We've moved

Elsa and I are moving.  Yep, our Just dogs with Sherri BLOG has a new home.  With our new website we wanted to bring everything together; so this is our new home, the new website.  Like many things, we may have some growing pains but we will work through them as they arise as quickly as we can.

I love writing and sharing information about dogs in many different aspects of our life.  I will continue to research, learn and share things that I think are important issues about living with dogs.  

I love getting comments on my blogs and also topics that people would like to see a blog on.  Communication is so very important in the dog world; it is also as important in ours.  I hope that you continue to follow us and we will make try to make the transition as smooth as possible.  

Thanks for reading.

Sherri and Elsa  :)

Are you a leader?

Are you?  Are you your dog's leader?  How about your pack, are you the leader of the pack?  No matter what your pack exists of; whether it consists of one dog, three or more, you should be leader of the pack.

Leader -  a person who manages or controls other people, esp. because of his or her ability or position.

So what does this mean?  A canine pack leader guides, educates, creates rules and enforces them.  A leader is understanding, patient and firm.  Being a great K9 leader is about giving your dog the tools to maneuver seamlessly through their life in a human world.

From the moment your dog becomes a member of your family; it is time for you to be a leader.  Feedback is a huge part of living with dogs.  Feedback is a great thing for humans as well.  If no one ever offers us feedback we are at a disadvantage, so too are our dogs.  

Just yesterday I called Elsa into the house.  She is typically very obedient and comes in quickly.  But there is a rabbit that has taken up residence in our backyard (wonderful).  This means that Elsa is very preoccupied much of the time that she is out there, even if the rabbit is not present.  There are many footprints to smell and trails to follow.  I needed her to come in, so when I called and she ignored me, out I went, immediately.  If I didn't need her in and saw that she was otherwise preoccupied I would not have called her.  She was having fun being a dog and I like her to have fun.  But I needed her to come in.

I kept my very serious body posture and said "in now."  She looked at me like "crap, really?"  With one last look over her shoulder she did as she was told.  Much of our day to day is very casual; as I offer suggestions of things to do rather than strict rules.  "Wanna come in?" I ask her and leave the decision up to her.  But when I give a rule that must be followed it is essential to enforce. 

Life rules are all about what is okay and not okay to do.  Many puppies will leap all over their new guardian at feeding time that might seem cute and funny at the time.  If you do not change this at that point in time then you will have a large adult dog trying to get the bowl of food away from you at feeding time.  Not okay.  

If you don't teach your new family member not to dig in the backyard or give them an alternative activity to replace that; you may come home one day to your yard totally destroyed or a missing dog who dug underneath a fence.  

Being a leader is not about being bossy.  A leader offers guidance to their dog so that they don't make mistakes down the road.  It is our job to do this.  Often we fail to educate and then become furious when our dog acts like a dog.  That is our failure, not theirs.   

Temperament testing and puppy placement

I was surfing breeder sites the other day; I was looking for something very specific for someone.  The information that I was looking for was how they raise their puppies.  So I rolled up my sleeves and dug in.  It doesn't take me long to figure it out; it's just a bit of looking around a site that gives you much more information than you would think.  The first thing I saw was pictures of week old puppies set up beside a basket full of flowers.  Red flag.  

A little more surfing around and I found the puppy contract.  Wow.  Let's just say it is not something that I would ever sign.  One of the big red flags was about placement of the puppies.  Puppy buyer must make their choice when the puppies are three weeks of age in order of deposit.  Boy this makes me cringe.  

At three weeks of age, there is no way to know who is who.  Oh sure you can go strictly by color and/or markings but that is all you can go on.  Even if you get to see them in person, you cannot tell what the puppies temperament or personality will be at that age.  Even the breeder can't tell what their puppies are like at two or three weeks of age.  

I've done a great deal of temperament testing in many different breeds and mixes and it is quite fascinating.  It is one of the things that I do that I absolutely love.  Seeing the differences in the puppies at seven weeks of age and talking to the breeder about their expectations and surprises after the test is intriguing.  So much personality and difference in such little puppies, I LOVE IT.  

Choosing puppies is not like choosing fruit from a basket; or at least it should not be.  I just talked to a person from a rescue group the other day for a client.  After discussing their protocol for puppy placement and matching owners to puppies; I have to say that I was highly impressed.  It was refreshing to talk to someone who "gets it."  

Just like the huge differences in humans; dogs are just as different.  There are folks who just pick a puppy and don't much care what the personality is like.  The dog may not really work in their home but they don't much notice.  I seen dogs that just coexisted within a home and I have worked with many people who juggle dogs from room to room because they don't "mesh."  

Each and every family situation is as different as people and dogs.  More attention needs to be taken when placing dogs into homes with existing dogs.  It is great when they get along great; not so much when they are a mismatch.  

So how should it be done?  In my opinion this is how puppies should be placed.

- Deposit or interest placed on a puppy from a litter by potential buyer.
- Constant communication between puppy buyer and breeder or rescue person.
- Once puppies are born, potential buyers are notified that there is or is not "a puppy" in the litter for them.
- Photos, videos and communication about each puppy keeps buyers in the loop.
- Breeder gets to know puppies very personally over the weeks; thinking about which puppy would best suit which home and family situation.
- Buyer does not know which puppy will be theirs yet, just that one will be joining their family.
- Litter is temperament tested at 7 weeks of age.
- Breeder decides who would best fit particular homes at that point.
- Sometimes there is a choice between two puppies that would fit; breeder assists buyer in final decision.

This is my opinion on how it should be.  The general public has no idea how to choose a puppy; whether they are temperament tested or not.  I really think that temperament testing is important; but it is also just as significant if not more so, that the breeder know each puppy as an individual.  This I have found is lacking remarkably in many breeders.  

