couldn't hear me; that was the last time that she was off leash further than an arms throw from me.

As our canine companions age they can be afflicted with many illnesses or diseases just like us.  I like to make sure that they have at least a yearly if not more full senior blood panel.  Catching things early can often keep them at bay for a while.  Doing a weekly look over is essential, feeling for new bumps and lumps is great so that you can direct the Veterinarian to any new ones.  Dogs get lots of little things on them as they age, most are just age but sometimes they can be something serious.  Check their teeth weekly as well as they can be a real problem if you are just feeding kibble.

Grooming is very important to keep up with older dogs.  It can be hard to find a groomer who will take the time to do it but it is important to keep looking until you do.  That is if you use a groomer and don't do it yourself.  Tilley went from standing on the grooming table to lying on the ground for her grooming.  It became all about her as my back suffered from the extra strain.  Making them comfortable both physically and emotionally is essential.  If your groomer complains about the extra work, give them an earful and leave.

Old dogs are work, much more work than the middle aged, well trained, fully energetic ones.  Caring for them in their golden years is an act of love and for me not work at all.  Yes it is work but after sharing a life with a wonderful canine companion it should be a given that we give back.  There comes a time when we have to say good-bye but while they are with us they deserve at least as much love as they have given us.  From the smallest of pocket pooch to the big whopping giant breeds they all have the most amazing heart that there is, the heart of a canine.  Give your dog an extra hug today.

Back at it


Spent the day at Coronado Beach yesterday, amazing.


The long weekend is over, Brad is heading back to NYC and Nicole goes back to CO tomorrow.  We had a great weekend but now it's back to reality.  For the last couple of weeks I put my book on the back burner, but today I will pull it out and get back at it.   I have completely finished the first draft, it's been edited and I have a great deal of work to do on it now that we've had a couple of outsiders read it.  I am anxious to get back into it and get it done.

I often sit and ponder the whole trip that Brad and I made.  The day we left, the emotional days we went through and how the heck we got where we are today.  How many times do you hear people say "things happen for a reason?"  That said you can then be left trying to discover what the hidden reason could possibly be, right?  It's called life and it is continually unfolding before us.  Sometimes things just happen because, that's it, just because.  There is no hidden agenda but there is most always a lesson.  So it's back to the book today.

We had a party on Saturday night, it was amazing to be together celebrating with family and very good friends. Elsa and Luke had a great time.  They both love to socialize although Elsa was getting a tad excited about it all. Of course everyone was gushing over them both; Luke is pretty mellow about it but Elsa gets wound pretty quickly.  Luke stayed on his couch as the first people started to arrive, Elsa greeted everyone.  But when a great friend arrived with her husband they both came unglued.  It is so funny to see the difference in their behavior when they recognize someone.  Elsa was just beside herself as she spun and basically went crazy.  Then Luke actually got himself off of the couch and did his own crazy spinning and jumping.  With both of them over excited it was time for me to have a break and a glass of wine so they headed up to my bedroom for a while.

Later on in the evening everyone wanted to see Elsa and Luke again so out they came to strut their stuff.  Elsa once again got so excited, especially when she realized there were more friends in attendance that she knew.  Luke was also excited but kept his cool this time, as any 11.5 year old should.  It is so great to have such social dogs.  Working on calming an over exuberant pup is much easier than bringing a fearful one out of their shell.  Especially when working with dogs like Elsa who are so food motivated.

As wonderful as the long weekend was it is now time to.........................get back at it.  I hope you all had a great long weekend and now it's time for summer.

Long weekend



Its the start of the long weekend, the kick off to summertime yet the weather is not cooperating as I would like.  Tomorrow is suppose to be a little better but I'd like it today.  Oh well.  We'll be out early this morning enjoying time with the dogs.  Yesterday with some drizzling weather I took advantage of it and I ran Elsa like crazy. She absolutely loves running and retrieving so she had a good fill.   The field was ours, not a soul in sight.  Not so perfect weather tends to keep people in, nice.

