Finally fall

We had some beautiful weather over the weekend for the dogs to enjoy.

Penny was over for a visit, yay Penny.  

Watching Elsa.

Luke joins in the yard fun.

Penny pretending that she is not following Luke.  

Love this time of year for low light photos. 

A beautiful beam of light was cast into my living room just waiting for a dog to enter. 

A fraction of a second before the next phoeo.

You can barely see it but there is a rainbow down Elsa's neck.

Can you say intense?

Ha! Caught by Grandma.  Penny watching the wall for camera glimmers.

Here is the rainbow that is in our living room every afternoon with the low sun.  

A break between brawling.

Waiting for a bubble to come down.

The maniac bubble chaser in full pursuit while Penny tries to stay out of the way.

Penny's favorite guy.  

We had a great day until Penny ran full speed into the screen door, that blog tomorrow.  

A table for three please!

 

Elsa making herself comfortable with her Brad. 

 

Last night Elsa and I drove up the coast to Huntington Beach.  My son lives there so we were visiting.  She had never been to Brad's new place so we stopped there before heading to dinner.  Elsa is an intense dog; always at a high level of awareness.  As we entered Brad's house she immediately dropped her head and began the scenting.  A second later she was open mouth smiling at Brad.  (wish I could have captured it but she was speeding around)  Huge open mouth toothy grins directed at one of her very favorite humans.  One of Brad's roommates also received a few big grins as well. 

 

She checked out the entire house, diving on Brad's bed and viewing the surroundings out the windows.  Then she flew down the stairs and waited for direction.  Outside again and up a couple of blocks to the Zimzala Restaurant and Bar at the Shorebreak Hotel which is a VERY dog friendly hotel and restaurant. 

 

The hostess brought us to a tall table which didn't seem appropriate being that we were with Elsa  I asked if we could have a couch area instead.  Well, Elsa made herself at home immediately.  Our waitress was wonderful; in fact Elsa came unglued each time she appeared.  I'm sure she thought that these people in black shirts were sent from heaven; they always arrived with food in hand.  It took until the end of our meal for Elsa to stop wagging at our waitress each time she came to the table. 

 

As soon as we sat down the waitress appeared with three bowls of water.  She placed one down for Elsa and made her way to the other tables where dogs were dining. 

 

 

Going over the dog menu with Elsa.  She's thinking. 

 

 

 

We went with the Nibbles and Bits.  I was going to get Elsa the yogurt dipped bacon but she needed a good dinner. 

 

The potatoes looked so good I was tempted to grab one out of the bowl. 

 

After Brad cut up her food so that it would cool; she dove in, no questions asked.

 

 

 

Shorebreak Hotel goes above and beyond as far as dog friendly.  We will be making this our "go to" place with Elsa.  They not only allow dogs to accompany you but make you and your dog feel very welcome.  The service is great, super friendly and accommodating. 

 

Taking your dog out for excursions like this is really good for them.   Some dogs can go anywhere and don't seem bothered by their surroundings; while others are constantly aware, that is Elsa.  She is always watching; she never misses a thing and is constantly assessing, sort of like her Mom (me, not her real Mom).  I'm sure next time we arrive she'll have her napkin on her lap and ready to dig in.   

                                 
                                    The view from our table, not too shabby. 

I'm tiptoeing

I'm tiptoeing around, trying to pass Luke without waking him but it's not happening.  At 14 years old his hearing has only slightly diminished.  At the same age Tilley and Jessie's hearing was awful; I found myself constantly yelling.  After they passed it was difficult to get back into the "not yelling" mode.  Calling Luke and Elsa for dinner took the longest as that was the only time I really needed to get Jessie's attention.  Any other time I would just go get her; find her and bring her wherever I needed her to go.   But Mr. Luke is keeping his hearing pretty well; I am rarely able to pass by without him waking. 

I hate that my movements cause Luke to get up and follow.  Of course I love that my dogs feel the need to be near.  Both Luke and Elsa are very close follower types.  Tilley and Jessie were not as panicked followers; my boy before Luke (Clyde) was.  Most of my dogs have been followers; some more than others.  I have never in all my years of living with dogs; had a dog that didn't care where I was.  With Luke being a close kind of guy; it is important for him to be where I am.  Elsa is even worse than Luke; she needs to be inches from me, whereas Luke is good with a few feet.  

Luke's worst age issue is by far his back legs.  They give him grief daily and in the morning they are at their low as far as strength goes.  The longer he is down the harder it is to get up.  But being 14, he needs to sleep; and I would like to allow him to do that in long sessions. but I move around a lot.  Moving means that Luke is following.  He has even changed his position in the living room so that I cannot come or go without him knowing.  He is now lying right in the middle of the walkway from one room to another.  There he has full view of the front door, stairs going down and up and the family room.  So he's got me covered.

Just this morning I tried my hardest to tip toe past, but nope.  He awakened and I quickly set my hand on him; telling him to "wait, I'll be right back."  He has started waiting when I tell him to.  But I only have a small time frame to get back in sight.  He knows that when I say "I'll be right back," that I will indeed be back.  

On one hand the following is a good way for him to keep moving.  He still follows me up and down the stairs; although I am always behind him going up and in front of him going down.  He has a difficult time on walks so they are very short; at least his moving about during the day does keep him mobile.  Although I really wish that he could sleep for longer periods of time without waking.  I am lucky in that he is a good sleeper and pretty much is asleep as soon as his head his the pillow.  I just hope that Elsa can sleep well when she grows old; that one always has one eye open, ready at a moments notice.  

For now I try to bring my water, snacks, phone, camera etc up to the office with me so that I can sit for while.  This lets Luke sleep interrupted.  As long as I stay put, he stays put and asleep.  There truly is nothing like an old dog.  

