Here and now

With the sound of Elsa flapping her ears I was sort of awake; awake enough to look at the clock, 5:00am.  Feeling the chill in the air I whispered, barely audible... "Elsa."  It always amazes me how well she can hear; after having old dogs for so long and Luke losing his hearing now.  But it is what she is waiting to hear so she is all ears.  She's up and snuggled down in a heartbeat.  After a few good morning kisses she settles down with her full weight across my back.  As I struggle to get comfortable under her weight she does her typical dead dog routine; seeming to quadruple her actual weight.  She doesn't care how much I wriggle around trying to get comfy; she's where she wants to be and very much in the here and now. 

It didn't take long to feel the twitching as she fell deeper into her dreamland once again.  In a matter of moments she was back to sleep; "must be nice I" I thought to myself.  To be able to fall asleep so quickly is something that can be allusive to we humans.  As I tried to keep the thoughts of the day to come out of my head; I was losing the battle and they were flooding in.  I was going to be at the gym early today, where would we walk, what photo work lay ahead of me?  All of these were seeping in as I heard Elsa start to dream.

This blog started in my head long before I was even up.  I was writing it while trying to not think about my blog or anything else.  Well, sleep was not happening so I figured that I may as well get up.  Throwing my robe on, I head downstairs to get a much needed cup of coffee.  I was up early enough to see Brad head off to work.  With a hot cup of coffee and bowl of chilli (my favorite breakfast is left over dinner) left over from last nights dinner in hand I head back to bed to blog.  So here we are.

As much as dogs can drop and be asleep at a rate that is almost unbelievable; they can also be awake and ready to rumble as quickly.  If I put my running shoes on at this very moment; Elsa would be more than ready to go.  Me on the other hand, I need time to wake up before I hit the gym.  I like to go in the morning but I need wake up time.  Elsa does not, she is very much in the here and now.  Whatever is happening, she's on it.  Both Elsa and Luke follow me constantly throughout the day.  Luke in his younger years was a foot watcher; constantly gaging my every move with a slight turn of my foot.  He of course has slowed now and follows more as I leave room to room.

Some dogs like Elsa who are highly intelligent and very aware of their surroundings are more obvious in their here and now.  While others seem a little oblivious to the here and now which surrounds them; their behavior suggests a sort of plodding through life obliviously.  But even these guys who don't show that they are aware of the changes around them are aware and living very much in the here and now.  When we are out on a walk, Luke and Elsa are very much 'on a walk.'  They are not letting yesterday, next Thursday or the thought of daily errands seep into their here and now.  They are on a walk and a walk is what they are doing. 

As I headed off to a photo shoot on the weekend I passed a woman walking her dog down the street.  The dog was very much into their walk with his head buried deep in the bushes.  The woman on the other hand was somewhere else; she walked far ahead with her arm stretched back as she came to a halt.  She never even looked backed to see what was going on with her dog and gave an almighty yank on the leash.   The dogs head dropped almost hitting the ground before being dragged along with his owner. 

We need to learn to be in the here and now from our dogs.   I bring my phone on walks in case something happened and I needed to call someone for help.  Or of course to capture a cute photo of something that Luke or Elsa is doing.  But I do not carry on a conversation with someone while I am on a walk with my dogs.  When on a walk, I am on a walk and we are walking together as one.  Much of the rest of the day is mine and I am doing errands, working out of the house or on my computer so when we are out together that is where I try to be.  Of course things can slip in and try to get my attention but I try hard to leave them to think about later.

We have busy lives, some busier than others and there is much to think about.  But being in the here and now is one of the best lessons our dogs can give us.  Living each moment in that moment is so very important; because once it has passed, it is gone forever.  Waking in the night or early morning is probably one of the most difficult things to keep clear.  Just laying there inactive lends itself to stuff getting in and leaving you sleepless.  Yes I wish that I could have got a few more zzzzs this morning; but I'm also happy to be up nice and early.  When I am blogging before the sun comes up; it is Luke, Elsa, me and a cup of joe and I love it.  Nothing gets in our morning time, nothing. 

A wolf in poodle clothing-face biting.

I spent much of the weekend researching wolf behavior.  As a huge dog lover I am also a lover of wolves and their behavior.  Watching dog behavior can keep me transfixed for hours and hours at a time; so can wolf behavior.  But when I watch wolf behavior I am constantly comparing; they are very, very similar, dogs and wolves.

Recently I was away for several days.  When I returned I received my customary greeting from Luke and Elsa.  It is much more exuberant than a day to day greeting; often accompanied with whining and face biting.  My face, yes, Luke has always been a face biter when I have been gone for several days or more.  He also whines and carries on for an elongated time span.  This face biting is reserved for me and me alone.  Oh, and my very good friend Theresa; she also gets face bites.  I know it is coming and I prepare for it.  It is very respectful and heartfelt when I receive it.  Luke and I have a very special bond; the kind that you can only hope for when you add a dog to your family.

My absence is felt when I am away and there is much celebration when I return.  Face biting is something that both wolves and dogs do.  The biting is gentle and delivered to my mouth area; the chin or side of chin but never above my mouth.  His tail is slung low and wagging madly; his ears flat back in submission.  Luke is very emotionally demonstrative with his mouth in other ways as well.  When he is happy his mouth will open.  If he is very happy he will huff as well.  His mouth says many things but it is used frequently when he is showing joy.

Face bite greetings are typically reserved for pack members or friends.  You should of course never, ever put your face in a dogs face.  It is a human behavior that makes me shudder.  So many people have no idea of dog behavior when they lean into kiss a strange dog.  Real face bites that result from crossing boundaries are nothing like a face bite for greeting purposes.  DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE IN A DOGS FACE, unless that dog is your dog. 

