The beach

The above photo was taken at a different beach visit.  

Yesterday Luke and Elsa went on separate walks.  I've been getting Elsa out on her own more and more, it is very important.  Alone time had been put on hold for a while due to the loss of both Jessie and Tilley within 3 weeks of each other.  Several weeks after Tilley's death Luke started displaying separation anxiety; of course this was also due to being in a new place. So we were pretty much together for a good amount of time after that.  Enough time to let Luke adjust to losing his life long companions and being alone.  We have been doing alone walks for a year now but I am focusing more and more on them.

So Luke and I walked the park and then Elsa and I head for the beach. I waited a bit longer in the morning to head down because I wanted it crowded and it was.  We first hit the beach and as she always does, Elsa went crazy.  As soon as she hits the sand, sheer joy takes over.  She digs her toes into the sand hard; she barks and growls and carries on, she loves it.  Once we got down to the water we had a cool experience.  There was a sea lion in the surf, not twenty feet out.  I stopped to watch is roll and play in the waves when it stopped and swam in a bit.  It hovered directly in front of us and stared.  I thought that it was staring at Elsa.  Soon Elsa shot her nose up in the air and looked out to the ocean and she saw it.  Her ears went up and she stared at it staring at her intently.

We must have stood there a full five minutes with the two staring at each other.  Then the sea lion headed out a bit further into the waves to play.  Obviously it had enough of watching Elsa at that point.  Cool, very, very cool.  So as the sea lion did, we too moved on and headed up the beach.  There were no other dogs to see but lots of screeching children, running and playing in the sand.  Elsa had a few more outburst of joyous "I'm on the beach" behavior and then we headed for town.

I love Laguna Beach, it is a cute beach town which is nearing the tourist season so even on a Monday it was getting crowded.  First we stopped at the restrooms which are being renovated at the moment.  There was a metal ramp going up to them which I thought might pose an issue for Elsa; we've never walked on a metal ramp.  It was an issue and by the time we reached the restroom she was shrunk down but still moving.  When we came out she did not want to go down it again so we will most definitely be going back there to do it again.

We only ran into a few dogs and they were not the type you interact with unfortunately.  They yapped and barked at the end of their leashes so we just moved on.  I am hoping to bring Elsa with me on some book signings so she needs to get use to crowds.  We've done super socializing from the get go and Elsa has already had a great many adventures in her short life but now we need to go further.  Now that Luke is feeling okay when left alone at home we are heading out.  The difference between Luke and Elsa's responses to life is life experience.  Old dogs are typically mellow; they don't get flustered by new things and take everything in stride.  I love watching the difference between old and new.  When we run into something strange, Luke trudges on while Elsa takes notice, reacts and then falls into place seeing Luke's response.

Getting out and seeing new things, different things is so very important.  Soon the beach will be off limits during the day time hours to dogs so we will head down for the next week or so and take advantage of it and the early crowds.  Oh yes and we will hit the metal ramp again; until it is a non issue.

Too much exercise?

Too much exercise?  Is there such a thing?  Humans can do too much as can our dogs.  I work out, I work out a lot but I am not a gym rat; although there are many people at my gym who seem to always be there no matter what time I am there.  I am in and out, 30-40 min. and I'm done.  Yesterday we were at the park and there were quite a few dogs there.  I do not let Elsa off leash unless I am sure that she will not bother anyone so she wasn't off as much as she usually is.  After a short rip and tear in the field with her chuck it I hooked her up thinking it was enough for the day.  Just like humans, dogs can get so much exercise on a regular basis that they need more and more to satisfy that desire.

I have been at the dog park and met many people who are there every single day for hours and hours.  They do nothing different and have admitted that they started out with a much shorter time at the park.  But their dog now seems to need more and more to relax at home.  Can they really become use to a certain amount of exercise and need more?  Yes.  Folks who have a high energy dog and are looking for a way to rid them of a bit, often end up at the dog park.  It becomes a crutch so to speak and depending on the dog, can demand more and more time.

Running can become addictive; just talk to a true runner.  Those who run upwards of 20 miles a day; everyday and it must be everyday.  They have a hard time not running.  It becomes a way of life.  Just think about your high energy dog who is satiated by being at the dog park for two hours a day.  They are so use to this amount of energy release that anything else will not suffice.  If they are not given this release; behavior issues can arise. At home they may pace or destroy things.  The longer this goes on the more they need in terms of energy release.  Makes sense right?

But dogs do need exercise, some more than others.  Many dogs are happy as a clam going for a slow stroll around the block.  After all, sniffing is way up there in importance with exercise.  Elsa is a very high energy girl (not hyper, there is a huge difference) as was Luke when he was young.  I like to give them a fill of running; running is so important to many dogs.  Running just for the sake of running; but I am also very careful to do offer other things as well.  Sometimes a walk at a very busy park can wear a dog out simply by social interactions.  Walking at different parks, places or areas is so very important.  I get bored with the same place very easily; like us dogs need a change of scenery.

Change it up.  I'm not saying to not exercise; I'm saying switch it up.  Dogs need to be able to relax without spending 2 hours at the dog park.  Needing that sort of release will really handicap a dog.  When you do exercise, use moderation.  Lots of running, yes but not a crazy amount and not at the same place every single day.  Offer your dog variety.  If your dog loves to run then run them; but don't over run them.  Don't over stimulate them by spending hours at a dog park.  Get in, get your fill and get out.

Having a dog that can relax and be relaxed at home is pure joy.  Getting them out on a daily basis is important.  Life gets pretty darned boring behind the same four walls day in and day out if you don't take them out into the world.  But switch it up; give them what they need but don't create issues by overdoing.

The ear drop

The ear drop, I am always looking for it, especially in puppies.  But I also like to see it in adult dogs as well.  Dogs communicate hugely with their ears.  Of course a dog with upright ears has a more distinct visual display compared to the big floppy ears that can be more of a challenge to read.  Signs, there are so, so many signs that dogs give us and ears play a big part in all of the signs.  The other night my husband was out with the dogs right after work.  They'd had their greeting and were outside just simply enjoying each others company when I got my camera out.  Luke and Steve were having a moment so I captured it.  But I also capture many signals as a side bonus.  Steve had just got up off of the lounge and was moving away.  Elsa was watching what he was doing in the first image.  Then he directed his attention to her and spoke; her ears immediately dropped in a submissive respect.  Love it.

This ear drop is what I am always looking for in a puppy.  It is not a full on body drop to the ground submission but more of a quick respect signal.  I have seen puppies do this when adults appear on the scene and what follows depends on the interaction.  With canine and humans that live together it is typically fleeting and easily missed; I'm glad that I was able to capture it.

