Rude?

"If I was running with Elsa and had ear plugs in; would it be rude?"  asked my son.  I stopped to listen as he further explained his question.  "It would be like she was there with me but I wasn't with her, right?"  Smiling?  Oh yes I was smiling as we discussed his question.  "Yes, it is rude, very rude to your dog," I said.  It is also a moment that you miss when you step out of it.  I told him that I had already blogged about this very subject and that not a week ago I almost ran someone's dog over as they text on their phone instead of watching their dog.  The same boy is always walking his dog; but that is all he is doing, he is not with his dog in any way.  Sadly on this day the dog didn't have a leash on either and the dog stepped out into the road right in front of me.  I jammed on my brakes and the boy got a very serious shock.  He yelled at his dog and hopefully got a lesson.

I see people disconnected when out with their dogs all the time.  My son was just asking about listening to music; he had considered that it may be rude to be zoned out when being with Elsa.  I love music just as much as anyone but when I am out with my dogs, I am out with my dogs.  When I'm at the gym I am zoned out; this is purely intentional.  I'm at the gym to workout; I do not want to have to listen to those who are there for social hour.  Many people walk up to me and start talking; I can't hear them, just the way I like it.  But with my dogs?  No, I am there, we are there together.

Let's say you decided to go running with a friend.  Would you put your ear plugs in and tune into your favorite music as you started out on your run?  No of course not, that would be rude.  Our dogs don't talk, they don't carry on a conversation but they are there with us.   Listening to music while you walk is not a bad thing but it is a missed opportunity.  What it does is take you out of your oneness with your dog.  You cannot hear their breath; the small noises that they make or anything else around you for that matter.  Our dogs deserve more than being on the end of a leash; that leash can be a connection or simply a leash.  It is a choice that you make.

"She'd look up and I'd be..........not there," he added to his pondering.  "That's right" I told him.

Our lives are very busy with the daily hustle bustle.   The time we spend with our dogs can be hugely connecting or just something more time spent on daily tasks.  When you head out for your walk, turn your phone on silent and leave the music at home.  Connect with your dog at least this one time during your busy day.  It is amazing how this one thing can open up a whole new meaning to taking your dog for a walk.  The walk can transform from a daily task to your time off together.

The human side of frustration

How strange that I am writing about frustration when this is the SECOND blog this morning.  I finished my blog, posted a photo for it and poof, gone.  Talk about frustrating.  So here we go for a second time.

Dogs get frustrated as do we but when we get frustrated about something that our dogs are doing we need to look into the mirror for the answer.  The other day Elsa and I were out enjoying a walk.  We were working on our walk as she has hit the "ignore" button too many times lately.  She has reached that age where she is giving me the finger when I ask her to do something and I don't like it.  So we work, we implement a few more rules as well to keep her on her toes and we do not let ANYTHING slide.

As we finished up our walk and were heading to the car I spotted a dog entering the park with his owner.  The dog was very large and looked from a far to be a Neapolitan Mastiff/Labrador mix.  They seemed to be having a good time; a nice relaxed walk like Elsa and I were enjoying.  That is until we got a bit closer and the truth was revealed, frustration.  The owner had a pinch/prong collar on the dog and was yanking and yanking.  She was clearly frustrated, you could see it in her body posture.  Each time she yanked, her shoulders would drop as if in despair.

I watched them go down the path; the dog was really dragging the young woman but she kept yanking to know avail.  Finally she waved the leash around in total frustration as if to say "is this thing even doing anything?"  Her dog turned to look at her and then went back to pulling.  It is truly sad when owners just don't know.  They just don't know that there is a better way; a way to stop the behavior.

When a dog is doing something that we don't like; frustration is often our human response.  But what we should do it to look in the mirror and ask ourselves "have I done everything I could?"  Probably not.  Undoing or fixing a problem behavior takes time.  It takes think time and then once you figure it out; you need to unfold the solution in baby steps.

For the beastly pulling monster; she needs to get his attention, keep his attention and reward the baby steps.  When you reward baby steps the rest follow and the new better behavior grows and grows.  But it takes patience and it takes knowledge.  If an owner cannot figure out how to solve a problem then they need to either buy a book or call a trainer.  A trainer who will think it through and come up with a solution that does not involve alpha rolling or yanking.  The bigger the dog the more thinking that needs to be done.  There is no way you are going to win a wrestling match with a monster sized dog.  So you want a positive reinforcement trainer, a thinker.

So yes we all get frustrated but what you do with that frustration is what sets us apart from our dogs.  Now go fix it.

No blog today

Sorry everyone, no blog today.  I'm having a hard time shaking this cold.  My head is so stuffed up I can't think straight.

See ya tomorrow.

Sherri

Art

This shot makes me very happy; it may need to go on my wall.  If there are clouds out, I'm out shooting.  Taken at The Laguna Montage.

Art::  the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing or of more than ordinary significance.

I love the emotion shared between these puppies and their Mom. 

Art is a very personal thing.  What some may consider to be magnificent, others may shrug their shoulders at.  Being a photographer teaches you this right from the get go.  There are subjects or moments that I have captured that thrill me but when I show others they simply say "oh cute."  "What?"  "cute?"  You have to get use to this and learn to let it slide off of your shoulders.  What makes me happy to look at is not going to be what makes everyone happy.

This photo represents the innocent and oblivious adorableness of a puppy to me.  

Just visit an art museum to see this human response at it's finest.  Much of the work at a museum leaves me cold.  Sure I can see that sheer and unbelievable talent but that is as far as it goes.  Obviously I prefer dog photography but my preference is not that vast.  Even in dog photography there is great deal of shoulder shruggers for me. I like real life photography above all else.  I do not like portrait type photography unless it is a natural moment captured.  This is why I am often on the ground, standing on the arm of a chair or teetering on the edge of a wall.  I don't set up, I capture.  But that is just me, my personal taste.  I know lots of people who have had portrait type shots done and love them.  You know the ones where both the owner and the dog are smiling at the camera?  But they leave me very cold and offer nothing as far as emotion.  No interaction between the subjects in the image, no emotion shared.

I have over the years had to follow my heart and forget what others say as far as personal taste goes.  Sure I have learned the techniques of a good photo but I probably break the rules much more than follow them for a good shot.  A photo should move you.  It can move you in many different directions but it should do some moving.  If it doesn't move you then what is the point?

This image is from my handful of all time favorites.  I took it a very longtime ago but it remains a special capture for me. 

Over the years of doing photography I probably only have a handful of breath takers, for me personally.  Sometimes I know it immediately, often they are a wonderful surprise.  A great photo can come from a cell phone or disposable camera; you do not need to be a professional nor do you need a big fancy camera.  I am often asked what type of camera I use; but my camera in someone else's hands would yield immensely different images.

I like to capture life as it unfolds before me.  Of course I prefer if there is a dog in that life but there doesn't always have to be.  Some of my all time favorite images have just a speck of a dog that you can barely see, having working to find it.  It is the mere presence of that dog in the image that does it; not the size or what the dog is doing.

So when you pick up your camera, shoot what makes you happy.  When you buy artwork, buy what makes you happy.  You may have people looking at your photo with a blank stare but if you smile when you look at it; then it is a great image.  If it makes you happy to see it on your wall everyday; then it is a masterpiece.

This and that

I love this shot.  She was in the midst of her play when she noticed me shooting them. 