I always say that dogs are very simple creatures; that is once you learn how they learn, perceive and communicate with the world around them.  But they are also extremely complicated; each being so different than next.  Choosing the next member of your family should not be a blind decision made by coat color or pattern.  Nor should it be made by someone who has no idea how to choose.

Leave It-Mine Until told Otherwise

"Don't put food on the coffee table," "you can't put food on the table," "it has to be out of reach."  These are a few statements that I've heard over the years and there have been many, many more with regards to dogs stealing food.  Do you wish you could sit on the floor and eat a sandwich?  Wouldn't it be great to have a picnic on a blanket without having to tie your dog to a tree?  Eating dinner on the coffee table while watching a great movie may be just a fleeting "that would be nice" idea for you.  

So how do you get to a place where you are not longer trying to keep your dog from stealing any available food?  

Simple, the leave it exercise is how you accomplish this.  It doesn't matter what word you use for this exercise; “don’t touch, off, mine, not yours,” etc. etc.  My word it “leave it” for the leave it exercise and I have been teaching it for many years. 

But the leave it exercise is really just the beginning of “what’s mine is mine until told otherwise.”  Teaching and instilling the idea that you own the food is a good idea when living with dogs. 

When you teach and work on “leave it” as a way of life, not just an obedience exercise; there are wonderful fallout behaviors that occur.  See the above photo of Elsa?  I didn’t say anything to her about the food that was placed right beside her.  She knows not to touch it because it is mine; it is as simple as that.  Is she fearful or cowering because I own and dispense the food?  Nope, she just waits until I (the boss) tells her that she can have some. 

Creating boundaries with dogs is a good thing.  Dogs are opportunists; give them an inch...well you know.  Manners are extremely important; both for us and our dogs.  I do not like chaos; the type of free for all type behavior in dogs or in humans for that matter.  I am not a control freak, I just do not like when things get out of control.  

So when I sit on the floor with a snack, I do not want to be fighting to keep my food away from my dog.  It is simple to instill rules; you just have to want to and then implement.  Of course it must be consistent; wavering or allowing behaviors will weaken the rules.  (This can happen when someone in the family lowers the bar as far as enforcing rules and allowing inappropriate behaviors.  Not mentioning any names.)

"Leave it" is an important rule of life.  It starts with just the item that you are saying should be left and grows into much more.  From the beginning of learning the "leave it" to making it a way of life; it is one of the most important things that you can teach a dog.  I for one love the fallout behaviors that come with a very solid "leave it."  

Breeding facilities

Okay, I know I've written about Millers many times before but I'm going to do it again.  Just the other day I was surfing the web looking at breeder pages.  One page lead to another, to another and another.  It doesn't take me very long to distinguish the good from the very bad.  Even within the good and bad classifications there are a wide range.  I stumbled onto a page that boasted of their "facility."  I cringed as I looked at the huge building with a long hallway lined with cage doors.  My stomach was in knots as I thought about the dogs on the other side of those doors. 

I almost clicked away as it is so hard for me to look at these type of things.  But I stayed and surfed around the lies of their web page.  It is important to research and share to others.  Breeding dogs for the soul purpose of making money is very much a reality.  You need to know where not to go. 

No dog should live in a kennel.   The longer I stayed on the page, reading about their facility that was as comfortable as their own home, the angrier I got.  This is not what the canine/human connection is about; dogs are not herd animals, and to think that it is okay to raise dogs in a kennel is a huge statement about how that human feels about dogs. 

"A dog by my side," is a phrase that I use regularly.  No they are not always there but they should not be stuffed away in a kennel.  Dogs are suppose to live in our home with us; you know "man's best friend."  I have said this before and I will say it again.  I do not care how clean a "facility" is; it is still a Miller situation, clean or not.  The offending humans have gotten so deep into the money, money, money thing that dollar signs are all they see.  The almighty dollar has coated everything in sparkling rainbows and they believe their own lies that they spew.  

Oh look, pictures of little children and dogs; they must be wonderful breeders right?  WRONG.  Millers or puppy vendors tend to use buzz words or "in" terminology on their page.  Unsuspecting buyers see those few words and click the "buy now" button.  

I'm actually very surprised at the height of pride that one of the Miller pages had.  Boasting kennel shots with cleaning products included.  "Our kennels are disinfected daily," was one of the boasts on the page.  Disinfected?  Really?  How about nurtured and loved in your home?  The whole scene was very reminiscent of the shelter I use to volunteer at; and any other shelter facility.

Please do not be duped into buying a dog from a Miller.  The Miller status is a wide and varied one.  There are many different types but they are all in one big giant Miller bag as far as I am concerned.  There is only one reason that they are breeding, money.  They don't care about their dogs or their dogs would not be in KENNELS (yes I am yelling.)

It sickens me and I finally had to move off of the page and onto videos of happy frolicking puppies who were being raised by someone who truly cares.  

There are many choices when acquiring a puppy.  Please do not give your hard earned money to people who don't care about their dogs, your dogs or any other dogs for that matter.  Dogs are not a money making endeavor.  

Pushover or Reliable?

Only ask when you mean it and mean it when you say it.  

Do you follow through?  Do you mean what you say?

Pushover - an opponent that is easy to defeat; someone who is easy to persuade or influence.

Reliable - able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed: able to be believed, giving the same result on successive trials. 

I have met both types of canines guardians and everything in between.  So where do you stand?  

As humans we tend to want to do what is best for our dogs; but we often fall short of following through with them.  "Awww, look how cute," "he really wants it," "he's sniffing something."  I've heard it all and bucket loads more.  "He doesn't want to," is a big go to excuse for not having our dogs do as we ask.  

