Conquering fear

"He should just get over it," she said.  I looked at her and asked "what are you afraid of?"  She thought for a second as I looked at the young dog on the end of the woman's leash.  "I'm claustrophobic" she said.  Okay, lets meet at the building on the corner and we'll hang out in the elevator for a while.  Her face turned pale, "what?" she said, and so I explained.  That horrible feeling you have at the mere mention of going in an elevator, that is a fear of yours; it is very real and your body goes through a plethora of fight/flight responses in reaction to it.  The exact same thing happens to your dog when a child approaches.   I could see the light bulb turn on. 

Fear is fear and whether it is rational or not, it is a real fear.  Our dogs have fears and to brush them off as being silly is to fail our dogs.  If your dog has a fear, they need your help.  Not in the form of CODDLING, do not try to soothe your dog's fears away.  But show them that there is nothing to fear.  In other words, being an example for your dog. 

Yesterday as Elsa and I arrived at our walk destination; a man got out of his car with two Briards.  One of the dogs was calm; the other was out of control and going off on Elsa.  Both dogs were black, hairy and large.  She snorted her stress about the situation and I very quickly slipped into my example mode.  I chatted happily "that's a crazy dog, let's go this way."  Getting into my "we don't care about that" zone happens very quickly.  I can call upon it at moment; but it takes time and practice to get there. 

The first thing I do is to loosen the leash; that is if I have enough distance to do this.  That is a big secret to it all, distance.  Elsa kept her eye on the dog but never said a word, except for her snorts which are a cue to me how she is feeling about a situation.  When Elsa snorts, I listen.  

Fear is best conquered by baby steps.  I remember watching an episode of the now famous television "dog trainer."  He was working with a dog who was fearful of a shiny floor.  Instead of slowly helping the dog to conquer his fear; he grabbed the leash and dragged him across.  It was horrific to watch.  I am not a fan of this trainer and his methods.  

Working through fears takes time.  Often our dog will give us an infinitesimal step forward; but if we don't see it as progress due to the size of it, we can miss opportunity.  Every tiny little progress is just that.  No matter how small, it is a step in the right direction.  When you get a whole lot of baby steps it comes together as a large progression to a bigger success.  This is how we help our dog. 

Dogs have fears, just like ours.  Just imagine if someone expected you to "just get over it."  



     

Collars, yes again.

Elsa and I were stopped the other day by a man who said, "I'm glad you have a harness on your dog instead of one of those bad collars."  I smiled and told him "yes, me too."  

Elsa is wearing the Ruffwear Front Range Harness

I want to talk about collars again today.  Yes, again.  I know, I talk about collars a lot but when I head out into the public it is brought to me once again.  This morning as I sat in my Xterra at a set of lights, a couple of folks walked by with a herd of dogs.  Each and every dog had a pinch collar on.  I thought to myself "perhaps they have too many dogs."  

I hate pinch collars and here is why.  They inflict pain.  Don't think so?  Then tell me how they work?  That is the big question isn't it; if they don't hurt then where in lies the magic?  The whole idea around a pinch collar is that they, well... pinch!   Right? right!  Oh you can call them a prong collar but they are still pinching.  

Pinch collars can do a great deal of mental damage.  They can cause a dog to form negative associations to things that cause pain.  A dog coming near and your dogs gets excited, pain infliction = negative association to dogs coming near.  Yank a pinch collar and you could be on the receiving end of redirected aggression.  

Now if you are a little old frail lady or gentleman with a giant dog who is out of control when walking; then may need to rely on a painful device.  My suggestion would be to not have an out of control monster dog; or hire someone who can control your dog, but hey, that's me. 

I remember the first time I was introduced to a prong/pinch collar.  It was sold to me as "power steering."  Yep, throw it on and it's like magic.  After my dog screamed having it on, that was that.  This was a long time ago; way before I was ever introduced to positive reinforcement training.  Pinch collars?  Nope.  

Dog necks are just that, their neck.  We should not be yanking them around by them.  Choke collars choke, so please throw all choke collars in the garbage.  The only time a choke collar should ever be used is when capturing and containing rescue dogs.  If you have a dog who can slip their collar easily then invest in a martingale type collar.  They tighten but do not keep tightening around the neck.  

Even a flat buckle collar can cause neck damage if you yank your dog around by one.  I rarely use collars for anything except to hang id tags on but if I hook a leash to one, it is most likely a 2" wide one.  Those rolled leather collars look snazzing but being so thin they put a great deal of pressure on the neck.  The wider the better.  
My dogs do not wear collars in our home.  Take great care if you leave collars on your dog and you have more than one dog.  Dogs can easily get caught up in each other's collar when they are playing.  Watching dogs play with collars on makes me shudder.  It happened to two of my males many years ago.  They were outside playing in the yard and got tangled together.  It was an awful scenario; one thinking that the other was attacking them.  It was not easily rectified by I finally managed to untangle them.  The two were quite shaken. 

If you do have to leave a collar on your dog; make sure that it is loose enough to come off if it got snagged.   NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER leave a martingale, choke or pinch collar on your dog, EVER!!!!  So many dogs have died from hanging by their own collar.  

