Dog talk

I was sitting in bed this morning thinking about all the errors we humans make as far as dogs are concerned.  I pondered on some of the most common ones that I see before deciding to write about this one.  This is a big one and probably one of the most impacting errors that an owner can make.   Disciplining the wrong dog, yep, telling the wrong dog to stop.  This typically happens when a new member of the canine family has entered the picture; especially common when that new member is a puppy.   The protectiveness in us kicks into high gear and we often overreact to a lot of things.

I have seen the sweetest little puppies turn into monsters due to no fault of their own.  They have been indulged and put on a pedestal until they are sure that they are the boss of the world.  We tend to hover and not allow other dogs any access to the new little member until we are sure that they will not have anything said to them that is not wonderful.  Big mistake.  Many people tend to think that a teeth display is horrible; they think that it means that someone is going to get hurt.  When in fact a teeth display is one of the nicer ways that a dog communicates.  It is a warning and that is all that it is.  Heed the warning and no one gets hurt.  Upon seeing teeth an owner often scolds the adult dog and this is where it starts to unravel.

The big dog is demoted so to speak; the puppy is given undo status.  The adult dog feels the need to speak louder next time and the puppy is more pushy.  Each time the owner stops the adult from disciplining the problem grows.  The puppy becomes confused by the given status and the older dog is feeling the need to clear things up.  The mess grows and grows while the owner becomes more angry at the older dog as the days and weeks pass.  Until finally the over stuffed puppy is left alone with the adult dog and they finally have their say.

When a new dog comes into a home; the existing dogs will quickly assess what is needed with regards to acclimation.  It really depends on the temperament and personality of the newcomer as well as the existing dogs in the family.  Puppies need lessons in life and as much as it is our job to do that; it is also the job of the existing household dogs as well.  Without constant feedback, a puppy will not learn. If we stop our older dogs from scolding and disciplining a new puppy then we are messing everything up.  Sure, we are there to make sure that the disciplining doesn't go too far and to also help in the disciplining.

Some puppies are very pushy and our older adult dogs need help in establishing rules.  If you just leave it up to the older dogs to do; things can also go awry.  It is a balancing act; when to step in and when not to.  We cannot let our hearts rule; we tend to do that as humans.  Dogs deal in facts, and to make things really work well we must look at dog/dog issues in dog terms, not human.  Let's say that your new puppy is bothering your older adult dog.  The adult has growled several times at the puppy's advances.  I would watch closely to see what the response of the puppy is before stepping in.  If they are heeding the warning and backing off then great.  If not, then your older dog needs your support.  With your assistance in disciplining you let your puppy know that this is not acceptable.  You also let your older dog know that you are there to protect them as well. This creates harmony.

Many people don't have older dogs at home when they bring in a new puppy.  This is when socializing is even more important.  That puppy needs to get out and interact with older dogs; receive some feedback and learn some rules and boundaries.  I am always happy to offer that to people with puppies.  Luke is very good at teaching puppies what is and is not acceptable.  If you have a puppy and do not fully understand canine behavior; rest assured that teeth are not a bad thing.  Even the loudest most demonstrative growling display from an adult that causes a yelp from your puppy is usually just fine.  Lots of puppies need serious lessons in life.

If a puppy never receives lessons from older dogs as a puppy then they are more likely to get into trouble later in life.  It is our over reacting as humans that skews proper order in canine life.  When I am called out to a consult for a dog/dog issue within a family; it is almost always due to human interference.  Disciplining the wrong dog does a great deal of damage.  The bottom line is that we are the leader, fact.  The dogs must follow the leader but they must get along among themselves as well.   It is our job to know when it is too much or not enough.  Step in or step out of a situation, but never stop watching.  It's our job.    

Maintenance

Right out of the bath; Elsa with her long glorious hair which took a ton of work to keep up.  

Maintenance - Like it or hate it, it's gotta get done and that includes our dogs.  I know that many of you strictly rely on your groomer to do it all but after listening to so many groomers complain that people do nothing and dump their dog on them in a huge mess; it seems that many people don't do some maintenance that they should be doing.  When I say maintenance I mean the stuff that needs doing on a regular basis.  There are the weekly things, monthly and every couple of months.

I've been catching up on some maintenance lately.  Luke needed a good teeth scraping; with my schedule as of late he has not had as many bones as normal so his teeth needed tending to.  He is so good about it; even this time when I needed to get the very back teeth.  Sure he's not a fan of having his teeth scraped but he lets me do it and it is a bonding time for us.  It is very close and very intimate to be dealing with his very back molar.  The plaque flew off in pieces and we were done in no time.  Then I looked at Elsa and thought that I should do some scraping to get her use to it.  She's had it done before and was good but this time she was not so good.  She didn't mind the scraping, it was the tight face holding that she was not a fan of.   So we set to work and she is having them scraped daily with treats until she is fine with it.

When you scrape teeth it is a very sensitive and pressure filled activity.  You must hold the dogs face firmly and very still. After all you are using a very sharp tool and some of the plaque is on there really good.  Of course the more often you do it the less you have to do at each scraping.  Lots of practice work needs to be done before you actually get the job done.  But it most certainly can be a part of your general maintenance.  It is a great feeling when you are done and your dogs teeth are all clean once again.

Ears are another thing.  Even if you have a smooth coated dog with no hair in their ears you should still be having a look in there every once in a while.  Ears get dirty and need cleaning.  If you have a hairy dog that tends to grow hair in the ear like my breed then there is plucking to do.  My rule of thumb about hair plucking is to take a bit at a time.  Less hair more often is far better for the dog than plucking an ear clean.  When people pluck all the hair out at one sitting it irritates the ear and opens it up for infection.

At first most people are very afraid to pluck hair out.  Believe me, dogs get very use to it but you have to be careful and gentle.  The light fluffy hair comes out easily with no problem.  But you must get your dog accustom to this activity as well.  I start on this one right away with a puppy.  Poodles have a lot of hair in their ears and it is something that needs constant attention for some.  Elsa is one who grows a ton of hair in her ear so I'm always in there doing something.  After an ear plucking I clean her ears by just wiping them with a clean gauze.  For ear plucking I use a hemostat which makes the job quick and easy.  But you must take great care to grab only hair and not skin with hemostats.  

