What an ass!

As Elsa headed into the kitchen, she turned to make sure that I was following her.  I couldn't help but notice her butt, it's gorgeous.  Probably the nicest I've seen for a very long time.  Ha ha ha, it might sound strange but it's true.  I love seeing a good substantial butt because our dogs are losing them, at least their amazing ones.  What I see mostly is mediocre butts with little muscle.  Tilley had a great butt as well, but not as good as Elsa's.  Where are the butts going?  They are being replaced by light weight, feather movement in my breed.  In other breeds they are being manipulated into something unnatural.  Take the poor German Shepherd; their butt is being angled beyond use.  The Shar Pei under angulated beyond use.  Crazy.

The power in a good butt is amazing. Watching Elsa move is a thing of beauty; effortless take off and continued dedicated overdrive pushes her forward.  Her movement is made easy by the powerhouse from the rear.  Her rear end is square and angled just right to allow ease of movement and the utmost of power delivered.  There are few dogs that can keep up with her; which makes playing ball with her not so desirable for others. 

Like Tilley's was, Elsa's rear is made for speed.  After a good hard workout she resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger from the rear.  Poor Luke was blessed with that of a show dog rear, light and streamlined but lacking in muscle.  As you all know I have written about his lack of muscle several times.  With his old age muscle loss he has suffered from the simple fact that he didn't have much to lose.  But he also suffers from lack of angle as well. 

Elsa reminds me much of the good old days.  A solid dog with substance.  She has a solid body that can withstand a lot of use.  When she grows old and starts losing muscle; she will be just fine.  We humans have a hard time staying in the great mid range area.  We like to manipulate to the extremes which gets us into trouble.  Too much substance can handicap movement just as too little can.  But breeding dogs for flashy lightweight movement is not doing our dogs any favors.  It is taking away their ability to withstand rough play or intense work without the risk of injury.

Muscle is hugely important in the whole structure of movement.  Without it, too much stress is put on joints.  Of course exercise is needed to build muscle but you can only work with what you are born with.  Structure and substance are so very important for movement.  Why on earth would we breed a dog that is handicapped right from the get go?  It is just wrong. 

The wolf inside

A snuggle from my wolf in poodle clothing.  Heaven.  :)

Do you ever stop and think how lucky we are?  We get to live with dogs that have evolved from the wolf.  Sometimes while watching a documentary on wolves or big cats where a human is interacting precariously with them, I think to myself just how amazing our relationship is.  We all take it for granted but every so often the idea of living with dogs strikes me as astounding.  Not everyone does it well; there are many people who make mistakes time and time again with their dog/s.  After all if we don't actively learn about dogs then we truly are at a disadvantage as far as the proper ways to live with them, are we not? 

I meet all sorts of dog folks, many have no idea about dogs; the ins and outs of being a canine.  It is a little mind boggling actually.  We have taken a wild animal and brought it into the realm of our human world to live side by side with us.  But lots of people don't take the time to learn about these creatures.  They slap a leash on and call it good, crazy really.  Most people want a dog, very few learn about the dog they have living in their home.  Dogs have needs to be filled, many which are completely unknown to the average human.  But nearly every household has a dog, it seems to be the thing to do.

Those who understand dogs, at least their dogs; make much better canine guardians.  By educating yourself even a little in how a dog works may open up a whole world of greatness.   You can see the wolf inside of your dog; a glimmer of what once was.  It is sheer greatness, power and tenderness.  As I sit between Luke and Elsa while we watch t.v. I am reminded that I am the lucky one.

When they greet me at home coming with gentle face bites I am brought back to the fact that they were once wolves and I get to live with them.  Cool, very cool.

Inferior beings

Good Monday morning.  I'm sure that you all noticed that I've been absent?  I was busy with wedding festivities and family visiting over the last couple of weeks.  But now it's back to life as usual. 

First let me tell you all that Elsa is doing well physically after her attack.  I am following up further on the attack and details and it waits to be seen if she will suffer from emotional fallout; I'm thinking most likely.

This brings me to today's topic of discussion, reading body language.  Dogs are amazing at reading body language; of course there are levels of understanding but most are experts.  There are some who can read it but ignore much of the meaning and then there are a few who just don't get it.  As for humans reading body language?  We are HORRIBLE.  Take for instance the act of stepping off of a path or reining a dog in; this should tell the passers by that we do not want to interact.  But even when we give off all of the clear "do not come near me" signs; the humans still continue to approach.

There are those who walk their dogs on the end of an extended extension leash; the ones who take up a 10-15 foot circle around them.  Do they rein in their dog as others approach?  Nope.  You not only have to step off of the path; having to deal with their lack of space consideration but also their dog leaping at the end of the leash.   When you move away they often throw the "what's wrong with you?" look.  Let's face it, most humans have lost their ability to read body language.  When we send clear signals that are completely ignored, it forces us to use words.  The use of body language can completely remove the need to "get into it."  Remove the interaction before hand and a problem never arises.  But we just don't get it.