I remember working with an owner and her two dogs; we were teaching them not to bolt out of an open door.  When the dogs saw no reason to "not" bolt out the door the owner said to me "they don't want to wait."  My reply?  "Too bad."  

Sometimes it is hard to be tough with our dogs.  After all they are so darned cute and we love them so much that we tend to slide on the things that they really don't want to do.  There are things that can be allowed to slide and others that should never be granted a free pass.

Ah ha!!!!! This is the moment when I get to use a word that many people use incorrectly, SPOILED.

Spoiled - to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc. 

Lets just put this out there; you are the boss of your domain.  You make the rules, you should follow through and enforce the rules.  If you say one thing and do another, you are not a reliable canine guardian.  Your dog may already knows this and has learned to manipulate you.  By indulging our dog by not following through on rules, we create a spoiled monster. 

I do not expect dogs to be little furry robots with none of their own emotions or ideas.  I love to watch dogs think and do what they love to do; but, it is very important that our dogs have and follow rules.  We humans have to live with rules; if we don't we can end up in a whole lot of trouble.  

Of course there are times when we are going to let little things slide.  But the majority of requests should be responded to positively.  This is where you the canine guardian need to think before asking.  Are you going to follow through if your dog does not comply?  You need to think on it before asking.  If you ask yourself "what if they don't come, sit, retrieve; will I follow through?"  If the answer is no then don't ask.  

This relates to dogs in their day to day.  There are times when I see that Elsa is deep into the throws of lizard hunting so I will not call her away.  If I had to call her I would and I would follow through if she did not come.   

It is extremely important to be a reliable canine guardian.  Ask when you mean it and mean what you say.  Be a straight shooter and follow through with your requests.  Your dog will thank you for it.  

Facebook GO LIVE for Canine Q & A

Elsa and I have had a couple of GO LIVE Q & A sessions now and will continue as long as the questions keep coming in.  I gave it a try a couple of weeks ago and after a few glitches as far as "getting it;" we've pretty much figured it out. 

I am holding these Q & A sessions every Thursday at 5:00 PST over at my Just dogs with Sherri Facebook page.    So far each has lasted about an hour and I planned to cap them off at an hour each week.  That is of course unless I have a serious answer in the midst at the hour mark.  

What can you expect at one of these Q & A sessions?  Answers.   I will answer questions asked about grooming, behavior, training, feeding, nutrition, walking your dog and just about anything else related to dogs. I will also speak about issues that are of interest to me at the time of the session.  Last week I talked a lot about feeding because I have been doing some live "meal prep" for Elsa as well.  

To join along you simply have to be there when we are live.  I have had some questions after the live session but will not be answering after the live feed is down.  

I have heard that if you "subscribe" to the live feed then you will be notified when I am going live so that you can ask questions during the live feed.  

Elsa and I only have one scheduled "go live feed" but we often hop on during the day if we are doing something that I think might be interesting.  Elsa is always in attendance for the feeds and pops in and out whenever she feels like it.  

I try to answer everything that I can during the "go live" but there will be questions that are more in depth and need a much more precise answer.  Anyone looking for more extensive solutions may be interested in my online consultations.  

Where:                 Just dogs with Sherri FB page
When:                  Thursdays at 5:00 PST
What to bring:     Questions, pad and pen, cup of tea, glass of                                      wine (it is 5:00 in CA) etc.  

Hope to see you there.  :)

Hunting dogs

"She's from hunting lines," the woman boasted over the phone.  "What seems to be the problem" I asked.  "I can't control her, she's crazy" said the desperate owner.  We made an appointment for a few days later and I went to see the Labrador from hunting lines.  As soon as I saw her I knew that she was no regular household Labrador.  The first sign was her color; she was dark amber color.  Next was her legginess and then, her craziness.  I sat at the table with the very elderly and feeble owner and discussed the dog.  

Again she blurted out "she's from hunting lines."  As we discussed the issues that the owner was facing it became quite clear that the "hunting lines" were too much for the woman. I felt bad for her as she told me about the dog she'd lost only months before getting this new one.  She'd been a gentle soul; kind and sweet as the day is long.  Then came the new one; nothing like the Labrador that the woman had before. 

When she went to see the dog; the breeder did tell her that she would make a great hunting dog.  "She's a lot of dog" he had told her.  She didn't understand what that meant and just needed to mend her broken heart; so this new "hunting" girl came home with the woman.  It was a mismatch right from the start.

This Labrador was a very pushy, head strong girl.  At only six months of age she was running the house; and very literally pushing the owner around.  The woman had called a yank and choke trainer which had made matters worse for the woman.  She did not have the strength to yank the dog around and the dog knew it.  So now she had an angry, hard headed dog with drive and energy off the charts. 

I see this often and it is sad.  The owners want to love the new little bundle of joy but it is just so difficult.  

There are hunting dogs and then there are hunting dogs. 

Elsa would have made an amazing hunting dog and I believe that several of her siblings are actual hunting dogs.  Elsa is a hunting dog in every way except for the guns and prey.  Her prey is a ball and in lieu of a gun I have a chuck it.  :)  She is highly trained to go after the ball, down mid field and finds a ball when it has gone astray.  She has a great deal of prey drive but has a nice off switch.  She is a hunting dog.  She does need an outlet to be a happy dog; but, she is not a hunting dog that you cannot live with.  There is a huge difference.

It is just like any other drive trait that breeders are selecting.  Some take it to extremes and there is fallout damage.  I know many people who breed terriers for "go to ground" competition that no one could ever live with in a normal home.  There are people producing such bat crazy Border Collies for flyball that they border on insane.  Others who are taking the craziest of the Jack Russells and mixing them with the Craziest Border Collies for flyball. 

