I knew I shouldn't have said it, I shouldn't have even thought it. Everytime I have thought to myself or said out loud that "Luke has not had a seizure in a long while," sure enough. And like clock work I thought it yesterday afternoon. Lastnight I was jolted out of bed around midnight by my husband saying "I think he's having a seizure." I'm up and down on the floor with Luke seizing in my arms before I'm even awake.
Like a researcher I monitor each seizure closely; although lastnight I was barely awake and had my eyes closed for most of it. This seizure was definitely different; much quieter and without the second half of spasming and body contorsioning. This seizure Luke was stiff but not the typical contorted and stiff. Usually he is in a very strange position with his legs pulled up behind his head or under his body is some abnormal position. The only part of him that was contorted was his tail, he had it as high as it could go for the entire seizure.
It lasted approximately 7 min. as he slowly started to come out of it. This is when he typically goes into the second half of the seizure but that didn't come in a normal concession lastnight. He started blinking which is the first sign that he is coming out. Then the panting starts which stops as soon as the second session starts up. Lastnight he panted a bit and then jumped up on the bed which he usually cannot do as he is way too shaky on his legs. I got back in bed and noticed that the panting had stopped and his body was convulsing ever so slightly as I lay my hand on his chest.
He was awake and aware but not completely. He was sitting with his head up looking far off somewhere but maybe a little bit gone. There was no big ending, no coming out of it like usual; we sort of just fell asleep. Every other seizure ends with a heavy panting session added with a cling on poodle. I am unable to make a move without him by my side touching me, this lasts at least an hour. Lastnight he was content to sleep at the end of the bed and not up around my neck.
So needless to say we slept in this morning until after 8; which is very late for us. But with a restless night with one eye open monitoring my boy it makes for a rough morning.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Picture perfect
Good morning, what a nice morning it is. We have another worker here so it was up and at it early. The weather is cooler for a bit.
Yesterday I had two picture perfect scenarios. I didn't get a picture but I sure wish I would have. I just got my camera back from getting cleaned so it is sitting on my dining room table with no lense. But even if I did have a lense on my camera usually the cutest shots change the minute you pick up your camera anyway.
The first adorable scene was when my husband was sitting in our livingroom; just home from a hard day of work and about to dig in to a bowl of mixed nuts. The three dogs excited to see him after the day of absence were sitting in front of him giving their typical greeting when they realized he had a snack. It was like watching an audience watch a tennis match. With every movement of his hand the three heads moved in unison. Adorable.
The next scene was in front of the warm glowing fire. It had been a long week and we were enjoying a glass of wine in front of the fire. The dogs are not allowed on the couch in the livingroom, it being fabric and Luke a constant digger for comfort. So I spread a blanket out infront of the fireplace so that we could all sit together. Once everyone was comfy I went to the kitchen for an additional snack for all.
When I came back with snack in hand the sight was like I said; picture perfect. My husband sitting on the blanket with the three dogs surrounding him. The glow of the fire bouncing off of them all; my husband was enjoying his wine and the dogs eyes were half squint as they mellowed. It truly looked like a greeting card. The dogs love the fire as much as we do and relax as soon as the warmth hits them. Again "picture perfect."
Yesterday I had two picture perfect scenarios. I didn't get a picture but I sure wish I would have. I just got my camera back from getting cleaned so it is sitting on my dining room table with no lense. But even if I did have a lense on my camera usually the cutest shots change the minute you pick up your camera anyway.
The first adorable scene was when my husband was sitting in our livingroom; just home from a hard day of work and about to dig in to a bowl of mixed nuts. The three dogs excited to see him after the day of absence were sitting in front of him giving their typical greeting when they realized he had a snack. It was like watching an audience watch a tennis match. With every movement of his hand the three heads moved in unison. Adorable.
The next scene was in front of the warm glowing fire. It had been a long week and we were enjoying a glass of wine in front of the fire. The dogs are not allowed on the couch in the livingroom, it being fabric and Luke a constant digger for comfort. So I spread a blanket out infront of the fireplace so that we could all sit together. Once everyone was comfy I went to the kitchen for an additional snack for all.
When I came back with snack in hand the sight was like I said; picture perfect. My husband sitting on the blanket with the three dogs surrounding him. The glow of the fire bouncing off of them all; my husband was enjoying his wine and the dogs eyes were half squint as they mellowed. It truly looked like a greeting card. The dogs love the fire as much as we do and relax as soon as the warmth hits them. Again "picture perfect."
Friday, September 28, 2007
The enforcer
Wow, two days without my camera and I was feeling a little lost. Of course I get a photo request when my camera is in getting cleaned. So with camera back in hand I'm good for the day.
What I want to discuss this morning is enforcing. Enforcing; meaning to follow through with a request to your dog and not letting it slide. Lastnight we had tri-tip, almost everyone was home and we were having a wonderful dinner in the backyard with the sun setting and the sky lit up in beautiful pinks and blues.
Tri-tip is always an issue in the house, it is a huge hit with the human boys and an even bigger hit with Luke, the canine boy. The problem starts when I pull it out of the fridge. Luke can be in a dead sleep and he knows the second it is on the counter. He runs into the kitchen with an outstretched nose I give him a stare and he remembers himself.
Once on the bbq he is hovering, mostly standing on the stairs out in front of me which puts him at a height advantage. When the tri-tip was cooked to perfection, steaming; the aroma feeling the air, I spread the food out in the kitchen as a sort of self serve deal. Everyone sat down and Luke starts his rounds, staring at whomever he thinks might cough up some tri-tip for him.
I've had just about enough when he approached my daughters boyfriend for a begging session. The dogs use to sit incely; all on a bed while we ate at our last house but rules have not been established yet in this new yard. So I pull out the bed and ask them all to lay down there and stay. The girls comply immediately without a peep.
Luke has in his eyes that he is not in the mood. So I get my enforcer suit on. With his eyes darting back and forth I know he is waiting for the moment I turn my eyes away. And he takes the chance moving in once again. I give him the look, he has a desperate look on his face as I push my chair out with purposeful force.
He then runs to the other side of his beggy in attempts of avoiding the enforcer. Quickly I round him up with my body in the "I mean business" posture. He's down again but not for long. As I watch him I can see he is forming his mouth for a definant bark but is hesitating for good reason. Should he bark at me, he knows he's going to be in for it.
So after several round ups, he gets a poke; serving as a "period" end of topic, end of discussion!!!! He gets it. After about 5 min. and everyone is done eating I release him. What a guy!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Quick note - visitor
Today I have painters coming so I'll loose my computer usage any moment. Tilley's tail is still on the mend but she did have another chew incident yesterday.
Yesterday a friend came over who we had not seen for a couple of years. It amazes me how much my dogs remember her the minute she walks in. Luke goes insane, spinning and jumping and generally behaving out of control. This behavior is saved for her alone, quite an honor. It does not matter how many years go between visits; all of my dogs remember her in one quick sniff.
It is easy to know when Luke remembers someone because if he doesn't know you; believe me you get quite a different greeting. He is of suspicious nature like his Mom. During our visit Tilley took advantage of my lack of supervision while I was gabbing and went for her tail. I had just unwrapped her tail to show my friend and rewrapped it up. No more than 10 minutes passed and I heard the familiar panic panting. I jumped out of my seat; where Tilley had been only sitting a few feet away and saw the damage immediately.
There was blood all over her new bed, her face and her wound looked bad. I quickly bandaged it up again and have yet to have a peek this morning. I am heading that way to see what it looks like this moring but there has been a huge change with the reduction of swelling.
Have a great day.
Yesterday a friend came over who we had not seen for a couple of years. It amazes me how much my dogs remember her the minute she walks in. Luke goes insane, spinning and jumping and generally behaving out of control. This behavior is saved for her alone, quite an honor. It does not matter how many years go between visits; all of my dogs remember her in one quick sniff.
It is easy to know when Luke remembers someone because if he doesn't know you; believe me you get quite a different greeting. He is of suspicious nature like his Mom. During our visit Tilley took advantage of my lack of supervision while I was gabbing and went for her tail. I had just unwrapped her tail to show my friend and rewrapped it up. No more than 10 minutes passed and I heard the familiar panic panting. I jumped out of my seat; where Tilley had been only sitting a few feet away and saw the damage immediately.
There was blood all over her new bed, her face and her wound looked bad. I quickly bandaged it up again and have yet to have a peek this morning. I am heading that way to see what it looks like this moring but there has been a huge change with the reduction of swelling.
Have a great day.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tilley update
Tilley's tail is looking better, I have not opened it up this morning yet. But, yesterday it looked much better. She also went on an outting for the first time in almost 2 weeks. Her tail is completely raw but the swelling is going down.
I cannot post a photo because my camera is in getting cleaned. Will post as soon as I get it back.
I cannot post a photo because my camera is in getting cleaned. Will post as soon as I get it back.
sleeping with dogs
I'm sure all of you who keep up with this blog probably sleep with your dogs. Maybe not but there is a certain stigma that has been put on "dogs in your bed." When I have a new client and I ask where the dog sleeps; I am always given a sheepish "in our bed," if the dog does indeed sleep in the bed.
Funny; the answer I get if they don;t sleep in the guardians bed is very factual "in the garage or kitchen." So who gave sleeping with dogs such a bad wrap? I'm not sure but I know one thing, I love sleeping with my dogs. I should rephrase that actually, I love spending time with my dogs in bed. I'm not as fond of the part where they hog the bed as I am TRYING to sleep.
There are rules about sleeping in bed with our dogs and they should be followed strictly. There is to be no negative feedback from our dogs if we move, push or otherwise want them out of our spot. If your dog objects to being moved around or moved off of the bed, they then loose the great priviledge of being on the bed.