Elsa face bites also but her bites are more like nibbles rather than full open mouth.  She is even more submissive in her greetings.  Her eyes are always squinted, with her whole body posture slung low along with her tail.  She wags madly which creates much whipping that both Luke and I must watch out for.  She is a ferocious wagger; so much so that it gives her a hinged in the middle illusion.
When she face bites it is a more closed mouth nibble compared to Luke's full open mouth one.  It is accompanied with much licking as well.

Watching Elsa and Penny play is entertaining and fascinating.  As the more dominant dog in the relationship; Elsa is often face biting Penny.  There are many meanings behind the face biting; anything from greeting, affectionate nurturing bites to more serious discipline face bites.  All are clearly understood by Penny.  Before Penny is even in the door Elsa has her mouth over Penny's very large muzzle.  It is a greeting and wonderful to watch. 

A wonderful pictorial from the Wolf Howl Animal Preserve

Face biting is very common in both dogs and wolves.  Some do it more than others; some never do.  How many images do I have of a very young Elsa with her whole face in Luke's mouth; loving every moment of it?  I cannot count how many.  Even though my dogs are far from the preconceived wolf; they are very much still under there, albeit in poodle clothing. 

 

Bug eyed and staring.

Yesterday I took Elsa to the harbor.  I was not feeling well and thought that some sunshine might just help; it was also our alone walk day.  Luke and I had a short walk at the park and then Elsa and I head out.  When we arrived but before getting out of the car; I could see that there were a lot of dogs present, nice.  I love when Elsa has a chance to do some on leash socializing and the dogs at the harbor tend to be a little more friendly than some places.  So out we got and hit the path to say hi to some folks and dogs.

 

Notice her tail is up and she is comfortable enough to look around when standing right beside the beast. 

Pulling into the harbor I had noticed an elephant statue that I hadn't seen before.  Once we were on our walk and had rounded a corner we came across another one.  These were new here; how new I didn't know.  But I did know that Elsa was not going to like it.  She'd been to this harbor many times and she had been where this elephant statue now stood.  I knew it was coming so I was ready; and as I had anticipated she barked at the intruder...it just stood staring at her.  It had big bug eyes and was frozen as most statues are.  With the staring eyes and frozen posture Elsa alarm barked once again.

I immediately loosened my posture and approached it.  I bent down and made like I was tying my shoe right beside the scary beast.  The elephant stood on a platform that was about a foot high so I tossed a treat onto it.  Elsa reached out as far as she could without getting any closer to grab the treat.  I knocked on the side of the statue and read the plaque.  These were from the Elephant Parade which aims to raise money to help Asian elephants.    I wondered then how many dogs had alarmed at this elephants presence. 

Many dogs would not even notice this big elephant with it's staring bug eyes; but dogs who are very aware would.  Elsa is dog that doesn't miss a thing so the large staring eyes got her attention immediately.  As I tossed treats onto the platform she started to relax; but she was not going to let her guard down completely.  After all this was a large ominous looking creature.  She trusted it enough to stand beside it alone as I snapped a photo. 

How you react to situations is all important to how your dog will react.  Helping your dog means taking a "no big deal" stance on the situation.  "We don't even care about these things," is how I like to put it.  Keeping the leash loose, your body relaxed and voice calm; you will be able to convince your dog that this scary thing (whatever it is) is not scary at all.  If Elsa would have been younger, needing more work with the elephant I would have stayed and sat there with it until she was good.  But being that she has had a ton of work on these type of things we moved along on our walk quickly after a quick photo. 

Never push, coax or cajole your dog into dealing with a scary situation.  Instead give off the "we don't even care about these things" attitude and you'll be on your way much quicker.   

Rimadyl - repost

This is a re-post as I think it is that important.  Please share.

First I want to say that I am not a Veterinarian; so this is in no way medical advice. I am a canine guardian and as such I do extensive research on new products, diseases or anything else that I haven't heard about having to do with dogs. Rimadyl is one such item that I have done a lot of research on and feel the need to pass on the information that I have found.  After hearing and reading about so many sad stories with regards to taking Rimadyl; I feel that it is my obligation to share.  I hope that you share as well.

I have heard of people receiving the product from their Veterinarian for many different symptoms.  It's a little scary how it is passed out as a remedy for so many different things.  When I hear of anyone using it I recommend that they look it up immediately to see if they want to continue the use on their dog.

This was a past post but I feel needs sharing again.  I have also added a few new links.  It is a short blog; there is no need for me to go on about it when you can read the information found at the links below.

These are only a few of the articles that I found; there are sadly many, many more.

The Senior Dog Project
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K9 obedience Co. UK
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Mar Vista Animal Medical Center
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Romi's website
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USA Today

I recommend researching any new medication or product extensively before even considering giving it to your dog.

Halloween

Halloween, so many things to be aware of when considering our dogs and this celebration of scariness and candy. 

1.  If you plan to dress your dog in a costume; make sure that they are comfortable.  Can they move around freely?  Sit?  Lay down?  Can they see?   Costumes can be large causing them to drag on the ground or stick out; be very aware of flames anywhere near your dog. 

2.  If you are staying at home and handing out candy; take all precautions that your dog does not slip out the door.  Have you done boundary training?  If not make sure that they are no where near the door when you are passing out the goods to the children.

3.  Even if your dog is very friendly be careful when the ghosts and goblins appear at the door.  Things can go very wrong if your dog gets a sudden fright.  Little people often don't look like people at all when they arrive at your door; causing dogs to freak out.  Keep a collar and leash on your dog for safety if they will be accompanying you for the goodie handouts.

4.  Constant door ringing or knocking can be unnerving.  Watch for signs of stress from your dog. If you have a door crazed dog you may want to head out for the night in lieu of handing out goodies.