Brushing and combing should be done regularly on all dogs.  My little Jack Russell needed the most brushing, she shed like a monster.  Brushing kept the shedding to a bearable level.  Each time I brushed her I was amazed by the amount of hair left in the brush.  My poodles are very easy to brush and get brushed very rarely when they are sporting a short clip.  Their coat tends to stay in nice tight curls which don't mat at all.  But if they have a longer coat they typically get brushed several times a week.  Do not wait for the trip to the groomers every three months to have the groomer do all the brushing

Nails are something I'm constantly on top of.  I really hate long nails and not all dogs wear them down on their own.   I use both a dremel tool to grind the nails and a nail clipper to cut them.  I do it weekly; it is much easier to take a bit off every week than to chance taking a big piece off every month or so.  I know that nails are something that many owners are afraid to tackle but once you conquer it; keeping it up is a breeze.  Like many of the maintenance issues with our dogs; nail cutting needs practice and rewarding to get to a point when you can simply just cut their nails without any fuss.  Again this is something that I start as soon as I get a puppy and with the addition of lots of treats, nail cutting becomes a non issue.

There is bathing to do, which I tend to do on a need to bath basis.  I don't like to bath too much because it dries a dogs skin.  Although I bathe weekly during the summer/flea months.  Bathing a dog and leaving the suds on for 5 minutes drowns fleas.  :)  Some people say that they never bathe their dog, "they are never dirty."  Well, I've smelled some of those dogs and they are indeed dirty.  I did a photo shoot with a woman who believed in NEVER bathing her dogs.  Let's just say it's a good thing the shoot was outdoors.

As far as anal glands go; which is something I know that many people have done at the groomers each visit.  I believe they should be left alone unless something is wrong with them.  Nature takes care of those without our intervention.  Squeezing anal glands can actually create problems that were never there to start with.  Here is a good article on the lovely subject of anal glands by Dr. Karen Becker.  So if your groomer is squeezing regular, ask them to stop and hopefully they are not damaged.

That's about it for general maintenance.  Of course there is the "going over" that should be done as well.  Just giving your dog a regular once or twice over with your hands.  It is a good way to find out if there is anything knew on your dog that you should be aware of.  Dogs never mind this, it's like a massage.

So pull your sleeves up and get some maintenance done.  

Handling

Yesterday I was at Yogurtland enjoying some frozen yogurt.  At the table beside us there was a family which appeared to be a Grandmother and 4 young children plus a dog.  The dog looked like a Papillon mix.  He was very cute and behaving quite nicely..............that is until another dog passed by.  Instantly he transformed from a cutie to a monster.  One of the children who looked to be about maybe 10 grabbed his leash and yanked up.  She held it taut until he gave in and sat; not something I like to see a child do but she had obviously seen Grandma do it.  She let up a tiny bit but kept the pressure on his neck through the entirety of the ordeal.

The instigator to this situation was also being strung up.  Neither dog was being held up off their feet but both were most definitely feeling a lot of pressure from their collars.  The large dog who had appeared on the scene had his choke chain up around the back of the ears where it is the most sensitive.  The woman looked stressed; she seemed to want to be there for the whole "socializing" aspect of the situation but had no idea how to properly deal with it let alone help her dog through it.  The large dog sat between his owners legs that were no doubt relaying stress signals galore while the collar gave the rest of the messages.

So............................everything each person did in this situation was completely and utterly wrong.  Dogs learn through example and if every time they see another dog their owner becomes stressed; they have their neck yanked on and are scolded, what lesson are they learning?  They are learning that other dogs anywhere near them is a very bad situation.  The problem intensifies until the dog is no longer welcome on the family outings.  The message that you want to relay is a great one.  Wow, look what great things happen when other dogs are around.  That and the always essential chill; "we don't care about that" message.

Most importantly is practice; you cannot just throw your dog into the fire and hope that it all works out.  Most people know how their dog will behave in a situation like this but do it anyway without any assistance to their dog to get through it without going crazy.  Of course if this is the very first time your dog has been in this situation then you are being given some great information to work with.  When a dog acts up by barking, lunging or jumping around like a crazy dog in public; we typically shudder and try to stop it.  "Just stop," is what we tell our dogs.  But have we given them an alternative?  "Just stop," is what choke collar, conventional trainers want.  Jump, lunge and bark and you will be yanked on and choked.  There is no "don't do this, do that" scenario.

To properly start a positive education you need distance first and foremost when you are given this type of information from your dog.  They are not comfortable in close proximity to other dogs and are showing you this through their behavior.  Now there is also crazy behavior but not aggressive, like Elsa.  She tends to bark at other dogs because she wants to go to them, this is also annoying and the solution is the same, work and practice.  She must learn to control herself which she is doing well but she still has outbursts now and again.  Typically it is the first dog that she sees and then she acclimates to the situation.

Positive, positive, positive is what you need to portray.  That can be through voice, treats, toys and body language.  You need to take on a 'nothing fazes me' attitude; enough to convince your dog of it.  You work with baby steps, tiny bits of success and reward them.  To start off with I would simply walk by a situation like this; continually pumping treats into your dog.  What you are doing by this simple action is two fold.  One, you are creating a positive association to walking past other dogs; and two, you are rewarding the dog for walking past.   Start at a distance that you can achieve success; don't get so close as to trigger a crazy barking frenzy.  Work at your dogs pace; slow and steady wins the race.

Chill out, this is THE single most important thing that I can give people.  The way you behave in a situation is what you are teaching your dog.  If you come unglued, upset, stressed, tense and physical in a situation like this then you are telling your dog that they are correct in their behavior as well.  You are giving off a message of anxiety, tension and stress which your dog will fuel from.  When we are out on a walk and pass a dog that is 'going off' on us, I very quickly slip into my 'chill' mode.  I soften my posture, do not change my pace unless to slow it and chirp happily if we need to move over.  "Let's go guys, we don't care about this at all," is what I say verbally and physically.

Just think before you act.  Imagine if you were walking with a child; their hand in yours as you suddenly grab a hold of them, pulling them away from a person and holding them tightly.  Your child would immediately be afraid, correct?

It's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click on above photo to bring you there. 

After finally finishing the photo work, the story line and putting it all together I waited.  I was waiting for my proof copies of 'When Luke Met Elsa,' patiently (okay impatiently).  I heard the truck stop in front of the house and hoped that the box being dropped at the door was my books.  It took all of a split second to open the box and there it was, When Luke Met Elsa.  As you can tell I am sort of excited about this new book.

Luke and Elsa having a first look at Mom's work.  

When Luke Met Elsa is a children's book.  It is about Elsa coming into our family and Luke not being so thrilled with the idea in the beginning.  It details how their relationship grew until Luke couldn't imagine life without her anymore.  Each page holds an image that was specifically chosen for the book after going through literally thousands of possibles.