When our little Granddog Penny is over you can see her ear drop very clearly.  With those huge upright ears of hers, you'd be hard pressed to miss it.  Even still many people see it but don't notice it.  The small respectful ear drop it quick; normally they are down and up again within seconds.  It is different than the full on submissive dropped ears.  The photo below shows a full submissive drop accompanied with body and tail submission.

The quick ear drop signals to the recipient, acknowledgement and respect.  A dog who is highly alert and in a dominant state will not drop their ears.  Many puppies do not offer the ear drop for several reasons.  One is that they are distracted to the point of not noticing or acknowledging.  Two, they may not have had the interactions needed to create this response and three, they are a very dominant type and dropping their ears is something that may take a great deal of work to achieve.  Even then it may only ever be offered to a single person or canine member of the pack.

All of my dogs have offered ear drops but not always right out of the shoot.  Jessie took a while to offer as she was a very dominant little lady.  The absence of the ear drop is not a bad thing; but when it is never offered to you the "leader" then there is work to do.  Some dogs will drop their ears easily, others need more direct contact.  All dogs are different and what one feels as an ear drop moment, another may not.  I like ear drops, it is the tiniest signal that your dog is aware that you have entered the picture.

When I am looking at a litter of puppies or a single puppy; the ear drop does not need to be directed to me but I would like to see it directed to someone.  When I see an ear drop from a puppy when their Mother appears, nice.

Someday She'll Fly

available here - Someday She'll Fly 

also on Amazon.com

It's here and I'm very excited about it.  Someday She'll Fly is the second book in the Luke and Elsa series of children's books.  Each book encompasses a life lesson for children told through Elsa and Luke's daily antics.  The books are narrated by me; being that dogs cannot talk and I'm not a fan of talking dogs.  All the illustrations are images from of their life; captured on a daily basis.  The images are worked up to create an illustrated feel after months of picking and choosing the ones to grace the pages of my book.

This book features Elsa with a few cameos from Luke (of course), Tilley and Elsa's friend Hank.  From the day Elsa joined our family it was clear that she was not satisfied with her life solely on the ground; as she spent much of it in the air.  The book came into it's own after shooting literally hundreds of leaping, take offs and flying Elsa images.  Her enthusiasm and dedication to the pursuit of being airborne play a huge part in the book.

Follow Luke and Elsa in the day to day on their brand new FB page - Luke and Elsa.

Life is full of lessons and sometimes getting a message across to children is not an easy one.  Tell it through some adorable pooches and the job is made much easier.  Dogs hold a great wealth of knowledge for us and our children.  Their actions alone can offer a plethora of stories to be told.  I am lucky to have both Luke and Elsa in my life to learn from and photograph daily.  They teach me about life through the eyes of a canine and I share it with you.

Onto the next book, there is a shelf ofthem waiting to be written.

Did you miss the first book in the Luke and Elsa series?  When Luke Met Elsa - available here.  
                                                                                  Also, get it on Amazon.

Action/reaction

This young Weimaraner did not want to interact with Luke.  She is appropriately not making eye contact to let him know.  

"Now Daisy, that's not nice; you need to learn to be nice," she said as she pulled her dog away from Elsa.  The woman had walked up to us at the park; she made a b-line directly towards us and asked "is that a doodle?"  I shook my head saying "no just a poodle," for the twentieth time.  This same woman has asked me over and over again.  It is strange when someone sees you so many times and doesn't remember at all.  Anyhow her dog is not dog friendly; but she moved in quickly as I tried to walk around her.  Her tiny dachshund let out an aggressive response, even though they approached us and Elsa returned it to both their surprise.  I was a little surprised myself but Elsa is getting older; she is becoming more protective and doesn't take kindly to those type of interactions and nor do I.  Honestly, if you know your dog is not dog friendly then why?  Why interact?  It will only lead to a negative response from everyone.

I let out a disapproving sound and we moved on.  As we came around the park again there they were; we made a big circle to avoid another interaction.  I made no eye contact and neither did Elsa; we were there to enjoy ourselves.  So many people I see who deal with their dog and behavior issues have a big conversation with their dog about it.  Sure I talk to my dogs, I have big long conversations about all sorts of things but when it comes to behavior it must be dealt with in something that a dog will understand.  You must react, not talk, react.  That means with your body and sound.

ie.   Last night I was filling the dishwasher when Luke was finishing up his dinner.  Elsa was done already and moving in close to Luke and his bowl.  I made my disapproving sound which is MMM MMM and Elsa gave me a quick glance and stopped moving forward but did not move away.  She knows just how to bother Luke enough to get him to move away from his bowl, Tilley did as well.  With just a touch to his tail he will be flustered enough that he cannot eat.  Poor guy, the girls figure him out easily.  I wanted her to give him some space so giving her direct eye contact I took one step towards her.  Her ears went down and she backed off.  "Good girl" I said and went back to the dishwasher.  Behavior met with behavior.

Reactions must be delivered instantly, direct and with enough meaning.  A reaction should not linger; it will do more damage than good if it is left to smolder.  It should be short, sweet and to the point.  Timing is everything and if you miss the moment, just move on.  Dogs do not get messages given at the wrong time; they simply relate it to something else.  Association, it is all about association with dogs.  So if you have a nice long and serious conversation after they display some unwanted behavior, guess what?  They are going to display it again.

A couple of years ago, two bully boxer girls knocked Luke to the ground when he got out of the car.  It was unnecessary, rude and very unexpected for both Luke and I.  The owner of the two very rude girls told them that it wasn't nice, they shouldn't do that and asked them why they had.  Did this do anything to curb the rude behavior?  NO.  What it did was enforce the rude behavior; leaving me shrugging, shaking my head and fuming.  The dogs see this nice conversation as enjoyable and reinforcing.  

As much as dogs understand our words, tone and posture do a whole lot more as far as delivering a message.  Most of the time my reactions are simply sounds; knowing that a reaction needs to be delivered in a timely manner it is whatever happens to come out.  Best to get something out in an appropriate time limit than wait for the perfect word for the occasion.  A long drawn out lecture does nothing but make a human feel like they've done something.  But let me tell you, you've done nothing but reinforce the bad behavior.  





 

This and that

Good morning everyone.  I hope that you all had a great long weekend with your canine companions.  We did for sure, got lots done around the house and spent most of our time at home. Luke and Elsa had a great weekend as well.  When they weren't out on their runs they spent the day hanging outside with us.  We worked on door boundary with Elsa a bit, she is amazing.  She is probably the fasted to have caught on to this lesson out of any of our dogs; although they have all been great at it.  As a tiny puppy she learned the rule and we just keep proofing it.  Enforcing is the secret to door boundaries.  We did a bunch of gardening out front with the door open while she lay watching us. She is such a good girl.