As an intense watcher of canine body language; I am also a human body language watcher.  It comes with the territory and is fascinating.  I have begun to read people as much as dogs by watching.  It truly is amazing to see how much we can read just by really watching.  But many humans have thrown the whole body language thing out the window.  They don't watch their dog and they definitely don't watch other humans.  They rely solely on words, ignoring clear signals given. 

Body language is a bits and pieces act.  You can look at the big picture or dissect it to pieces.  It is in these pieces that you will find the information.  Small cues that give off so much information.  Humans are very easy to read; even given the fact that we can lie and do so.  If you watch carefully you can even see the truth and a lie via body language.  Humans can try to hide but much of who we are, is held within our movements.  Movements of extremities, eyes and posture. 

If we all focused on better communications there would be far less issues to deal with after the fact. 

An attack

Elsa was attacked two days ago.  My husband had taken her for a run and on that run an out of control Bulldog attacked her.  They were running along a path when my husband saw a woman with two Bulldogs that she was not able to control.  He yelled at her before she approached, telling her to rein them in.  She apparently attempted to do so but was unable to control them.  He pulled Elsa over to the side seeing that the dogs were out of control.  As the woman attempted to pass, one of the dogs dove behind my husband and grabbed Elsa on the loin.  The dog knocked her to the ground and was clamped on immediately. 

My husband immediately tried to get it off of her.  Elsa was screaming and still on the ground while the dog hung on.  The woman pulled on the leash to no avail; the prong collar that the dog was wearing did nothing but deliver the pinch it is meant to do.  As the dog hung on to Elsa, it was receiving a neck attack from the collar; adding fuel to the fire no doubt.  The dog finally let go after being hit in the head; you cannot pry a bulldogs mouth open, it just doesn't happen.  They like other bully breeds to not have a magical locking jaw.  What they do have is an extreme muscled jaw that has much more power in it than a normal breed or mix.

Once the dog was off of Elsa, the facts began to emerge.  The dog had just been rescued; the woman walking it did not own the dog.  It was a neighbors dog who she was walking along with her Bulldog which had done nothing but stand there during the attack.  She was completely incapable of controlling the dog.  She also informed my husband that she had taken the dog to a school the day before; simply mind boggling. 

I will now be dealing with the fallout behaviors that I always talk about.  There may very well be aggression towards dogs from Elsa.  Socializing after an attack can be challenging.  You must be absolutely sure that the other dog is friendly before you attempt.  We will be playing with all of her dog friends before meeting anyone new.  We will also walk where the attack happened so as to undo what has been done.  Many times it will be put in the past; sometimes not, some dogs will hang onto the experience forever. 

Some people have said "dogs will be dogs" about this attack.  A dog defending itself, having a minor dispute, fight or even leash aggression is a completely different thing than just attacking and latching onto a passing dog.  This is inexcusable.  If you have no background on a dog then you make sure you have complete control.  If you know your dog will do something like this, you don't let it happen.  If you cannot control a dog then you don't take it out. 

We have the number of the woman walking the dog and we have been in contact.  I will be finding out who owns the dog, where the dog came from and many more details.  There will be much following up done.  I had to do the same thing several years back after a newly rescued pitbull puppy latched onto Jessie's neck and shook her like a ragdoll.  A 4.5 month old puppy, shocking.  I contacted the rescue who never got back to me; nor did they seem to care that one of their rescues did this.  We shall see where this dog came from and what sort of screening it had.

Sadly, there are so many shelters and rescues now that no screening is done.  People are given dogs without knowing anything about the dog or the owners ability to handle it.  I carry a pepper spray on me; my husband will now also be carrying one.   

Structure and difference

Structure - a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part. 

Difference - a distinguishing characteristic; distinctive quality, feature, etc.

In the world of breeding dogs, there is much talk of structure.  Structure is the individual pieces that make up our dogs.  For many breeds, somewhere along the line of producing them; someone decided how they should look.  Each breed has their individual look.  Some breeds have been altered so far from where they once came from that they have been literally handicapped as far as movement is concerned.  Oh yes, there has been much tweaking of structure done to our dogs; and not all of it is good.  In fact much of it is downright horrible. 

I like to look at the wolf as what our dogs should look like.  Different sizes of wolves, but still having the structure of a wolf.  The wolf is perfection in structure.  Although poodles do not resemble wolves, they are very close proportionately in structure.  Watching Elsa run around after her ball, turn on a dime and leap effortlessly made me stop and think of the difference in structure between her and Tilley.  Tilley was smaller, more compact and even more agile.  Tilley was born to fly; Elsa was born to run.  The slight differences is a body is what being an individual is all about. 

I look at myself and my four brothers and sisters; we are all very different.  In fact I have a 6 foot twin brother, I am 5' 1".  I'm the shortest out of the whole bunch and stockiest, we are all very different.  Take a look at human athletes, all different.  Some people were meant to run; not me, I lift and love it.  Other folks have a body that was made for rowing or dancing.  Do we attempt to create cookie cutter babies like we do with our dogs?

