Figuring it out

This is not the shaggy dog who was crossing the street but a sweet boy taken several years ago at a very fun shoot. 

The other day I was stopped at a red light waiting for it to turn green.  As I lingered there a couple walked across the street with their shaggy dog.  They each had a coffee in hand and were obviously headed home after visiting Starbucks.  As I watched them meander to the other side of the street I saw their dog balk and then stop.  They both stopped and stared at him as he stood frozen, not willing to budge.  Of course this got my attention.  I was now very interested in this bunch.  Finally the dog walked and then once they got to the sidewalk he again jammed on his brakes.  It was the prong collar.  The couple were in a hurry to cross the street which meant that the leash was tight. So the dog the dog was enduring pain; he did the only thing he knew to do and stopped.

The two owners stood staring at him; the leash still taut.  I could clearly see what the problem was but they stood puzzled.  The man yanked and tried to coax the dog to no avail.  Finally when he put his arms down in dismay, the leash now loose; the dog moved along.  I remember years and years ago, I attended an obedience class with one of my first poodles.  This class was the catalyst into positive training for me.  Not because it was a great class; no, the class itself was about as harsh as you can get but because of this I longed to find something different, a better way.  During the class we had to heel our dogs around and around.  It was what you did at these type classes.  We had slip collars on the dogs; which are basically cloth choke collars.  The teacher had the collars fitted so that they sat right up behind the ears.  I remember getting into an argument with one of the assistance as she attempted to fit it far too tight for my liking.  "It will slip down if it's not tight," she said.  No I was not having it.

Once we started heeling we were to give corrections to our dog for lagging.  My boy immediately stopped and reacted quite dramatically.  The more I corrected the more he dragged behind.  The whole memory makes me shudder; but it is the reason I am a positive trainer today.  My boy was quite sensitive and this harsh yanking had him so unglued that he completely shutdown.  Not good.  We left the class and did not return.  They teach or assistance had no actual knowledge of canine behavior; they only knew to yank and correct; knowing nothing of all the fallout behaviors that will follow.

Dogs learn through association; so of course my boy hated his collar.  He wanted nothing to do with all that negative stuff.  Soon after I discovered positive training and we never looked back except of course to explain why to many, many people over the years.  I am quite shocked by the number of choke and pinch/prong collars used these days.  Dog necks are not meant to be yanked on; no more than our necks are.

I see fallout behavior related to harsh or pain related corrections all the time.  Sadly the owners don't put their action and the dogs reaction together to figure it out.  One day while at the park an obvious novice owner was working with her young and boisterous lab.  He was getting very excited by the presence of Luke and Elsa.  But as soon as he started she tightened up on his leash and prong collar sending him into a pain induced frenzy; which she saw as a result of Luke and Elsa, not the collar.

When your dog reacts, take the time to figure it out.  Look to see if it might be something that you are doing.

Canine Mammary Cancer

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  Post surgery, even though it is a huge incision it looks good.  

  
  

  I was recently contacted by Kathleen Moore who wanted to share her experience with canine mammary cancer.  "Mammary cancer?" I thought to myself.  Like many things, I have not dealt with this issue so knew nothing about it.  So I did some research and tried to educate myself on the subject.  There is not a lot of information about it on the net but enough to become aware.  What I did discover is that it is not uncommon and more prevalent in certain breeds.  Age plays a factor.  Within the articles available there is a vast difference in stats on early spay with regards to the disease.  Like any cancer, early detection is essential.  Know your dog and check often.
  
  Kathleen was kind enough to share her story in hopes that it might save other females from the same trauma.  Below the linked articles is a short explanation of what she and her girl Smuckers went through.
  
  These are a few good links I found on the subject.
  
  DVM - 360 Prognosis, treatment of Mammary canine mammary tumors. 
  
  College of Veterinary Medicine - Canine Mammary tumors
  
  Purdue - great article on Mammary tumors
  
  Association of spaying and mammary tumors
  
  
  S - Was it you or your vet who noticed something? What was the first symptom?

  
  K - Right after Smuckers finished with her season the end of May, we were playing on the floor and I rubbed her tummy. There it was. About the size of a pea by her 2nd nipple. Being a nurse, I rubbed and rolled it. It felt just like a little hard pea. Since I am not one to jump at every little thing, I watched it. During this time, there was no change in Smuckers activity, her appetite or her demeanor. But it got bigger and I noticed another bump.  
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  S - What were the tests that were done to diagnosis mammory cancer?
  

  
  K - At Smuckers first appointment, Doc K did a physical exam. Since Smuckers loves her Doc, she rolled right over!! With her relaxed and his fingers knowing what they were looking for, he found more little tiny lumps by nipples 1 and 3 on the right side. An X-ray was done and I saw the shadows of the lumps.
  
  S - Did your vet fully educate you on the problem?
  
   K - Doc K explained that they could or could not be cancer. That we could watch them, but since one had already more than doubled in size we probably shouldn't wait very long. He explained that if it was cancer, there was always the chance that it could spread to other internal organs.
  
  
  S - Which treatments did you choose?
  
  K - The only question I remember asking was when can you take them out! Smuckers had surgery the following Monday to remove the lumps and to be spayed. That was one of the worst days of my life! She did absolutely wonderful!! When I went to pick her up, she came into the exam room with her tail up and wagging!! 
  
  S - What is the prognosis?
  
  K - When Doc K came in, he told us that he was aggressive and took a lot of the surrounding tissue around each little lump and that the pathology report would be back on Wednesday or Thursday. We left the clinic and I put Smuckers in the back of my SUV. Even with a 14 inch incision on her tummy, she was having none of that! Into the front seat she came and laid her head on my hand. On Wednesday, Doc K called and told me that the pathology report had come back Adenocarcinoma, but that all the tissue around the lumps had come back with clear margins. This means that there were no cancer cells in the surrounding tissue! Our prognosis is that we live each and every day like it is our last! Doc K's prognosis is that the cancer is gone and she should enjoy her Senior years! 
  
  
  

  

  
  

  Healed up nicely and doing great.  

  
  

  
  
  S - How is she doing now?
  
  K - Since Smuckers is the most stubborn, obstinate, and bull headed girl I have ever had, she does exactly as she wants. Before she would be reprimanded. But, now at the age of almost 12, I have given in and pretty much let her do her thing! I just love this little blue girl so very much!! She swims, she naps, she plays with our 5 month old little girl. She is still our Queen and rules the others!! 
  
