Training your dog - it's a process

Ever single dog needs training.

Training - the education, instruction, or discipline of a person or thing that is being trained. Its our job to show them how to comfortably live in our human world.

Training is a process.

a systematic series of actions directed to some end:

No matter what you are teaching your dog; it is done through a process of steps towards a behavior goal. This means starting slow and growing on success. Sometimes the steps are really, really tiny. But even the tiniest of successful steps are still a successful movement forward. When things move slowly, humans often get frustrated.

I have to say that I have been called out many times to help modify behaviors. Often the k9 guardians feel that one session should do it. I will tell them what to do, they’ll do it and ta da, fixed. Not likely. Teaching or modifying even easy behaviors, takes time. This means once you achieve success at one stage, then you build on that.

For one new behavior or modification of a behavior, I recommend at least three sessions with a trainer. Then a follow up for help down the road. Several cases over the years have been guardians asking me to help them with a multitude of undesirable behaviors in one visit. In this situations I always recommend more training so we can work on the next steps; but they feel like I should be a magician in one visit. This is sadly setting themselves and their dog up for failure.

The best way to solidify behaviors is to train it slowly. Slow and steady wins the race as they say. Creating a scenario where each step of the way is clearly understood by both you and your dog before moving on to the next step. Once it is trained, meaning that your dog fully understands what you are asking and is reliable almost all of the time; then you add different locations to train in. Then you add distractions, small at first and then more distractions. What you have to train for, is real life. If you only train in the quiet of your home; there is a slim chance that your dog can handle the pressure of doing the new behavior under distraction situations.

This means that you build step by step. Achieve the behavior, then add distractions of all types. You have to train and train and train some more if you want success.

Even if you have a new puppy and are just starting out; the whole training thing is a huge and slow process. It must also be stated that you have to use it or lose it. When your dog learns a new behavior, you must implement it into your daily routine so it becomes routine. If you teach them a new behavior once and then call on that behavior under high distraction stimulus, it’s not likely that your dog will be able to successfully oblige in what you are asking. They need a successful ladder of training steps to the end goal of using the behavior in real life situations.

Behaviors take time to learn; and if you are trying to undo undesirable behaviors and replace them with desirable ones, it takes even longer. The first visit with a trainer is just that, the first of many if you really want success.

It is needs to be said that it really takes time to fully grasp what you are trying to learn so that you can then teach and implement with your dog.

Advocating for your dog

Is this a yawn, or a stress yawn? If it was your dog, you should know.

Advocate - to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly:

With the holiday season upon us; we (as k9 guardians) need to be very aware of our dogs. We humans will celebrating and making merry and not all dog are comfortable doing the same.

So what does advocating for your dog mean? Simply put, it means that you know your dog and you have their back.

Many dogs:

• Are not comfortable around strangers.

• Do not want strangers touching them.

• Are not accustom to children being around.

• Don’t do well in crowds.

• Are highly reactive and/or defensive.

• May not be well socialized.

• Do not have a whole lot of training under their belts.

• Still need 100% supervision.

All of this means that our dogs need us to step up and advocate for them. But, it can be a difficult thing to tell family and friends “don’t.” Saying “don’t touch, don’t look and ignore” can be very difficult but we must. Even when you are not in your own home, you should be advocating for your dog. I am often asked if people can touch my dogs and I tell them “that one, yes, the other, no.” Then if I get the chance I will explain how you should approach a dog and their person; which is to never reach out to touch. (More on that in this blog)

If your dog is an overly excitable type with strangers in your home (a good problem); then you need to ask the people coming into your home to ignore the dog. There is nothing worse than someone coming into your home; ramping up your dog with squeals of excitement; then turning around and complaining that your dog is jumping all over them. If this scenario is all too familiar then you must advocate for your dog.

Ask the visitor to ignore your dog; then you take the reins and get your dog under control. Of course this means that you will have done an immense amount of training before hand. You cannot expect your dog to behave and perform behaviors that they don’t fully understand. If you have not done your training then leash your dog. Your dog, your job to control them…it is not your visitors job.

If your dog is simply not comfortable around strangers coming into your home; put them safely away somewhere that they feel comfortable. Turn a t.v. or radio on in the room where they are staying to add a sort of “sound machine” for their relaxation.

Never push your dog into a situation that they are not comfortable in. If you do it will almost always backfire and land you in a far worse situation. The bottom line is that we have our dog’s backs. That means knowing who they are, what they are comfortable with and then supporting them.

It is your job to protect your dog at all costs.

This means not allowing your house guests free access to your dog/s without your strict supervision.

If your dog needs help in this department, start training today. Hire a trainer who truly understand dog behavior and uses positive methods of training and behavior modification. If your dog does not like strangers; then find a training facility with multiple trainers. As I always say…

“You cannot use the general public as your guinea pigs.”

Leash handling 101

Leash hand stuck to me, non leash hand swining.

In the video above I tried to capture where my hand was when walking Miss Elsa. You can see how loose the leash is and it’s movement while I hold my hand on my waist. This is natural for me, it takes a while become a habit. But it’s a good one to have.

Leash handling, what the heck is that? Well, it’s the handling of your leash and the way you do it can make all the difference for how your dog walks and how much they enjoy their walk. I will discuss how to work on loose leash training in another blog; this one is specifically about the leash and how YOU handle it.

The first thing I want to talk about is arm swing; this is something that we humans do naturally, but it can really put a damper on a walk. Just picture yourself walking along, leash in hand with your arms swinging as they do. What is happening with your leash? It is also swinging and could be swapping your dog in the face with every swing. It is extremely important to know what your leash is doing.

“Keep your leash hand glued to you.”

This lesson was ingrained in me 46 years ago (yikes) when I started in obedience.

Because I have been handling and working with dogs for sooooo many years, these things tend to come naturally for me. Holding my leash hand close to my body makes sure that the leash is not swinging and hitting my guys in the face. If you keep forgetting to stop your leash hand from swinging, put it in your pocket.

If you keep your leash hand swinging you can also be pulling forward, then back, then forward, then back; which can be extremely annoying, confusing and upsetting to our dogs. Keep that leash hand/arm stationary.

I clearly remember seeing a medium sized doodle walking ahead of us on a walk one day. The poor dog was trying to move further and further away from his guardian’s swinging arm and whipping leash. He deeked and dived trying to avoid the leash and snap that were hitting him in the face. As he attempted to avoid the leash by moving away; the person on the other end of the leash kept trying to pull him back. It was a lose/lose situation.

Another handler error is the equipment itself. Where do you keep your poop bags? On the leash? Not a good idea; whether they are in a poop bag holder or tied directly to the leash. These things can also swing around, even if you are good about not swinging your leash arm. Get a fanny pack and keep your “dog stuff” in there.

How about the clasp, how heavy or large is it? I see people walking their dogs all the time with huge leash snaps that look like they weigh the poor dog down. Big enough and they can be another swinging thing that your dog has to learn to dodge on their walk.

Then there is the leash itself; there are so many types of leashes out there and many people opt for a much to thick and heavy one. Unless you’ve got a monster beast, most dogs don’t need a huge leash. I like cotton web leashes and the newer biothane type. Typically my leashes are 5/8” width and all sorts of lengths for different walks.

