Canine connection

Protect their neck

Leashes are mandatory in most places these days. So when you hook up to your dog, what connects to the leash? There are a lot of different ways to physically connect to your dog but we may be doing damage to our dogs without realizing it. I want to talk about collars today and harnesses (my preference) in a later blog. Like anything else that I write about, this is my opinion.

Collars go around a dog’s neck. There are many different types of collars and placement of collar options. I’m not a big collar fan, not any type of collar except for identification purposes. A dog’s neck is a sensitive area and overtime it has become a place where we connect a leash without a whole lot of consideration to the neck itself. But much is now known about damaging a dogs neck.

When I was young I remember that many people had a choke collar on their dog. It was a very cheap device and we just didn’t think about it; even though the collar itself is called a CHOKE collar. As a youngster just getting into dogs I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought until one day at a new obedience class. Waiting my turn in line, I watched as the main assistant trainer fit the dogs with their collars. The instructor wanted us to fit a slip collar (fabric choke collar) tightly on our dogs up near the back of their ears. Even though I was only maybe 18 or 19 years of age I knew this was wrong. When something feels wrong, you should listen to yourself, always.

The top of the neck where it meets the head is a very soft and vulnerable area. I was not doing it. So when it was our turn, I baulked and both very senior teachers said “this is how we do it.” I told them “I’m not doing it,” and stood my ground. I took a large version of the collar and took a spot out on the floor. After that I was not a favorite in the class to say the least. That whole collar situation changed me; but it was not just the collar issue that left a lasting impression for me. The whole class in general had been a bad experience that catapulted my evolution in positive training, living with and handling of dogs .

JMHO

Choke collars - actually choke, yep they do. It doesn’t matter what material they are made of, a choke collar chokes on purpose. It is how they are made and what they are made to do. I hate them.

Pinch/prong collars - these are slightly less damaging for the dogs neck as far as crushing… but, they inflict injury and pain; and the fallout of this pain can lead to huge aggression and/or fear issues. They can also harm a dogs neck from the prongs that dig into skin and flesh. I hate them as well.

Thin collar or rolled leather - these put too much tension on one spot. Physics alone lets us know that pressure is best spread out if we don’t want to damage. The harder a dog or human tugs on the leash, the more pressure inflicted. I do not like these.

Martingale collar - these come in many different materials and widths but in general they are a good option for a dog who might slip a collar due to their structure. Dogs who have necks that are larger than their heads can often slip a collar. I like the wide soft fabric versions of these.

Fabric snap on - the wider the better for me if you are going to use a collar to hook up a leash. If a collar is just a holder for identification and you use an alternate method of leash hook up then width is not a huge issue. But if you are going to hook a leash to a collar, make it a wide collar. Again physics plays into this. More width spreads out pressure.

Any collar can damage a dog’s neck; we must take great care not to yank on them. We need to also be extremely careful with collars and our presence. Dogs can get caught up with their collar on just about anything. My own guys do not wear collars in the house for their safety (both are microchipped).

Think before hooking a collar around your dog’s neck; it is a precious thing that we should care for.

Blog on harnesses in the near future.

Greeting k9s

“Reach forward with your palm down,” I hear a Mom telling her daughter, with regards to how to greet the dog in front of her. I wish I’d have been closer because I would have called out “NOOOOOO.” The dog was backed up, clearly showing that he was not interested when the girl bent over reaching out to him. As I knew what was going to happen, he barked ferociously at the little girl. Mom yanked her away and the owner of the dog yanked him away.

Don’t touch other people’s dogs, just don’t. The other day a man and his wife were walking by and as he got right beside us he bent over and reached out to touch Riggs. Riggs jumped out of the way at the rudeness. Yes, reaching out to touch dogs is rude. We humans don’t think that it is rude but it is surely rude to dogs. Dogs do not just go up and touch each other. Yes there are those dogs who do because they lack social graces but they usually learn from the other dogs that it’s not a good idea.

Just imagine for a minute that you are out on a walk; you are alone, no dogs with you and someone walks by and reaches out to touch you. We would automatically recoil, maybe yell at the person or do even more. It always amazes me how people want to touch strange dogs. Of course there are dogs who are very friendly and enjoy being touched by pretty much everyone. Elsa is like this but she definitely has boundaries and she displays her willingness to be touched by approaching people.

She displays her willingness to be touched by approaching people.

The statement above is so very important and should be the rule when greeting dogs. Don’t reach out to pet, don’t hug, don’t tell the owner how dogs always love you, and don’t push the issue. Just stand calmly and non threatening (turned to the side) with your hands by your side and wait. Does the dog approach? Seem interested in approaching? Or does the dog just ignore you, back up or go behind their guardian? These are all signs of interest in being touched or interacting.

Simply asking a dog’s guardian is not enough before you touch. You need to ask the dog and the way we do that is to wait it out. You need to see if the dog approaches you, first. Do not bend over towards the dog, do not have direct eye contact with the dog, do not reach your hand out…wait.

Often the harder you try to be friends, the worse it gets. Attention in any amount can be too much for dogs who are not fans of interacting with strangers. Remember that next time you want to touch.

k9 squabbles

This was a wonderfully complicated pack. I run a tight ship and allow no nonsense on my watch. Tilley and Jessie simply coexisted as they grew to adults. Jessie (Jack Russell) knew not to discipline Tilley and Tilley let Jessie think that she was the boss. Luke was constantly pushing to be the pack leader but feared both Tilley and Jessie if they got angry. I adored these days and cannot believe that it was over 10 years ago.

It is so wonderful when our dogs get a long. “She’d love a companion, we should get another dog,” I often hear from single dog guardians. It can be a perfect idea but it doesn’t always end up like the image we conjure up in our head. I will state that I am a big two dog advocate; I think that every dog deserves a dog companion of their own. But, and this is a big but, you the k9 guardian need to want a second dog and if you do then you have to choose carefully.

My blanket opinion on second dogs is to get the opposite sex. Why make it more complicated by adding another male or another female to the mix. The risk of it not working out goes up when it is a same sex union. Of course male/male and female/female can work out beautifully but if you have the choice, I always recommend getting the opposite.

Personalities need to be considered so that you limit conflicts. It makes me sad when I’m contacted about dogs not getting a long. Some people opt for the segregation type of life for their dogs when this happens. But in my opinion dogs are not happy living in a separate room from the rest of their pack. Dogs are meant to live as a pack and if they cannot do so peacefully; even after much work from a professional trainer and the guardian then one should be placed. No dog should live in fear, a heightened state of aggression or stress. It’s just not a good place for a dog to live.

