More water please

Have you ever thought about dry dog food and your dog's moisture requirements?  If your dog eats a diet of dry kibble then they are going to need to drink more than a dog who eats food that already contains moisture.  Dog food companies need to get rid of moisture; moisture is a bad thing in dry kibble.  It can create a whole whack of problems in dry food so they do their best to get rid of it.  That said, our dogs need moisture; so the more dry food they eat the more water they need to drink.  

Mercola - how much water?

Dogs who eat real food, either cooked or raw drink far less water than dogs who eat kibble.  Much of their moisture comes from the food itself.  In my kitchen, I have a wonderful spring water dispenser that offers hot or cold water.  This is perfect for Elsa's food when it comes out of the refrigerator.  I pour a bit of steaming water on top to warm it up; so she enjoys warm food with extra moisture.  It is also a huge luxury for people like me who love an instant cup of tea.  :) 

Shelf life = dry.  That is a fact.  When I make cookies, moisture plays a huge part in their life.  Will I want to keep them in my pocket?  Eat them right away with Elsa or bag them to give as gifts.  The less moisture the longer the life they have. 

Look at your dog's food.  How much moisture is in it?  Dry dog food is taxing on a dog's organs.  This can be from lack of nutrients but also an absence of moisture.  Water helps the flushing organs.  If you are someone who free feeds; leaves dry food in a bowl for your dog to nibble on all day then you need to make sure that your dog is drinking. 

Real food is an easy way to offer moisture.  But a dog still needs to drink water.  Elsa drinks very little water because she eats real food.  The best way for a dog to drink is a small amount more often; rather than gulping back a big whack at one time.  Many dogs who drink too much, too fast tend to puke some up at the end of their big drink.  Our little Jessie use to do this so I would always try to catch her before she got to the "too much" point. 

Water is very important.  Look at the food your dog eats and factor in how much water is needed to counter balance the lack of. 

Just Elsa

It's been three weeks since Timber joined our family and I'm sure that many of you are wondering where all the photos, posts and blogs are.  Tomorrow will be a week since he went back to the breeder.  I feel obliged to let you all know what happened and why he is no longer with us.  I have had much to deal with and have appreciated your patience.  

A couple of days after Timber joined us I realized that he may not be a good match for Elsa.  I wanted to be sure before making a very big decision so we spend the rest of the week together.  After that I knew and contacted the breeder.  Being a good breeder, she would take him back.  Between the breeder and I we decided that it would be best for him if he stayed with me in CA a little longer; in attempts to find him a home here so that he would not have to go back on a plane.  After another week went by, and he had to go back to AZ.  

Sometimes it just is not a match.  I am not looking for feedback or opinions on what happened.  Waiting for several months to see if it works out was not acceptable in my opinion.  It is not fair to a puppy to try to place him months down the road; whereas at 10 weeks is a simple transition.  He received a great deal of care, socialization and love while he was with us for the short time.  Timber is a wonderful puppy and will be going to his new home tomorrow to begin his training to be a service dog; which I feel is his destiny in life.  I know he will succeed. 

When you have dogs together that mesh so well, it is hard not to want that.  Another dog in our family is not only to be a companion for us but greatly for Elsa as well.  A new puppy deserves that as does Elsa.  There will be another, but when the time is right.   

Athleticism

Athleticism - physically active and strong. 

Is your dog athletic?  Mine is, she is a super athlete; far beyond what I could ever hope to be.  She is built to move and does it with ease.  She has immense muscle mass which enables her movement to be easy.  Plus she has the heart of an athlete and loves moving. 

We are all different and so are our dogs.  What comes easy to some is difficult for others.  But we can all move, no matter our build, weight or structure.  So can our dogs.  The other day I was in a store waiting in line; the man in front of me had a little Dachshund who had leapt up onto a bench off to the side.  She was wagging madly at me so I bent down and pet her.  "She's so cute" I told her Dad and stated that it was a big jump for her to get up on the bench.  He beamed and said "she's a super athlete, like her Dad."  I smiled, he was crazy proud of his little girl; and for her stature she was very athletic. 