But what happens to the ones that make it into the hands of regular folks?  The dogs are quite often surrendered.  I know that many performance people are looking for dogs like this; drive, drive and more drive.  But there is too much and not every single puppy can end up in a home that wants that kind of drive.  

Breeding dogs who have drive, work ethic, wonderful temperaments, sound structure and an "off switch" is essential.  Stability is imperative; people need something that they can work with.  Breeders also need to turn people away.  The woman with the Labrador should have never been allowed to buy that puppy.  She couldn't even walk her own dog; which was just a recipe for disaster.  

I think when breeders put too much emphasis on one specific trait like drive, much of the other great things about a dog fail.  When a dog has so much drive that they cannot turn off, listen or do anything normal; it is a sad life for that dog.  Believe me when I say that I have seen crazy dogs who cannot stop doing whatever it is that they were bred to do.  They are like robots in constant motion. 

There are so many wonderful things that make up our dogs.  Choosing just one trait to single out and continue to breed for over and over; litter after litter causes very imbalanced dogs.  Those poor puppies who don't make it into a home that is not ready, it rarely works.  

Breeding well balanced dogs who can work and snuggle on the couch happily is wonderful.   Breeding dogs that only know one thing with no turn off switch; and placing them into unsuspecting regular pet homes is very, very wrong.  

PTSD in dogs

Mid pant nerves; she stopped panting to listen to footsteps.

Elsa had her recheck last Thursday and received a 4 paws up from her Veterinarian.  Thankfully this whole mouth/face thing is over with; although she will be a long while to completely heal her mouth.  She is feeling much better and is back to herself, almost.  

PTSD - Post traumatic stress disorder.  

About a week before Elsa's recheck, I was anxious to have a look at where her tooth had been removed.  As I went to lift up her lip I noticed that she had some anxiety about it.  I quickly changed my mission into a nice short gum massage and a snuggle.  She has PTSD over the mouth pain that she suffered from this whole thing.  I believe that most of the issues came from being at the emergency Vet. that first day.  I was not happy with the attention that Elsa got and I know that they opened her mouth way too many times, just looking.  

So we are working on good mouth things.  Since Elsa was a very little puppy I have worked on her mouth.  It started with a tooth that was not coming in correctly which meant that I was in her mouth all the time.  From that we went to mouth massaging, teeth brushing and scraping.  She has never minded me in there at all, until now. 

All dogs are different and each will response and react to stimulus individually.  This means that some dogs will let things slide; not giving much concern to anything.  While dogs like Elsa who are extremely intense with a heightened awareness; will not let things go unnoticed.  Things that happen in life have very different lasting impact on each individual dog.  

Her issue is a small one but it is there so I will work on it.  She doesn't act out or anything; it is more a feel and her eyes that tells me she is a bit concerned.  With some great things happening as far as her mouth we will be desensitizing and counter-conditioning.

desensitize - introduction of triggers that cause unwanted response at low level then slowly increasing .    

Counter-conditioning - conditioning a positive response to a particular stimulus where a negative response once was with the use of  'good things.'  

This is where the massage comes in first; short and gentle gum massage followed by treats immediately.  Maybe a quick tooth brush with coconut oil which Elsa loves.  

Highly concerned ears.

We will also be working on her PTSD with the Vet.  Elsa has always been excited to be at the Vets and would follow along happily if taken to the back.  Not anymore.  Since this last ordeal linked to  pain she had her tail tucked as far as it could go for much of her visit.  She still had some wags for the techs and vet on greeting but the tail went under when they wanted to look at her mouth.

I hate to see this but it is very, very typical.  I don't know too many dogs who like to go to the vet after having to stay for a procedure.  Linked with the pain and the stay; Elsa is now concerned about the Vets.  I discussed this with my Vet and told him I'd be bringing Elsa over often to sit in the waiting room.  He then said "sit, have a coffee and ask the girls up front to give her treats."  I like my new vet a lot.  

Elsa's behavior would be classified as "great" from post people.  She is no where near as freaked out as Tilley and Luke use to be.  Luke's response was to be as scary as possible to keep everyone away.  This of course scared everyone and I had to do a lot of extensive canine behavior explanation so that the techs and Vets understood what was going on.  Once he was in the room he was his usually pussy cat self.  Tilley was so afraid to be left at the vets that she very clearly wanted to crawl inside of me.  She sat quietly trembling; clamoring on me and trying to get out the door.  Elsa's anxiety behavior now would be unnoticeable to others.  But I know my girl and I want to help her with any anxiety that she has.   

We will keep the visits short and very positive.  Maybe I'll even take her into an examining room and hang out for a while.  Of course it must remain upbeat and positive for counter-conditioning.  It must also be kept very short time wise; building with the success of changed response.  

Elsa got up on the counter immediately after we left the examining room.  She is very conditioned to treats coming from behind certain counters.  

Treats please.  :)

Elsa adores most people.  She is highly forgiving so this is just a tiny bump as far as PTSD, pain and trust, but it is there.  We will be working on it.  

"Those" dog owners. RANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elsa and I are just back from our very short walk.  We had to check out early because one of "those" dog owners at the park.  I saw the woman the other day at the park and had to yell across the park for her to put leashes on.  When she heard me she immediately turned and walked away, I knew then. 

So today Elsa and were on the opposite side of the park and I see her; this time with three Australian Shepherds, two off leash.  I turned on a dime and head back to the car.  From what I'd seen on the previous visit she had no control over her dogs.  I was not about to put Elsa in the middle of this idiot and her dogs.  

As I came around the corner we made it to the car.  I poured Elsa a bowl of water and gave her a treat, while watching.  One of the Aussies decided to come my way so I hovered over the back hatch while Elsa had her drink.  The dog then took a big crap right in front of me as the woman pretended not to notice.  Then the other took a big crap and she continued to throw the ball for the third; walking away from the crap like she hadn't noticed.  Okay, enough was enough.  