No matter what the weather is where you are, I hope that you have a wonderful long weekend creating some great memories with your family, friends and canines.

Now go throw the ball.  

Shaken not stirred



Yesterday as I worked away on my computer Elsa sat watching, watching out her window.  I have a patio door in the room where she loves to sit and watch the world go by.  She is learning to watch and only watch without barking.  Depending on what is going by can make the no barking rule a tough one.  As she lay watching the neighborhood comings and goings I saw her ears go up, then her body, and the very low barking started.  I could see that she was watching something, I assumed it was the local cat.  Nope, it was a bag.

Having had many dogs over the years it has been interesting to see how they deal with things in their own way.  Describing all the traits of a dog can take a while, like I always say "they are very simple, yet complicated."  Elsa is a very confident dog, but she has a tiny bit of fear regarding monsters.  Fear of the unknown lets say.  So when this grocery bag was caught up in the wind and rolling towards our house it was by her description, a monster.  What was this thing slowly creeping up on our house?

I told her that it was a bag using my best no big deal voice but she wasn't buying it.  She charged downstairs as it came across the front lawn.  I decided to show her what the monster was as she continued to do her low level barking in a panic.  I grabbed her collar and we walked out the front door to the bag.  She did a couple of "there it is" barks until she realized what she was barking at.  I figured good, lesson learned..........just a bag.

Back up to the office and on with work when it started again.  Looking out the window I saw another bag, really?  The exact same scenario was playing out again and Elsa was no wiser with the second go round.  She barked and charged downstairs.  I opted to let this one go and ignore the whole issue.  It blew up onto he lawn and out of view.  She calmed quickly.  She is an amazing guard dog, as I have said before she misses nothing.  Not even the empty bark bag that I tossed to the side of the yard after redoing one of my gardens.  I heard the low barking again and looked to see her as she cautiously approached it.  This one was not quite as scary as she recognized it more quickly.

Tilley and Jessie were my most unflappable dogs.  Even though Tilley was somewhat a fearful girl at the start she remained rock solid as far as new objects or environments.  Jessie was the same, she would see something new in the yard and know what it was immediately.  Luke is sort of in between, depending on what the item is.

The best thing to do when you have an alarmist is to remain calm, leading by example.  Not all dogs look to their owners for assistance but for the ones that do remaining calm in a scary situation is the best that we can offer.  Stepping up and taking control of situations is a good way to become the owner that your dog needs.  The one who will be there through all the scary times.  Being the boss means just that, the one that is unflappable in flappable situations.  Walking past your dog who is frozen staring at the strange thing and confronting the object head on.

Making items that cause a frantic behavior in your dog "nothing" is so very important.  It is all a lesson in being as calm as you possibly can.  Picking up the item as if it were merely a fleck of dust, not giving the thing an ounce of consideration.  Our dogs pick up on this very confident, no stress behavior and learn.  It is the same for anything that causes a frenzied behavior, the best action is the 'we don't care about those things,' attitude.

He's home, finally.


This was taken the day that Elsa arrived to our house.  Not wanting to move Elsa as she had fallen asleep Brad chose to just stay there and catch a few himself with her.  


I've been telling Elsa that Brad is coming home for weeks.  Every time I say his name she stops in her tracks, has a look around and then goes back to whatever she was doing.  Brad is my son, the one that took the first epic trip across the country with me.  He has a very special relationship with the dogs, they have all adored him.  But Elsa has a very special spot that is reserved especially for Brad as did Tilley.  He is home for a short visit sadly but she is soaking up every second that she can with him, making up for lost time.


I tried to capture the smiles.  Brad was the first one to receive smiles from Elsa, the whole front teeth flash.  She was moving to quick to catch it this time.


Her tail was going so fast you can barely see it.  (yes she still has on her undies.)