Good Monday morning.  We had our little Granddog here this weekend and boy has she grown.  Being a Bull Terrier she is growing very differently than my Standard Poodles did.  Standard Poodles grow to their full height and then beef up or fill in.  She is becoming a little tank; a small version of her future much larger self.  It had been about three weeks since she was here so I wondered if Elsa and her would just pick up where they left off or have to become reacquainted.  But as soon as they saw each other it was like she'd never left.  There was no feeling things out, they bounded around like long lost friends.  It is so cute watching dogs see their friends.

 When Penelope (Penny) comes to visit Elsa obsesses over her.  They don't have the time to lose the novelty of each other so it is very exciting and stays exciting for Elsa the whole time.  If it was up to Elsa, neither would sleep.  They would just spend the entire time that Penelope is visiting, playing.  She adores playing with her little puppy.  She is amazingly patient and has been a wonderful teacher for Penny.  She is teaching her about playing, using her mouth softly and not losing patience.  These are all essential tools in being a dog.

Elsa has an extremely soft mouth when playing with Penelope.

Luke does not like Penny; not that he hates her, he just wants nothing to do with her.  At 12.5 he has no desire to interact with the newcomer and her advances have received some very gruff feedback.  She of course is completely drawn to him.  After all he is a big scary male who is clearly the boss of the canine pack so she wants to get in with the guy at the top.  She has been a bit relentless in her attempts to become Luke's friend but we have done our best to distract her and keep her away from him.  It is very important that he understand that we will do this for him.  Although they must have some interactions so that he can also let her know how he feels.  But she is a determined little thing; very hard headed, literally and figuratively so there is much human intervention.

I love this shot too.  My daughter trying to get Penny's jacket on to show it to me and Penny trying to bite Elsa while Luke watches the whole thing.  She is a very chilly little thing and cries if she doesn't have her jacket on; when she's not playing that is. 

Elsa's never ending attempt to play.

Elsa enjoys chewing on Penelope's arm while Penelope chews on Elsa's toe.

Much of the tug time Penny just drops to the ground as Elsa drags her dead weight around.  A very typical terrier behavior.

The teasing worked, Penny is after the toy.

She's a cutie, with so much to learn.

Elsa and Penny spent most of Saturday just wrestling.  So Sunday we had some socializing to do.  First they went to a field to run around for some fun while Luke stayed home with Mom.  Then we visited the beach where there were lots of people and other dogs for Penny to meet.  She did great, she adores people and other dogs.  I cannot stress how important socializing is when a dog is very young.  The prime socializing period is before the age of 16 weeks.  Once that passes, you can do more most definitely but the socializing done before that period has much more effect on the dog.  Socializing is everything from meeting new people, dogs, places, different environments etc. etc.   Even walking on the sand or rocks is new to a puppy that has never seen them before.

Penelope learned how much fun sand can be yesterday.  She watched Elsa dig like a fool and did a bit herself.  She watched Elsa some more then joined Brad in a little dig session of her own.  Beaches are much more than just a great place to walk.  If you missed out on the peak socializing time you can always get more in.  I am still socializing Elsa at 1 1/2 years old.  There are things out there that she has yet to see and situations that we have not come across.  Out, out, out...........get out and let your dog experience life.  It will make them a much happier dog and well adjusted dog.



 

A difference of opinion

Dog lovers congregating on the beach in Connecticut. 

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

The world of dogs is a controversial subject.  Depending on what is being talked about things can get pretty heated.  Bring up nutrition, vaccinations, rescue vs. breeder or many other things and people can go from very friendly to angry in a matter of moments.   We love our dogs don't we?   I love a good canine conversation.  I like to keep an open mind and take in what others have to say.  That is unless what they are spouting is utter nonsense; but even then I try to exit the discussion politely.  It is wonderful to see passion for dogs but if you really want to share you must learn how to deliver a message so that people want to listen.

I have been a dog trainer for a very long time.  Being a positive trainer is often questioned.  I remember one woman in a group class years and years ago asking "can't I just hit her?"  This was about her dog jumping and she had decided that hitting and kicking was the way to go.  She was an angry woman and sent me a red email (she had made the background red) letting me know that she was not returning to the class and wanted her money back.  The red email pretty much summed up the woman in general.  She was angry, thought she had the only opinion worth listening to and everyone else was pretty much a fool.  There is no conversing with people like this, so try to just walk away in this sort of situation.

Over the years I have learned how I best deliver a message so that an owner will understand and not become angry.  If I tell someone that they are an idiot and doing everything wrong they are just going to shut me out right?  You must use, kindness, tact and have a sharing of knowledge attitude.  Not I'm right and you are wrong.   Of course I can always learn more improved and better ways; you never stop learning.  Dog behavior is not a science; each one is different and each guardian is different.  So the approach is different for every one.

I have often been asked to teach children that they are going to be bitten.  When I arrive the Mother is telling the child that if they continue doing what they are doing that the dog will bite them.  This is probably true so I set to explain to the child and the mother what needs to be done.  I have sat at a kitchen table with a crying Mother more than once as the lack of supervision sinks in.  I make it very easy to ask questions and have an open discussion.  If they have a difference of opinion we discuss it.  There are times when I give way to the owners opinion and we work around that.  After all it is their dog, their house and their child.

This blog is my opinion; feel free to give me yours, but do not tell me that I am wrong or stupid.  I love nothing more than learning new things but when someone attacks an opinion in an angry manner; all learning ceases.  I share what I want and what I feel is important for others to know in the world of dogs.  Having just been through the puppy stage gave me a great wealth of "what I was going through" to share with you all.  Even if it was something very little (because Elsa is perfect) I shared.  Wink, wink.

Sharing knowledge is never a waste of time.  Perhaps the knowledge may fall upon deaf ears; but just maybe some of it will sink in.  My biggest goal is to get people thinking.  Don't just do because it has been done the same way for years.  Think, ask questions and research.  There are two types of people; thinkers and non thinkers.  Question everything, ask and listen.  But in the end it is your dog and you will do what you feel right for you and your dog; but don't just do, think.

Okay

Yesterday my neighbor came to my door.  Elsa ran ahead of me barking at her arrival.  I answered the door and remembered that I still had a treat stuck in my top which I was very happy about.  This is the type of moment that all the boundary training practice is for.  I didn't ask her in because I'm sick as is my son who gave this to me.  So she stood just outside of my door while we chatted.  Having a treat in hand I rewarded Miss Elsa for not going out the open door.  It is tough for her, she loves people but because of all of our work she sat and seemed quite happy to just listen.

Only two times during our conversation did she flinch.  All that was required to remind her was a calm Ahh from me.  That is until my neighbor said "okay, I'm going to go."  "Okay" is Elsa's release word and when she heard it she got up but I quickly responded and she learned that it is only Mom's okay that releases.  I was very proud of her; she did amazing, not going out the door and sitting quietly while we talked.  The outcome would not have been as good if I had not had treats on me.  One treat was all it took to convince her that doing what she had learned previously was the best choice.

I did not ask her to sit; she chose to do that on her own.  But it made watching her movements easier.  With a little error marker of "ah" as she moved closer to the door was all that was needed and she sat her butt down again.  Elsa is extremely intelligent with a high level of comprehension of both body language and vocal sounds.  Typically I just utter a deep mmm without even opening my mouth when I need to give her an error marker.

Once I closed the door I gave her the "okay," and she hopped around happily.  We had a giant group snuggle and went on with our day.  The word has great power.  I had considered changing it for our newest puppy (Elsa) but it just came out naturally as we started on our relationship.  I've been using okay for over 37 years; hard to change now.  "Okay," is my release word and it is this word and only this word that gets her out of the car, free to eat her food that is placed on the floor and many, many other things.