This book is the first of many children's books to come.   There will be many different stories told through Luke and Elsa which I hope you will enjoy.  When I was trying to put an age on the book I had a difficult time thinking that everyone might enjoy it.  From the very young child being read to all the way up to............................heck, whatever age.  It's a cute book with a great lesson.  I hope that you and your children will enjoy it.

Domestic and liking things just so

Standing in the kitchen with two bowls in my hands I called to Luke.  "Pumpkin," yes Pumpkin.  Like normal he comes to the kitchen door to see what I want.  He does not come charging through the door and into the kitchen, barely able to stop from slamming into the cupboards like someone else.  No, Luke stands to hear the news.  I tell him that it is dinner time and ask if he is hungry.   Watching his reaction, I think probably not.  This is going to be one of those "please Luke.......eat," nights.  After much coaxing he manages to come all of half way to the bowl and then stands waiting for more coaxing.  As I turn to coax some more I see that his ears are plastered back as flat as they can go.  Then I ask him what these flat ears are about while laughing.  He is expecting Dad, he is late and Luke has got his ears turned to hear the slightest sound of Dad's car arriving.  He has always done this and is very uneasy when his Dad does not show up on time.  Luke gets antsy, and unsettled; barking at the slightest noise outside when things are not as per usual.  Domesticated?  Yes.  Like things just so?  Yep.

Domesticate:  To adapt to life in intimate association with and to the advantage of humans.  To make domestic; fit for domestic life.

The other night Steve and I headed out to a country concert; Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.  It was great but we were home late.  This is very unusual as we are the homebody type.  Nothing better than spending a night on the couch with the hounds and a movie.  So when we got home I was a bit worried about Luke and his separation anxiety.  He'd shown a bit of it lately; but only once it gets dark.  So as I approached the door I listened for the tell tale cry barking.................nothing.  Good.  When I walked in the door I heard two thumps; both Elsa and Luke came down from our bedroom.  They'd already gone to bed.  I couldn't help but laugh.   We were most definitely out past the usual bedtime so they took it upon themselves to head up with or without us.  I'd call that domestic.

Just last night Luke, Elsa and I headed up to bed.  Of course Elsa had charged ahead as she typically does and Luke was waiting patiently for Mom to turn out the lights downstairs.  Once I got to the bedroom Luke dove on the bed, joining Elsa where they enjoyed their bedtime snack and a little drink of water.  Then I did something out of the ordinary, I painted my nails.  I've been crazy busy and who has time to let nails dry during the day?  Luke immediately jumped off the bed, not liking this turn of events.  Hmmmmm........... He looked around trying to decide where he was going to wait this craziness out.  He came and looked at me several times as if asking "what the heck are you doing?"  Finally I was done and he very excitedly got back onto the bed and watched that I was doing the same before settling in.  Just so.

It is amazing how far dogs have come from their ancestors in the woods.  The more you envelop a dog into your life the more they domesticate.  Dogs abandoned or born into a life on the streets; quickly resort back to their ancestral type behaviors.  But the do not go all the way back to wolf behavior; there is now a permanent change, they regress to wild dogs.  Evolution has had an impact on our dogs.  The connection that you form with your dog will bring that even further.  But taken away they can quickly call upon their hardwired knowledge to survive.  I enjoy my domestic dogs and I LOVE how they like things just so.  

Mourning the loss

Just the other day I was talking to a couple of big time dog lovers.  I could have stood there talking for the whole day probably.  At one point the topic turned to loss and dealing with the loss.  We mulled it around for quite a while; each taking time to share their loss stories.  The statement that we ended the topic of discussion on was that we need dogs in our lives.  No matter how difficult, sad, traumatic and devastated we are from a loss; we must do it again.  I have talked to many people who can never do it again; once they have suffered the loss of a life long canine companion they just can't do it.

I am often asked "when is the right time," by people who have recently suffered a loss.  There is never a right time; each and every person must deal with the loss in their own and very personal way.  One of the woman that I was talking to said that a particular dog of hers took her ten years to get over.  But then she shared her story with us about how she acquired the next.  She actually added a dog to her life on the very day that she lost her old girl but grieved for a full ten years after. It was a strange, sad and wonderful situation but it all worked out the way that it was meant to.  As she told me her story I thought that it was the most perfect way to explain to people "when the best time is."

As humans we tend to feel guilt for a great number of things.   The addition of a new dog after a loss is one of those things.  Many people ask me "am I disrespecting my dog if I get another right away?"  My answer to that is no.  Your dog is gone, yes; but that love you shared was so great that you cannot bear to not have a dog in your life.  That is a wonderful thing.  You cannot bring your dog back by waiting a certain amount of time.  Your dog is gone, perhaps one of the loves of your life.  By bringing another canine into your life you will be sharing that past love; all the things that you learned over the years with the next one.

I am not saying that you should go and get a new dog the day after you lose one; not at all.  I am saying that you should never feel as though you are doing wrong somehow by the first by adding another to your life.  When the time is right and you feel the need for a dog in your life, then do it.   The dog that you lost filled so much of your life and your heart that it may need some filling up in short order.  By adding another dog to your life, you in no way dishonor the last.  That grieving can continue well into the weeks and months that follow; with or without a new dog present.

Loss is a very sad thing but a fact of living with dogs.  Is there a right or wrong time to add another?  No.  It is never too early or too late to add a dog to your life.  The only question is how long you can live without the pitter patter of four paws on your heart.  

Vertigo/Vestibular Disease

The last couple of days I've been dealing with Vertigo.  Unfortunately it is something that runs in my family and I have to deal with every now and again.  But this case of Vertigo has me thinking about poor Tilley and her last two years of life living in a crooked world.  Sadly Vestibular Disease can hit any dog, many dogs in their senior years are stricken with Vestibular Disease which can often be misdiagnosed.

Because of the Vertigo I'm dealing with at the moment I wont' be on the computer much today so I am posting my previous posts on Vestibular disease.  I think spreading the word can save a dog or two when they are stricken with the horrible disease.

January 2010

January 11 2010

January 15 2010

January 2011

Sadly we lost Tilley on January 08, 2012.  Almost two years to the day after she was stricken with Vestibular disease.  She was a trooper and did an amazing job of dealing with and thriving in a life with Vestibular disease.