I called out to her to leash her dogs and pick up her dogs crap.  What I got was what I expected from one of "those" dog owners.  She screamed at me and frantically tried to wrangle her dogs.  One of the dogs ran towards me and I shut the back hatch of my car.  The dog hovered around my legs but I didn't give it the any attention once so ever; but could feel it nudging my leg several times.

I was now fuming.  These are the type of folks that tend to have their dogs off leash obliviously; the ones who have no control over their dogs.  If something should arise, there is nothing that they can do.  The dogs ran around avoiding her as I approached.  I wasn't letting it go; this is a park that I love, one that Elsa and I frequent a lot and I have been going to for at least sixteen years.  

She had her dogs leashed finally and was walking away.  I told her that her dogs had crapped and she needed to pick it up.  She spun around and screamed at "get out of my face."  Yup, one of "those." 
The oldest dog out of the bunch hunched over to crap right then and she dragged it away mid-poop.  Poor dogs.  I told her again to pick up her dogs pooped and she screamed "I'm getting a bag." 

Well needless to say in the very large park she was not going to find the three dog's poop.  And, as I drove away she was nowhere near the poop bags, she was leaving.  "Those" type of people should not have dogs.  

Losing your canine companion

It's gone, off to the editor with a huge sigh of relief.  I've been working on a loss book; not just any loss but the loss of a canine companion.  It's been a rough write but healing at the same time.  As most of you know, we lost our Luke in January 2015 and with his loss came much sorrow and emptiness.  I took to writing and it has helped a great deal.  

A few weeks after our loss I sat in front of my computer and decided to write.  Writing is very healing for me and the more I wrote the better I felt.  Now a year and a half later I am moving on.  With each re-read came more tears; there have been a lot.  But with time passing and life unfolding; there have been less tears.  I cannot read the book without tears but the deep heart wrenching sorrow is now replaced with many smiles.   What a guy he was.  

All of my writing starts with a passion; so far it has all been about dogs.  Of course dogs are my passion.  This new book on canine loss was something that I needed to do for myself; but I hope that it helps those who read it to get through the process.  Each person deals with loss very individually; the course we take through the steps of loss may vary vastly but we all go through it.  

No one wants to face the idea of losing a canine.  As humans we tend to push it aside and pretend that it will never happen.  Sadly we will all face the loss of our canine at some point; confronting that fact first can help with the moment when it arises. 

If you are lucky, you will have one or more very old dogs to tend to in your lifetime.  Caring for my old dogs has been one of the greatest joys in my life.  But with that comes "quality of life" decisions which are inevitable.  

Life is journey.  We will all make our way through the loss of a canine in our own very personal way.  Dealing with it is essential; otherwise there will be no moving on.  Once you move on; you will store your dog and the memories in your heart to draw on when you need to.  They remain there forever.  Moving on means smiling when the memories floods back.  

I will keep you posted on the books availability.

Happy Birthday Elsa

Today is Elsa's birthday; she is a big five years old.  Where the heck did the time go?  It seems like yesterday when she dove into our lives with all four feet and then some.  She was without a doubt the most bubbly, social and affectionate puppy we've ever had in our family.

Elsa joined us as #4 in our canine pack; but within a few months she became half of two, as Luke and Elsa.  The relationship they had was one that many people can only wish for their dogs.  But as life must change it did and Elsa became just Elsa.  But Just Elsa is an amazing being.  She is an amazing athlete, guard dog, exuberant friend to her canine friends, lover of humans and passionate and beyond about her family.  She is Elsa.  

She is my constant companion; the dog by my side.  I look forward to what life unfolds for us and the changes that are inevitably in the works.  

Happy Birthday to my beautiful and extraordinary girl and the rest of her amazing litter.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart Vicki for allowing us to call Elsa our family.  

CHOKE COLLARS

Choke - to stop the breath of by squeezing or obstructing the windpipe; strangle; stifle. 

Collar -  anything worn or placed around the neck.  

What happens when you put these two words together?  

The other day I was driving through my neighborhood when I passed by a guy walking his dog; or rather a guy choking his dog on their walk.  The dog was a young black Labrador and was pulling like his life depended on it.  The man was oblivious to what was happening to his dog's neck; as are most people who throw a choke collar on their dog.  

I remember years ago when my training box contained many different types and sizes of choke collars in it.  But you won't find one anywhere in my home, car or anywhere else that I might keep collars and leashes.  

      Choke collars choke.  A dog's neck is not the place for one. 

I understand that perhaps they are needed when capturing stray dogs so that they don't slip a collar and get away; but that should really be the extent of their use.  

Choke collars use to be just what people used.  No one much thought about what was actually happening with them.  Many people who still use them don't consider what they are doing to their dog by using one.  A choke collar has no "stop choking" mechanism; as long as the collar has tension on it, it's choking.  Even if you don't yank on a choke collar; they continue to choke with tension. 

I often see people with a choke collar and an extension leash on their dog.  Two of the worst things put together to create a constant choking hazard.  People don't think about what a choke collar does.  They throw it on thinking that "this is what you put on dogs."  Then they blindly attach the collar to a constant tension leash.  

The man walking down the street while choking his dog for the duration of their walk saw no issue.  This is the problem, people don't think.  Not thinking can have a very dangerous outcome.  But we humans tend to go through a great deal of our lives not thinking about much of anything that we do.  

             Hold up, wait a minute, stop and think for a second.