This is very serious and a very common problem, growling. Many people tell me that their dog growls if they attempt to move them or remove them from their bed. Hey, who's bed is this? You have all the bed rights as top dog in the household. If your dog is growling at you about bed rights then that is a very clear sign of where you rank in the big picture.
Your dog needs to stay off of the bed until such a time where you have re-established your hierarchy ranking. This is simply done by having your dog comply to many rules within the household.
Remember, sleeping the bed with the big boys is a priviledge not a right. Think of it in those terms and you will better understand why your dog should not tell you where you can and cannot sleep.
Funny; the answer I get if they don;t sleep in the guardians bed is very factual "in the garage or kitchen." So who gave sleeping with dogs such a bad wrap? I'm not sure but I know one thing, I love sleeping with my dogs. I should rephrase that actually, I love spending time with my dogs in bed. I'm not as fond of the part where they hog the bed as I am TRYING to sleep.
There are rules about sleeping in bed with our dogs and they should be followed strictly. There is to be no negative feedback from our dogs if we move, push or otherwise want them out of our spot. If your dog objects to being moved around or moved off of the bed, they then loose the great priviledge of being on the bed.
This is very serious and a very common problem, growling. Many people tell me that their dog growls if they attempt to move them or remove them from their bed. Hey, who's bed is this? You have all the bed rights as top dog in the household. If your dog is growling at you about bed rights then that is a very clear sign of where you rank in the big picture.
Your dog needs to stay off of the bed until such a time where you have re-established your hierarchy ranking. This is simply done by having your dog comply to many rules within the household.
Remember, sleeping the bed with the big boys is a priviledge not a right. Think of it in those terms and you will better understand why your dog should not tell you where you can and cannot sleep.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Basic manners
As a dog trainer I am accustom to seeing dogs go from uneducated to very well mannered family members. My training is very personal; meaning that no two families are alike and no two dogs are alike so how you train each dog within each household is going to vary drastically.
When I am training my goal is the dog within the family so rarely will my eyes leave the dog. How, when and the level of reaction to the guardians actions is everything. I talk alot during training, I even tell people when I start with them that I talk alot. With every session comes print outs because I talk so much. There is no way people can remember everything I am saying.
All the talking I do is a running commentary so that I can fully explain to a guardian why their dog is doing what they are doing each and every moment. Many times I'll say "see that look?" Hopefully the dog is still displaying the look when the guardian views for themselves but often they are not. So that's when I will say, "keep watching" as I attempt to reconstruct the situation.
Stopping annoying behaviors before they are in full force is much easier. So watching your dog and keeping one step ahead is always a good thing. The more you watch the more you will see and this itself will help you to teach your dog more easily and quickly.
I have found it very hard to turn the "trainer" off in me, even when strictly doing a photo shoot. But over the years I can now separate the many hats that I wear. See you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Monday, September 24, 2007
tilley
Good morning, Tilley's tail seems to be on the mend. She got at it yesterday for a few minutes and did quite a bit of damage. But I washed it, treated it and wrapped it up again. This morning it is looking better again.
Weird, anyone else seeing it would freak but it does look like it is healing. I can't imagine how long this is going to take, it a huge open wound. But with the wrap on she is doing very well. She doesn't walk around much and I'm doing my best to get her up and around once in a while.
Crazy busy day today.
Weird, anyone else seeing it would freak but it does look like it is healing. I can't imagine how long this is going to take, it a huge open wound. But with the wrap on she is doing very well. She doesn't walk around much and I'm doing my best to get her up and around once in a while.
Crazy busy day today.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Hierarchy unrest
Good Saturday morning. For those who are keeping up with Tilley's tail so to speak the update is as follows. This photo was taken at 10:30 this morning, the photo above taken at 10:45. I was outside with Tilley letting her tail air; I filled up the birdfeeder and when I turned around the black skin was gone. I was hoping that it would come off on its own, but Tilley helped it. It must have been extremely painful to take it off as she was panting very heavily after she did it.
Since the Thursday before last I have seen some shiftings going on in my home with the pack. At first there wasn't much happening, often one of the dogs is down for a couple of days. But now that it has progressed to over a week it is quite obvious. Luke is definitely seeing a weakness in Tilley and pushing her alot.
I believe Tilley is seeing it as well as she is becoming much more aggressive with the other dogs. Yesterday she would not let Jessie walk out of the kitchen. They have a bed beside the doorway and Tilley was on it. Jessie approached the bed to lay down with her and she received a very serious growl. Jessie immediately turned her head and walked away in slow motion.
She then decided to leave the kitchen and thought nothing of it; but as soon as she neared the doorway Tilley growled at her again sending Jessie into a head spin and back into the kitchen. I then walked Jessie out of the kitchen and onto another bed in the livingroom.
Tilley also growled at Luke lastnight for approaching her bed. As she is weak for a longer length of time Luke is seeing this as his time to move up. Because Jessie feels as she is already the top dog there isn't too much happening with her except some unrest because of the movement in the pack.
I will not let Luke obtain any status because Tilley will soon be back on her feet. And Luke having any status would just not be good for anyone :)
Friday, September 21, 2007
TGIF
Oooh storm watch 07 here in SoCal. We are expecting rain which is big news here. We had rain the night before last and boy do we need it.
Tilley's wound is the same this morning. I'm having a problem with one piece of the dead tissue that will not come off and keeps resticking to the open wound. I'm going to attempt hydrotheraphy but don't know how much pain it will cause so I'll take it very slow. I have non stick gauzing now which really helps now that it is such a large open wound.
My other two are feeling a little housebound so yesterday my daughter watched Tilley and I took Luke for a run on his own. He is actually much better behaved when he is on his own. I took him to one of my favorite parks with a great view. It looks over all of Mission Viejo and the mountains.
Luke is a big watcher as I have talked about before. He constantly watches my feet to give him a heads up of which way I'm heading. Yesterday I threw him a curve ball. Without thinking about it; as I scoped the park for "the dog police," I was walking down the path backwards. This is something much more common back home in Canada when a fierce winter wind is blowing in your face but I dont' think I've done it here. Obviously I had never done it with Luke, because he immediately ran to my side watching my feet.
My feet were telling him that I was heading the other way yet I was still walking in my original direction. He stood looking at me while I walked with a puzzled face. Luke has a great sense of humor and seemed to think that this new directional challenging walking was pretty funny. He ran up to me, did a couple of "I don't know whats going on," type jumps and decided that he would just keep a close eye on me.
You can see how closely your dog watches your direction destinations by walking and turning your feet to see if they watch and no before you turn that you are turning. It is something that obedience dogs quickly learn to stay in line with their guardian. Give it a go.
Tilley's wound is the same this morning. I'm having a problem with one piece of the dead tissue that will not come off and keeps resticking to the open wound. I'm going to attempt hydrotheraphy but don't know how much pain it will cause so I'll take it very slow. I have non stick gauzing now which really helps now that it is such a large open wound.
My other two are feeling a little housebound so yesterday my daughter watched Tilley and I took Luke for a run on his own. He is actually much better behaved when he is on his own. I took him to one of my favorite parks with a great view. It looks over all of Mission Viejo and the mountains.
Luke is a big watcher as I have talked about before. He constantly watches my feet to give him a heads up of which way I'm heading. Yesterday I threw him a curve ball. Without thinking about it; as I scoped the park for "the dog police," I was walking down the path backwards. This is something much more common back home in Canada when a fierce winter wind is blowing in your face but I dont' think I've done it here. Obviously I had never done it with Luke, because he immediately ran to my side watching my feet.
My feet were telling him that I was heading the other way yet I was still walking in my original direction. He stood looking at me while I walked with a puzzled face. Luke has a great sense of humor and seemed to think that this new directional challenging walking was pretty funny. He ran up to me, did a couple of "I don't know whats going on," type jumps and decided that he would just keep a close eye on me.
You can see how closely your dog watches your direction destinations by walking and turning your feet to see if they watch and no before you turn that you are turning. It is something that obedience dogs quickly learn to stay in line with their guardian. Give it a go.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I didn't think it could get any worse
Well Tilley's wound has sluffed (sp?) like the vets said it would. It is not a pretty sight. When I saw it I put my head in my hands and thought "now what?" How do you care for such an open wound? I'm going to do the best I can and keep it clean and hope that it heals.
Sept 20, 2007 Noon
Here is the latest. Although it looks bad it does look like it is trying to heal. Note the edges around the black skin. Tilley is resting nicely. Although I am suppose to take the bandage off and air it, she cannot tolerate this at all so it is very minimal right now.
Quick update
Just a quick note to let everyone know whats going on. Took Tilley's wrap off this morning, it doesn't look good. Hard to tell what is going on, it looks like it is trying to heal. There was some green which is never good and a split now coming from the center hole. Thanks Carol, I am sending the shots to UC Davis, hopefully someone will have an idea.
I did find a disease that it could be but it is rare. I need to call my vet and ask him about it. I will post the name so you can all read up on it.
Tilley has had a rough year, she had a staph infection in her bladder which we treated. She got this tail thing and has another bladder infection, believe me I'm wondering if this is all connected somehow. The vet said yesterday that even if this does heal, it will be at least 8 weeks.
Funny, I needed a baby sitter for my kids and now I need one if I need to go out. Someone has to be here with Tilley so that she does not pull off her bandaging. When I am here I have to take off her dressing several times a day to air. She pretty much goes crazy and it is near impossible to stop her from nipping at it. It was off this morning for several minutes and then bandaged again.
More later.
I did find a disease that it could be but it is rare. I need to call my vet and ask him about it. I will post the name so you can all read up on it.
Tilley has had a rough year, she had a staph infection in her bladder which we treated. She got this tail thing and has another bladder infection, believe me I'm wondering if this is all connected somehow. The vet said yesterday that even if this does heal, it will be at least 8 weeks.