The act of placing one of your dogs in another home can be heartbreaking. But just imagine moving a dog from a toxic environment into a home where they can live peacefully without having to look over their shoulder constantly. Even if you have the best intentions, try really hard to work it all out with your leadership intervention and guidance, sometimes it just doesn’t work.

What I see as the biggest problem when there is unrest in the k9s at home is a lack of leadership. The leader of the pack makes the rules, educates everyone with regard to the rules and enforces the rules. The leadership role should be filled by YOU, but if it is not then one of the dogs will step up and into that roll. Often just taking back the reins, offering an education and enforcing the rules in the house is enough to change everyone; and give you back your peaceful home and pack.

But like I said, sometimes it doesn’t work out. Life is about being happy and that is not just for us; our dogs should be happy as well. So if you have unrest between dogs at home, you have work to do. If work doesn’t work then you need to consider what is best for everyone involved.

We owe this to our dogs.

Happy Thanksgiving - thankful for lots

This morning I woke up thinking about several things. First that it is Canadian Thanksgiving, so a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian readers. I miss celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada. Typically Thanksgiving comes with a crispness in the air; hinting of the colder temperatures that are in the very near future. 55 degrees with sun and cloud today for my home town, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I wish I was there. Today I will be dealing with 91 degree temps, pure sun and a heat warning. Hmmmmm, I miss the cooler temps, but I know they will eventually get here. Patience.

Second that I need to get in the kitchen. I LOVE cooking and baking and during the summer here in California I don’t do a whole lot of it. But fall makes me think of cooking, stews, soup and anything else that resembles comfort food. Last night I made creamed chicken and mushroom on toast. I have to say that it was delish and I have not made it in a very long. I have a gluten intolerance so this version was completely gluten free, which was the first time I’d like this.

Later today I may turn on the AC and pretend that it is chilly out. I’m going to make dog cookies for Miss Elsa and Mr. Riggs. I’m not sure what flavor I am going to make but I’ll let you all know when they are done. I’ve been making dog cookies for years now, my dog cookie club is available online if you are interested. All recipes are created by me and are gluten and sugar free. :) I started baking my own dog cookies after selling “human cookies” for years at a farmers market back in Canada . After having Luke turn his nose up at store bought cookies I decided to make my own. Cookies should taste good, even dog cookies; and mine do, you can eat them yourself.

Lastly I was thinking about this whole pandemic thing with COVID. Yes, like you I hate that life has changed so much and that this is our new normal. But it is time to move on, it isn’t going away anytime soon so we need to learn how to live with this new normal of ours. I’m sure that things will get better but will it ever go back to how it use to be? I don’t think so, I think we are all changed after this. Life continues and so do we; we will overcome all of this negative stuff and come out strong, I have no doubt.

Lots to be thankful for. Let’s all move towards being kind to one another as we all move through these trying times.

New Puppy

You have a new puppy, or you are going to get a new puppy in the very near future, what next?

Probably the #1 question I am asked from new puppy parents is “when do I start training?” My reply is this “as soon as you get your puppy, start.”

There is so much to learn about having a puppy so that you can teach them right from the start. And what you need to know is so much more than the actual obedience (come, stay, down etc) part of teaching our dogs. This is the reason I wrote my book Feedback For You And Your Dog which can be found on Amazon or my website. It is filled with information that you need to know as soon or before you actually get your puppy. If you read this book, you will be completely prepared for your puppy’s arrival.

Feedback For You And Your Dog is filled with information like choosing and teaching a name for your puppy, stuff you need, crate training, house training, piranha issues, the zoomies and much more. These are all of the things that you need to know for day to day life with your new addition.

When you add a new puppy to your family there is so much for them to learn. Sadly we often take for granted that they know how to live in our world. Feedback For You And Your Dog is filled with the critical information that you need for a smooth integration for both puppy and yourself. We really should do a great deal of research when we get a puppy with regards to raising them and creating a cohesive relationship. This book gets you well on your way being packed full of things you need to know that you may not find elsewhere.

I think everyone who is considering getting a puppy or those who already have a new puppy should read it. And that is not just because I wrote it; but because your dog deserves a guardian who is in the know.

Are you in the know?

Questions about my book? Ask me.

Loving dogs - every bit of them.

Most of you know that I am a tail advocate; but I am also an advocate of every bit and piece of our dogs. What bits and pieces I’m talking about are ears, tails and dew claws. This topic is a hot one although more and more people, breeders included are coming over to the side of the dog. What do I mean? I mean that we should stop amputating body parts for fashion or ease of living with our dogs. Lets love our dogs entirely and learn to live with instead of cut off.

Ears are taken off many breeds for a few reasons. One because the “standard” says that they should be cropped. Fashion is another reason, even when people are not going into the show ring they want that “proper” look to their breed. Then there is the tough image or lack of anything to grab. Bully breeds and mixes often end up in this category for the “tough” image.

Can you imagine cropping ears on dogs for years and years; then pinning them up to look a certain way just because? All the time, money and pain spent on fixing something that we humans think is incorrect. We need to learn to appreciate the way a dog looks and not try to alter it by amputation. It is time to consider this and stop. Many countries are way ahead of us in by banning it.

Whatever their ears look like when they come out, let’s leave them like that; because those are your dog’s ears. Dogs are gorgeous all on their own; who are we to say they need a little nip and tuck here and there? Humans have bred so many different looking dogs and then if that was not enough, we cut things off that we dislike or want to alter.

Tails are cut to all different lengths on many breeds and mixes. It does surprise me when I see a mix with a docked tail because one of the reasons people dock tails is again, standard. The breed standard says… Frankly I don’t care what breed standards say about cutting things off of our dogs. Some folks long ago thought that it was a good idea, wrong.

Just like with ears there are lots of reasons why people cut tails off. If you research different breeds you can find out why they started doing it but why people continue is a mystery to me. Tails come off because they might get “damaged” while hunting. Guard dogs have them docked so the bad guys can’t grab a hold of their tail and stop them. “I need their tail as a handle when they go to ground” one person told me about why JRT tails are docked.

My own breed is one of those that are typically docked but I am very happy to see that things are changing; it is happening, albeit slowly. People often complain that “a full tail can clear a coffee table,” true they can. So we should cut their tails off for convenience? We have learned to live with this minor detail and constantly watch the wine glasses when Miss Elsa is feel feisty. :)

As someone who constantly watches tails, I know how much that they need their tails. Tail communication is huge in dogs; it is where I first look to see how a dog is feeling. Without it we have to rely on the other parts of the body. Dogs also need their tails for movement. If you’ve never watched a full tailed dog zig zag across a field, it is glorious how their tail balances their every movement.