It doesn't matter how short our dog's legs are, how tall they are.  Short body, long body, lean and mean or stocky; they can all move and move they should.  Some dogs want to move more than others but they all need to move, just like us.  I am not a big runner but my hubby is so Elsa and he run a lot.  I do speed walking with running mixed in so when Elsa and I are out we do several miles.  Plus she is always up for some chuck it fun which involves intense sprinting which she loves and excels at.

So what about those little guys?  Of course you have to factor in leg length and body type.  If you are just introducing exercise then do it slow.  If your dog is overweight then do it slow.  Short bits of walking first and working up to running.  Never over do it.  Watch the heat and get out early.  I find that an early walks means that I can get one in every single day; before the rest of the day takes over. 

I hate to see overweight dogs and sadly there are so, so many out there.  Too much food, wrong food and little movement; the same issue that we humans have. 

Is your dog a super athlete?  They could be. 

A dog is a dog is a dog. Not at all.

Blanket statement, "a dog is a dog."  Yes a dog is a dog but that is where the similarities end.  Each dog is very individual and different.  They have their own likes, what they dislike, motivation and drives.  How many dogs have you met in your life?  I can't even count how many I have met at this point.  With training, photography, day to day and chance meetings...there have been a lot.

Dog stories are the best.  Not the token dog type stories but the ones where you really get a look who a dog is.  What makes them tick?

I love meeting a new client and their dog and bringing them to a cohesive understanding is a wonderful thing.  Dogs can seem very complicated.  The more you know about dogs the easier it is to understand their individualisms.  Dogs truly are very simple, yet complicated.  Very, very individual.

 A dog is born who they are.  They will evolve with life experience; but who they are will remain at their core, just like us.  Sometimes an evolution happens side by side, human and dog.  Those are the best type of dog stories.   

TGIF

Happy Friday everyone.  What's on the agenda this weekend?  Anything fun?  Errands?  Spring cleaning?  I always loved this time of year back in Canada; time to clean the yard and get ready for planting.  Here in SoCal it's pretty much plant time all year round except for the Christmas season.  We are having our winter weather now; it was hot all winter and now it is cool with rain.  I'll take it, as I'm sure you all know we need it big time.

What is your favorite thing to do with your dog on the weekends?  What's different on the weekend vs. the week day?  Our dogs surely know when it's the weekend; it doesn't take much for them to clue into the fun things in life. 
Love to hear what you have planned, what makes the weekend so great with a dog by your side?

Post here in the comments so that everyone can share  . 

So many wrongs don't make it right.

Never allow your dog to sleep on your bed.

Your dog should never walk ahead of you.

Always go through a door before your dog.

Feed your dog after you eat.

Only feed kibble, never feed "people food" (I shudder at that term).

Vaccinate your dog every year.

Tails are amputated to protect them from damage.

So many wrongs.  What a mess humans have made over the years.  Honestly, many ideas are simply passed onto the next generation without anyone ever thinking about them.  People hear how something that has been done over the years and just do it.  We should consider first, perhaps even rebel against that very famous NIKE saying "Just do it." How about thinking first and not just doing it blindly? 

Read, read, read and read some more.  I am not saying that you will find the perfect truth by reading but you will most definitely learn.  I am a researcher.  When I hear about something that I am not clear on or educated on, I research.   I am a want to know type of person.  That said, I am also pretty strong in what I believe in; but, I am VERY open minded and love to hear more on just about every subject. 

Like I said in yesterday's blog; life is a story, an evolution of yourself.  So who I was years ago is not who I am today.  Things that I considered to be correct years ago may have been replaced with new ideas.  I grew up thinking that if you gave your dog raw meat they would become aggressive.  "Don't give them a taste for blood," the dog folks told me.  HA! 

"Never be afraid to change your opinion." 

Allowing your dog to go through a door before you meant that they would be dominant over you.  Wrong.  If they barge past you, then they have no manners and need training.  But the act of walking ahead of you simply means that they are ahead of you.  Of course there are dogs who like to think the are the leader; typically the ones who have not been offered an education.  The same goes for walking ahead during a stroll in the park.  It is ridiculous to think that our dogs are dominating us by walking out in front.  Now if they are dragging you down the street, then you need to address that. 