In my opinion, a body harness is the way to go.  Yes, you will have to train your dog to walk nicely but shouldn't we be doing that and not relying on yanking them around by their neck anyway?  
     

Yep, still hot.

Fresh out of the shower.  

This  morning when I went down to get my coffee; I reached for the door handled and held my breath.  I was hoping that when I opened the door and stepped into the backyard; that I would be hit by a wonderful coolness in the air, nope.  Not happening, not yet.  Yep, it's still hot.  "Really?" I thought to myself; then calculated when this started.  It's been over a week now straight, not cool, not cool at all.  So it will be another indoor day.  

Elsa and I will get out for a walk early.  Then I plan on giving her a haircut before it heats up too much.  She had a bath yesterday and had her feet and face shaved.  I don't shave her face and feet too often because I think that hair protects both her feet and face from injury and perhaps bee stings.  But every once in a while it needs doing for sanitary reasons.  So off it came.  A poodles coat never stops growing so it has to be done; that or she might look like a Komondor dog.  Of course when I searched for the link of a Komondor I had to keep looking.  I can't imagine keeping a dog in a coat like that and wondered what they look like with a haircut.  Well here is a link, not quite like a poodle but a whole lot better than a matted mass of monster hair.    In my opinion they should be shaved; and I don't care what tradition says about it.  Why torture a dog to carry around that amount of matted coat?  

So Elsa will get her haircut today.  She does not get shaved bald, she is left with about 3/4 " of hair.  Enough to protect her from the sun and keep her warm if it ever does cool off at night.  Hopefully we will soon be seeing nice 50 degree nights.  For over a week now we have been using an extra portable air conditioning unit in the bedroom.  It is either that or no sleep with the temperatures barely leaving the 80s.  

Have a great day, and wherever you are, stay cool.  :)

Leave me a comment, I LOVE to hear from you!!!!!

PTSD

I reached for the door handle and froze; hearing the shrieking tires of a car that could not stop in time.  Then came the all too familiar thud and crashing sound of two vehicles that have collided.  Shivers ran down my spine and I took a big breath.  It wasn't me, I'd missed the crash by only moments; but the remnants of my previous crashes are still with me.  After being involved in 4 rear end crashes; 3 within a few years of each other, I'm shaken.  

I continued into the gym; where I'd been headed when I heard the first sound of the crash.  I realized that I had a bit of adrenaline in my body; I hate the feel of adrenaline, it's like a caffeine buzz.  This of course led me to Elsa and her distrust of strange dogs.  Isn't it funny what some people expect from our dogs; but yet we deal with the exact same issues.  Just get over it, right?  Wrong.  Everyone is different and every dog is different.  I know that there are some people who could not get in a car again after being rear ended so many times.  None of the accidents I was in were ever my fault.  The last one left me with the biggest issue; that whole screeching brakes sound behind you.  I heard it and then they hit me, hard.  

Elsa has had several incidents where she was very scared.  One was when a huge Bouvier came out of nowhere and chased her; I hadn't even seen it coming.  Elsa ran for her life; having not seen it or been able to read any body language.  Next was the horrible Bulldog incident; when a very stupid lady walking her two out of control Bulldogs let one attack and latch onto Elsa.  It knocked her to the ground and remained attached to her loin area.  So yes, she does not trust strange dogs out of the shoot; and I do not blame her.  I am very careful who we say "hi" to and have as many "friends" over to play for her.  She ADORES other dogs who she knows and trusts.  In fact I've never seen a dog love her friends more, it is who she is.  But sadly life has taken away her trust of the unknown. 

Given life issues that can be thrown at us and our dogs, we deal.  I have worked with many dogs over the years who act aggressive due to being attacked.  Of course they act aggressive; wouldn't we if someone attacked us out of the blue?  What we do for our dogs after an incident is help them to move on.  Elsa and I walk lots of different places where there are lots of dogs.  I try to find the places with the least chance of loose dogs.  I don't trust people, far more than I don't trust dogs.  People don't know when their dogs should and should not be off leash. 

Our dogs learn from us.  If your dogs has had a fright of some sort; maybe a garbage can fell down right beside them on their daily walk.  Now they can't walk past a garbage can without freaking out.  Well, you bring a ton of treats with you and walk by, over and over and over and over again.  You work at showing your dog that it is a non issue, how?  By making it a non issue.  No coddling, no stopping, no nothing.  Swing your arms like you do normally as you walk and keep up the pace.  You can talk happy talk along with it.  But understand that your dog is indeed dealing with a fear; a real fear and we are here to help them.  

Did you have a good weekend?

Elsa showing off her "manners,"

We had a great long weekend and now it's back to business.  Much of the weekend was spent catching up on some needed rest and family.  Saturday, Elsa had her best friend over for a visit. It was a great visit for her and us with one of my best friends as well.  I drove down to San Diego to spend Sunday with my daughters who are both expecting very soon.  Then Monday started off with a great run for Elsa; then an intense workout for my hubby and I.  Monday late afternoon we hit HomeGoods to pick up a little extra little fall decor.  It was there I found the topic for this blog.  And finally yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 31st anniversary.  A full weekend and now it's over.  