Stupid people

I am furious this morning.  I just got back from a walk with Luke and Elsa that ended with me shaking my head.  Sadly this is a very common occurrence.  Because both Luke and Elsa came on the walk this morning; we hit a nice quiet park where there are very few issues that I've run into.  Of course there was the one when the Bouvier charged poor Elsa but I know what time those folks frequent the park.  It was very nice and quiet this morning as we slowly meandered around the perimeter.  Luke loves to lift his leg on pretty much everything, as does Elsa.  

Whenever I am out with the dogs I am scanning; constantly scanning out ahead of us.  I don't like surprises; they don't give you time to react accordingly.  My scanning is up a notch when I have Luke with us.  He is unstable on his feet so I am always looking for off leash dogs.  I don't care what breed they are; control is what I care about.  Does the owner have control?  As we made our way back to the car I spotted a regular.  I've seen him for years and he always has his dog (a German Shepherd) off leash.  That is fine as long as it doesn't come up to us.  So with a good distance between him and us I cut across the field towards my car.  Nearing my vehicle I spot another off leash dog; a red flag goes up immediately as I see that the owner is bent over inside the vehicle.  This clearly means that she is not paying any attention to her very large dog (which is also a German Shepherd) out in front of her car.  

I try to pick up our pace; something that is not easy to do with Luke now.  Judging the distance between them, us and my suv I quickly head for the back to get the dogs in.  I simply do not trust people to know enough about their dog.  My dog's safety is my first concern.  So as I just get Luke in and close the back the dog starts our way.  The owner is very involved in her phone and not paying attention at all.  A man walks by and it is very obvious that he is not cool with the big dog being off leash.  The dog continues heading in our direction and comes right up to me; sniffing my pants and staring me in the face.  Reaching a height clear past my waist and nearing my chest; I am not comfortable with the proximity of the strange dog.  The dialogue follows.

Owner - You must have a dog in there.

Me - Your dog should be on a leash.

Owner - (calls dog) Harley.  (No response)

Me - Your dog should be on a leash.

Owner - He's fine on the path.  

Me - what?

Owner - (calls dog again) Harley (nothing)

Me - What if my dogs aren't friendly?  I don't want your dog just coming up to us.

Owner - (calls dog again) Harley (nothing)

Then as I am getting into my car the dog approaches the open driver door and puts a foot up onto my running bar.  I wish I would have thought of my cell phone to take a picture but I was in the heat of the moment.  The owner doesn't even realize that her dog is now practically in my car.  She still has her head in her phone.  

Owner - (calls dog again) Harley (dog moves around to the back of my suv)

The dog is clearly looking for Luke and Elsa and goes around to the back again.  

 Owner - (calls dog again) HARLEY!!!!!

Me - NOT EVERYONE wants a huge dog approaching them.  

She is oblivious; as she walks away, still with her head in her phone the dog saunters off slowly.  NO, THIS IS NOT OKAY.   What if I was terrified of dogs?  What if I just didn't want a huge dog coming up to me like this?  What if Luke had been out of the car and done one of his "hey stay away" barks?  What would the big dog done then?  Stupid, stupid people, honestly.  

If you do not have control of your dog; keep it on a leash.  It is as simple as that; have respect for other people and their dogs.  Why should I have to try to hurry Luke back to the car because you want your dog off leash?  She had no control of her dog; she could not keep him with her and away from me.  

This is just becoming way too common; not cool, not cool at all.  

Single handed

Too late.

Last night I noticed that our yard had some nice light falling on it.  I grabbed the bottle of bubbles and head outside.  It didn't take me long to figure out that it is very difficult to blow bubbles and shoot at the same time.  I typically rely on my hubby for this activity as I shoot.  So I grabbed a few blind shots (holding the camera out to the side and hoping for the best) and then settled on the light, Luke and Elsa. 

Blind shooting is sort of fun to see what you capture.

Not bad for a blind shot.

Bubbles falling in front of Luke and the bubble monster coming up on the left. 

Left the bubbles for another day.  Of course Elsa went and got her ball then. 

That tail should be allowed to shine, no?

Lizard spotted.

Always looking for some sort of critter.

Luke doing some sunset meandering in his yard. 

Caregivers

Being a caregiver is a different line of work.  It is a decision to give care to others; human or animal, caregivers are a different bunch.  Whether you are looking for a dog or human caregiver; it can be a huge challenge to find the right one.  I have been interviewing and interviewing and interviewing to find good pet sitters who I feel comfortable leaving my dogs with.  My amazing sitter who has been watching my pack for years has finally retired at the age of 80.  I will miss her and her caregiving desperately.  It is a great feeling being able to go away and not worry about your furkids. 

The unfortunate thing is that when a sitter is really good; they get booked up very quickly.  Trying to get a weekend or a week of their free time can be nearly impossible.  But, finding that great sitter can also be a huge challenge.  Many sitters become pet sitters because they love dogs and cats.  Those are the sitters that you need to find; the few mixed in amongst the ones in it for a buck. 

Get a gut feel.  I read people; I've written about my people reading before but when I interview a prospective sitter, the reading level goes up.  I try to get a feel, a sense of who they really are; if that is indeed who is before me or someone that they are trying to be. 

Watch them with your dog/s.  This is huge.  How do they pet your dog?  How do they react when they initially enter your home?  What do they do when your dog dives on the couch and is face to face with them?  Licking, how do they react?  It is all very, very important. 

What do they offer as far care?  Do you like their business practices?  I interviewed one sitter who demanded 1/2 the price of a booking if you cancelled, at any point in time.  If you cancelled two weeks out from your trip; you had to pay the whole sitting fee.  Life happens and sometimes things change; getting nailed for a hefty sitting fee when you don't go anywhere is not right. Obviously she did not get booked.  I have talked to fabulous sitters who don't worry about cancellations because they know someone else will book them.    