  S - Anything else you would like to tell us about mammary cancer in canines?
  
  K - I had asked Doc K about mammary cancer in canines. Unfortunately there is not all that much information. It seems that most people don't even think about it and by the time their dog goes to the vet, it has already spread and reached the life threatening stages. I just want all my "doggie friends" to know that they should check their intact companions every month for little lumps!! 
  
  
  
  

Seeing progress, no matter how small.

A sweet and very successful boy.  :)

Can you see it?  That tiny little step of success?  A step so small that it might be barely visible, to anyone other than you of course.  I often talk about baby steps; taking small little steps in the direction of a goal.  No matter what that goal is, baby steps are the best way to get there.  But our human nature often kicks in and we can't wait, we grow impatient; we crave success, big success.  That desire for monumental achievement can be the very thing that causes failure.  

Over the years I have become a huge observer of canine behavior.  A fallout of this behavior of mine is watching human behavior.  Human behavior is another window into canine behavior.  The smallest step from a human can create a chain reaction in their canine.  I am always watching.  I remember watching an obedience class that was not mine.  I was there to photograph, not to teach which is not an easy thing for me.  One of the people and their dog were having a difficult time with the stay.  I could clearly see the problem but the "official" trainer could not.  The owner was making too many movements which was confusing the dog.  Did she want him to come, stay or what?  He wasn't sure so he kept breaking his stay.  

The difference between success and failure can be a gesture or behavior from us; so small that we would probably think that it carries with it, no value.  But dogs are master body language readers; they far exceed our ability in that department.  When I watch a canine/human team I do so with an eagle eye.  I observe the canine, the human and the two as one.  One woman who I was working with was having problems with signals.  Her dog, she said "was just not getting it."  I put them through there paces and quickly saw the problem.  "Stop moving your body," I told her.  She was motioning with her body when she gave verbal cues along with the hand signal so that when she dropped the verbal and the body movement, the cue was too different.  By eliminating the body movement when she gave the verbal cue and hand signal the dog could then succeed in learning just the hand signal.  

Another time when a dog was most definitely progressing successfully; an owner missed the progress.  She was growing frustrated at the lack of progress when I took a moment to break it down.  We were attempting to stop an obsessive behavior of attacking the refrigerator every time someone got ice.  The dog continued to run into the kitchen but had stopped hurling itself at the refrigerator.  It continued to bark in a frenzy but did not jump on the fridge, it was huge.  She couldn't see it because she wanted complete success, not just a step.  After pointing it out she was quite happy.  

Pay attention, watch the for the smallest of steps.  That is with regard to training and rehabilitating.  Tiny little steps in one direction or the other hold a huge amount of information.  A fraction of a step backwards means that something is being done wrong.  For the tiny positive steps, don't miss them because you are looking for the big bang result.  The smaller the step to success, the more solid and lasting the success will be.  

Just chill.

Have you ever met a dog that seems to have a difficult time dealing with day to day activities?  A dog that is maybe driven to bouts of panic by the simple introduction of a new person, item or environment?  I have and it is most definitely a sad thing.  Sad because most phobias in dogs can be rectified by early and continued socialization.

Penny was at our house over the weekend.  My daughter has done a great job of socializing her so that she can reach her full potential.  But like any dog there will be things that she has not seen before and how you react to those things will play a huge role in how your dog deals with the stimuli before them.  Sunday Elsa and Penny were playing in the yard; as you all know it gets pretty crazy.  At one point I guess Penny knocked into one of the many flower pots in the yard.  I saw Penny startle out of the corner of my eye and turned to see what was up.

The  pot was rolling from one side to another.  Penny was stretched out as far as she could, investigating.  Although she was quite intrigued by the movement of the pot she was also very afraid of it.  Her elongated body was ready to bolt if the need should arise.  I watched her for a long time while she watched the motion of the pot.  It was a small plastic pot and was only rolling an inch or so, back and forth.  She was mesmerized by the action and stood fixed on it.  Funny how little things can seem so monumental if it has not been seen or witnessed before.

A few moments later Elsa ran up to see what Penny was doing.  She ran up and sniffed the pot, sniffed Penny and ran off.  This nonchalant reaction from Elsa helped to ease a bit of Penny's concerns.   Then my husband went over, picked up the pot and swept the area.  His non reactive response also helped to ease little Penny's concerns over the rolling pot.   Essentially creating a non issue out of the moment.  Good.

Later that same day my other daughter placed a fan in the living room.  It is not typically there, it was the fan from my bedroom.  Elsa came in to the room and didn't blink at it's presence but when Penny entered the room she jammed on her brakes and startled at the fan.  Once again she stretched out her body; part of her wanting to investigate while the other part wanted to run and hide.  She's seen fans before but not in the living room at Grandmas house.  So she reacted.  Elsa once again ran to Penny's side; showing her that this was not something that needed any concern from her.  But Penny was not convinced; she barked several times until running past and finally settling to chew a bone.  Even then each time she needed to walk past the fan, she gave it a dirty and very suspicious glare.

No matter how much you socialize your dog there will always be something new to experience.   I love when Elsa and I come across something that she has never encountered in the past.   If you are a regular reader of the Just dogs with Sherri blog then you will know how to react to a new and slightly startling stimuli.  Of course each dog is very individual and as such each reaction will be varied.  Knowing your dog and how they typically react will help in understanding how best to deal with the experience.  But the most important factor in all new things, chill.  Make it a non issue, that is as long as it is a non issue.  There are of course things that are big issues and a proper response must be taught.

As far as the day to day startling things that will appear on a regular basis; just chill.  

Quit while you're ahead

Short and sweet is a time old saying.  The whole idea around the saying is to keep it positive; not draw an action out making it become a negative.  I have a few sayings or quotes that I have implemented into my life over the years and one of those is "quit while you're ahead."  Just yesterday I heard myself saying it as we left an interaction with some other dogs.  I really don't know where in your life "quiting while you're ahead" would not be a good idea.