5.  Humans should know better but I have had people walk up to my door with their dog for trick or treating.  Of course this is a horrible idea as you don't know who is going to answer the door.  Be aware.

6.  With the constant door bell ringing and/or knocking dogs can become over stimulated; make sure that you are remaining calm.  Chill is the word of the evening; give no signals that this is in any way a big deal.

7.  The candy, ahh the candy.  How many dogs are rushed to the emergency each Halloween?  I'm sure that the numbers are high.  Keep the goods out of reach.  Do not expect dogs who don't touch things not to get into the candy.  When we were children, the big thing was to dump everything on the floor and trade with our brothers and sisters.  Keep it up high and know where it is at all times.  Often the problem is that children are in charge of the candy and things can go wrong from there. 

Enjoy the day tomorrow; be careful, be aware and have fun. 

 

Cannon Beach, OR

 

This beach was spectacular.  The picture is taken at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, OR.  There were many dogs enjoying the beach which made me miss Luke and Elsa even more than I already was.  I will be back with them to enjoy this beach soon. 

 

I spent yesterday in Cannon Beach, OR.  All I can say is that it is breathtakingly beautiful; that and very, very dog friendly.  I am so impressed and excited when I find new dog friendly cities.  I had heard that it was very dog friendly but I always have to experience it for myself.  Dog friendly does not mean the same thing for everyone. 

 

 

 

As soon as we arrived it was obvious that this was somewhere that people bring their dogs; there were dogs everywhere.  We quickly found a spot to have a bite at the Local Grill & Scoop.  As we walked up onto the deck there were two families leaving with their dogs.  Another dog sat tied, looking anxious but quiet as he sat alone, waiting for his owner to return.  (Another blog in the future on this subject)

 

After we sat and dug into our lunch; three other dogs arrived with their owners.  The seating area was small and there were four dogs in attendance.  Not a peep was heard by any of the dogs.  I was so impressed by the manners of these dogs that I had to ask if I could grab a quick shot of two.  Sadly my good camera was in the car so these are just cell phone shots.  Plus it looks like maybe some of my lunch was on the lens.  :)   The above gal is Billy, an adorable Old English Sheepdog who was on her best behavior and sweet as can be.

 

 

This little lady sat in silence right behind my chair.  Had I not seen her arrive out of the corner of my eye I would have never known that she was there.  She was an adorable Miniature Australian Shepherd. 

 

You could have come in, sat and eaten lunch without ever knowing there were dogs there.  This is so wonderful to see; but how do you get your dog to be so well behaved?  Exposure and training.  It was quite obvious that all of the dogs who were sitting so quietly were accustom to accompanying their humans on their outings.   When a city is dog friendly it enables people to expose their dogs to much more; which creates more well adjusted dogs.  Teaching dogs to sit quietly while you have lunch takes time and experience.  The more outings you have the easier it gets. 

 

 

 

This excerpt was taken from the City of Cannon Beach, OR website. 

 

Dogs on the Beach

Dogs are allowed on the beach, as long as they are on a leash or under voice control of the owner. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that the dog is physically controlled.
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Nice, very nice.  All the dogs that were on the beach yesterday were either on a leash or very well behaved.  One little German Pinscher ran around the beach off leash totally ignoring all the other dogs.  Even when a young American Bulldog lunged at the end of his leash trying to play; the German Pinscher completely ignored him and continued on with his human. 

What a great beach; I cannot wait to bring Luke and Elsa here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback

 

They await guidance via feedback. 

Feedback.  It's all about feedback.

Feedback - a reaction or response to a particular process or activity. 


Living with dogs is all about feedback.  From the moment your dog joins your family and throughout your life together; feedback should be a part of it all..  "I don't like telling him what to do," is a common phrase heard when discussing training a dog.  Some people link obedience or training with cruel control.   The whole process of learning to live in our human world requires feedback, constant feedback.  Our dogs cannot learn how to act appropriately all on their own, they need assistance.   If you have offered appropriate feedback as your dog learns the ins and outs of living in our world; the need for feedback typically lessens over the years. 

Rules, regulations and living side by side in a human world all require feedback.  When a dog offers an unwanted behavior; it is our job to give feedback.  Yes, I like that; no, I don't like that.  Tweaking behaviors or altering them in a large way is our job.  Without feedback we leave our dog standing alone to try to figure it all out by themselves.  That is not a good thing for a dog; our dogs need guidance every step of the way. 

Feedback is not mean, cruel or bad.  Feedback is good; our dog's need help to maneuver through it all.  Do you offer your dog enough feedback?  Are you helping them to figure out this whole human world of ours?  When you offer your dog feedback on a regular basis; they will tend to look to you for more.   Feedback can come as vocal sounds or physically stepping in.  Once a dog understands a particular vocal sound that means "not acceptable" it can be very easy to share the knowledge.   It is simply a required reaction to an action which supplies important information. 

I have had to step in and give feedback myself when owners have not stepped up.  If it concerns my dogs and someone else's dog I will most definitely offer what is needed.  Like parents who offer no feedback to their misbehaved children; unruly dogs receiving no feedback are just as obnoxious.  Feedback, give it to your dog. 

When to start the training?

      I took this photo years ago.  An irresistibly adorable Havanese puppy in need of an education. 


"When should I start?" the woman asks me with an adorable bundle in her arms.  We started up a conversation while standing in line at the store.  She'd had her puppy for 4 weeks and he was a cutie for sure; what puppy isn't right?  She had gotten her puppy at the age of 12 weeks so that meant that he was now 16 weeks and she was just thinking about looking into training.  "Now, right away," was my response to her question.  Right now. 