Just consider that the tail is an extension of the spine. That alone is shocking to think about the ramifications of removal.

Dewclaws are very controversial and tend to be removed or not removed willy nilly per breed. Yep, again it is in the “standard,” where dogs parts are said to be or not to be removed. Someone long ago had a thought… But shouldn’t we have stronger more educated thoughts about removing things from dogs for no reason? Riggs is our first dog with full dewclaws and yes it has taken some getting use to but that is my job if I want to live with dogs. They should not be taken off because someone long ago said so.

There are many people who claim that they can be ripped off or torn on walks. Well yes they can be ripped and so can toe nails. Our little Jack Russell ripped a toe nail almost completely off, it was very painful but we got it fixed and it healed. Riggs gets his dewclaws cut and filed regularly. Dogs need their dewclaws, that is why they are born with dewclaws.

I am very passionate about this topic and the reason I am is because I love dogs as much as I do. I don’t think that dogs should be a fashion statement; they are far too amazing for that. A dog’s heart is where in lies their beauty; whether they have long hair, short hair; are black, white, brown or a combination makes no difference to who that dog is.

Let’s stand on the side of the dog; the side where are perfect just the way they are and we don’t see things that need to be cut off. Let’s decide this for ourselves and not rely on what someone who decided long ago that dog were better with a bit taken off here and there.

This is not a blog on spay or neutering, that will be another separate blog.

K9 Spinal stroke movement

As most of you know my girl Elsa had a spinal stroke back in February of this year. Seven months later… and she is a different girl. I feel that we are very lucky with her recovery, strength and drive to overcome what has happened to her. She will never be the same, I know that now but she is almost back to our old Elsa. She is doing amazing “chuck it” work, retrieving like a maniac and able to do just about everything she use to do. She is still left with a fear of falling due to her bum leg but we help her with it and adjust life when needed.

The one thing that has left me pondering in all of this is the rapid speed and powerful movement of her limb that was affected the most. Her back left leg took the brunt of the stroke although her other limbs are not quite right. When she is asleep she has such a raised level and strength of movement when dreaming that it’s crazy. Most of the movement comes from that bum left leg which has left me pondering over the last months. How can that leg be bum but move so much? It also moves more than normal when I am trying to cut her nails or trim her feet; which has turned out to be nearly impossible as she kicks like a donkey on steroids.

I am a need to know type of gal and this movement has been driving me to research for information. I contacted members of a Facebook Spinal Stroke page that I am on (yep there’s one) and they all stated that their dogs do the same. With my lingering questions I turned to my amazing nephew who just obtained his Doctorate in Human Neuromuscular Physiology to see if he could help me figure out what is going on with this movement of Elsa’s. Humans are also affected by spinal strokes so I thought that Dr. Davis Forman might be able to assist me.

This all makes sense to me…

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Dr. Davis Forman’s perspective as to what is going on with Elsa.

To start off, it’s important to discuss reflexes, and I have an example of a reflex in the photo above. This specific example is called a “stretch reflex,” which is probably the most well known reflex in the body; it’s the one that doctors and therapists will sometimes look into by tapping your knee with a hammer. The way this reflex works is that, 1)when the hammer strikes the tendon just below your knee cap, the quadriceps muscle is very rapidly stretched (because the tendon around the knee cap is connected to the quadriceps muscle). 2)This rapid stretch stimulates certain receptors inside of the muscle, which then transmit a signal through a sensory neuron (blue line in the photo) and into the spinal cord. 3) The sensory neuron makes a direct connection with a motor neuron (red line in the photo) which exits the spinal cord and connects back to the same muscle that was just stretched (quadriceps). 4)The motor neuron causes the stretched muscle to rapidly contract, which in the case of the knee, will cause the foot to kick.

The most important thing about this whole process is that it all occurs without any input from the brain. That’s what makes a reflex a reflex. So, the next time you’re watching a hockey game and a goalie makes a great save, the sports commentator is actually incorrect when the say, “Wow, that goalie has some amazing reflexes!” What the goalie actually has are amazing reactions (which require brain input).

Now, if you’ve been in the doctor’s office before and have had a tendon tap (hammer on knee) performed on you, or if you’ve seen it done on your children, it’s entirely possible that the procedure failed to elicit a kick. This is very common. While reflexes occur entirely within the spinal cord, and do not require input from the brain, the brain can still influence how reflexes function. For most people, the doctor’s office is a stressful environment, and stress can make people very tense. In these situations, the brain can make stretch reflexes less likely to happen; this is referred to in research and clinical settings as “inhibition.” So, for a tense individual, their brain may be inhibiting their spinal cord, which will prevent their knee from kicking when a doctor strikes their knee with a hammer.

However, the brain exerts a certain level of inhibition on the spinal cord even when we’re not stressed out. For example, think about what happens to the muscles of the leg when we walk. Every step we take, either the quadriceps or the hamstrings are stretching (depending on the phase of walking). As I said before, the stretch reflex is triggered by a stretched muscle, so why aren’t our legs kicking and jerking all the time when we walk? The simple answer is that our brain partially inhibits the stretch reflex during walking so that we can achieve smooth and coordinated movement.

Let’s get back to Elsa now. When damage occurs to the spinal cord, either through a spinal cord injury, a spinal bleed, or a spinal stroke, the biggest issue is that the connections between the brain and certain areas of the spinal cord are lost. In Elsa’s case, the number of connections between her brain and her bad leg are fewer than normal. What does this have to do with reflexes? Like I mentioned, the brain’s most important role in reflex function is to provide an appropriate amount of inhibition. When input from the brain is reduced, reflexes can become hyper active or hyper sensitive. This happens in both humans and dogs. For some individuals with spinal cord damage, a tendon tap performed in a doctor’s office will result in a very large kick, much larger than in a person with an undamaged spinal cord. It’s possible that this is contributing to Elsa’s kicking; with reduced brain input to her bad leg, her reflexes are not being properly regulated.

Why is it so much worse at night? Like I mentioned before, even healthy people can fail to show a stretch reflex in a doctor’s office due to stress. The most effective method of finding a stretch reflex is to get the individual to relax. The reason why this works is that it results in less inhibition from the brain. What does this have to do with sleep? We are the most relaxed, and our brains exert the least amount of inhibition, when we are sleeping. So, for Elsa, she already has a problem of reduced inhibition during the day (spinal cord damage), but that’s compounded by a further reduction in inhibition while she’s sleeping.

