Its raining this morning, woooo hooooo. The rain should clean up most of the ash from the fires and hopefully we won't need to deal with it being airborne again. Although now anyone living on a steep slope has to worry about mud slides, not good. My dogs will not want to go out in the rain this morning along with thousands of other Southern California dogs. They are pretty use to warm sunny weather and can be big babies about weather in general.
I have to tell you I was in Homegoods yesterday with my daughter when we came across some great dog toys. I always buy three new dog toys and three new Nylabones for my guys at Christmas. Here is the link to the Nylabones I have used for over 25 years, http://www.nylabone.com/products/non-edible/durable-chews/original-flavor-bone.htm . This is the style and I buy the "wolf" size. Poor little Jessie has to deal with the big ones because we cannot have small chokeable ones in the house with the poodles.
The toys I got for them are the same ones I recently saw at a pet store for over three times the price. They are stuffed tough toys that are suppose to be tough enough for the roughest dogs. Both Luke and Jessie have an agenda when a new stuffed toy comes into the house, gut it. Make a hole, get to the sqeaker and pull all the stuffing out and spread it around the house. At least it's fairly easy to clean up.
Tilley on the other hand is gentle and keeps her toys. I make it clear right from the start that Tilley's toy is hers alone and if one of the other dogs should touch it, they hear from me about it. Last year they were very good about leaving Tilley to her toy, of course until we went away and "Mom" was not around to know any better. I found the gutted toy when I returned home. So Luke and Jessie have the "invinsible" toys and Tilley got an adorable soft and squishy snowman that she will no doubt take great care of.
I will let you know how these tough toys hold up after I let the beasts at them.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Collar reliance
Are you overly dependent on collars? I would say probably 90% of the regular canine guardians are today, so you are not alone. When I say regular guardians I mean people who are not very involved with obedience, agility or some other canine performance actiivty. So that means all of you people out there who are afraid to take off your dogs collar. A collar gives guardians a sense of control but that control can be misleading.
When I am out either shooting, driving or just out sight seeing I often see dogs being yanked around. I have been told many times that "oh no, we can't take the collar off." I completely understand when out in an environment that is not secure, best to be safe than sorry but what about your home or an enclosed park? Many people have a loss of control issue if they take their dogs collar off.
Do you control your dog via their collar? This can also be a huge issue, if the only way you can control your dog is by yanking or grabbing their collar then you simply do not have control. With the introduction of micro chips most dogs don't even need a collar for identification purposes so that cannot be an excuse. A dog collar can become a crutch, afterall if you can grab hold of your dog by it you don't have to worry about having actual control over your dog.
But what if I said today, take it off? Take off the collar and see what happens? We do not keep collars on our dogs when they are home, they only get a collar on if we are going for a walk and even then I much prefer a body harness. Many years ago I had an incident with two of my dogs who while playing got tangled up in each others collar. It was a horrible situation and one that I swore would never occur again by taking off the collars.
When you don't have the crutch of a collar on your dog you may realize that you feel helpless and lack the control you desire over your dog. This will lead to training your dog. It is amazing how training, learning about body language, feedback, consistency and leadership can eliminate the need for collar grabs. All of this may sound like a ton of work and grabbing the collar sounds like a much easier solution but it is not a solution. Collar grabs are physical control and if you constantly grab your dogs collar for control chances are you are going to start seeing collar grab avoidance.
Dog quickly learn that your hand heading their way means to duck out. By avoiding your grab you have lost control and your dog starts ruling the roost. Unless you can grab that collar you have no control. Take control today and take off your dogs collar. If you have any questions or concerns about this plesae ask away.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Incorrect accusations
Well I finally got a squint from my boy Luke. What you are asking yourself is a squint? When a dog submits to you they do many different things with their body to portray to you that they are submitting. Squinting is one of them and some dogs squint much more than other dogs. My sisters dog which can be seen in the Jan 08 issue of Dog World squints like crazy. Everytime you greet her; her whole body is shrunk down and her eyes are just about shut. It is very cute when she does it. The dogs most likely to squint are the unsure dogs, not necessarily submissive by nature but not overly confident types.