Sometimes a step in a different direction will bring you down a different path; setting you on a whole new journey.  Don't be satisfied by what has been done for so many years, just because it is how it has always been done.  Push, read, question and get the facts.  Life is a never ending evolution; you have the right to change your mind when you learn new and better ways. 

"I wish I'd known," is something that many people have said to me after learning how to train their dog.  You cannot go back in time and relive the moments that we regret.  Life is about going forward.   

Life is a story

 

Life is a story, what's yours?

What's your story?  Everyone has one, we all live our very own story.  I love to hear life stories from other people.  It is funny how small life details you discover about a friend or acquaintance can be very enlightening.  "Wow, really?  I didn't know that."  Life is all about experience, learning and evolving.  Our story is about our evolution as a person or dog. 

My own story has made me who I am today; the dog guardian that I would not be if it were not for my story.  What we often take for granted is what it is all about, the day to day.  A very small part of my day to day is written in two books, so far.  A third is in production.

PBJ and me

And Back Again

I wrote these two books thinking that other canine guardians might take something from them in their own lives.  We dog lovers are kindred spirits spanning across the world; brought together by a passion, our dogs.  Whether you are a new canine guardian or a long time one; we come together with a common thread. 

I love talking dogs with people.  Hearing past experiences and parts of their story that stand out for them.  Different dogs, different stages of life, memories.  Just as we evolve, so do our dogs.  Many different life experiences lend a hand in their evolution.  From a new blank slate puppy to a fully mature adult; much goes into the making of a great dog.  Much goes into the evolution of a great dog and a great dog is in the heart of the attached human.  That canine/human connection is what a great dog is all about; that one canine and one human who come together to forge a forever bond.  The very essence of what being a dog lover is all about. 

Every so often I will sit and let the memories come to me.  Often a memory will pop up when you least expect it.  But then there are times when you sit and submerge yourself in them; savoring all the tiny moments that have a part in the here and now. 

Take a moment and look back at your dog story.  From the time before you met your first life altering dog until now.  How far have you come? 

Leave a comment, I love to hear from you.

Rest

Wow, I hadn't even realized that it's been 5 days since I last wrote a blog.  You know you are busy when.  I've been busy with lots of different things. A few things on the agenda have been wrapped up and put away; but there are a couple that are lingering.  Tomorrow I will try to get back to my same'ole.  Today Elsa and I took the day off from walking.  Like us, sometimes our dogs need a day off.  If you faithfully workout day in and day out, ya gotta rest and so does your dog.  Elsa is a highly athletic girl and when she is exercising it is not a mosey type walk around the park; it is a power walk and sprinting.  She does nothing halfway.  It is all or nothing for Miss Elsa.

Not every day is filled with working out the body; some days we focus on the mind, but those become less and less with adulthood.  Every once in a while we'll hit the outdoor mall, walk the streets or go to the beach.  Lots of mental stimulus on those days but not so much physical exercise.  It is funny how much mental stimulation can knock a dog out without any physical excursion.

But today was a day off, no mental stuff; although we did do ball in the yard.  When I garden, Elsa retrieves.  She is a retrieving maniac and when she sees my garden bucket come out, she's on it.  She immediately starts dropping her ball into my bucket.  So she is getting a bit of a workout but nothing like the typical power workout.  A day of rest, Elsa style. 

I'm a home body and as such I love nothing more than a whole day spent at home.  No training, no photo shoots, just home, Elsa and I.  If you tend to be the workout type; love to exercise, then you surely take days off, right?  The more you workout the more important it is to take days off.  On Elsa's day off she tends to catch up on rest.  She is not a great day sleeper; if there is anything going on she is not sleeping.  Although she does sleep really great at night and loves her early morning snuggle sleeping.  

Rest is an important part of exercise.  All work and no rest is not good for anyone, including our dogs.  Mondays tend to be our dog day off; this is due to action filled weekends and then a need for rest.  So take a day, put your feet up and let your dog take the day to rest.  If you've earned it, take it.   

Friendly?

Basset puppy, curious but apprehensive.  Italian Greyhound tolerating the interaction but not thrilled.  

Heading directly towards us, I step off of the path and oncoming oblivious person.  Yep, she steps off as well and continues our way.  Moving further away and trying my best to make it perfectly clear that we are not interested in an interaction with my body language; my hard work goes unnoticed.  Of course it does, I'm use to this response.  So many humans are clearly inept at reading body language.  