The mechanics of your walking style plays a huge part on how much your dog may or may not enjoy their walk. Have someone video you walking your dog and watch it back; you may be very surprised what your dog has to deal with on their daily walk.

Dogs watching

I grabbed a measuring tape and took a rough dimension of our patio furniture. They were calling for rain; I couldn’t even remember the last time it rained here in Southern California, but boy did we need it. I stopped by the hardware store after my morning appointment and grabbed what I needed, heading home to cover up for the impending storm.

Once I got outside I was quickly sidetracked by Riggs, Elsa and a couple of balls. We played catch and retrieve for a long while until the first few drops appeared, it was actually going to rain. I grabbed the tarp, threw everything on top of the outdoor couch and bungeed it down; hoping that we were in for an actual storm and not just a few pathetic drops like usual.

The thunder rolled, drops fell leaving their mark on the patio and that was that. Really? We do not get a lot of rain here, let alone storms (although anything resembling rain is classed as “storm watch” on the news here in sunny California.) We wrapped up our catch and retrieve session and headed in for dinner.

After we all ate, dishes were cleaned up and we were relaxing in the living room, when it began. In my peripheral vision I noticed it first, flashes of light in the far distance. I wasn’t wasting a moment of lightening action and I grabbed my phone (wish I would have grabbed my big camera.) Situated up on our balcony I had a great vantage point of what was coming. Looked like maybe, just maybe we were going to get a storm.

I love storms, I always have and within moments the weather changed. From hot and still with flashes in the distance to a strong cool wind hitting the chimes and sending them tousling; a storm was coming for sure, there was no mistaking the signals. I stood prepared to capture some of Mother Nature’s beauty.

It came fast and hard, raining down marble sized hail into the windows. Both Elsa and Riggs acknowledged that something was happening. Elsa is not a fan of thunder but she retained her composure through it all. Riggs, not so much, but it wasn’t just the storm, it was his human’s reaction to the storm and a dark stranger that had the most impact.

If I run around the house sort of frantically on a normal day, Rigg’s gets hyper vigilant; he knows that something is up. Add to that, hail hitting the windows, the wind howling and a dark stranger. We were watching the hail out the front door when we noticed a person running down the street. Riggs saw her just as a huge boom of thunder struck. This was the beginning of a long session of alert barking as he lay close to Elsa or one of his humans for safety. He already thinks that strangers are pretty much monsters out to get him so I’m thinking that I’m going to have work to do.

I let my emotions run free during the storm; I needed some “happy” and so I seized the moment. From experience with Riggs, the biggest issue would have been the dark person running down the street during the hail, pouring rain, thunder and wind. The “me” behavior during it all I can work on easily. He use to be afraid of the vacuum and with a little work he follows me around while I vacuum now. So I know how to address the frantic running around the house issue. The “scary dark person” part of it all will have left more of a lasting impression on him/

After the “scary dark person” moment, I worked hard at going out several more times and coming in overly happy and calm. This was important for Riggs and something that we have to think about constantly when dealing with our dogs. They are always watching us; it is our job to show them the way. Some are more sensitive than others, but they are all very, very different from one another.

They are always watching us.

Are you engaged?

Engage - to occupy the attention or efforts of your dog.

Life is busy for all of us; we aren’t present in our own day to day and it can be even worse where our dogs are involved. I watched a guy walking down the street yesterday who was absent from the moment with his dog. He was walking down the sidewalk, head down, giving his phone all of his attention. His dog stopped to poop but he didn’t realize this of course; so he gave the leash a pop to keep moving and the dog finished pooping while walking.

A very popular phrase these days is “be in the moment.” What does that actually mean and how do you accomplish it? It is not always easy because we have so much coming at us all the time. I struggle with being in the moment myself; I tend to be a multi-tasker to the extreme. Staying “in the moment” can be a challenge. So how do we be in the moment with our dogs and stay engaged?

• #1 Put your phone down. Cell phones are probably the biggest obstacle when trying to be “in the moment.

• Pay attention to the one that you are with. This is not always easy whether it is a human or your dog. Try to clear your mind of anything other than the being in front of you.

• Watch and listen. This may sound easy but for many k9 guardians, just sitting back and watching is tough.

• Often a leash can be a tool that leads to ignoring. Hook up the leash and zone out, right? A leash is a safety tool, not an excuse to leave the moment. Pay attention to the other end of the leash.

• Take pictures, this can really help with engagement. Its hard not to pay attention when you are trying to get a cute shot of your dog/dogs.

• Be quiet and just be. Just being in the moment can be a lot of work. We need to quiet our minds and our mouths often to be in the moment.

Being in the moment is more than just a trendy phrase; it should be a goal for all of us who want a better lives with our dogs. These days it can seem nearly impossible to put away the phone, stop the thoughts racing around in our heads and just be still, in the moment. A moment once passed is gone, be in the moment you are in. You can be in the next moment when it arrives.

Don't worry, dogs love me.

A few years back I took in a very fearful little rescue to foster. I was told that she loved other dogs but she did not. Elsa was amazing with her, not pushing for interaction but doing everything she could to make the little one feel comfortable by being very unthreatening.

Famous last words. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “don’t worry, dogs love me.” As the last word “me” leaves their mouth, the dog they are attempting to pet turns and bites down on their hand. And then…these magnets for dog love come unglued; they cannot figure out what happened. How could a dog not love them?

From experience, most average humans know nothing about dogs. In fact many people not only don’t know; what they think that they know is all wrong. Just this weekend I witnessed another of these situations playing out. Thankfully the little dog put up with the unwanted touch. She offered up frozen posture and a clear whale eye as the person continued their oblivious and uneducated affection on the dog.

First, let’s just address the fact that many humans don’t understand dog behavior. Next, is it our human right to pet and hold dogs that do not know us? NO. Look, don’t touch….and sometimes don’t even look. I have gone into many training sessions where I cannot even look at a dog…it’s too much until we get to know one another. Staring and even looking can be overwhelming and threatening to a highly sensitive or fearful dog.

When I go into a new home where the people and dog/s are complete strangers to me, I use my peripheral vision. Peripheral is so important when you can’t watch a dog but need to watch a dog. This means that you don’t want the dog knowing that you are watching them. Watching or eye contact can be very unnerving to a dog who is not comfortable with strangers.

My normal routine looks very much like I am ignoring the dog. But it takes work not to look, or look like you are not looking. My eyes wander around my surroundings as I take in a dog’s natural behavior to a stranger in their home. This is such an essential part of what I do. This is where I get most of my information on where we go next.

When you have a dog or dogs, it is your job to support your dog. Do you have your dog’s back? Will you stop unwanted approach from human visitors? How about out on a walk? Will you stop approach? It can take some work to muster up the “NO, he doesn’t like to be touched,” attitude. But it is our job, and our dog’s happiness depends on it.