Tapping into the amazingness

Yesterday Elsa shocked me; she tends to do this on a weekly basis.  I've said it before and I will say it again, she is scary smart.  She is probably the smartest standard poodle that we have had as of yet.  I can't imagine smarter.  So I had just come home with a bag full of meat from the grocers and proceeded to cut up their breakfast.  Elsa is not a fan of raw yet; she still sort of picks it up with her front teeth, gives it a little shake and then plays with it.  But raw is Luke's favorite, it always has been and when I bring home meat from the store he will follow me right into the kitchen.

Yesterday he had made himself comfortable on the double lounge outside.  I proceeded to cut up breakfast and brought his Majesty an appetizer piece which he gobbled down.  Back in the kitchen to finish the cutting I offered Elsa a pea sized piece which to my surprise she ate.  So then I pushed it by offering her an inch sized piece which she threw onto the floor.  I then told her "if you don't eat that, Luke will."  She promptly picked it up and headed outside.  I followed her wondering where she was taking it.  She gave it to Luke.  She put it down right beside him and backed up to watch.  Of course he picked it up and ate it.  She seemed happy with herself and came back in.  I stood there shocked.  Really?

Amazing girl she is but aren't they all?  Each and every dog has an amazingness (is that a word?) in themselves.  When Elsa joined our family I wondered what her "thing" was going to be.  They all have something; whether it is a passion or a drive but each holds something amazing all on their own.  I meet so many dogs and love nothing more than hearing about their amazingness.  When I am at a new shoot I like to hear all about the dog so that I can best capture that individual amazingness for the owner.  Each dog shines differently and individually.  I really hate when I hear disappointment in an owners voice, jealousy I guess you could call it.  "I wish my dog could do that."  I use to hear this a lot when I was out with Tilley.  Yes she was truly amazing in her athletic capabilities but not too many people could deal with the drive that she had.  All they saw was her flying through the air doing her spectacular leaps and wanted their dog to do the same.  Although she was one of those truly amazing dogs; my lassie in poodle clothing.

Of course I consider dogs to be amazing just by the simple fact that they are dogs but they all have a hidden talent.  Sometimes it can be tough to find if you are not looking.  I often see dogs doing things that they clearly don't enjoy but the owner is loving it.  I like to offer activities that my dog loves.  I've been noticing that Elsa loves to scent so in a couple of weeks we are going to give Nosework a try.  We'll see how she likes it, I think she will excel at it.  She adores retrieving, she is a retrieving maniac so she has a daily outlet for that passion.

Not all things amazing in dogs have to be "official" or spectacular.   Lots of amazing things that dogs do are basic and enjoyed on a day to day.  Just yesterday I walked by a freshly raked playground.  The sand was perfect, awaiting the arrival of children.  I couldn't help myself, looking around first I let Elsa loose on it.  She spread her front legs and toes and dug into the sand.  This is heaven for her.  She has a mini zoom, within a 3-4 range while growling with over the top enjoyment.  I don't know who enjoys it more, Elsa in the sand or me watching Elsa in the sand.  Amazingness.

Each and everyone is amazing.  From the all star athletic canines to the ones that simply share their amazingness through a tender leaning in or head on your lap.  During a shoot the other day which I was photographing a Mastiff, Bull Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, Greyhound and Glen of Imaal Terrier at one time, I found myself taking a moment with the Greyhound.  As the others raced around he simply pushed against my leg; without thinking I reached down and stroked his face.  He was pushing pretty hard and when I looked down into those eyes of his I just about melted.  Amazingness.

All dogs are crazy intelligent, far more intelligent than we give them credit.  But they don't all display it the same; sometimes you have to really dig, sit back and look for it.  I hate to hear when people are disappointed in their dog "he's a dud."  Oh no, there are no duds; they are just dogs who have not been discovered as of yet which if you think about it is a downfall with the owner not the dog.  My boy Clyde who is now long gone did not have the sharpness in intelligence that some have but what he had was a true amazingness of heart.  He was my heart dog and never away from my side.  He would protect me with his life and I adored him, still do and think of him often.  They are all amazing, I guarantee it.  

Resource guarding

Resource guarding is a common but very unwelcome behavior.  Dogs are not big sharers; they typically like to keep what they consider a valued item.  Some dogs never consider anything to be that valuable; others may consider only one particular item to be worth trying to keep and then there are the dogs who think that everything is theirs and theirs only.  Recently I watched a video of Caesar Milan working with a dog who had a resource guarding issue with food.  Being the conventional, harsh trainer that he is; he addressed the situation with dominance and in return, he was bitten pretty badly.  Ah, the old way of training, no thinking, just acting.  Not smart.

Often guarding can sneak up on us; if a dog has never had an object that they thought worthy of guarding it may have never come up before.  If your dog growls at you for the first time it can be scary, saddening and confusing.  Your once loved dog has growled; a growl often changes everything.  But I am going to tell you that a growl sometimes brings things into perspective; and this is that our dogs are indeed dogs, not little furry people.  A growl is simply a communication; a way for your dog to tell you how they feel.  So they love whatever they have, enough to tell you that you are not allowed to have it.

If your dog has growled, displayed frozen posture or lip curled at you because of a possession then you have a guarding issue.  You have been given the information needed to now deal with the behavior.  First you need to consider what your dog was guarding.  Dogs can guard everything from you, their owner to their food, a bone, all the toys or just one specific, special toy.    For this example I am going to use a bone.  Many people think that the solution is to take the bone away.  That indeed gets rid of the need to guard but it does nothing to deal with the guarding issue.

What you have to convince your dog of is that 'humans' or the 'people' around him don't want the bone.  But if we do want to touch the bone or hold the bone that he will be rewarded for allowing us to do so.  I always start this training from the get go; that way it is something already dealt with when my dogs mature.  First you work with something that is of lesser value and teach the drop command.  Teaching the dog that if they drop objects when asked you will reward them and then give the object back.  Once you have a nice drop then you need to work on the item which is guarded.

For bones I start with holding the clean bone and only allow the dog to chew it while I hold it.  Then you can implement the drop command.  When the dog lets go of the bone you offer a really meaty morsel of food as a reward and allow them to continue chewing the bone then.  The big secret is to teach your dog that people around the guarded object is a great thing.  Always work in baby steps, never proceeding closer to the object until you have a calm and relaxed response from your dog.