Choke collars should not even exist anymore.  I think we are much smarter now and should leave them in the history books with many other things that we have evolved beyond.  Seeing a choke collar on a dog makes me cringe as I see it as a dangerous thing.  They can do a great deal of damage.  Think before you put your dogs collar on.  If you have a dog that pulls; a choke collar is one of the worst things that you can put on them.  The more they pull the more it tightens.  

If you are an old conventional choke collar trainer; meaning that you yank on your dog when they are not complying, maybe have a look at your training method.  Does choking your dog seem like a good idea?  

There are so many options for collars.  If you are worried about your dog slipping their collar, get a martingale style that prevents this.  The wider the collar the better; although I much prefer a harness over any collar for walking.  

Not only can choke collars literally choke your dog; they can do so much damage to the neck muscles, spine, tendons, trachea and esophagus.  A dog's neck is actually very delicate; some more than others of course.  We should not be putting a chain, nylon rope or fancy braided choke collar on our dog's necks.  Just because it is there does not mean we should throw a noose around it.  

This blog is about choke collars.  I often write about other types of collars and harnesses; this one is specifically about the choke collar.       

Fear based behavior

Chill'n as the fireworks begin.

We have gone through it and are out the other side of the fireworks "issue."  Elsa did pretty well; she isn't nearly as petrified as poor old Tilley use to be.  She would dig in our closet; head for the shower and do all sorts of strange things trying to get away from the noise and vibrations.  Elsa is much more calm about it all.  

The night before last. Elsa jumped off of our bed and remained on the floor until sometime in the night. When she first got off, we called her up again but she wasn't budging.  I didn't know why she got off the bed; it took me a bit to realize that she was exhibiting a fearful response.  There had been a few fireworks off in the distance and for some reason she felt safe down there on the floor.

Last night the fear began much earlier; but I have to say that I was really happy at the low level fear she displayed.  Having dealt with a couple of highly fearful dogs; it's a relief to see just worry in lieu of all out panic.  Elsa was worried.

As we sat down to watch the annual airing of Jaws once again, she remained on the floor.  She was tired from her big exercise day but the floor is not where she rests when we are on the couch.  I called her up but she was not interested.  Then I heard the fireworks in the distance; the ones that she had obviously heard long before I did.  She wanted to stay on the floor; so that is where she spent the evening, even once the fireworks got to full force around 9:00 pm.  Elsa lay on the floor; her head on top of her newest stuffed addition to the family.  It was like she was ignoring what was going on around her and the floor helped her to be able to do that. 

Shortly after they started we decided to call it an early night.  I said to my hubby "she's not going to go out to pee."  Happily I was wrong.  We went out to the yard and the booming continued.  She most definitely responded but when I very calmly walked out to the grass and told her to "hurry up," she reacted to my calm demeanor.  She peed in record time and ran to the kitchen door to go in.  Elsa was not in a panic at all; her tail was up, although she did have a few looks over her shoulder before heading in.  

Once upstairs she joined me in the bathroom; something she does not do regularly.  She always waits outside the door but she needed in with me.  I allowed her in but we did not discuss the problem.  I ignored her fear and she remained fearful but calm.  I couldn't ask for more from her.  She is highly intelligent and beyond aware of her surroundings.  Loud booming and deep vibrations of the floor beneath her will not go unnoticed.  

Elsa had her bedtime snack then we crawled into bed.  She jumped off of the bed as one boom resonated through the neighborhood again.  She spent about and hour to an hour and a half there on the floor.  Elsa decided that my side of the bed on the floor beneath me was the best spot. There she could watch the goings on out the patio door.  It was not until a very close firecrackers exploded that she dove back up on the bed and dug between the pillows at the headboard.  She spent the rest of the night there.  

Safely tucked away between Mom and Dad she finally drifted off.  There are always lingering booms from people needing more; they didn't stop until into the early morning.  Elsa remained calm until the very close fire crackers; then she needed cover.  There was no panic, no shaking, panting or dilated pupils.  Her fear level was very low which was great.  Next year we will work at getting it even lower with some ball and extracurricular activities.  

It's all about your reaction.  No matter what level you are dealing with "chill" is the way to go.     

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July to all.  Please have fun and stay safe.  Keep you furkids indoors safe and sound.

Happy Canada Day

To all  my Canadian family, friends and fellow dog lovers; a very happy Canada Day.  

Just a reminder to keep your dogs at home, inside and safely contained.  Every single year dogs bolt out of fear from fireworks.  If you can stay home, do it.  

- Do not leave your dog outside.
- Do not take them to the fireworks display. 
- Turn up the TV and radio.
- Make sure all windows are closed.
-  If you are home, don't coddle.  Be cool like nothing is going on.
     In fact try to act like the best things happen when fireworks are 
     going off.  

Stay safe, keep your dogs safe.  

Coyotes at the park

Elsa and I head out to the park this morning; it's our favorite park where we meet a lot of friends.  She hasn't had a lot of exercise recently with her mouth thing so she needed to stretch her legs.   But...lately we've been dealing with coyotes at the park; or at least the threat of coyotes.  They've always been here, since we moved to SoCal we have seen them around different areas often.  But these guys are coming into the park in the daytime and coming close, too close. So I'm armed.

I have a new BIG gel pepper spray and rocks.  It's a funny thing when people first start talking about what to do about the coyotes.  "We don't want to hurt them," says everyone, including me.  I truly don't want to hurt them; I love wildlife and think they deserve to be here as much as we do. That is as long as they don't bother us; and we won't bother them, right?

Then I got to thinking.  These coyotes have moved in and are having kids.  The pack is growing and will eventually branch off to make another and another.  There are definitely more coyotes around.  Several people have been chased right across the park by a coyote following close behind.  Not cool.  Very unnerving.  Obviously the ones being chased have had small, old or slow dogs; something a coyote might consider a meal.  I know several people who have had their dogs taken or seriously injured by coyotes.  And I can't imagine how many cats they've gotten; but the number of "missing cat" signs around is telling.  