The woman and her very large husky type dog sporting a prong collar attached to an extension leash are not someone we want to talk to.  In fact there are very few "strange" dogs we like to meet these days.  When Elsa was young we searched for friendly dogs.  But even then I had to do some major investigative reading before I allowed an interaction.  Just one bad interaction can set things in motion; like when Elsa was attacked by the bulldog.  She is now very wary of strange dogs as am I.  People just don't understand dogs in general, let alone their own.  

"Oh yes, he's friendly," famous last words right?  I don't care what anyone tells me, I have to read myself.  Even then dogs have many different levels of friendly and as they get older it changes.  Many adult dogs do not want to deal with puppies or young rambunctious dogs.  Very few dogs want to just play with anyone, no questions asked.  

But we push don't we?  Pushing can backfire.  It can lead to stress and all sorts of new fallout behaviors.  We need to know our dogs and respect them for who they are.  Elsa LOVES her friends, I mean she goes ga ga over them.  She can make new friends but the introduction can take time because of her past experience of being attacked.  Plus it must be a very friendly, wiggly and inviting type.  Best if it is a male, males seem to get away with murder by Elsa.    

Do we want to hug and play with every person we pass while out in our day to day?  Hardly.  Every dog is different, like us.  Respect one another and your dog, we all have our limits.  

A dog by our side-connection in the moment

Are you in the here and now?  I sometimes looked down at my dogs and think "I didn't see you today."  Even though I'd was home and beside my dogs for most of the day.  Life is busy, it is busy for everyone; but sometimes our days just seem to be crazier than others.  I try very hard to be in the here and now.  Funny how being in the moment can be difficult and something that we need to work on. 

When my days get a bit out of control it is typically direction challenges.  I have things to do in all different directions, which keeps my brain completely occupied. Books, online consultations, photo shoots, personal errands etc. etc.  So if I've got too much on my mind I can forget to come back down into the moment.  Blogging grounds me, whether it is this dog blog or my workout blog; it tends to bring me back down to the moment.   Whereas writing books tends to take me away to somewhere else.  Funny. 

Elsa is very good at letting me know when I need to come back home.  She nudges my arm gently until she gets my attention.  Once we've made the connection she uses her eyes, that communication that she is so astute at.   Elsa has a lot to say and when she talks I try to always listen. 

Some people go through life never connecting with their dog or other people for that matter.  They live in their home with a dog, go for walks and even car rides without ever connecting.  Connecting means being in the here and now.  Yep, that "living in the moment" saying.  But it takes work and the busier you are the harder it is to be in the moment.  To stop thinking about the day ahead, the events of yesterday and be right there in the moment that you are in. 

I am a huge multitasker, like many other folks.  At any one moment I may be doing ten different things.  But when you do this, you are not in the moment.  Multitasking is good but only for short bursts, when things need to get done.  These type of days seems to fly by and be forgotten.  Many crazy multitasking days end up with me asking myself "what the heck did I do today?"  Sometimes you must direct all your attention to the task at hand.  That means dropping everything else from your brain and allowing the moment to be that one individual thing.  Your dog.

Elsa and I have had one connection already this morning.  Penny is still in her crate so Elsa has my undivided attention for snuggling and talking.  She is asleep now as I blog and soon Penny will be up to enjoy the day with us.  Life can get crazy for us all.  It is so very important to go through the day taking connection moments.  Put the phone down, turn off the t.v., get off the computer and connect, be in the moment. 

Walking with your dog?  Enjoy the time watching them enjoy it.  Feeding your dog?  Have a conversation while you prepare their food and sit with them while they eat.  Take the time to savor the moment.  Make connections throughout your day.  Life is too short to look back and have missed it all.   

A dog never forgets

"An elephant never forgets," well neither do dogs.  I opened the door and Elsa went into her "they're  here, they're here" routine.  It had been a year since she last saw them; but she knew exactly who these visitors were and welcomed them into our home.  You see dogs don't forget; they don't forget the good or the bad. 