So we were at HomeGoods on Monday afternoon where we spotted a little schnauzer with her owner.  First off, the dog was wandering around on an extension leash, yes.  The rule at HomeGoods is that the dog can come in but must be in a cart; which is a very reasonable request.  This little dog was roaming freely at the end of it's leash; around corners and tangling up other customers.

As much as I love dogs, and you know how much that is, DON'T DO THIS.  Why?  Because it gives dog owners a bad name, that's why.  Not only did these people not give others any regard as to their canine likes and dislikes; they were just pushing it as far as canine etiquette goes.  Their little dog also peed on the floor.  Yep, they poured a bit of water over it and then left the store.

I love dogs, I ADORE DOGS; but I hate when people do things like this.  It is just completely rude.  Just because you love your dog does not mean that others do.  Keep your dog to yourself!  Honestly, I was left shaking my head at these folks who had no regard for others.  I have seen many dogs in HomeGoods, mostly in their owners cart where they are suppose to be.  There was a huge German Shepherd in the store wandering around one day; the dog was not in a cart and I was shaking my head then also.  Obviously none of the store employees wanted to step up and say something.

There are right and wrong things to do with dogs; forcing others to put up with your dog is a big no no as far as I am concerned.   I really hate seeing people give us dog lovers a bad name.  Honestly.

Don't even try to get past the watcher

She's sharp, she's on the ball and she doesn't miss a thing, so don't even try.  Elsa is always watching and aware.  The other day we were walking along a strip mall area that we frequent.  It is a great place to walk for seeing folks, grocery carts, screaming kids etc etc.  We undoubtedly will run into someone who wants to touch or talk to Elsa which she ADORES.  Elsa LOVES people, I mean crazy googly loves people.  So when someone stops to talk to her; they get the full-on Elsa treatment which is good for anyone's ego.  

So we were wandering along, Elsa was sniffing everything that there was to sniff between working on some obedience, when a truck slowed beside us.  We were on the sidewalk area which is right beside where cars can drive.  It also makes a great place to work on "car chasing" issues or creating non issues. I took Elsa to the same place when she was young so she has no car chasing issues.  But, this truck had slowed and the guy inside was looking at Elsa.  

She looked and then took a double take.  "Why was he staring at her?" was her reaction.  She could not function, he was staring at her, she was staring at him.  She got a bit confused; she knows what a slowing vehicle means but didn't know the guy inside.  Elsa loves people but not when they do weird things.  She absolutely had to figure it out before she could continue.  

The guy continued staring.  I could see that he was interested in Elsa and what we were doing.  I'd been working on her "right," behavior which is like a finish in obedience but on the right side.  She was doing great until this guy showed up.  Funny how people don't "get" dog behavior.  If he did "get" it he would have seen that he was disturbing her.  

After looking at him a couple of times myself, he got the message and moved along.  It was a good distraction for her but one that she had a hard time with.  Elsa knows that when cars slow down beside us that we are usually going to talk to someone in the car.  This was confusing to her as he just slowed down enough to stare but was still driving along side us.   

Sometimes one thing can really give you a clear visual on your dog and who they are.  This one incident summed Elsa up to a T.  Elsa is the ever intense watcher.  She does not miss a thing and because of this; she can be hard to move.  Once she locks onto something that she needs to figure out; she needs to figure it out.   Of course now that she has experienced a slow driving gawker, she will be able to deal with the next one.  I guess we've never dealt with a slow driving gawker who just stared before.  :)   Most other slow driving gawkers have actually stopped to talk which Elsa is accustom to.  She did not like the non talking one.  

Elsa is a great reader of body language; perhaps she didn't like that she couldn't read his in his slow moving truck.  As much as she ADORES people; she has a clear understanding of who we give affection to.  We do not give the people who walk by not saying anything, the time of day.  If someone says "hi" to only me we keep moving.  Even if we stop to talk but the human only talks to me, then Elsa minds her own business.  But if they say hi to Elsa or reach a hand out, it's full-on Elsa time.  

Don't even try, you won't get past the watcher.  

The Horse Whisperer

An image of a gorgeous horse I took years ago that was used for a book cover.  

The weather has been hot, crazy hot; so over the past weekend when the temps. hit the high 90s we watched a couple of movies and documentaries.  Highly unusual for us to watch a movie midday but it was too hot to do anything else.  Flipping through the movies we stumbled onto Buck, the Horse Whisper documentary.  "Stop, I wanna watch that," I said.  So we did.  It was slow for sure but the behavior aspect and story is a great one.

By the end of the documentary I had several blog topics that I wanted to write about and a girl to feed.  It was 7:30 and Elsa knew that it was past her dinner time.  She'd enjoyed the afternoon of tv watching with her Dad; having been for a big burst of exercise in the morning, she needed some much needed rest as well, but it was time to feed the guns as they say.