I proof my release word often.

Proof:  the act of testing or making trial of anything,; test; trial.

Proofing creates a more solid understanding of the word "okay."  When we arrive at the park Elsa is required to sit in the back of my Xterra until given the word.  She is chomping at the bit causing her to anticipate often.  So with several different words said in the same tone as her release; as well as arm gestures that might be mistaken for releases she is learning that it is only one word that is the key to enjoyment.  If she should make a mistake then we start over.  It is very important to stop and start over if a mistake is made with a release word.

Very early this morning at about 4:30 am I could hear my son up and getting ready for work.  Elsa heard him too and with that she wanted up to sleep with Mom.  With my throat feeling like I had a handful of razor blades down it I whispered "okay."  That is all it took and she was up and snuggled in within a fraction of a second.  I smiled thinking what power the word has as I drifted back asleep under the weight of my live comforter.  :)

Mani/Pedi

I am not one to paint my dogs nails; this photo was done as a special assignment for a magazine request.  It is my little Jessie girl who was beyond patient for this shot.  

Rain again this morning, we are going to have a very green spring here in Southern California.  We are in for some cold rainy weather in the next few days so you know what that means?  I'll be out in it with Luke and Elsa.  Seeing that we were to have more rain I focused on feet a couple of days ago.  Many dog owners never have to think about shaving feet; if you have a smooth coated dog they don't normally need trimming.  But even our little Jessie needed a trimming between the bottom of her pads once in a while.  Not often but if it were going to be especially wet I'd trim them to help them dry faster.

I shave my guys feet regularly.  It is purely for cleanliness and care.  They easily pick up stickers when their feet are very furry which can be very painful.  Feet are much easier to keep clean and dry when they are shaved nice and short.  With my breed I have to shave between the toes on the bottom of their feet as well as the top.  All dogs are different so some have huge furry slippers under there and some don't get much growth at the bottom.  Having done it for years and years now it takes me just a few minutes to shave their feet.

This also gives me a good chance to check on the health of their feet.  Yes, you should be looking between toes; above and below the pads.  How do the nail beds look?  While you are down there looking around, check out their dew claw if they have one.  Both of my terriers had a remnant piece left from having their dew claw removed improperly.  I had to take great care that these little straggler pieces were kept short as they tended to grow at odd angles.  Jessie's was a very tiny piece that grew straight out towards her other leg.  Mandy's grew up and around like a curly sheep horn.  Check on their nail condition and length as well.

Our dogs feet are put through a lot.  We subject them to all sorts of surfaces and rarely think about them until there is a clear an obvious problem, limping.  Feet need care like anything else and they should be checked on weekly.  Dog nails need to be trimmed or ground down to keep them at a nice length if a dog is not wearing them down on their own.  Elsa rarely needs her rear nails done as she has such force behind her running with that rear of hers.  She wears them down quite nicely with all of her power take offs.  But she does need her front feet done weekly.  I use to only use clippers but now I prefer my dremel tool for the job.

Strictly leaving feet up to the groomer is never a good idea.  Sure they can touch them up but they typically need more attention than every 5-6 weeks.  The longer you leave trimming the more that needs doing.  If you let them get too long it can take quite some time to get them to a good length again.  Leaving nails to get over grown can cause a great deal of discomfort for your dog.  It gets hard to walk when their nails are too long causing each step to be painful.  Have a look at your dog's nails; they should not touch the ground when they are standing still.  If they are then you need to take a bit off so that your dog can walk in comfort.

Many dogs do not get out for daily walks.  Some never walk on pavement and only get grass walks so that their nails never have a chance to wear down.  So we need to attend to them.  As dogs age their nails typically become harder making it a longer process if you are using a dremel.  If you are using clippers, make sure that they are sharp or they can damage the nail.  Dull trimmers can also cause pain by creating a crushing sensation instead of just quickly trimming off the nail.  Luke has extremely hard nails so a bit off every couple of days works great for him.  But Elsa's nails are still soft and done in a flash.

Today might just be a good mani/pedi day right?

Are they happy?

This is one of my all time favorite photos.  I took it while I was in Connecticut last year.  At first glance it may seem like a vacant photo, void of much information.  But for me it holds a great deal of emotion and each time I look at it I love it more.   I remember the day like it was yesterday.  There were very few people on the beach that day; it was quiet and still.  We were all there for one thing, to enjoy our dogs.  

Nothing makes me happier than an off leash walk with my dogs.  It has always been one of my absolute favorite things to do.  When I had my very first dog Mandy, an Airedale; we use to walk for miles and miles without ever seeing anyone else.  We would often stop at the edge of a huge canyon and just sit, enjoying each other's company.  Enjoying dogs enjoying their life is pretty amazing and just like us different things make different dogs happy.  So what makes your dog happy?

One of Luke's favorite things in the world is watching television in the evening.  It's not the T.V. part that he cares about; but the fact that we sit in one place with him.  He has his spot on the couch, the spot that is known by everyone as his and I sit beside him 95% of the time.  He loves it so much that after dinner he stands waiting in the kitchen door way for a sign.  A sign that I am heading down to the family room and once I take that first step he charges to the top of the stairs.  He circles several times with excitement and then races down to his spot.  I get his spot ready with his special pillow and then we sit and chill.  It is just as enjoyable for me as I watch him huff happily with his open mouth; a true sign of happiness for Luke.

Dogs love to be with us and it can be mutually beneficial; that is if you take the time to enjoy just being with your dog.  Far too often I see people walking down the street or park with their dog while they chat or text on their phone.   Being on the end of the leash is far different than being with your dog.  If you don't participate in the walk then you are missing so, so much.  Watching that wonderful dog on the end of the leash can brighten your day if you allow it to.

All of my dogs have loved different activities but they each and everyone of them have loved going for a walk.  Off leash they walk by your side; enjoying the simple act of being with you.  It doesn't take much to have fun with a dog, just time.  Finding out what your dog loves to do and doing it with them; sharing their love is joy itself.  Tilley loved nothing more than catching, it was without a doubt her favorite activity.  Throwing for her and watching her soar made me just as happy as she was doing the catching.

There are so many ways to make a happy dog.  Sometimes it is just sitting beside them and sharing a moment.  Yesterday I was enjoying the warm sun on a cool morning out in the yard.  Both Luke and Elsa were outside with me and watching to see what I was going to do.  When I sat on the double lounge they both came wagging over and hopped up.  We sat enjoying the sun for about 20 minutes and then moved onto something else.

Nothing is a more precious to give than your time.  When you give your time you receive so much more in return.  When you are with your dog, be with your dog.  Put the phone away and think "dog."  Take those few moments to share your dog's life; it can only improve yours.

Vaccines

Time for change.

Last night my son and I sat discussing the human flu shot over dinner.  I am not a fan of the flu shot and think that they actually do more harm than good as does my son.  The discussion went to dogs and back to humans several times as we talked about the similarities with vaccines, over vaccinating and the role that the big pharmaceutical companies play in it all.  We talked about how many dog owners are so brain washed that when the day roles around each year for their annual vaccinations that they quickly rush to the Veterinarians for that shot so that their dog doesn't get sick.  Yes, another blog on vaccines and what you should know about them.

This is a controversial subject, I know that.  But if no one ever talks about it publicly so many dogs may needlessly become ill and/or die.  There are several ideas of how much our dogs should receive.  The conventional thought is lots when they are puppies and then a yearly booster.  There are the minimalists and then there are the folks who think that no vaccines are required.  So I research and I research, you can never research enough.  New information and studies are coming out daily so staying on top of it all can be daunting.