Their Dad took them down to the canyon where they love to run but Luke took a major wipe out yesterday.  He ran up a small hill and came tumbling down apparently.  Taking a head dive into the dirt and tweaking his whole body.  Poor guy lost his footing and has really injured his front left leg which is his bad one.  He spent much of yesterday hobbling from resting spot to resting spot.  Last night I gave him a tramadol before bed,which is a pain killer that is safe for dogs to take.  It may have helped for the pain but made him extremely restless.  It was a rough night, not much sleep for any of us.  He may have a bad sprain so it could be a while until he is up and himself again.  I will give him a couple of good rest days and hopefully that will help.

So there will no walk for Luke today or probably the next few days at least.  Not an easy task when your dog gives you those "puppy dog" eyes.  There are many things that you will have to do as a canine guardian that are not easy.  Emotions play a huge part in the life we have with our dogs so doing things that are upsetting for them is never easy.  But as the caretaker we must do things that are best for them and often that means leaving them behind.  So Luke must stay at home and heal; it won't be easy looking into those eyes when Elsa and I head out but it has to be.  He will not know why he does not get to go but at least he has gotten accustom to having alone time.  I often take them for walks on their own and this is one of the reasons why.  If dogs spend their time together always then times like this can truly be unbearable.

Luke is a very emotional guy; being injured puts a great deal of stress on him.  Staying behind and not getting to go for a walk is stressful but it will probably still be harder on me and my heart strings.  At the moment he is sleeping as is Elsa after a very rough night.  Hopefully he will feel a bit better once he warms up for the day.

Now go for a great walk with your dog.  :)

Memorial day weekend

Happy Friday everyone.  I'm taking a much needed long weekend so no blog until Tuesday.  Have a great one, stay safe, have fun with your pooch and I'll see you next week.

Sherri, Luke and Elsa.  :)

No sniffing?

Yesterday I took Luke and Elsa out separately.  I was walking down the path with Luke when I heard a statement from behind us; "see how she is letting him sniff, you should never do that."  I didn't even turn to see who it was; my thoughts were on today's blog.  No sniffing?  What?  We meandered down the path further as Luke sniffed every plant, bush and piece of grass that he wanted.  He stopped now and then to have a snack; we chat a bit and keep on going.  Our alone walks are pretty glorious.

So what about this "no sniffing" opinion that came from behind me?  Well, this is my opinion on the statement.  Sniffing? Yes, when you want to indulge your dog.  But if you want to go for a power walk, jog or play chuck it; then the sniffing needs to stop. I am often asked by clients "how much should I let them sniff?"  Should your dog drag you around directing every step?  No.  Should your walk only be sniffing?  No.  But should you allow your dog to sniff?  Yes.  It's what they do.

Many trainers will tell you "no sniffing," even famous ones but that is beyond stupid.  If you allow your dog to sniff you are not enabling a dominant behavior.  Sure there will be dogs who want to sniff the whole time and when you don't want them to, they shouldn't.   Walks are mutually beneficial; to make it all about you or all about the dog just doesn't make sense.  A walk is a time spent together; enjoying each other's company.  But the fact is, if it weren't for your dog you probably wouldn't be out on this walk so let them enjoy what they love to do.  At least for a while.

I like to give my dogs a good opportunity to sniff; it is what dogs do, they read their peemail on a walk.  The more new places you go the more new scents to sniff.  I probably allow 1/4 of the time spent on sniffing.  That can be on-leash sniffing or off running around sniffing on their own.  But it all depends on the dog; some are sniffers, some are not.  My little Jessie (JRT) use to sniff each blade of grass up and down, it took her forever.  But it is was what she loved to do; that and dig.  So more time was allotted for her sniffing time; especially as she got older.

Elsa is a crazy sniffer but her sniffing is more of a constant.  She sniffs the ground as we walk and if a dog has walked right ahead of us she sniffs each foot step that the dog took.  It doesn't often interfere with our walk but is just an added activity while we walk.  Luke likes to stop a lot to sniff.  He gets to sniff often but then there are times when I want him to get some more exercise and we just walk with no sniffing stops.

Life is far to short to not stop and smell the roses or any other scent for that matter.

Hi, nice to meet you.

I remember saying to my husband a year and a half ago; "I can't wait to meet her, I wonder who she is?"  That statement was about Elsa and I wondered who this little blonde ball of fur would be; that is as she grew and became Elsa in our family.  Each dog is an individual and getting to know them for who they are is pretty amazing.  I saw a photo the other day; one of many that I see cross my computer either via email or FB.  The image was that of a puppy mill and the dogs inside that no one would ever know; it made me horrifically sad.  Their captors don't know them; there's a good chance that no one will ever know them unless they are rescued.

Dogs are such complex animals; each has their own personality, temperament, likes, dislikes and quirks just like we do.  Discovering all of these things about our dog or any dog is a gift unlike any other.  I often pass dogs in the park walking with their human and wonder who they are.  You can easily tell the humans that have taken the time to get to know their dogs just by the way that they are walking.  Some people will never know their dogs; they are just a dog to them and that is and always will be sad.  The more years that I spend with dogs; my dogs and dogs in general, the more impact they have on me as a dog person.  Things that matter once may have fallen away and things that I never considered in the past are now of great importance.  Life changes you.

There is someone there inside waiting to be discovered.  When you tap into that amazing being inside of a dog you will grow; you don't have much of a choice.  But you must get inside to do that.  Big, small, short, tall, round, long, hair, smooth or curly; they all have someone amazing inside.  Far too often we label a dog for their exterior; if the owner has not got to the core of who their dog is, it can be very sad.  Often the small ones are treated like precious little angels dressed in tiny outfits and treated as a small human.  The big rough looking type are treated how they look and not given the chance to share their wonderful individual personality.  Exterior is just that and nothing more.  The heart of a canine is where the goods are; the important part of who a dog truly is.

They are all dogs; no matter what size or shape they are all dogs just like we are all humans.  BUT, there is a huge difference in us all, correct?  So is there a huge difference in each and every canine.  Within each is a bucket load of individualism that is there for the knowing if you take the time to discover it.  I love meeting new dogs; what you see is what you get.    People often try to be someone that they are not; dogs never pretend to be someone that they are not.  When you meet a dog you truly meet them.  Take the time to see the difference; they are much more than just dogs.

Food, puppies and kids.