I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary and Buck Brannaman brought up much of the same issues with  horses and humans, as dog and humans.  One main issue was anger.  Anger is something that I see in conventional choke collar training.  Instead of trying to figure a behavior out; choke collar training simply tries to stop it with the yank and choke.  

Anger also arises when we put too much expectation on a dog.  When humans don't fully understand canines and their natural behavior; it is often categorized as "bad dog behaviors," when in fact they are just being dogs.

In the Buck documentary, Buck Brannaman explains several times how anger should never come into the mix when working with horses.  

“[Be] gentle in what you do, but firm in how you do it.” – Buck Brannaman

Many people still use harsh methods in training dogs; some because they just don't know any different.  "Sherri, I wish I'd known," is a phrase that I have heard often.  Heck I've said it myself; "I wish I knew this earlier."  But life is about moving forward, not back.  We can learn from our past but we should not stay there and linger.  

When I was young and just learning about "harsh" training methods, there was so much anger.  If your dog didn't do what you wanted, we were taught to just yank on them.  The harder we yanked the worse the problem got.  Being young and uneducated about dog behavior at the time, I listened and followed along.  

A woman in the documentary who is also a horse trainer and grew up training horses with the harsh methods she had been taught; gave this quote about meeting Buck and learning from him.  I love it.  

"You don't realize how unjust it is until someone shows you a different path." 

This is so true.  Until you learn and allow yourself to evolve, you will never get it.  

I recommend watching the documentary, which can be seen on Netflix.  

I love gear

My red and white Canadian Maple Leaf carabiner has seen better days. 

"I love gear."  Well, let me rephrase that, I love useful gear.  I would prefer to get a great new carabiner over a lot of gifts.  Yep, not your typical girl; I love utility and the more real utility, the better.  Hence the great love I have for my very utility Xterra 4x4.  

Just recently my hubby and I took a trip into Cabela's.  Anyone who loves the outdoors knows and loves Cabelas.  I was in search of some new carabiners.  Why you ask?  I use carabiners all the time, although I do not purchase the actual mountain climbing, weight bearing; the ones that cost a fortune.  I buy the $2.00-$5-00 range ones that get old and worn so I need new ones all the time.  On our recent trip, Cabela's was a bit short on the my favorite type, the asymmetrical or pear shape with a solid gate.  

So we checked out what they had and we left with a couple of new types for my carabiner collection.  :)  I got the a two pack of very small S-biners with wire gates; shown below with my new really great small Cabela duffle bag.  

The orange wire that is attached can wrap around anything you want to hang onto which is very utility.  I may use it for my walking pouch to hold my leash while engaging in retrieving work.  

Along with my 2 tiny S-biners I also got a doohickey, yes really.  This doohickey has a bottle opener (very important), screwdriver, ruler, wrench and box cutter all attached to a wire gate carabiner.  It is a very useful tool to have around so it too will be going in my walking pouch; I may need another to keep in my Xterra.  

Some things that I use my carabiners for:

- Holding my flip flops when I'm at the beach walking dog/s.
- Holding a hand towel when frisbeeing.
- Hanging Elsa's water bottle on.
- Hanging Elsa's water bowl on.
- Hooking things safely in my Xterra.
- Basically hanging anything I don't want to carry on.

Hands free is important when walking your dog, hooking up or attaching stuff to other stuff is important for safety.  I have a couple of really large carabiners in the back of my Xterra; just to hook things to, so that stuff doesn't fly around.  Get yourself some carabiners, you won't regret it.  Let the clip do the work. 

"My dog only gets dog food"

"My dog only gets dog food."  Quite the statement.  Do you have any idea how many times I have heard people tell me this with pride?  Oh yes, their Veterinarian told them to only feed dog food, no scraps or people food.  "People food"  I honestly hate that term.  Like all the food on the planet belongs to us.  Think about it. 

I was at Target just the other day; and as I passed a shelf filled with Beneful dog food I stopped in my tracks.  Hmmmmmm, I flipped the bag over and had a look.  Now, I already know that the foods sold at these type of big box stores are not good and should not be fed to our dogs but when I read the ingredients I was still completely shocked.  

Really?  Corn and corn gluten meal in the top three ingredients.  That and chicken by-product; meaning that it is all the stuff processed down into a meal that is not fit for human consumption.  Feet, feathers, heads etc.  Yes dogs can eat that stuff but just how much nutrition is in it?  Have you ever seen a wolf kill and eat a bird?  They don't eat the feathers.  They take food with very little nutritional value and process the hell out of it; in attempts of making it non spoiling.  

As a human, I need a great deal of protein to feel my best.  If I eat processed food I don't feel good.  Dogs need a whole lot more protein than we do in general and this is what some owners offer?  I remember years ago when I told a training client who had been referred to me by their Vet; not to feed a certain brand of very low grade dog food that the Vet had recommended.  That Vet called me and scolded me for going against what she had told them to feed.  She said if it happened again that she would not refer me as a trainer.  Think I changed my habit of educating people on dog food?  Not a chance. 