I'm not too worried about Elsa; she comes across as strong and agile, not an easy mark.  But that still does not mean that I'm cool with a coyote coming up to us.  They are losing their fear of people so I think we need to instill it back again.  Like they do with bears that wander into neighborhoods; they set the Karelian bear dogs after them to let them know that they should not come into the area.

 If a coyote is coming to eat my dog then yep, he's going to get hurt.  If they are getting too curious, then yep, time for a little pain. If the coyotes are becoming a problem; it is because nothing bad has happened to them.  They may have taken down many cats and some dogs in the area so it's a good hunting territory.  Hanging out at the park is great because it's safe.  So I think they need a little scare.   

These guys need to learn that the park is ours.  We do not appreciate having to look over our shoulder every time we round a corner.  A coyote with no fear of humans is a danger to us and themselves.  They need to be afraid and they need to stay away from populated areas.  The area I live in is surrounded by canyons and open space; loads of great places for coyotes to live and hunt.  There are literally thousands of rabbits for them to eat.

The shot

The Cover

Handsome boys

The first coyote I saw up close and personal was actually a gift.  I was shooting a couple of beautiful Kuvasz and looking for an intense look on their face for a magazine cover shot.  As the owner and I worked on getting "the look" a coyote appeared over the hill.  I immediately got the shot and the owner unhooked her older dog for a chase.  He went over the hill after the coyote and returned shortly.  He'd done his job and run the coyote off.  It was a cool moment of seeing wildlife and these amazing dogs in action.  

As far as being in our park, not so much.  

Switching up your dog's food

"My dog only gets his dog food," "NO, we never give him people food," "no treats for my dog," are just a few of the responses I've heard over the years when I ask "what does your dog eat?"  "The vet says" is also something that I hear often.  I know many, many vets who tell their clients to use one kibble and that is it; no switching it up, no adding of "people food," or anything else.  

There are Veterinarians who are well educated in canine nutrition; those who have gone above and beyond what they were taught in Vet school.  If you can find a nutrition conscious Veterinarian who will give you advice in feeding a home cooked diet, real food addition to kibble or a raw diet, you are very lucky.  Most go with what they learn in school from the dog food companies.  So ya, they are going to recommend dog food. 

If you are like many other dog owners who are overwhelmed by the idea of feeding your dog real food vs. dog food, I have a step off point for you.  What about baby steps?  How about starting by switching dog foods regularly?  Maybe adding some different canned foods to your kibble?  You could buy several different types of kibble and feed something different at every meal.

There has been a big swing from canned to dry.  I much prefer canned over dry because it is what it is.  What you see in the can is what will be going through your dog.  Dry on the other hand can change immensely when it hits the dogs stomach and water is added.  If not enough water is added then it is a very dry and dehydrating food. 

Switching up your dog's food is a great way to start feeding your better.  What happens when you eat one thing and that one thing is processed to create a shelf life is that many of the essential nutrients are missing.  By feeding different things you have a better chance of covering much of what is needed.  By adding an extremely high quality canned food or real food to your dog's kibble diet you are actually giving your dog more.  

If you look at the idea of feeding your dog as a nutritional undertaking and not a just a means of sustenance, it can take on a whole new meaning.  From simply pouring that dry food into a bowl; you can challenge yourself to "how much nutrition can I offer?"  Adding extra nutrition is easy and many dog owners start with baby steps.  Chucking a sardine into the mix; add a scrambled egg, or some goat yogurt.  How about some of the chicken you had for dinner?  

The more different foods that you feed your dog; the more different foods they can eat without stomach issues.  Time and time again I see people who cannot offer their dog any change in diet because their dog eats one thing and one thing only.  One little difference and their digestion is sent into turmoil.  I love that I can feed Elsa just about anything and she is always great.  She has had a little upset lately but that has been from her antibiotics; which she is getting probiotics to help with. 

Think about how wolves eat.   

Wolves and coyotes in the wild do not eat a one critter diet.  They are opportunistic which means whatever they can find to eat, they eat.  That might mean a deer one day; a couple of baby birds and eggs the next and perhaps nothing day three.  Then on day four they might find an old fish that someone left on the shore and chow that down. 

Below information taken from www.wolf.org  

What do wolves eat?  Wolves are carnivores, or meat eaters. Gray wolves prey primarily on ungulates – large, hoofed mammals such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, Dall sheep, musk oxen, and mountain goats. Medium-sized mammals, such as beaver and snowshoe hares, can be an important secondary food source. Occasionally wolves will prey on birds or small mammals such as mice and voles, but these are supplementary to their requirements for large amounts of meat. Wolves have been observed catching fish in places like Alaska and western Canada. They will also kill and eat domestic livestock such as cattle and sheep, and they will consume carrion if no fresh meat is available. Some wolves eat small amounts of fruit, although this is not a significant part of their diet. If prey is abundant, wolves may not consume an entire carcass, or they may leave entire carcasses without eating. This is called “surplus killing” and seems inconsistent with the wolves’ habit of killing because they are hungry. Surplus killing seems to occur when prey are vulnerable and easy to catch – in winter, for instance, when there is deep snow. Since wolves are programmed to kill when possible, they may simply be taking advantage of unusual situations when wild prey are relatively easy to catch They may return later to feed on an unconsumed carcass, or they may leave it to a host of scavengers. Additionally, they may cache food and dig it up at a later time. Red wolves primarily prey on white-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, nutria and other rodents.

Coming of age

When does a dog go from puppy to adulthood?  My own personal experience has shown a marked behavior change at the age of three years and then again at the age of five years.  Being fully mature physically and mentally are two different things.  Dogs are typically fully grown by the age of two.  Small dogs mature physically faster than larger dogs at the age of around one year.  Large dogs are done growing by two years.  So that is the physical part of maturity.