Once you have the dog releasing the bone nicely you will want to put the bone on the ground.  Now what you must offer here is a very clean, meat free bone.  You are going to approach your dog and toss meat to him before he displays a warning.  So that means that you are staying far enough away not to elicit a warning.  You are changing how he feels about your approach entirely.   As you approach, meat is tossed; that is a great thing in his eyes.  He has to drop the bone to pick up the meat so this is also making him let go of the bone in your presence.

Next is to add the drop command as you approach, when he drops you toss the meat to him and move on.  You are going to work at getting closer and closer until you are bending down like you are going to take the bone but not.  Not yet.  You want to do lots and lots of practice runs before actually touching the bone.  When you finally do touch the bone after asking for a drop, immediately give several pieces of raw meat and give the bone back.  You will continue this until you can walk up, ask for a drop, pick up the bone, reward and give the bone back without any stiffness at all from your dog.  You will continue this work for a good year.  Make the association to you walking around your dog when he has a bone a wonderful thing.

Sure there are dogs who are just too guarded over their objects to offer up a big meaty bone to them, perhaps ever.  But you should still work on things that are a bit lesser of value like a meatless bone.  Our initial response when a dog growls is to simply take the item away; this shows the dog that they were indeed correct and do have to guard their stuff.  Association is the root of the cure.  Change the association of your presence to the bone and you will have rehabilitated your object guarder.

Also implementing a solid leader/follower relationship is essential.  

Reminder

No  more blogs on Sunday; see ya tomorrow.   Have a wonderful day with your pooch.  :)

Sherri

Finally the king

It has been a long road but Luke has finally reached the pinnacle and is the king of his domain.  Yep, Luke is the Alpha dog in the house.  At 12 years old he has lost most of his bad behaviors along the trail and what we are left with is a mellow and loving yet very confident guy.  Luke has always been a pusher, he tried to push his way to the top from the get go.  But he had quite a few undesirable behaviors so he was left at the bottom of the totem pole for 11 long years.  It was a conscious decision on my part and a good one.  Luke was far too reactive and head strong in his young days to take the lead role.  He tried hard for a long while  to establish his dominance with Jessie but I made it very clear that the top dog position was hers.

Being the top dog in this house simply means that he gets to establish toy acquisition and prime real estate, that's about it.  He can show Elsa a thing or two when she pushes his buttons with her juvenile behavior but is where it ends.  Really the true top alpha position in the house is mine and that is how it should always be.  Luke has waited over the years to have someone he can be the boss of.  This is his moment to shine and he is doing that.  He has aged like a fine wine and is now perfection.  Luke has amazing patience and tolerance for Elsa's nonsense as a youngster and allows her to get away with things that he would have never tolerated in his youth.

I sat watching them play last night; no need for television when I have these two; they are entertainment in itself.  Elsa has a great deal of respect for Luke; so much that even when her mouth is actually around a toy she is watching his every eye movement for permission.  Last night she was grovelling for a toy and he had decided to take a stand with it.  They were playing but the play had great meaning.  With Luke aging and Elsa becoming bigger and much stronger than Luke he has to use subtle techniques to achieve his dominance.  Both dogs were lying on the ground, Luke had possession of the toy and Elsa wanted it.  She came in under his head and had her mouth on it but with his eyes and ears he told her that she was not allowed to have it.  She slowly backed away and stared at him as he happily chewed the toy.

Elsa is as I have stated many times before a master at reading body language.  She is highly intelligent but very wise as well.  If she has any doubts she will not just run into a situation blindly.  She will test the waters first.  I have tested her with my own signals and she has never failed to read them correctly. So when Luke means business she immediately knows.  Although he is pretty much a push over she knows how far she can push him.  Even though he has never, ever been severely mean or grouchy at her. He speaks softly but with big volume in Elsa's eyes.  She has given Luke a different kind of respect right from the start and I believe it is because he is a male.

Of course I have to step in every so often.  If Elsa gets too excited she could actually injure Luke at this point.  He is pretty frail as he is losing muscle mass far too quickly.  Because of his loss of strength he is learning to be more serious in his posturing.  He never speaks too loud and Elsa picks up on every message.

Their relationship is an amazing one and as pushy and confident as Elsa is; she has a depth of respect for Luke that is surprising at her young age.  I love to watch the two of them interact.  Luke is typically beyond tolerant of her nonsense and very rarely will scold her.  If he does it is simply done by body posture and a huge inward air growl, scary, loud and full of meaning.  His play is much rougher than his feedback. This is how it should be, this is canine pack behavior at its best.  They are at the moment, curled up very closely on the bed sleeping.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  

Over vaccinating

Are we killing our dogs?  Yes, and the statistics are growing.  When my husband got home from a meeting the other night he had much to tell me.  He had sat with some old friends when the topic went to dogs.  One of the guys he sat with had told him about a dog he lost due to vaccinations.  He had taken in a dog from the neighbors on the day they were packing to move.  They didn't want it anymore (another blog) and asked him if he did?  He took the dog and the following day brought it to the vet.  There they filled the dog up with every vaccine possible.  The dog died in the yard the very next day.  The poor dog's body couldn't take it and shut down.   My husband then shared what he knew about over vaccinating and titer testing.  (Am I proud?)  Shaking my head as the story unfolded; I was so sad for the dog.  "How do we let people know?" I asked my husband.  So many still do not know.

This dog and many others die needlessly each year due to pumping them full of vaccines.  Why?  Because the big pharmaceuticals push them on the vets and the vets push them on us.  That is unless you've got one of the great vets out there.  In light of the fact that many of us now know that we are giving our dogs too much vaccines, those very companies that we think are trying to save our pets are  doing even further damage.  They are coming up with new illnesses to use more vaccines for.

I could fill this page with articles on over vaccinating, here are just a few.  

New illnesses, more drugs

Do Vaccinations affect the health of our pets?

Not harmless

Being in the thick of the dog world I often read about new rescues picked up, saved, or placed in foster.  I shudder when I read, recently brought utd on vaccines.  This means that the dog was refilled with vaccines.  Titers should be given before giving dogs more.  I know that it is common protocol to shoot them up as soon as they are brought in but we should stop and think.   When I volunteered at the local shelter here (don't even get me started on that) I watched as they injected vaccines into dogs as soon as they came in.  I asked once "what if they already have all their shots?"   "They all need these," was the reply I got.  The idea was that they might infect the other dogs in the shelter.  Many of these lost dogs were already getting to many vaccines by their owners thinking that they were being good owners by getting their yearly shots.