Funny, I needed a baby sitter for my kids and now I need one if I need to go out. Someone has to be here with Tilley so that she does not pull off her bandaging. When I am here I have to take off her dressing several times a day to air. She pretty much goes crazy and it is near impossible to stop her from nipping at it. It was off this morning for several minutes and then bandaged again.
More later.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Amputation
Back from the vets and I'm sorry I have not put a new photo of Tilley's wound up yet. But I will shortly, not that you will want to look at it but maybe someone will be able to enlighten me by looking at it.
There is a good chance that Tilley will have to have her tail amputated. It is not for sure and I have dedicated myself to stopping this if I can. But if it comes down to a health issue I will allow the vet to remove her tail. So until then please cross your fingers for her.
Thanks for listening
There is a good chance that Tilley will have to have her tail amputated. It is not for sure and I have dedicated myself to stopping this if I can. But if it comes down to a health issue I will allow the vet to remove her tail. So until then please cross your fingers for her.
Thanks for listening
Wednesday
Good morning, it will be a busy day today. I have quite a few deadlines to get on top of both for my photography and I've been asked to write several articles for magazines. So I'll be on here alot today. That is once I get back from the vet again. The hole in her tail is double the size but thats about all the difference. She does seem to be feeling better as she got up and greeted my husband at the door lastnight which was the first time since Friday.
She is sleeping great with the pain meds and I am researching like crazy. This is one of those things that no one can give you a definite. It is the result of something, a staph infection, a tick bite gone bad or spider bite. We just deal with what we have and making Tilley comfortable is the top concern for me right now. She is on antibiotics which is good now that she has a gapping hole in her tail. I will post a new shot today, don't open my blog if you are squimish.
These type of things don't bother me at all. My husband can't even look at her tail and doesn't want to hear about it. Funny guys are suppose to be so tough but some of the toughest like my husband who I would put up there in one of the toughest guys I know, have such squimish stomachs. Although my son gets right into it with me, holding her tail while I rewrap it and I believe yesterday he put an image of her tail on his MySpace, nice. I'm sure many of his friends will be completely grossing out.
Jessie has taken to sleeping beside Tilley no matter where she is and Luke; well he is a typical bonehead. He had a zoom yesterday and just about ran Tilley over. He been a bit housebound since this happened. And being the wanna be alpha he is he has tried to take advantage of Tilley when she is down. But thats not happening on my watch, he has received several good pokes resulting in plastered submissive ears back and very large sucky eyeballs. Man, boys!!!!!
She is sleeping great with the pain meds and I am researching like crazy. This is one of those things that no one can give you a definite. It is the result of something, a staph infection, a tick bite gone bad or spider bite. We just deal with what we have and making Tilley comfortable is the top concern for me right now. She is on antibiotics which is good now that she has a gapping hole in her tail. I will post a new shot today, don't open my blog if you are squimish.
These type of things don't bother me at all. My husband can't even look at her tail and doesn't want to hear about it. Funny guys are suppose to be so tough but some of the toughest like my husband who I would put up there in one of the toughest guys I know, have such squimish stomachs. Although my son gets right into it with me, holding her tail while I rewrap it and I believe yesterday he put an image of her tail on his MySpace, nice. I'm sure many of his friends will be completely grossing out.
Jessie has taken to sleeping beside Tilley no matter where she is and Luke; well he is a typical bonehead. He had a zoom yesterday and just about ran Tilley over. He been a bit housebound since this happened. And being the wanna be alpha he is he has tried to take advantage of Tilley when she is down. But thats not happening on my watch, he has received several good pokes resulting in plastered submissive ears back and very large sucky eyeballs. Man, boys!!!!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tuesday morning
Both Tilley and I had a good night sleep. I got some much better pain meds for her so she was out. After hours of more research it looks like it could have been one of many things that started this but it also looks like we are in for the long haul before it is all healed up.
On a much lighter note the weather has cooled and the dogs and I spent much of yesterday just puttering around the yard. (Tilley slept) I had a chance to weed the gardens and clean up the yard without melting. I just love the cooler weather; the fall decorations come out and we can pretend we are once again in Canada with the leaves turning color.
With the combination of the very chilly air this morning and a warm cup of coffee I was pretty much in heaven. My workers are gone and the dogs and I are all snuggled up in bed, Luke is very happy. He is having one of his sleeps where he closes his eyes shut so tight that he gets wrinkles. This means he is enjoying his sleep immensely.
Hopefully today will bring some more cooler weather and I can walk the dogs after 9am and not fry.
Time to start getting ready for Christmas, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great day all.
On a much lighter note the weather has cooled and the dogs and I spent much of yesterday just puttering around the yard. (Tilley slept) I had a chance to weed the gardens and clean up the yard without melting. I just love the cooler weather; the fall decorations come out and we can pretend we are once again in Canada with the leaves turning color.
With the combination of the very chilly air this morning and a warm cup of coffee I was pretty much in heaven. My workers are gone and the dogs and I are all snuggled up in bed, Luke is very happy. He is having one of his sleeps where he closes his eyes shut so tight that he gets wrinkles. This means he is enjoying his sleep immensely.
Hopefully today will bring some more cooler weather and I can walk the dogs after 9am and not fry.
Time to start getting ready for Christmas, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great day all.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tilley
After doubling up on Tilley's pain meds she was feeling some better yesterday but very minimal. We left her outdoors for most of the day as she seems to like not having her tail wrapped. The wrapping bothers her alot.
After another long day I had the chance to do some research. Looking at Tilley's tail; it looked very strange. My son immediately said it looks like a spider bite. So I looked up spider bites and sure enough Tilley situation mirrored the people who have been bitten by a brown recluse. This is a very bad spider and does alot of damage; even causing fatality so allow she has suffered she is alive.
Tilley must have at one point sat on a spider because it says that they are not an aggressive spider and will only bite if bothered.
so off to the vet we go. She may need to have a good amount of tissue removed.
As before I will keep you posted.
Sherri
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Tilley update
Its been a crazy weekend. Tilley had a rough night lastnight with pain but by this morning her tail was looking a bit better. I spent several hours sleeping at her side on the floor in the livingroom in the wee hours. She was so restless that only my touch would calm her and allow her to close her eyes and catch a few winks.
Her tail finally opened this morning but it doesn't look like a typical cyst that I usually deal with, it looks very much like a spider bite. So she is on pain meds and antibiotics and we will be at the vet first thing in the morning to see how things are going.
I don't think they are going well but she seems to be in a little less pain.
I'll write more when I have more info.
Sherri
Her tail finally opened this morning but it doesn't look like a typical cyst that I usually deal with, it looks very much like a spider bite. So she is on pain meds and antibiotics and we will be at the vet first thing in the morning to see how things are going.
I don't think they are going well but she seems to be in a little less pain.
I'll write more when I have more info.
Sherri
Friday, September 14, 2007
Tilley goes to the vet today
This morning as I was preparing to cut the dogs nails which is a process with three. After cutting the nails; I file their nails so that no one has sharp edges. I should have been doing this along time ago, do you know how many times I've been slashed by ragged edges?
Anyhow, I noticed a red spot on Tilley's tail. I don't how I spotted it as she has got a very furry tail but I keep a close eye on everything having to do with my dogs so there was the spot. As I mulled around the yard a bit I noticed that she was quite bothered by this thing on her tail; so I got out the clippers and shaved her tail down.
I was shocked to see the extent of her tail, it was very swollen, red and oozing. I cannot believe how tough this girl is, she constantly amazes me. But it is this same toughness that leads to many things being discovered far beyond when I typically would have discovered something. My boy Luke lets me know when he has a hang nail for heavens sakes.
So I went to the vet immediately; which I was very happy about. I am very accustom to being told "oh no, we're booked up for the day." "What do you mean your booked up?" How many times have you called a vet in need of an appointment immediately and been told you'll have to wait until Monday? I know I've heard that way too many times, once when Tilley had blood in her urine I was told I'd have to wait till Monday. How's that for caring about animals?
So this new vet that I have I love, the staff is friendly, they put up with all of my "must be with my dogs," stuff and they always have time to see my guys. This is how it should be, squeeze up the patients who are in for a shots or to have their nails cut and "MAKE ROOM FOR MY DOG." I would never call a vet or a even a Dr. and ask to be seen immediately unless I felt that it was important. But hey, thats me. I guess there are enough people who say its urgent when it really isn't so now the techs on the phone don't buy it.
So as for our trip today, Tilley had a follow up urine analysis. The one where you get a needle into your bladder (I said she was tough). Then she had her tail looked at, a shot of antibiotics, pain killer which I love that some Dr's. now see the need for in dogs as well as humans. And we wait to see if this thing goes away on her tail.
Being a standard poodle she is susceptible to sebaceous cysts which we are use to but this one is different. Will keep you posted.
Anyhow, I noticed a red spot on Tilley's tail. I don't how I spotted it as she has got a very furry tail but I keep a close eye on everything having to do with my dogs so there was the spot. As I mulled around the yard a bit I noticed that she was quite bothered by this thing on her tail; so I got out the clippers and shaved her tail down.
I was shocked to see the extent of her tail, it was very swollen, red and oozing. I cannot believe how tough this girl is, she constantly amazes me. But it is this same toughness that leads to many things being discovered far beyond when I typically would have discovered something. My boy Luke lets me know when he has a hang nail for heavens sakes.
So I went to the vet immediately; which I was very happy about. I am very accustom to being told "oh no, we're booked up for the day." "What do you mean your booked up?" How many times have you called a vet in need of an appointment immediately and been told you'll have to wait until Monday? I know I've heard that way too many times, once when Tilley had blood in her urine I was told I'd have to wait till Monday. How's that for caring about animals?