What I am doing is following Dr. Jean Dodds vaccine protocol and then running titers.  

I know that many of you who are reading this are thinking that you feel vulnerable not giving your dogs their annual shots.  I am just recommending reading and researching.  I am in no way telling you not to, just giving you some information on the dangers of over vaccinating.  For far too long we have been told that our dogs needed shots yearly, while we ourselves have shots when we are children and then never again.  I've had titers run on myself and was actually amazed that the health facility offered it for me.

Funny how we do things without thinking.  When things have been done for so many years it just becomes something that we do.  Humans or dog owners need to be thinkers.  Even in our own lives, there are many things that we do just because it's what has been done for so long.  But we are now into 2013; time to start considering each and every step we take in this world.  Whether it has to do with us, our environment, our health, our dog's health and doing the best we can for the canine species as a whole.  Just because we've been doing something for years and years, in no way makes it the right thing to do.  Far from it, so many things we've been doing are very, very wrong; but it takes some thinking opening our mind to other ways to change.  Change can be scary but it can also be something that is long overdue.

Back at it and soft toys

Here Luke shows Elsa how to open a present.  Also note Elsa's very appropriate eye squint as she moves into to give it a try.  This is a submissive behavior.  

Okay, this week we are back at it.  With all the short weeks, Christmas, New Years and festivities life gets pretty crazy at the end of the year, doesn't it?  But now we are back to a full week and life back to the same ole.  We will be heading out for our walk a little later this morning but first I'm off to the gym. This Christmas marked the re-entry of soft toys into our home.  Over a year ago we had baskets full to the brim with soft toys but with the addition of Elsa I had to clean out.  First I cleaned out anything that wasn't in peak condition.

We went from a huge basket full of toys to a half basket and then with further culling we were down to only chew toys.  With a strict eye for supervision it was obvious that Elsa as a six month old was going to rip, tear and eat the stuffing and pieces that came off.  Not every piece but by the looks of her poop she had consumed quite a bit.  So that meant no more soft toys, sad but true.  I headed out to the store regularly to buy new chew, bouncy, rolly/polly type toys.  The two toy baskets that I had looked sad; they now held only a portion of the joy producing toys of the old days.   But like anything else this soon passed.

Elsa doing her best tempting to chase.  

For the last couple of weeks Elsa has been very joyfully been destroying toys.  She takes great pleasure at dropping the toys onto Luke's head so that he will chase her.  Their game is a predictable one but absolutely adorable.  She tempts, he takes the bait then gives her back the toy to tempt him again.  They are very cute together.  So we now have two baskets overflowing with soft toys.  I will be keeping a very close eye on the "stuff" consumption and if Elsa decides to start eating the results of her ripping and tearing then we will be back to only chew toys.  But so far so good.

I've spent quite a bit of time over the last weeks picking up fluff and pieces of toy.  But ripping and tearing is a very natural dog behavior, it is good for them.  So with a bit more cleaning to do and more supervision once again we will all reap the benefits of a soft toy once again; and before long there will only be carcasses left.  Carcasses do not require as much supervision although they are still wonderful for putting onto Luke's head.  :)

As a side note:  if you have a dog that consumes toys; please take extra precautions.  Tiny bits and pieces are one thing, they typically end up in the yard.  But whole toys swallowed down can be life threatening.  Make sure that you teach your dog they are for playing with and not consuming.

Failure leads to frustration.

Did you ever notice the red quotes down the right side of my blog?  These are my quotes that I often use when discussing dog behavior or life with dogs in general.  "Failure leads to frustration."  Not always but often, and it can also lead to a complete shutdown.  All dogs are different, they all respond differently to things.  So what you get as far as a responsive behavior from failure will range vastly.  Some dogs will simply walk away, others will get naughty.  I've dealt with many different aspects of failure from dogs.  Watching an owner work with a dog who is growing is frustrating for me as well.

Some failure is okay but too much and you start to get frustration.  We cannot explain to our dogs that if you just keep trying that they'll get it.  We have to work through their frustration.  Working with new dogs is very educational, they can offer responses that I have never seen before.   I love this because then I have to sit back and figure out what is going on.  Frustration is pretty easy to see and pick out; that is if you know what you are looking for.

Frustration can show itself when you are trying to teach your dog a new behavior or when they are trying to figure something out on their own.  It typically comes fairly fast with dogs.  Most dogs don't have a huge level of patience for it.  Luke use to get very mouthy when he couldn't figure out a new behavior.  Elsa gets mad, probably because she is so smart that she "gets" stuff so easily that when she can't figure it out it just makes her mad.  My daughter's new puppy leaves, she shuts down; if she doesn't get it in a few tries then she's done.

So how do you get around frustration?  You use your human brain.  You have to break behaviors down into baby steps so that your dog can achieve success.  Some dogs learn quickly, others do not.  This does not mean that one is smarter than the other.  It just means that they learn differently and at different rates.  All dogs are smart, never met one yet I couldn't teach.  Oh, except one that had questionable brain damage after dying on the operating table and being brought back.  When I was asked by the owner if I thought that he had brain damage I had to say "most definitely."  Sad.

But a typical dog is anything but typical.  This is one reason out of a whole boat load why you should not use conventional choke collar type training.  What works for one may not work for the next.  You must be ready to adapt and help your dog to learn how they can best understand.  A few training clients left me pondering but there is nothing more satisfying than figuring out how to do it differently to help a different learner.

Breaking down a behavior is by far the most helpful tool when you are dealing with failure frustration.  They all get it but not all humans get the need to do it differently.  Stop the failure and you stop the frustration.  Now go train your dog.

So what exactly do you do with dogs?

Out exploring with Luke and Elsa. 

"So what exactly do you do with dogs?" the woman helping with my poster mount asked.  I had given her my email address (which is sherri@justdogswithsherri.com) so she wanted to know.  It is difficult to explain what I do in a sentence but my typical response is; "train, photograph and write about."  Most people pick up on the photography aspect and ask about that; or they have a training question for me.  It's a funny thing my job; it has most definitely been an evolution.  Even funnier being that I did not come from a dog background or family.  But my love of dogs was in attendance and showed itself at a very early age.  I can't remember ever not loving dogs.  Each Sunday as a small child, I would hope that a dog movie was going to be on and if it was I would sit and watch the Disney dog movie as if in a trance.  I recall saying "I'm going to have lots of dogs when I grow up" and my father would always reply "you can have as many as you want in own your house."

I started handling dogs in the conformation ring at the age of 13 and the rest is pretty much history.  That fateful day that I was handed a leash with an amazing Doberman named Jake on the other end was the day it all started.  I handled for many years with many different dogs and breeds.  I was trained by one of the most renowned handlers ever; Martha Covington Thorne. She was a big pro handler in Canada, way back when I was just starting off.  So here I am 37 years later.  I do not show anymore, haven't for years.  I train, photograph and write.  I started training with conventional methods and moved to positive as soon as I discovered it.  When I transitioned to positive training, things really took off for me.  I trained for years; both group classes and private and then switched to only private as it was far more effective.

I'm a behavior nut; I could watch dogs interact all day long.  Doesn't matter if they are interacting with other dogs or humans; I love to watch them.  Photography came very naturally for me; with my desire to watch canine behavior, capturing it was even better.  There is so much that can be captured in a photo that you would never see if you didn't stop the moment in time.  I love it and I could shoot dogs all day. I have on occasion considered other types of photography; even dabbled in a few but I always come back to dogs, it's what I do.  Being able to capture the very essence of a dog for an owner is very rewarding for me.