Elsa and I were at the park yesterday; we had the place to ourselves for a while which makes for some great fun.  But I also love when other dogs show up for some canine interactions.  Even though Elsa is now two years old I am still extremely cautious as to 'who' we interact with.  If there are too many negative interactions; even the most friendly of dogs can start to exhibit bad greeting displays.  So when I saw these two coming our way with their lowered ears and body with low tails wagging I was happy.   A Golden and a malti-poo type mix.

The woman shouted to me as she was very literally being dragged our way across the field.  "Yes," I called back at her "friendly?" question.  Being that we were in a very safe area of the park I immediately unhooked Elsa to freely greet these two.  The Golden got lower and lower as they greeted one another.  The little dog was a bit intimidated by Elsa which can initiate a snap or growl.  I really didn't want that to happen because Elsa has been snapped at too many times now by small dogs.  So I called her to me and the Golden and her continued their interaction.  Then the woman got one of Elsa's fabulous bubblicious greetings causing her to then ask about her breed, age and personality etc.  We chatted about Elsa for a bit and just as the little dog approached Elsa again we made our exit.  "Leash" I said and Elsa came and got hooked up.  We said our good byes and added another great greeting to her experiences.

Keeping the "quit while you're ahead," thought in your head at all times really helps to cut down on over stay moments.  Life is filled with day to day experiences; each one offering something to store away for later use.  When building an experience resume for your dog you want to obtain far more positive than negative.  Life will give you those negative moments no matter how hard you try not to have them.  But with enough positive ones, the negative have less impact.

So when you are out with your dog having a positive experience, quit short of it becoming a negative.  

Reactivity

Is your dog reactive?  Mine was but he isn't anymore; having had a lifetime of experiences he rarely reacts ever now, in a reactive sense that is.  I remember trying to explain reactive to my pet sitter when Luke was young.  I told her first that he was a reactive dog and by the ????? look on her face I tried to explain.

Reactive simply means that a dogs over reacts to external stimuli.  They are typically highly aware dogs; the type that nothing gets past.    Some dogs have particular triggers; others are over reactive in general. The term reactive is descriptive; how reactive a dog is can range vastly. Luke was on the low end of reactive; I have seen highly reactive dogs and it is not fun.  Luke often had an aggressive response but was not actually aggressive.  An aggressive response is common in reactive dogs; learning to deal with the aggression take a great deal of education and care.  

Rehabilitating a reactive dog takes time and patience.  You must also educate yourself to your dog's specific triggers before you begin to work on the reaction itself.  Harsh training methods, ie. choke collar or pinch/prong collar type training has absolutely no place in working with a reactive dog.  It would be like taking a bottle of lighting fluid and throwing it on the fire.  Calm distance is the first step in helping a reactive dog.  Whatever the trigger might be, you must calmly move away.  You yourself must become very observant and have great situational awareness.  You cannot help your dog if you are also reactive so you first have to get a handle on your own emotions.

To change how your dog reacts to certain stimuli you must work at a distance around it.  You associate it with a nonchalant attitude and pair it with a positive association.  Under socializing is a big cause in a reactive dog.  Exposure is imperative to rehabilitation.   If you have a reactive dog you must address the situation as soon as possible.  Some reactive dogs are helped over time with exposure alone but many need extensive work.

Just because your dog reacts to certain things does not make them a reactive dog.  Reactive dogs are different and once you see one you will clearly understand the difference.  More in an article on my website in the near future.

Looking back

Lately I've been looking back; remembering the months gone by, but I try not to do it often.  One of my all time favorite quotes is "don't look back, you're not going that way." I'd much rather pull up a great memory when I think about my dogs but sometimes looking back helps us with a life lesson or two.  I often sit and talk about our dogs who are now gone.  You know the "remember when," moments?

Almost all dog lovers have at one time lost a great companion.  It is never easy; no matter what age they are when it happens.     Losing a canine companion is life altering.  But all the years spent with canine companions give us so much joy and alter the very person who we are.  When I do take a moment to look back at who I was then; before my life with dogs began and who I am today, I like today's person much better.  What do our dogs teach us?  Look back and see.

Each and every dog who has passed through my life has given me something.  A life lesson can be found in almost every day spent with a canine.  Living with dogs keeps us humble; oh yes, we all know those lovely humble moments.  They usually arrive when we are pumped up and ready to brag or show off.  ie.  You have arrived at your best friends house with your new dog.  You are about to go into your "oh yes, he is the smartest dog ever" routine when your pride and joy hunches over and takes a dump on your friends beautiful cream colored carpet.  You know those moments.

Our dogs also teach us what is important in life.  It is the little things, it truly is.  If you take the time to watch your dog; just watch your dog doing anything.  A moment when you dog is lost in deep sleep; dreaming about who knows what, but running madly.  When they meet friends in the park and have a smile from ear to ear.  The joy your dog takes from being told it is meal time; the small things.

Looking back can be a bad thing but it can also be a great thing.  Dwelling is the difference.  Don't look back and dwell on what could have been or should have been.  Look back and remember those small moments.  The things you learned from your dog that you will bring forward into this very moment in your life.

Not off leash, NEVER

This male Lab was extremely aggressive.  Elsa got away with her interaction because she was a young female.  Other dogs were not so lucky when they approached him.  The owner had him at a public beach off leash.  He did not play well with others and should not have been off leash.  If no one was at the beach he could have gotten away with it as the dog was completely focused on his balls unless another dog entered his circle.  

We were enjoying ourselves at the park.  Luke and Elsa had met up with a friend and were romping around when a car pulled up.  As the car pulled to the curb I got the "heads up" that I never want to hear.  "That's the guy with the aggressive dog;" my friend said.  The dog is so aggressive that if the dog bites another dog he will be euthanized.  But the kicker is that he lets the dog off leash; that's right, off leash.  As we head to the car quickly I am ranting.  My head is spinning with thoughts of allowing a known biter off leash "really?"  The whole scenario played out in my head as I picked up my pace to get to the car.  Thinking about the dog charging us and going after Luke, I opened the pocket in my bag that holds my pepper spray.  I was not going to allow some stupid guy with an aggressive dog to injure one of my guys.  Once we reached the safety of my xterra we chatted and the owner of the aggressive dog waited.  He finally left seeing that we weren't leaving right away.