Above photo owned by Just dogs with Sherri

As the child walks into the kitchen the dog freezes.  Like most, the child notices nothing and continues on her path to the dog.  It is a neighbors dog and the little girl simply adores him.  As she gets closer the dogs turns to give her a direct hard stare; a clear warning but she sees nothing to deter her.  The closer she gets the warnings grow stronger; the dog is now frozen with it's head low in the bowl and growling.  Still the little girl approaches; even with the dog growling, giving a huge teeth display and hard stare she stretches her hand out to pet the dog that she has grown to love.  The end result to this interaction is euthanasia.  Sad.

How many things went wrong in this situation?  So, so many.  The biggest and most obvious is the lack of supervision.  I am a Mother of three human children and many dogs over the years.  I am also a huge advocate of intense and high levels of safety surrounding both.  No dog and child should ever be left alone unattended, bottom line.  I have talked to people before who said that if they could not trust their dog and child alone then they wouldn't have the dog.  Well, I am here to tell you that no dog and no child should be left alone unattended.  It is a recipe for a disaster.  You might have the greatest dog ever; one that loves your child and all their antics.  But if you are not present then you don't know.  You don't know that maybe your child might accidentally fall over your dog, step on them or do something that they shouldn't.  Children do not always act appropriately, we all know that.

There is also the known fact that the dog eating was not okay with people around their bowl.  Perhaps it was just an issue with children; maybe not, maybe the dog is not okay with anyone around their bowl.  This is sadly one of the biggest scenarios when children are bitten.  That and general resource guarding.  Unfortunately most people do not know how to change a resource guarding behavior.  In fact most people make the problem worse by taking whatever is being guarded away.  By taking the object away; you further enforce the need to guard in your dog.  Makes sense right?

I have asked clients if their dog is okay with family members around the food bowl.  They then tell me "yes of course we take her food away all the time."  Hmmmm, not good.  You cannot expect a dog to just get use to having their bowl removed.  They might be fine until one day they snap.  The snap could come from being yelled at or hit for showing any aggressive signs when the bowl is removed. It is just a horrible recipe for a huge accident to happen.

So what should you do to prevent food bowl guarding?  If you are starting with a puppy it is very, very easy.  I recommend that everyone do this; no matter how great your puppy is about their food already.  Continue to do this well into adulthood.  I still do it with Elsa occasionally and will continue.  Guarding is a very natural behavior for dogs.  Many puppies will give it a try to see what happens; others tend to have a stronger guarding instinct.  But for all puppies you do the same thing; and that is to change they way they feel about you around their bowl.  Make your presence or that of a human around their bowl have a really great association.

You start out by dropping really great food into their bowl while they are eating.  From there you move to putting your hand in their bowl with the really yummy food (something that is better than their meal) and dropping it in.  You want to monitor body posture; sometimes even a puppy will freeze, ever so slightly so watch carefully.  What you want to create is a relaxed situation that has your puppy anticipating your approach.  Approach = something extra yummy being put into the bowl.  Once you have that then occasionally take the bowl away for a moment; make some stirring noises in it and place something extra good in there, returning it to them.  Now it is better than before you took it away.

All of this creates a "what ya got?" attitude instead of "keep away from my food," reaction.  It is one of the best and most important things that you can do.  I know that many people feed their dogs in crates or a closed off area for safety or convenience reasons but it does nothing to teach food guarding safety around people or other dogs for that matter.  By isolating when you feed you can create a whole pile of problems.

This is all regarding puppies.  If you have an adolescent canine or adult dog who already has food guarding issues there are many more steps and much more safety needed to rehabilitate.  That is a whole other ball game and one that you need to call a professional in for.  Make sure that it is a positive trainer if you do call one; not like the guy on television.

If your dog does not have any guarding issues then it is never too late to start the routine that I have laid out.  But, if you are working with an adult dog; take great care and watch for any warning signs.  They can be very subtle but almost all dogs warn; we humans just fail to see them.  Proofing your dog against food guarding is one of the best things that you can do for them.

RECALL - repost

This is a repost from last summer.  Many people have asked for a blog on a canine recall and because I've already written about it several times I am simply reposting this one.

RECALL:  to call back; summon to return.

This is probably one of the biggest issues that we have with dogs.  The whole idea around calling your dog to come to you often instills panic, doubt and negative thoughts in general.  Do you call your dog and just know that he or she will not come?  Teaching your dog to come to you reliably takes a bucket load of work and it should start on day one.  Practice, practice, practice.  The whole process is a priming for the big event.

I have to say that Elsa is very good at her recall.  She hasn't always been, when she was just a young puppy she never came when called under fun environmental stimulus which is entirely normal albeit undesirable.  You need to do a great deal of training for the recall, that is if you actually want your dog to come.  Some dogs never get any training around the come behavior.  Their owner simply belts it out every now and again and expects them to come running across the field and into their arms.  Hmmmm.

Extreme positive association must be placed on the word 'come' or whatever word you plan on using.  It makes no difference as to what word you use, but use that one word all the time.  NEVER, EVER put any negative association onto the word.  If you even once call your dog with the word 'come' and then scold it, put them in a crate, leave the park or dog park, leave to go to work then you are placing a negative on your word.  Even one negative association can slow things down or bring them to a complete halt.

If you do make a mistake and as we discussed yesterday; as humans we do make mistakes, then fix it.  If you call out "come" and then realize that you are indeed leaving for work, don't.  Treat your dog for coming, go out into the yard and throw the ball around or play for a bit.  Once you have erased your error with time; go get your dog, bring them in and now you can go to work.  Rectify the mistake.

Seize the moments.  Yesterday when I was out with Elsa she spotted a pine cone.  This was after her chuck it time when we wander around doing training.  She didn't know what it was and put her head down and went to discover.  Her interest was high so I took this moment to practice.  I called her "Elsa come," she stopped on a dime only feet away from the cone and ran to me, sitting right in front like the amazing girl that she is.  She got a few treats, praise and then was immediately released to go see what that thing on the ground was.  Had I not allowed her to go and see the pine cone afterwards then the whole thing would have been negative.  What she learned is that it was not negative, she got the food and got to see what that strange thing was.  This is an essential part of it all, knowing when to not call and when to call and release.

I have taught her to come to the word "leash" as well.  She is always rewarded and then hooked up.  I do not want to tarnish her "come" so I have implemented an additional word.  It may very well become tarnished and not elicit a lightening speed response but that's okay.  It is one of those "it is what it is" things.

So if you have not trained your dog to 'come,' get out there and get working on it.  Dogs don't simply come on their own unless you have created a "coming is a great thing," idea.

Over and over and over.

We've all heard the rule, "say it once and once only."  But there you are wanting your pup to sit and having asked now, twelve or more times you give up and walk away.  I see people over using verbal cues all the time, even dog trainers.  Many ask their dog to stay while holding their hand up and repeating stay, stay, stay.  Like the arm waving overload that tends to confuse matters of clearly understanding; so does the over use of verbal cues.