I know when we get a dog we all have dreams of Lassie greeting people at the door; a dog that has never met a stranger, but that is far more rare than you would think. Dogs give us lots of communication that we mostly don’t see and/or ignore. We often punish anything that looks like it is not friendly; growling, walking away, cringing, hiding or lunging. Guardians often scold growling, coax and push their dog into unwanted interactions which just make matters worse. What many guardians don’t do, is listen to what our dog is saying. Instead they focus on the fact that our dog growled at our visitor; when they forced an interaction.

Humans need to learn about dogs in general; that is if they intend on living with one. At least the basics about how dogs work should be required. Next they need to learn about their own personal dog and how to best support their needs. If their dog has “issues” then they need to learn how to correctly help their dog. Many times a simple “no” when asked if someone can touch or interact with our dogs or maybe a “please don’t stare at or reach out for my dog.”

When you reach out to a strange dog, you are already coming in hot. You may think that you are offering up a friendly gesture but in reality you are approaching without asking the dog first. Why is it that we feel that dogs should accept touch by strangers; when we teach our children that this is totally not okay?

Learn about dogs, learn about your dog. How can you best help and support their needs?

Questions?

Just dogs with who? Sherri

This was actually my first book of the series. Honestly, what 10 year old even knows what a Saluki is?

Every once in a while I like to introduce myself to you all. You may be a new readers so I thought that I would say hi and tell you a bit about myself. Give you a little insight as to who is behind Just Dogs with... I love everything about dogs and spend most of my time either writing about, training, walking, photographing, cooking for or simply hanging out with them.

Coming from a non dog family, I dreamed of spending time around any canine very early on. As young as 10 years old I acquired “How to raise and train your…” dog books whenever I could. You know those little breed books that were all the same except for the different breeds in the 70s? My life with dogs didn’t start until the young age of 13, which was a verrrry long time ago.

I was handed a leash and stepped into the show ring with a Doberman that I had just met, and the rest is history. My show handling was mostly self taught through trial and error; although I did have the privilege of attending handling classes with the renowned Martha Covington Thorne back in Canada. I clearly remember the day Martha said to me "young lady, never stop handling; the show world needs handlers like you," as she handed me my huge trophy. I started out in the conformation ring as a Junior handler and moved to the conformation ring handling breeds of all kinds; Dobermans, Airedales, Irish Deerhounds, Irish Terriers, Mastiffs, Bull Terriers, Great Pyrenees and of course Standard Poodles.

During my show years I also started in obedience training. This was where I learned the old conventional choke collar methods of training. Looking back at who I learned much of my training from; she was a very harsh and aversive trainer. I am not proud of training dogs like this but when I was 13, way back then; there was no other way. I never enjoyed training dogs with that method and as soon as I learned about positive reinforcement training everything changed. I never looked back, but I am happy that I have the conventional experiences. Fully understanding aversive training gives me insight into that type of training. Being a crossover trainer gives me experience that is priceless in positive training. It is was all a part of my evolution; one of the pieces of who I am today.

Mid 80s I gave up the conformation ring shortly after the birth of my first daughter; putting all my energy into being a Mom in a small town. As my children grew into their pre-teen years I became a well known baker in the area. I attended a weekly farmers market where I was quickly dubbed the "cookie lady." I also supplied a local restaurant with an array of cheesecakes.

From baking I went back to the dogs as a Pet sitter. I loved spending the time while my children were in school just chill'n with lots of dogs. It is very rewarding walking and playing with dogs who would otherwise spend their long days alone because their guardians worked all day. This was not a long gig as we soon moved to California; so I gave up the dog walking and focused on the move. Once in California I met and worked with a positive dog trainer and not long after that I set off on my own, becoming a private in-home dog trainer. Having 23 years of working with dogs behind me, I then learned how to teach others. I love helping k9 guardians with training and learning to live happily with their dog. Now having 47 years experience with dogs allows me a lot of experience to draw on.

Canine behavior is fascinating and being able to educate k9 guardians through positive reinforcement is so rewarding to me. My work encompasses a focus on living with our dogs in the best way possible. I have worked with everything from the tiniest little pocket pooches up to the giant Irish Wolfhounds and Great Danes. Each one an individual, but all of the same species with the mind of a dog.

Midway in my training career I took a break and started dabbling in photography. I very quickly discovered that this was yet another dog branch about to evolve. I became a freelance photographer with a preference for dogs. I do love photography in general but my camera is never far from a dog. I shot for many of the big dog magazines as well as private work. I loved it all, capturing the very essence of a dog brought me great satisfaction. Having the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and amazing dogs was yet another dream come true.

Then came a passion for writing about dogs. Being able to talk to so many more people by blogging, books and now podcasts allows me to reach more guardians. Coffee table, children’s, training, loss and notebooks are among the books I’ve published. Writing is something I really enjoy and am continually working on a new project. Stay tuned for new books coming.

One of my favorite “jobs” within all of my dog jobs is temperament testing. Testing puppies to see where they would best thrive in life is very rewarding. Meeting 7 week old puppies of any breed or mix is honestly a privilege that I do not take for granted. I often think of the “just pinch me” phrase when I get to meet a new litter of baby dogs. It truly is fascinating how different each puppy is.

My website is where you can find my books, blogs, podcasts, online courses, online training consults (love helping guardians in other countries) and in home private training. I have several Facebook pages which are listed on my website and an IG page. Hope to see you and talk to you somewhere. Love dogs? Me too.

So, that’s my dog work in a nutshell. My current dogs are - Elsa who turned 10 a few weeks ago and Riggs who will be 3 years old in October. I spend a great deal of time trying to give them a great life. Life with dogs can be wonderful, but it sometimes take a lot of work to get there.

That’s me…Sherri

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Love to hear from you and please feel free to share this blog with your friends.

K9 face harnesses

I have written over 3000 blogs, so occasionally I run out of topics. But, all I have to do is hop in the car, go for a walk, read something on the internet or be asked a question about dogs to be ready to rock, roll and blog. This morning I was driving my husband and Riggs to the starting mark for their run (they run home from there) when I got my topic.

As I drove through the neighborhood I saw a family walking down the street with their large dog on a head harness. The dog was pulling the man like a sled dog even on the head harness. As the man grew tired of being dragged along he gave the dog an almighty yank, inflicting a serious whiplash to the dog. Here was my topic.

Head harnesses.

Head harnesses came out quite a while ago, I clearly remember when I first started seeing them before trying them myself. I did use them on several dogs with which I gave safety usage warnings to the k9 guardian. I do not use them any longer and am not a fan of them unless someone has a huge dog that they cannot control unless it is on a head halter. But even then, great care must be used with harnessing a dog’s head.

Head halters of any type control a dog’s head, just like a head harness on a horse. But dogs have smaller heads and necks; a horse can weigh over 1000 lbs with hugely muscled necked. Dog’s weigh in from 3 - 200 lbs with much less muscle mass in their necks. So the biggest issue I have with head harnesses is the whiplash effect. I see people walking their dog’s on head halters and extension leashes. This is just an accident waiting to happen. The lack of control with an extension leash, differential pressure without control, constant pressure and the reeling in give it a dangerous combination for the dog at the end of the leash.

Then there is the resistance to the head harness. Some dogs seem to be okay with them but most try consistently to remove the harness. Going between your legs trying to rub it off, diving in the grass in attempts to get it off; there are all sorts of means that they attempt to rid themselves of the harness. This in itself is a negative association and it can grow, creating a negative association to whatever is happening while the harness is on.