So this new vet that I have I love, the staff is friendly, they put up with all of my "must be with my dogs," stuff and they always have time to see my guys. This is how it should be, squeeze up the patients who are in for a shots or to have their nails cut and "MAKE ROOM FOR MY DOG." I would never call a vet or a even a Dr. and ask to be seen immediately unless I felt that it was important. But hey, thats me. I guess there are enough people who say its urgent when it really isn't so now the techs on the phone don't buy it.
So as for our trip today, Tilley had a follow up urine analysis. The one where you get a needle into your bladder (I said she was tough). Then she had her tail looked at, a shot of antibiotics, pain killer which I love that some Dr's. now see the need for in dogs as well as humans. And we wait to see if this thing goes away on her tail.
Being a standard poodle she is susceptible to sebaceous cysts which we are use to but this one is different. Will keep you posted.
Tardiness and change
Hi all, I apologize for my tardiness of late. We have are having work done at our house which has meant that I need to be up ready and have my dogs fed and out for the day by 7 am, yikes early. Having myself ready is a breeze but as Luke gives me those puppy dog eyes in the morning I know all he wants is to go back to bed. Luke doesn't like change and especially a change to something that he loves so much.
Lukes loves my morning writing time, he stands at the kitchen door waiting for my husband to eat his breakfast and be on his way. The first sign from me that I am heading up to the bed to write and he is way out ahead of me. Luke loves nothing more than snuggling beside me while I write my blog, articles or attempt to finish my book. But mixing it up is important.
Dogs can get into a rut very quickly, which can by fine or can become a problem If dogs are not accustom to change they can have a difficult time of it. So for this reason alone it is important to switch up everything now and then. Things like feeding areas, waling routine, sleeping arrangements and daily routine. Routine is good but you want to make sure that your dog can handle change. By mixing it up you can help your dog deal with change.
You don't want your dog to be thinking ahead of you.
Lukes loves my morning writing time, he stands at the kitchen door waiting for my husband to eat his breakfast and be on his way. The first sign from me that I am heading up to the bed to write and he is way out ahead of me. Luke loves nothing more than snuggling beside me while I write my blog, articles or attempt to finish my book. But mixing it up is important.
Dogs can get into a rut very quickly, which can by fine or can become a problem If dogs are not accustom to change they can have a difficult time of it. So for this reason alone it is important to switch up everything now and then. Things like feeding areas, waling routine, sleeping arrangements and daily routine. Routine is good but you want to make sure that your dog can handle change. By mixing it up you can help your dog deal with change.
You don't want your dog to be thinking ahead of you.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
conventinal vs positive
I'm am growing weiry of defending my training techniques in the quickly dwindling conventional training world. This is a "hot topic" and very controversial, I know! It actually amazes me that there are still conventional trainers out there but I guess not everyone is into learning new and improved ways. I talk to alot of people and when I meet other trainers that are very conventional in their methods of training we don't quite see eye to eye. Often when we start to discuss training the conversation gets heated almost immediately.
I don't feel any anger towards the conventional trainer but they certainly feel like they have been backed up against a wall for some reason. Where does this anger come from, is it guilt? I study canine behavior and a fall out result of this is studying human behavior and I just can't figure this one out. I would ike to be able to discuss conventional and positive training but it just cannot happen without leading to a fight.
Many conventional trainers look at positive trainers as "cookie trainer,." or small dog trainers, I don't quite understand this either. When I was volunteering at an animal shelter I quickly became the cookie trainer. Their resident trainer was one of the really rough conventional trainers so was I just an extreme to them? Was this because they had dealt with so much military type training that I seem to them like a mushy trainer?
Just because I don't use harsh physical methods does not make me a push over, actually far from it. I am a very strict trainer but I do not rely on physical force to enforce my commands. Yes there are trainers who rely on methods that are probably a little mushy but that is what they feel should be done. I like to educate people, I will never talk down about a certain trainer but I will definitely say why conventional trianing is not great. Each and everyday I research different issues having to do with dogs, I read it all. I have a very open mind and I will take out of what I read.
I started training with conventional methods way back when I was only 13 and luckily I met someone who told me about positive training which I then started to research. So I know all about conventional training and I know why I don't use it. Something to think about, that's all I'm saying.
I don't feel any anger towards the conventional trainer but they certainly feel like they have been backed up against a wall for some reason. Where does this anger come from, is it guilt? I study canine behavior and a fall out result of this is studying human behavior and I just can't figure this one out. I would ike to be able to discuss conventional and positive training but it just cannot happen without leading to a fight.
Many conventional trainers look at positive trainers as "cookie trainer,." or small dog trainers, I don't quite understand this either. When I was volunteering at an animal shelter I quickly became the cookie trainer. Their resident trainer was one of the really rough conventional trainers so was I just an extreme to them? Was this because they had dealt with so much military type training that I seem to them like a mushy trainer?
Just because I don't use harsh physical methods does not make me a push over, actually far from it. I am a very strict trainer but I do not rely on physical force to enforce my commands. Yes there are trainers who rely on methods that are probably a little mushy but that is what they feel should be done. I like to educate people, I will never talk down about a certain trainer but I will definitely say why conventional trianing is not great. Each and everyday I research different issues having to do with dogs, I read it all. I have a very open mind and I will take out of what I read.
I started training with conventional methods way back when I was only 13 and luckily I met someone who told me about positive training which I then started to research. So I know all about conventional training and I know why I don't use it. Something to think about, that's all I'm saying.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
stretch that arm
Monday I took my poodles down to Dana Point Harbor for a walk, the weather was heating up again so I thought a nice cool ocean breeze would be nice. The closer we got to the water the louder Luke got. He loves anything to do with water so he was pretty excited. Its been quite a while since we'd been to this particular spot so I'm sure he had forgotten about the squirrels. These are not your ordinary squirrels, these are whopper squirrels that sit boldly out on their rock and scream at the dogs.
Being that this area is an "on leash" park the squirrels don't worry a whole lot. They probably give my guys one look and think "ah poodles," but they have never met my poodles. Poodles are the originial water retriever, yes folks even before the good old lab there was poodles diving through the waters retrieving ducks for the master. Most poodles have drive, not all of course; I'm sure that there are poodles that just sit there as a tennis ball rolls by or watch calmly while sipping tea as the squirrels play in the yard, but that the picture of my poodles.
No, my poodles are hunters. They are not big killers, that's Jessie's job but they are definitely hunters. Once we got to the park and out of the "xterra, ya baby," the first shreak was heard and they were on their toes. Luke wears an easy walk harness which I'm sure helps but when he is in high chase mode, not alot. One of my arms is longer than the other today I'm sure. Luke's approach is simply to charge, no sneaking he goes on gut reaction alone.
Tilley on the other hand is stealth in her approach, her body lowered almost to the ground with her eyes darting back and forth. She knows she's not allowed to just charge after these guys but cannot control what her body tells her to do. Tilley often slips into the zone and doesn't respond to my voice but only momentarily and when her mind comes back to me she acts apologetic; as if she has completely forgotten herself.
The dogs love these walks and a walk of 20-30 min. get knock them out for the day. These walks are more based on the whole "mental" stimulation although their bodies react and are in a constant state of readiness. They don't even notice other dogs while they are at this park and we don't get alot of mileage in. We spend most of the time by the rocks watching. Even though they are on high alert they will if asked just sit and watch for alongtime. It is so cute watching them watch the squirrels. They look very much like spectators at a tennis match with their heads turning in unison. I enjoy watching them just as much as they enjoy the squirrel walk.
Being that this area is an "on leash" park the squirrels don't worry a whole lot. They probably give my guys one look and think "ah poodles," but they have never met my poodles. Poodles are the originial water retriever, yes folks even before the good old lab there was poodles diving through the waters retrieving ducks for the master. Most poodles have drive, not all of course; I'm sure that there are poodles that just sit there as a tennis ball rolls by or watch calmly while sipping tea as the squirrels play in the yard, but that the picture of my poodles.
No, my poodles are hunters. They are not big killers, that's Jessie's job but they are definitely hunters. Once we got to the park and out of the "xterra, ya baby," the first shreak was heard and they were on their toes. Luke wears an easy walk harness which I'm sure helps but when he is in high chase mode, not alot. One of my arms is longer than the other today I'm sure. Luke's approach is simply to charge, no sneaking he goes on gut reaction alone.
Tilley on the other hand is stealth in her approach, her body lowered almost to the ground with her eyes darting back and forth. She knows she's not allowed to just charge after these guys but cannot control what her body tells her to do. Tilley often slips into the zone and doesn't respond to my voice but only momentarily and when her mind comes back to me she acts apologetic; as if she has completely forgotten herself.
The dogs love these walks and a walk of 20-30 min. get knock them out for the day. These walks are more based on the whole "mental" stimulation although their bodies react and are in a constant state of readiness. They don't even notice other dogs while they are at this park and we don't get alot of mileage in. We spend most of the time by the rocks watching. Even though they are on high alert they will if asked just sit and watch for alongtime. It is so cute watching them watch the squirrels. They look very much like spectators at a tennis match with their heads turning in unison. I enjoy watching them just as much as they enjoy the squirrel walk.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Clyde-another great dog story
Clyde was one of my heart dogs. If you are lucky you will have at least one heart dog in your lifetime, I've already had several. Sadly I think many people have had or have a heart dog but they just don't know it. It takes time to know your dog and time to build a relationship. I spend hours upon hours with my dogs, watching, listening, playing, learning and just plain chill'n with them.
I remember the day like it was yesterday. I drove off to North Gower, Ontario, Canada to choose my new brown boy. At first glimpse there was a sea of brown curly puppies before me, heaven if you ask me. And these were still the days where you picked your own puppy out of a litter so I had a huge task before me.