Yesterday my overly confident boy Luke squinted at me. I was shocked as he approached and I noticed the tiniest squinting from him. Luke was squinting because I was angry; lets face it I don't get angry very often with my dogs. As I have said many times before I am a very strong leader and my dogs know by the slightest change in my posture if I am displeased so they don't see much of a big display most of the time.
I was super busy yesterday; in and out of the house and as I entered the backyard I noticed a pile of dirt outside one of the planters. One of the planters that I had just swept up from a previous dig. The scene was set; Luke was standing with both front feet up on the raised planter with his head stuck in the bushes. Forecasting the future I could see that this could become a daily routine that I did not have time for. The dirt was on the ground and so of course I assumed. I have learned over the years that you should never assume, but I did it anyway. AAAHHHHHHH, GET OUT OF THERE!!!!!!!! YOU STAY OUT OF THOSE BUSHES.
Now, for most dogs that would have been nothing. Afterall I just angrily told him to get out of the bushes but for Luke who is typically a very confident dog; he is a baby with me. He does not llike to get into trouble and is very sensitive as are most boys. So he lowered his tail, his body and his head and squint. I was quite literally in shock; wow this was a first. I stood there thinking that this was very strange when the thought came to mind that maybe it wasn't what it looked like. I called Luke over and felt under his stomach where the dirt tends to be drawn upward, nothing. I checked his front feet and nothing.
I then called Tilley outside; yes my perfect dog that never does anything bad; ever. The evidence was clear; her front feet were very dirty and her underbelly held more evidence of her crime. Ahh, I made the wrong assumption; I hate when that happens. It has probably only happened twice in the life of these dogs that I have now because they are all so different that it is very clear who has done what. So; feeling very guilty I called my boy over for some big hugs and kisses. He was very happy for the affection from Mom and we were cool once again.
So was this behavior from Luke a clear sign that I had assumed wrong right from the start? I think so. I have caught Luke in the act before and although he is submissive he has clearly understood what was going on. This time I believe I caught him off guard because he had done nothing wrong. Well, hopefully they will both stay out of the planter now.
Yesterday my overly confident boy Luke squinted at me. I was shocked as he approached and I noticed the tiniest squinting from him. Luke was squinting because I was angry; lets face it I don't get angry very often with my dogs. As I have said many times before I am a very strong leader and my dogs know by the slightest change in my posture if I am displeased so they don't see much of a big display most of the time.
I was super busy yesterday; in and out of the house and as I entered the backyard I noticed a pile of dirt outside one of the planters. One of the planters that I had just swept up from a previous dig. The scene was set; Luke was standing with both front feet up on the raised planter with his head stuck in the bushes. Forecasting the future I could see that this could become a daily routine that I did not have time for. The dirt was on the ground and so of course I assumed. I have learned over the years that you should never assume, but I did it anyway. AAAHHHHHHH, GET OUT OF THERE!!!!!!!! YOU STAY OUT OF THOSE BUSHES.
Now, for most dogs that would have been nothing. Afterall I just angrily told him to get out of the bushes but for Luke who is typically a very confident dog; he is a baby with me. He does not llike to get into trouble and is very sensitive as are most boys. So he lowered his tail, his body and his head and squint. I was quite literally in shock; wow this was a first. I stood there thinking that this was very strange when the thought came to mind that maybe it wasn't what it looked like. I called Luke over and felt under his stomach where the dirt tends to be drawn upward, nothing. I checked his front feet and nothing.