Good morning.  First let me say that I had an amazing sleep, no being wakened by the cries of someone who wants on the bed.  Is it that the new "alarm" rule has already set in or that she was very, very tired?  I would not be surprised if Miss Elsa already has the change of rules set but I guess a couple more nights will be needed to know for sure.

Today I want to discuss socializing.  Socializing:  to make fit for life in companionship with others.  I like this definition, it pretty much says it all.  I am very big on socializing and at 10 months of age we are still at it with Elsa.  Every day we are out looking for new dogs, different people, environments and general life experiences that she has yet to see.  There is nothing that can replace socializing.

As far as dogs are concerned socializing should start very, very early.  A good breeder will have their puppies out and about.  Of course they need to remain in a safe environment so that can simply be their own home.  A new room everyday, a different part of the backyard, a puppy pool, buckets piled up, dirt, sand etc etc.  They should be meeting different people too, small, big, gentle, rough, loud, you get the picture.  Puppies need a lot of different experiences.

There is a vast difference between puppies who have been given the opportunity to get out and explore the world versus those who remain in the whelping box until they go to their new home.  The ones who have been out and about will be able to adapt more easily in general.  Of course there are always puppies who don't thrive on lots of socialization and need a special home.  Some puppies will never be social butterflies, they are just different socially.  This is where the breeder needs to place puppies accordingly and NOT per color or birth order (this is another subject but one I am just as passionate about.)

Puppies who remain in a box or kennel during their first 6-8 weeks of life are most definitely handicapped as far as life experience.  You can make up for the lack of work that the breeder put into socializing by making sure you get them out and experience life.  But some puppies may have lasting effects of missing out.   I have worked with puppies who have come from many different back grounds and those puppies that get out and explore life are much more willing to continue.  They seem more confident and are ready to learn whereas the sheltered puppy is more apprehensive about life in general.

Every time we are out we see something new.  It could be how a person is walking, a whole herd of small children, a weird statue, loud and different noises and Elsa takes it all in.  Yesterday we had a great one on one time at the park.  I went to a park where I use to do frisbee with Tilley a lot.  I took Elsa here to another part for skateboard socializing when she showed some fear at a young age. When she was a puppy she seemed quite afraid of the loud things flying by.  We sat and watched for a couple of days until I saw that she could relax around them.  Yesterday as we walked towards the skateboarders her head went up along with her ears and she gave a small bark.  We haven't seen a lot of skateboarders in a while.  But she quickly calmed, it was almost like "oh, okay I know this."  I could see it happen very clearly through her body language.

We went on past calmly and hit the secluded field for some power retrieving.  It was great fun and when we were done there we made our way around the skateboard area again and out to a different field beside the skateboarders to do some more retrieving.  I wanted to be good and sure that she is fine around these very loud and fast guys or girls.

Elsa is the type of dog that doesn't miss a thing, I mean that very literally.  She is constantly aware of her surroundings, how people walk, the noises of life, everything.  But she also generalizes well, indicating that if she's seen a statue in a park that she has established is just that, a statue, then she's pretty good with new statues at alternate parks.  It is all about life experiences, associations and valuable social interactions.  With each new life lesson under their belt they are much more capable of taking on new experiences.

Along with giving your dog life experience comes your part in the whole process.  Your dog is watching you and when you react they are very aware of your actions.  Act according to what you want to convey in your life lessons.

Reprogramming



I've got some re-programming to do with Elsa.  When she came to us she seemed to have a built in clock that rose her at 4:30 every morning.  It makes sense, she came from the East so her inner clock told her that it was later than it was here on the West.  I thought that I might never be able to sleep in again, which for us is like 6:30.   Once she got a bit older she grew accustom to getting up to the sounds of my son's alarm clock.  She couldn't wait to race down to greet him every morning................AT 4:00 AM.