Some dogs are simply upset by wearing a harness which you may not realize. When the harness is removed they perk up and are super happy…this is because the harness is removed.

Head harnesses are often very uncomfortable, too tight, riding too close to the dog’s eyes, rubbing on their skin etc. etc. Of course there are lesser and more comfortable models but they all can result in a negative association. For the dog today, out for his Saturday morning walk with the family, I’m sure that whiplash was not on his agenda.

Dogs with face harnesses also cannot communicate as well with their head wrapped up by the harness and attached to the leash. I love when dogs have free reign for communication without causing damage; either emotional or physical damage. Yes the face harness does give us more control but does that control replace training? I understand that it is easier to walk a dog on a face harness once they have acclimated to it but at what cost?

I am not saying that face harnesses should never be used. For those who have a dog that they cannot control or guardians who need it for some sort of control while training; using it as a training aid meant to be replaced by a harness later on maybe. But even then the guardian must be educated about the dangers of having so much control over a dog’s head. Whiplash is very easily inflicted to dogs with head harnesses on. As someone who has been in 4 rear end collisions leaving me with a completely screwed neck; I am very sensitive to the neck issues of our dogs.

So, if you are going to use a head halter or harness you need to educate yourself on how to use them safely. There is much training that goes into even putting one on a dog to begin with. Once you get through all of that training then great care must be used so as not to inflict a soft tissue injury to your dog. Never allow your dog to run to the end of the leash and take a neck impact. If you have a loose leash then be very aware if it starts to tighten. You must take complete precaution so that your dog does not take any head turning impacts from wearing a head harness.

It is amazing what we use on our dogs without thought, just because someone says it’s great. I’m sure the guy this morning didn’t realize or mean to inflict whiplash, but sadly he was. When in doubt, harness up. My favorite harness is made by Ruffwear.

Elsa is 10 years old today

Today is a big day, but as we celebrate I am plagued with “how can it be tens years already” question. Through loving eyes I see my girl as the amazing dog she has become. She is a very, very special girl. Elsa came to us as a very confident little 8 week old puppy with oodles of personality.

Many people say “oh, like the movie Frozen” when introduced to Miss Elsa. And me being me, I always have to correct them saying “no this Elsa came first.” :)

Elsa has had quite the life, filled with family and friends. At 8 weeks of age she was the #4 in the dog pack here. There was Jessie, Tilley and Luke as resident senior dogs; and she surely brought young life back into our home. She very quickly lost both the matriarch of the pack leaving just Luke as her companion for three more years.

I have never seen such a love story as Luke and Elsa’s and when he passed in January of 2015 she was left alone until Riggs arrival in 2019. But Elsa has had many good friends to fill her need for “canine companionship” over the years. Her very best friend is Yogi the Golden Retriever, she adores him. In the human department Elsa gained 5 grandbabies over 5 years who she is obsessed with. Like Elsa’s love for puppies, she loves small babies the most. Which is why I dubbed her Nanny dog years ago. She is the quintessential caregiver of everything.

One and a half years ago Elsa was stricken with a spinal stroke which left her with a bum back leg. She didn’t let that stop her; she’s one tough and determined girl. Now into her golden years she has recently had an acl tear; her stroke, bum leg and athletic drive set her up perfect storm style to tear it. But she is resilient and she will heal; things will have to change, we will have to slow her down whether she likes it or not. She also suffers from acid reflux which many of us do; we are working through it with great success.

We’re all going in the same direction, everyone is getting older and sometimes it doesn’t seem fair. Getting old is a privilege that many don’t get, we are lucky. Elsa loves her life as much as we love her. At her happiest she is lying in the middle of the living room floor, digging and licking the carpet and wagging her tail on her side. The sound of her thumping tail gives me a heads up as to what she’s doing. It is a sight that brings me much happiness. She is a pure joy, one that I adore with all of my heart. A very happy 10th Birthday to this amazing one of a kind, Elsa.

Petting dogs

“Can I pet your dog?” the woman asked as she reached out to pet before hearing my reply. Riggs was already moving out of range when I assisted in his space acquisition. I replied “no, he doesn’t like to be touched by people he doesn’t know.” Petting dogs is most definitely a thing, but the more you learn about dogs, the more you realize that it shouldn’t be a thing with no boundaries.

Touch-to put the hand, finger, etc., on or into contact with something, to feel it.

Humans are a funny species. We see something we like and we have to touch it. The more we learn about the k9 species the more we realize that we should look and not touch. Admiring from a distance should be the norm. We really should let the dogs decide if they want to be touched. After all, who decides who touches you? You do.

Yesterday as I was walking Riggs around the lake (one of our favorite walks; I witnessed a petting moment gone wrong. Two women were passing one another, they both had doodles and probably wanted to compare notes. One of the dogs moved in for a greeting while the other stood back; taking the space that it needed to feel comfortable. The woman with the more social dog reached in to pet the dog that did not want to be pet. She tried several times before the guardian obtained a little more space for her dog and then finally went on her way.

The woman who wanted to do the touching was not seeing or understanding that the dog did not want to be touched. This is sadly what happens to many, many dogs. When a dog moves away, not wanting to be touched; some canine guardians will say “go say hi, don’t be silly.'“ Do you want a stranger to come up and pet you? I’m thinking probably not.

There should be a “look but don’t touch” rule for dogs that we all understand and abide by. When and if a dog wants you to touch them; there is a proper protocol that should be followed. If a dog invites a touch, it does not mean that they have invited you into their inner circle of trust. A touch invitation does not give you carte blanche as far as petting goes.

Let’s look at how we humans have different levels of greetings depending on acquaintance. This is very general, everyone has their own “comfort” zone about touching, just like our dogs.

• New person - handshake or just a simply spoken “nice to meet you.”

• After a couple of meetings - small hug or large hug, depending on whether you are a hugger or not.

• Friend - big hug.

• Family - big tight lingering hug, maybe a cheek kiss.

• Spouse - full on.

So if we look at this, shouldn’t a small amount of “stranger” play in when approaching and/or petting a dog?

When and if you are invited to touch, touch lightly. Open flat handed soft touch; coming from below. This means…don’t go over a dog’s head. I’ve written and talked about this often. Don’t man handle a dog unless it is your dog and you know that they like being man handled.

If you consider dog/dog interactions; there is not a lot of petting that goes on within the species. Petting is a very human/dog thing; which dogs seem to enjoy within boundaries. Humans don’t often heed these boundaries due to lack of k9 knowledge. I see many rescue folks who are wonderful people, volunteering their time to help dogs, but they are not dog savvy; over handling new rescue dogs. Many of these dogs are traumatized and we as humans feel the need to hug and comfort when it is the furthest thing from what the terrified dogs want or need.

I remember watching a local adoption segment that was displaying some of their available dogs. The woman held a dog in her arm and proceeded to man handle the poor thing. She dug her fingers into the dog with too much pressure; rubbing all over the dogs head as it tried to deek and dive out her grasp.

Our dogs deserve the same boundaries that we use for each other. Look don’t touch.