I then called Tilley outside; yes my perfect dog that never does anything bad; ever. The evidence was clear; her front feet were very dirty and her underbelly held more evidence of her crime. Ahh, I made the wrong assumption; I hate when that happens. It has probably only happened twice in the life of these dogs that I have now because they are all so different that it is very clear who has done what. So; feeling very guilty I called my boy over for some big hugs and kisses. He was very happy for the affection from Mom and we were cool once again.
So was this behavior from Luke a clear sign that I had assumed wrong right from the start? I think so. I have caught Luke in the act before and although he is submissive he has clearly understood what was going on. This time I believe I caught him off guard because he had done nothing wrong. Well, hopefully they will both stay out of the planter now.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Dogs and the holiday season
The Holiday season is upon us but the "big day" is still around the corner. Many of you may be contemplating the idea of a Christmas puppy. Oh, I know; the idea itself is dreamy. Afterall who wouldn't want an adorable fuzz bucket with a cold black nose under the Christmas tree.
Reality check, me; I don't want a puppy for Christmas. The fact that this phrase came out of me; Sherri the most dog loving dog person around may be quite surprising to many of you. My life revolves around dogs and there was a day that I did want a puppy for Christmas but not anymore. Puppies are too much work to have the week of Christmas.
Puppies deserve your undivided attention and honesty there is no way you can give them that on Christmas day. It is simply not fair for the puppy or the family. The holiday season can be a hectic time and adding a puppy on top of an already overflowing agenda can push anyone over the the edge. Stress can turn to frustration which can then lead to regret.
What is a great idea though is a puppy "gift certificate." Write out a note to your love one telling them of their gift. This does two things; 1. allows them to prepare for the arrival of a new puppy and 2. gives them time to figure out how to tell you that they don't want a puppy right now in their life.
There are far too many dogs dumped after Christmas for one reason or another and an impulsive purchase can be #1. Even myself; an experienced dog trainer knows that adding a puppy to my family at Christmas would be a very bad idea. But a gift certificate would be very nice. Afterall, I do temperament testing of litters; I want to pick out my own puppy.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Routine dogs
Good Monday morning; wow we just finished a very long weekend and now my batteries are charged and ready to start the week. As I saw my husband and son off this morning I headed upstairs to write; while watching my Jack Russell tear up the steps and wipe out around the corner. Honestly she is like a torpedo when she's on a mission and in the morning her mission is the morning cookie; the routine morning cookie.
I like to give my dogs a cookie in the morning, this way I have more time flexibility with breakfast. Once they have a cookie in their stomach they are good for a while and they seem to enjoy their extra long snooze afterwards. What has become an issue which typically does with my little Jessie is too much of a routine. She becomes out of control until she gets her cookie. So it is now time to mix it up again.
When I see a routine becoming too ingrained in my dogs I switch things around. I like routine myself but only a bit, I do not like days to go by carbon copies of each other. And with dogs; too much routine can be a bad thing. A behavior can become too much of a cue to a proceeding behavior. Say like putting on a specific pair of shoes, the ones you only put on when you walk your dog or dogs. Or everytime you go in the cupboard above the microwave; this is the cue that tips your dog off that they are receiving a cookie.
Although i'm not big on routine, I do like structure. And by structure I mean rules; daily rules that the dogs must follow. Rules which are put in place to obtain easily living. And when and if they do not follow these rules, things can get out of hand. Like the "door bolting" rule, the "out of the kitchen"rule, or "no snatching" food rule. These are rules that must be in place; rules and routine are entirely different.
It is always good to keep your dog on their toes as far as scheduling goes. Changing the time they eat, where they eat, what they eat. Changing the meaning of a leash; just because you pick up the leash does not mean they are going for a walk. You can and should alter walks; the same ole walks day in and day out usually leave dogs doing the leading. Adding new behavior cues here and there when your dog does not expect it like asking them to "down" for no reason. Or having them learn a new boundary that is completely flexible; meaning if you want them out of a room you just have to say so.
Switching around your daily routine is good for dogs, it keeps you in control and your dogs ever watchful. Afterall you are the boss and the phrase "because I said so" also includes out dogs.