Let's just think for a moment; something we humans tend not to do much of.  When a vaccine is given, the body attempts to fight it off, this is how immunity is created more or less.  But if we give a whole cocktail of vaccines the body is taxed and the immunity that the shots are meant to build up is lowered creating a dog that is now susceptible to many diseases as the body has no fight left.  There is much research about young dogs getting the very diseases that they have been vaccinated for due to receiving too many vaccinations or too early.

Many young shelter or rescue dogs become ill because as young as 6 weeks old we alter them; which means they have a full on surgical procedure far too young.  Then we fill them with all sort of vaccines for their body to process and we are surprised that they get ill or worse?  If a dog comes into a shelter carrying some sort of illness with them; giving them a vaccination is not going to get rid of it.  What it will do is prevent their body from healing itself or being able to heal at all.

If just one dog can be saved from me writing about over vaccination again, great.  Please share what you know about vaccinations and our dogs.  So many do not know, many dogs die because their owner just didn't know.  Sadly there are vets out there that close their eyes and either refuse to learn or ignore.  Many of you have these vets that are pushing yearly vaccines.  Do you research, your dog deserves it.    

When to train

Even out enjoying the scenery, ya gotta be on your toes.  

Every time I have a new training client they ask the question "how long should I train a day?"  My reply is always the same "all the time."  Yes when you first have a dog, whether it is a puppy or an adult second hand dog; you need to step into a training mode.  It may feel uncomfortable for a bit, until it becomes second nature but keeping yourself in training mode helps to speed things a long.  So what does that mean exactly?  What it means is keeping on your toes, basically.

When people use to use conventional choke collar training; you would have a session or two during the day to do your training.  The training was intense and serious. With positive reinforcement training there are times when you are going to teach a new behavior but the rest of the day you need to stay in your 'training mode.'  Staying in your 'training mode' teaches manners and enables your dog to learn how to behave and deal with living in our human world much quicker.  What it means is that you don't let things slide.  You don't teach one thing during a training session and then allow your dog to do whatever they please the rest of the day.  They learn the rules and they learn to live with them.

So if you teach your dog physical boundaries within your home you must enforce those constantly until it just becomes how it is.  If you ask for a 'stay' or 'down' during your day to day then you must enforce it.  Don't allow your dog to run a much when you aren't in a training session.  I've met many amazingly trained dogs who were very obnoxious in their day to day.

Far too often I see people doing serious training out at the park but those same people go home and don't enforce anything.  Yes it is work to enforce, guide, lead and educate but it makes for wonderfully behaved dogs.  Some owners have more work cut out for them than others.  Not all dogs are the same, some are pushers, some can be downright obstinate.  But the more you live life in your 'training mode' the easier it gets.  Your dog quickly realizes that this is the way it is, bottom line.

I am always very impressed by a well behaved dog; even more so than a dog that has learned a million tricks.  Any dog can learn tricks but not all are given the chance to learn how to behave in their day to day lives.  A lack of guidance is failure on an owners part of the bargain.  Dogs come into our life knowing how to be dogs; it is what we love about them.  It is our job to show them how to be dogs in a human world.  I know many people who claim that "they don't tell their dog what to do."  The dog has no guidance, no direction, no assistance on making decisions.  Heck, we tell our children what to do all the time and they have the advantage over dogs in that they are already humans, albeit in the making.  Dogs are entirely different from humans so they need our help.

When I hear people saying "bad dog," (I abhor the term personally) I think "no bad owner."  More often than not, an owner has not taught their dog not to do whatever it is that they are doing wrong in the owners eyes.  So their dog is........well............being a dog and the human thinks that is bad.  What is bad is not giving our dogs the education that they need to live happily in our world.  Give your dog some guidance, step into your training mode today and don't get out of it until your dog has a handle on life in a human world.  That does not mean that you need to be "training" per say; all day, every day.  It means that you will be guiding and leading all day every day.  Got it?

Hang with the good ones-leave the bullies to fend for themselves.

I would like to discuss people today; in regards to dog but people specifically.   First let me say that I think that the internet is a magnificent thing.  Not long ago there was no access to information of this type so the fact that we can simply type a question in and get hundreds or thousands of references is pretty fantastic.  I also love social media.  I have met so many wonderful people on FB and love how people with common interests can come together and share their passions.

As I'm sure you all know I have several FB groups which I truly enjoy.  Being a dog photographer I often share images of my own dogs.  As I tried to finish up my book 'When Luke Met Elsa," I was looking for a final image.    I was searching through baby pics of Elsa when I came across one that I thought needed sharing.  I posted it on my group and went on with my writing.  Later on I checked in on my page and discovered that someone had very loudly (in caps) stated that poodles should not have long tails. I explained that Elsa had not had her tail docked and that I was happy about it.   This person further went on a venomous rampage about how dogs "should" be, and that did not include having a non docked tail.   From the tail issue she moved to attack different colors that she thought should not be permitted which many of the other members have and love.    But she was not content to attack the dogs that these people love, she moved onto the people themselves.  She brought up all sorts of things to fuel her tirade.  

The whole incident got me to thinking, why do some people feel compelled to shove their opinion down other's throats?  It boggles the mind doesn't it?  The high and mighty attitude that some people take to try to back up their opinion as if it is factual instead of just their opinion.  These type of people get really mean and the meaner they get the less people listen.  You would think after being this way for a while that they might learn how best to approach others and share their knowledge.  Needless to say I removed this person from my group.  I have well over 5500 others who are friendly, happy and kind; why on earth would I allow someone like this to ruin things for the rest of us?

I have been involved with other groups over the years where the "mean" people were allowed to stay.  They continued their rude ways, insulting others to fuel their egos.  Some people leave the group because they do not want to not put themselves through needless drama and nonsense.  I was one of those, I left two groups because of rude, loud mouth and egotistical type people.  My opinion on people like this is to cut them off and lessen the nonsense in your life.  Life is far too short to have people like this in it.  So many people in the large dog groups are there for the love of dogs.  They enjoy learning, sharing their knowledge and hearing about other people and their love of dogs.  This is what it is all about.  I love my groups and I will not allow them to be polluted by these types.

I have over the years learned how best to share information; even when it is a very "hot topic."  I have very strong opinions; some might even go so far as to say opinionated.  ;)  But I am very clear on who's opinion it is, mine and only mine.  If I want to share it, I will gently broach the subject; depending on feedback will factor in on how long I will continue for.  "Listen and take what you want from it," I say commonly when researching and listening to other opinions.  I probably learned the most about dealing with people by dealing with dogs.  As a dog trainer you can only educate, share and offer; you cannot force a person to do anything.  Once you are out of the picture an owner will do whatever they see fit.