When I look at what has happened to many of the breeds out there it makes you wonder.  So much focus goes into structure yet the big picture seems to be illusive.  Taking away a dogs ability to breath correctly so that they can have a perfectly flat face; shortening their legs in order to give them that big dog on short leg look, crazy.  Straightening out the angles on their legs so that they have a stiff gate when they move.  Honestly, it's really bizarre.  I love all dogs,  no matter what size, shape or color.  A dog to me is a dog. 

Perhaps we should give them back their structure, let them be free to run and breath properly?  We should look at the big picture instead of picking apart the tiny aspects of a great dog?  Let individuals be just that, individual.  Within a litter there will always be one that shines athletically, another who might be the epitome of Lassie; while yet one more could be born a powerhouse weight pulling dog.  Let's celebrate the little things, the differences in all of our dogs. 

When a litter is born, no matter what breed or mix of breeds; each is an individual, standing alone as one.  Having structural differences is okay, in fact it is great.  The difference between being different and having proper structure taken away are vastly distinct spectrums.  On one hand we expect perfection in our dogs; yet there are others who breed imperfection in every dog.  Imperfection as far as resembling the working wolf structure; not the small differences that make an individual.  It is a strange thing that we humans do, isn't it.

Before we humans got involved in the whole "breeding" of dogs; the image of a future canine was perfection.  But as we tend to do we took it and morphed it into what we desired; a plethora of options structurally.  Creating dogs who no longer have the structural attributes of a wolf is bizarre.  Yet we take dogs who have sound wolf like structure and pick them to pieces as far as our image of perfection.  We are a strange bunch.   

Help is just a click away

                                                                   Welcome. 

            

This morning I thought that I would talk about my consultation service.  I'd like to offer you a little information about it and myself.  As a canine specialist, I have worked with dogs now for 39 years, yikes.  Yep, a very long time and it all started in the conformation ring; where I handled many different breeds.  From there it moved to conventional obedience and then evolved to positive training; which makes me a crossover trainer.  I started offering group training classes and then moved to private in-home where I could personalize training to fit the situation.  I have been a dog walker and groomer but now focus on training, photographing and writing about dogs. 

So now with all of these experiences, I am offering a canine consultation to you.  What exactly does that mean?  Help, with dogs.  Have a dog with issues?   Want to open a canine related business and don't quite know who your audience is? Thinking about getting into one of the many dog related fields but aren't quite sure?  Maybe you are looking to get a dog, but don't where to look or what to look for?   You want to build a dog park but need help on making it the best dog park ever?  I can help. 

My canine consultation service deals with pretty much anything relating to dogs.  The wonderful thing about it is that it is just a click away.  Help, right now when you need it. 

Just dogs with Sherri - consultation

It is really easy, click and talk to me.  It is all done via email, back and forth; questions and answers, clear and concise.  

Not today

I got out my car sun shade, clicker, treats and sat in the yard.  Elsa followed, and as I sat, she sat looking at me.  She looked at the shade and began; immediately touching the shade she got her click.  We were doing something with the sun shade.  Before I placed the shade on the ground I had considered what I wanted from Elsa.  You have to know what you want before you begin; otherwise what are you going to click for?  With the shade accordion style on the ground, we worked on getting her on it and laying down.  Next would be to stand it up so that she would have to knock it down and then get on it. 

Being that Elsa already knows about going to a spot and downing on it; she was fast to get on the shade and lay down.  So we were then moving onto standing it up for her to knock down when we were rudely interrupted.  A lizard.  Elsa stood transfixed on a spot behind me; I knew what it was as soon as she got rigid.  Within a fraction of a second she was gone.  She'd entered the hunt zone; which is not conducive to working on a new behavior.  I gave her a moment and called her back.  Once back, she was only partially with me.  Her attention kept going to the wall behind me and the lizard that might possibly come back to sun itself there.  In a flash she was gone again.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  I know when I've been nudged out, and this was one of those times.  Outdone by a lizard, whatever.  The sun would be out for another couple of hours so I folded up my shade, grabbed the treats, clicker and head in; leaving Elsa out with her lizard hunting. 

You cannot teach a new behavior with huge distractions, you just cannot.  Had we been working on a behavior that Elsa already knew then it would have been different.  I could have enforced that she stay with me and work.  When you are teaching a new behavior, you need undivided attention.  I most definitely did not have that when the lizard showed up on the scene.  Elsa has drive and her drive got the best of her.  Being that we were just doing "fun" training; learning a new behavior just to learn something new, I gave it up.  Better to end on a positive that sit and try to compete with the lizard. 

If it's not happening, quit.  Don't force a new behavior training moment.  If you cannot get your dog's undivided attention; wait until later when you can.  I could have upped the quality of my treats but the lizard still would have had part of Elsa's attention.  So I chose to end the session and begin again another day.  Maybe then I'll come up with something even better to do with the shade. 

A plane, a plane.