As for the dreaming, I can really only speculate about this; I didn’t come across any scientific literature on the symptom. My best guess is that her active dreaming is actually the result of her hyper active leg. As I’m sure you’ve experienced yourself, our dreams can be influenced by what is happening around us, from what we see, smell, hear, or touch. If Elsa’s leg is excessively kicking when she’s asleep, that movement could be influencing what she’s dreaming about (she might think she’s running or chasing animals far more often than she normally would).

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So when Elsa is awake, it is her lack of movement inhibition that causes her to over kick so to speak. And when she is sleeping it could be this lack of inhibition as well as the fact that her extra kicking creates or adds more vivid movement to her current dream.

Very, very interesting. She is most definitely improved immensely, she is a fighter through and through. This all makes a great deal of sense to me. Having never dealt with a spinal stroke before, it is all new territory. Every dog brings new stuff, be it health or behavior.

Smart as a dog

I have to stay on my toes with this smarty pants.

Dogs are smart… crazy smart. As we sat watching Yukon Vet on the weekend; I had Riggs across my lap and Elsa was trying to find a place. As Queen Bee she likes to have the best seat in the house and that seat is whatever she deems to be “best.” She was wondering around the room and caught my attention, so I watched her. She went over to a pile of toys, pick one up and threw it to the floor. Riggs barely moved on my lap, it was past his 7 ish lights out time.

She stood watching us on the couch and the “best seat” was taken. If I see that she wants to sit on my lap when Riggs is there I will move Riggs, it is her right. She wanted the seat next to me and was taking it into her own paws to acquire the position. She picked up another toy, brought it over closer and dropped it on my husbands feet. Well, that was enough to get Riggs off my lap and going for the toy. She very quickly hopped up on the other end of the couch and quickly walked over plunking herself across my lap. Happy.

She knows that Riggs has a strong desire to “own” every toy or chew in the house and she used it against him. She’s smart but that smarts doesn’t come to all and it rarely comes early. It is acquired through experience, trial and error. To this day I still laugh about Luke getting toys away from Jessie and Tilley. He would never just go up and try to grab them, it was far too dangerous. So he’d go to the front door, bark and then when the girls came to see what the commotion was, he’d run back and grab whatever it was that he’d wanted.

We often think that dog’s don’t think out things, that they only react to actions. But it is very clear when you live with one or more dogs that they plot and manipulate us, other dogs and situations. Not only did Elsa know how to get Riggs off of my lap, but she realized the first attempt was not close enough to us to be effective and tried again, ending in success.

Some dogs are so good at getting what they want that we often don’t even know that it has happened. When I go to a new clients home and watch the human/canine interactions; I can sometimesl let them know how well their dog has trained them very quickly. “You see when she does this, what you do?” I ask them. They typically stand with their mouth hanging open in disbelief. Yep, they are smart and if you don’t give them the smarts credit that they deserve; you my friend may have some wool (or canine fur) pulled over your eyes.

I love questions and/or comments, leave me one. :)

Etiquette for the k9 guardian

Many of you know that I am working on my next book. It’s coming a long and every single time I go for a walk I come home with more content. Will it ever be done? Hopefully. I have to talk about today’s event. Let me just say that these “events” are small, but they all come down to etiquette.

Elsa, Riggs and I decided to hit one of our favorite parks today for a sniff walk. There are so many smells along the way and the scenery is really nice. So it’s a win, win when we walk at this particular park. I also like this park because the pathways are wide, which give everyone ample room to pass by each other. Of course, not everyone moves over as they should; some people decide that they are walking down the middle and they don’t care what anyone thinks about it. Some even decide to walk on my side, which they hear about.

I give off crystal clear body language when someone is coming in the opposite direction. Elsa and Riggs are very good at being on the right side of me and moving over calmly. It should be very clear to the other k9 guardians that I have taken the time to move my dogs over to the right and have them under control. Elsa does not like to interact with dogs that she does not know, hey I don’t blame her. Do you want someone coming up to you and touching you on your morning walk? Not me.

I could see them from a far, there was no missing a woman with two gigantic Great Danes along with another woman and her very large Shepherd mix coming our way. There was no room for us to pass, they were quite literally taking up the entire path, which like I said is very wide. I calmly moved Riggs to the right side, Elsa had already put herself there, she likes space. There was no space in what I saw coming. So I had to up my body language as they come closer, I slow my pace and make sure they see me slowing. This is usually where the humans “get it,” and they did.

She reined in her monstrous dogs who looked very friendly (but that is not the point) and stepped behind the woman with the shepherd mix. This made room for us to pass on the pathway. Everyone needs space, some more than others. Elsa had already started to snort when they were taking up the whole pathway. She did not see a space for her to feel safe; but once the woman made space she stopped snorting. Snorting is a sign of stress; not all dogs do it but both Elsa and Riggs do. Of course this scenario made me think about how people walk with their dogs. Many walk by us and never budge, never move over or consider others which is very rude human behavior.

Elsa takes her own space as does Riggs. If either are feeling uncomfortable about the proximity of walking by a particular dog then they will move to my right side to start with. If they need more they will take it. Elsa snorts more than Riggs does and if she snorts, she is uncomfortable and I don’t want that. It takes more for Riggs to snort but he does it.

The whole thing is not about how friendly your dog or the other dogs are. It is about giving space and keeping your dogs to yourself unless specifically invited. But people who walk down the path or sidewalk with their dog lunging out at every dog that passes by are just an accident waiting to happen.

Etiquette - conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.

Remembering 9/11

Ominous

Today is a day to remember, to take time and ponder. As I think about that Tuesday morning in 2001, I remember it well. So many were lost, so many volunteered to help others, so so many were involved in it all. I remember that day, standing in my living room in Southern California frozen as it unfolded, we were all in shock. The days after we lived in paralysis resulting from the unknown. This turned to anger, sadness and mourning as the days went on.

Now nineteen years later we remember. This day gives us time to consider where we are today; and I think I am like others in that I never imagined where we are today. We have lost so many more in the last year to a different state of tragedy. The whole world is in turmoil with COVID, political unrest, division as a people and now there are fires everywhere. As I sit writing I am considering if I should head out for a walk or not. The smoke is heavy and we’ve been told to stay indoors. The air quality is visibly bad, making it difficult not to look to the sky and wonder. The last few days have felt strange, just really bizarre with the smoke hanging heavy in the air; the orange glow making it seem much like a doomsday movie out the front door. There is much to ponder about.