When you start to look at nutrition for your dog and for you it is eye opening.  You realize that much of what we eat and feed our dogs is simply filling the pockets of the big commercial food makers.  Most of them don't care what we feed or eat; just as long as they get rich.  

When you eat or feed, think.  Look at the days long ago when food was real, ingredients were simple.  Check out the list of ingredients on that Beneful bag, mind boggling.  Just because they call it dog food does not mean that we should feed it to our dogs.  

There are good dog foods and horrible dog foods, just like our foods.  Food is food and to consider our food as human food and the garbage crap left over to be given to our dogs?  Well, I don't think so.  Let's feed our dogs the way that they should be fed, with food, real food that their body can use as real fuel.  

Research and find the best food that you can buy for your dog.  Don't they deserve it?    

My fur-niece is 13 today

Today my fur-niece, Ruby turns 13. She is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and I have had the pleasure of photographing Ruby a lot over the years.  I want to wish her the Happiest Birthday on this day.  Ruby lives with my sister, her hubby and three kids (my human niece and nephews) in Canada; who are all at Ruby's beckon call.  I get to see her when we head home for a visit.  Just a couple of weeks ago we were back in Ontario to see the family and of course Ruby.  

Miss Ruby and I on our last trip home. 

This past visit back home, Ruby gave me the warmest welcome; she was acting very much like a puppy again.  She charged around like mad, crying and leaping on me as she ran by.  We had the luxury of being waken up by Ruby in the morning and watching her fall asleep after her big days at the cottage.  She is one of the sweetest girls I know and I am so fortunate to call her my fur-niece.  
Happy Birthday Ruby, looking good.  


Some shots taken over the years.  

Ruby with her ever faithful tosser, her Mom, my sister.  

This shot was the cover of a dog magazine.

Looking pretty great after being groomed by her Aunt on this past trip.    First Toller I've ever groomed. 

National dog day

It's National Dog Day, but at my house it's dog day everyday.  Below are some of my photos over the years.  

Happy National Dog Day from Elsa and I.  

Wine tasting and dogs

One of the hundreds of Vineyards in OR.  Does it get any better than this?

I spent this past Saturday at some wonderful Vineyards in Oregon with my hubby and great friends.  Elsa was at home with my amazing sitter, but I was missing her terribly.  

There is nothing more beautiful than rolling hills covered in grapes; that is of course unless there are dogs in the picture as well.  When we arrived to one of our favorite vineyards, we were in for a nice surprise.  The two boys pictured below were decorating the floor of the tasting room at Coeur de Terre Vineyard in McMinnville, as we walked in. 

The boys lay there on the floor for a longtime before Jack got up to say hi.  Jack is the yellow guy on the left and Blue is the black boy on the right.  Jack is approximately 12 years old and Blue 4 years.   

Jack was the first to get to his feet and come visit.  Blue never did get up except to go outside, although he did accept attention when offered.  Jack came around the tasting bar for some petting and then plunked down again.  Anytime a person approached or walked near his tail would thump loudly on the ground.  He reminded me of Elsa and her thumping tail.  The two Labs were like magnets for us and the other visitors.  

  

The host at this vineyard is welcoming and friendly; giving a full run down on the wines and the dogs.  Both dogs were rescues who seemed to have hit the jack pot as far as where they got to live.  They were relaxed and enjoying the good life.  That's what it's all about right?  

With only my cell phone in hand, I tried to capture the beautiful images that were before me.  Two beautiful Lab boys living the life on a Vineyard.  You don't need a big fancy camera to take great shots.  

 It was very clear who the leader of this small pack was.  Each time Blue tried to get in on the attention; Jack gave him a subtle yet clear signal that he was the top dog.  Blue moved away and stood in the distance.

Blue heading over to see what Jack is checking out in the vineyard.  You can see Jack in the grapes on the left in about an inch.  

Jack, doing the rounds.

What an wonderful old face. 

Jack blends into his life.  

Jack lay at my feet and gave me a glimpse of his life.  

Our host was wonderfully engaging and as we went through the tasting; he explained each wine in depth.  The whole atmosphere and warm feeling of the vineyard and host make you want to stay a while.  The wines at Coeur de Terre are fabulous and we left with several bottles.  

Enjoying some attention from my hubby.

The life.  

Jack was an amazing dog and I feel honored to have met him.  I don't know how many times he gave me his paw, asking for more attention.  

Questions

There are no stupid questions, true.  That is if you haven't just ask the same  one and didn't pay attention to the answer.  If you don't know, ask.  Answering questions is probably my favorite thing to do with regards to helping others with their dog/dogs.  So many people think they know but they don't really.  

Dog behavior may not be brain surgery but it is most definitely 'difficult to figure out for humans.  I really cannot believe that humans can have an animal live in our house with no prerequisite courses or books to read first.  Yep, just add a canine to your family and assume that it's all going to go to plan.  Hmmmmmm.  

There is a great deal to know about dogs.  Facts about dogs in general, behavior, health and nutrition are a never ending learning curve.  Think you know it all?  Nope.  There is always something new to learn about dogs.  In fact, most people don't know anywhere near what they think they know about dogs.  