Sun was low which made for nice shadows. 

Yesterday I had Luke at the park.  It is a place where many people come to fly their remote planes and Luke use to love to watch them when he was younger.  Although it has been sometime since he's shown much concern for anything other than sniffing and leaving his mark there.  His reaction to a small plane yesterday made me smile so I had to share. 

Plane spotted.  

We stood for a while; just watching the plane and having a snack.  It really is all about the little things. 


 

The Golden Girls

 Lucy came over to play last week.  First a little background on Elsa and Lucy's relationship.  They first met when Elsa was very small, then we moved away.  Since we've been back they have only been together off a couple of times; and only once in  my backyard.  The rest of the time together has been spent walking on leash in parks.  We met out front of my house so that Elsa could get a heads up before they played.  Elsa knew she was there before I opened the door.  But I leashed her up and out we went.  Elsa did her hinged in the middle routine jumping all over Lucy's Mom while Lucy jumped all over me crying.  It's really nice when a dog that is not your own loves to see you.  :) 

                                        Of course there were retrieving games.

                                                 Elsa joined Lucy for a good sniff of the area. 

                   
                                                                Having fun just running around.
 

Then the big boy came out and Lucy was a bit nervous, very normal for a submissive dog.

                                    Lucy is a gorgeous Golden Retriever, inside and out. 

               Elsa was so excited to have Lucy over that she immediately dove into her full on play mode.  This actually threw Lucy a bit; they hadn't done the brawl play before and Lucy being very submissive was not quite sure that it was all play. 

                 Elsa tried shoving a toy in Lucy's face to get the game of chase going.  You can clearly see Lucy's tight lips here, she's a bit apprehensive. 

          Elsa growled, jumped and charged at Lucy.  Lucy was still a bit nervous to join in but started to relax. 

                                       Lucy's turn to check out Luke.  Luke loves Lucy. 

               A testing moment as Lucy comes to see if she can play with Elsa's toy.  Elsa gives her a  mock freeze and then dives into the game. 

                                                Elsa tempting Lucy to try to take the toy. 

     Elsa could tell that Lucy was apprehensive so tried to make it very clear that she wanted to play.  You can see Lucy's squinted eyes and pulled back lips here in submission.  So Elsa works harder.

                                                          Elsa's gets her goof on. 

                Elsa saying to Lucy "look how much fun I'm having, come join."

                  
     Another clear shot of Lucy squinting in submission.  They had fun being together but when Elsa brought out her brawling tactics, Lucy was a bit reserved.  By the end of the play Lucy was relaxing and starting to get into it.  We will get them together a lot more in my backyard so that they can get their game on together. 

A retriever to the core.

                        
                          A moment of rest but she is always ready with her prized possession. 

So how was your weekend?  We had a nice weekend, busy but nice.  Before the weekend on Friday morning Elsa had a play date with one of her best friends, Lucy.  I'll have pics tomorrow of that; Lucy is a beautiful Golden Retriever; Elsa loves her and was so excited to have her over.  Saturday Elsa and I headed over to a fenced field for some much needed chuck-it fun; then Luke and I did the "stop and smell the roses" walk. 

Chuck-it is probably one of Elsa's absolute favorite activities.  But as a high speed activity it is short lived; we don't chuck-it till she drops.  Instead we follow the "short and sweet" rule that I follow for my own work outs.  High intensity workout for a short amount of time.  It does not take Elsa long to get an amazing workout while doing her chuck it.  If you can throw that thing really well; it is truly amazing how far it goes.   Without it, I throw like a girl, pathetic really.  But armed with a chuck it and some muscle; that thing flies.  I love it and so does Elsa. 

But the retrieving doesn't stop there.  Miss Elsa is a retriever to the core.  Diehard retriever is what I'd have to describe her as.  No retriever we've met can keep up with her; nor do any have the drive that she does.  Of course Tilley would have given her a run for her money; more than likely out retrieving her with her ability to turn on a dime.  Tilley had a more compact body than Elsa does and was faster than her.  Most dogs who join us for fun soon learn to just stand and watch as Elsa does her stuff.

So the retrieving continues at home; albeit on a smaller scale.  Air tosses for catching and wall bouncing are a few other "ball" games that Elsa loves.  By far, the tennis ball is the absolute favorite object to retrieve and her new large sized Kong balls are prize possessions.   With Elsa's drive so high we limit access to the ball.  Plus if she is left with her balls for too long; she tends to strip them of their furry coat, if no one is tossing them for her.  Home retrieval is an allotted activity; the ball sits in a resting place until called upon.  I can often see Elsa sitting, staring at the lonely ball up on the shelf but it doesn't come off until I say that it comes off. 

The decision to play ball is always mine.  I know that once the ball comes down the retrieving will begin and not end until it is once again put up and away.  No matter where I am, Elsa will follow and she will continue to retrieve the ball.  It will be placed on my lap, in my weed bucket, Luke's head, someone else's lap or wherever it needs to be placed to be thrown.  She is amazing in her dedication.  She loves the chase but even more so, the catch.  It is all about the catch; preferably done on the first bounce. The power behind her back legs as she takes off is unbelievable and depending on the surface where she is taking off from, often sent flying. 