I remember, we all need to remember; but we also need to think about our world and what is going on in it right now. We need change, big time and we need to address many issues. There is a sense of urgency to come together as one and do better, make change and move to a positive mindset goal for a better world. Perhaps this day will bring demand for change. What if we started coming together instead of coming apart; gluing our world and it’s people together instead of ripping it into divided segments that are against the other? Remember.

How can we become one, one giant wave of people on a mission fighting for the good instead of the bad? We need to sit back, remember, think and plan for a better tomorrow. Positive movement does not require monumental status; even the smallest of positive thoughts can make a difference. It all begins with us, you and me; we cannot look only to others to make a difference. Perhaps kindness is a place to start; to reach a hand out when you see need. To think good instead of bad. To listen to others, we have much to learn from listening with an open heart. Everyone is dealing with something, especially right now. We can all be kind, this much is easy. With a kind heart, the move to a positive future will follow.

We need a better tomorrow.

We need change.

Fallout behaviors

We’ll get through it together.

Fallout - an unexpected or incidental effect, outcome, or product:

Not all fallout is unexpected, in fact much fallout behavior is highly expected. How many times have you heard the statement “there’s going to be fallout from this?” I say it myself when I see life unfolding in a particular way as to forecast fallout. So what is fallout behavior?

When I say that there will be fallout behavior I mean that a life scenario that is in play is going to result in other issues that we will have to deal with. Pinch/prong collars result in fallout behaviors. A dog is inflicted with pain by pulling and very quickly associates that pain to whatever happens to be around when it is inflicted. That can mean aggression, fear, cringing at the presentation of the causer or any other number of behaviors.

Fallout is not typically associated with something positive; it is usually something bad that will occur and have to be dealt with. There will be fallout from this pandemic. Of course there will be all sorts of fallout for we humans as well as our dogs and many other things as well. A few things that will result from our unusual quarantine life with regard to our dogs will be and are:

• Under socialized dogs having to deal with a lack of life experience.

• Fear and suspicion resulting from a sheltered life.

• A new life to learn and live caused by the fact that many dogs have been surrendered and re-homed during the pandemic.

• Under trained dogs. Trainers like myself have also been quarantined.

• Dogs that will have to adjust to huge changes once things go back to normal. Acquired during the pandemic when everyone was home.

So what can we do to help reduce the impact of the fallout on our dogs? Baby steps. If you have a young dog that has been under socialized, take it slow. You don’t want to go from 0 to 300 miles an hour in a few seconds. Many dogs are going to be apprehensive to their surroundings and life in general. That includes proximity, we’ve been distancing so we need to close the gap slowly once it’s time.

The biggest thing that we will need to concern ourselves with is space and time. As you all know I am a big advocate of space, I was even before all this COVID stuff happened. But now we will need to focus on it even more for our dogs. Baby steps to success. Your dog may require a great deal of time to get back the a “normal” state and time.

Time with our dogs will have to be reduced slowly. So what if you have to go back to work full time in a few weeks? Start getting space from your dog now, slowly. Go out, somewhere, anywhere without them. Many dogs may suffer from separation anxiety due to this pandemic. Start removing yourself today, not drastically but calmly and methodically. Don’t lavish attention on them every second your are home; let your dog learn to be alone even when you are at home. Go out at different intervals, keep the tv turned on. Keep your comings and goings on the down low, no big deal.

With our help, our dogs will transition through this. We will all have fallout from this, it’s been a very strange time for sure.

A dogs mind - Riggs

Its Friday and I’m blogging while I wait for my videos to upload onto Youtube for my upcoming Boundary training course. If all goes well it will be up and ready by this weekend (I’ll let you know). While I write, both Elsa and Riggs are passed out in the office. They had a big run with Dad this morning then video shooting with Mom, it’s been a day already. Ahhhhhh the struggles of being a canine celebrity. ;)

I love dogs, I know, bit secret…not. I don’t know how many times a day that they amaze me. I know they are amazingly intelligent yet I am still blown away by the things they do, know and exhibit. Just this morning Riggs came into the bathroom while I was getting ready. He head to the shower and was standing turning his head at the closed shower door. “You want in there?” I asked him. He did, so I opened it and he stretched out to see the shower head off of it’s regular position and lying on the floor. Hmmmmmm. It was making a weird noise, a hissing sort of noise. He looked at me, looked at it several times as he attempted to show me that there was a problem.

“I know, it’s making a weird noise” I said to him. He left and came back again and right to the shower head, this was not okay with him, this needed attending to. Riggs is a specialist, highly intrigued, advanced perception and communication skills which makes him a specialist in his field (that of an extremely intelligent canine). He likes to know what is going on at all times and is concerned when things are not right. This shower head was clearly not right and he needed it fixed.

“I’ll fix it, just a minute” I told him as he stood at his ‘shower down’ post. I smiled and reached over his head grabbing the shower head and put it back where it should be, in the holder. He gave me direct eye contact, wagged and left the bathroom; all was well now in his mind. Riggs is extremely sensitive to everything around him, he doesn’t miss a thing; which is why he has a few more quirks than the average k9. It is his attention to detail that occupies much of his time.

Some dogs go through life just sort of coasting through, not noticing much of anything really. These are typically the easy dogs, not likely to notice or worry about much in their environment. Riggs on the other hand sees everything, smells everything and vibes everything. Heaven forbid I gasp during a movie; he’s on me immediately making sure that I’m alright. Just the other night a woman was creeping through a house; slow and hesitant in her movement, he started to growl at her. Crazy.

Each and every dog is an individual, they are their own dog and that distinctiveness sets him apart from others. He is a funny guy and I know him well; so when he exhibits a behavior of trying to show me something, I pay attention. Getting to know the dog inside of your dog is who they are. Sure they look stunningly handsome or beautiful, but who they are is on the inside. That is what has drawn me to them for so many years, what’s on the inside. They are truly fascinating.

Mistakes in dog training

I trained and photographed this happy guy years ago. :)

Mistakes are a normal part of life…right? We all make them but when we make mistakes in teaching our dogs, it can be the difference between understanding and not understanding for them. I see mistakes being made in dog training all the time. Mostly it is from trainers with little experience under their belt. They are out there trying to teach k9 guardians “how to” but they are doing it wrong themselves. A little error can make a big difference in how easily a dog “gets it.” Even long time dog trainers can get it wrong when they didn’t learn it correctly themselves.

The biggest mistakes I see being made are:

• Calling a dog out of a stay. Why? By calling them out instead of officially releasing, you plant a seed that they will be coming to you at some point which weakens the stay.