 Thinking about the controversy over Elsa's tail the other day has me wondering what this person really wanted.  Did she want me to put my hands in the air and state "YES WE SHOULD CUT IT OFF; I was wrong to think that she should be allowed to keep her tail."  Why do they push, they push and push until everyone hates them.  Others turn and walk away while they stand and continue their assault on deaf ears or none at all.  What drives people like this?  Attention?  I think maybe.  We certainly know that it is not out of the goodness of their heart.  There are a lot of great people out there, hang on to those and let the others hang themselves.  

When Luke Met Elsa

Well I'm pretty excited to be done another book.  For several months I have been working on a book about the relationship between Luke and Elsa.  When Luke Met Elsa was sent for a proof printing yesterday.  This book is entirely different than PBJ and me; being that it is a small children's book.  It was not emotional draining to write like PBJ and me; it was actually fun, cute and like taking a trip down memory lane.  I cannot believe how many amazing photos I have of Elsa.  I went through them all; from the day she arrived back in September of 2011 to about a month ago.  Many days while writing it I found myself awwwwwing at the computer.

When the book was just in the 'idea' stage, I really wasn't sure what the story would be.  The pictures spoke volumes on their own but there had to be words of some sort.  After many days of pondering I decided that it would be geared to not wanting a new member in the family to take the youngest's place. There are many blended families now and people being remarried and having more children.  I think that many children feel this way and I hope that sharing those feelings through the adorable faces of Luke and Elsa that it might help.

I had never thought of writing a children's book over the years until I saw Luke and Elsa come together and photographed them.  Both Luke and Elsa have very expressive faces and being able to capture their emotions has been wonderful.  When I looked back at all the shared moments between the two; you can literally see the relationship growing to where it is today.

I also hope that children will learn a little bit about dog behavior and how they are different from us.   They are incomparable to humans in how they display their emotions.  There are teeth in the book that show emotion; this is probably different from other books.  But dogs are different and that very fact is important when speaking through them.  

I will post a link to my book when it is ready to go; keep an eye on my Just dogs with Sherri FB page for news.

This is the first children's book; but there will be others..............................

Tools to make a dog's job easy.

"I'm looking for a guard dog," says the voice on one end of the phone.  "I have just what you are looking for," says the other.  All the formalities are completed, paper work fill out and the proud new parents have their "guard dog" in hand.  As the puppy grows it becomes sweeter and sweeter, barely resembling anything guarded about it.  What was bought as a guard dog type is now a giant Rottweiler lap dog; and the would be guard dog owners?  Well........they adore him.  It just so happened that he turned out to be an amazing therapy dog.  They thought that they wanted a guard dog but as it turns out it is probably a good that he was who he was for this couple.  Scary enough in his appearance they were not well equipped to be a full on guard dog.

Many people get a dog by looks; you know, the shell.  "Look how cute that puppy is," "I want the one with the black body and white tail."  So you bring home the black dog with the white tail only to find out you have a high driven, job demanding dog.  You have no idea what to do with this dog and you are going out of your mind as your dog takes on every job that he can think of.

What is a dog's job?  There are too many to describe but finding the dog for the job has much more to do about each specific dog more than a breed or "supposed" lineage.  Dogs ending up in the wrong hands is not all the doing of the would be new owners.  No, many breeders place dogs just to place them instead of finding the right place.  Many breeders also don't know about temperament testing and miss small behaviors that will grow with age.  There can be vast differences in a litter of dogs.  I do temperament testing and it always amazes me to see how different puppies can be that come out of the same litter box.

Many people and breeders included think that activity level is a main ingredient for a working dog.  But that is not the case, just because a dog is active does not mean that they can take the rigors and stress involved in being an actual working dog.  Just like being a calm puppy does not make a therapy dog.  There is much more to look at when choosing a dog for a very specific job.  Balance is what I like to see in all dogs; of course balance in body but in temperament as well.  Lots of dogs are being bred for one thing and one thing only.  I really don't like to see this specific need breeding as overflow always finds it's way into regular pet homes.  Not too many regular pet owners can handle overdrive.

Humans have a tendency to want more; what's good in a small amount is greater in large amounts.  If we see something we like we want more.  But more is not always a good thing; often it leads to very bad things.  Many dog sports involve drive; a dog needs a certain amount of it to be driven in the sport of choice.  What I am seeing in many dogs is too much drive, uncontrollable drive which in the hands of someone who is not doing a driven related sport, means trouble.  When one trait is focused on; other great traits may fall aside leaving a dog less capable in the working field.  Calm mixed with drive as well as a good level of confidence makes for an amazing dog.  Believe me, I've met lots of high drive dogs that would work themselves ragged around the clock.  I've looked into the eyes of a driven dog who's pupils were constantly dilated with desire to work.  Those who were also scared to death of anything that didn't involve very specific chasing.  There needs to be balance.

A dog's main job is to be a companion as is ours.  We are meant to be the leader with a dog at our side.  If a dog is so driven that companionship is of little concern then that is a sad thing.  A dog's first job for me is that they be happy.  They need a solid connection to a human, physical touch, an emotional connection and an education.   They also need a outlet for their drive; whatever level that may be and be allowed to be a dog.  To do their job correctly they must be equipped with all of these; it is our job to give them this.

Elsa comes from hunting lines, she most definitely has drive.  Do we hunt with her?  No, I am not a hunter but she is given many outlets for her drive which keeps her very fulfilled.  She also loves snuggling up on the couch and enjoying the good things about sharing life with humans.  She is my constant companion and we take great enjoyment in each other.  It is my job to make her happy as she makes me happy just being Elsa.   Giving her what she needs is essential to creating a happy dog.  They don't come complete, there is always work to do.

I like balance, in my life and my dog's lives.  Being that I meet so many dogs in so many aspects of life; I get to experience lots of different takes on life itself.  No one can do a job to perfection without the proper tools.  That goes for dogs, they need outlets and the opportunity to be dogs.  But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing; balance, we all need it.

Sunday morning

Just a reminder that I am no longer blogging on Sundays, have a wonderful day.

The love of dogs

We love dogs, don't we?  I surely do.  I just love them.  I often get a chuckle out of my own behavior about dogs.  I will say to my husband "look how cute he is," and then smile knowing that I have probably said that same phrase thousands of times over the years.  "He" specifically is Luke.  But I don't stop there, no I love them all and each and every one can give me cause to say something.  I find it hard not to talk about dogs and if you happen to bring up the subject with me; best to stand back and pull up a chair because it will be a while.