Another day, another walk and Elsa and I were coming around a corner at the park.  We were just about to head past the children's play area when I spotted a Weimaraner.  The owner panicked and screamed for his dog making a dash to grab her.  I stopped in my tracks seeing that it was not an okay situation.  My job is to protect my dogs and I take this job seriously.  Once he had her hooked up he moved far off the path as we walked by very cautiously.  The dog lunged out going crazy at Elsa.  Really?  He'd had this dog off leash in a public park.  I truly don't get it.

IT IS NOT OKAY TO HAVE AGGRESSIVE DOGS OFF LEASH.

Yet another time as Elsa and I were out at the park a woman entered with her very large black dog.  She let it off leash right away and I got an uneasy feeling.  I called across the park to her "your dog friendly?"  She looked to locate where the call had come from and panicked when she saw us.  She scrambled to get her dog and hook her up.  She had obviously not seen us but still let this dog off leash.  It makes me crazy.  My own dogs are extremely friendly but I am still very cautious about when and where they are let off leash.  AGGRESSIVE DOGS SHOULD NEVER BE OFF LEASH.  Not in public.

There is a time and place when aggressive dogs should be off leash and that is ONLY when they are in a 100% securely fenced area like a backyard.  That or when and if they are being rehabilitated by a trained professional but still in a 100% secure area.

If you even think for a moment that your dog may attack another; KEEP YOUR LEASH ON.  I hear stories all the time of dogs attacking other dogs or people because they were out for an off leash run.  There are no acceptable explanations for allowing an aggressive dog off leash.  If you have an aggressive dog, it is your job to keep that dog safely contained.  It is your job to make sure that your dog does not hurt anyone; not another dog or person.

In life there are consequences.  Attacking another dog or person is just cause for a loss of freedom.  It is sad that we have to be so aware; due to those who are careless and stupid.  I for one am always aware of my surroundings; always watching other dog's body posture.  Having had several of my dogs attacked on a street walk and ended walking in the street for us.  We only walk in parks, beaches and fields where I can see well ahead of us.

There is NEVER a justified reason to allow an aggressive dog off leash.  NEVER.

Do you sleep with your dog?

Do you sleep with your dog/dogs?  I do and I'm proud of it.  I cannot tell you how many times my new clients have lowered their head in shame stating "yes they sleep on the bed;" when asked where their dog sleeps.  Once they have confessed the horrible truth to me; that they indeed sleep with their dog, we discuss their relationship.  That is once I tell them that I too sleep with my dogs and love it.

Sleeping with your dog is a great thing if your relationship is a healthy one.  With that I mean that you are the boss and your dog understands and respects that.  If the bond with your dog is skewed in some way then sleeping together may just be fueling a growing problem.  There are clear and concise rules to sleeping together in the same bed and they are:

-  Your dog will get off immediately when asked and will not balk at the request.
-  No growl is uttered if you need to push them over while sleeping.
-  You can keep your dog off the bed with verbal commands.
-  Your dog listens to you well outside of the bedroom.

Sleeping with your dog is great; if everything is great within your relationship that is.  But, if your relationship is not a healthy, well structured one; sleeping in the same bed can be a battle ground.  I cannot believe how many people think that their dog growling at them is okay.  "Oh ya, he thinks he owns the bed," they tell me.  Well, in his head he does own the bed if he is growling at you.  A growl is a communication of warning; it holds within it, some extremely important information.  The growl itself should never be extinguished; but the meaning behind the growl examined.  A dog that growls over bed privileges has somehow misunderstood the human/canine relationship caused by a lack of human guidance.

The bed, the human's bed is a big piece of status.  It is the place to be and dogs know it.  Most dogs want to sleep on the bed but many use it to obtain status.   It is after all the prime chunk of real estate in your home.  If a dog claims the bed as theirs then there is a problem within the pack.  Things have gone wrong somewhere and typically it is that there is not a clear understanding of who runs the place.

If your dog displays even the smallest complaint about being moved during the night, being asked to get off or will not stay off then they need to be off until your relationship is made right.  Like any other negative communication from a dog it starts with a very small; a signal that you might miss if you are not paying attention.  Maybe getting your dog off the bed has become a physical battle.  Do you literally have to push them off if you want them off?  If so, not good.

Your bed is just that, yours.  Bed sleeping privileges are earned not taken.  When things are as they should be within your pack; then sleeping together is wonderful.  Being the pack animals that they are; dogs love to lay with the pack.  It is as simple as that.  But sleeping with the pack leaders on the most sought after piece of real estate comes with rules.  Rules that must be followed or the privilege is revoked or at least it should be.

Just like Doctors

Before it was Luke and Elsa

Just like Doctors; there are good and bad Veterinarians.  Sadly I've run into a few of the bad ones over the years but I continued my search.  Clicking with a Vet can take time; finding one that you mesh with is worth the effort.  But never forget that the dog on the end of your leash is your dog.  You have the final say; never let anyone tell you that you don't.

A little Sunday morning reading.


Looking for a great vet

Care; real care.

A new vet

Temperament testing

Temperament - Characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response.

Test - the process of assessing.

Yesterday started out with a puppy temperament test.  Temperament testing is one of my absolute favorite canine related jobs.  Hanging out with a pile of puppies?  Not too many other things can top that.  But aside from the obvious joy of it; there is a great wealth of information that unfolds during the tests.  It is quite fascinating to see each puppy give up the information of what they are made of or who they are.

Just to clarify; temperament testing is not only for purebred dogs.  I have tested mixed litters as well from stray parents who were picked up off the street.  It is a test given to best place puppies.  

The temperament test is given as close to 49 days (7 weeks) as possible.  It is given in an area where the puppies have never been with someone who they have never met, me.  Each puppy is tested alone; you cannot test a litter together.  A litter gives each dog an altered temperament when they are as one.  Take them out and make them stand alone and you get a true read on that singular puppy.  The tests consists of putting each puppy through specific actions so that we can see how they react.  Scores are given in accordance to their initial reaction to each test.

What the test offers is some insight into an individual puppy.  This information lets you know where each puppy would best thrive.  Which family or home would be best suited to that specific puppy.  I am a big advocate of temperament testing.  It is surprising to see how different puppies can be in one litter.  There are litters made up of closely scoring puppies; but others may hold puppies ranging from one end range to the other.