I remember my friend asking me if Luke would remember her after so many years. She met him once, very briefly when he was young and then several years later.   Luke was an easy read sort of guy.  If you were a real stranger then he treated you as such; if he knew you, it was clearly obvious.  When my friend walked into our home, it was obvious that she was a friend and not a new stranger.  Elsa is the same, although she really loves humans there is a clear difference between strangers and friends.  A dog never forgets.

Along with the good memories there are also the bad things that dogs remember.  To this day Elsa hates doves, yes friendly little cooing doves.  They gave her a bad startle many times when she was little so now she tries to rid them from her yard.  She does not forget.  Can dogs get over bad experiences?  Yes.  But it takes patience and work to make the bad memories into neutral ones.  If you do a good job at desensitizing and creating a new and positive association to the past negative one; those can sometimes be overridden. 

Desensitizing is the act of creating a neutral or non issue out of something that has in the past, created an emotional response.

Counterconditioning is creating a new and different response to a stimulus. 

Dogs learn through association and if that association is a negative one it can be very difficult to undo.  I am often given a "tough case" to rehabilitate when the owners haven't a clue what is going on.  Looking at the big picture and performing a detailed forensic type investigation I can often figure out where it all began.  But, sometimes there is no figuring out where a behavior came from and you must simply direct all your attention to the behavior itself. 

Of course like us, dogs are all different.  Some remember, react and rehabilitate more readily than others. 

Dogs do not forget.  Yes, they can be rehabilitated but they will never forget.  So the next time you wonder if your dog will remember your friend from a year or two ago, don't; because they will most definitely remember. 

Breeding dogs

"I just want to have one litter."  "I would love a baby from her/him."  "I want my kids to see puppies being born and raised."  Hmmmmmmm.  So many reasons why people want to have puppies.  Having puppies is a big deal; with an extremely high level of quality commitment needed.  A few questions to consider:

Are you willing to get all the health tests required on the breeding parents?

Are you willing to get all the vet checks and extra nutrition requirements met before, during and after the puppies arrive?

Do you know the genetic history behind your dog?  This is an important one, just because your dog seems healthy does not mean that they will produce healthy puppies if they have unhealthy dogs in their lines. 

Are you giving perspective puppy buyers a health guarantee?

Will you temperament test your puppies and place them with the family best suited for them; giving them the best chance at a happy life?

Will you turn people away who want a puppy that should not have a puppy?

Will you do extensive screening on would be puppy buyers?

Do you have a waiting list for these puppies?

Will you take back any of your puppies at any age if something goes wrong in their new homes?

Will you keep your male or female safe from breeding randomly?

Does the dog that you are intending to breed have an exemplary temperament that people would want in their own dog?

Will you be there to support the questions and needs of your new puppy buyers? 

Are you willing to do early socializing and learn how and why it is done? 

Are you willing to give up much of your time to create a safe and enriching 8-10 weeks for your puppies?

Will you make sure to research how to best feed your dogs and puppies for optimal nutrition?

Will you take your dogs and puppies to the vet for health checks? 

If you cannot answer 100% yes on 100% of these questions then do not even consider breeding your dog.  Breeding dogs is not a flippant fun thing to do; there are too many dogs in shelters and rescue already, you don't need to create any more. 

I have had dogs for almost 40 and been extensively involved in the world of dogs in some form or another, and have no intention of breeding dogs.  

If you are considering breeding your dog, ask yourself these questions.  Then think more, research and think some more before hand.  Don't wait until the deed is done to have the realization that you have bitten off more than you can chew.  Do not be the person who adds to problem. 

A smile worthy connection

 

Elsa gives off a very friendly vibe. 

I pulled down our park street and made an abrupt turn around; no park on this day, the ticket people sat just around the corner waiting for the unsuspecting to pull over and park.  I'd forgotten it was a "street sweep" day when I head to our favorite park.  No parking, no park.  Now Elsa and I were headed somewhere else, what park should we hit?  As I drove down the street I decided to stop at a large strip mall for our morning walk; it was the same one where Elsa and I spent many hours working on socializing when she was little.  This was the place where she learned about automatic doors; and that had been an important life lesson for her role in "PBJ and me."