Pet sitting is a business; BUT, it is a caregiving business which is very different than other businesses.  It has to be different and if a caregiver looks at caregiving as simply a business then it is probably not where they should be, career wise. 

If a sitter thinks that you are over the top in your request for the care level of your dog, move on. Their job is to care for your dog; but to also make it possible for you to go away and feel comfortable knowing that your dog is being cared for properly.  If you think for a second that someone is not caring for your dog properly; you are not going to enjoy or focus on your time away.

Sometimes I ignore that little voice inside; I think that maybe I'm just over analyzing.  But, I am almost always proven right in my initial gut feeling.  Listen to that voice inside when looking for a person to care for your dogs.  When you are not there for them; you need to know that someone else has their heart in the job.    

Do you remember?

They remember, they never forget.  So many people ask me if my dogs will remember them.  Now, logically there may be dogs like humans who just don't remember things easily.  But I have yet to meet one of those dogs; although I have met many humans who don't remember.  I visit one pet store regularly to get the dog food items that I purchase every couple of months or so.  I don't buy a lot of dog food but I like to have a small bag and several cans on hand.  I have been frequenting the store for years; had many in-depth conversations with the owner and even brought Luke and Elsa in.  Still, each time I go in it is like she has never seen me before.  Strange.

When a dog meets you; he/she has met you.  Your scent is put into their memory bank to draw upon in the future.  Just the other day I went to visit a past training client who happens to be one of my all time favorites guys.  He is a very large German Shepherd dog, who is stunning and intimidating; with his huge head and big boned, solid build.  It  had been years since I last saw him; I wondered how long it would take him to remember.  I did not wonder if he would remember; but how long it would take for my scent to jog his memory.  As I entered the gate he came charging down the stone steps at full speed.  If you were not a friend, it would be a good time to turn around and leave.  I called his name and his ears perked even higher up than they had been.  It took only a second for him to remember and the whining began.  I had to grab the railing to steady myself as all of his nearly 100lbs celebrated our coming together; the joy was completely mutual. 

When you have a dog that has an inhibited body language; it can be difficult to tell when they remember.  But, if you have a dog that is very showy with their emotions; you can be sure that dogs do indeed remember.  Both Luke and Elsa are very easy reads; they display largely and over the years they have shown me that dogs simply don't forget dogs or people that they have previously met.  I have a very good friendly that met Luke when he was young; it was a brief encounter, only a couple of hours.  She did not see him again until four years later.  My friend did not think he would remember; I knew that he would and he most certainly did.  He only reacts to very good friends the way he reacted to her; he knew that he'd met her before and was thrilled to see her again. 

Dogs are superior to humans in so many ways.  Not only do they always remember; they can associate scents to other people.  When my kids were young teenagers we always had a houseful.  When a parent would come to pick up one of their children that Luke had never met before; he would act like he already knew the person.  It always shocked me that he was able to put pack members together.  Luke was a very guarding and protective youngster so when I saw him openly accept strangers into his house because of a scent similarity, it was amazing. 

I am pretty good at remembering a face, names, not so much.  If I've met you I will remember; but it might take me a very long time to remember where, when and why.  Recently I have been interviewing a lot of pet sitters.  One sitter came to the house and I immediately thought "I know this person."  We talked a bit and I told her that she looked very familiar to me; so we discussed where we could have met.  Turns out I met her way back in the beginning of my training career; when I was just getting into group training, and of course I remembered the dog that she had back then.  Now, if Luke and Elsa had met her 14 years earlier; they would have known it immediately. 

Dogs are truly amazing, but these little signs can only be realized if you understand your dogs body language.  You will miss so much of what they know if you can't see it.  Even if you have a dog that is an exuberant displayer; you have to cipher through the excitement to understand what it all means.   

You are what you eat.

You are what you eat; or at least you feel like what you eat.  The other day a good friend of mine and I were having a conversation about dog food.  We were remembering foods like Gaines Burgers; remember those?  Food that looked like a real meat patty but wasn't?  My little toy poodle use to eat these.  I clearly remember unwrapping the plastic package and breaking a half of one up for him.  

Gaines Burger advertisement from the 80s. 

We discussed how dogs can live a long life on very poor grade dog food.  In fact many people who feed their dog very poor quality food often state "my previous dog lived to be 13 years old on the same stuff."  Yes, true, dogs can survive on crap food.  They can survive on very little actual nutrition but do you want them to?  Nutritional foods are what fuel the body; I know that I try to eat as much good nutrition as I can.  I mostly follow the Primal diet guidelines; but when I veer off of that and have a high carb day, I don't feel good.  The more high quality food that I eat on a regular basis; the worse I feel when I don't.  

Is the whole idea of having a dog just to keep them alive?  Or should we be working on having our dogs thrive?  I vote for thrive and feel great.  But dog owners are fed all sorts of stories, advertising and brain washing from many different sources.  Dog food is the way to go; buy a big bag for next to nothing and you'll save, save, save.  Hmmmmm.

Dogs evolved from wolves; so it is pretty simple to conclude that they should eat a diet which consists mostly of meat.  It is bad enough that our meat is not what it should be but many of the dog food companies take the worst protein source and process the hell out of it.  By the time it gets to your dog's bowl; there is absolutely nothing to thrive on.  Oh yes, they will survive; but do you want your dog to simply survive?

The most important thing to spend your money on is food.  Spend more on quality food and less on fancy collars, designer beds and outfits for your dog.  Put your money where their mouth is.  Give your dog the chance to feel their best, to thrive, not simply survive.  

I couldn't ignore that face.

Time for a snack.

He followed me upstairs, ran back down behind Elsa and I; he was not being left behind.  I looked at him and thought....  It is not often that Luke goes with Elsa for a walk any longer.  I like to have 100% attention on my old man when we go out so taking them out separately allows me to do that.  But that face, that adorable face melted my heart.  Luke loves to go out as a pack and yes there are days when I let my head make all the decisions but yesterday it was my heart.  He just had to go; I couldn't ignore that face.  Besides, he was having a very good morning and a pack walk would make him have an even better day.