I have photographed for all the big dog magazines for many years but now I strictly do private shoots and book work.  When I do a shoot with a new canine I like to sit and talk to the owner first.  Interacting with the dog and the owner and watching.  This helps me to get to know the dog and the relationship which gives me some insight as to where I'm going for the best shots.  Each dog is so individual that their photos will all be different, they have to be.  I'm not a poser type photographer; in fact I hate posed shots.  Sometimes I have to sit a dog for a shot or I'll never get the shot but I always wait for them to be themselves.  Rescue work is often like this as I'm there to get a cute "adopt me" shot.  But if I can also capture their personality in the shot, even better.

I try to get out and offer my services for non profits as well.  I work with a local rescue group to shoot their dogs looking for homes.  So many wonderful dogs; so many wonderful people helping dogs.  I also shoot for Hemopet; which is a wonderful facility, blood bank and diagnostic laboratory.  Getting to meet so many wonderful people and all the amazing Greyhounds there makes me feel very fortunate to be involved.   

So from photography to writing.  Let's just say that I have a lot to say.  Having talked to so many people over the years; both my clients and people I just meet that say "I never knew," made me start this blog.  Sure I was helping people and giving them the information as my training clients but I wanted to let so many other people know important things about living with dogs, so my blog was born.  My very first blog was way back on June 04, 2007; that's a lot of writing.  I am coming up on 2000 blogs which is pretty monumental.

Writing has taken many different forms for me; the blog, published magazine articles and now books.  I love to write about dogs and along with my books already published I have several in the works.  The only thing I find difficult about writing is the sitting still for long periods of time.  I find that I have to break my day up if I'm writing for a book or long article.  That is the great thing about working from home; I typically grab the dogs and we leave for a bit.  It's a win/win for us all.

I share my home now with Luke and Elsa, both Standard Poodles.  Just a year ago we lost our matriarch of the dogs, our little Jack Russell Jessie who was almost 16 years of age.  Three weeks later we lost Tilley who was an amazingly beautiful gray Standard Poodle who was only weeks from turning 15.  There have been many before as well, all taking a spot in my heart with their wonderful memories left with me to look back on.  But it is not just my dogs that I love; it is dogs in general.  I love my client dogs, dogs we meet on walks, friend dogs and your dogs.   What an amazingly, extraordinary species.

Dogs are my life; I can never know or learn enough about canines and am constantly doing research on behavior, nutrition and every other aspect of the canine species.  I try to pass on as much information that I can to you all.  Dogs are truly the most wonderful of animals; often much better than we humans.  So yes, my life does revolve around dogs and that is just the way that I like it.  When I wake up in the morning there are two on my bed that make me smile every day.  Just dogs with Sherri, yep.

Visit my website at www.JustdogswithSherri.com if you'd like to know more.

Different dog, different game.

Do I have another frisbee dog?  Yes and no.  Yes, because Elsa obviously loves the frisbee.  No because I don't want to focus on frisbee as an activity with her.  I don't mind if we do a bit of frisbee now and then but frisbee was Tilley's thing and it will remain Tilley's thing.  Different dog, different game.  I am all about finding what makes each individual dog happy; what sort of activity is their cup of tea.

For Tilley, flying seemed a natural activity; the height that she was able to obtain was pretty spectacular.  She was easily capable of leaping 6 feet or more into the air.  Yes, she got air alright but with air comes the landing.  Landing is a tough one, not all dogs can achieve it successfully without damaging their body.  Tilley was amazing at her landing skills as well; she very quickly taught herself how to perform a smooth landing after a death defying leap into the sky to retrieve the frisbee.  She also learned to do a back flip, something that most disc dogs Tilley's size cannot do.  Most flipping frisbee dogs are smaller.  So yes, she was amazing.

As far as Elsa is concerned; I was not anxious to start the frisbee thing with her.  Yes she is amazingly athletic but she is taller, longer and not as compact asTilley was.  Although she does fly much of her time she does not get a great deal of air which is more than okay with me.  Luke was also an amazing frisbee dog but could never land properly so the frisbee's were always kept very low for him.  I had pretty much hung up my frisbee after retiring Tilley and hadn't thought about it again until yesterday  morning.

We were headed out to the park; Luke, Elsa and I.  As I got the dogs into the Xterra I realized that my husband had taken the chuck it with him the day before and I could not locate it.  I thought to myself "Elsa is not going to like this."  So off to my treasure chest of toss type toys I went and got out a very, very old soft disc. I thought about Tilley while staring at it; was I ready to toss another frisbee?  I decided to give it a try, why not?  Elsa had only known thrown toys, none that floated in the air.  So off we went.

We have a strict routine before getting off leash.  Luke is released and takes off; then Elsa must sit, get unhooked and wait until I say "okay," before she charges off.  Once released she heads towards Luke and then immediately back to me and circles until I toss.  So with her in a very excited mode I threw the disc.  It didn't go too far but she did chase it.  Once she got there she just looked at it, looked at me like "what the heck is this thing?" and came back empty mouthed.  I try to coax her back to get it but she wasn't interested in picking up this thing.

So off across the field I went to retrieve the disc; all the while Elsa was circling me.  I threw it again and she again charged off after it but that was it.  The next toss she followed the disc to the ground and half picked it up.  I cheered like crazy and she looked at me like a light bulb went off.  YES, YES, YES I shouted to her and I went and got it again.  The fourth toss sealed the deal; she tracked it, and caught the frisbee before it landed.  Then returned to me with it in her mouth; did her customary two circles and dropped it at my feet.  YES, she got it.

As with Tilley there wasn't much of a learning process.  Just throw and within a few tosses they are frisbee dogs.  All three, Tilley, Luke and now Elsa have enjoyed the frisbee.  We have drawn audiences many times as Luke and Tilley would take turns playing frisbee; but it was Tilley who drew the largest crowds and gasps from the people watching her fly.  Both Tilley and Luke were also trained to down beside me while the other dog had a turn; that in itself was impressive with such high drive dogs.

I use to also throw random things for Tilley so that she learned to retrieve whatever I asked her to retrieve.  I threw some weird things for her, boots, books, ropes etc.  It's all about learning to retrieve something different.  So Elsa understood that this was also a game very quickly; it was not her chuck it but this too was fun and something that she could get into and retrieve.  That was it, she was hooked and I tossed that thing for the whole time we were at the park.  She caught a few but mostly picked them up because of the warp on the disc causing it to take a dive everywhere.  But she very quickly knew what we were doing.  I will not be doing frisbee as a main sport with her but will every now and again.   She is an amazing athlete but the air is not her thing.

If you have a dog that you would like to teach to frisbee there are a few things to help things move along.  First start with a soft frisbee.  Once a dog gets hit in the face with a hard frisbee it is hard to teach them to reach out and grab it; they tend to duck.  Start by making it very exciting and just throw it like a ball on the ground and cheer like crazy if they show interest.  You can throw it straight up and see if they go for it.  When you want to start tossing it, go out on a windy day and do a short toss against the wind so that it floats.  This gives your dog time to try to catch it.  If they know what "catch" means then use it was you throw it to them.

Once they start catching it then throw it further and further.  Most frisbee dogs are taught to go around the thrower, which Elsa learned months ago.  This lets you get the frisbee out ahead of them making it easier for them to catch.  I  taught Elsa the go around simply by luring her around behind me with a ball.  Using my right hand I would lure her around behind and she would come up on my left.  Then I quickly tossed the ball out in front so she learned to run out once she got around.    I use it all the time and it was great today that she already knew it.