You see, even if you have a houseful of dogs; you still may not know about dogs.  To really understand dogs you must learn how they work; once you have that then your dogs at home can teach you much more.  But if you are looking at your dogs and seeing the wrong information or not seeing them at all then your dogs will teach you nothing.  

If you don't know, ask.  I am a need to know type of person.  Of course dogs are my passion but I like to know about everything.  If  am mid conversation with someone who is in the know; I may stop them for a factoid to further assist my understanding.  "How does this work, what happens when, what if," I ask a lot of questions.  One of the reasons I was so excited about my new vet is that he answered all of my questions.  

No question is stupid.  There are tiny little questions which require a yes or no all the way up to huge monumental life changing questions.  Even if you've been doing something or thinking something for years; if you have a question about it, ask.  Ask, ask, ask, ask.  

Next Q&A over at Just dogs with Sherri Facebook page September 10, 6:00pm PST.

Common sense and respect

Common sense - Common sense is a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge things, which is shared by ("common to") nearly all people, and can be reasonably expected of nearly all people without any need for debate.

Unfortunately I do not see a lot of common sense these days.  Humans often leave me shaking my head for the lack of any sense at all.  Have we gone so far that we are losing the basics of common sense?  The loss of common sense mixed with a lack of respect for others is what I am seeing out in the world.  Just yesterday as we were leaving the park; a woman had a big lab off leash using her chuck it.  Of course I took the time to watch as Elsa was having her post workout drink of water.  As another woman rounded the corner with her two Boston Terriers on extension leashes, the Lab took note.  The owner of the Lab called to it and made a mad dash in attempts of grabbing her.  She obviously knew (had a preexisting knowledge) that the lab was not coming but running for the dogs. She dove for her dog and grabbed the collar as the dog tried to veer out of arms reach.  She hooked the dog up and then let the dog go once again as the Boston terrier lady quickened her step to stay out of bolting range..  

Common sense should tell us not to let our dogs off leash when they do not come when called.  This and respect for others should tell us to keep our dog on a leash; or wait until you have the park to yourself.  But it doesn't, so many people have lost their sense of common sense.  

When I am walking on a path with Elsa, we typically step off when people are jogging by, have strollers or little ones.  I consider this to be common sense.  Not everyone wants a dog 2" away from them.  But this is also respect; common sense mixed with respect.  I don't know how many times I have to make a huge circle around people with their dogs on the en of extension leashes.  FIFTEEN feet away from the owner and free to tangle whomever they like.  Not cool.  COMMON SENSE people.  Fine if you are out in a field with no one around but not in a public place.  As far as I am concerned those freaking leashes should all be in the garbage.

What about those who completely ignore body language?  Common sense should tell you that when someone looks away and moves away from you that they do not want to interact, right?  But yet people still advance with determination.  Mind boggling.  

Should common sense not tell people to leave their dogs at home when it is hot out?  The moment they lock the car door with their dog in it; common sense does not kick in?  The thought never occurs to them that maybe it might be hot in the car?  No common sense. 

Common sense can stop accidents but if there is no common sense, then what?  Walking a dog down a busy street without a leash is just stupid and common senseless.  Giving your dogs items to chew or eat that are choking size is done thoughtlessly and without common sense.  Allowing your dog to approach every dog you see without asking?  Not smart.  I knew a little dog who's owner allowed this and the last time I saw them the little dog was minus an ear.  Very sad.  Accidents happen, yes, but many could be avoided by simply using common sense.  


Where has common sense gone?  

Watching canines

 

Little Luna telling me secrets, she has a lot to say. 

Many mornings I sit and look at my computer screen; void of ideas to write about as I have been blogging for years now.  This morning I had a different problem, too many things to write about.  I started out with one idea which very quickly turned into three different topics.  So I will cover one today, another tomorrow and the final one the next day. 

Learning from our dogs

Each and every dog will teach us something.  Like us, all dogs are individuals.  Every dog that comes through our life in some way will our lives; teaching us bits and pieces that we can use. 

No dog in my life ever taught me as much as Luke did.  He taught me life lessons; but mostly he taught me about dogs and the very essence of a dog.  He had issues, the kind of issues that many dogs have when they must live in our human world.  The difference with Luke was his outward expression.  He was demonstrative, every emotion was bigger than life.  Seeing the world through Luke's eyes catapulted me to a place where many never get to go.  But this doesn't happen to everyone who deals with dogs.  Many don't see or care to see what is going on.    Lots of people just go on in their day to day never stopping to watch their dog or try to figure out what is going on. 

Watching is a must, watching and learning.  The first step is to teach yourself to watch; the next is to really learn about what you are seeing.  I often listen to new clients as they attempt to tell me what is going on with their dog.  The entire time they talk, I listen and watch.  I'm always watching.  I really can't turn my watcher off, Luke instilled this in me.  After I watch, I explain what is really going on.  They listen and an "ah ha" moment comes for them, it always does. 