Elsa was already spinning at the front door while Luke dodged her butt as it flew around.  For fourteen, he's pretty good at deeking and diving from that large rear end of hers.  When you are hit by it for the first time; only then will you understand the power that it holds.  :)  I grabbed my keys which is the cue that sends Elsa flying down the stairs.  Luke was close behind this morning; more signs that there was no way he was staying behind.  I smiled as he wagged furiously; knowing full well that his descent could only mean that he was indeed coming with us.  If he was not coming then I always tell him before he makes his way down the final four steps. 

We all piled into the Xterra and head to the park.  Luke hadn't been to this specific park in a very long time and when we were just about there; we saw Hank and his Mom leaving.  We stopped to say hi and she decided to turn around and join us for a once around.  It was so great for Luke to see a friend; he often smells friends on Elsa when we return which cannot be easy; but this time he got to join us.  Luke was knocked down a couple of times in the initial greeting but he was right back up on his feet.  It doesn't take much to knock him down at this point; and the interaction with friends far outweighed a moment of weakness.  

He was so happy to have joined us at the park.  It was good for him and good for me to see him so happy.  He cannot always come; my head must make the decisions most of the time.  But when I do make a heart decision, my head has weighed in on the issue as well.  I will never allow my heart to rule without checking in with my head.  ;)  

"His" spot.

 

It's all about comfort.

Things have been changing with alarming speed these days; with regard to Luke issues, that is. Slowly I have been adding more dog beds to our home.  We once had at least one or two dog beds in every single room of the house.  After Tilley and Jessie passed; we were down to only a few beds here and there.  Many of the beds were old and needed to be tossed; once gone they were not replaced.  Luke and Elsa use the couch mostly; both in the living room and the family room so I only had beds outside, in my office and bedroom.  There are now beds everywhere once again. 

The last and most significant change has been in the family room.  Luke has always made it quite clear that it is his favorite spot in the house.  He loves nothing more than when we all head down to the family room for tv. time.  He has his spot on the couch, animal print blankie and all; a blanket that has been "his" blanket for a very long time.  There is a large cushion under the blanket where he likes to prop up when he sleeps.  Well, recently that too has changed.  I purchased a nice foam pad and placed it right beneath "his" spot; giving him an option of where to sleep.  Lately he has been choosing the floor and the foam pad over "his" spot.   I propped three large cushions behind his spot so that he could lean up against them, he loves that.  But something just didn't seem right. 

Last night as we sat watching an episode of Boardwalk Empire; Luke seemed a little restless.   He used the bed then got up; stared at the couch then lay on the floor again.  My husband grabbed Luke's special cushion and blanket and placed it on the new foam pad at one end.  This made it just like the couch where Luke loved to spend hours on.  Luke literally ran over when he saw this and plopped himself down immediately; he rubbed his head on the cushion and licked his blanket.  It was quite obvious how happy he was about the change.  It was like he was in "his" spot minus the leap onto the couch.  I had been keeping "his" spot on the couch in case he wanted it; the step I couldn't take away from him, just in case.  But it was a step that had made him so happy; you just couldn't watch him and not know how happy this one small change had made him.  He rubbed his head on his pillow for a longtime before slipping quickly into his twitching. 

Well, there it is, another very big step in the transition of life.  Luke seems quite happy about it; now that his new "spot" has been made into "his spot."  I watched him for sometime, smiling; he was most definitely happy about this new change.  How can you not watch an old dog as they sleep so comfortable and sound and not smile?  It is what it is all about, the little things; and this small change meant a lot.  Living with an old dog is a gift; making sure that their golden years are golden is a time that we are gifted with giving.  I love adore my crazy old man.  :)

Accidents happen

 

It is difficult to see the bulk of it as she is sitting on it.  But you can see the polish on her tail and hind end.  Still shaking my head.

Glancing over at Elsa snuggled up on my bed this morning; I am shaking my head and laughing.  She's covered in nail polish; a dark grey color, mixed with an iridescent blue.  Her tail, her butt, down one side of her all got hit when my nail polish bottle flew off of my night table last night.  Nice.  I like to paint my nails before bed; it is a time when I actually have a few moments to let them dry.  I have done this for years and years; ever since my teenage days when my nails had to be a different color everyday, geesh.  So there I was about to apply my second coat; I grabbed the bottle by the lid which I forgot to twist on and it plunges to the floor. 

Freaking out, I flip on the light to see what damage I've done.  Great, all over the carpet.  Well, in all honesty the carpet had to go already.  The carpet is a taupe color which is the color of nail polish  I had planned on using until I could not get the stupid lid off.   So I'd had to go back in the bathroom and choose something different, dark grey with iridescent blue, charming.  No hiding this stuff, it looks like ink has been thrown across the carpet.  At this point I notice Elsa has jumped up onto my bed and is rubbing her face on the pillows; she hates the smell of nail polish and usually sneezes while rubbing her face.  Then it dons on me, did it get on her?  I call her off to check and see that she was indeed splattered and she is quite upset about it.  Not only is on the carpet and Elsa but it is now on my bed.  Thankfully only on the protective sheet that I keep on top of my bed; for moments like this or anything else undesirable. 

Into the bathroom we head as I start to rub it off her.   My idea is to get as much off so that it can at least dry; I realize there is no way to get it off without nail polish remover, which WILL NOT be used.  She will be getting a trim today; she has a great deal of nail polish on her rear end making it appear that she has had quite a horrible accident.  Hopefully I will be able to get most of it off without completely shaving her down.  The great thing is that it's just hair, it will grow and I will continue to cut it.  The carpet, well it has to go; and for anyone who knows me, knows I hate carpet in the first place. 