Depending on your dogs physical structure and size should factor in if you do frisbee or not.  It also depends on how your dog decides to catch.  Like I said Tilley was airborne, she always went very high to grab the disc.  This was spectacular to watch but possibly very dangerous.  Luckily she figured out how to almost float in midair before coming down for a soft landing.  She was beyond amazing but there is a great deal of impact on joints anytime a dog leaves the ground.  As most of you know Elsa has been off the ground since the day we got her but she's never really high off the ground like Tilley was.

I truly believe that Elsa will do and excel at anything but seeing her structure and knowing what I do about the different sports I think running is her thing.  She most definitely shone today; I was once again impressed by her.  She amazes me almost daily with her athletic ability and drive.  But I think we'll leave the focus on the sport of frisbee with Tilley and the memories; they are most definitely amazing ones.

Elsa will have her own sport; she's a crossfit kind of gal and still has lots of time.   She is after all only a year and a half.

Q&A session starts here.  If you have a disc question ask away.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope that you all had a wonderful Holiday Season and brought in the New Year with a bang.  Another year begins and the resolutions can be heard everywhere.  I have a few resolutions of my own but I'm not typically a resolution type person.  I think that if you want to change something about your life; don't wait till the New Year to do it.  I do know that when I hit the gym this morning that there will be a lot of new faces; there always is at the start of the New Year.

It was dark and early this morning; too early to get up as far as I'm concerned.  But as we lay in bed trying to wake up my hubby talked about what Luke and Elsa's resolutions would be.  Luke's would be to put on a bit of weight; the complete opposite of everyone else.  Spend more time on his favorite couch and with Elsa.  Elsa's would be to further perfect her catching skills, do more snuggling and maybe listen to Dad a bit more.  Ahhhhhhh...................now that would not be Elsa's resolution, that would be her Dad's resolution.  So it should be Dad does more training with Elsa resolution.  

Not listening to Dad is a common complaint that I regularly hear from owners.  Of course my dogs are going to listen to me more than they do their Dad.  I did all the training, I am home during the day with them and they are out with me every day.  But they should also listen to their Dad.  BUT, this is not something that just happens; many times the Dad in the home is simply the play guy.  They do not do any training, guiding, educating or behavior modification so of course the dog does not listen to them when they occasionally have a behavior request.  It takes time to instill this and it is time well spent.

The other day as we were preparing to take the dogs for a walk my husband headed out before me opening the garage door.  I had a hold of Elsa and told Luke to wait.  My husband was getting his car ready first and I didn't want Luke running around the road.  When it was time to get into the car my husband called to Luke.  Luke didn't move and turned around to check with me; it made me smile.  Even though Dad had said he could now go, Mom has the final word.  I had told him to 'wait' so wait he was doing until told otherwise.  I gave him the "okay" and off he trotted to Dad.

Dogs should listen to all the members of their household; but it does not just happen, everyone must work on it.  A little bit of training goes a long way.  It is amazing how a relationship can be changed very quickly with just a little effort.  Dogs adjust easily, humans not so much.  So maybe there are lot's of people out there that need to add a little training work to their New Years Resolution?

Before heading to work this morning my husband said "imagine if everyone had an attitude like Elsa?  It would be amazing."  Imagine...............just imagine if all the grumpy, angry folks just decided to be happy?  Elsa is pretty much happy every moment of the day and night.  She is up for anything or nothing; she happily goes back to bed or for a 5 mile jog, either is good for her.   Happy is a good way to be for anyone and I don't think you can ever be too happy.  So if I had a wish for everyone it would be to be like Elsa, happy.

Happy New Year, I look forward to another great canine year with you all.  :)

Another year

Just dogs with Sherri

It is almost unbelievable to me that another year has come and gone, almost.  We had a pretty crazy year and I am looking forward to the next.  Our year started out a sad one; we lost our old girl Tilley on January 8^th, she was almost 15 years old.  This came only three weeks after losing our even older girl Jessie at almost 16 years of age.  Both were sudden and tragic in our family as we felt an immense loss.  It was a tough time but we got through it with the help of our amazing boy Luke and wonderfully charming Elsa.  Elsa has been a ray of sunshine that has put a spring in Luke’s step and kept him young at heart.

The start of the year saw us in a new State; with a move from West to East.  January was the worst month with a face full of poison ivy that I had to deal with along with a move, a loss and everything else.  As my face slowly cleared by the end of January I was out enjoying the best of the area while trying not to scare anyone with what poison ivy was left on my face.  Luke, Elsa and I hit the local beach nearly every day and enjoyed the North East weather.  We explored the area, found some great parks and walked down town Greenwich many days.

They discovered what squirrels were; having not seen tree squirrels here in SoCal.  They were taunted regularly by the huge community of squirrels that lived on the property.  Elsa learned about deer, something she probably won’t see too much of here.  Both her and Luke saw and heard turkeys on a regular basis and also dealt with the very negative part of Connecticut, ticks.   Luckily the one tick that did find it’s way into Luke was not carrying the horrible Lyme disease. 

As March rolled around my face was clear and it was very clear that we were headed back West.  Another road trip across the country was made; but with only two dogs this time.  It was a much more upbeat trip and quite enjoyable; even though I’d just made the reverse trip only months before.  No more road trips for a while for me; I’m tripped out.

 

We were home again and it wasn’t long until my daughter who had moved to CO the previous year as well also moved back to SoCal.  Things were falling into place.  It was nice to be together again.  The only one missing was my son Brad who had driven with me on the first road trip.  He stayed behind to enjoy NYC for a while.   But in May everyone was home for a big “we are so happy to be home” party.  Our good friends joined us to celebrate just being home.

 

I got to writing big time; completing and publishing PBJ and me.  PBJ and me is the story which details my son Brad and my trip across the country with our four dogs.   There are some very sad parts of the book but it is a pretty good read and a true and crazy story.  I am working on book two which is titled And Back Again; it is the continuation of the story from living in the East and returning home to the West and yes the second road trip.  It will be out in several months.

Next came When Luke Met Elsa; a children’s book.  I had never considered writing a children’s but after watching and photographing Luke and Elsa’s relationship grow and flourish it became apparent that there was a story there, a very cute one.  So I wrote and published When Luke Met Elsa next.  There will be many more children books to come about Luke and Elsa as a team and on their own.   They will be written as their life unfolds before me. 

The final book to be published in 2012 for me was most definitely a labor of love.  A compilation of beautiful Standard Poodle photos taken over 3.5 years, finally put together and published.  I am very happy and proud with the final result and believe that it is a definite must have for anyone who lives with or loves The Standard Poodle. 

The summer and fall were filled with photographing, writing and training.  Elsa had a big transition to work through having moved back and we were out and about socializing most of the time.  Lots of training was done and I am so proud of the young lady she has become.  The relationship between Luke and Elsa has only gotten stronger and seeing them together makes me smile most days.    Along with Elsa blossoming into an amazing girl; Luke has put another year on.  He is slowing down and the aging process is creeping up on him.  Having never had a great deal of muscle he is definitely suffering from muscle loss as he ages.  He is now nearing 12.5 and sleeping a great deal more.  But he looks great for a guy his age although finds it tougher to get up in the morning.  As they say, “that’s life”.  We’re all going the same way right?