• Allowing a dog to eat (as a reward) what you have just told them to leave. Why? Like the stay, you are planting a seed that they are going to get what you have said is off limits. This weakens a leave it.

• Not enforcing a stay. Why? You teach a dog that stay doesn’t really mean stay.

• Using verbal cues incorrectly. Why? It is hard enough for dogs to learn in a simple, concise manner; mess it up and it is so much more difficult for them to learn.

• Using a behavior marker incorrectly. Why? Because behavior markers can be very powerful. Use them incorrectly and they lose that power. I cannot believe when I see a trainer prompting a behavior with a clicker; the click is to follow a desired behavior.

Education is a never ending process. We are in a constant state of learning; even those with closed minds learn stuff just by living and experiencing. The difference is seeing better and doing better. I have seen other dog trainers completely confusing their human and canine clients by trying to teach something incorrectly.

Nine years ago I took Elsa to a puppy class strictly for socializing. We went through the obedience steps that were being taught out of respect for the trainer; but her real training was being done at home by me (her Mom). If they offered up incorrect information, we just skipped it and sat out. One of the things they had us do was to teach our puppies to go to a blanket. Elsa already knew this, so we showed off a bit. ;) The problem came when we were to get our dogs off of the blanket, click and reward. So we were to click for our puppy going on the blanket and click for off the blanket. This was extremely confusing for the puppies. Am I to be off or on? I simply tossed a little kibble off the blanket to get her off but did not click as I’d been told to do. It made no sense.

There are so many different trainers and methods of training out there. I try not to watch trainers who I do not want to learn from. Although I do like to watch k9 guardians working with their dogs; but have a hard time not helping when they are not my students. Keeping lessons clear, concise and simple is the way to teach our dogs. When we get into a muddy area due to a trainer not clearly understanding what they are doing; we can confuse our canine students.

Much of my training philosophy is based on common sense. I believe that common sense is far too underrated these days. That said, the common sense must be based on canine communication requirements. Meaning that if I use some method that my or your dog will not understand, it’s not going to have a great rate of success.

Dogs learn through the action/reaction process. What happens when they do something?

feedback - a reaction or response to a particular process or activity:

If the feedback or direction is not clear, then you venture into muddy water. Muddy water is fun to play in but not learn in.

Have a training question? Ask me.

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Adherence

End of our walk, back in the car and onto some proof training.

I just finished looking up a word that I feel comfortable using in lieu of “enforce.” Why? Because we are just back from our walk; actually my first walk in a while. Since this severe heat we’ve been having and my bum knee my husband has been running Elsa and Riggs early in the morning. Their Dad could not take them out this morning so I decided for a short sniff walk for the 3 of us. I put my brace on, gave the pooches a little talk about tripping me and being extra good and we were off.

I have a ritual surrounding getting out of the car that is cast in stone with the our dogs. They must sit and be released before getting out of the car. It is the law and this rule must be followed. Things have changed a bit with Elsa since her stroke because we lift her out of the car. She goes first always, then Riggs.

I talk about enforcing behaviors a lot; but, I realized today that I do not like the term “enforce,” I think that it gives people the wrong idea of what I mean.

So here is the example for the day:

We got to the park, I lifted the back hatch and let Elsa out of the car first as usual. But, just as I did that a leaf blowing gardener made his way past the car and I said something to Elsa. Riggs had been sitting patiently waiting as he always is; but jumped out of the car before being released. He got out like I had released him and I was shocked, this was a first; so without a lapse in time I hoisted him very quickly back into the car. This is essential if you want a solid behavior and jumping out of the car before being released could possibly be extremely dangerous.

It is imperative to adhere to certain behaviors for everyone’s safety and this is one that is a must (because I said so). This morning could have lead to my leniency, but then I would have opened a loop hole. My knee is sore and I’m wearing a brace, I could have let it slide, but then what? I knew that there were extenuating circumstances this morning; a misunderstanding so to speak. But the fact was that Riggs had not heard a clear “okay” from me. “Okay” tells him that I am prepared and ready for him to get out of the car; and he did not hear the “okay” from me. He assumed he did, so he needs without a shadow of a doubt proof training.

He has had quite a bit of proof training already but it has been a while. Perhaps he knew that I am incapacitated somewhat? Whatever the reason we will fine tune his training, give him a refresher so that there is no doubt. This is done by throwing other words at him and making sure that he knows the only one that lets him get out is “okay.” My adherence to the rules was the right thing to do and as he sat and pondered how and why he was back in the car, he knew. I told him he was a very good boy when he sat, and we had a little chat. There is no anger involved with enforcing or adhering to rules. Although I think that the term “enforce” implies that to many.

I backed up, prepared for his dismount and said clearly “okay.” He hesitated and I had to tell him again; a consequence of what had just unfolded. I would much rather that my dogs hesitate than anticipate for safety reasons.

Questions?

Over weight dogs

Ibizan Hound - Lambeau (the picture of fit and healthy)

This is a touchy subject. It is difficult to talk about weight these days without people being offended, and rightly so. Weight in humans is a very personal thing; no one has the right to tell anyone else what they should or should not weigh. Each of us has our own life to live as we see fit, right? The one thing I will say about the subject of weight in humans is that there seems to be a trend towards nutrition instead of just a number on a scale, which I see as evolution.

But as far as our dogs go, they deserve to live the best life that we can offer them and that means keeping them lean. I’m writing this blog today because yesterday Elsa, Riggs and I passed by a guy with a very overweight Labrador that would not get up and walk. I was so troubled by this and thought to myself “if he just lost a few pounds, he’d be a different dog.”

Let’s face it, dogs are here for a very short time with us; and most of their lives revolve around the decisions that we make for them. Food is a big decision…what we feed, how often we feed and why we feed. We humans often use food when we feel guilty. We can’t spend enough time with our dogs so we give them goodies. Then our dog’s see how it works and look longingly at the goodie cupboard. We see our dog’s gusto for eating and feed more. They want more, we give them more because it makes us feel good. But it shouldn’t.

We should replace that warm and fuzzy feeling of giving our dogs extra food with giving them extra movement. I’d like to ask a favor of you all. Go grab something that weighs in at 15-25 lbs and run up and down the stairs a few times. How’s it feel? Not great eh? Most dogs are much smaller than us, and just a pound or two can make a huge difference to their ease of movement. Sadly the more weight they carry the less they move; it is as simple as that. It is hard to move when you are carrying around extra weight.