Seeing each puppy as they are put through the stages of a temperament test is fascinating.  I love it and as each puppy is tested, the results from the puppy before and after will be compared.  The comparing is not as to which is the best but most appropriately suited to what home.  In all of my years of testing I have only had one very troubling litter result; and a handful of not so greats. Those who typically call someone out to temperament test are working very hard to have great temperaments.

As far as the test itself; I use the Volhard Puppy Test.  I have made my own modifications to it and work with each test a bit differently.  I give an initial reaction score of each puppy but then allow the puppy to be in the moment longer to see their recovery time.  Recovery time is huge and gives with it a ton of information.  I have also added a few extra tests that I like to see responses to.  One is the instinct to guard food.  Each puppy is given a piece of food too large to consume.  Dried chicken (local) jerky is good for this.  Responses are all over the charts with this test; everything from not wanting the food to running off and posturing over it on approach.

Puppy temperament testing is not the end result; it is merely a window into who that puppy is and where they might best be placed.  Environment, social stimulus and work can change things drastically.  Some puppy scores will offer insight for a dog who may have problems dealing in some way.   Others may be a bit of a handful; too confident for their own good.  Why not give all of the puppies and new homes the best chance to thrive?

My question to you as a breeder is; if you are not temperament testing, why?


 

And Penny Makes 3

I am so happy that I captured this moment; these girls love their man.  

Does it get any cuter than this?  Luke learning to tolerate Penny.

Here you can see Elsa intervening.  She does not like when Penny bothers Luke so steps in to fix the problem constantly.  

Submissive girl.  

Being disciplined for bothering Luke.  You can see Elsa's upper and lower jaw completely engulfing Penny's neck.  Penny knows that this is coming when she bothers Luke.  

Girls just wanna have fun. 

Luke looking to Mom for some reassurance after interacting with Penny.

Another disciplining.

Elsa trying to get Penny to chase her with the ball.

Just beautiful. 

Young sunbather.

More fun with Luke as their pillow.

Hmmmmmm...a caterpillar which Penny ate moments after.  Disgusting. 

Another caterpillar in the bucket.  

A line in the sand - the mount.

Communicating without mounting

Many dogs have a line that they have which should not be crossed.  That line is being mounted.  Luke has a clear line, when he was young it was even clearer.  He would allow rough play, even rude behavior but don't set foot on him.  If a dog attempted to mount him, he would take swift and immediate action.  One of his best friends way back when he was a youngster was a very rambunctious Boxer.  They played hard, leaping over one another and hitting as boys like to do.  He loved to play rough as long as there was no mounting involved.  Now his line is a bit blurry as a senior; he doesn't allow nonsense in any shape or form.  He likes to be left alone unless he is interested in an interaction, he's earned that right.

But many dogs have the same line when it comes to being mounted.  At two years of age Elsa has the line.  Penny, my daughters young Bull Terrier is at our house for a visit; she has been brawling with Elsa since the moment she walked into the house.  Yesterday, for a moment in the late afternoon Penny gave the mount option a try.   Elsa had just lay down on the blanket set out for them in the kitchen.  It was very hot out so they were both inside enjoying the A/C.  As Penny approached Elsa, it was clear that Elsa immediately saw something she didn't like.  Of course I was watching them like a hawk when I saw Elsa's reaction to Penny's approach.  There was something different about it.  Penny's ears were very upright; high on her head and close together.  She put one foot on Elsa causing Elsa to growl and change her demeanor.

My attention was now undivided as I watched the interaction.  Penny now had Elsa's undivided attention as well.  She approached again and put one foot on Elsa's leg.  At this point Elsa was still laying down on the blanket.  But as Penny's foot dropped onto Elsa's leg; Elsa let out a short but meaningful growl.  That was the line and Penny had crossed it.  "That's enough" I said as Elsa got to her feet.  As slow and methodical as it had started; it was extinguished in an instant.  The moment was over; Elsa was on her feet and the two began to play again.  Funny how dogs can have such harsh words and be over it instantly.

Once they started to play again, Elsa dropped to the floor and had Penny on top of her head.  They are constantly on top of each other but play standing over and dominance standing over are two entirely different things.  As an expert body language reader; Elsa reads with crazy precision.   Elsa came to us with this skill and it has served her well.  Now that she is entering into an age of maturity; communications have more meaning.

As an avid dog watcher and behavior specialist I see lots of crazy behavior.  Mounting is one behavior that is often misplaced and typically undesirable.  I see it a lot in puppy mill dogs or dogs who have not had the appropriate time with their siblings and Mother.  Some pet store dogs are perpetual mounters which can get them into all sorts of trouble.  Often seen as a "no big deal," behavior from novice or uneducated dog owners.  A mount can quickly turn an interaction into a serious problem.

But a mount is not always read as a threat.  It can be an obsessive issue; a behavior used for anything and everything with regard to excitement.  If a mounting obsessive dog uses it on another dog; the other dog may see it as just sort of annoying.  I have seen these obsessive mounters at the dog parks.  Many of the recipients to the mounting just simply try to shake it off, literally.  But there will always be the one dog who's line will be crossed making that obsessive behavior a dangerous one.

Mounting seen in our household dogs is an undesirable behavior.  It is a very natural behavior that is seen in wolves.  It is a behavior used to enforce or establish dominance.  The act of mounting in itself is not all that dangerous but the meaning behind it is.  The problem lies with dogs mounting strange dogs or dogs who do not live within their pack.  Even dogs within a pack can run into trouble by mounting one another.  The problem lies with the acceptance of a mount by the mountee (dog being mounted.)  Hence the invisible line which is drawn in the sand as far as mounting is concerned.

Do not allow your dog to mount others.  If you have several dogs in your home; watch for this behavior.  Mounting may be accepted for a point; or may never cause an issue.  My girl Jessie use to regularly mount the legs of my Poodles.  They knew what she was doing and why she was doing it but never felt threatened by it due to her size.  She was the clear boss in their minds and every so often just needed to remind them.  There unresponsive reaction was probably due to the fact that I always removed her.  But as long as you are the boss of your home, mounting is an unnecessary behavior.  As far as mounting dogs in public, at parks, beach etc.  Do not allow it.  Nip it in the bud as they say; it can only lead to problems.