So I gave Elsa one million apologies and kisses; I laughed and we went to bed.  Good grief. 

How lucky am I?

 

A wonderful young Bouvier I had the privilege of meeting. 

"How lucky are we to have each other?" I asked Elsa while smothering her.  We had a little chat between the hugs and kisses that we were sharing.  I told her how lucky I felt to have her in my life and she reciprocated with more kisses.  This was one of those closeness moments saved for members inside the pack only.  Elsa is not stingy with her affection; he adores humans.  Over the years she has only questioned the motives of less than a handful of people who have come into her life.  If you are welcomed into her home or circle of trust out of the home; then you will be lavished with a snippet of Elsa.  She is a treasure, as is her older house sibling Luke. 

While working in my office yesterday; I looked down to see Luke stretching, rubbing his head and licking his dog bed.  He is a happy guy; how lucky am I to have such a great old man in my life?  I get to share these very special senior moments with him.  There is a magic shared between a human and canine who have spent so many years together.  His wish is my command basically; it is my job to make him happy and comfortable.  His job has already been fulfilled; he came into my life and changed me forever, there is no going back.  From the moment we met; it was love at first sight.  Fate intervened on that day and I am forever grateful.

In the world of canines, there are many different levels of connection.  There are the dogs that you meet in passing, a quick glance while walking by.  Others may be involved in more of a greeting and quick get to know you moment.  There are ones who become friends and others who become almost like your dog with an amazing connection, but not quite.  I know a lot of dogs; when I have the chance to really get to know one I am always overcome with a sense of "how lucky am I?"  I remember meeting a dog by chance at a dog park.  I was there to shoot dogs for my first photography book; I was capturing the dogs of Laguna Beach dog park when I met Wolfgang.  He was 17 years old at the time and literally on his last legs.  It was not long after the shoot that he left our world; his job and been accomplished and I got to meet him.  His guardian shared a piece of him with me; explaining where they had begun, done over the years and were then; at the end of what had been an amazing relationship. 

I never grow tired of hearing dog and human stories.  Sharing the connection through a human's eyes; often delivered by wordless interactions.  I remember watching an elderly man as he and his dog shuffled with their walker to a park bench.  There he sat with his very old dog; sharing a moment, which I had the privilege of sharing.  I never met the dog or the human; but it was a connection that was undeniable and amazing. 

Dogs come into our life at different stages and levels.  If we get to live with one or two throughout their life; we are definitely given a gift of intense connection.  But even a chance meeting can be a gift; even when it is a fleeting one, it can have great impact.  Many dogs have passed through my life; some leaving more of a mark than others.  But each and everyone one has touched me; "how lucky am I?" 

Feedback

Feedback - evaluative information derived from such a reaction or response.  Knowledge of the results of any behavior, considered as influencing or modifying further performance.

 

I am all about feedback; I use it in my day to day with my dogs and humans.  It is one of the most important pieces of information that one can give and receive.  Fdbk (feedback) is one of the most important and influential aspects of living with dogs.  If you never give your dog feedback then you are failing them.  Life around dogs is all about action/reaction; they learn through association so it is the response or feedback that offers the information needed to move on. 

 

Yesterday as I was finishing up my walk with Elsa and heading to the Xterra; when I noticed a woman with two screaming dogs across the street.  She had two tan colored Chihuahua mixes that were out on the end of the leashes and going off at a passing dog.  The woman held the leashes as the dogs hurled themselves in the air and at each other in a frenzy.  Attacking each other in redirected aggression the woman was merely there for the ride; she offered nothing in the form of educating, feedback or anything else.  She was in over her head.  As Elsa heard the screaming dogs I calmly said "do you  hear those crazy dogs, funny eh?"  Letting her know that I wasn't phased.

 

When we do not offer feedback in some shape or form to our dogs; we fail them in our role to teach them about our human world.  Feedback for dogs does not have to be a long drawn out lecture; it should be instant, pairing itself with the behavior that it coincides with.  Once given, drop it; no nagging, no guilt trips, no grudges.  Just give the feedback and move on.  Let's say you have a dog that likes to lunge at joggers as they run by.  This is a common but very dangerous behavior.  If you simply move off of a path to get some distance while yanking and pulling your dog, what are you doing?  You are not only NOT offering feedback; but you are joining in the escalation of excitement by yanking and tugging along with your own level of anxiety thrown in there. 

 

Feedback for dogs is a piece of information that we give our dogs to let them know how we feel about what they are doing.  It can be sounds, motions or words.  My dogs are very in tune with my feedback; they have both grown up with it and are experts at understanding it.  If Elsa moves in on a piece of food that Luke has dropped I will give a low, one second sound meaning to leave it.  She knows that she is not to touch it; but it is so tempting just sitting there under the oblivious old man.  If she gets over excited when we are playing and bites too hard; she is given instant feedback.  Dogs use feedback with each other; if you watch them interact it is given and received continually. 

 

As far as humans are concerned; feedback should be given in small doses and when asked for.  Not all humans want or appreciate feedback but if they ask, give it.  Humans are a whole other bag of behavior issues.  Dealing with canine behavior, body language and communication has offered me a look into human behavior as well.  I find myself reading between lines and analyzing humans as well as canines.  It extremely interesting how humans say and do one thing but mean something entirely different, not so with dogs. 

 

I Yelp, do you?  I believe that Yelp.com is one of the most important websites out there.  I review just about every business that I deal with and every so often I get feedback for my review.  Business owners who care about how they are doing use feedback to their benefit.  Other owners who don't care what people think will never take or give feedback to learn and grow.  That said there will always be the reviews that are biased; useless information given by someone either wanting to tear down or promote by untruths.  Dogs are all about telling it like it is; humans, not so much.  Humans tell untruths, have hidden agendas, egos and drama.  Aren't dogs great?