The task was made easier immediately by the fact that I wanted a boy. I have to admit I have a soft spot for the boys and anyone who has never had a male should do so. I'm not really sure at this point why I chose Clyde, he was adorable and brown just like his brothers but for some reason I thought this little brown boy should be mine.
Once home it took no time for us to bond. I remember one day running down to the basement; on my return I looked up the long flight of stairs to see standing quite proudly at the top, Clyde. He was too small still to make the death defying traverse down the stairs and could not wait for me to get to the top. He stood with his whole body quivering and as I rose up over him I could see his tail was vibrating "different tail I thought to myself."
Clyde had an amazing personality, happy, devoted, loyal and friendly to everyone. That is unless he felt the need to protect his family, not too many people know what amazing guard dogs standard poodles are. Clyde loved nothing more than spending the days by my side no matter what I was doing. Cross country skiing? He'd get harnessed and take me for a ride. Skating? He'd run along the snow banks out back on the pond to stay with me. Doing errands? Clyde loved to ride in the car. Even if I was washing the car Clyde would sit for the entire time it took to wash the carI in the drivers seat and wait patiently.
Clyde was amazing, honestly he was not a big thinker; he was more a doer. He loved to wrestle with my husband and it got rough but never crossed the line. He loved to hike and loved to go on our daily adventures through the back forty. I will never forget him and often mistakenly call out to him in error. It is a slip of the tongue but one that makes me smile. To the end he had a vibrating tail, it never wagged by vibrated. Clyde is still in my heart and always on my mind.
I remember the day like it was yesterday. I drove off to North Gower, Ontario, Canada to choose my new brown boy. At first glimpse there was a sea of brown curly puppies before me, heaven if you ask me. And these were still the days where you picked your own puppy out of a litter so I had a huge task before me.
The task was made easier immediately by the fact that I wanted a boy. I have to admit I have a soft spot for the boys and anyone who has never had a male should do so. I'm not really sure at this point why I chose Clyde, he was adorable and brown just like his brothers but for some reason I thought this little brown boy should be mine.
Once home it took no time for us to bond. I remember one day running down to the basement; on my return I looked up the long flight of stairs to see standing quite proudly at the top, Clyde. He was too small still to make the death defying traverse down the stairs and could not wait for me to get to the top. He stood with his whole body quivering and as I rose up over him I could see his tail was vibrating "different tail I thought to myself."
Clyde had an amazing personality, happy, devoted, loyal and friendly to everyone. That is unless he felt the need to protect his family, not too many people know what amazing guard dogs standard poodles are. Clyde loved nothing more than spending the days by my side no matter what I was doing. Cross country skiing? He'd get harnessed and take me for a ride. Skating? He'd run along the snow banks out back on the pond to stay with me. Doing errands? Clyde loved to ride in the car. Even if I was washing the car Clyde would sit for the entire time it took to wash the carI in the drivers seat and wait patiently.
Clyde was amazing, honestly he was not a big thinker; he was more a doer. He loved to wrestle with my husband and it got rough but never crossed the line. He loved to hike and loved to go on our daily adventures through the back forty. I will never forget him and often mistakenly call out to him in error. It is a slip of the tongue but one that makes me smile. To the end he had a vibrating tail, it never wagged by vibrated. Clyde is still in my heart and always on my mind.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Give your dog a bone
Yesterday was bone day at our house, the day I give each of my dogs a big yummy raw bone. Each month or so I set aside a day when I can spend a couple of hours just chill'n in the backyard or kitchen. Bone day is a very controlled and supervised event in our home because of the value put on raw bones. My poodles are fine but Jessie being the alpha bitch and a very dominant little Jack Russell it is important that everyone have a place and every bone be in that place, no swapping is permitted.
I pre-plan these bone days making a stop at the local grocery store to pick up the bones. At the meat counter I ask for the a big leg bone to be cut into three, please. Yesterday the lady asked "you want all three pieces" with a look on her face. "Yes please" I exclaim. Thanking her for cutting my bones I'm off to the cash feeling very much like Wilma Flinstone. I am accustom to getting the looks as I go through the line both from the cashier and the people waiting in line behind me. Sometimes I'll say something to the effect that my dogs are going to be happy today but more often I let their minds wander.
Once home it takes a split second for my guys to know what is in the house. Usually the bones are frozen so they must sit on the counter for a while or in the fridge overnight. When they are thawed and my couple of hours set aside I bring out the knife and sharpen it. The dogs are by my side in an instant as I puncture the wrap and start to clean up the bones. They typically come with alot of sinew, meat and fat on them so the fat is all cleaned off and some of the meat saved for later(important). I take a good amount of marrow out from the end of each bone as it is very rich and can upset the toughest of stomachs.
Now all on a platter as I head to the door, all the dogs are jumping but no jumping on me. Jumping on the "top dog" is not allowed; and if someone jumps on me it will immediately stop my forward motion so everyone jumps away from me, smart bunch. The bones are rationed out exactly like mealtime, Jessie, Tilley and then last but not least Luke. This way there is no confusion and that's the way it works best with dogs; black and white.
Each dog is designated an area with their bone, and yesterday it was important to choose a shady spot. So everyone had their spot and everyone had their bone, this is my chill'n time. Bone day is all about the dogs, it is about them doing a very doggy behavior and cleaning their teeth. You would be amazed what their teeth look like after a bone session. So I wander the yard, plant some new flowers and move some of my flowers around to new spots. I clean up the kitch, do some cooking and baking and generally be around. I am lucky because my kitchen is a complete wall of windows to the yard so I can be in my kitchen and supervise at the same time. I keep the door open and all windows open so that I would hear the first growl and be out before anything started.
During this bone time, I will bring out pieces of raw meat that I had previously taken off of the bones and deliver it to the dogs. I demand attention off of the bone and on me before they get the meat. The poodles are fine but Jessie is not so fine, she gets a face on as she prepares to protect her possession. This is all about being smarter than her, I don't want to get physical with her because once you go to that place it is hard to go back. So I outsmart her, I lower her guarding instinct by approaching and giving yummies so that when the time does come for me to take the bone she is not guarding.
After 1 1/2 hours my son arrived home and needed my attention which means my attention will not be on the dogs. That signals time to collect the bones and throw them away. I don't keep raw bones, too many ants, too many flies and too much chance of a fight in my yard. So just as they were delivered they are picked up in the same order. I don't want any of the poodles wandering over to Jessie's bone so she looses hers first. Each dog is a asked to sit, they get a piece of meat and I remove the bone. Once they are all picked up there is general wandering and investigating and with the bones gone everyones guarding instincts are lowered and I can attend to my son.
Another great bone day, teeth are clean, dogs are happy and now I need to clean the yard.
Tips
- bones must be raw
- clean fat off of the bones
- scoop out a good percentage of the marrow
- some dogs have a loose stool a day after bone day
- usually the first poop after bone day is like a concrete poop, because it is filled with bone meal
- a very healthy thing for dogs to do
- don't give these bones inside your home (yuck)
- make sure to always use new bones
- I always do bone day when I will be home for most of the following day. Sometimes Tilley gets a little upset stomach but not always and the other two are always fine.
So, give your dog a bone.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Are we over vaccinating our dogs?
Are we over vaccinating our pets? As far as our dogs are concerned; I believe so. There is a huge movement growing about the damaging health implications of over vaccinating. I have done a large amount of research on the subject as I am very interested in any new and improved protocols regarding our canines. I am not a vet but would like to pass on this information for anyone who is interested in reading it.
My little girl Jessie has an auto-immune disorder. Was this immune disorder her tiny body's reaction to not being able to tolerate the yearly vaccinations? All I know is that she seemed to be healthy one day and the next failed quickly to near death within a week. And the fact that the "non puppy mill" version of the Jack Russell is one of the healthiest of breeds leaves one wondering as to what exactly was the cause of this auto immune disorder. Below is a link to Jessie's story, you'll need a tissue.
http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss13p16.shtml
When I hear people claiming "she's due for her yearly shots," I wish I could educate everyone. We have been lead to believe that our dogs need yearly shots or else. As the date nears and passes we are sent into needless worry that our furry companion may contact a deadly disease without their annual shot.
So how do we educate the masses, there are so many people to tell that it is a long and tedious word of mouth. I wish everyone had at least heard about over vaccinating dogs so that they would be more aware of situation and look into it for themselves. I am in no way telling anyone not to vaccinate their dog, I just want you to read up on the facts and decide for yourself.
A great informational link on the subject
http://www.doglogic.com/vaccineinfo.htm
There is alot of information out there so there is no reason not to know. For your dogs health please read.
Friday, September 7, 2007
No more backyard dogs, spread the word
Its Friday morning and I'm going to get serious, I have always been and will always be completely against keeping a dog outdoors. Outdoors meaning that a dog lives outside of the home, not inside with the rest of the family. Wow it even has more impact to me when put like that "outside of your home." I don't mean dogs that are outside for the afternoon or the ones who are put outside while you are off doing your running around for a couple of hours. I'm talking about the dogs that live in a backyard, never coming in, never joining the pack and living a very sad and lonely life.
Some backyard dogs are dealt a double blow by being a tied dog as well. These dogs are left sitting alone, tied to some inanimate object so that they cannot wander off in search of a better life. There are also fenced dogs, those who are fenced into a backyard and those that live in a tiny "dog run." The term "dog run" is such a hugely incorrect use of the word. A dog that lives in a dog run will not be doing much running at all and if they are running it would be correctly labelled as behavior pacing. Most are about 4x6, some of the luckier dogs live in an expansive 4x8 or even 4x10 woohoo. So it is about these tied or fenced dogs that I am talking about.