Consequences

Like I always say, I just need to head out with the dogs to get blog ideas.  So, yesterday I decided to take Elsa out alone.  It is good for her and I to visit the parks without Luke.  We got to the park and there was no one else there; I love when that happens.  Out comes the chuck it and I fire away.  I thought it would be good to work the entire park so we head down to the other end.  After returning with the ball in her mouth; Elsa looked past me as her ears went up.  This was the first piece of information in the sequence of events.  I turned quickly to see what she had seen and it was a rabbit.  She thought about it for just a split second; dropped the ball and charged full speed.  I called her name in vain.  There is always a point when you realize that your attempts to stop what is happening are futile.  This was one of those moments.  She was gone and she was not coming back until she caught the rabbit; or at least that was what she thought.

I put the Chuck it in my belt and got a hustle on.  Elsa looked up at me for an instant and I called out "hey!"  I didn't want to use "come;" I knew she wouldn't come.  She thought about coming when I yelled "hey," but went back to her rabbit pursuit.  I was mad now, not as mad as I needed to be though so I put on my mad face.  I knew full well that this was a great training moment.  So I put on my best serious posture along with the face and made a b-line to my rabbit crazed girl.

She was at the other end of the park so I had plenty of 'think' time.  Often you don't have 'think' time so things just play out as hey unfold.  I was walking fast, there was the chance that she might try to get under the fence after the rabbit.  As I approached Elsa I yelled out a loud "NO;" I wanted a clear association to the word and what was about to play out.  (More on NO in another blog.)  With all of my time to think on the way to Elsa I knew that I had to grab a hold of her; at least for the initial point of getting her off of the rabbit.  If I just tried to shoosh her away like I would on a typical non compliance recall she would just skirt around me after the critter.  So with my posture upright and rigid, I donned my mad face and grabbed a hold of her harness.  I turned on a dime and head back towards the xterra.

I said nothing else and let my body do the speaking.  She knew, she knew that I was mad.  Now, if she had had a collar on I would have only grabbed for an instant and then had to work on shooshing or hooked her leash up immediately.   I do not like collar grabs as they can really create a negative effect.  I walked abruptly; with serious definition in every foot step.  I soon hooked up her leash as we continued onto the xterra.  Every bit of me wanted to head to the other end and continue our chuck it fun; but a lesson was being taught, right then and there.  I had to leave, she had to have consequences.  I didn't want to end the fun but it had to end.  Elsa had crossed a line that needed consequences.

Was I shocked that she went after a rabbit?  My ever so picture perfect girl?  No, I was actually happy.  This was very important information that I needed.  We've been around rabbits before that have only drawn her attention for a second.   Perhaps because they are usually at the end of a bush and dive under out of reach. This one was out in the open and running a good distance.  It was more than she could handle and she caved.  So we had a lesson before us which was perfectly timed.  She was not in danger of being run over; there were no other people around so this was the perfect place and time to have this lesson.

Once we got to the car I utterly only "get in."  My tone still stern along with my body.  That is when it ended, lesson over.  Typically a lesson is played out with feedback.  Instant, a reaction following an action.  This lesson carried on longer as the final statement was the vehicle.  Game over, fun over.  Knowing my girl as I do; the event will have a lasting impact.  This is exactly what I need.  There will always be something to chase; things that are very hard to ignore but a dog with drive must learn to ignore somethings.  Elsa's drive is nothing compared to what Tilley's was; this is a walk in the park.

Bath time.

Games are over, Elsa's pooped.

Luke and Elsa just had a bath.  I love it when they are all fluffed and smell amazing.  But getting them into the shower is a chore.  Elsa picks up cues when I am not offering any.  I work very hard at trying to make it look like nothing is going on; changing nothing but she still manages to know.  First I make sure that there is enough shampoo and conditioner in the shower.  I might do that an hour before the actual event so as not to clue her or Luke into what's coming.  Then the towels, there must be doggy towels in the bathroom.  So those come up well before the event as well.  Still, as hard as I try I cannot seem to outsmart the crazy smart Elsa.  Somehow she knows.

It is not that they won't go in there; I want it to be as stress free as possible.  They stress at the idea of a bath and the initial onset but once in and lathered up they don't much care.  It's like brushing or grooming; they don't love it but are very good while being done.  With flea season upon us I try to get them into the shower at least once every two weeks; but preferably every week to be sure we are staying on top of things.  That means that they may have drier skin than normal.  So rinsing is very, very important.  A good conditioner needs to be used; plus it makes them smell amazing. I use what is in my shower, organic shampoo or something special just for Luke and Elsa.   Adding a bit of extra oils into their food also helps with dry skin.  I'd rather deal with a bit of dry skin than put toxic chemicals on them.  Regular bathing and vacuuming is a must for keeping fleas at bay.

So it was Elsa first and Luke in after her.  Unfortunately whoever is done second knows it's coming.  Luke was stressed, trying to run away from me, so that Dad could save him from his Mom who wanted him clean.  But there is no escaping Mom; it's into the shower in the blink of an eye.  Once in there he's fine and takes no time to be rinsed and squeezed.  After their drip and squeeze it's immediately to the balcony where they shake off much of the water.  Depending on their coat length at the time, really factors in on drying time.  Being that they are both nice and short right now it doesn't take long in this warm weather.  After the initial shake off and towel dry they are set free in the yard to let the sun do it's work.

When they are outside, the dog door is shut to make sure that they don't come in and shake everywhere while they are drippy.  I get out more dry towels, the grooming box and the forced air dryer.  Now this is also when I typically get out my camera but I skipped the wet dog shoot this time.  I opted to wait and shoot after they were all done.  A half hour passes and they are now ready for some human intervention.  Elsa was in the shower ahead of Luke so she is already on her way to being dry.  So, she gets officially dried first with the forced air.  Being that I let the sun do much of my tedious work; she is dry in a matter of minutes.  Next is Luke which takes even less time than Elsa because his coat is much thinner than hers.  Using the forced air dryer allows me to check out skin condition. The dryer blows so hard that I can see any new bumps, marks or scratches that I might not see otherwise.  I take this opportunity to give them both a good going over, look see.

A quick brush through next for both with my amazing brush and they are done.  Now I get out the camera, sit back and watch the fun.  They feel good, really good.  It is obvious by their behavior after it is all done that they love the way that they feel.  Grooming time is a good time.

Freshly groomed and feeling spry; Luke initiates some play.  

Luke was being a bit pushy; here Elsa tries to calm him a bit with a face cleaning.  