It was still early so there weren't a whole lot of folks out.  We hopped out and made our way down the strip.  It didn't take long for Elsa to create smiles in the people walking past us.  As Elsa sniffed an elderly woman made her way across the street, headed into the CVS.  She slowed as she got across the street and was staring at Elsa.  She was smiling and called out "what kind of dog is that?"  I gave my usual answer to an all too common question "standard poodle."  "Really?" she replied.  "Yep."

She forgo stepping up onto the sidewalk and headed straight for Elsa.  She wanted a closer look and touch, this much was clear.  I smiled bringing Elsa over to her and Elsa did as Elsa does, she schmoozed.  She wrapped around the woman, wagging and enjoying every moment of this new stranger.  The elderly woman was a bit shaky on her feet so I had to hold back Elsa's enthusiasm a bit.  When Elsa greets, she greets with gusto; there is no mistaking her love of people when you are met by her. 

The woman smiled and gushed with joy as Elsa continued her "I love people" routine.  It was a great moment, another one that made me smile.  Elsa had made this woman's day and after having a little chat we walked away.  I looked back as Elsa did some sniffing and saw the woman watching Elsa with hands on her hips, a huge smile on her face, she let out a chuckle.  She'd had an intense connection with Elsa and it was wonderful for all of us; one for the memory bank collection. 

Cardboard box

My new canvas arrived on Friday afternoon.  It is a beautiful 20x40 image of the Oregon Coast.  It came in cardboard, wrapped very well to protect the art.  I hauled the box into the kitchen and began to cut it away, revealing the contents.  Nice.  I love it.  Box open, artwork upstairs safely put away until it went on the wall.  Done with that I went downstairs and found Elsa stuck in the kitchen.  She was stuck behind the box.  The photo above shows the box flattened down; but she was stuck behind one flap that had remained up and was imposing enough not to cross. 

So, of course it was time to work with the box monster.  Once I flattened the box down, Elsa still wasn't thrilled about walking over it.  I went to the treat cupboard, grabbed a handful and head back to the box.  I stood in the middle of the box and called her to me, like the box was not there.  Very hesitantly she came and got her treat.  Then we walked back and forth, back and forth over the box like it didn't exist.  That is the key to desensitizing; not making a big deal over it. 

I left the box there for several hours and made the only exit to outside that was available to Elsa, the door on the other side of the box.  Our lives are filled with obstacles, for us and our dogs. How we learn to maneuver these road blocks in life depends greatly on past experience.  The more we introduce our dogs to, the easier life gets.  That said, introductions must be done in a certain manner and too much of a good thing is not always a good thing. 

Small, calm and relaxed introductions are always the best.  Our dogs watch us and follow our example.  "Oh, a box in the kitchen?"  No big deal, we don't care about these boxes.  Keeping a "chill" demeanor for our dogs most definitely teaches us not to sweat the small things in life.  :)

A dog by my side

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen; I love nothing more than donning my apron when the clouds finally open up.  With a full view of the blustery weather outside; Elsa and I prepare for a day of baking.  I made an orange pound cake along with cookies for Elsa.  Elsa's cookies are far more nutritious than the cake and something that she can munch on anytime.  

With the classical music playing, the gusts whipping up outdoor wind chime music and the rain pouring down; it was like a Norman Rockwell painting.  Life, filled with small moments; a dog by my side is how I like to spend my time and today was just that (like most every other day).  A day spent enjoying the little things, together.  Moments like today are often the best; there are no expectations from either Elsa nor I.  Time like these are important in the canine/human connection.  Life cannot always be about chasing a ball, training or competitive expectations. The quiet moments shared between canine and human; when no spoken words can be heard, can be the most memorable.

When you share a silent moment, hour or day with a dog by your side; you realize that there is much more to life.  These are the moments that we need to live, savor and remember.  Putting these moments into the memory bank for later.  

Wolves evolved into our constant companion.  How lucky are we to walk through our lives with a dog by our side?

Naughty or misunderstood?

 

A play date, nice. 

 

 

Yogi's Mom grabbed his harness; preparing him to leave, when Elsa kicked into action.  "Oh no, you aren't leaving" Elsa's body language said.  She knew exactly what the harness meant and she was not okay with him leaving.  She did her cat routine; wrapping her body around Yogi's, enticing him to stay.  I had to smile, she is so freaking smart. 