In all of my years of training I have only been asked to work with about a dozen or so outdoor dogs and out of these I only agreed to work with a few. One was a rescue which should not have been placed with this family as they had no intention of living with the dog as a family member. I only agreed to work with these people because they were utterly clueless, they had never had a dog before and didn't know the first thing to do with this newly acquired item. So when I could I did my best selling act for this dog, I tried my hardest to work him into the home and family that he deserved and where he belonged.
The others were people who seemed to have a softspot that I could work on, there was something in our discussion that told me I could work this dog into the house. And out of the the few outside dogs that I did work with; they all became indoor/outdoor dogs which I call a success.
The way people think about dogs that have an outdoor dog is completely foreign and different from those of us who consider our dogs as family members. For most people who have an outside dog; a dog is a dog and dogs belong outdoors. Believe me, I've talked to alot of people who have outside dogs and they are just different. Some tell me "she loves being out there, she never wants to come in." Other have said "I can't imagine her inside, all the hair and my poor house." And I'm not shy about telling people that I do not believe in having dogs live outside which obviously puts a stick into our conversation. But I've planted a seed that will hopefully grow with time. Just perhaps that one tiny seed will persuade the "owner" to look at their dog differently.
I mean honestly, what is the point of getting a dog if you plan on throwing it into the backyard? I just don't get it? What is the satisfaction in that? Is it the pressure from society thinking that everyone should have a dog? If that is the case then shame on those people who give into pressure and do not hold up their end of the bargain. The backyard is no place for a dog to live out their life and I don't care what breed they are. So many breeders or breed fanciers will say "this is not a breed you can just put in the backyard." There is NO BREED OR MIX; regardless of size, coat or structure that should be sentenced to a backyard life.
I want all of you dog lovers to spread the word, do what you can for those who are less fortunate than your dogs. If you know of someone who wants a dog and is planning on having them live outside, speak up. I have told many people to spend the money that they have put aside for a dog on a beautiful new patio set instead. It takes self control, tact and alot of calm explaining to try to enlighten the people on adding a dog to the family correctly. And I always tell people that if they don't want the hair, don't want the chewing, peeing and pooping then don't get a dog. And the most important thing I can tell someone who feels this way? Is that it's okay to feel this way, it is a good thing to know that you don't want a dog. Just don't feel this way and then go ahead and get the dog that you really don't want.
One of the greatest moments in a puppy's life can be when they join their new family and start life as a member of the family. Yet one of the saddest moments in a puppy's life can be when they leave the caring and loving environment with their Mother and siblings to be placed in a yard to live out their life alone, all alone. Let's all do what we can do to make sure that doesn't happen quite so often.
Some backyard dogs are dealt a double blow by being a tied dog as well. These dogs are left sitting alone, tied to some inanimate object so that they cannot wander off in search of a better life. There are also fenced dogs, those who are fenced into a backyard and those that live in a tiny "dog run." The term "dog run" is such a hugely incorrect use of the word. A dog that lives in a dog run will not be doing much running at all and if they are running it would be correctly labelled as behavior pacing. Most are about 4x6, some of the luckier dogs live in an expansive 4x8 or even 4x10 woohoo. So it is about these tied or fenced dogs that I am talking about.
In all of my years of training I have only been asked to work with about a dozen or so outdoor dogs and out of these I only agreed to work with a few. One was a rescue which should not have been placed with this family as they had no intention of living with the dog as a family member. I only agreed to work with these people because they were utterly clueless, they had never had a dog before and didn't know the first thing to do with this newly acquired item. So when I could I did my best selling act for this dog, I tried my hardest to work him into the home and family that he deserved and where he belonged.
The others were people who seemed to have a softspot that I could work on, there was something in our discussion that told me I could work this dog into the house. And out of the the few outside dogs that I did work with; they all became indoor/outdoor dogs which I call a success.
The way people think about dogs that have an outdoor dog is completely foreign and different from those of us who consider our dogs as family members. For most people who have an outside dog; a dog is a dog and dogs belong outdoors. Believe me, I've talked to alot of people who have outside dogs and they are just different. Some tell me "she loves being out there, she never wants to come in." Other have said "I can't imagine her inside, all the hair and my poor house." And I'm not shy about telling people that I do not believe in having dogs live outside which obviously puts a stick into our conversation. But I've planted a seed that will hopefully grow with time. Just perhaps that one tiny seed will persuade the "owner" to look at their dog differently.
I mean honestly, what is the point of getting a dog if you plan on throwing it into the backyard? I just don't get it? What is the satisfaction in that? Is it the pressure from society thinking that everyone should have a dog? If that is the case then shame on those people who give into pressure and do not hold up their end of the bargain. The backyard is no place for a dog to live out their life and I don't care what breed they are. So many breeders or breed fanciers will say "this is not a breed you can just put in the backyard." There is NO BREED OR MIX; regardless of size, coat or structure that should be sentenced to a backyard life.
I want all of you dog lovers to spread the word, do what you can for those who are less fortunate than your dogs. If you know of someone who wants a dog and is planning on having them live outside, speak up. I have told many people to spend the money that they have put aside for a dog on a beautiful new patio set instead. It takes self control, tact and alot of calm explaining to try to enlighten the people on adding a dog to the family correctly. And I always tell people that if they don't want the hair, don't want the chewing, peeing and pooping then don't get a dog. And the most important thing I can tell someone who feels this way? Is that it's okay to feel this way, it is a good thing to know that you don't want a dog. Just don't feel this way and then go ahead and get the dog that you really don't want.
One of the greatest moments in a puppy's life can be when they join their new family and start life as a member of the family. Yet one of the saddest moments in a puppy's life can be when they leave the caring and loving environment with their Mother and siblings to be placed in a yard to live out their life alone, all alone. Let's all do what we can do to make sure that doesn't happen quite so often.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Counter Surfing
Have you got a counter surfer? Counter surfing is definitely up there in my most annoying behaviors. I don't know how many times I've met a new client and as we sit discussing some of the most bothersome issues that their dog may or may not have; out of the corner of my eye I see a dog head peaking over the countertop in the kitchen.
Out of habit; my head spins around to take in the full view of the behavior going on. Yep, Fido is up there surfing the counter. Hmmmm, what looks good this morning? Any leftovers from breakfast? I'm sure the guardian can see the reaction in my face as I attempt to ask calmly "is this okay with you?" because they are quickly out of their seat and telling their dog to get down which their dog usually does until they walk away.
Counter surfing is a behavior that quickly becomes habit forming and again is one of the unwanted behaviors that is easily eliminated. Honestly, I don't care how adorable your dog is, they should not be eating off of the counter. Whether you have a clever, masterminded pocket pooch that has figured out how to manipulate themselves to the top of the counter or if you live with a lumbering Irish wolfhound who simply lowers his head to the counter top to eat; it should NEVER, EVER happen.
Of course it is going to be easier if you have a small dog, simple physics comes into play here because getting to the top of the counter for a tiny dog is more difficult and they must be creative in their thinking. But believe me some of the worst criminals in counter surfing are the tiny ones. If you have a dog that is going to be average in size, the size that can either stand on their hind legs and help themselves or just reach their head up and graze off of the counter then you need to start right away.
You must set boundaries and no dog should cross the line you draw.
- There should be no sniffing of the counter, this act itself leads to getting to the source of the smell. First comes the distant sniff, then the counter sniff, next the head turned sniff which is the pre-counter surfing sniff.
- No feeding from the counter, dogs are smart; they know where that food came from.
- You need to claim the counter as "human territory."
If you stop the sniffing advances you make it quite understandable that the counter is off limits. Once you make that perfectly clear then the feedback you give to your line crosser will have alot more impact. Just about all dogs will try it, although if you are really good with your training some never do, like my Tilley (brag, brag). But, you know it; Luke has tried, but only once. He was the recipient of some very memorable feedback so that was the end of that.
When you are in the throws of teaching your dog that there will be no counter surfing you must supervise. Each and every time your dog crosses the line and hits the jackpot your training will suffer. When your dog rewards themselves for counter surfing by eating some great food they found while surfing, they will continue this behavior. What they may learn is to wait until you are out of site, but they will continue.
Secret offenders need sneaky training tactics. To drive the message home you must give feedback, otherwise your dog never truly understands that counter surfing is not allowed. To stop the action even when you are not around you must give feedback when your dog thinks you are not around. By placing a yummy item of food on the counter and leaving the room you set the stage. From around the corner and out of site you wait patiently for one foot up. That is your cue to come booming from what seems like out of thin air and startle the pants off of your dog.
You must give instant feedback, it must have impact. Dogs do not like to be startled and will seriously consider stepping foot up on the counter again if you have delivered your feedback properly. Even if you have a casual surfer that doesn't mind that you are in the room the feedback should still have impact. You must clap your hands, say "OFF" or whatever comes out of your mouth in a loud but not yelling voice. Move towards your dog with purpose, afterall this is your counter and you should at least appear to the offender than you intend to enforce it.
Out of habit; my head spins around to take in the full view of the behavior going on. Yep, Fido is up there surfing the counter. Hmmmm, what looks good this morning? Any leftovers from breakfast? I'm sure the guardian can see the reaction in my face as I attempt to ask calmly "is this okay with you?" because they are quickly out of their seat and telling their dog to get down which their dog usually does until they walk away.
Counter surfing is a behavior that quickly becomes habit forming and again is one of the unwanted behaviors that is easily eliminated. Honestly, I don't care how adorable your dog is, they should not be eating off of the counter. Whether you have a clever, masterminded pocket pooch that has figured out how to manipulate themselves to the top of the counter or if you live with a lumbering Irish wolfhound who simply lowers his head to the counter top to eat; it should NEVER, EVER happen.
Of course it is going to be easier if you have a small dog, simple physics comes into play here because getting to the top of the counter for a tiny dog is more difficult and they must be creative in their thinking. But believe me some of the worst criminals in counter surfing are the tiny ones. If you have a dog that is going to be average in size, the size that can either stand on their hind legs and help themselves or just reach their head up and graze off of the counter then you need to start right away.