Huuuup-muscle up.

Standing only for a moment he gets his toedies up and ready for the hoist.  I have been lifting Luke's rear end up for several years now.  He is still capable of getting his front half with his paws up on the edge of the car and I handle the rest.  (Another good reason to lift weights)  I have had many men (oddly enough) say to me "you should get a ramp," when they see me lift him into the Xterra.  I smile and tell them "no he's got me."  A ramp would be harder, take longer and frankly be much more dangerous to Luke.  When a dog is unstable on their feet; you do not want them walking up or down a ramp.  But of course if you cannot lift your dog into the car then you would need a ramp; making good and sure that they you got them if they fall. A fall for an old dog is just like a fall for a frail old human.

It is funny to see Elsa put her toedies up on the back of the car.  She always jumps in but sometimes if Luke has gone in before her, she will follow suit.  It is cute but it is good that she already understands this as I am sure that her time will come down the road.  Hopefully at that point I am still lifting and find it easy peasy to hoist her rear end in.  Hoisting a rear is not very difficult; even a much bigger dog can be hoisted if you do it right.  DO NOT USE YOUR BACK.  It doesn't matter how heavy a dog is; if you use your back to get them into the car, your back may go at anytime.

I walk up the stairs behind Luke now; he has had a few leg buckling moments which I was thankfully right there for.  I just hoist him up and he's good to go.  I don't make a big thing about it; I simply get him to his feet, pat him on the butt and tell him that he is the man.  Same thing going down, I am there right beside him in case; I keep a hand hovering beside him, but not touching.  So far he has only had two missteps on the stairs inside the house and just slipped, he did not fall.  Going up is much harder because that calls for the use of his bad legs, the back ones. 

If I am not home then the baby gate goes up so that he cannot go up or down the stairs.  He still gets on the couch but not as often anymore.  I have a great bed set up in both the living room and the family room for him to use if he is unsure about the couch.  He has been using both and been on the couch less and less; it seems to have been a nice and easy transition.  Even Elsa sleeps on the beds occasionally so it is a non issue.  No hard feelings for Luke if he chooses the floor instead of the couch.

Just this morning he asked to get up on my bed; something he has not done for sometime.  Because I am in my bed blogging, this is okay; but only when I will be here to make sure that he does not attempt to get down on his own.  The bed is much too high and a jump off would surely leave him with something, if not everything broken at this point.  So he puts his toedies up on the bed and asked to be hoisted.  When it is time to come down off of the bed; the first thing I do is to wrap my left arm around his chest.  He sometimes attempts a last minute leap and this is a safety measure so that does not happen.  Then my right arm goes under his chest between the brisket and belly and lift.  It is a good and solid way to lift him; there is no struggling which is important.  I lift with my legs and let him find his before I let him go on the floor.

If he is on the couch or lounge outside and preparing to dismount; I am up on my feet, ready to assist before he leaps.  A simple arm squeeze is all that is needed as both are fairly low to the ground.  I grab either side of his chest or waste and squeeze enough to balance him.  There is no lifting required, just a reassuring hand or two for safety.  There are a great number of things that change as a dog ages.  I know only too well that each is very different so aging is different as well.  Our little Jessie suffered from Dementia, for Tilley it was Vestibular Disease, Clyde had spinal issues where his feet would turn over and Luke suffers from a lack of muscle, balance and strength.  But at fourteen years old he is doing pretty darned amazing; even if he needs a bit of Mom's muscle to help him through the day.  I'm more than happy that I can lend a hand; I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

Leave it and beyond.

                                                                           Say what?

I tossed the bag of frozen food to the floor.  When I make food for Luke and Elsa out ahead I freeze it in my deep freezer.  It is placed into a plastic bag and I spread the contents out flat and even; that way I can stack and easily break the food up, usually.  This bag was fuller than most so when I threw it to the floor the seam burst.  A large portion of the contents spilled out onto the kitchen floor; where Elsa stood waiting to gobble it down.  I told her very calmly to leave it and she did; this is something I have instilled in all of my dogs very early on.  Elsa fully understands what leave it means; but she takes it even further like many of the behaviors that she displays.

She sat quietly as I cleaned up the mess, not so quietly.  I grumbled and complained, her ears went up and down as I bitched.   The food was spread from one side of the kitchen to the other and after I'd finished cleaning a half of the food off the floor I glanced up to see Elsa still sitting, waiting.  I looked around at the mess and told her that she could dig in "okay," I told her.  She checked in with me again before beginning the licking process.  I assumed that she would follow me along as I finished up; after all I'd told her "okay" but I'd also elaborated on what was okay.  I told her and pointed to the area that I had first cleaned up and told her "okay, you can clean that part."  As I finished up the mess, I looked up at her again.  She was sitting waiting for the okay on the second half of the mess.  I shook my head realizing that she not only got the whole "leave it" and "okay" but she could break it down to lines that were not to be crossed.  I then gave her the "okay" to finish the job before I got to washing the floor. 

Fascinating, isn't it?   She not only left what she was told to leave but when given the okay; broke it down even further, waiting for each section to be released to her.  Elsa is an amazing dog; she is one of the most intelligent dogs that I have ever met.  She learns rules and regulations at lightning speed and often asks twice before proceeding.  When I feed Luke and Elsa, Elsa must sit and wait until she is given the "okay."  We have done this from the day she arrived and I never have to ask her to do so.  I can be across the other side of the yard and she will not touch her food bowl until given the "okay."  Even if Luke is eating she will still wait, very patiently.  She also knows that once she is done; she is to stay away from Luke, of course because he is still eating.  She is not allowed to eat what he leaves in his bowl; I do not allow it because I think that it opens up the idea of stealing food and moving in on him while he is eating.  She is allowed to eat what he tosses out of the bowl and leaves on the floor but not until I remove the bowl.  I can leave his half full bowl sitting there for an hour and she will not touch it; even if I am far away from the bowl.  She waits for the sign that she can move in on the fallen food; and that is me picking up the bowl.  Waiting patiently she will only move in once I grab the bowl; no words are spoken, it is a predetermined movement process.  This is important.