When I am out at events that do not involve dogs (I know, weird) I can almost always steer the conversation towards canines.  Our society is becoming more and more aware of dogs.  For a good number of dog lovers, they have gone from the dog tied outside to the dog snuggled in our bed.  The more you learn about dogs; you discover a whole other world that you never knew about.  Non dog people don't "get it."  That is until they have that one chance encounter that changes their world as well.  The moment they connect with a canine; that single monumental moment that has so much impact that there is no going back.

There are more and more rescues popping up around the world.  That is both good and bad.  Good that there are so many loving and compassionate people ready to stand up to help those canines in need.  Bad because there is a need for more and more rescues.  There are more dog products appearing on the market as well.  Of course if you have a dog you need stuff right?  Like anything, there are good and useful products and then there are those things that are made for the dog but marketed for we humans.  Many of these products are useless; but it is the obvious surge in products that makes us aware that more people are becoming dog lovers.

For me, loving one means loving them all.  I love the tiniest little munchkins all the way up to the giant guys.  A dog is a dog in my eyes.  As different as they all are within a species; they are essentially one. One amazingly similar but vastly different species known as canis lupus familiaris or the domestic dog.    Their intelligence is far beyond what most people think.  They often outsmart their owners and their owners go about their little lives never suspecting this.  Dogs have a sense of togetherness, the pack mentality.  Together is better in the eyes of a dog; which I happen to agree with.  There is nothing sadder than a dog living a life isolated from other canines or humans.

As more and more humans realize the mutually beneficial relationship of living with a canine we take on more responsibility.  It is our duty to our dogs to teach others, to protect our fellow canines from those who will do them wrong.  If each dog lover stands up to help one other, our world will be a whole lot greater.  Like anything in our world, once there is a clear demand by humans; other humans will do wrong (puppy millers).  Dog lovers need to stand together and stop the wrong doings.

As I sit in my bed listening to the birds out the window, blogging and watching a Blue Jay fall off the feeder because it is too big I am surrounded by wonderful.  My two canines Luke and Elsa have just finished a share of bacon sandwiches and are now snuggled up until I decide to get out of bed.  There really is nothing like a dog, nothing.  Other animals share our lives but nothing else can even come close to a dog.  All they want in their life is to be with us; that is made clear by the constant shadows you can have with you on your day to day.  The older I get the more in love I am with dogs.  Is there anything more perfect than a dog?

The scoop on poop

As a dog person I'm sure the subject of poop is a regular one with you and your friends. It is for me and the people I hang with. But if you are the one picking up you tend to pay more attention to the solidity of the matter. Hey; if you are trying to pick the stuff up, there is indeed good and bad texture. And we have all known a time or two when we are watching; watching very closely for a certain item that we suspect may have been consumed to make a reappearance. If you have a puppy or adolescent at the moment; that time may have come more often in these early months of your life together.

It is as the saying goes "you are what you eat" and so are our dogs. What goes in must come out so keeping a close eye on the subject at hand let's you know that things are running smoothly so to speak. And speaking of smoothly; we all deal with the pick up issue; some guardians are steadfast in their obligatory job, some avoid and some simply pick it up and can't think about it, I know a few of these. For these "can't think about it types" it's okay to pick up the substance; but they must be quick and not hesitate for a moment, thinking about what you are doing for a split second and things can go very bad, very quickly.

Consistency is a big issue; those diehard low quality kibble feeders rely on the solid dry mass. The easy pick up, no residue, no mush to try to scoop, just a dry solid mass, nice. When you feed a more real diet you get more variation and it is definitely not a solid rock hard pebble texture. There is much more work in picking up after these guys and yes there is residue. And if you have a fussy pants like my Luke; there is no telling what's going to go in day by day so you never know what's going to come out.

I have a iron stomach; nothing bothers me, I'm not a gagger so when I pick up I just do it. But when I am out on my walks I inevitably see someone who is "not a pick up" type. Nothing makes me more angry than someone attempting to not notice their dog taking a crap. As I walk through the park and see the ones that didn't get picked up; I immediately notice the age of it and if it's fresh I do the culprit scan. Oh yes; I have been known many times to ask someone who is trying not to notice there dog dumping in the park "you're going to pick that up right?" It takes only a couple of these people to ruin it for all of the other dog people who do pick up after their dog. I mean honestly; man up and get the job done, or let your dog crap at your house and leave it sitting there to fester in the sun.

Now location is a factor when picking up poop as well. Many dogs are very specific about where they go; of course there are just as many that are happy to dump right in front of you. All the boys that have passed through my life have always preferred to go on top of tiny seedling trees; small bushes or weeds, this of course makes our job of retrieving the mass a bit more adventurous. When off leash many dogs like to eliminate on the perimeter; very nice, clean but often hard to locate after the fact.

Then you have the travelers; I had one of those as well. There is no telling how far she would travel while in the process of pooping. So when you pick up you follow the trail until it looks like the trail has probably ended. Not a fan of travelers. Hunch positioning is also a factor but this pertains more on the after wiping than the picking up. Luke is probably my best huncher ever; the mere idea of the possibility of remnants remaining on him is simply mortifying so when he hunches there is all but one place for it to fall and that is down. All my guys are great hunchers and I am rarely required to do the after wipe except on the rare chocolate pudding days. And don't tell me you don't know what I mean.

Just yesterday I was running Elsa when I discovered that many people had not picked up.  It is completely disgusting not to pick up after your dog.  Sure there is always that one time when you are out of bags but other than that, PICK IT UP.  We have a local neighborhood pooper which lives across the street and a bit down from me.  The owner lets the dog out daily to poop on everyone else's yard.  Having my office at the front of my house allows me to visualize this daily as well.  Elsa lets me know when the dog is out choosing it's daily spot and most days it is on a spot between the two houses across the street.   There must be a whole lot of s*&t piled up in there by now.  It is disgusting to allow your dog to go on someone else's yard and turn a blind eye.  If they go somewhere other than your house PICK IT UP.

Having dogs is a responsibility; one of those responsibilities is to PICK UP after our dogs.  Don't want to pick up poop?  Buy a dog statue or stuffed dog to grace your home.  Honestly.

Have a great day all you dedicated dog people ;)

Dissecting a catch - love of a retriever

I love capturing action sequences.  Without stopping moments in time; our eye misses many of the intricate pieces.  

Love his shot "did you get that one Mom?"