Then Elsa did a quick transition from ex-pen sleeping to not when we traveled across the country the second time.  Not wanting to haul the huge ex-pen in and out of the hotel every night we just stopped using it.  This meant that she now had free range in the bedroom and her sleeping spot of choice was our bed, of course.  Luke sleeps on our bed but we quickly discovered that she was not going to work out on the bed.  Not that we don't want her up there with us, it's just that she has to be across me.  When I say across me I am not exaggerating, she lies completely across me.  It boggles my mind how heavy she feels, it's like there is a magnet under our bed trying to pull her body to the floor.

So the place we are at now is Elsa sleeps on a bed on the floor beside me until she is invited up.  We started inviting her up as soon as we wake up in the morning but that has become an issue.   She wants up earlier and earlier and is waking me up for hours in the middle of the night in the process.  Not good, everyone needs sleep.  So, we need to fix this.  Being that this girl is scary intelligent I have implemented a new rule.  Elsa is not allowed up on the bed until the alarm goes off.  She learns routine at an alarming rate so this morning when the alarm went off my husband had not even got her whole name out of his mouth and she was up and across my back.

I don't mind the whole poodle on top of me thing in the morning.  I can drift in and out of sleep but I cannot sleep like this all night long.  We have tried to move her but she is like a lead weight.  Once she does come up she is so happy to see everyone that she licks my husband, Luke's feet and then my back, arms or whatever happens to be there for the licking.  Then she settles in across me and falls asleep, happy as a clam.

I am thinking that this "time" marker will give her a clearer image of relative time.  She will know exactly when it is time instead of sitting and waiting.  This morning she went and whined at my husbands side of the bed to get up, he looked at it was 4:58am.  The alarm is set for 5:00 am so yes, she is crazy smart.  She will get this whole alarm thing and when she does it will help on the weekend when we would like to sleep past 5:00 am because it just won't go off.

She will get a better sleep with the implementation of this new rule, because she will sleep until she hears the alarm.  I'm sure that in a couple of days she'll just be hopping up on the bed at the alarm and we will soon be able to sleep through it. That is my hope anyway, I need a good night sleep.

Controlling drive



Drive, some have it, some don't.  When you talk about drive in dogs there is a huge difference from dog to dog.  All the dogs I've had have had drive, some definitely more than others.  Tilley was probably my highest drive with Elsa coming in at a close second.  Mandy my Airedale probably had the least and Jessie my little Jack Russell had very high drive but a different type.  Being a terrier she was movement trigger happy, pretty much anything that moved was fair game.  But for all the others it has been the desire to chase and retrieve often going too far.

Yesterday we were at the park where a guy was flying his plane, a toy plane.  There was a couple sitting off to the side with their two dogs.  One of the dogs was going off on the plane, it was shaking, whining and barking with drive.  It wanted so badly to chase that little plane.  Knowing full well that Elsa would probably love to chase the plane as well I kept a close eye on what she was doing.  We walked by the dog that was going crazy and she stopped to take it in.  I told her to never mind and we kept going, calmly.

As we made our way around the park the plane came close and then overhead, Elsa watched it and then looked at Luke.  Luke didn't give two hoots about the plane.  He use to, when he was younger he too wanted to chase it.  But now it was so mundane to him that he didn't bat an eye.  This was good because after looking at Luke, Elsa ignored the plane.  She gave it a couple of glances over the shoulder and then checked in with Luke again, repeatedly she saw him not caring so she didn't care about it.

Drive can quickly go from fun to trouble.  I have often told people to stop flashlight use, laser, or reflection after seeing how awful a game can turn.  I watch for shadow chasers having had one of the worst case shadow chasers.  Car chasing can be nipped in the bud if you see it growing, but sadly many people don't notice it until it is a full fledged 'issue.'  You can stop drive issues but you have to get in before it is in full force.  Trying to stop a dog from chasing something once they are in the thick of it is nearly impossible.  But, if you catch it at the pupil dilation stage you can.

Drive is something to keep an eye on.  Like I said, it can be great fun for retrieving and other canine sports but it can go bad quickly.  You must address overdrive issues before they go wrong.