Why is it important that she not touch what she is not to touch when I am not close enough to stop her?  Control, because if she only leaves things when I can physically stop her, I really only have a fraction level of control.  I implemented distance control very early on and have kept it up.  The other day we were in the family room watching tv.  Luke was on his new bed on the floor; Elsa was on the couch beside me.  I had a plate full of chicken and salad that Elsa was watching with great interest.  I had to run upstairs so I told her to "leave it," and proceeded up the stairs without a second thought or glance.  Was I surprised when my chicken sat there on the table with Elsa in the exact spot where I had left her?  Nope.  If the chicken was gone and Elsa was licking her lips; I would have been aghast and displayed my utter astonishment.  Feedback, it's all about feedback, training, proofing and instilling what you do and do not allow. 

My dogs let me know.

Very surprised to find this guy in the dishwasher.

Yesterday we were going about our normal routine; downstairs, through the kitchen and out for the first pee in the morning.  (Luke and Elsa that is)  As we made our way to the door Elsa dropped her head and sniffed under the dishwasher; I assumed it was a cricket until she intensified her sniff, then I knew.  I knew that something other than a cricket had crossed underneath the dishwasher.  Luke and Elsa are good, really good at sniffing. Luke has always been good at it, read blog below. 

Blog on Luke's sniffing

Elsa on the other hand is more than good at scenting, she LOVES it.  I was laughing at her love of scenting just this morning when I went upstairs while she was outside.  She does not like losing track of me and will immediately throw her nose to the ground until she locates me.  I was in my bedroom and as she came tearing up the stairs I was in clear view but she continued her scenting right up to my foot.  She could have easily seen me but she loves to scent; we will begin her scent work shortly if we can find a class that is close to us.  For now we are working on our own; working together on learning new things like we do often.  

Yesterday, later in the day I was back in the kitchen and quickly opened the dishwasher to put a few more dishes in.  I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the little guy shown above.  This is who Elsa had smelled; crazy isn't it, what dogs can smell?  I assume that lizards smell pretty bad; maybe not though, maybe they smell good, doubt it.  Elsa clearly knew that he was in and around the dishwasher; she had let me know that earlier in the day.  I don't mind lizards but I'm not a big fan of being startled by them.  These guys with the long tails sort of creep me out; but, I did capture him and bring him to safety before turning the dishwasher on.  I wasn't happy about picking him up; even inside of a dish towel but was not going to let him get hurt.  

I just love watching dogs catch a scent; especially when it is windy out and they linger with their heads in the air until they locate it.  Once located they will either ignore it; scent further or sound off.  Wind brings with it, much information.  Imagine if we could smell what our dogs can?  We are mere humans so we cannot; so my dogs let me know.  

Hot, hot, hot

September is upon us; and here in SoCal that means that it is HOT, really, really hot.  I hate September weather here as it climbs up into the 100s, no thank you.  Many other areas are starting to feel the cooler weather of fall as it slowly arrives; but we deal with the heat.  Yesterday I opted out of a my morning workout and walking the dogs in lieu of a grooming session and bath for both.  I can't get everything done in a day and with the hot temps I wanted to get it done early.  This morning I am up at 5:30, hoping that I can get Elsa out before it gets too hot to get out.

I remember when we lived back in Canada; during the summer months I always dreamt of fall and the days that I could hike for miles and miles with a jacket on, I love fall weather.  With a nip in the air, the smell of apples and leaves whipped up by a brisk wind; yes I love fall in the north.  Walking your dog through the trees as you listen to the crunch beneath your feet.  Even our dogs seem to love the sound of running through leaves as much as we do; energized by the sound alone. 

Okay, back to reality; I'm up early to beat the heat.  But not everyone is up early to get their dogs out before it heats up.  It still amazes me when I see people out in the heat with their dogs.  Jogging down the street as the sweat pours down and their dog is nearly ready to pass out.  PEOPLE, if you want to run in 100 degree weather, fine; don't make your dog go with you.  I am all about enjoying time together but when it is in the high 90s and into the 100s LEAVE THEM AT HOME IN THE AC. 

Don't leave your dog out in the yard all day; DO NOT TAKE THEM IN THE CAR WITH YOU on your errands.  Do not go for a walk anytime other than VERY EARLY or VERY LATE.  Last night I fed the dogs very early so that around 8:00 pm I could toss the ball outside for Elsa.  We went out for two tosses and went back in the house, it was still too hot.  Elsa's ball tossing games finished in the house where it was nice and cool. 

We called it a night early; turned the portable AC unit on in the bedroom and all enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in a cool room while the heat remained outside.  When it's hot, things must change; especially where our dogs are concerned.  What we want to do in the heat is one thing; what our dogs want to do is another.  Dogs tend to be much smarter than us when it comes to heat.  Left to themselves they will dig a hole in the shade of a tree and spend the day there.  While their not so brilliant owner says "let's go for a run." 

Think before you step out into the heat with your dog.  Honestly!!!!

When is it time?

I was away on vacation last week; and while on vacation there were several things that I saw that will be blogs.  This is the first and most poignant one that was brought on by watching.  I was in my room which was located over a beautiful beach.  One end of the beach had an entrance for the general public and their dogs.  I sat watching looking over the bay as the sun set behind the mountains I noticed a woman and her dog.  The dog was a  very senior Golden Retriever; his age was obvious by his movement and lack there of.   What played out before me was a very sad scene.