Looks like Elsa is telling Luke a great joke.

Luke in hot pursuit.

Like velvet, soooo soft.  What a happy face.

Using that tail again, she is truly the biggest flirt.

Not bad at all for almost 13.  

Tone it down

This is Ruby, my sister's Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.  She's an amazing dog, she could literally retrieve all day long.  Hmmm, reminds me of someone else.  :)  But Ruby needs to slow down; she is 10 and she gets very sore if she doesn't tone it down a bit.  She loves nothing more than diving off the dock, retrieving her ball and then doing it over and over and over.  But the dock diving has ceased.

Ruby is only allowed to go after her ball from the beach, no more dock diving.   This ramp is a great help for her to get over the rocks.  

It is tough for everyone as our dogs age.  The whole family takes great joy watching Ruby and it is hard to see her have to give up a few of her favorite things.  It is for Ruby's own good and the toning down is done out of love for this wonderful girl.  

How happy is this face?

Ruby has a water retrieving ritual like many dogs.  She retrieves her ball from the water; shakes when she gets out and then throws herself on the sand/grass and rolls around.  Then she's ready to go again. 

Taking time out to clean her paws and take a fleeting break.  

She's no slouch at 10.

A special moment caught in time, priceless. 

I love shooting Ruby in action.  As hard as she charges into the water she always manages to keep her head up.

I remember the day we retired Tilley from Frisbee.  It was very hard, emotional and traumatic for the humans.  Tilley adjusted to low thrown balls until that was banned as well.  As much as we love to offer our dogs what they love; sometimes we are required to use our heads and make unpopular decisions.   As our dogs age we need to monitor their health and comfort regularly.  They too can be injured more easily as they get into their senior years.  So toning it down is a must. 

This above photo was taken years ago of a much younger Ruby.  

Socializing and beyond

Her panting was from the huge run she had, not stress.  She looked around, stressed a bit; lay down for a second and then ate treats.  A good experience.  

I clearly remember someone writing to me "I'm sure she is well socialized by now," when I wrote that I had been out socializing Elsa at the age of one year old.  I'm sure to the readers it seemed that I was always out socializing with Elsa and I was.  It hasn't stopped yet, no not yet; even when she is two years old now there is still more to do.  Dogs are in the moment creatures; so they take everything in around them.  Some dogs do more taking in than others; the ones who are far more aware of their surroundings, that's Elsa.  It was also Luke, although now at almost 13 he doesn't give a hoot about many things that may have concerned him in his younger years.

Socializing doesn't end until a dog is well into their adulthood; or at least it shouldn't.  Many dogs who are well socialized as a youngster can lose some of it if you don't keep it up.  I remember my road trip from CA to CT when Elsa was 4.5 months old.  Before the trip we had been out socializing like crazy; but I was very aware that 6 days would go by with very little.  Being stuck in the car was like a vacuum; void of the day to day activities that surround us.  Sure we were in a different hotel each day, new things and sites but she needed more than that.  So as soon as we got landed at our new home in CT we were out and about making up for a lost week.

If you live in a climate where there are severe winters or long stretches of heavy rain or scorching temperatures; you may need to consider extra socializing needs.  Long periods of isolation can in fact create a need to start over, almost.  Of course it depends on the dog; each and every dog is an individual so a long winter may not phase one but another may need to be re-socialized after it.  Dogs can become set in their ways with a lack of socializing and switching things up.  Learning to deal with strange things is a part of life and we owe it to our dogs to show them this.  These lessons do not stop at a certain age; we need to continue to show them all the weird and wonderful things that life brings.

Some folks who live on large properties in the country forget the whole socializing thing because their dogs have more than ample room to run at home.   Socializing is more than just meeting other people with other dogs.  When it pertains to dogs and their adjustment to life, it encompasses everything around them.  A country dog may be well adjusted to their surroundings; perhaps the people who come to visit, but what about outside of their little world?  We owe it to our dogs to show them as much as we can; not limit their ability to deal with life by a lack of introduction to it.

Recently, I was with someone who had just adopted a 3 year old dog.  We were at a horse show and the dog seemed great with the horses, really great.  But, when an elderly man walked by all hunched over with a strange hat, she went crazy.  She growled and backed up; obviously she had not been out and about enough to know that this was just a guy in a hat.  She needed more socializing.  But at three is it too late?   No.  It is never too late to improve your dog's ability to deal with life around them.

Professional canine behaviorist know that the optimum socializing period is approximately between 8-16 weeks of age.  Many think that the door shuts after that time.  I believe that it doesn't shut completely; but lowers slowly.  Yes, the best time to get the most effective socializing in is when a dog is a young puppy; but there is so much more to do after that.  With all the re-homing of dogs these days; there is a great need for rehabilitation socializing.  That means socializing in the later years of a dogs life.  Most dogs can indeed be helped by later socializing; but there will be those who have led such a shelter life that the improvement is minimal.

We were recently away on vacation; which means that Luke and Elsa spent a week at home.  As soon as I got home and had a good nights rest we were out in the world again.  For Luke it was simply to offer an outing; but for Elsa it is more important as far as socializing.  Sure she is more than social now at two years of age; she's had a great deal of life offered, to experience; but she can always use more.  In fact I took Elsa through the car wash yesterday.  She and I were out for a special birthday girl walk in the afternoon and I considered waiting until later to get the car washed, but then opted to take her in.  She has been in the car wash before with Luke but this was all by herself and a good experience.  She stressed a bit but not nearly as much as I would have; not knowing what the heck a car wash was.  I tossed treats into the back of the xterra as we went through so she learned that this monster thing was actually pretty great.

No matter how many times you go out; there is always something new to experience.  Don't handicap your dog by limiting life exposure.  Get out there.

Elsa turns 2

She arrived, Sept 09, 2011.

As every one of my canines have reached another year; I dedicate my blog to them on their day.  Today is Elsa's day; two years old, where the heck did the time go?  It seems like yesterday that I was talking to her breeder about the possibility of adding a new puppy to our pack.  It was a huge decision; after all we had three at home already, two very senior dogs and an old guy.  But we needed some young blood in the family; I knew only too well that things would be changing before too long. 