It mystifies me that the Standard Poodle is in the Non-sporting group.  Anyone who has ever lived with one knows that nothing could be further from the truth.  No doubt the only thing that landed them in this group is the "show hair" that they have to sport.  The Standard Poodle is a sporting dog in ever sense of the term, they are pretty much up for any activity.  Of course they are all different, even within the group, so some are more sporty than others.  I happen to have a very sporty girl who fits me to a tee.  Game on. 

Dreaming dogs

As I sit here ready to blog; my attention is drawn to Elsa, she's dreaming.  I wonder what the dream is about; don't you wish there was a way to know?  Whatever it is, the dream is causing a great deal of movement.  Both Elsa and Luke are big dreamers; slipping into action filled dreams almost as soon as they close their eyes.  Like us, they are all different.  Tilley dreamed, but did not move the way that Luke and Elsa do.  Every once in a while she'd have a big action dream that caused her legs to go, growling and such.  But Luke and Elsa are very involved physically in their dreams.  I love to watch and wish that there was a way to know what was going on. 

I assume that their dreams are much like our own; made up of bits and pieces of the life that they experience.  Even very young puppies can be seen actively dreaming and they have little to dream about.  But they have life experience as soon as they are born and even the smallest of daily activities can be brought forward into a dream.  Bits and pieces picked up during the day; a run in the park, a bath, car ride or meeting a new dog can all make it into our dog's dreams.  How they manifest into the storyline is all up to the brain. 

Psychology Today - Do Dogs Dream?

When we dream, the recipe for the dream can be random; leaving us with that "what the heck" feeling.  Single pieces of information tossed together to create a whole scenario created solely by our active brains while we sleep.  The same thing goes for our dogs.  If you have ever witnessed your dog abruptly wake, startled and run off; you know for sure that they were in full dream.  Luke has almost tossed himself off the bed before as he becomes so active; he is by far the most active dreamer that we have had. 

The old saying "let sleeping dogs lie," is a word of wisdom.  Many people have been growled, snapped at or even bitten by a dog who has been dreaming.  Touch a dog in the middle of a dream dog fight and you may find yourself taking a trip to the emergency room.  If you feel the need to wake your dog from a dream; do it very slowly.  The brain is a powerful thing; when a dog is in a dream, that is where every part of them is at that moment.  Best to leave them finish the dream. 

Do our dogs recall their dreams as we do?  Probably.  The brain takes pieces of daily life and throws them together in a new combination; bringing with it, new experiences for our dogs.  Dreams are fascinating no matter who is doing the dreaming.  

Foot protection

Before Elsa and I headed out to the beach the other day; Luke and I hit the park.  He can no longer walk as far as Elsa; sad but a reality, so we do our own old guy walk.  He is a funny guy; as soon as we get to our destination he throws it into overdrive and has a burst of speed.  So for the very first bit of our walk I'm power walking; just like the old days with my boy.  But it is very short lived and we slip into a slow but steady meander.  Luke sniffs everything that there is to sniff.  He loves to lift his leg on just about everything; although he takes forever, making sure that he is hitting just the right spot before the actual lift. 

As we made our way around the park; stopping often to have a little snack (Luke loves to snack on walks); I noticed him dragging his back right foot.  Before this day it had been every once in a while but it was now almost every step.  We walked and I watched that foot with much concern.  I stopped and asked him to see his toedie; lifting up his foot I could clearly see the two middle nails were worn down.  The rest of his foot was fine; it didn't seem to be dragging anywhere but those nails at this point.  This in itself was good news, it meant that the height of his leg lift when walking is the only thing that is lessened; a common occurrence in older dogs with arthritis. I placed his foot back down on the ground and he gave me one of his unbelievable face connection.  He reached up, gave me direct eye contact and touched my face with his.  What a guy. 

As we continued our walk, I thought.  I could wrap the toes but then the tape would be stuck on the fur of his foot which he would hate.  Maybe a boot?  Like a protective winter boot that dogs in cold places wear?  Maybe someone had already thought of this old dog dragging foot thing; and come up with a foot protector?  It has to have protection at the front of his foot; the pad is fine and not the problem.  I would need two, even though only one is the problem.  I think one would throw his gate off too much and perhaps cause more problems. 

One thing for sure, Luke is not going to like boots.  He will of course get use to them like anything else.  Luckily for now it will just be for walks.  But if we can walk on grass he won't need to wear one.  Not walking is not an option; walking is essential to keep what little muscle mass he has in shape.  Plus he would be far too upset not going out with Mom.  So the search begins.  If anyone reading this knows of a special boot made for foot draggers I would love to hear about it. 

Have a great day. 

Out and about

Elsa and I head out to the beach yesterday.  We hit Main Beach in Laguna; haven't been there for a very long time.  Elsa's nose is on overdrive when we go anywhere; but the beach has lots of different smells to offer. 