When I teach a new behavior, I rarely use a verbal cue.  Of course sometimes a cue will just slip out as I have been training for so long, it just happens.  But I like to keep the words out of the scene until the dog has a grasp on what we are doing.  Whether shaping or luring the behavior; it is done so without any verbal coaxing.  This way the dog can think clearly and without the clutter of extra words thrown in that typically confuse matters.

Once a dog has the understanding of the behavior and is somewhat reliably offering it; I will then add a verbal cue to it.  If you consider a behavior that in the process of being learned; there is a great deal of waiting.  Both when shaping and luring a behavior you must wait for the dog to carry out a certain degree of the behavior.  You may be working in baby steps so each section of the broken down complete behavior is rewarded.   The steps are repeated over and over again until you reach the final full behavior sequence.  At that point you work on reliability; meaning that the dog will perform the behavior at a good rate of success.  But what happens if your dog does not comply once a behavior is reliable?

First off most people under train a behavior; they put too much emphasis on a newly learned behavior.  Many people think that because their dog can do a sit up and bow trick at home that they can do it at a crowded park.  Some dogs can but most dogs need training in that crowded park before considering it a reliable behavior.  Once a behavior is reliable and that is not to say that it is 100% reliable; dogs will be dogs and there is always that unknown factor that can interfere.  But when a behavior is reliable and your dog does not fulfill the behavior with a positive action then do you ask again?  Yes and no.  Yes if you know what you are doing; no if you are just repeating a verbal cue in hopes that your dog will respond to the second request.

Repeating a verbal cue is enforcing.  No behavior should ever be left to fizzle out due to frustration.  Just yesterday Elsa dropped her ball when we were doing retrieve work to smell something that caught her nose.  I called to her "bring it," and she gave me only a slight indication that she had heard me.  I immediately started walking her way with every intention of picking up the ball and ending the game.  But halfway there she looked up at me; she knows that I mean business so I said to her again, "bring it."  She immediately brought me the ball and dropped it at my feet.  She not only understood that I wanted the ball brought to me but that if she stops mid way I'm doing something about it.  Even though the game of chuck it is a fun outlet for her; we are either doing it or we are not.  This is not the time to be sniffing around and smelling the roses.  I grab some serious run time when I can get it so she must be serious and dedicated enough to give it her all.

If I ask my dogs to do something and they snub me, I act immediately.  There is no time like the present and that is the precise moment that you are not responded to.  Timing is everything but you must also weigh in external stimulus; the environment and those within it when a dog does not comply.  They are not robots and I do not expect my dogs to not react to things around them.  That said I will work through a new distraction or stimulus to get to the positive response stage.  Dogs have to learn about responding in different environments, distraction levels and interruptions. There is most definitely a time and a place where verbal cue repeats are required.  But they must be used strategically and not simply said over and over again.

Too many people keep repeating a command in hopes of a positive response from their dog.  When they do not receive it they give up in frustration.  That is where the biggest problem falls, giving up.  Your dog learns very quickly that a verbal cue means nothing .  After several attempts you will grow frustrated and let the cue fizzle out and die.  No verbal cue should ever end on a negative note.  If you are not given a positive response, then use it until you do.  But don't just stand in one spot and continue to do the same thing over and over in hopes of receiving an alternative response. Act, teach and guide your dog to success.

Spoos

I had bloggers block this morning.  I was up much of the night so this morning I am exhausted.  I sat staring at my laptop screen when I thought "I'll ask my FB readers."  Within minutes I had my blog topic; thank you so much Linzey.  Her idea was "how you came to love spoos."  Now for those of you who are not owned by a spoo you may not know what a spoo is.  Spoo is short for Standard Poodle.  I have been calling them spoos for a very longtime and it just rolls off my tongue now.  So when, where and how did my passion for a spoo happen?

A long, long time ago I was looking for a dog.  I already had a wonderful dog at the time; Mandy, a beautiful Airedale Terrier with the heart of Lassie.  I wanted a friend for her so over the months I researched and researched.  I had been hooked on Dobermans from the age of 13 so they were up there on my "maybe" list.  With the Doberman was the Giant Schnauzer; another Airedale, Irish Wolfhound, Irish Setter or Standard Poodle.  Ever since the days of 'Big Red' the Disney movie I'd been smitten with the Irish Setter.  So I read and talked and saw and visited breeders until I landed on the Standard Poodle.

Deciding on a breed alone was quite a task for me; I pretty much love all dogs.  I love all sizes, colors, shapes and mixes so choosing one was tough. I am a sucker for a Disney face; you know those little scruffy faces that are typically on a mix?   When I see one I always comment and melt "oh, that's a Disney dog."  I also love a sleek body; the canine physique is a magnificent one and I like to see it.  I do not like it hidden in a pile of hair.  Hmmmmm.... so a poodle?  You all know that I do not fluff my poodles; you can have a poodle look however you like.  Being that I like to see the gorgeous body of a poodle I opt to shave them down.  Not only does this allow more time for fun but less time on tedious grooming.

But hair has nothing to do with my love of the breed.  They are probably one of the most utility dogs around; ask them to do anything and they'll give it a try.  Their intelligence is unmatched.  Even when I was thinking about adding another canine to our pack when we got Elsa, I considered other breeds and mixes.   I have fostered a couple of spoos over the years but they did not blend with my existing pack so they were placed into a wonderful home of their own.   There have been times when I am shooting rescues that I am extremely close to bringing one home; mostly the little mixes with a Disney face.  Oh how I love a little scruffy face.

Being a true dog lover (which to me means you love all dogs, not just your breed) I fall into the "so many dogs, so little time" situation.  It took me a very long time to find Elsa and when I finally connected with her breeder, it felt right.  Choosing a dog should not be taken lightly; and I am not talking about breed alone.  Each dog is an individual, each owner is an individual; so will the two come together for a glorious, or tumultuous life?   I have helped many people come to the realization that they have the wrong dog.  Does that mean that they place the dog?  Give it away?  No, they simply need to realize their differences and work through them.

Even within a single breed, no two are alike.  Luke and Elsa are very different as were my spoos in the past.  But as far as I'm concerned we all fit together like pieces of a puzzle.  The Standard Poodle is the perfect match for me.  Exterior image has nothing to do with it.  Spoos are just dogs like other dogs but with curly hair.   The whole fluffy poodle image is one created by humans and has nothing to do with the true Poodle.  They are amazing athletes, wonderful guard dogs with a crazy level of intelligence.  Does that mean that a mix or different breed will never live in my house?  Not at all; you never know you lies around a corner of your life.

In the eyes of a canine you can see the true awesomeness of each individual.

But for now I am head over heals in love with... Luke and Elsa.  My spoos.