It is amazing that just one misunderstood behavior can make things worse.  One wrong behavior from us can create a huge mess.  Learning about dog behavior comes with time and experience.  Yes you can read about it in a book but unless you have dealt with it, you really will not understand.  Even then there are many different ways to look at a behavior.

Having been a private dog trainer for years, handled dogs in the show ring, groomed, photographed and written about dogs; I have seen, experienced and dealt with dogs for forty years.   But just being around dogs does not teach you to watch; that must be learned and worked on if you want to be good at it.  I tend to be a watcher by nature; I do it in the human world as well.  I love to watch body language.  Humans can say one thing but their body or actions tell the truth.  This is where the "talk the talk, but do you walk the walk" saying comes from.  

Dogs say a lot and if you aren't watching, you'll never understand any of it.  It amazes how many people live with dogs for years and years and know nothing about dog behavior.  I often listen to people talking about dogs; I take a backseat and just listen.  People love to talk, not many really listen.  They may look like they are listening but most like to just talk.  Listening is important; for when you listen, you learn.  Watching and listening go hand in hand in our canine/human world.   
  

Common Sense-tomorrow



Questions-Friday

So hot

It's so hot.  Yesterday's temperature hovered around the 100 degree mark, too hot.  I hate this weather but as we  moved into August I know that it is coming.  Typically September is our hottest month of the year so a great deal has to be considered before exercising the dogs. 

The other day I was out with Elsa; we hit the park early in attempts of beating the heat.  We were there at about 8:30 in the morning but even still it was very warm already.  The first thing we did was to seek out the shade for some power retrieving.  The most  intense activity calls for the coolest spot.  Just getting in a few tosses was plenty in the warmer temperatures. 

Before hitting the path for a slower paced walk I checked the temperature.  The path is a light color so it doesn't heat up like a darker surface does; even still I tested before walking.  This is something you should always do when warmer weather has arrived. 

It truly boggles my mind to see folks out running or even walking their dogs when it is scorching hot out.  The temperature from the ground can be scary hot.  Our dogs are very close to the ground; much closer than us, so with the added heat coming from below they can overheat easily.  A warm walk for you might be an extremely hot walk for your dog.  CONSIDER YOUR DOG. 

CONSIDER YOUR DOG, please.  So many people obviously do not consider their dog when they head out.  I often take note of the heat coming from a parking lot as cross, heading into a store (while Elsa is safely at home in the A/C).  People regularly walk their dogs on dark hot surface without thought.  It's not fun for your dog and can be dangerous or lethal. 

Yesterday I let Elsa out back to pee.  As soon as she was done we head back indoors, it was unbearably hot.  I can't imagine leashing her up and heading out to walk down the street.  If you feel that you must take your dog out in the heat, hit the shade.  Consider the heat when you think about activity level.  Watch for signs that your dog is overheating.  Panting is how dogs cool themselves, regular panting vs. frantic panting are two different things entirely. 

Make sure you have water with you.  A little water more often is better than a lot of water gulped down at one time.  When it's scorching out, stay in.  Spend time playing indoor games when it's really hot out.  It won't last forever, the cooler temps will be just around the corner.  But for now in the high temps, keep cool with your dog.  Your dog will thank you for CONSIDERING them. 

My Elsa

 

Elsa's place of preference.  Minus me in this photo, my legs would be under her.

It's early, 3:00 am early.   I can feel the weight of Elsa across my legs; we've been over this already, many times.  Only an hour earlier I asked her to please join me on the other side of the pillow where she can touch me but is not "on" me.  She has breached the barrier again; as she has been doing more often.  Elsa likes to touch; so she has taken to lying across my legs.   I don't  mind except for when I wake up and can't move.  She is like the weight of an elephant.

As I lay awake my mind drifted off to Luke.  His spot at night was across my husbands legs.   He would start somewhat in the middle but always ended up over my husbands legs; leaving little room to move.  The things you learn to love out of love.   

The thought of Luke brought me to lunch the day before.   I had my dog sitter over for lunch.  We enjoyed a tomato salad with smoked goat cheese, cherry and pumpkin seed quinoa and strawberry/pecan dessert.  Yummy.  Our conversation went to Luke at one point; she told me how blessed she felt having been able to meet him.  She'd only sat for me twice before Luke passed but knew he was a special dog. It is nice to hear that his memory lives on with others

My mind came back to the moment with a lead weight on my legs.  Smiling I tried to adjust myself under the density which is Elsa. Then I remembered Elsa crushing Luke with her weight.  He too tried to adjust under the pressure without getting up and leaving.  She is something; and these are the moments that sink into your memory.  For now it is Elsa and I; and I drifted off smiling with the weight and knowing that I am her pillow for the moment.    

Finding the needle in a haystack.

My amazing Clyde, always in my heart.  

Honestly, how hard can it be?  Hard.  Searching for breeders who I could possibly get a puppy from is waaaaay harder than you might think.  This blog is about searching for a great breeder.  It is not a rescue/breeder debate so please do not send me nasty emails.  I would like to get a puppy; but the more I know, the harder it is.  I am very clear on what I am looking for and sadly there are few breeders out there that come anywhere near the bar level that I have set.  If they do check off many of the boxes; they are located far, far away from us on a map. 