She has no objections to park'n it in the sand.  

She's not a huge fan of waves so when I venture out she just follows.  Mom is more important that dodging the waves.  :)  

Walking was wonderful, the sand was hard packed.  

Who doesn't love their toes in the sand?

Elsa is so cute, she stays by my side for the most part but occasionally likes to lead.  The more places you take your dog the better they are to deal with different situations.

Heading back to the car and home to see Luke and some breakfast.  

Vaccinating

                                            Photo:  property of Just dogs with Sherri

Too many vaccines?

Are we over vaccinating our dogs?  I think so, and the studies show that there is no need for annual vaccinations.  Yet, many owners haven't heard or have had such a fear of not vaccinating their dog yearly that they still head off to the vet for their dog's shots.  A couple of years ago I was at a Veterinarians that claims to be holistic.  As I sat in the waiting room a woman walked in with her elderly dog in her arms.  The Vet Tech told the woman that the dog was due for her annuals plus, bordetella, coronavirus, heartworm medication plus flea and tick.  I shuddered thinking what this poor little was going to be dealt with.  The woman handed her dog over to the Tech and smiled. 

I sat with Tilley, waiting.  At that point Tilley had not received an annual shot in over 9 years.  She had titers done with results stating that she was immune to the regular annuals.  No more vaccines needed, so why pump her full of more?  It mades no sense.  Think before you shoot more vaccines into your dog.  Read and research before making the decision to add yet another "new" vaccine that has been introduced.  I am not saying not to vaccinate; I am saying don't over vaccinate. 

Dr. Karen Becker on vaccinating

Shirley's Wellness Café

Dog Listener

The only vaccine that is required by Law in many States and Countries is Rabies.  But not all Countries, Provinces or States require it.  Many have taken on the new protocol of every three years which is one tiny step in the right direction.  But so much more needs to be done as far as keeping our dogs safe from over vaccination.  The whole scare tactics that we have been fed for years about yearly vaccines needs to be replaced with facts.  Research, research, research is the only way to find out what is true and what is propaganda to get you to spend more money.  If your Vet is still pushing the yearly vaccinations then you need to arm yourself with factual information. 

New vaccines are being created all the time and not for the good of our dogs. 

If you have never heard of Titers, this is a good article on what they are all about.  They could save your dog's life. 

Dog's Naturally Magazine on Titers

Home again

 

Good to be home. 

I was away for a few days; away from Luke and Elsa.  As much as I hate to be away, it is good to get away now and again.  In fact I don't get away very often; so when I can I enjoy it to the fullest.  Of course this means that someone needs to take care of my dogs.  We have a couple of great sitters; so I consider myself very lucky to be able to leave Luke and Elsa in the comfort of their home when I have to be away.  I can't even imagine boarding them at a Vets like some folks do.  Left to sit in a cage until my return?  Uh, no.

Even though Luke and Elsa are happy to be with their sitter; there is nothing like coming home after being gone for a few days.  This time was no different; it is like there is a huge celebration party.  As Luke is getting older his big greetings are changing; this one was very different and had me smiling from ear to ear.  As soon as we walked through the door the excitement began.  Thinking that we were the sitter coming in; they were over the top elated that it was indeed Mom and Dad.  Elsa started to smile and continued smiling for the entirety of the home coming event.

Luke was on the couch; which is where he stayed for most of it.  He was so excited that he could not contain himself; he tried to run up and down the couch but his old legs kept giving out.  But that was not enough to stop him.  Resembling a seal on the beach he flopped around; half up, half down.  With my assistance he got to his feet once again, only to be down once more.  He had his happy sideways head on and was a huffing fool.  Our faces met as he felt the need to deliver some "WELCOME HOME" chin nibbles.  We had many eye contact connections; Luke's way of saying "Mom, you're home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Luke and I were caught up in our moment while Elsa circled; her tail whipping us both as she passed by.  She continued her smiles which were very appropriate one sided Elvis grins.  She does on occasion do a full mouth smile but that is typical the first few.  Then she moves to the Elvis look; the left side of her mouth pulling up with excitement.  Her tail is lethal which we have all learned to keep at a distance.  Her whole body wags along with her tail; making her look like she is hinged in the middle.  With her head dropped, eyes squinted and lip pulled up, she is quite a sight.  A sight for sore eyes. 

We had a second greeting yesterday.  We had been at the gym very early and when we opened the door they were once again happy that it was Mom and Dad.  It was a much larger than the normal "oh hi you're home;" greeting but not as big as the one the evening before.  It's good to get away, good for us and good for our dogs.  Not ever going away is a big mistake; our dogs need to learn that we will return and be okay with our absence.  I know a lot of people that are never away from their dogs, but we should be; everyone needs a break once in a while, even our dogs. 

REPOST - Vestibular disease

So very important to share with everyone who loves a dog.