Puppies connecting............."Not right now."



I have no idea how many times I have gone over non connecting issues with owners of new puppies.  The owner sadly tells me that they think that their puppy could care a less if they were even there.  They won't sit still, won't let them pet them without nipping and generally don't have time for their human companion. Let me say to you all, "this is perfectly normal."   Busy, busy, busy...........puppies are constantly on the go and if you have another dog or dogs then there is someone to constantly be tagging along after and connecting with.

When you get a puppy it is essential to start the bonding process.  What that means is time, quality time together.  If you have another dog that means getting your puppy away from that dog and spending some one on one.  This is something that I preach often, "do it or you'll regret it."  Of course dogs being vastly different, some will do fine never being removed from their canine companion but many will just never be all that they could be.  They might also never be the dog that you wanted.  That true bond, that amazing connection unobtainable due to an intense and overriding relationship with the other dog.

Spending one on one does not have to be long and drawn out; what it means is that you need to connect.  Training is a wonderful way to help that along, that is if you are using positive training methods only.  Guidance throughout day to day is also helpful in the connection.  Life lessons throughout the day no matter how small are connecting moments.  Being there as a pillar for your dog to look up to is a big connection.  Elsa is still young and when something scary happens she will run to my side.  I do not coddle her but I do stand strong and calm showing her the way.   If you simply go through your day together without ever connecting it could take forever.  Just being together in a room is not the same as connecting.

I see how my dogs react to different people, some people connect right away and it is typically the people who are interested in the dogs.   There are people we meet who don't have time for dogs and simple see them as sort of an accessory.   Not much connecting happens with these folks and they will never get a connected response from my dogs.

Connecting takes time but the process starts from day one.  The goal is to become the person that your dog turns to in need.  That means any need.  Puppies really don't care much about connecting, they are much like toddlers and have better things to do in life.  So believe me when I say we have all gone through the "my puppy doesn't even like me" stage, as your puppy runs to see everyone but you.  It is a  process and if you are spending good one on one and connecting throughout your day to day then it is happening.  There will come a moment, maybe months from now that you see that connection and realize you are now truly connected.

Having an intense connection with your dogs is amazing, there is nothing like it.  Yesterday as I gardened, Luke came out and nudged me as he often does.  In a bent down position he nearly knocks me over with his pushing but I lean into it and we have a long and very enjoyable snuggle.  Once done I ask him "is that good?"  He stands pondering, sometimes he is good and will lay down; other times he needs a bit more before he settles.  A little later Elsa joins in the gardening; at the time I was on the other side of a small fence.  She reached through the fence and I leaned in to connect with her as she kissed my cheek.  Honestly, does it get any better?


   

Smoke and mirrors



Yesterday we had a great time at the park.  We did our regular walk around, worked on some off leash recalls and then took a path out of the main park for some more off leash fun.  Luke was beat, Elsa was just getting started (she goes in the afternoon for off an off leash run too) but we head back to the car and headed for home.  Pulling out of the park road I noticed a little chihuahua type dog running towards us down the middle of the road. I immediately pulled over, stopped the car and jumped out.  I knew this dog, Elsa and I had seen it often on her afternoon runs.

The dog looked scared, it's whole body said "I'm lost."  I bent down in the road and called to it but there was no way this little guy was coming to me.  He was scanning his environment, tail tucked completely under, body hunched and running.  My attempt at coaxing him not only didn't work, he was growing suspiciously angry at me.  I tried again with no success as he ran down the road past me.

I watched and was just about to get in my car and follow him when he ran into a driveway and turned around.  He got on his biggest tough guy posture and let me have it.  He was home, it made me smile.  It was so clear that this driveway was his safe haven, there was just no way you could not see that this was his domain.  It had changed everything.  He now felt safe, ready to take on the world or at least this crazy lady trying to talk to him while out on his morning walk.  But this morning he'd obviously gotten too far from his safety zone and he was freaked.