Listening - not a given

Is the person you are talking to…listening? Maybe, maybe not. We are not all equal in the listening department, at all. Some folks just want to talk, and talk and talk without ever listening. When I come across someone who is a great listener, I’m hugely impressed. This is probably why I LOVE my Veterinarian so much, he’s a great listener. Listening is so very important, especially in the k9 field of work, because our dog’s can’t talk. Oh sure they communicate but it is up to us to read what’s going on and relay that message to the professionals. It can be very frustrating when a dog professional does not listen.

Just the other day I had probably one of the worst one sided conversation that I’ve ever had. The person was at my house to discuss some repairs; but my repairs were the last thing that we discussed. In fact we didn’t discuss much, he talked and I struggled to get a few words in about what needed repair. What happened during our meeting that was suppose to be me explaining what I needed, was a spewing of useless information. It was a sheer waste of time; there was no conversation, no back and forth, just spewing (or verbal diarrhea as my husband calls it.) :)

Listening truly is an art form. There are times when “we” are required to do the bulk of talking; like when we are teaching or telling a story. But there has to be a time when we stop and listen, take a breath. It amazes me when “talkers” don’t notice a lack of engagement from the would be listening party. Does the person you are talking to look like they are listening? Are they engaged? Or have they turned off and let their brain leave the building. During my non productive meeting the other day; my ears totally left my body. I stopped listening and focused on other things that were on my agenda. It was a complete waste of time. What I got out of the interaction if you can call it that, was frustration.

Frustration is never good for anyone, it is an awful state for our dogs as well as us. I like to think that I am a good listener; it is something that I am very aware of and try to work on being a good listener. There are particular times in our lives when we really need people to listen to us, when it is super important that we relay a message. If the person we need to share information with does not listen, it can be extremely frustrating.

Listening is such an essential and beneficial ability. I seem to be running into a lot of non listeners these days, not sure why? I tried to make an appointment with someone else the other day and the person never showed and then showed up when he was not suppose to. I felt like asking if they were the one I actually talked to? Frustrating like crazy.

Have you ever wanted to scream “stop talking and listen for a second?” I most definitely have wanted to. This is caused by frustration. Listening is such a sought after talent or ability that there are dozens of books on the art of listening. Just pop on amazon and have a look, there’s lots there.

Have you ever experimented with listening and talking? Have you ever sat with someone who talks a lot and said nothing yourself? Have you wondered if they will ever realize that you have literally said nothing? There are all sorts of listening levels; the best is when you actively take part in listening. That means taking in information, pondering or considering what you’ve heard and then offering a reply or feedback. Digging in when listening to someone is great listening.

Professionals who are hired or called to assist others need to be good listeners. Otherwise how on earth will you ever know why you are there? Honestly.

A little rant I had to get off my chest…thanks for listening. ;)

Prep work

Good morning. Well, if I’m being honest…not such a great morning. At least it did not start off well. If you follow me on IG @justdogswithsherri you may have already seen why my morning has not been so great as of yet. I’m hoping that things will change shortly and that I’m not in for the whole “bad things happen in 3s” thing.

Before 7:00 am I dropped an almost full bottle of salad dressing on the tile floor in my kitchen. If you’re going to do it, do it right, right? Well, it smashed from one end of the kitchen to the other and I have a long kitchen. :( It all happened so fast, as it always does when something drops out of your hand. My reflexes were slow this morning; perhaps on another day I would have caught it and saved…my morning. But not today. It hit the tile and literally exploded; sending dressing and glass across the kitchen. It broke with such force that it shot a piece of glass into my shin.

I stood frozen…

Looking around the kitchen I wasn’t quite sure where to start. Thankfully my hubby came down and gave me a hand to get started. He got both Elsa and Riggs outside immediately, which was the biggest concern. Next he picked up the runners we have down for Miss Elsa and gave them a shake. Then the rest was up to me. Glass is one thing but glass and dressing mixed together?

So this incident left me thinking about training. I had to let our dogs inside because of yard workers and keep them out of the kitchen. Thank goodness I have a nice solid “out.” My guys have free reign in the kitchen unless I say “out.” This is training at it’s finest. Prep work done and now usable.

I run into a lot of people who don’t want to train their dog. They don’t want to be mean and tell their dog what to do. Well, if you have no way to communicate with your dog, what do you have? You have physical maneuvering. If you can’t say “out, wait, place or down/stay” how do you get your dog to do anything, other than pushing and pulling them around?

I believe that we should train our dogs; teach them the prep work that will likely be needed down the road. Today was one of those days and Riggs being Riggs, who must be close to me at all times, did not want to be out of the kitchen. But because he has been trained to “out,” I was able to use it. Of course he stayed as close as was allowed; just outside the kitchen. If I had not trained my dogs; I could have locked them away in a room, but I didn’t have to.

There are a handful of behaviors that I think all dogs should understand fully. Understand fully means a lot of training and proofing of a behavior. All the other behaviors that may be less useful are just great to teach our dogs. Why not teach your dog everything that you can? The more you teach them the more they can learn and the more you have to use.

Training…positive training to be precise, is a wonderful thing. Giving your dog an education is important and as far as I’m concerned, essential.

Implement it into your day to day.

This is something I stress about training. You know the saying “use it or lose it?” Well, that includes training your dog. If you train your dog in a 10 min. session everyday but never implement it into your day to day, your going to lose it. Some behaviors should be a way of life.

I am often asked about my “no collar” zone (my house). There are a couple of reasons I don’t use collars in the house. #1 is safety, dogs can get snagged up on something or each other by their collar. #2 is collar reliance; which is something I have written and talked about often. Collar grabs can be a bad habit of a means to control our dogs. Training is the answer.

When you teach your dog a useful behavior like “out, wait, boundaries” etc., use them. Implement them into your day to day to make sure that they are there when you need them.

Now I’m back to more floor cleaning…

Intervention

It is our job to protect both. Notice my shoes and how close I am to this interaction.

First, let me say Happy Friday. I hope that everyone is having a great day and looking forward to a wonderful weekend ahead. This morning as I pulled up to my laptop, ready to write a blog…I pondered. I have so many topics that I want to write about but decided that “intervention” was a good one for this Friday morning.

Intervene - to occur or happen between other events or periods:

to occur incidentally so

as to modify or hinder.

I have heard many times “the dogs will figure it out.” This advice is given to people who may be having issues with their dog/dog relations. Often problems occur when you add a new dog or puppy to your home. The residing dog or dogs can become very unsettled with the newcomer’s presence. Leaving them to figure things out all alone with no intervention can lead to huge problems.

Let’s take for example; a new puppy in your home with a reigning 7/8/9 year old. Maybe your older dog was happy being alone, they liked the quiet in your home. Then, a rowdy, crazy puppy arrives to shake things up. Often older mature dogs will growl, snap and generally lay down the rules with a puppy; but this doesn’t always happen, sometimes they do nothing. When a dog is really meek, they may not step up to discipline a puppy. But let me make it clear, that normal desirable discipline is very different from aggression.