Lately I've been running into a great number of dog owners who have never heard of Vestibular disease so I decided that I would repost some of my past blogs on the subject.  It is so important to know the signs; sadly many people euthanize their dog at the onset thinking that they are doing what is right.  The symptoms of the sudden onset are definitely frightening but it all changes quickly.  Here are the past posts on the subject and as a side note Tilley was 14.5 in the above photo and was doing amazing; she was crooked but amazing.  She of course has now been gone over two years.

Link on Vestibular #1

Link #2

Link #3

The dance

The other day I was sitting with Luke while he ate.  Elsa was long done and sitting as well; quietly watching for that moment when I would pick up the bowl and she gets to eat what has been spilled on the ground.  Luke regularly spits the undesirables on the ground and she knows this.  As she sat watching he looked up to see her watching; she immediately turned her head.  I thought to myself at that moment "it's like a dance."  Dog signals to each other are just like a dance; so much so that they almost look synchronized when two well read and spoken dogs get together. 

We humans can see the signals but typically don't; not unless you know what you are looking at and are watching.  If you turn away while two dogs are interacting you can miss so much information.  Most people would not have seen the silent communication between Luke and Elsa.  There was no sound, nothing drawn out; it was quick and clearly understood.  Clearly understood is probably the most important thing here.  Many dogs don't communicate quite as clearly and there in lies a problem.  Of course personality will factor in; some dogs would challenge Luke on his "my food" communication.  When Luke looked at Elsa, there was no anger; he was simply stating that his food was not up for grabs.  She clearly understood this and by turning away; let him know that she had no intention of moving in on it. 

Writing this blog this morning made me think of this song.  One of my all time favorites.  Garth Brooks song done by Scotty McCreery, two of my favorites.  

                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Hl-zk3Ztw

I remember when Jessie and Tilley were getting way up into their senior years.  We had an incident one night that made me aware that I had to be even more vigilant than I typically am.  Jessie wandered over to Tilley while she was eating; I was doing the dishes and had turned away for an instant.  I heard a very loud growl from Tilley and turned just in time to scoop Jessie up and away from Tilley's food.  In an instant Tilley would have flashed her a look; frozen her posture and lastly felt the need to growl at Jessie's continual approach.  Jessie, having poor vision, loss of hearing and suffering from Dementia had missed it all.  Something that would have never happened when she was young.  When the dogs were a young pack, I loved watching their communication dance.  It is truly amazing how much is said between dogs without ever uttering a word. 

You have to watch to see.  Seems like a simple concept but we humans aren't so good at it; we are seriously inferior to dogs in the watching and seeing department.  When you do take the time to watch; or decide to become more vigilant in your canine communication watching, you will be amazed.  But you have to learn what to look for; when dogs are together it is a constant stream of communications.  It is so fast that by the time I can say "see that?"  That is gone and missed by the other person.  So getting a good understanding of signals before trying to see them is essential. 

I love it, canine communication, the dance. 

Two years

Wow, it is the 2nd Anniversary of our return to SoCal.  Do you believe two years have gone by already?  If you don't know what I'm talking about; here is a short summary.

December 06, 2011 my son, myself and our four dogs packed up and headed from Southern California to Connecticut.  A lot happened on that trip; which you can read about in book number one of two.  PBJ and me.    It can also be found on  Amazon.  The book covers our trip from right before we head out to our arrival in Connecticut.  After we landed a whole lot happened; it was a very trying time for everyone.  We lost our little Jessie in Oklahoma during the trip and then three weeks later we lost Tilley to an inoperable tumor on her spleen that had ruptured.  It was a very sad and dark time.

On top of that I got a huge dose of poison ivy all over my face (yes charming); dealt with ticks and loads more.  When I look back, there was many lessons to learn but not a whole lot of happy.  It was a rough time and we got through it.  So here we are 2 years after our arrival back home.  That day I remember well; it was a very happy one.  In fact from the moment we got into the car to come back home, was good.  I am working on a second book that is titled And Back Again but it has been placed on the back burner for a bit as I needed time away from it.  It is almost finished and then will head off to the editor.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you must wade through the crap to come out on the other side.  I can now look back without getting too sad, although I miss Jessie and Tilley every single day.  There was much to be learned from the whole ordeal and having had two years now to dissect it all, it's pretty clear.  It would be wonderful if life was just great all the time but that would not be reality.  Life is about experience and sometimes those experiences are horrific, sad, unbearable etc. etc.  Going through it and coming out with life lessons on the other side is what it is all about.  It is what makes us who we are.

We, Luke, Elsa and I, spent three and a half months in Connecticut.  The one good thing about that time was the dog beach where Elsa did most of her dog/dog socializing.  We hit the beach at least three times a week and met some wonderful people and dogs there.  We left Connecticut just a week before the beach was to close for the season.  It was funny that we arrived at the opening and left at the close of the beach; just long enough to get in some great beach moments.