That said, if I didn't see and understand what she was doing, I might think that she was just being annoying and in the way.  A common issue with canines and humans.  Dogs are so much smarter than humans think they are; because we lack the ability to understand their minute communications.  Dogs are in a constant state of communicating; but we tend to miss much of it.  "Did you see that?" Is a question I am often asking canine guardians.  Do you see the things that your dog says? 

As a watcher and canine behavior specialist, I see a lot of canine communications.  But as a human I still miss much of what is said.  Canines communicate at lightning speed; they are masters of body language; which tends to leave us mere humans at a loss much of the time.  We look at our dogs and shrug, not knowing what the heck they are doing. 

Their movements are slight but their communications clear; that is if you are paying attention and understand.  From the outside looking in we become confused and misread intention.  Learning about dogs and how they communicate takes time, patience and desire.  Humans tend to slap a leash on and go, knowing little about what our dogs are saying or how they say it. 

There are so many different levels of canine communication.  From the tiniest eye movement all the way up to the full blown big displays.  A simple movement holds a plethora of information with regards to canine communication.  We can read body language, both in dogs and humans.  But, as humans we tend to rely on verbal communications and have lost much of our ability to see.  Even when it comes to communicating verbally for us, there is a lack of it and understanding the small things said.  We are inferior in the communication department compared to our canine companions.

When we communicate with other humans; there is often a misunderstanding, a mix message issue between two.  That lack of communication ability is even more prominent when we communicate with our dogs.  Learning all you can about your dog and how they communicate may let you better understand them as a whole.  But you must watch, see and hear. 

I don't like it

 

There are things in life that we don't like.  From just a mild dislike to a full on hate, same with our dogs.  Yesterday as I was dremeling both Elsa and Penny's nails, I thought to myself; wow, Miss Penny has come a long way.  She hates having her nails done but she let me do a full foot before getting a treat.  We've been working on it; although I only get to do it when she is here for visits.  But for Penny, food holds great power. 

Many people have issues with offering food when trying to change a behavior.  Holding a piece of food in front of your dog to coax an already learned behavior is bribery. 

Bribe:  anything given or serving to persuade or induce.

Offering a reward for complying with a behavior or activity that a dog does not want to do is creating a positive association.  Of course how and when you offer the reward is very important.  Once a positive association is created and depending on how much a dog hates a particular activity or behavior will factor in on how long and at what intervals the reward is given.   

Some humans tend to think of exchanging a food reward for complying with a disliked behavior or activity, as losing power; they opt to force their dog to do whatever it is they don't want to do.  When you force a dog to do something that they don't want to do, you can end up in a huge heap of trouble.  The fallout behaviors from forcing a dog can be anything from fear to aggression, depending on the dog. 

Let's stay on nails as it is such a common dislike for dogs.  Say your dog hates having their nails done.  Each time seems to get harder and harder; you hold them more firmly and the more firmly you hold them the more they struggle.  Soon the mere sight of the clippers sends your dog running for cover; which means that their adrenaline is released in their body, not good.  Adrenaline causes the fight or flight response, stress.  So why not try to create a more positive association around nail cutting?  It may never be enjoyed or desirable but it can most definitely become an experience that does not trigger a stress response. 

Penny had a bad association with nails so we started just like I would with a puppy, slowly.  Just the visual of the dremel produced treats; then turning it on, touching her foot with it and moving onto one toe, one treat.  We are up to a full foot for a treat; we are most definitely making progress. 

Anything can be a negative for our dogs; an activity or behavior that they just dislike.  Turning it around can take time and patience.  But with baby steps and dedication you can change how your dog feels about the less enjoyable things in life. 

The moments

Life is busy, everyone has got too much on their plates these days.  Often in our busy lives our dogs are left out of time allotment.  What is "time well spent?"  Moments. 

As you all know, I am a watcher; it comes with the territory. I watch dog behavior to help guardians better understand what is going on with their dogs.  That means that I also watch the guardian.  I regularly see people out with their dogs, but they aren't actually their with them.  Their head is somewhere else, work, shopping, paying bills; their body may be attendance but the rest of them is elsewhere.  Not that this doesn't happen to all of us at some time or another but it shouldn't be how we go through life. 