August 14th Elsa was spayed, two days before Luke's 12th birthday.  It was a big decision as far as when to get it done, not if.  As much as I think that Elsa is one of the best dogs in the world; I do not want to breed dogs.  I would have a very hard time handing puppies over to anyone so I leave the job to the people who do such a great job of it like Elsa's breeder.  Elsa was very sore for the first couple of days but before we knew it she was back to her old self and I am very happy that it is done with.  We let her have one heat before spaying her which is best for a female.  

Just days before Halloween, Brad came home.  He enjoyed NYC immensely and has nothing but great memories.  A complete circled closed and I was happy to see the completion.  My husband had left for the East a year earlier and now we were all back in CA again, together.  So with all the craziness behind us it was time to forge ahead.   We all got settled in and back to life as normal and it was time to prepare for Christmas, our families favorite time of the year. 

As I sit writing this last blog of 2012, there is much to be happy about.   I stop for a moment to look around the room.  Elsa and Luke are snuggled up on the couch with my Christmas tree casting a beautiful light on them.  The only sound in the room other than my typing is from the hard rain coming down and the crackle from the log on the fire.  Things are pretty great right now.    For a writer, this is a good place.  

I am most definitely looking forward to the next year.  I enjoy every aspect of my work from training, photographing and writing about dogs.  I love my daily blogs and sharing everything canine with you.  My Facebook groups have grown greatly this last year and I love meeting all the new members and their dogs.  Many have become very good friends who I look forward to talking to regularly.   That will hopefully continue and grow.

So what’s on the horizon for Just dogs with Sherri?  Lots.   Training, shooting and writing with lots of books in the works already.  I hope that 2013 will be a good one, for us and for or all of you and your families. This is the last blog of the year, so have a wonderful New Year’s Eve, one that brings you into an amazing New Year.    Enjoy your family, both two legged and four.  I look forward to another year of canines shared with you.  

I will see you all January 2nd 2013.

Sherri

These are a few of my favorite things

I am often asked about the "stuff" I use for my dogs; from shampoo, food, clothing to leashes etc.  I don't use a lot of different things; I have my favorites and try to keep it simple.  I'm not into putting clothes on my dogs other than to keep them warm if they get a haircut so they have one coat each, just in case.  There are a few things that I have discovered over the years that I LOVE; then there are the things that I think are great but I won't use because I like to keep it simple and lastly there are the things that I consider to be utterly useless and a waste of money.

So the first thing that is a constant in my car, garage and wherever I happen to be with my dogs is my leashes.  Cotton webbed, 5/8" wide ranging from 6 feet  - 10 feet.  Usually black but I did get my hands on a few reds a couple of years ago.  I like the red ones because I can see them if I drop them into the grass much easier than the black.

I use a collar only to attached ID tags mostly but if I do happen to forget my harness somewhere I only walk the dogs on a 2" wide collar that I get from Dogs in Style   The owner made me some really great martingale type collars with a cotton leash attached recently.  They are great and I keep them in my car for those "in case" moments.

My harness of choice is a couple of different styles.  For walking it is the Easy Walk Harness made by Premier.

But our recent test and review harness has me and my husband loving the Onmijore System by Ruffwear for running.    It is made to encourage pulling and fits Elsa like a glove.

As far as dog bowls go I use only stainless steel.  I like the heavy ones that have an attached rubber bottom. I have a square one that I bought for Tilley years ago that has a slanted top line to it which is still my favorite. I would love to find a few more but have yet to see another.  I'm in no hurry so I will keep my eye out at Homegoods which is where I got this one.

All of my dog beds are purchased from either HomeGoods or Costco.  I do not spend a fortune on them as they are frequently replaced.  I do the comfort test before buying anything and the fancy ones with are hugely fluffy but don't hold their fluff do not come home to my house.

Crates are the airline type.  They are easy to wash out and don't have moving parts on them.  You can pick them up often at garage sales.  Disinfect and you're good to go.  I also love exercise pens.  I have the four foot high ones so they are heavy but come in handy always.

Now, how about toys?  We've been through a ton of them; waves of soft ones, then hard ones, indestructible types, educational etc. etc.  Elsa's very favorite toy ever is a Bumi from West Paw Design.  It was very tough and durable, that is until Luke put his mind to wrecking it.  It is now a half of a Bumi but it is still her favorite.  The company that makes the Bumi is a very cool one and we will be looking at getting more of their toys and "stuff."

I like Kong toys as well but they can be boring without the ever popular filling.  But the black ones are without a doubt one of the toughest toys in our house.  They are amazingly useful for bored dogs when filled and great to occupy new puppies.  When and if I purchase stuffed toys I try to make sure that they were either made in the US or Canada; or anywhere other than China.

As far as food goes you all know that I feed real food; meaning food that we eat......real type food.  Meat that is raw or cooked, fish, veggies, ground egg shells, you name it.  If and when we do feed dog food it is Horizon Amicus.  I change it up with DNA but both last a long time being that both Luke and Elsa eat mostly real food.

Poop bags?  Must be biodegradable.

Shampoo?  I find a lot of my shampoos for the dogs at HomeGoods as well.  I like the organic type if I can find it but I also use whatever happens to be in my shower.

My main clipper for the poodles is an Andis two speed and my trimmer is a Wahl Bravura.

I have to admit that I love anything to do with dogs, especially if it makes my job as a dog Mom easier. I am willing to give anything a try on my guys; that is if it looks like I might like it and is safe.  I love nothing more than finding new cool things for the dogs that are really useful.



 

Another rant

This was the day we ran into the off leash aggressive dog that would not come when called.  HONESTLY???

Yep, I said I was ranting and I am going to.  It doesn't typically take too much to get a rant out of me; just a bit of stupidity can create a fair sized rant.  So here goes.  Yesterday was beautiful, my kind of weather; low 40's, blue skies with giant cotton ball type clouds here and there.  I actually had to grab my vest as I headed out with Luke and Elsa; that makes me happy.  We hit a nice big field that is almost entirely enclosed and it was empty, yes.  We were there a good long time enjoying ourselves when I decided that it was about time to head home.  Elsa had a great run and Luke had done the whole field several times so off we went to the ramp.  This field is lower than the parking lot so we usually go down a set of steps and leave going up a ramp.  I think that it is easier on Luke's legs.

So as we started up our ramp I had already leashed both dogs.    About mid way up I noticed a woman with a couple of leashes around her neck up at the top and to the right.  Hmmmmmmmm.  I called out to her "are your dogs friendly?"  She shielded her eyes from the sun trying to see us.  I called again as her dogs quickly made their way to the fence; coming around towards us.  "ARE THEY FRIENDLY?"  I yelled for a third time.  At this point she was very close to me and could easily hear me.  Again, I shouted "ARE YOUR DOGS FRIENDLY?"  As the dogs were nearly upon us with hair up from neck to tail on both.  

Then she quietly and hesitantly offered "uhhhhhhhhh ya, I think so."  "WHAT??????????"  "Can you put them on a leash?" I asked her.  She had no response.  I was growing angry at her lack of movement, she seemed like a slug. "Can you leash your dogs?"  I said again, receiving a repeat in her response, nothing.  "PLEASE, CAN YOU LEASH YOUR DOGS?"  At this point I was sort of shocked by her snail pace and sloth like movements.  Really?  I told her that if she was not sure that her dogs were friendly that they should not be off leash.  It was literally like talking to a brick wall.  Very strange. 