The mental part of maturity is much more complicated.  I am sure that Luke never matured mentally until he was 8 years of age.  He was in a constant state of pushing until about then when he became a different dog.  Most of my dogs showed a marked difference in behavior at three years of age as far as guarding and protection of home and loved ones. Then again at the age of five they slip into that self assured, mature and wonderful age. 

All dogs need an education.  Dogs who never receive the required education; the ins and outs of living in a human world suffer mentally.  They are never given the lessons on what is okay and not okay; making them seem like obnoxious adolescence long after age should have brought maturity with it.  

Like us, our dogs are all different.   I have been asked many, many times "how long until they are out of the puppy stage?" from desperate owners wanting to leave puppy-hood behind them.  Some dogs are born mature; while others a lot more time to reach their full maturity.   The more you offer your dog as far as rules, regulations, boundaries and guidance the easier they are to live with at any age.  

Elsa is a very high energy girl; I doubt that will change much as she ages.  Maturity is settling in and she is needing more reminders.  Being a very confident female; she occasionally takes my requests and ponders on them.  This means that I need to remind her every so often.  If she is already busy doing something when I ask for a behavior; she may just flip me off.  She is very good at ignoring when she feels in the ignoring mood.  This has come with maturity.  She is feeling very grown up now.  

I do not want my dogs to be robots; but I do want them to listen and do as I say, when I say.  It is important that our dogs comply. Patience is required from us when dealing with immature dogs. Much time should be spent on giving them an education.  Using "he's just a puppy" can only be used for a short time; although many use it well into adult years.  Using the excuse into adulthood becomes a lie we humans tend to convince ourselves of.

Elsa will turn 5 in a couple of weeks; she is quite the lady.    

Puppy buyer beware

For after you bring baby home.  :)  

I look at a lot of litters online.  I run several large FB groups where people post pictures of their puppies all the time.  I am sent links to breeder pages regularly; one click leads to others and I am looking at many puppies.  When I land on a new website; there are several thing that I immediately look for.   Adorable little bundles of fluff are nice to look at; but that's not what I am looking for.  I am looking for proof of health testing, where the puppies are raised, the food that the adult dogs and puppies are given and the above and beyond that the breeder does.  There is a whole lot more that goes into a cute batch of puppies; or at least there should be.  So buyer beware.

I am constantly researching dogs; not all poodles, I like to see who is doing what.  I get a lot of emails from people looking at puppies that ask "Sherri, what do you think?"  So when someone sends me a link to a breeder that they are looking at to get a puppy, I'm on it.  There are a few things that send up red flags immediately.  Back to back litters.  If you visit their "available puppies" page and see litters listed that were born June 1, June 10, June 12, July 4th, think twice.  What does this tell you?  It says that these breeders are pumping out dogs for money.  It also lets you know that the puppies will not have had as much time spent on them as they should have. 

Proof of health testing.  I ask or look for this always.  Many websites state "health tested" on their site.  But that can mean many different things to different people.  Health testing means that the sire and dam of the litter have been health tested for breed specific diseases.  They have tested clear and the breeder can and will show proof of it.  Going to the Vet for a health check is not health tested.

If a breeder does not health test, red flag.  There are several reasons for this.  1.  They are amateur and do not know about health testing. Those people who think it would be great to have a litter.  2.  They are cutting corners and saving their money.  3.  They do not put any importance on health testing.  I just read on a website the other day that a breeder does not follow the popular "trend" of health testing.  Hmmmmm, interesting way of getting around it.  No matter what the reason; you need to know if a breeder has health tested the sire and dam of your prospective puppy. 

Socializing.  What does this mean?  Again it can mean many different things to different people.  Do the puppies receive regular human interaction? Have they met many different types of people; both large and small?  Do they have stimulating toys to play with that are of different textures, sounds, sizes and shapes?  Are the puppies introduced to the great outdoors?  Do they live inside a home where all the action is?  Do they get to interact with adult dogs other than their Mother?  All very important questions.

What kind of food are the puppies fed?  What is the opinion of the breeder as far as nutrition?  What about vaccine protocol? 

Do they temperament test their puppies and match to appropriate family.  This is a big one for me; and sadly very few breeders put emphasis on matching puppies.  Many let people pic as soon as they are born.  Others wait a couple of weeks but very, VERY few actually match puppy to home.    As a long time dog trainer and behavior specialist who does temperament testing; I know that each dog is an individual.  Picking a puppy like picking the nicest looking apple in the bunch is not the way it should be done.  A breeder needs to know their puppies; you cannot know them when they come out right away.  It takes time for puppy personalities to develop.  As far as I am concerned they should NEVER be chosen by color, sex or without knowing the dog inside.  Nor should they be picked as a first come first served.  The general public does not know how to pic a puppy for temperament. 

Official temperament testing is done when puppies are 7 weeks of age.  Whether a breeder does this or not is up to them.  But if they do not choose to temperament test they should at least know each puppy on a very personal level before placing them into the appropriate home.   

Deposits can be taken for "a puppy" in a litter.  Knowing what puppy you get should only come after temperament testing or at least at the age of 7 weeks so that the breeder can place appropriately.  Doing temperament testing and then letting people chose who they want is futile.  The general public will go with their first visual impulse.   

These are just a very few things that I look for.  If you are looking for a new puppy; educate yourself before looking.  If you are going to a breeder; learn about your breed and what tests you should expect the breeder to have done.  Even if you are getting a mixed breed; make sure that the person in charge of the puppies knows those puppies and can best match a temperament to your home situation.  

Knowledge is power.