This little dog had needed his home turf to bring on his big tough guy act but many dogs try wherever they happen to be.  The tough guy routine, Luke does it at the vets and surprisingly he is very convincing.  We have been asked to muzzle him several times which of course I will not do. But you have to be very dog savvy to be able to see through it.  If you pay close attention to the whole package you can see that it is an act.  Luke is a love bug, he pretty much loves everyone but at the vets he is very nervous and tries to keep everyone at bay by growling and carrying on.  Basically he tries to scare them and it works.  When I refuse to muzzle and tell them that he will be fine in less than a minutes once in the room, they agree.  And he is.

There is a fine line between bluff and being bitten.  No one wants to be bit, not even me.  Being bit can bring with it a great deal of fall out behaviors for the bitten, aside from the actual bite.  So avoiding it is of course the goal.  I've come close a couple of times, it was scary and touch and go at one specific juncture.  As hard as a dog may bluff if you know what you are seeing you will know whether or not that dog is displaying an act or real behavior.

Dogs don't lie, but they sure do try sometimes.  This is why it is so important to read a dog's body language.  Dogs can seem like they are an aggressive monster when in fact they are simply playing.  They can also seem as sweet as can be and bite as soon as you cross their invisible line.  I was just telling my daughter a story about a Dalmatian at the shelter when I volunteered there.  I had approached the kennel and the dog froze and gave me a hard stare.  I went and told the official people there that the dog should only be walked with two people and to be very careful, it was aggressive.  Of course they didn't listen and let a pregnant volunteer take the dog out alone one day.  She had taken him for a walk and sat down on the curb beside him to chill, he took that as his opening and attacked her on the head.  Pretty scary and something that could have been avoided completely.

The little dog running down the street was not a scary guy, he was trying very hard to look that way but his body held the truth to his true feelings.  It can be tough but the more you watch the more you will understand.  Much of what you see is smoke and mirrors.




  

Just how smart are they?



I have heard many people over the years say that their dog is not the brightest.  I love to meet these dogs because it is typically not the case.  It has long been a common consensus that Greyhounds were not intelligent.  After much research I discovered that this label was put on them after attempting and failing to use conventional harsh training methods.  They basically shutdown during the process and those less experienced in true canine behavior consider this dumb.  Hmmmmmm.    Many folks think that because they have a Bulldog the chance of training their dog to comply is diminished.  Hogwash; dogs are dog and like I always say, they are different.  Some of the smartest dogs I've worked with are Bulldogs.

Dogs are simple creatures; yet they hold within them a complicated collection of puzzle pieces that humans are often at a loss putting together.  When I am out with my own dogs or in the presence of a dog pack I will often commentary what is going on.  People are regularly surprised by what is really going on.   I have often been witness to a loud and demonstrative greeting between dogs where one of the owners is appalled by the behavior.  When a dog growls, snaps or lunges at another, many people immediately jump to the 'aggressive' dog mode.

My dog does this..................why?  That is the question and normally there is a very simple explanation.  Elsa quickly figured out, I mean within a few trips outside that if she does indeed go outdoors that she doesn't have to wear her underwear.   So there she stands at the door much more than normal just wanting her underwear off.  She also understands that when she comes in they must be placed on again and so she stands with a not so happy face.  She'll be happy to see the end of this.

Dogs who have been taught, basically given an education from an early age do learn faster.  The whole concept of learning must be taught.  I've worked with older adults who have never been taught anything and it takes a great deal of patience to get to that first light bulb moment.  Dogs are extremely talented in reading our signals and even the smallest of motion can give them a heads up.  Most owners are astounded that the simple application of a particular shoe lets their dog know that they are going for a walk.  This is association and repetition at its best.