Growling, body language and snapping are normal discipline behaviors from an adult dog towards a puppy. Feedback is required for puppies to learn. Ahhhh, there is that term again “feedback.” Feedback is so very important for us and for our dogs. Our dogs are constantly giving feedback to us and to our other dogs. If they don’t offer feedback as far as boundaries then it is left to us to step up. It is very important that we teach our dogs that you have their back, all of their backs.

This means that if your puppy is annoying your older dog who is not offering any feedback; resulting in being bullied, then you need to intervene. If your adult dog is going overboard on the feedback and traumatizing your puppy, you step in to create clear boundaries, what is appropriate and not appropriate. Feedback is a very important part of living with dogs.

As we offer feedback to our dogs we create a symbiotic life with another species. They learn to look to us for guidance and we learn to read, guide and assist our dogs.

If you leave dogs to “figure it out,” it can often go wrong very quickly. Without our intervention with puppies and adult dogs; puppies can turn into monster puppies that no one wants around. Without our intervention when adult dogs are being too over protect, overly aggressive with their feedback; then we need to step in to protect our puppies from being traumatized.

If we don’t intervene and we leave any of our dogs feeling that they need to protect themselves, then things can go very wrong. It is never a good feeling thinking that you are all alone and no one has your back.

Temperament testing - puppy placement

Temperament - is a dog’s natural personality .

Personality is the easiest way to explain temperament in the most understandable term. Many breeders and rescuers alike, temperament test. While others do not feel that it is necessary because they know their puppies so well. Then there are those who simply don’t care about it and allow people to choose whatever puppy that they want based on exterior or something that the new puppy guardian sees as “eye catching or cute.”

There are a lot of breeders out there that place puppies as soon as they come out. This typically happens with dogs who come out looking different than one another. There might be a grey one with a white stripe down it’s chest, a black and white one with a black tail, maybe a brown puppy with four white feet. That is how many people choose their dogs. Unfortunately this is the worst way to choose a dog.

Temperament testing is something that I do; and I have to say that it is one of my favorite aspects of being a dog trainer. I get to hang with a litter of 7 week old puppies and decipher who they are as individuals. It is truly fascinating to see the difference in all of the puppies in a litter. During the temperament test, I take notes which are then passed onto the breeder or rescuer. These notes will determine where each puppy will best thrive.

The notes should also be explained to the new puppy guardians. It can give them a little insight to who their dog is and what they will require.

Temperament testing is not comparing puppies against each other; it is a test to see who they are as individuals. There are no good or bad puppies; just good and bad placements. We as humans are all very individual, so are puppies.

I often see breeders allowing people to choose puppies as soon as they come out. They will post that two are left; and show images of the guinea pig like babies crawling around. There is no way to know who these week old puppies will become as adult dogs.

You might choose the one with the one white paw; only to find out down the road that he is the one who needs to be in an experienced dog home with no children. Sadly this is your first dog and you have 4 children under the age of 6. This is definitely not a good match and there will be much struggle for everyone involved.

So how should it be done?

Breeders/Rescuers

• Create a list of those wanting one of the puppies.

• There may be a first come first choose list but that is typically only used to structure the placement; not to allow people to choose whatever puppy they want first.

• If you have 8 puppies, allow 8 families to be on the “getting a puppy” list.

• Raise the puppies, do everything you can to ensure great early socialization.

• Get to know who the puppy buyers are, extensively. Have a dialogue with each family which will give you insight into their day to day.

• At 7 weeks have the litter temperament tested by an EXPERIENCED tester.

• Look at the list of people wanting one of the puppies and decide which puppy would do best in each specific home.

• Let the new puppy guardians know who they get or who they can choose from.

• Do not try to sell a family two dogs. Two are not better than one.

Sometimes their are two or three puppies who are similar. If you think they would all be good in a specific home, allow the new guardians to choose with your assistance.

New puppy guardians

• Find a breeder or rescue group that has a litter of puppies that you are interested in. (This will follow a great deal of research)

• Build a relationship with them so that they know what you are looking for as far as a new family member.

• Give as much detail to the breeder or rescue group that you can as far as what you want in a dog.

• Watch the puppies as they grow, watch each individual closely.

• Take this time to learn about having a new puppy.

• Be patient.

• The temperament testing will happen around 7 weeks of age.

• Ask a lot of questions, don’t be shy.

• If your breeder or rescuer are experienced, they will tell you which puppy is the best fit for you. They may give you the option of a couple or more, ask questions about each. Have a dialogue about each puppy.

• Trust their judgement. Ask questions if you have them.

The actual placement is typically done a week or more after the test.

By placing puppies this way, the breeder/rescuer has found all the puppies a home early on; but the actual who goes where is done after the temperament test. Not all testers are the same; many have no idea what the results mean. Experience speaks volumes when testing puppies.

For the buyers out there, be aware that lots of people will tell you that they temperament tested their dogs and then allow you to blindly choose a puppy. This means nothing and should be taken as such. If they cannot offer advice as to which puppy would best suit you then this is blind puppy placement.

Also for the buyers, go in color blind. This is something I tell people all the time. When someone says to me that they want a mostly white husky my response is “what if your next heart dog is grey?”

The more experience a tester has the better. The range of puppy temperaments is vast. Being able to read between the lines (so to speak) of results is important.

Many breeders and rescuers will say they don’t need to temperament test because they know their dogs. I agree that experience may help decipher who is who but there is almost always a surprise read in the litter, sometimes more than one surprise. An actual temperament test is done by someone the puppies has never met in an area that they have never been. This is imperative to get a true read on temperament.

Temperament testing is not the be all and end all on individual temperaments. Much can be done to help puppies along the road to adulthood by their new guardians. This is the big part of correct placement. Learning what your new puppy needs and being willing to offer it to them for a smooth journey into our human world.

Questions?

A tribute to Miss Lucy

Our world has lost a very special k9. My very close friend Judy and her family are grieving the loss of their most precious girl , Lucy. Elsa and Riggs and I will also be missing this bright light.. Lucy has been a part of our lives for over 11 years and when I say that she was special, I mean that in every sense of the word.

Look at that smile

She often tried to settle Elsa’s exuberance by calmly and quietly resting her head on her.

Lucy was around before Elsa and I am glad that Luke got to meet and hang with her. She was the sweetest Golden Retriever who pretty much loved everyone that she met. Lucy was around a few years before Yogi (her younger brother) came into the picture they were inseparable from that moment on. Yogi will be missing his sister immensely.

They shared many special moments

Lucy was hands down Elsa’s best girl friend ever. She had a very hard time containing her excitement when Lucy was around.

Teaching Riggs about life

Elsa adored her

Elsa adored her and was beside herself whenever Lucy came over to play. If I told her that Lucy was coming over, she’d stand at the door waiting for her arrival. Lucy was quite the lady, she showed much more reserve as far as demonstrating her affection for Elsa, although it was clear that she loved hanging out with the much more demonstrative Elsa.

I am so happy that Riggs got to meet Lucy, she had much to teach him. He was completely smitten with her and would follow her everywhere. She was kind and patient with him as she shared her life experience.

Teaching her brother Yogi the ropes

My deepest sympathy goes out to her family, it is a sad moment in time. There are so many wonderful dogs in each and everyone’s life, we are blessed to share our lives with theirs. As time passes, the sadness of loss will lessen and the memories will help to replace the sadness.