Plans were made as we waited with anticipation.  Seeing photos of the litter and watching videos just made it that more exciting.  We wouldn't know who was going to join us until the final temperament test.  I had discussed in length who, as far as temperament I was looking for to be our new family member.  At seven weeks it was decided, Kaede.  Yes, she was Kaede until just over 8.5 weeks old; until she became the one, the only... Elsa.

What a face.

Does it get any cuter?

Loving every second.

She arrived, stepping out of one life and into another with not even the slightest pause.  She ran with the big (old) dogs like she'd been here forever.  Her arrival could not have been more perfectly timed.  Now it is nearly two years later and I cannot believe how fast the time has gone.  I remember holding her as a very small puppy in my arms; wondering who she was going to be.  Watching her wonderful interactions with Tilley, Jessie and Luke let me know that she was indeed the one, the right one.

So now here we are two years later and I am head over heels in love.  She is without a doubt the dog that was meant for our family.  Elsa is a happy girl; if I had to describe her with one word it would be 'bubbilicious.'  Elsa's cup over flows with enthusiasm for life in general.  She is most definitely a cup half full kind of gal and goes with the flow.  She has already had quite the adventure in her short two years and been a joy to ride with through it all.

Elsa has turned into a wonderful young adult.  She adores Luke and he adores her; although he'd never admit it to anyone.  Seeing her wrapped around him on the couch when I come home from the gym makes me smile every day.  She in an athlete, tom boy and snuggle monster with high drive.  She is one of a kind, my heart girl.  There is nothing that she won't try, she is amazing.  We have yet to meet anyone who is not smitten by Elsa's charm and sense of humor.  I am very blessed to look down and see Elsa by my side every single moment of the day.  

A big 2 years old, time sure flies.  

I'm home!

Had to take a shot of this.  A poster on the side of the liquor/beer store in Ottawa, Ontario.  

I'm home and boy am I glad to be here.  It is harder and harder to leave as the years go by.  Like all of you, I love my dogs; my life would not be the same if they were not in it.  So as much as I love to head out on a vacation; if it does not include my dogs then I leave a piece of me behind.  When I am away I need a dog fix big time and lucky for me much of my family are dog folks, really great dog loving people.  So I get my fix which helps me to make it through the stress of not having Luke and Elsa by my side.

"How are they?" I ask the sitter almost daily.  I am very lucky that I have a sitter who moves in and picks up my Mom role when I leave.  She is there for one job only and that is to make sure that Luke and Elsa are happy and healthy while I am gone.  I worry, sure I do; it is my nature to worry but it is very minimal as I know that someone is looking out for them.  I'm sure that I suffer far more than they do when I am away.  My life revolves around dogs; not just my dogs but all dogs.  So when mine are absent I look to others to fill the void.

Happily I was around dogs for much of our trip.  If it wasn't other's dogs in parks, down town and farm markets it was my family's dogs.  Lots and lots of dogs which makes me very happy.

My families dog pick up the slack and I love it.  Spending time with all of my extended dogs is great.  Catching up and seeing how they've changed since the last time I saw them is great.  There were two new additions to the family since I was last home.  Two new Golden Retrievers, one is an adopted 3 year old named Maya; the other a new, soft and adorable puppy named Hannah.  She is the picture of a sweet and adorable teddy bear like puppy.  One evening there was a house full with 5 family dogs coming together.  The pack dynamics were extremely interesting and watching who was who and where they fit in was fascinating.

The five were: Sadie, a rescued wirehair Dachshund who could not be cuter if she tried.  I absolutely fell in love with her this trip.  Her younger house sibling Trixie who looks and acts very much like a Jack Russell Terrier mix.  She is tenacious and adorable.  Wile-e, who is a beautiful, quiet and distinguished Sheltie.  He is reserved but so sweet.  Penny, an amazing little Cairn Terrier who is all terrier with a whole lot of sweet and her younger house sibling; the new Hannah.

I got to spend several days with Ruby; my sister's Nova Scotia Tolling Retriever who graced a 3 page photo spread in Dog World several years ago.  She is starting to gray around the face but is still full of that typical Toller drive.  Ruby is as happy to see me as I am to see her and it is heaven as she whines and cries when we come together.  She is an amazing who I feel very lucky to know.

Plus Steve and I visited some great friends with their amazing Standard Poodles, Uno and Sassy.  Of course I cannot get enough of these amazing two.  So lots of photos to follow in the next few days but for now I am happy to snuggle into the morning with my two.



Extended family dogs; love them all.  Without them, what would I do?

Everyone's got a line

"My dog would never."  How many times have I heard that?  "Not my dog, she would never bite." Wrongo.  All dogs will bite; everyone has a line.  A line where they draw between the acceptable/not acceptable.  Like humans, dogs are all different; so what is acceptable to one may not be to another.  In general what I see is that many dogs tolerate things right up to and even over their line.  The more accustom they are to enduring behaviors from other dogs and/or humans, the further over their line they will be able to stand it.

Every once in a while when someone reaches down to hug one of my dogs I will allow it.  That is if we are in the right environment and if I am watching each and every twitch of behavior.  It is good to know where your dog's line is.  But, people tend to not know that their dog has a line and put them into situations that are extremely uncomfortable.  Take the folks who walk up to you and your dog and say "oh yes, he's very friendly," when their dog is clearly displaying  "I am not friendly" signals.  Hmmmmmmm.  The dog is walked right up, head on to another dog knowing full well that this is not an appropriate way to approach.  It is almost always done on an angle if left to the dog.

The biggest line that I see is with children.  Parents let children cross lines all the time and sadly many children are bitten because of this.  Not all dogs are child friendly.  Some are, some are pretty good, others are great and then there are dogs who just don't do kids.  Fear is probably the biggest issue regarding children and dogs and dogs do not need to be extremely fearful to display keep away aggressive tactics.  At the last market type event we were at, Elsa and I had a small toddler running up behind us.  Not good, the parents were oblivious so it was a good thing that I was on my toes.  She was shrieking and running up behind us.  Elsa was quite disturbed by this behavior because it was coming from behind.  We zigzagged through the crowd and easily lost our small chaser.

When I do introduce Elsa to children it is in a comfortable surrounding.  They are different for Elsa, she has not grown up around shrieking children.  She likes children and has enjoyed all of her encounters so far.  But to throw her into an unsupervised free for all situation and not help her to acclimate would be a huge failure on my part.

Do you know where your dog's line is?