It is odd when I very gingerly tell clients that their dog “could lose a few,” they typically reply “really?” They had no idea. It seems for some reason that we aren’t good at seeing extra weight on our canine companions. Is it because we think cute and pudgy go together? I don’t know why but you know I’m going to look into it. ;)

I remember a big ah ha moment years ago when I had to carry my 47 lb Tilley up and down the stairs every day after she was hit with Vestibular disease. My knees felt it as I made my way down and they surely wobbled on the way up. “This is what it would feel like if I gained over 40lbs.” I thought to myself. Any extra weight at all is just that, weight to lug around for them.

As they age it gets even worse and sadly that is when our dog’s tend to really gain. They move less, we treat more because our dog’s seem to want more as they age. But in actuality we should be cutting back and feeding less as they naturally move less.

There is no big secret to weight loss.

There is no secret. Oh sure the folks who make the diet pills and special meals want us to think that there is a secret. The way to weight loss is simply common sense; more movement and less food. But this does not mean feeding diet or senior food to our dogs. It simply means cutting back on the amount. I am not a fan of these “diet or senior” foods as they cut back on much needed nutrients that our dogs need.

Just less food, not less nutrition is key.

It is our responsibility to give the dogs who share our lives, the best life we can give them. This means giving them great nutrition, lots of exercise for their body and mind, care, support and affection. Allowing them to get fat does not make them happy; and if we could ask them, they would tell us that they would rather run around and play than eat bon bons. Keep them moving and choose their nutrition wisely. The more nutrients a food contains, the less they need to fuel them. Sadly much of the food we feed our dogs contains so much of what they don’t need. More on that later. Now off the couch.

Success

Success - the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or

endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

Success is something that is tough to measure. It can mean many different things to many different people. For me, success is an achievement; no matter how small or large. If it was a goal, even the smallest of goals and it was achieved, success!

Success is something I discuss a lot in dog training. Because with the idea of goals and success also comes frustration and the concept of failure. Frustration is also very prominent in dog training and something that I help guardians overcome themselves and learn to see it when it is happening with their dog. Frustration isn’t good for anything so we try to minimize it. More on FRUSTRATION in another blog.

When we teach our dogs, I often talk about baby steps. These baby steps truly help a guardian to see just how successful both their dog and they are doing. As a dog trainer, teaching people to train their dogs, it is my job to see that each part of the team (human and canine) achieve success, no matter how small.

In life, we often have a difficult time seeing success; both with ourselves and our dogs. So let’s break it down. Success means that a goal has been accomplished. Have you ever felt like a failure because your goal was too big, too unobtainable and felt too monumental? Well, that is often where the sense of failure comes into play. “This is too hard, I can’t do it.” or “I can’t, he isn’t getting it;” is what I hear often. “Oh yes you can,” is my default response because yes you can and so can your dog.

If your goal is too big and too unobtainable, break it down and make it into smaller steps for doable success.

If you are having trouble with something that you are trying to teach your dog and just can’t seem to get your head around it, ask me. I will help you to break it down into doable steps. If you have a goal that is leaving you paralyzed simply by the monumental task before you, break it down. Don’t look at the whole picture, break it into little bits that create lots of little success. It is much better for you and your dog.

Have a wonderful weekend.

De-sensitizing

The slightest movement and he is ready to go. I am working on this.

Sitting at my desk this morning, going through emails, putting my grooming course on sale, cancelling my gym membership etc, etc, and Riggs is driving me nuts. He is driving me nuts because every slight movement of my chair sends him flying off of his bed and ready to head to the kitchen. You see he had a big run this morning and the next thing on “his” agenda is breakfast.

I know he wants his breakfast, he tells me every morning until he has eaten, that he hasn’t eaten yet. He is bossy, running ahead of me each time I head towards the kitchen. Often I will deek him out, turning on a dime and going the other way. I am not a fan of bossy behaviors and do not want him telling me when it’s time to eat. He is a guy that needs things not so much on schedule. Of course it’s not entirely possible as our life often revolves around routine. But when I can switch it up, switch it up I do.

Riggs is slowly desensitizing to my office chair movement but, when it is pre-meal time he is having a difficult time. So I need to work harder around that time to change the meaning of chair movement.

Desensitizing - to lessen the sensitiveness of; to make indifferent, unaware, or the like, in feeling.

As far as my chair movement goes, I have to change the meaning of it. When it is around mealtime it cannot mean that I am immediately going downstairs to make dinner. Easy peasy right? Not so much. As I always say, every dog is different and Riggs locks in on routine and it takes work to get him out of it. Each and every time I sit in my office chair, I’m working on the chair movement.

• Move my chair, go in my drawer.

• Move my chair, turn the fan on.

• Move my chair, go to the closet and rustle around.

• Move my chair, bend over and pick up something pretend on the floor.

You get the idea, I am doing something other than leaving the room. Riggs is one of those dogs that follows, and I mean follows. I often can’t find him because I look around and don’t see him; only to look down and see he is at my feet. He is a close follower so if I move, he’s coming with me wherever that is. But this means that his sleep is being disturbed constantly, and I hate that for him. This means I have to push my chair around a lot to lessen his sensitivity to it’s (my) movement.

Anything can be desensitized, it takes work and commitment to want to change it. Probably the number one item that my clients need desensitized is their dog’s leash. Lots of dogs become unglued at the sight of their leash, so we work on having the leash around for lots of “non-walk” times. It is a step by step process but it s all about changing the meaning of the leash so that it is not always followed by a walk.

There are many things in life that need to be desensitized for our dogs.

Does your dog need desensitizing?

If you don’t see the comment section below, simply click on the blog title and it will appear under this blog.

Hot pavement

“CHECK THE HEAT BENEATH THEIR FEET” s.r.

CHECK THE HEAT BENEATH THEIR FEET s.r.

I had no hesitation this morning as I pulled up to my desk. Sometimes I sit and ponder a while as I enjoy my coffee, finally coming up with something that inspires me to write. This morning I’m inspired but not in a good way. My hubby and I spent the last couple of days in the mountains; we needed to get away. It was wonderful to breath the fresh mountain air, swim in the lake and basically enjoy a change of scenery. Everyone was socially distanced, masked up and being very conscious of what is going on in the world today.

All was great until we walked into town. On Tuesday afternoon we decided to take a quick trip into town. For those of you who are not familiar with Lake Arrowhead in California, it is a picturesque little town (very small) to meander around with shops and restaurants lining the walkways. I have always loved visiting the little town, no matter what season it is. But it’s summer and I am not a fan of super hot weather and walking in it is even worse.