Dogs are masters at communication, we are not.  Within a 1/2 of a minute dogs can say a great deal without ever muttering a sound.  We humans get lost in all the 'what ifs' and 'between the lines' crap. Dogs learn at different speeds and through different applications, just like people.  Some dogs are bold and willing to offer new behaviors, others have a tough time just throwing out different behaviors at an owner.  Luke is one of the smartest dogs I know but he does not offer new behaviors.  Elsa offers whatever she can think and I find myself undoing things all the time with her.

All dogs are smart, just different in their own way.  In all my years of training and educating canines I have only ever met one that was an impossible case.  The owner told me that she thought that he might have brain damage due to the fact that he died on the operating table when being neutered and was brought back several times.  I assured her that he did have brain issues.  Even still he was sweet and a wonderful pet, just unable to learn or at least within the range of human patience time span.

Bath time



It's bath time for Luke.  Elsa had a bath about a week ago when I decided to do some touch ups on her grooming.  I don't often bathe two dogs in one day, its a lot on my back.  One day, oh yes, one day I will have this amazing tub.   But for now I hunch over to get the job done and no matter how hard I work out at the gym, it kills my back.  I try bending at the knees instead of hunching over but it still hurts.  My lower back is wrecked since my three kids, oh well.

I have moved bath time now to the bigger shower, in my room.  It gives me much more room to turn around and once they are done their bath they go directly out to the balcony for a good shake.  They have their first initial shake off and tiny rip out there and get the bulk of the water out.  Taking steps to minimize the work and hassle of bath time are well worth the effort.  We then make our way down stairs and straight outside for more shake, rattle and roll business.  They typically have a zoom and then intermittent towel drying.  Luke loves the towel dry time, he is always attempting to escape and it has now turned into a tackle and bite the towel time.  He loves it as much as I do.


Check out those bold eyes.   


Being poodles, they don't tend to get that strong doggy odor like the shedding breeds.  Jessie was a little stinker that often smelled like she had been rolling in something rank.   Even still poodles get dirty and they get stinky.   Luke is at that point now, he smells sort of like a dirty blanket.  Funny my boys have always been smellier than the girls, I guess it's the same as humans right?  ;)  So as long as the sun is out, he's going in the shower this afternoon.  I've decided that I'm going to let him air dry today.  That means that he won't be fluffy but will have tiny little ringlets all over.  It's a very different look than the forced air dry that they get when it is chillier out.

I don't my dogs more than I have to, it's not good for their coat.  If they are dirty they get a bath, or if they are going to be groomed.  It is much easier on my clippers if their coat is clean before we do any work.  I do not have a weekly bath schedule; you'd be surprised how long we can go without a bath.  If a dog stinks then they need a bath, bottom line.  If we hit the beach I often just blow the hair out with my forced air dryer.  As you all can see I'm not a fussy type groomer, I'm more a wash and wear gal.  Of course when Elsa had her puppy coat there was a large amount of fussing to do with that but now that it is gone we are good to go.



Once the bath itself is done with the fun begins.  I almost always bring out the camera for the event, great shots are always there for the taking.  That is if you are fast enough to capture them.  Have a great hump day everyone.




The first



Looking through old photos last night I came across an image of my very first dog.  Not my first dog as an adult; that was an Airedale named Mandy.  I got Mandy when I was eighteen years old.  I had a dog as a child, just one and I was lucky to have that.  I didn't come from a dog family; I know, weird.  I have four brothers and sisters and we begged for years for a dog.  Finally we got this little guy in the photo, Strawberry.  Yes he was a boy with the name Strawberry.  We didn't name him, he came that way at the age of 18 months old.  Am. Cdn. Ch. MaGriffe William Strawberry.

My parents had snuck off to look at him as a possibility.  Not being a dog person at all my mother  considered this little non shedding tiny guy to be the perfect solution.  Not the best choice for 5 kids who have never had a dog before; we bombarded the poor little guy with instant and abundant affection.  But he fit in quickly.  It was amazing how well he did because he came from an adult only home and had been a show dog for his entire life.  When he came to us he was a Canadian/American Champion; of course as a child this meant nothing to me.