Looking back at the beginning of my life with dogs; I cannot believe the change from then and now.  Back then there was no positive reinforcement training, no clickers, no treat training.  It was all done with extensive use of the yank and choke'm method of training.  Thankfully there is less of that now but with the fame of a television dog trainer; force training has reared it's ugly head once again.  It is sad when I see people following his guidance and even sadder to see evolution in dog training taking a step backwards.

Many people are just now venturing into the waters of life with dogs.  It is a good time to be coming in; at least there are choices where there were none before.  Of course maybe twenty years from now choke collar training will be a thing of the past and no one will consider throwing a chain around a dog's neck to educate them.   We can only hope.

Okay, back to when, when do you start all of this education?  Immediately, as soon as you get that little bundle in your hands, start.   I have taught 6 week old puppies to sit and down within a matter of minutes.  Those little brains are working on overtime at a very young age.  The longer you wait the harder it is to get started.  Learning to learn is the first step and when it is done very young; you set the ground work for a great learning future for your dog.  Teaching an adult dog who has never been taught anything can be a challenge.  Asking a dog to oblige you and perform some sort of task that is trained but completely out of the ordinary can raise flags.  This means a dog that has been taught but is never asked to do anything. 

During a photo shoot I will often ask if a dog can sit or stay.  As you all know I do not like posed images but sometimes I just need a dog to hover in a particular spot.  I don't want them to smile at the camera but just hold still for a moment.  I know the answer immediately by the owners hesitant response if that is doable or not.  Often I will forgo any sort of manipulation due to the dog's lack of education.  Asking a dog to do something that they are not familiar with or don't normally do can cause stress.  Stress does not make for good images.  The dog may have been taught how to sit or lay down but it is never, ever used so when we pull it out of nowhere, they grow suspicious. 

Educate your dog as soon as they join the family.  Now, right now.  The old school train of thought was to wait until 6 months.  I cannot even believe that 6 months use to be the age.  The reason behind that 6 months starting age was the puppy's ability to withstand neck yanks.  Just imagine.  I can't even, honestly.  It makes me shudder to think about it.  Puppies can learn pretty much as soon as they can walk; and when you are not using any physical force to teach, why not start then?

I often ask 7 week old puppies to do a sit for me during temperament testing. I like to see what sort of focus they have and their level of food motivation.  It always makes me smile when they plop that tiny rear on the ground within a split second.  Little smarties they are.   If you have a new puppy, get started.  Do not wait for bad behaviors to start.  It is much easier to teach good manners rather than try to undo bad ones and then teach the good. 

When you are looking for a dog trainer, go positive.  Any mention of a choke or prong collar, make a quick exit.  They may have lots of experience but negative experience in my mind means that they are stuck in the dark ages; no evolution going on there.   

The umbilical

Penny and Elsa destroyed a ball made of rubber rings on the weekend.  It quickly became the toy to have.  Resembling an umbilical cord they remained attached to it for hours.  

Luke seems to enjoy watching their crazy antics.  (Photo bomb Elsa's tail)

Funny, neither wants the toy unless the other is hanging onto it. 

What a face.

Elsa literally dragged Penny around the backyard.

Penny trying to drag Elsa but Elsa doesn't budge.

Elsa coaxing Penny to grab the umbilical.  

The game moves to Luke's bed, not okay.  

I could watch Penny and Elsa play for hours...obviously.  :)

Poison

"He almost died," I heard the woman say as I approached.  She was explaining what happened to her little dog after ingesting SNAIL BAIT.  He was acting strange, staggering and shaking so they had a look in the garage and sure enough; there was the SNAIL BAIT.  Lucky for them he came to find them; even shaking and staggering he sought them out for help.  They grabbed the pup and head off to the Veterinarian immediately.  Calling ahead, the Veterinarian was ready for them when they arrived; a great plan when emergency hits.  Making sure that the facility was prepared for what was coming; they were able to begin working to save the little dog immediately.

SNAIL BAIT poisoning is far too common; over the years I've heard of several deaths close to me.  Realizing that your dog has eaten the substance and quick response in essential.  Many dogs died with their owners never knowing what happened.  SNAIL BAIT kills quickly.  Dogs find it appealing because it resembles kibble. 

SNAIL BAIT POISONING

Symptoms start quickly and intensify; you must get your dog to the Veterinarian fast.  Even if you are not sure what your dog got into, get them to the Vet.

There are many things around the home and in your garage that can poison your dog.  A common product like Windshield wiper fluid can be lethal.  If your dog has any access at all to the garage, basement or storage area where any of these type products are held, get them up.  Put anything and everything up high on a shelf.  Some dogs are notorious for eating things; even things that taste awful so don't put faith in "he wouldn't eat this," notion.  Always prepare for the worst case scenario; that in fact your dog does want to give some sort of poison a try. 

Windshield wiper fluid

I don't like using anything toxic in  my home.  Of course there are probably a few things around.  Keeping those items that are toxic to a minimum is a good idea.  Poisons, like SNAIL BAIT or RAT/MOUSE POISON should just be avoided completely.  As far as snails go, just step on them.  Oh, I know what you are thinking......gross!!!!!!!  Yep, gross but a quick death; far more humane than being poisoned and suffering a slow and painful death.  Plus there is no chance of your dog being poisoned; if you keep it around there is always a chance.  We had a huge snail issue many years ago.  I would get a container and pick snails first thing in the morning.  I am not kidding you when I say that I could gather up 50 at a time in my yard.  I'd package them up, take them to the canyon or open field and set them free there.

Pet Poison Hotline

Be very aware of the products kept in your home.  Keep them out of reach and if you think that your dog may have gotten into something, go immediately to the Vet.  Quick action can save a dog. 

"Oh look, he's wagging."

                                                                               Perfect play tails. 