I feel honored to have known Lucy and will miss her dearly. The world has lost a very special soul.

Another special moment, she will be missed by everyone and anyone who met her.

Lucy is featured in and on the Cover of my Golden Retriever Notebook.

Socializing

There is much talk about socializing these days due to the current COVID situation. Many people acquired puppies or dogs during this time and we are now seeing a great number of under socialized dogs. Socializing is best done early; the most optimum time being birth to 16 weeks of age. After that it can be a bit more of a challenge if you have not had your pup out and about already**. That said it will be something that you continue throughout your dog’s life. And, a huge part of it lies on who your dog is and what your lifestyle is.

When I temperament test a litter of puppies is it truly amazing to see the difference in each one. Many people think that a puppy is a puppy is a puppy. Nope, they are all very, very individual. Temperaments in just one litter can cover the full range of temperament types. Some litters have similar temperaments with little difference but make no mistake, every one is very individual.

Socializing is best done in very small and EXTREMELY positive amounts. This is not about more is better; it should be done very carefully with great care taken to create a positive environment that will help your puppy or dog to grow.

Socializing is all about introducing puppies to the world around them. Anything that will be a part of their life in the future should be introduced to them early on. This includes, sights, sounds, smells, textures, people, dogs and experiences. Each and every puppy will deal with new things in their own way. How we respond to their reactions is extremely important.

NEVER, EVER force your puppy to do anything that they don’t want to do. If they are afraid of something and I can guarantee they will be afraid of something if not a lot of things. You must take it slow, make it positive and praise bravery. This means no coddling. We most definitely want to be there for our dogs; as the support team they need behind them as they learn… but no “it’s okay, it’s not scary,” talk. Instead we need to stand tall and have a “check this out,” attitude; saving the boosting praise for bravery.

This is not to say that not being brave is not okay. Being scared is normal and expected but we don’t want to promote it, because it can then grow. This is why it is so very important to do everything slow and in small amounts. One of my mottos in life is “quit while you are ahead,” and it applies here. A short positive socializing outing is far better than a long drawn out one where a puppy becomes tired or overwhelmed.

As far as meeting other people and other dogs, be careful. If your puppy is apprehensive about meeting new people, let them take the time they need. If they don’t want to interact, DON’T MAKE THEM. Walking happily by people is the first step. Same goes for dogs, but more care must be used as far as who they actually interact with. All it takes is one back interaction to change them forever. Best to use dogs that you know are super puppy friendly for dog interactions. And keep it short, puppies get cranky just like children.

Socializing should start with the breeder or rescue. If they didn’t do their job then you will have more work to do. Think of socializing as an introduction to our world. It is our job to introduce our dogs to the world that they will live in, in a positive way.

Try to remember that our dogs are watching us, learning from us and that is done by seeing how we are responding to things, even scary things. We need to lead by example.

**I understand that most Veterinarians will tell you not to take your puppy anywhere until a couple of weeks after their last set of shots. I recommend taking them out carefully, a couple of weeks after their 2nd set but to start the socializing process immediately. You can start in your own home by breaking your house into all the separate rooms that it is. Front yard, back yard, side yards can all be new experiences. As well as every new thing in your home.

Don’t wait, start today. Questions?

Adding another dog

Are you wanting a second dog and aren’t sure how to go about adding your next family member to your existing pack? I will try to explain some of the most important points about adding another dog to your family. And then some ways to do the introduction.

Points to focus on

• Know your existing dog inside and out. This part is essential because many people just go and bring another dog home without considering their first dog. I have been called in to figure out how to “make it work” many times. Sometimes it can work, other times it just does not work.

  Our first dog is our first responsibility. It is our job to give them a happy, safe and enriched life. So that means making educated decisions on adding #2.

• Probably the first question to ask yourself is “do you want another dog?” Or are you just getting one for your dog? It is VERY important that you the people want another dog.

• How old is your dog? Are they past the age that it would be a good idea to bring home another dog?

• Does your dog like other dogs, puppies? Many, many dogs like other dogs but not puppies. Adding a puppy to your home means a lot of work for you, the humans.

• Is your existing dog trained and fully connected/bonded to you and the family? Bringing home a second dog too early in your existing dog’s life can cause them to connect with each other and leave you out of the relationship.

• Does your existing dog love to play with other dogs? Yes, no, a little?

• Perhaps ask a professional trainer what type of temperament they think would be the best sort of match for your existing dog.

• Every dog is an individual, just because you put two together does not mean that it will work out.

• It takes quite a while for dogs to become “family.” It rarely happens overnight.

So you’ve found the dog that you will add to your family. Now, how do you bring home the dog without causing undo stress on your #1? If you are bringing home an adult rescue or adult second hand dog; the best thing to do is introduce the dogs on neutral territory. In other words, not your house; because your house is your #1 dog’s territory.

Off leash is the best way to introduce dogs so that they feel that they can move away if needed. Leashes can cause unwanted behavior issues. If you have a friend who is up for volunteering their backyard, take them up on the offer. If their first meeting goes well; then walk the dogs on leash together. Watch for any stress signals from either of the dogs. If possible, meet several days in a row before bringing the dog home with you. Of course this is not always possible.

Once you are bringing the second dog home; have them meet once again outside on leash. If you can, go into the backyard without going through the house. Allow them to interact in the backyard before bringing them inside. Inside has less room to move away and can bring up territorial issues. Make sure to leave a short grab leash on the new addition, in case.

Bringing home puppy

Depending on your #1, bringing home a puppy can be easier or more difficult. My girl Elsa adores puppies so it is easy peasy to bring a new puppy home. Because she loves puppies so much we simply keep a screen door between them until I get to see how the puppy feels about Elsa. I know that Elsa is going to be great, so it is the puppy I am watching.

Having a meet and greet off property can be difficult with a new puppy because of germs. So meeting at home is more than likely going to be what happens. But it is always best to do it outside with several hands on deck in case. If you are concerned about the safety of the puppy, leash your #1 before they meet.

Having a friend come over and deal with the puppy is helpful; it takes you out of the picture as far as jealousy behaviors with your #1. Most dogs know that puppies are baby dogs and will act accordingly. Growling will almost always happen which is normal. It is your #1’s job to give feedback to the puppy. Left unchecked by #1, #2’s can turn into monsters.

Many k9 guardians discipline their #1 for giving feedback and that is where things start to go wrong. Growling and the occasional snap is how the adult will communicate to the puppy. Of course there is safe communication and unsafe, anything too aggressive needs to be stopped.

But it is also important to know that we humans HAVE to step in. If we just sit back and let them figure out, things could go very wrong. It is our job to protect #1 and #2.

Questions? I love questions.

Dog Moms

My sister Bonnie with her adorable young man River. You can follow River and his adventures on instagram at @thetollerriver

This is for all of you dog Moms out there. As many of the regular readers know, I like to use dictionary meanings in my blogs. So this morning I looked up Mother and found…well, nothing really. Below is what I found, really? This says nothing about what a Mother is, other than the obvious.