I spent many long hours with Strawberry, I'd dreamed of the day I would have my own dog and it had finally come.  I'd been in love with dogs years before his arrival.  I had imagined a gorgeous Irish Setter as my first dog.  The idea had been ingrained since I watch the Disney movie Big Red one Sunday night.  That was it, I was hooked.  But how much did Strawberry add to my love of dogs?  A great deal.

Having the chance to get up close and personal is essential.  If you only get the chance to love dogs from a far you never really experience 'a dog.'  I remember into my teenage years as Strawberry became a little old man, carrying him around zipped up in my bathrobe.  I adored him.  The first is always a huge learning experience.  I've worked with so many people who have never had a dog before and the range of canine knowledge is wide in first timers.  Some people get a dog having no idea of anything canine, others have done their research but still have yet to lay hands on the real deal.

Not until you live with dogs can you completely understand what it is like.  That is if you allow yourself to go into the world of dogs.  Some people live with dogs for years without ever leaving the surface type of relationship.  Each and every dog that comes through our lives prepares us for the next.  We all make mistakes, heck I've made a load of them but it is all a learning curve.  Life is an evolution of oneself if you allow it to be.

Looking back is nostalgic, often it makes us long for a life we had back then.  But one of my favorite sayings now is "don't look back, you aren't going that way."  I try very hard to live life facing forwards. Everyone has a first, that first has usually altered your life drastically.  I know Strawberry sure helped to catapult me to where I am today.  Since that little guy, there have been many who have been involved in my evolution.  But Strawberry was the first.




Monday this and that



Good Monday morning; I hope you all had a great weekend, I did.  I spent the day with my oldest daughter and hubby yesterday which was wonderful.  After the humans worked out it was dog work out time.  Luke went with his Dad and I took advantage of a very quiet park.  All the Mom's were out for brunch so we had a nice long time with an open field, just Elsa and I.  Boy can this girl fly.  We met up after with Luke and Dad in the park, then it was home for some chill'n time which is about an hour and then breakfast.

At the park we were in an out of the fenced area in record time.  With the chuck it, exercise time is concentrated.  I can throw the ball from one side of the field to the other.  Elsa runs like a torpedo shot out of a cannon after the ball and slows only a bit on the return.  It was starting to warm up so we did this about twelve times before heading out.  Always keeping in mind my motto in life "quit while you're ahead."  

On the way to the park we met a really nice lady with two dogs.  She asked immediately if Elsa was a poodle, then told us all about her past dog who had been a black standard.  She said that her dog was so fast that even the whippets couldn't catch her.  We compared athletic stories and she was smiling as she elaborated on hers.  Nice to see such fond memories people hold of their dogs gone by.  

Saturday was a puttering around day, a few errands and lots more gardening.  I love when I garden and the dogs enjoy just hanging with me.  We are wrapping up week two of Elsa's heat and this week has been tough on Luke.    I have to say that he has been very good about it all.  Being his age has probably helped.  He sleeps most of the day, even snuggled up with Elsa without any issues.  It seems to be right before and after dinner when the issues arise.  He gets..........well..............let's just say randy then.  But his poor old legs don't do him well in this situation.  But there is no lack for trying.  She is still bleeding so sporting her ultra snazzy undies.

This week should be a good one, my other daughter is home for a nice long visit so we'll be hanging out a lot. For sure we'll be hitting the beach with the dogs several times.  The end of midday beach visits is quickly coming to an end until mid September.  We can still go on the beach with the dogs but it has to be before 8am and after 6:00pm which in the summer is just fine.  It makes it a little tougher to get there that early and typically after 6 it's still crowded with the summer array of visitors.  So once the Memorial day is over I'll just have to switch up my own routine and walk the dogs before hitting the gym.

Have a wonderful week, and give your dog a big squeeze for me.