Two years?  Where does the time go?  When we arrived back home in SoCal, little Miss Elsa was only eight months old.  She will be three years old in July, crazy.  Luke and Elsa have been across the Country and back again.  Plus they drove to Oregon and back just last year; they are amazing travelers.  Traveling with my dogs is something that I really enjoy; leaving them behind?  Not so much.  But road trips can be hard on old dogs; so great care must be taken when contemplating travel with them.  Road trips with dogs are all about the dogs; it is the way of it.

What will the next two years bring?

A new ball and more cell phone fun.

Elsa got a new ball.  I decided to get a few images of her catching but was frankly too lazy to run up and get my good camera.  So I took the challenge and used my cell phone.  It has a bad lag, something that I am not use to with my good cameras.  If the subject is moving it has even more lag.  So I worked on my lag timing.  

These are straight out of the cell phone; nothing done to them.  

I discovered that I had to actually take the photo before I threw the ball.  It's much like the old pat your head and rub your stomach thing.  It's a good thing I didn't end up throwing my cell phone.  

Elsa waiting for another throw and Luke coming to see what all the raucous is about. 

A little close but nice shot. 

The girl has great form. 

Awaiting another toss. 

Tip toe catch.

Ooops, too late. 

Just a fraction of a second too early.  

Maybe a millionth of a second too late?

Threw the ball too high.

Again.

Catching on the bounce. 

A little close.

:)

I love this one, even though the ball  is missing.

Cutie pie.  

Love the shadow and check out that chest.  :)

A little crop and a few tweaks in Photoshop makes it look completely different. 

These are just a few, I have lots more; some don't even have Elsa in them.  Working with a lag is tough but I had fun trying.  I hope this motivates you guys to get out your cell phone or camera.  Whether you are using an old digital camera or a cell phone, it takes work to get the shot.  The more lag, the more in tuned you have to be to timing and catching that moment. 

 

There's a lot more to getting a great shot than having a great camera.    

 

You don't have to have a professional camera to take great shots.  It just takes practice, sometimes lots and lots of practice. 

It's gotta taste good.

Recently I made a batch of cookies; they were to assist in getting some extra pounds onto Luke after his bout with a stomach bug.  He loves them and every time I open the can I think "donuts;" they don't taste bad either.  They are a little bland with no sugar but I'd eat them with a cup of tea.  :)  Anyhow, I am always on the look out for yummy tasting and healthy dog cookies.  Not an easy task I might add.  There is so much garbage out there to buy for your dogs.  Just let me say this, if it comes from a big box store, do not buy them for your dog.  I spent an hour one day going through every bag of treats at Target.  Reading ingredients, just to see if there was anything half decent, nope.

I've been making my own dog cookies for years; after all I use to be known as the cookie lady at the Farmers Market.  I still like to buy them now and again; but finding good tasting ones that are healthy is quite the challenge.  The other day I was at my local health food store; so I headed over to the dog section.  I grabbed a bag of "organic" dog cookies made by Castor and Pollux Organix.  They looked good in the package, a little greasy so I thought maybe, just maybe.  Well, when I opened the bag and offered one to Luke he turned his head in the "I'm not eating that" way that he does.  Okay, so not unusual that Luke won't eat it.  I offered one to Elsa; she took it and spit it on the floor, nope she wasn't eating it either.  I smelled the contents in the bag; yuck, no wonder they don't want to eat these.

At that  moment I thought "does no one taste these things?"  Much like I ask myself the same thing when I taste a new human product that is horrible.  If dog cookies are made with human grade products then someone should taste them; and that someone should not be a dog that will eat anything.  Some dogs will you know, the ones who love to scarf down anything that isn't screwed to the ground.  These days  more and more people are feeding raw and/or cooking for their dogs.  Dogs have very personal tastes; what one likes another may not.  But there is a much more general "this is good" when something tastes good; most will like it but there will always be some that don't.  When I bake cookies, I bake for taste, nutrition and texture.  I like them to be eaten but I also want them to hold up in the dog cookie can. 

What is the point of making something that doesn't taste good?  Just because we are giving them to our dogs does not mean that flavor is out of the picture.  Plus if you are going to feed it to your dog; fill it with nutrition and not empty calories.  My dogs have things that they love; there are some food items that will literally get Luke off the couch and into the kitchen.  While, like the bag of yuck cookies, he will not eat no matter what.  I want nutritionally packed cookies/treats for my guys; hence the little fish eyed critters that they now get even though they creep me out.  :)    Unfortunately I don't want a pocket full of these on our walks so I look for something dry yet yummy. 

I just now finished sharing my paleo coconut cake and almond butter with Elsa; she loves it and if she smells it, comes running.  Smart girl, it is very yummy and great for both her and I.  Nutrition is number one, then taste; if something doesn't taste good it's not going to do our dogs any good.  So taste it if you can.  I know everyone I ask to taste my dog cookies gets a funny look on their face.  Like just because it's "dog" means that there is something gross in it.  When in fact it should just mean that it has been made with a "dog" in mind. 



If you are going to give your dog treats or cookies then give them great tasting, nutrition filled ones.  Why not?