One of the biggest misconceptions in dogs, is wagging tails.  "Oh look, he's wagging," is taken as a sure fire sign that he's friendly.  It could mean that he is friendly but it could also mean just the opposite.  Dogs wag for all different reasons; if you watch a tail closely you will see that it has many different wags to it.  The way a tail is held, the speed in which it is being wagged, the part of the tail being wagged and of course the rest of body all play roles in understanding the what a wag means.
 



Of course a wagging tail is only as good as the dog or person reading it.  As I said many people misunderstand a wagging tail as friendly and approach when they see it.   Sadly many bites occur because people don't read dog tails correctly.  You need to really watch tails for a while to learn their different communications; that and see what the rest of the dog's body is doing as well. 

Tails signal change insanely quickly; and if you are not watching you might miss what the dog is saying.  Watching a pack of dogs interact is so interesting; their signaling to each other is done with lightening speed and precision.  Watching Elsa, Luke and Penny interact is a great display of tail signaling.  One second Penny has her tail held high and vibrating as she prepares to launch herself at Elsa; the next it is slung very low and speed wagging as she slowly approaches the man of the pack, Luke. 

I really hate when I cannot see tails; they give us so much information.  Some breeds have docked tails which put both the dog and us at a disadvantage as far as reading.  Others have tails that are curled up over their back which are very hard reads.  I find that many of these curled tail dogs tend to be dogs that other non curled tail dogs are wary of.  I know that both Luke and Elsa are very cautious around them and tend to just stay away.  They are a hard read; that tail stays up there on their back and barely moves. 

Elsa has a very fluid tail; obviously I love it.  I get to see things that I have never seen in any of my own dogs before.  As you approach her relaxing on the couch; she squints and slowly wags the 1/2 end of her tail.  Sometimes it's just the last two inches that barely twitch; but there is enough movement to visualize a reaction on approach.  Her tail is almost continually in motion; it is always saying something.  Often it is only her tail that gets my attention as I may be on my computer and hear the thumping of it as she gets goofy trying to draw me from my work.

You must look at the posture of a tail as well as the wag.  The higher a tail is held the more confident a dog is.  The wag or movement will tell the rest of the story.  Luke was commonly under fire in his younger years as he was an extremely confident guy.  He would enter a park with his tail held high charging around; much to the disapproval of other males or dominant females in the park.  He was not dominant, just very confident.  But entering the park so cocky got him into trouble 


Tails have a lot to say; do not let a wagging tail fool you. 

One dog at a time

           Several years ago Courage was nearly starved to death.  News traveled fast as
           people who cared shared.  He was rescued, saved, rehabilitated and has a happy home.

Imagine if every dog lover shared one thing that made a dog's life better with another?  Just imagine the chain reaction?  I have always wanted to share pieces of information to dog lovers; hence the blog and the ability to hit more people.  Of course not everyone will want to share what they read here but maybe a few will.  How about chains around dog's necks?  Many people now know that it is not a good thing; dog necks were not made to withstand a yanking chain around their neck.  Some people will share this info and if it even spreads as a trickling share, it is still being shared.
When I find new information, articles, blogs and research studies that I think are important I will share.

These days there are so many ways to share so much.  You can share via social media, blogs, videos and pretty much anything you find on the internet.  How many dogs have been saved because of social media?  I know that the little foster gal I had just a few weeks ago came to me via FB.  Otherwise I may have not known about her need for a foster at all.  Social media surely speeds things up; not everyone has time to visit all the places that we'd like to on a day to day but we can check in on our social media, right?

What about Puppy Mills?  Is it even possible that some people don't know?  Well, I'd have to say no but I believe that some people only sort of know.  The actual truth about Puppy Mills can be very hard to listen to but we must and we must also share.  For the more knowledge that is spread that harms dogs the better dog futures will look.  Ending pain, suffering and cruelty starts with all of us in the form of sharing and stepping up.  See cruelty happening?  Step forward and speak up.  I remember years ago when I was at a dog park just photographing dogs having fun when I heard a commotion about twenty feet away from me.  I watched for a moment and assessed the situation before approaching. I most definitely knew that I was probably going to be at least yelled at but I stepped forward anyway.  A guy was slapping his dog because the dog was licking his stitches.  The man was violently angry; he said he'd already had to have his dog's stomach restitched (but he was at the dog park?).  "Stop hitting your dog," I said and stood firm.  "Mind your own f&%*ing business, b&#$@h" he said to me.  He was the type of person that would hit a dog and maybe even me I thought.  We got into it pretty intensely I'd say but he did stop.  About 20 min. later he even apologized but I'm sure it was just because there were others in the park.

The way you share any sort of information plays hugely on how it will be received.  Of course I was not polite about the idiot hitting his dog but any other time I am.  I offer information by pieces and if someone wants to know more I will share more.  Telling people that what they are doing is wrong, will almost always be taken as an insult to them as a dog owner; and your opportunity to share will be lost.  If at some point you share information and that person then says "I never knew, thank you;" then you have done very well in your delivery.

How can you know something so important about dogs and not share it with at least one person?  I don't know how many times I have stopped to talk to someone and ended up sharing a ton of information just because they were so receptive.  Sharing is good, pass it on.  Know a great new rescue?  Share it.  Know of a dog looking for a home?  Share it.  How about a Veterinarian who deserves sharing?  A recall on food or treats, share it.  Share it and let's make our dog's world a whole lot better, one dog at a time.

Push and pull

              Yep, this is me at around the age of 15 I believe.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  This was a big Junior showmanship win for me.