A moment to remember.  Shouldn't our days be filled with moments to remember? 

Yesterday as we rounded the park at the "rabbit" spot, Elsa looked up at me.  Her body tensed, her step became rigid and purposeful and her pupils dilated as she successfully refrained from yanking my arm out of the shoulder socket.  We had a moment.  I let her know how very proud I was of her and we continued as she scanned the perimeter, quite proud of herself. 

The other day I was just about to feed Elsa when I reconsidered the moment.  I placed her food into a glass bowl and we head outside in the sunshine and sat on her blanket. With a spoon I fed her slowly, intentionally waiting between bites.  This was a moment with many benefits:  Switching up the eating routine, changing how she eats by eating off of a spoon, sharing a moment and slowing down the trough type eating. 

Not every moment will make it into the moment memory bank; but each and every one will make our day to day a better place.  If we rush through each day without any moments, we miss out on the things that could be.  

Moments can happen anywhere and anytime of the day.  A moment can be teaching our dog a new behavior, watching them enjoy the warm sun, having a chat during a break from work or just sitting enjoying sitting with each other.  It is all about making that connection, the canine/human connection.   Being there, in the moment. 

"Live in the moment."  This is a common quote; but often forgotten as we rush through our mundane day to day.  To live in the moment we must be in the moment.  That means being with the one you are with in the moment you are in.  Seems simple right? 

Are you seizing your moments with your dog?   

Three months

 

The sun rising on a new day. 

We have been without our Luke now for three months.  Yesterday was what I call a Luke day.  Around each corner, every glance out to the yard and movement I made throughout the day brought the memory of Luke.  It is getting easier.  Sometimes the thought of him now brings a smile which is great and progress.  Although most still bring heartache which is natural when you lose a canine soul mate.  It will get better and better with more time under our belt. 

Time keeps going and so must we.  Grief is an extremely personal thing; just like the amazing relationship which causes the grief.  Step by step we go through the days ahead of us without our dog by our side.  Luckily I have Elsa by my side taking those steps with me.  Plus my added concern about her well being "after Luke," keeps me focused on her instead of me.  Sure, there are times when it is all about me; it has to be about us sometimes or you may never make it through.  Letting those grief days come is essential to moving past them. 

The lessons are starting to come now.  Those little life lessons that Luke snuck in on our day to day; and that is what it is all about.  Luke had much training over the years but it is the lessons that he gave me that are the important ones.  While I was teaching him, he was teaching me.  Many don't realize how much our dogs teach us.  But when you give your heart and soul to a dog it can only be a good thing.  It may not always be an easy thing, but it is most certainly good, good for the human in us all. 

January 15th was a day that our lives were forever changed.  It is not a day to remember but a marker; a point in life when everything was altered.  It is merely a date that lets me take inventory of how we are doing with regards to time.

I share my steps with you all because I know how many are walking the same walk through their day to day.  Anyone who loves with all they have will hurt at some point.  You are not alone, you are part of a wonderful group who have loved and lost that love.  I consider myself so amazingly lucky to have shared Luke's life with him; to be called "Luke's Mom."   It was love at first sight and it will continue throughout my life; that love will never fade. 

He gave me the greatest gift that he could, his heart to keep forever in mine. 

Radio interview

This past Sunday I was on the Pet Keeping Magazine radio show.  It was broadcast live on Sunday the 12th at 3:00 PST.  If you didn't get a chance to listen and would like to then you can click on the link below.  Just a heads up, there is a VERY long music intro before the show starts.  

Pet Keeping Magazine radio show

This was my first radio appearance so I really didn't know what to expect.  It was really fun, heck I got to talk dogs for an hour and a half; not much tops that for me.  :)  But you all know that right?  The questions were all pertaining to dogs of course; but specifically about canines and humans living together.  

As a long time dog trainer and professional dog photographer; my very favorite aspects of dogs is the canine/human connection.  That bond between the two species is simply fascinating.  I love to help when things in the canine/human world is not going as smooth as it could be.  I also love to photograph it at its best; there simply isn't anything better than the silent connection that can be captured by an image.  

I thoroughly enjoyed doing the radio show and look forward to the next one.  

Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.