30 years ago I visited a home where they had a litter of brown puppies.  I had been given first choice of males but when I arrived I was told that another family had got there before me and taken one of the boys.  I was very angry; what if they took the one I wanted?  She had promised me one thing and done another.  Live and learn.  I chose my brown boy who turned out to be one of the loves of my life, Clyde.  As much as I adored him he suffered from poor structure over the years.  There had been no health testing done for his parents once so ever, no temperament testing, nothing. 

30 years later I know a lot more about what to look for.  I have a huge check list and the first thing on the top of the list is tails.

Must: **

1.  have full undocked tail
2.  have fully health tested sire and dam
3.  live and be raised in home with family
4.  be socialized in the rule of 7s
5.  be a breeder who breeds only dogs with amazing temperaments
6.  does temperament testing
7.  knows the litter and matches puppy to new family

These are the 7 musts.  Anything more of course is better.  But if a breeder does all this then they have reached the bar level that I set for me. A few things can be modified but not dropped completely.  This of course is just me and after years and years of research is what I look for in a breeder. 

Admittedly, I could go out today and find a puppy. There might be one just an hour or so away from me.  It sure would be easy right?  But I cannot blindly give money to someone who does not care enough to do all these things.   My breed is one that is not so common; add to that all of these items on the list and it gets harder and harder to find the needle. 

I have found breeders who do 5 or 6 from my list.  After talking to them I realize that they do not stand strong on the other things that they claim to do from the list.  Some things on the list have a wide range of levels as far as others are concerned.  Again, I have a high bar set for these as well. 

If you are a breeder, why not do it all?  Why not do your best for the puppies you are putting out into the world.  It is easy to spot the ones who are just doing it for money.  Yes, even breeders who do not consider themselves to be puppy mills, often do it for the money.  One big clue that someone is breeding for profits is multiple litters on the ground at one time.  I've been on several sites that list litter after litter, born only days apart.  

By having a list, you can weed out the ones who cut corners, save a buck, save time and do it for the money.  They simply don't care. 

I will find the needle, but it is not going to be easy.  It is not always easy to do what is right; but that's what I'm doing. 


** This list is not because I want perfection; such a thing does not exist in the animal or human world.  I want to support those breeders who are doing it right.  Those who have the utmost care and concern for their dogs and the puppies that they breed. 

Questions welcome:

I am really excited for this evening.  At 5:00 my time I will be answering your burning questions.  Depending on how things evolve, it may turn into a regular event.  The format will be a Q&A one.  I will take questions on a first come basis and give the answer in the reply area of the comment. 

 I will create a post that says "questions here" and anyone with a question is to comment on the post.  I will then put my answers in the reply section under each comment.  This will hopefully keep everything in order and easy to follow along.  Each question will be a comment and anything having to do with that question should be put in the "reply" section under the question. 

Looking forward to it, see you all soon. 

Choosing puppies

Choosing a puppy is fun, but it is work if you do it right.  Much of the choosing dilemma can be reduced by a breeder who is in the know.  As most of you already know, I am a huge temperament testing advocate.  I do testing of litters often and find it extremely interesting.  The test puts puppies through different trials to see how they react.  I believe testing to be extremely important but one should also know how to read the results and between the lines.  I do a great deal of between the line result reading when I test myself.  As a behavior specialist this gives me more information than simply relying on the initial test. 

Another huge factor in choosing a puppy is a breeder who knows their litter.  A breeder in the know will take temperament test scores and the individual puppy personality within the litter into account.  These two factors will help to best place a puppy in the proper home.  There are many things to consider when adding a puppy to your home and communication with the breeder, rescue or foster is imperative.  

The first and most important thing is to choose a breed or mix of breeds that will suit your lifestyle.  I cannot tell you how many people got a dog because of appearance.  This can be a huge mistake.  Choosing a puppy because it is the cutest in your mind is not a good idea.  I am not a fan of breeders who just let puppy buyers choose who they want.  Most have no idea how to choose and go by looks alone.  When you visit puppies, they may be hungry, tired, just awake etc. etc. So there is no way to really know if you don't even know what to look for.  

Breeders should guide prospective puppy buyers.  They should communicate extensively to make sure that the buyers get the best puppy for their family.  Perhaps a puppy buyer may not be a good match for a particular breed or mix of breeds; breeders need to communicate that as well.  They should share the good and bad about their puppies with prospective buyers.   

Communication is huge, both with breeders and potential buyers.  People who are interested may have a long list of questions; that's a good thing.  Questions mean that the buyer cares, a good thing!  If a breeder is not willing to freely share information, move along to the next.  If a breeder is pushing their puppies, move along.  If a breeder does not make you feel warm and fuzzy about your purchase, move along.  

Above all, listen to your gut.  That extra sense that tells you right from wrong, listen to it.  Looking for a puppy to add to your family is serious business.  Find a breeder, rescue or foster who is up to your standard.  Anything less is less.  Dogs deserve the best.