             

I wanted to talk about pushing and pulling this morning.  What made me think of this was grooming Luke yesterday.  At a wobbly 13 years of age I hate to put him on the grooming table at all; so when I do, I do it with great care.  I would love to lay him down on the table but he would have a heart attack.  He is not like Tilley use to be; she would fall asleep on the table.  I think that Luke's table days are numbered and he will be getting groomed on the ground from now on.  But back to the pushing and pulling. 

The  mechanics of a dog body creates an opposite effect in that what you think should happen does not.  When you push a dog you assume that they will move in the direction of your push; but they do not, they push back.  When you pull, they pull.  So many dog owners are left in a physical stand off.  I learned this many, many years ago when I was in the conformation show ring at thirteen years of age; which is where and when it all started for me.  Yes I use to handle dogs, show dogs.  The first dog that I handled was a leaner; he would lean into me and if I tried to push him off he only leaned harder. 

Dogs are very easy to manipulate if you do not attempt to man handle them.  One finger works much more effectively than a full on hand push.  Being that my dogs are poodles they need to be groomed so they need to move a fair bit.  If I just grab a foot and start to clip they will pull back; the harder I pull the harder they pull until they could fly off the table.  If I hold their paw up a bit further and push into it, things go great.  If I want them to move closer to me I just use one finger to push them and they push back to equal my pressure. 

Ever tried to pull a dog somewhere that they didn't want to go?  Not easy.  They jam on those brakes and dig in.  But if you drop the leash, allow slack and walk along side coaxing; you'll get to the destination much quicker.  I will often put my hand over and under Luke's neck with just one finger actually touching him just below his ear.  This is enough to let him know that he is coming with me.  If I threw a collar and leash on him and tried to pull him, we'd be up for a struggle. 

I have handled so many dogs over the years; from the conformation ring, grooming, training and day to day that it just comes naturally now.  They have spots that make the whole thing very easy.  Of course moving them without touch also works wonders.  It is one of the reasons that I don't like collars on dogs; you have to think about what you are doing when they are collarless.  A collar can become an awful default maneuvering tool.  Can you get your dog to move around places without a collar?  You should be able to.  Dog's who are continually moved or stopped by a collar can also become collar sensitive and defensive. 

You can go about moving dogs the hard way; thinking that muscle will move a mountain or you can do it the easy way by knowing where to touch.  Learning where to touch to get the most productive response can take time.  Of course the closer you are paying attention the faster you will learn and the more easily you will move dogs. 

How will he let me know?

You all know that Luke has recently been transitioned to the dog beds on the floor at night.  He has become far to frail to be on our bed sleeping so we made the decision.   I started to wonder how Luke would let us know that he needed out.  When Luke was young and sleeping on our bed; he would dive off and dive back up on the bed over and over until we woke up.  It was very effective, he would land on my husband; being that the door is on that side of the bed.  There was no misreading what he needed.  But now that he was on the floor; how would we know that he was up and about? 

I found out last week and again last night.  He stomps by the door; he spins and makes a fuss in general.   It just so happens that there is a nice little squeak in the floor at the door that assists in his communications.  Elsa got all fired up by his performance last night and when I opened the door you'd of thought that the two were shot out of a canon.  She thought it was a game; his jumping around had triggered her play switch. 

All of our dogs, except for Jessie (Jack Russell) let us know that they needed out at night.  Even as an adult dog if Jessie had to go, she would go at night time.  She was fully housetrained and would never go in the house any other time.  But if she had to go in the middle of the night; like when they have diarrhea, she'd go. That little girl had an iron stomach so it only happened maybe twice in her adult years.  But as she got into her golden years it started happening more often so she slept in her crate.  There she always let us know that she needed out because she most definitely did not want to go in her crate.    Tilley use to sit and stare at the door.  When she realized that this was not enough she would make a moaning sound that was hers alone.  It would awaken me in an instant and I'd be up and out in a flash. 

I have considered placing a set of bells on the door like I have in the kitchen; but have reconsidered that idea.  I'm thinking that the bells with the young dogs will most definitely be abused and being woke up for the frivolous antics of youngn's doesn't go over so well in the middle of the night.  So I will rely on their own ingenuity to figure out a way to let us know. 

Elsa has yet to wake us at night.  I'm not sure what she will use but I'm sure that she will figure it out.  She is the smartest dog that we have ever lived with so it will be interesting to see what she does when the time comes.  Of course I'm not holding my breath; if that moment never comes I'll be quite happy about it.  After letting Luke and Elsa out last night we went back to bed in the darkness of 1:30 am.  They of course were sound asleep very quickly.  Listening to their whimpers and tiny growls I wished that I could sleep like that.  Awake one moment and asleep the next.  Funny, as Luke ages he sleep much more sound.  Me on the other hand?  Not so much. 

Getting cranky

                                      Off to visit people and dogs; Luke heads down the beach in CT.  Mr. Social.
                                              This image makes me smile; I remember it like it was yesterday. 

We were heading to the path; the small path that allows you no leeway for distance.  Just as we approach Luke decides to take a dump, nice.  Trying to pick it up in amongst the bushes, I did my best.  The poop bag was too messy to try to tie; you know those, I'm sure you've all had them.  So I had Elsa and Luke in one hand and the undesirable untied bag in the other.  I saw them coming, they were headed down the same path that we were on.  I also saw one of the little dogs lower his head and stare; great and I have my hands full.  I should have just dropped the bag and picked it up later but I didn't think about doing that at the moment.  I knew what was coming and it did; Luke lunged and tried his best to sound like a Grizzle bear. 

If I had not had a handful of poop that was looming to come out and touch me; I would have put Luke calmly on the other side of me.  But I didn't so he did a big bluster.  This is common for Luke and for many dogs.  Luke has slight leash aggression, it doesn't always happen but if he is feeling threatened or he considers the other dog to be offering rude behavior, yep.  It would never, and has never happened off leash.  Luke is the picture of Mr. Social.  He adores going to visit everyone, dogs and people. If someone growls at him he just  moves away; he is a lover not a fighter.   Even now as his hearing is diminishing I often have to run and gather him up as he goes on his visiting excursions. 