As we set out around the little town I noticed dogs. I hadn’t thought that anyone would have their dogs out walking in that type of heat. As we entered the main area of the little town a woman with a small furry dog in her arms and was leaving. As she passed by us I heard her saying “is it too hot for your feet?” I quickly bent over and lay my hand flat on the pavement. “Holy crap that’s hot” I said to my husband. A couple out in front of us with two dachshunds watched me, which I was happy for. The woman held one dog in her arms but the other very overweight large one had to walk. I imagined the heat that he was suffering.

The ground beneath us was not just warm, not just hot, but scalding hot. There was no way that any of the humans around us would be walking barefoot on it. Even the surface in the shade was hot. As the sun moves the shade moves as well…obviously. No spot there in the little town had been able to elude the scorching sun. I couldn’t tell everyone that the ground was too hot to have their dog’s on it; although in that moment I wished I had had a microphone hooked up to speakers all around. “Hey, listen up dog guardians, your dog’s feet are literally being burned as you walk them around here. Take them home, NOW.”

We left Riggs and Elsa at home with a pet sitter. It was a choice we made because we needed to get away and knew that we would be dining out in the heat. Everyone is dining out (outside) right now; you don’t have a choice to dine in. We had checked the weather and it was going to be hot. It is going to be even hotter today. There were a couple of dogs at the hotel and they were also a couple of the dogs who’s feet were being burned in town.

Please spread the word. I cannot emphasize how important this is enough. Some people don’t think about their dog’s feet when they are out. We have shoes on, of course we aren’t feeling how hot the ground is. There is a reason that we (my husband and I) head out with the early birds to run or walk Riggs and Elsa. The ground heats up very fast when the temperature rises. Even when it’s not super hot out, the surface under your dog’s feet can be extremely hot depending on what that surface is.

Not only does the heat from the pavement or other surface burn their feet, but the heat radiates from it and heats up their bodies, which are so much closer to the ground than ours. If you have dog loving friends, PLEASE share this. It is very difficult to intervene in someone’s life in the spur of the moment. Our human nature can cause us to become angry when someone we don’t know tries to tell us something (from experience). The more people who know before hand, hopefully the more dogs and their feet will be saved.

“CHECK THE HEAT BENEATH THEIR FEET” s.r.

This whole experience left me pondering on how to tell all the k9 guardians. I’m working on it.

Trust

Trust is everything for dogs but more so for particular ones. All dogs are different, each an individual to themselves. And although the entire canine species is similar, every single one holds within them, their own self. I write about this often because when you work with dogs you see just how individual they all are. It is especially eye opening when you temperament test a litter. You would think that a litter of puppies born at the same time to the same parents and raised in the same way by the breeder would be the same right? Wrong.

It is mind blowing how vastly different each puppy is and the

amount of trust

required to make each one of

those entities feel safe and trusting.

Some dogs are born and go through life sort of trusting everyone. They see the good in the world and are not the suspicious type; while others may assume the worst and be apprehensive of everyone. There are the two ends of the spectrum and everything in between when it comes to a need for trust.

The very first thing that our dogs need to trust is us. Are you trustworthy? Trust is huge and if your dog doesn’t trust you; how are they ever going to trust anyone else? Trust can be built and broken with one swoop; so when we build trust it has to be solid and geared to your individual canine.

Let’s take my two as an example. Elsa is a very trusting dog, it took very little time for her to trust her family and she trusts most people. Although she is not a push over and does not trust blindly. Elsa is a smart girl. She use to trust dogs as well but that trust was broken when she was seriously attacked by two bulldogs. That was it, broken. She is now very wary of strange dogs. She has a pile of friends and pretty much loves all puppies but she is forever changed.

Riggs on the other hand pretty much doesn’t trust anyone but his inner circle. Just his experience at the vet proved to him that he was right. These people that he does not know are not to be trusted. It is my job to maintain our degree of trust so I don’t allow strangers to cross his boundaries. This is extremely important in my role as trusted guardian. It’s a big job but it is our job to do it. It is also our job for those guardians with a wary to trust dog, to help them to trust more so that means exposure in baby steps.

Trust - reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

Trust is huge and depending on the dog it can be easy or difficult to obtain. But once you get it, you have to keep it. We must stand strong as our canines guardian, it is our job. These dogs we live with put faith in us to do whats right; to help them work their way through the human world that they live in. It’s a lot, guidance, protection, food, shelter and knowing the ins and outs of your individual dog. Whether you just offer the bare minimum or go above and beyond for them depends on YOU, the individual that you are. Does your dog trust you?

You - the dog trainer

There is much to learn about each individual dog.

You, a dog trainer? Yep. If you have a dog and you’d like your dog to be trained correctly then you have to be your dog’s trainer. I know what you are thinking…”I’m not a dog trainer.” You may not be a dog trainer right now but you can be if you want to train your dog.

“That’s why I hired you to train my dog; because I haven’t a clue how to train my dog.”

As a long time dog trainer, experience has shown me that the most well trained dogs are those who live with people who want to know. K9 guardians who want to know all the ins and outs of their dog’s training and using that training. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard “Sherri, can you just live here?” Of course these folks are kidding, sort of; but the ease they find in dealing and communicating with their dog when I am there is far easier (in the beginning) than when I’m not.

The fact is that I’m leaving at some point and your trainer is leaving as well. So…you better learn from your trainer while you can. Our job as dog trainers is to teach you to train your dog. Sure there are times when we take the reins but our job is to hand them over to you at some point. That is why many dog trainers become expert watchers. It is our job to watch you as you work your way through the learning process. I need to make sure that you understand how, why and when to use your behavior training.

Dogs learn through association which means when you do something they will react and visa versa. This leads to the learning curve that we are going for. You must learn to behave as they learn to behave.

Association - the connection or relation of ideas, feelings, sensations, etc.; correlation of elements of perception, reasoning, or the like.

Have you ever considered that how you behave has a huge impact on your dog’s behavior? As many of you already know, I’m a watcher; my watching behavior has been instilled over years of helping k9 guardians teach their dogs. Every little thing we do impacts our dog’s perception of what we are trying to teach them. Dogs are intense watchers, it is built in as they are master communicators in body language. In fact they are far superior at communicating without sound than we are.

The best way to have a well connected relationship with your dog is to learn all about your dog. That includes learning how they learn, how to teach them and how to better communicate with them. Yep, there are places that will do it all for you but “then what?'“ This might just leave you in a very disconnected human/canine situation of “how do I work this thing.” Learn about your dog today Have a question? Ask me, I love questions. :)