Old And New

Yesterday at the beach we ran into a very nice woman with her Sheltie pup.  He was a gorgeous tri-colored sheltie; six months old and very sweet.  Elsa quite enjoyed him but he was interested in Luke.  I kept Luke back a bit until he had a good chance to watch and get accustom to the youngster.  The puppy had very good manners; he was not jumping on Luke or in his face.  Luke stood on his tip toes which is customary and let the young dog check him out.  In only a few moments Luke seemed to like the little guy and wagged, even play motioned to him.  It was a great young and old interaction.

Not all puppies act appropriately around older dogs.  The interaction can go very wrong if it is not supervised.  The older the dog, the less tolerance to puppy shenanigans typically.  I remember asking people in the park if their dog was puppy friendly?  This was when Elsa looked like an adult to many but was not.  They would say that their dog was friendly and then I would ask, puppy friendly?  Many people changed their mind when given this information as they should.  Not that Elsa was a bad puppy, she was always very respectful, but still a puppy. This means fast movements, barking and general crazy stuff that many adults or older dogs do not want to deal with.

Some puppies are just downright obnoxious.  Add a senior to the mix and it can be really horrible.  So we need to teach our puppies how to act appropriately if they don't do this on their own.  The biggest issue with an interaction is on the puppy; how do they respond to feedback.  There are puppies who are very good readers and respond to the slightest signal all the way up to the block heads that don't care how much growling or snapping an old dog does.  The latter are the ones that need a whole lot of work.

Not only do you need to help your puppy learn how to interact appropriately; much care needs to be given to protect the older dog.  Puppies can knock old dogs down or injure them simply by their excited approach.  Old dogs should not be subjected to the constant onslaught of a puppy.  It needs to be a slow and positive approach; especially if you are trying to create a relationship between the two.  If it is just a chance meeting in the park; go with "short and sweet."  A quick hello and off you go.

This past weekend Luke and Penny had a good interaction.  Typically Penny gets herself so excited around Luke that it turns negative.  Luke has been trying to let Penny know that he is not interested.  Of course he is interested but not when she becomes a bowling ball tornado.  She is obsessed with getting to know him but in the process she gets so excited that she cannot control herself.  She also ignores most of his growls, snaps and bites.  Luke is not aggressive at all; he is merely trying to convey how he feels which she typically ignores altogether.  But this weekend she was able to control herself somewhat and they had a great interaction.

On first approach Penny looks at Luke and he stares at her.  She has her body posture down to a T.  Tail low, ears back, squinting eyes, pulled back lips and lowered body.  

This hard stare was enough to cause Penny to avert her eyes.

But not enough to stop her approach so Luke has to speak louder.  

The teeth display and growl is understood and she tests the waters again.  Notice her very low body posture, ears back, eyes squinting and low tail wag.

But as she crosses the invisible line that Luke has he must turn up the volume of his disapproval.  

Penny waits to see if the teeth will come again or if she can move closer.

She opts to lower herself even more by commando crawling on her approach.

The tactic worked and she lays still for a moment before acting further.

Feeling that she is not close enough yet she turns to see Luke.

Then falls in complete submission.  

Luke allows the groveling to continue but she is not allowed to get any closer.  

There is an old way of thinking that says to let them work it out.  If I allowed this to happen, Luke would be hurt without a doubt.  He is not strong now and can easily be knocked over by Penny's sheer strength.  Nor should he have to endure the onslaught of her desire.  She is desperate for his approval but in the process she becomes a whirling maniac of excitement.  This interaction was a good one.  It was highly supervised and I was ready to step in at any moment.  I have had to pull Penny off many times and I will continue until she can learn to be calm around him always.

Many people would step in and discipline the older dog for showing teeth or growling.  This is one of the biggest mistakes that owners do which can cause a huge turmoil in a home.  As the older dog and senior of the house it is his right to discipline her and communicate his displeasure.  If I took that away from him then Penny would turn into a dog with no boundaries.  Feedback is essential.  Of course if he meant her harm I would stop him but there is no harm meant by Luke's communications.

She'll get it, it might just take a while.  Enjoy, I sure did.

Oh those flailing arms

When I watch owners, trainers and dog walkers alike I am always surprised by the amount of arm waving.  Motioning here and there with those propeller like arms.  So much arm movement when all that it needed is a single tiny movement.  Dogs are amazing watchers of body language; they signal to each other constantly.  So many minute signals are given to each other that we often miss them completely.  So why on earth would we need to make all these huge flapping gestures.

I think the coolest thing to watch are those who have such an amazing connection with their dog that you almost cannot see it.  Have you ever seen one of those trick type shows where it looks like the trainer has nothing to do with what the dog is doing?  Watch closely and long enough and you will spot the secret signals that are being given.  They are so small that it takes our very poorly trained human eye a long time to discern them.

The big picture, we are always told to stand back and look at the big picture.  But what about the small ones; the signals and communications that you miss trying to see the big one.  I have stood watching dogs play with a handful of dog owners and been amazed by all the wrong assessments of a situation.  One dog will growl (a big picture item) and the owners jump to the conclusion that the growler is cranky.  But the reader who has made this determination has missed all the micro communications before the big one, the growl.

The only time that dogs talk "BIG" is when their regular, small and fleeting communications have failed.  So when we talk with huge waving arms to start off with we have no where to go from there.  We are already at the place where big messages come from so then we typically hit the yelling stage.  Speak softly and signal small; that is the big secret to really connecting.  Watch for tiny signal, body movements and communications.

Having an amazing communicative connection with your dog does not require a loud voice and waving arms.  A slight movement can speak volumes to dogs; and that is without a vocal sound at all.  Dogs learn signals much quicker and before they learn words; it is after all how they communicate best.  Clean, clear and concise small signals work wonders.  Stop flailing, the more movement you deliver in a message the more work a dog has to do to try to understand it.  When a dog becomes confused by a message it is probably because of our delivery.

Test and review - Mutt Lynch Wine

Just this past weekend my family had the wonderful opportunity to taste test several wines from Mutt Lynch Winery.  We'd been planning the event for a while and finally all came together long enough to give our palate a plethora of intriguing flavors.  The plan was to set the wines outside and enjoy our wine tasting outdoors before coming in for lunch.  But with the temperatures up in the high 90's; the tasting moved indoors.   The table was set, the white wine chilled and red waiting to be tasted as we sat with our tasting glasses.

The wines that we had lined up to be tasted were:

Chateau d'Og - Cabernet Sauvignon
Portrait of a Mutt - Zinfandel
Merlot Over and Play Dead - Merlot
foo foo leblanc - Sauvignon Blanc
Unleashed - Chardonnay

In attendance for the taste testing was Jamie, my oldest daughter (27), Nicole (25), Brad (23), my hubby, Luke, Elsa, Penny and me.  We are a family of foodies, fine wine and dog lovers so this was a perfect pairing.  Who better to taste test Mutt Lynch wines?