The old dog was only able to take two steps at a time before collapsing onto the sand.  The woman who was obviously accustom to his slow pace waited for him to gain enough strength so that he could get to his feet and take a few more steps.  As I watched the old dog I thought about Luke and wondered how he was doing back home with the sitter.  I leaned over the rail so that I could better see the dog as he attempted to get to his feet at his owners coaxing.  Once on his feet he stood and contemplated the pain of taking one more step.  My heart sunk as I watched.  

The dog's body language and struggle told the story.  He was done.  I watched the two a long while; the old dog tried to relieve himself and then collapsed again.  Each time he was brought to his feet again; his body sunk as he stood and contemplated another step.  He had nothing left; but, in all honesty, that was from my vantage point.  Did his owner see something that I could not?  Perhaps.  Or maybe she was not been able to see clearly, due to a deep need.  A need so strong that she could not pull her need and his apart as separate entities.  

When is it time?  It is not an easy answer and no one can tell a canine companion when.  The only way to know is to look at a dog's life, their day to day.   How much joy does a dog have in their daily life?  Does their pain outweigh it all?  Is it too much for any living creature to have to endure?  We must remove ourselves from the equation; put aside our desire to have them with us forever and think of them and only them.  We should not factor into the question of when; because if it were up to us we would always have them by our side.  

I watched as the old dog struggled with each step and felt a pain in my heart for him.  Perhaps a walk on the beach in his early years would have brought much happiness; but now it just brought with it struggle and pain.  As sad as it is to make the final decision we must; each dog lover will make it at least once in their lifetime, often many times over.  I have to say that with each passing of a much loved canine; it has become clearer for me.  When we cannot allow our dogs to move on because we love them too much; we fail them as their guardian and make a decision for us, not them.  When we step out of the picture and look at our dog alone; the clouds move away and we can see much clearer.  

When is it time?  Step away and see clearly.   

We don't all have the same talents

Tilley

Tilley was amazing, she was one of the most talented flying Standard Poodles that I have ever met.  The girl loved her discs; but she pretty much loved anything that she could chase and catch.  Luke also loved his Frisbee time but he did not have the talent that Tilley possessed.  He could chase the disc and catch it; but leap in the air and land properly?  Not so much.  He loved it as well but just didn't have the same talent as Tilley possessed.  

Luke

Each dog has their own hidden talent.  Finding is sometimes difficult; but it is often right in front of our face and we just don't know it.  Elsa is very talented in the running and retrieving department.  She loves nothing more than retrieving and catching.  She is very agile but not like Tilley was.  Elsa is a bigger dog than Tilley was; so getting airborne and turning on a dime is more difficult for Elsa than it was for Tilley.  Elsa could out distance Tilley but Tilley could out maneuver Elsa.  They are all different.  

Elsa

Tilley got us into the whole disc dog thing but it will end with her.  She was like a canine ballerina; so the amazing feats that she performed were easy for her.  For any other non ballerina type; leaping in the air and landing can do a great deal of damage.  I'm sure even Tilley endured wear and tear on her body due to the flying and landing.  

As much as Elsa loves to catch and retrieve; she will be sticking close to the ground.  Besides, she excels in the all round athletic field anyway.  She is built to run and run she does.  She loves it and if I happen to be out with her (I do not run) and a runner passes us; she gets very charged up and wants to run with the jogging stranger.  
Each dog has their own thing; desire and body type will and should factor in what you do with each.  Luke could leap into the air when he was young; but he never got the landing thing, it was pretty scary so we kept him grounded.  Figure it out, that hidden talent might just be the thing that drives you crazy about your dog.  For Tilley it was an obsessive compulsive desire to chase shadows; once we introduced disc, the rest was history.  

Feeding switch up

Just imagine for a moment, you have three meals a day; each one of those meals is identical to the other as far as product, feeding time and location.  Boring?  Freaking right it's boring.  I'd probably go crazy; although when I do like something I can eat it often, like arugula (I pretty much live on it.)  Our dog's wild ancestors, the wolf; eat different things at different times in different places.  Nothing like our dogs who eat in the same bowl in the same place at the same time day in and day out.  

This morning I sat outside with Luke and Elsa; they had just had their bath and were both dripping wet.  I looked at the clock and realized that it was a good time for them to eat.  Being that it was warm out, Elsa had not zoomed like her normal crazy level zoom so they could eat in about 20 min.  I contemplated breakfast, checked the cupboard to see a can of organic dog food sitting there.  Hmmm, that would be nice and easy.  So after 20 minutes passed I popped the lid off of the can, grabbed a fork and headed outside.  We were having a backyard picnic; no bowls, just me, a can of food, a fork, Luke and Elsa.  

Elsa was in right away, Luke took a few minutes to sniff and decide if this was something he would consider eating.  He finally decided that yes, he could eat it; so we sat and cleaned out the can.  Well, I scooped, Luke and Elsa ate.  I like to have canned food on hand; that is, good quality canned dog food.  I prefer to give them canned if they are going to eat dog food at all.  So I often stock up for moments like this morning when eating straight out of the can was a welcome change.  

I remember telling people this years ago and they replied "you can do that?"  Dogs don't have to eat out of a bowl; it is convenient way to feed them but they can eat out of your hand, off the floor or straight out of a can.  I do not like when dogs are so programmed to eat at a certain time of day that they will drive you crazy until you do so.  Luke and Elsa eat when I say they eat; not when the clock says 8:00am or 5:00pm.  Flexibility in feeding time, placement, container and substance is a good thing.  

When my pack consisted of Jessie, Tilley and Luke; we often ate picnic style.  I would throw all the food in a big bowl and plant myself in the backyard.  Each ate from the fork; patiently waiting their turn.  It is a very good lesson in patience and eating in close proximity to one another without getting all grouchy about it.  We have recently added Penny to our "fishie" eating time and will hopefully add her to the feeding switch up regime as well, when she visits.  

Go ahead, switch it up, you and your dog will benefit from variety.