You must set boundaries and no dog should cross the line you draw.
- There should be no sniffing of the counter, this act itself leads to getting to the source of the smell. First comes the distant sniff, then the counter sniff, next the head turned sniff which is the pre-counter surfing sniff.
- No feeding from the counter, dogs are smart; they know where that food came from.
- You need to claim the counter as "human territory."
If you stop the sniffing advances you make it quite understandable that the counter is off limits. Once you make that perfectly clear then the feedback you give to your line crosser will have alot more impact. Just about all dogs will try it, although if you are really good with your training some never do, like my Tilley (brag, brag). But, you know it; Luke has tried, but only once. He was the recipient of some very memorable feedback so that was the end of that.
When you are in the throws of teaching your dog that there will be no counter surfing you must supervise. Each and every time your dog crosses the line and hits the jackpot your training will suffer. When your dog rewards themselves for counter surfing by eating some great food they found while surfing, they will continue this behavior. What they may learn is to wait until you are out of site, but they will continue.
Secret offenders need sneaky training tactics. To drive the message home you must give feedback, otherwise your dog never truly understands that counter surfing is not allowed. To stop the action even when you are not around you must give feedback when your dog thinks you are not around. By placing a yummy item of food on the counter and leaving the room you set the stage. From around the corner and out of site you wait patiently for one foot up. That is your cue to come booming from what seems like out of thin air and startle the pants off of your dog.
You must give instant feedback, it must have impact. Dogs do not like to be startled and will seriously consider stepping foot up on the counter again if you have delivered your feedback properly. Even if you have a casual surfer that doesn't mind that you are in the room the feedback should still have impact. You must clap your hands, say "OFF" or whatever comes out of your mouth in a loud but not yelling voice. Move towards your dog with purpose, afterall this is your counter and you should at least appear to the offender than you intend to enforce it.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Let sleeping dogs lie
Good morning and I mean that, the heat has broken and it is a beautiful cool morning. As I sit at my patio door with the breeze coming in I am once again surrounded by sleeping dogs. My two poodles are in their typical book end position and my little Jessie is below me on one of the many dog beds that are scattered around my bedroom. She is laying beside the treat container anxiously awaiting her morning treat. Tilley is snoring and Luke will be dreaming any moment, he is a big dreamer and is always after something in his dreams.
It amazes me how dogs can be sound asleep and the next moment up and ready to go, they don't seem to need the wake up time that we need to start their day. Luke is our biggest sleepy head, it is quite normal to see him stretch down the stairs and into the kitchen hours after the girls have been up and started their day. He loves his sleep in the morning, all snuggled up on our bed unwilling to start his day until he is good and ready. But should there be mention of something good going on, he is up in a flash and ready instantly.
Waking up your canine should always be done verbally, never physically. When dogs are sleeping there is no telling what is going on in that brain of theirs. Our dogs often look like they are not asleep even when they are. They have a third eyelid which we do not have, it slides over the eye but under the normal eyelid when they are sleeping. The third eyelid can usually only be seen as a dog starts to drift off to neverland; even before they close their eyes. It is important to know when your dog or any dog are sleeping; that they are not safe to approach. I often tell clients with children that approaching a sleeping dog is a no no.
Your dog can be the best, safest, friendliest dog in the world but if you interupt an action filled dream it may be a whole different story. You may be reaching down to pet your dog just as they are opening wide to grab a squirrel in their dream and chomp. Chances are if this happened you'd be stunned by your dogs sudden change of behavior when in actuality they are still the same great dog they always were. It is extremely important to always give your dog a heads up, especially where children are concerned. A quick "hey Fido, you up? to give them a chance to put on their brakes, stop chasing the monster cat that they are in full pursuit of and come back into our world.
I have been called out on several occasions when a dog has bitten either a child or adult guardian to fix the aggression problem. Once I am filled in on all the details it is quite clear that the problem lies fully on the guardian who reached down to pet their dog while their dog was in full dream mode. It happens, and it means nothing except that you need to wake your dog before touching them. I know that I risk an impact if I shake my son awake instead of calling to him first, it takes him several minutes to become awake and coherent after he has been sleeping.
So the saying "let sleeping dogs lie" is a good one.
It amazes me how dogs can be sound asleep and the next moment up and ready to go, they don't seem to need the wake up time that we need to start their day. Luke is our biggest sleepy head, it is quite normal to see him stretch down the stairs and into the kitchen hours after the girls have been up and started their day. He loves his sleep in the morning, all snuggled up on our bed unwilling to start his day until he is good and ready. But should there be mention of something good going on, he is up in a flash and ready instantly.
Waking up your canine should always be done verbally, never physically. When dogs are sleeping there is no telling what is going on in that brain of theirs. Our dogs often look like they are not asleep even when they are. They have a third eyelid which we do not have, it slides over the eye but under the normal eyelid when they are sleeping. The third eyelid can usually only be seen as a dog starts to drift off to neverland; even before they close their eyes. It is important to know when your dog or any dog are sleeping; that they are not safe to approach. I often tell clients with children that approaching a sleeping dog is a no no.
Your dog can be the best, safest, friendliest dog in the world but if you interupt an action filled dream it may be a whole different story. You may be reaching down to pet your dog just as they are opening wide to grab a squirrel in their dream and chomp. Chances are if this happened you'd be stunned by your dogs sudden change of behavior when in actuality they are still the same great dog they always were. It is extremely important to always give your dog a heads up, especially where children are concerned. A quick "hey Fido, you up? to give them a chance to put on their brakes, stop chasing the monster cat that they are in full pursuit of and come back into our world.
I have been called out on several occasions when a dog has bitten either a child or adult guardian to fix the aggression problem. Once I am filled in on all the details it is quite clear that the problem lies fully on the guardian who reached down to pet their dog while their dog was in full dream mode. It happens, and it means nothing except that you need to wake your dog before touching them. I know that I risk an impact if I shake my son awake instead of calling to him first, it takes him several minutes to become awake and coherent after he has been sleeping.
So the saying "let sleeping dogs lie" is a good one.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Off road dogs
Yesterday; with the searing heat meant that there was not much one could do outdoors after the early hour of around 9am so we went off-roading in my Xterra. The idea of enjoying the outdoors in the comfort of an air-conditioned car sounded great and it was. We decided that we were really going to go for it so our long legged poodles had to stay home. Both Tilley and Luke are really good on their feet but this would be more than they could handle. But Jessie with her stocky body and shorter legs was more than able to take the bumps. So, she was geared up in her harness and ready to go.
Jessie loves to go for a ride in the car, she doesn't particularly care where we are going, she just loves to ride. She's always loved riding and it is in fact a trait of the Jack Russell to love a ride on anything, horse, boat, trailer or car. When Jessie is riding in the car she gets her "travelling" face on. She gets a blank stare when she is in the car, I'm not quite sure where it comes from but it's on as soon as she gets in the car.
Jessie is a risk taker, no sitting in the back seat for this girl. She has always enjoyed standing on the middle console with her toes over the edge just barely hanging on. But seeing that this spot is not the safest one for her to be in she is almost always belted in. Yesterday we took extra percautions to ensure her safety while shaking, heaving and rocking back and forth. She was held tight by the backseat riders at all times. Even with her sturdy build and well muscled legs she would have flown around the car like a water bottle typically does on these rides.
The ride was long and hard but so much fun. Once at the end of our road we got out to let Jessie have some fun rooting around in the bush. Having been in the cool environment of the car, the heat hit us the second the door was open and our outdoor fun was short lived. In this heat you really need to be careful where you step watching that there are no Rattlers around. Like the typical ratters that Jack Russells are, Jessie was on the hunt immediately and long before she was ready to end we were back in the car to the AC.
The trip back down the road was just as much fun, this time my son took the drivers seat while I held my camera in the ready. We made several stops for me to capture some great scenery images and of course Jessie enjoying the outdoors. But that too was a real challenge, my eye piece was fogging up from the heat as I tried to capture Jessie in her element. With some excellent images and Jessie's tongue hanging out the side of her mouth we were back in the car and the AC again.
What a great day, I'm so glad I bought my xterra!!!!!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Greetings
Greetings from our dogs, we just love them don't we. One of the biggest issues I see when training is over exhuberant greetings which then spill over to very unwanted jumping, barking and even nipping. We give our dogs the okay or not okay to get out of control when we arrive home. When I walk through the door and my dogs are wagging, jumping, barking, spinning and nipping. But more often than not I will walk through the whirling dogs to my destination without so much as a glance.
Our dogs take the cue from us when we arrive home. If they become accustom to a huge celebration greeting filled with a four on the floor guardian who is acting more k9 like than the canines themselves then that's what you will receive as well. The more excited you get the more excited they get until your dogs will start to exhibit some unwanted behaviors. All are different, no two dogs will greet you in the same manner so that means we all need to refine our greeting accordingly.
My three are all very different in their greeting. Jessie typically grabs a bone, ball or whatever is around and happily runs around, very acceptable. Tilley is very happy, she just wags and generally displays very happy body language, but it wasn't always like this. Tilley use to be an arm grabber which is a very common happy greeting, but very unwanted by people who do not want their arm in a dogs mouth, so this behavior was put to rest. And then there is Luke, and I'm sure if you have kept up with this blog that you would guess that he has a crazy greeting.
Luke has an odd behavior of having an open mouth when he is happy. Even when he is not overly excited and just simply having a conversation with someone he loves he will often pop open that very long mouth of his. But if you pay close attention to his mouth you will see that he pulls his lips over his teeth. This behavior is not a great one because when he has his mouth open and is over excited it can be a bad combination. As he whirls around huffing and puffing, mouth hanging open he has often connected with something he shouldn't . He use to add jumping into the pot as well which has scared more than a few people in the past. Picture a 26" whirling poodle with his mouth wide open, launching himself at you.