Mother - a female parent

So with a big breath in, here I go. What “Mother” means to me.

Mother - to care for before oneself. To guard with the tenacity of a grizzle bear Mama; ensuring the safety of the ones we love. A most selfless duty, more important than any other job we have as we venture throughout our lives. Whether it be physical or emotional, a Mother places a cloak of security, care, love and protection over those in her care.

__________________________________________________

I consider myself to be a very fortunate to know so many extraordinary Mothers. I have the most amazing Mother, a wonderful Mother in law, sister in-laws and sisters who are awesome Mothers. My daughters are incredible Mothers and as far as my family and friend branches that stretch out far and wide, are many more Mother’s who have the heart of a lion. It is awe inspiring as I consider all of the amazing Mothers in my life.

Being a Mother not only encompasses our human children, but our furry children as well. I refer to myself as Elsa and Riggs Mom; but truly as their guardian. After all a Mother is a guardian unlike any other. And this weekend I want to reach out to all of you Dog Moms who care for the canines that fall under your cloak of a Mother’s love.

To those of you who see no boundaries to the love and care of your dogs. After all there is nothing more important in this life than caring for others. The care of our canines encompasses far more than just feeding, grooming and exercising. Being a Dog Mom is about ensuring the well being of our dogs; making sure that they feel safe in the life that they lead. Going above and beyond to nurture the dogs who we have added to the long list of those we care for.

I cannot begin to tell you how many amazing Dog Moms that I am fortunate to know. Here’s to you all, I lift a glass in celebrate of each and every one of you. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend, you earned it.

Hugging dogs

Hug - to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace.

to cling firmly or fondly to; cherish:

The other day I was reading a post from a pretty famous dog trainer and she stated how great it is to hug dogs. And, when dogs are not fans of her hugging she works at making them okay with being hugged. I thought this was surprising coming from a dog trainer who should know better. Not just that she should understand that hugging is not generally desired by dogs but promoting it is very misleading.

So of course I felt the need to write about the subject of hugging dogs. Most dogs do not enjoy being hugged, they learn to tolerate it. Some dogs hate it and will signal to the person who is hugging them. Most folks are not dog savvy and will not notice or pay attention to these signals that the dog is giving them.

NEVER, EVER HUG A STRANGE DOG

You should never, ever hug a strange dog. But it is not only strange dogs that fall into this non hugging thing. Many pets of our own are not fans of being hugged. Although there are a few dogs who adore hugs from their inner circle family. Example: Elsa adores hugs, she cannot get enough hugs and kisses from her inner circle. She adores affection and touch from her family and friends who are not on the inner circle. She clearly displays her lack of love for being hugged from people other than her inner circle family members. She isn’t aggressive or mean about it, she simply pulls away with a head turn. My rule is no hugging for anyone out of her circle.

Even dogs who seem to LOVE hugs like my Elsa; differ in what she likes and dislikes, all hugs are not equal. A hug from below accompanied with petting is great; while a hug from the top which is just a tight embrace, not so much.

Riggs on the other hand is quite the combination guy. My strict “no hugging” rule is even more strict with Riggs. He is not comfortable being hugged in general but enjoys a loose type closeness immensely from his very tight inner circle (Mom and Dad). I experiment with him a lot and he is a huge display dog. So whatever he is feeling, you can see it.

Many dogs who have learned to tolerate hugging from their family will pull away when being hugged. You can totally feel it if you are paying attention. This is the biggest problem, because most people don’t read dog language and the fact that many people like being hugged is what they rely on. But, our dogs are not humans, they are dogs and hugging is not something that most dogs do naturally.

When we hug a dog we take away their ability to move away. The range of how uncomfortable a dog becomes when hugged is vast. It depends on who is hugging, and how and where they are hugging the dog. Just because a dog does not growl or snap when you hug them does not mean that they are enjoying it.

Instead of teaching a dog to accept a hug; let’s teach people not to hug dogs.

If you have to hug your own dog; pay very close attention to what is and is not accepted and respect that. My rule for strangers and anyone outside of myself and my husband is NO, no hugging, especially children. I have a very strict rule with my Grandchildren and they are reminded constantly. Some of them don’t care that they cannot hug the dogs but some keep trying. This is why there must be 100% supervision with dogs and children.

I know that I will get a lot of people commenting that their dog loves when they hug them. But do they really? Hugging in front of a mirror or video taping a hug will tell you the truth. Many subtle signals are given by dogs that we humans just miss completely.

Touch is another thing that I want to talk about, this is the next blog. If you’d like to read about greeting dogs, I talked about that on my last podcast. Click here to listen to my Just Dogs with Sherri podcast.

The article below is a great read

Article on Hugging Dogs by Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC

I would LOVE to see your hugging videos.

The importance of walking your dog

The beach is always a good idea.

Yesterday I was watching a video on YouTube where the trainer was discussing how useless it was to walk our dogs. All I could think about was the people that might see it and believe it. What if people stop walking their dogs? And I have to admit that I was thinking “what a stupid thing to say,” as I listened and then unfollowed.

Today I took Elsa and Riggs to the beach. I’m enjoying the beach as much as I can because come mid June, that’s it for our daily walks. You can go super early and after 6:00 pm but the long hangouts at the beach have to wait then till fall again. Plus the beaches tend to get to crowded for me in the summer anyway. So we hit the beach again today.

The walk part is a big part of the favorite stuff for Elsa and Riggs. Sniff walks brings them so much enjoyment and enrichment. At 3:00 in the afternoon, they are still knocked out from their morning walk.

WALKS ARE VERY IMPORTANT

Is it important to offer our dogs other stuff in their day to day? Most definitely. Games, challenges, training etc. Enrich their day, it is sad for a dog to just sit/lay there all day doing nothing. And most definitely being in the same environment can be freaking boring for us all at times. The pandemic has shown us this, we need to get out, somewhere, anywhere.

So going out for a walk is GREAT for us all; and it is great for our dogs as well. I am a huge advocate of giving our dogs a change of scenery. Of course there are times when we simply cannot get them out as much as we’d like so we opt to offer more inhouse training and enrichment.

All walks are not made equal. How much enrichment do you offer on your walks?

• Off leash or long line time?

• Change of scenery? This is huge, so many people go out of their house, turn left and take the same walk everyday. I don’t know about you but I bore easily; and I know that Elsa and Riggs love a change of scenery.

• Do you train on your walks?

• Do you take your dog’s out separately sometimes?

• Do you change the length of your walks?

• Do you look for great new dog walk places?

Would it be great if we all had access to great hiking places where we could safely be off leash? Yes without question. But we don’t all have that and most people who have off leash dogs do not have a solid recall. Being on leash is safe but that does not mean that we are offering our dogs experience and enrichment. Each time you go somewhere new with your dog and let them explore their surroundings, its a win, win.

There are times when a walk is less than enriching; when you take the same walk day in and day out. But at least you and your dog are getting out of the house. To make those walks better, go in a different direction; jump in the car and go somewhere new. Try to go somewhere new every couple of days or at least have a least of 8 or more places that you visit. Don’t do the one trick pony walk, switch it up.

Going somewhere different is good for you and your dog. Just go walk somewhere fun.