First up:

Unleashed - Chardonnay
Finding a good white wine can be a challenge.  But as we really enjoy both red and white we are always looking for a great new white.  These whites were both very good.

- warm fruit aroma,

- light and crisp,
- flavors of vanilla and pear,
- mildly tart,
- slightly sweet,
- fabulous summer wine,

- short finish.

foo foo leblanc - Sauvignon Blanc
Of course I was leaning towards this one with it's cute poodle label.  (wink, wink)

- aroma of green apples,

- smooth,
- pear flavors,
- light,
- the ultimate summer wine.

- nice finish.

Portrait of a Mutt - Zinfandel
This was a stand out for us all; surprisingly as we do not often drink Zinfandel.

- plum aroma

- smooth,
- spicy/oak flavors,
- flavors all come together as one,

- blackberry finish.

Can I please taste some wine?  Nope, no wine for dogs.  

Merlot Over and Play Dead - Merlot

- earthy aroma,

- great flavor,
- light but full bodied,
- smooth,
- hint of chocolate,
- notes of smoke,

- light lingering finish.

Chateau d'Og - Cabernet Sauvignon

- warm peppery aroma,

- palate is full with flavors.
- subtle tannin,
- touch of tobacco,
- black cherry,
- peppery smooth,

We did not drink all of the wine on Saturday so we were able to try them once again on Sunday.  As wine does, they took on new flavors as they got their legs.  These reviews were from the first taste test.  All the wines were lovely with everyone having their own favorite but the big star was the Zinfandel.

My own preference for wine is a smooth, full bodied, dry.  I do not enjoy a sweet wine but a slight touch of sweetness in a light white can enhance an afternoon glass or two.  I will be heading over to the Mutt Lynch website to stock up and hope to take a trip  to their winery before long.  Cheers.

Everyone is a trainer

Your dog's life is in your hands.  

The term "trainer" implies some degree of knowledge with regard to a specific activity.  Being a trainer does not mean that you are an expert; nor does it mean that what you teach is useful or pertinent.  As far as being a dog trainer, there is a vast degree of difference in those who call themselves a trainer.  I met one girl who said she was a dog trainer; when we started discussing behaviors it was obvious that she didn't understand what I was talking about.  She did not have a dog of her own and had only been training at PetSmart for over a month.  Scary.  She was teaching people how to train their dogs.

There are trainers and there are trainers with experience.  Experience teaches you more than anything in a book; hands on work with dogs is real life experience.  Each dog is different, working with a new dog always comes with new lessons.  There have been times when I was really surprised by a displayed behavior; a new lesson was learned.  Truly understanding dog behavior means that you can never assume that something will work.  You must have alternative tactics for when it doesn't work.

Working with dogs is a never ending lesson.  Those who think that it is done one way and that is how you do it, is not someone you want training your dog.  Typically conventional choke collar trainers do it one way; that is where the collar comes in.  Take the collar off, the leash off and where are they?  They are stuck with no means to teach, sad.  If they cannot yank a dog around on a leash and collar they really have no knowledge of how to interact and teach the dog.  Everyone should take collars off and see how much real control that they have with their dog.  If you cannot rely on a collar for control; have you got any sort of control?

My training is geared around living with extremely well behaved dogs.  I do not teach agility, flyball or other activity type training.  I know many dogs who are amazingly well trained in their field of competition but off the field they are literally a fur monster on four legs.  This is a major reason why I love doing in-home private training; I get to see the dog in the home where the action happens.  Each dog's training is set up for that particular dog in their home with their people.

In the world of training there are the inexperienced newbies, trainers stuck in their ways of the past, those who only know one way and the very harsh unbelievable trainers.  It always surprises me how many harsh trainers are still around and that people allow these trainers to do what they do to their dogs.  I have heard of one trainer who comes to your home and immediately alpha rolls the dogs. People stand back and let it happen.  One woman I talked to told me that her dog bit the trainer pretty badly after being alpha rolled; not surprising.

Over the years I have undone a great deal of damage done by inexperienced or harsh trainers.  When I meet the owner and hear about what the trainer did to their dog, it makes me mad.  I explain to the owner what has happened to their dog and then we get to fixing the issue.  Many bad trainers use bullying tactics to sell their talents.  They use the owners feeling of inexperience to fuel the "you're going to wreck your dog," idea.  I have heard this time and time again from owners who put blind faith in a trainer and now live with the guilt.

When you hire a trainer, no matter what trainer that is; you must feel good about what they are doing or asking you to do with your dog.  If you shudder at something your trainer is doing to your dog; don't do it.  Not everyone has you or your dog's best interest at heart.  Inexperience, greed and anger have no place in dog training.  Much damage can be done by a trainer who lacks basic knowledge about canine behavior.

If you feel the least bit apprehensive about a trainer, find another.  Your dog is worth the best.

Not tired yet.

Yesterday morning before our walk, before the gym and before truly being awake I was being entertained by Elsa.  I am today, still amazed by the purity of the interaction that you can have with a dog.  It doesn't have to be your dog; it can be a dog that you run into at the park, a friends dog or another family members dog.  The old saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' is especially true in the context of dogs.  I have been shooting dogs for a long time now.  Am I tired of shooting our four legged friends?  Bored of following a dog around to capture a moment that we might otherwise miss if it is not captured?  Do I grow weary of working up the hundreds of images shot at a single shoot?  Not even close.

So there I was, enjoying the antics of my young'n.  She was at her best and had energy to burn.  As I was not yet ready for a walk she thought that she might expend some of her excess on me.  When Elsa has some overflow energy, stand back and watch the show.  I try to capture personality when I shoot a dog, any dog. For me a shot of a dog sitting just looking at the camera leaves much to be desired.  It lacks emotion.  Of course this is why I am regularly crawling around to get a shot instead of working in a nice tidy studio.

Although I have used Elsa as an example for this blog (sheer laziness of not wanting to look through thousands of photos), the same thing goes for all of the dogs that I have shot and will shoot.   When you take a photo of your dog; are you capturing your dog or simply an image?  Would someone looking at your photo get a feel for who your dog is?

Elsa began her silly behavior when I told her to "wait," as I ran to get my camera.  This was the bored face she had on when I got back with my camera.  

She most definitely has a plan here and it is to pounce Mom.

A sneak attack preparation look.

The full on "let's brawl" face.