So Luke has had to learn to control himself and as a reactive dog it is near impossible. But he is learning and he is trying. He is definitely better with the family members unless of course we have been away on a trip and then all the rules go out the window. I am well prepared before I open the door to protect myself, as I know his behavior will have regressed severely. I walk through without acknowledging but usually I have a difficult time even walking as he wraps himself around me leaping in complete and pure joy.
He seeks me out, Luke loves the whole family by the relationship we have is something very special. He will tail me for a good 20-30 min. and then he is calm enough to greet the rest of the family. The greetings our dogs give us are very good for us and good for them but they definitely need to have boundaries and rules. Again, no two are going to be alike so your behavior will be different to coincide with theirs. If you have a calm greeter, lucky you. If you have a launching maniac that quickly becomes out of control then you need to learn to ignore them until they calm down. Simply by associating your entrance into the home with a very "whatever" attitude will help.
If your dog expects a big greeting on your arrival, they will be ready to pounce. If they know you will walk in the house and right past them, they will act accordingly. So as much as we love that our dogs love us, it really doesn't help them to give them "4th of July" greetings after we return home. Keep it cool.
Our dogs take the cue from us when we arrive home. If they become accustom to a huge celebration greeting filled with a four on the floor guardian who is acting more k9 like than the canines themselves then that's what you will receive as well. The more excited you get the more excited they get until your dogs will start to exhibit some unwanted behaviors. All are different, no two dogs will greet you in the same manner so that means we all need to refine our greeting accordingly.
My three are all very different in their greeting. Jessie typically grabs a bone, ball or whatever is around and happily runs around, very acceptable. Tilley is very happy, she just wags and generally displays very happy body language, but it wasn't always like this. Tilley use to be an arm grabber which is a very common happy greeting, but very unwanted by people who do not want their arm in a dogs mouth, so this behavior was put to rest. And then there is Luke, and I'm sure if you have kept up with this blog that you would guess that he has a crazy greeting.
Luke has an odd behavior of having an open mouth when he is happy. Even when he is not overly excited and just simply having a conversation with someone he loves he will often pop open that very long mouth of his. But if you pay close attention to his mouth you will see that he pulls his lips over his teeth. This behavior is not a great one because when he has his mouth open and is over excited it can be a bad combination. As he whirls around huffing and puffing, mouth hanging open he has often connected with something he shouldn't . He use to add jumping into the pot as well which has scared more than a few people in the past. Picture a 26" whirling poodle with his mouth wide open, launching himself at you.
So Luke has had to learn to control himself and as a reactive dog it is near impossible. But he is learning and he is trying. He is definitely better with the family members unless of course we have been away on a trip and then all the rules go out the window. I am well prepared before I open the door to protect myself, as I know his behavior will have regressed severely. I walk through without acknowledging but usually I have a difficult time even walking as he wraps himself around me leaping in complete and pure joy.
He seeks me out, Luke loves the whole family by the relationship we have is something very special. He will tail me for a good 20-30 min. and then he is calm enough to greet the rest of the family. The greetings our dogs give us are very good for us and good for them but they definitely need to have boundaries and rules. Again, no two are going to be alike so your behavior will be different to coincide with theirs. If you have a calm greeter, lucky you. If you have a launching maniac that quickly becomes out of control then you need to learn to ignore them until they calm down. Simply by associating your entrance into the home with a very "whatever" attitude will help.
If your dog expects a big greeting on your arrival, they will be ready to pounce. If they know you will walk in the house and right past them, they will act accordingly. So as much as we love that our dogs love us, it really doesn't help them to give them "4th of July" greetings after we return home. Keep it cool.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Between the sheets
I'm kinda tired this morning, my sleep was interupted by a constant and nagging sensation to free my legs. Feeling very much like I was stuck, I battled the elusive comfortable spot for what seemed to be hours. It was warm lastnight but cool enough to sleep so that was not the issue. My fleeting dreams between my half awake moments of distress were all leg related, running, tripping and stretching type dreams.
Now my back was starting to feel the pressure of having my legs wedged and unable to find the right spot. Each time I awoke I was in what I call the "coma zone.' Not asleep and not awake but somewhere in between, unable to make sense of anything or think straight I was growing frustrated as I would slip back into a shallow and uncomfortable sleep. At one point I was awakened by Tilley's snoring right beneath my head which I'm well used to now and slipped again into my restless sleep.
I don't know how much physical time passed before I awoke enough to emerge from the "coma zone" but it finally donned on my that I had a 55 lb poodle between my legs. I couldn't move because Luke had found the perfect sleeping spot on my side of the bed right between my legs. I don't know what time he joined me in bed but I do know that my sleep had been interupted for some time.
So being the fabulous Mom that I am I attempted to get comfortable around him. Both legs on the left, that lasted a short time before I was cramping up. Both legs on the right and literally falling off of the bed, no my back was starting to hurt again. Okay, one leg on each side like before I realized there was a 55 lb obstacle in my bed and stopping me from having a very good night sleep.
Enough was enough, I'm was not sleeping and Luke was twitching and dreaming happily. Time to move the dead weight at the end of the bed so I can sleep. Moving a dog that is accustom to sleeping in bed with you is no easy task. They definitely get use to dealing with constant movement and kicking, it is something they tolerate to sleep with the big boys. So it wasn't going to be a little leg pushing that would do the job.
I was starting to enter the "coma zone" so the word OFF was not coming out for some reason. All of my dogs know it and oblige very nicely but words weren't available for me in this state. I shoved both feet underneath Luke in an attempt to create a not so welcoming environment, but it was obvious that he could deal with my feet under him. Next tactic was to shift around endlessly until he could no longer handle the nonsense on the bed, which worked.
My legs felt the relief immediately as he stood, looked around and found a more peaceful spot right in the middle of the bed which was fine with me. Not too long ago we got a Kingsize bed just for these type of human/canine interactions.
Now my back was starting to feel the pressure of having my legs wedged and unable to find the right spot. Each time I awoke I was in what I call the "coma zone.' Not asleep and not awake but somewhere in between, unable to make sense of anything or think straight I was growing frustrated as I would slip back into a shallow and uncomfortable sleep. At one point I was awakened by Tilley's snoring right beneath my head which I'm well used to now and slipped again into my restless sleep.
I don't know how much physical time passed before I awoke enough to emerge from the "coma zone" but it finally donned on my that I had a 55 lb poodle between my legs. I couldn't move because Luke had found the perfect sleeping spot on my side of the bed right between my legs. I don't know what time he joined me in bed but I do know that my sleep had been interupted for some time.
So being the fabulous Mom that I am I attempted to get comfortable around him. Both legs on the left, that lasted a short time before I was cramping up. Both legs on the right and literally falling off of the bed, no my back was starting to hurt again. Okay, one leg on each side like before I realized there was a 55 lb obstacle in my bed and stopping me from having a very good night sleep.
Enough was enough, I'm was not sleeping and Luke was twitching and dreaming happily. Time to move the dead weight at the end of the bed so I can sleep. Moving a dog that is accustom to sleeping in bed with you is no easy task. They definitely get use to dealing with constant movement and kicking, it is something they tolerate to sleep with the big boys. So it wasn't going to be a little leg pushing that would do the job.
I was starting to enter the "coma zone" so the word OFF was not coming out for some reason. All of my dogs know it and oblige very nicely but words weren't available for me in this state. I shoved both feet underneath Luke in an attempt to create a not so welcoming environment, but it was obvious that he could deal with my feet under him. Next tactic was to shift around endlessly until he could no longer handle the nonsense on the bed, which worked.
My legs felt the relief immediately as he stood, looked around and found a more peaceful spot right in the middle of the bed which was fine with me. Not too long ago we got a Kingsize bed just for these type of human/canine interactions.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
A special moment, love what you do!
I love photography, I love being a professional photographer but even more than that I love when I capture a moment. It may seem relatively easy, but so far; through my career as a photographer I have caught maybe a couple of dozen amazing moments.
I have a whole book full of great "faces" that I love to capture in canines but there are some shots I've taken that take my breath away. These are what I call my works of art and its a lot of hardwork to get these. Although hard work has alot to do with it, experience and patience probably have the most impact.
Allowing it to happen is very important, you can't force a moment. I really believe you can see passion and if a photographer has a passion for what they are shooting it really comes through. I've seen alot of dog or pet photos that are just that, a photo with no emotional impact.
You know the kind I mean, sit your dog, make a funny noise and poof there is your shot. Bringing out the essence of a dog takes time and loads and loads of patience. Patience is something that I seem to have alot of for somethings and none of for other things. Take lines for instance, like a line for concert tickets or a line to get into a restaurant, no patience once so ever. Infact I take pride in not doing lines, I abhor them.
Now take a dog sitting quietly watching a bug wandering around their yard. With their head turned slightly in curiousity and their ears as high as they can possibly go. This could go on for an hour or so, would I have enough patience to sit and capture this non-monumental event, you bet I would.
Infact years ago I fostered several squirrel families from only a few weeks of age. One family had to be bottle fed every couple of hours, burped and had their faces washed. If this was not enough time to spend with these little guys already I could sit and watch them for hours, lots of patience there. I wish I had my fabulous camera back then, there would have been hundreds of great baby squirrel shots.
So no matter what it is you have a passion for, it comes through in your work. I have a very difficult time sitting through a football game in the bleachers, I fidget and cannot wait for it to end. But put me on the field along the sidelines and the game could double in time as far as I'm concerned. I get completely involved in capturing the action of each individual that I'm consumed by it.
Love what you do, life's too short to not.
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