So why do dogs act differently on leash vs. off?  First let me tell you that it is very, very common.  Putting a leash on a dog alters their body language immediately.  Many dogs are not trying to give off a rude or aggressive display but because of their leash it looks like they are.  An all too familiar scenario is when two dogs are meeting and then one owner pulls on the leash to move away.  That is when everything changes.  The dog being pulled away can no longer speak freely and opts for aggression.   It is something that I have learned to try to avoid.   Use your voice not your leash if you can escape it. 

If you ever have doubts about another dog; err on the side of not visiting.  With each bad interaction comes a built in defense reaction from your dog.  Try to find those great dogs to meet and greet.  I was very angry the other day when a woman walking at the park let her very large Rhodesian come our way.  Luke is very frail now and I don't want him messing with anyone; it is my job to keep him safe.  I saw her coming from a distance; I also saw that her dog did not have a leash on.  I very calmly got off the path and walked across the park.  When I turned to check on the pair; her dog was heading our way.  I stopped as she yelled to me "he's friendly, gentle and older."  I called back "he does not like other males," just as her huge Rhodesian did some jump, charge play bow type things at Luke and Elsa.  Clearly he wanted to play and clearly this was not going to make Luke happy.  "Put his leash on," I called to her and she did. 

The whole humans reading humans always boggles my mind.  She saw us move off the path and go in a completely different direction; should that not be enough to let her know that I was not interested in an interaction?  Yes.  It does not take much to knock Luke on his ass these days.  Even a big bluster that he does himself can do it.  A romp around with a friendly dog can leave him very injured so I am constantly aware.  I am always scanning the area for dogs off leash with stupid people. 

If you have a dog with leash aggression; work on staying extremely calm and not giving one ounce of message to your dog.  Get some distance, that is the key.  Although of course there are those who will ignore this distance and keep moving in.  I work with dogs, people are another thing completely. 

Drive

The drive to retrieve is okay, as long as it is within a safe environment and under control.  

Drive: an innate, biologically determined urge to attain a goal or satisfy a need.

Prey drive, we've all heard the term and although it does come from the genetically hardwired behavior to chase a moving object; I prefer to call it just that, chase drive.  Many drives have nothing to do with prey as in animal killing.  Most of it is just the simple desire to chase something moving.  There are many different types of drive in our dogs today.  I saw this big difference when Penny was at our house.  Penny is driven by glimmers, it is becoming a problem.  She is most definitely obsessed and cannot stop unless she is physically removed from the room.  Every night when I would empty or fill the dishwasher as the sun was setting she would go off by the glimmers created.  I had to kick her out of the kitchen; obsessive drive is not something you want to fuel in any way, shape or form.

Elsa and Luke on the other hand are driven by things that they can get; lizards, crickets, balls, frisbees, etc.  Their desire to chase has not moved to the constant need to chase.  I had one of those and one is just fine with me.  Tilley, she had OCD and it was all about shadows.  She started very young; at four months of age we noticed her following butterflies.  Thinking that it was adorable we watched and watched until we noticed that it was not the butterfly that she was chasing but the shadow.  At the time I didn't realize that this was a problem; I thought she was a smart girl to find something that gave her a sure thing to chase daily.   No, it was a problem in the making.

OCD (Obsessive, compulsive disorder) is not a good thing; especially in dogs who we cannot sit down and explain to.  Her desire to chase shadows quickly moved to any shadow, anywhere.  It was not until one day that she chased the shadow of a crow into the street that I realize the dangerous implications of her problem.  So what do you do with a dog like this?  We transferred her desire to chase to objects; so that we could control the chasing.  She was given error feedback if she tried to chase a shadow outside of our yard and she learned quickly.  She became an amazing disc dog and would literally chase and retrieve anything that you threw for her.  We redirected her drive.

It may seem cute in the beginning but an obsession on something that cannot be caught is a bad one.

Obsession:  a persistent preoccupation, idea or feeling.  The act of obsessing or the state of being obsessed.

Not good in any form.  Obsession should be dealt with immediately.  Elsa cannot figure out what Penny is doing when she starts with the glimmers.  Penny cannot figure out what Elsa is doing when she is after a lizard; different, very different.  One is drive, the other obsession.  You can see Penny waiting for a glimmer when she stands transfixed, staring at the wall.  It needs to end there but it must also be redirected onto something else; something that is controllable.  Just ending it will be nearly impossible.

The extension crutch

This is the Yap Wrap that Jessie wore in her senior years.  No longer a pulling dog she enjoyed the comfort of this harness.  

Last week I wrote about dog parks being a crutch.  The easy "go to" place where we take our dogs maybe too much.  Today on the way home from the park I saw a woman walking down the street with her dog; he was all the way out at the end of her extension leash in full drag mode.  Of course he wasn't dragging her because when a dog is that far away from you the pull is much less........ahhhhh, the crutch.  This dog was pulling so hard that it was bent over forward and down; I would imagine it was horrible to walk this guy on a regular leash.  "The pulling doesn't bother me if he's on an extension," is what I hear often.  No need to train if you can just throw an extension leash on, right?  Wrong.

Extension leashes are not only dangerous but they also mask problems.  Dogs who are strong pulling dogs are encouraged to pull when using these; because the owner suffers no pressure.  Those who walk strong pulling dogs on them often use them for just this reason.  Walking their dog on a regular leash sucks; it is not enjoyable at all, so on goes the extension.  I really hate extension leashes in general; most people who use them do not have near enough control or common sense to be using them. The only time I ever want to see one is in an open field, with no others around; if and only if the person holding the extension can reel in fast as well.  Does the person know when to start reeling?  Not usually, so I pretty much hate them.