With the dogs on us at this point I was not about to pull my guys away.  This act itself can lead to more aggression.  I am very protective of my dogs and these were very large buff dogs.  Luke is very fragile now and I have no intention of letting him be attacked or roughed up in any way.  We stood our ground and I held the leashes as loosely as I could.  She should have at least called her dogs to her; she did nothing, absolutely nothing.  It was a bit disturbing to watch.  Was she so incompetent as a dog owner that she lacked the most basic of knowledge about etiquette?  Obviously.  

Seeing that she had no intention of doing anything; not even calling her dogs we waited.  I was waiting for her dogs to lose interest in us and move away.  Once far enough away I would feel comfortable turning our back on then and walking away.  Let me just say this "IT IS NOT OKAY TO HAVE YOUR DOGS OFF LEASH WITH OTHER ON LEASH DOGS AROUND."  That is unless you have complete control of your dog and they will not run at the on leash dogs.  It's just not okay.  Do you know how many times I had to hoist Jessie into my arms to protect another loose dog?  She was not reliably dog friendly, so she was always on leash.  It was not fair that we had to deal with off leash out of control dogs when we were out. 

There are times when dogs should not be on leash and that is at off leash parks or beaches.  If you enter one of those then you should have your leash off.  It gives your dog a handicap by having them leashed when all the other dogs are running off leash.  

Nothing happened yesterday but it was very disturbing  none the less.  As we finally got enough space to turn and walk away I saw the woman trying to get one of her dogs to come to her.  She had no control, none.  Control is so very important.  Funny because just before we came upon these two dogs, Elsa had received a lesson about not coming when Mom calls.  She had decided to drop her ball and do some grazing on the fresh new baby grass that had sprouted up from all the rain.   I called and she ignored so she got her lesson.  Then we came across these two with the owner who did absolutely nothing.  People like this should not have dogs.  

I have seen the same woman at this field before but we've never run into her; she was at a distance.  The thing I did notice the other times that I saw her was that she was not scanning.  We had not been far away; we were coming up to the right of her and getting in the car but she hadn't noticed us.   Scanning your environment and being very aware is important.  Heck it's important to do when you don't have your dogs with you; even more so when you are out with your dogs.  When I arrive to a park or field I always scan first.  There have been times when I have scanned and then got back in the car and head to another park because of what was in the park. 

As we walked away from this woman and her dogs I was grumbling and shaking my head.  Imagine saying "I think" that your dogs are friendly as you let them run full speed up to someone with dogs on leash?  No, it is not acceptable at all and I see it far too often.  Perhaps this is why it makes me so mad.  Get a clue people.  I for one do not want to deal with your off leash dogs when you have no control over them.  About a year ago I wrote about a guy we met with a fairly aggressive dog who told us he could not call his dog.  But here it was off leash.  Honestly, HONESTLY?????????? 

Power in the clicker

Having had Penelope at our house for five days she got a great deal of concentrated learning in.  My daughter and I did a lot of discussing canine education and how dogs learn differently.  I sometimes use a clicker but not always.  I did use a clicker for much of Jessie's (my Jack Russell) training when she was younger.  She was very food motivated and the clicker helped her to focus.  Once she learned what the clicker meant it held great power.  She would offer anything and learned very quickly that she was to offer new behaviors.  This is something that not all dogs do, but she offered anything and everything to get a click.  Luke does not offer new behaviors, not that he isn't insanely intelligent but that he just doesn't do that sort of thing.

So being that Penelope is very much like Jessie was I knew the clicker would be for her.   My daughter and I went into the kitchen to prime Penny (Penelope) on the clicker.  This means teaching her what the clicker means and that is food.  She is so much like my little Jessie that it is sort of strange.  As I clicked and treat over and over she seemed to be getting it.  The rest of the family was in the living room when we were priming and after several clicks they started yelling at me.  I stopped and went to see what was up.  Elsa was standing on a box.  They said she had be getting off and on as I clicked in the kitchen.

Elsa is clicker trained and she loves it.  She has learned to offer new behaviors and with all the Christmas morning gifts lying around, she chose a random box on the floor to use.  Everyone was amazed by her behavior, not me.  But I was a little "oops."  It was Elsa's clicker and I hadn't thought about that.  So I gave her a bunch of treats as she stood steadfast on her box.  Then needing to move back to Penelope in the kitchen I took her box away and put it out of reach.  Then the whole family got into the whole "clicker" discussion, having been thoroughly impressed by it's power.

Learning the philosophy around the power of the clicker is important.  Educating yourself on how the clicker works and when to click is essential.  I see so many people using the click to lure or bribe a behavior from the dog which is all wrong.  It is a marker, intended to mark a correct behavior and let the dog know that a reward will soon follow.  When done properly it is a wonderful training tool.  The only negative about them is that they are something else to hold while working.  This is why I only teach clicker training to a very few; most average dog owners are interested only until they try using it.  Holding treats, a leash and a clicker has often turned my clients completely off using it so we move onto training without it.

But if you intend to use the clicker, do yourself a favor and read Clicker Training by Karen Pryor.    Now that Miss Penelope has gone home I will be pulling out the clicker for Elsa.  I have wanted to teach her to put her paw on my foot for several months, now I have the time so we will be on it today.  I think this will be a very useful behavior when I want her close by.  No doubt she will pick it up in a matter of moments, she certainly has the drive to learn.

Boxing Day

The day after Christmas; I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas, we most definitely did.  It's Boxing Day!!!!! Well at least in my head it is.  In Canada it is as well and having lived in Canada for 36 years of my life I still keep the day even though it is not Boxing Day here in the US.  But everyone has gone back to work and I am puppy sitting.  We've had Penelope here since Friday night and it has been very busy with her.  Elsa is almost played out, but not completely yet.  She has been beyond amazing with Penelope.  She is so gentle and patient with the puppy that I could have never asked for any better behavior from her.

As a very young puppy, Penelope gases out long before Elsa.  Elsa could probably keep going 24/7.  At only a year a half Elsa wants to play a lot; she is absolutely loving having Penelope here.  It is very good for Penelope, she is getting a great deal of socializing in.  We have introduced her to lots of new items; an umbrella this morning, a big shiny rolling decoration in the garage and many other things.  She doesn't seem fazed by a whole lot.  She didn't bat an eye at the umbrella this morning.  The statues at the park that freaked Elsa out as a puppy saw a split second of hesitation from Penelope.  They are all so very different.

Penelope is learning bite inhibition mostly via Elsa.  Elsa just deals with it, she loves playing with her so much.  As a Bull Terrier, Penelope has a huge set of jaws on her and I have to admit that the pressure behind her nips is a little startling.  So having Elsa here to help with softening her bite is a great, great welcome.  It is also teaching Penelope lots of positives about playing with other dogs.

Luke is not as impressed and mostly has walked on his tip toes around her.  She has thrown herself a couple of times at him with a resulting grizzly bear response.  She is apprehensive around him, understandably but not deterred.  She quickly learned that Elsa is the one to play with but is still drawn to Luke if is he anywhere around.  At 12.5 years old he has no desire to meet or get to know her. He is curious but that is as far as it has gone at this point.  He sits upon his thrown in the living room watching the two girls brawl for hours.  If Elsa yelps from a very hard nip from Penelope he gets down,  and slowly walks through the room sending a clear message.  He then heads back to his couch.

At the moment it is pouring rain.  Miss Penelope is not a fan, but we did just go out and have success.   She peed in the rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So it will be a day of playing and trying to get all the dogs out in the rain.  I may just hit the park with Elsa for some chuck it time although with the puppy here for four days she is plum exhausted.  Enjoy Boxing Day, I intend to.