At only 22 months old, I have enough photos of Elsa to line the walls of my house and a couple others on the street.  Tired of shooting dogs?  Not a chance.  If I'm not shooting a client's dog, dogs for a magazine or random dogs on the street or beach then I'm shooting mine.  A picture is worth a thousand words, most definitely.  I think that most you now have a very good understanding of who Elsa is; and Luke of course.  It is all about emotion, a photo must contain something to feel or it is simply ink on paper.  My shoot with Elsa yesterday was very fulfilling; she gave me so much of herself to capture and show to you.  How can I not share the sheer joy of Elsa with others?  It just would not be right.  :)

No words needed here.

What a flirt she is.

Her approach to play with Luke is full of meaning, very respectful but to the point.

Any attention from Luke is good attention.  She LOVES when he bites her face.  Notice her ear placement and closed eyes in submission.

This is what my husband and I lovingly call the blank stare.  It is a look that Elsa gets often and I believe a ponder moment between thoughts or emotions.  

 The photos below are from previous shoots, we have one just about everyday.

A new toy, happy girl. 

The common "get off the computer" display.

Begging eyes.

This is very clearly an invitation and sheer joy.  

Elsa is very much a toothy girl.  She adores showing everyone her teeth in play.  This shot is purely Elsa.

This is a beautiful shot I used at Christmas.  It looks very angelic but holds a great deal more information than  a simple angel looking to the skies.  She was a tad concerned here as a plane had just dropped some weird stuff in our yard.  Tail down, ears slightly raised trying to figure out what just happened.   

Also one of the most affectionate dogs that I know; this is Elsa's google face.  Here she is trying to reach over with her tongue to lick my arm.  A shared moment.  

Have you called Mom lately?

Yesterday I sent Elsa's breeder a little update.  Not a long and drawn out letter; just a note about how wonderful she is doing and let her know about a few things we've been up to.  Even though Elsa is very well known, I still like to connect.  It's what I do.  I have been reaching out to my dog's breeders for a very long time.  I still talk to Tilley's breeder even though she has been gone over a year now.  I tracked down Jessie's breeder after she moved to Mexico so that I could update her.   With that connection I was able to find a Jack Russell puppy for a friend of mine that was actually related to Jessie just a year before Jessie passed.  

Not all breeders want to hear from you; but the good ones love to hear how their babies are doing.  I've tried to contact Luke's breeder but cannot find her.  We were in touch and then she just disappeared.  Luke came from a co-owned dog and when I could not find the woman who raised him until I got him I went to the "kennel name sake" other owner.  I just wanted to touch base; let her know that Luke had epilepsy, as a  sort of heads up.  I wanted to share with her that he was doing great and that he was the love of my life.  As soon as I mentioned the epilepsy I never heard back again.  Sad.

When a good breeder raises a litter of puppies; they put their heart and soul into the job.  They connect with each one of those puppies personally.  When the time comes to let them go to their new homes; I am sure that a piece of their heart goes with them.  Far too often when a puppy leaves; a breeder never hears again.  Sure the breeder can call and find out but the better scenario is to be contacted by the new owners.  Just a quick call, email or message to say "hey, she is doing great and we adore her."  Or share the problems or questions that you might have.

This goes for dogs that don't come from breeders as well.  Perhaps your dog is a rescue; rescuers too love to hear how the dogs who have passed through their lives are doing.  Imagine the satisfaction of hearing about a dog that you saved.  A dog that was pulled from near death that a rescuer helped move onto a wonderful forever home.  Stories of their new life must be very uplifting to a rescuer.

One of the first people that I talked to when Tilley passed was her breeder.  Through streams of tears I wrote her an email and within minutes of sending it she was on the phone to me.  I could barely talk but she was there to listen to the few words I could get out and we shared a moment over a very special girl.  A good breeder is an amazing thing to find. The good ones care long after those little puppies leave their loving arms.

With Mother's Day just a few days away; consider giving your extended family a call.  Be it a breeder, rescuer or foster; I have no doubt that they would love to hear from you.

Is that me?

Perhaps Luke's mirror attraction is simply because he is a handsome devil?  

Yesterday Luke and I were having a snuggle when Elsa came to join in.  I have a mirrored closet door in the office so I could see her coming up from behind.  She stood watching the interaction between Luke and I for a while and then noticed us in the mirror.  She has seen mirrors many times but seemed intrigued to see us in it at that moment.  She moved closer to the mirror watching intently.  I waved and her ears went up.  I talked to her in the mirror and she seemed to be very interested in this whole mirror thing.  She turned to see us in our real location and then got goofy; what a girl.

Mirrors and dogs are a funny thing.  There are dogs who never notice a mirror; for them it becomes just part of the house.  Others notice occasionally and some are mystified by it.  Most puppies will react when placed in front of a mirror.  The big difference is how long they stay interested in it and how many times before they realize that there is really no one behind there.  Luke has always been a mirror watcher; he also watches TV.  Not like most dogs who glance if a dog barks; he watches full on shows and follows along.  So perhaps there is a commonality between the two.

I wondered yesterday what Elsa was thinking.  The fact that Luke and I were there in front of her but we were also over there in the mirror had her excited.  She was excited but calm, although very interested.  Luke has always been a calm watcher.  If there is a mirror around he likes to check it out and I most definitely see him checking himself out regularly.  Of course he is a handsome devil but he truly likes to look at himself.  We use to have a dresser at the end of our bed and if you were talking to Luke on the bed he would always turn to see if you were in the mirror.  He would do it several times until satisfied.

Mirrors are a funny thing as far as dogs are concerned.  Even when Luke was young and very much the nervous ninny type; he never minded that we were always in the mirror.  But he did love to look into it.  There is never any real interaction between the person or dog in the mirror and the actual dog; only what is offered by the dog which is why puppies tend to lose interest quickly.  Of course there are dogs who will always be drawn to a mirror and freak out by the presence of another dog in there.  But the difference is what draws them to the mirror in the first place.  There are dogs who will go to look in the mirror who are driven by an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) type behavior.  Feeling the need to check if the dog is still in there and of course they always are.

What do dogs think when they look into a mirror, see and notice themselves or someone else?  I'm not sure.  I know that Luke enjoys looking into the mirror and seeing himself or us as well.  It does seem to make him happy as he does it when he can.  It is a calm action, almost soothing to him.  A new puppy seeing themselves in a mirror for the first time most definitely think that it is another dog.  They display all the same behaviors as when they actually meet a new dog.  Elsa seemed to be amused by our reflection yesterday.  She did not look at her own; she was only watching Luke and I intently.  After a few moments her emotions got the best of her and she goofed out.

As intriguing as it is for them to look into a mirror; it is equally intriguing for us to watch.  Who knows what goes on in those little reflective heads but it is very interesting.