But as far as the extension leash being a crutch; take it off and give a regular leash a try.   Dog pulling?  Hate it?  Then work on walking nicely on leash.  Oh yes it can be a great deal of work; especially if your dog has been sled dogging for many years.  Teach a dog to walk on a loose leash is an effort but well worth it.  There are many harnesses made now that reduce a dog's ability to pull.  The Easy Walk Harness is one of those and my "go to" harness.

When dog's pull and are never offered another option then they just keep pulling.  Training is work, yes but it is work that will make spending time together more enjoyable.  Of course there will always be times when a dog wants to pull.  Fresh out of the gate Elsa has some major ya ya's; but we wait until she gets a grip before we move on.  Walking a dog that is pulling you down the street is not fun for anyone.  Just this morning an older gentleman passed us and asked "dogs taking you for a walk?"  I said "no, actually I am taking them for a walk,"  he smiled and continued on.

What do I use?

People regularly ask me about the stuff that I use for Luke and Elsa.  Grooming equipment, food that I feed, training leashes, harnesses and collars.  I am always happy to share this information as I've been sifting through a lot of stuff over the years.  I  hate to see people waste money so when I can help out and share what I think to be useful I like to pass that onto you all.  I'm a gear junkie, I love canine stuff that makes living with dogs easier. 

I have my standard "go to" items and that can change on a daily or weekly basis depending on my mood and requirements for the day.  Even though I love gear I don't love I do not like complicated.  So my favorite things to use are simple, easy and useful.  I've picked up equipment before and just stared wondering how long it might take one to put this onto their dog.  Not all companies that make dogs stuff think before they put things out there for the public; that much is obvious.  There is a lot of stuff out there that is useless or just a plain waste of money.

Sometimes I change my mind on something if I find a new and improved item that someone has come up with.  New ideas, constant improvements to dog gear; I love when there are new things to try.   I like companies who are always improving on what they have and actually want to make good products for dogs. 

My prerequisite for being a favorite of mine is quality and usefulness.   Cost factors in, I want value; to get what I pay for not pay a ton of money for garbage.  Customer service is way up there for me; if I find out that a company does not stand behind their product or care about feedback then they slip way down on my list. 

You will notice some changes to my blog; to the right side is now a couple of lists of things that I recommend.  I have all of these products and use them.  I will keep adding to these lists as I find new things that I like.  If you have a question about any of the products please let me know.  If you'd like to see something that I don't yet have on there let me know.   I love feedback.

As far as purchasing items online, my go to is Amazon.  They have crazy fast service, even when I choose regular 5-7 day delivery I have been getting my stuff in a day or two.  Almost everything can be found on Amazon but if not I will link to where an item I like can be found.  Of course these items are just what I like to use, my opinion. 



This is the harness that Elsa is wearing in the photo above.

Dealing with loss

                 
 Many lessons were learned from Tilley and Jessie; they are constantly in my thoughts and my heart.  Just thinking about them often brings a smile.  That is what it is all about.   

The loss of a canine companion can be life shattering.  For some, it will be the thing that changes their life forever.  Many opt to never do it again; having a dog means losing a dog and they just cannot live through it one more time.  Others will do it again and again; knowing full well that it means the devastating and inevitable loss.  But before loss there is life and that life makes our life a whole lot better.  I truly believe that each and every one of our dogs makes us a better human for the next dog.  I know that I am not the person that I was 30 years ago; much of the change was due to the dogs in my life. 

Each step we take with a dog by our side gives us insight.  Around every corner is something new; each day brings new lessons.  How can we not be better having lived with a dog?  Someone asked me a question that I am asked frequently, just a week ago.  How long is the normal time to wait?  Meaning how long should you wait before adding another canine to your life after a loss?  There is no answer for this question.  Grief must be dealt with first; after losing a companion. 

Grief:  a cause or occasion of keen distress or sorrow.

When you lose a canine companion there will be grief.  No matter how young or old that dog was; a loss like that of a dog leaves a huge void in our life.  You must give yourself time to grieve.  Now that time is where it gets confusing.  I have known people to add another dog to their life the next day and I know people who wait five years.  There is no right or wrong.  There is only what we feel we need to do. 

Adding another dog to your life when you have suffered the loss of another, helps us to move on.  Yes there is life after the loss of a dog; there is always another to love and fill a different spot in our heart.  Choosing to add another dog to our life is in no way disrespecting the life that you lost.  That life and those memories are in there forever and it is those thoughts that you will look back on often.   You loved that dog so much, so honestly that their is room for another.  A companionship so great and so powerful that not living with another dog is not an option. . 

Everyone needs time to grieve.  There can be fallout issues if you don't give yourself that time; and that time will vary vastly from person to person.  The life that you had with one dog will be like no other.  There is no replacing of a canine companion; each is very individual.  What our dogs give us is the desire to share our life with a dog.  When one leaves our heart and our life; another can help to fill the heartache.  Our dogs have so many lessons to give us in the time that we share.  I truly believe these lessons are meant for the next life that we will share with a canine. 

When you are no longer willing to be dogless, you will know that it is time. 

More on Dealing With A Loss(coming soon) and other topics on my website article store. 

Penny's sleep over

Penny is staying at our house for a week; never a dull moment. The day starts off with some teeth cleaning.  

My handsome man, watching the girls.

He decides to join in for a short romp.

Elsa is so smart; she starts cleaning Penny's face and then nabs the toy when she lets go.

Always a watchful eye.

Taken just this morning.  Penny crawled ever so slowly into bed with Luke and he didn't even growl.  Progress.