I like to give my dogs a cookie in the morning, this way I have more time flexibility with breakfast. Once they have a cookie in their stomach they are good for a while and they seem to enjoy their extra long snooze afterwards. What has become an issue which typically does with my little Jessie is too much of a routine. She becomes out of control until she gets her cookie. So it is now time to mix it up again.
When I see a routine becoming too ingrained in my dogs I switch things around. I like routine myself but only a bit, I do not like days to go by carbon copies of each other. And with dogs; too much routine can be a bad thing. A behavior can become too much of a cue to a proceeding behavior. Say like putting on a specific pair of shoes, the ones you only put on when you walk your dog or dogs. Or everytime you go in the cupboard above the microwave; this is the cue that tips your dog off that they are receiving a cookie.
Although i'm not big on routine, I do like structure. And by structure I mean rules; daily rules that the dogs must follow. Rules which are put in place to obtain easily living. And when and if they do not follow these rules, things can get out of hand. Like the "door bolting" rule, the "out of the kitchen"rule, or "no snatching" food rule. These are rules that must be in place; rules and routine are entirely different.
It is always good to keep your dog on their toes as far as scheduling goes. Changing the time they eat, where they eat, what they eat. Changing the meaning of a leash; just because you pick up the leash does not mean they are going for a walk. You can and should alter walks; the same ole walks day in and day out usually leave dogs doing the leading. Adding new behavior cues here and there when your dog does not expect it like asking them to "down" for no reason. Or having them learn a new boundary that is completely flexible; meaning if you want them out of a room you just have to say so.
Switching around your daily routine is good for dogs, it keeps you in control and your dogs ever watchful. Afterall you are the boss and the phrase "because I said so" also includes out dogs.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Fire again and growling
We woke up this morning to a black haze on everything. The winds kicked up yesterday sending all the settled ash from the roof tops, trees and wherever else it had settled to the air one again. My backyard is an ash graveyard; blackening the dogs feet which in turn blackens my house. What a huge clean up and then I turned on the tv. to hear about a raging fire once again in Malibu. Not a good year for California.
The dogs are not having their run this morning, the air is not good and they would all come back little ash dogs. So they will be grouchy and I am grouchy because I just cleaned all the freaking ash off of everything. Being that we are all grouchy I thought I'd discuss growling.
What exactly is a growl? Right from dictionary.com (to utter a deep guttural sound of anger or hostility) Although this definition is close it is not entirely correct. Dogs can growl without being angry or aggressive, a growl is a means of communication to convey an emotion. Are there such things as happy growls? NO, a growl is a growl and a growl means to stop, it is meant as a warning. Dogs do make happy noises but they are not growls.
So what is your dog saying when they growl? They may be saying "don't even think about taking my food, this is my comfy spot on the couch, I am uncomfortable with your proximity to me or stop, just stop whatever you are doing that they don't want you to do. A growl is an insight for you; a heads up for what may be around the corner.
Far too many people react to a growl with their own aggression. Yes, it is our nature as humans when threatened to protect ourselves. But, this can be damaging when it comes to our dogs. What if our dog growls when a person who is not in their pack approaches to touch them? A typical reaction might be to slap or yank on the dogs collar; then maybe a severe scolding, right? Your behavior has now proven to your dog that people are really bad to have around, they create a very negative association.
What should occur is that you see that your dog is uncomfortable with strangers being very close. A dog who is uncomfortable with strangers coming close is not rare; everydog has their comfort zone just like we do. I have a rather large personal space and although I will not growl at someone who enters it; I will definitely react by stepping away. If a dog feels that they cannot move away, they may threaten the person not to come any closer.
So a growl lets you know you have work to do. Instead of teaching your dog that they receive a scolding each time they growl, work at making them feel comfortable around people so that they don't feel threatened. Make sure people do not approach your dog until they feel comfortable in this situation.
When a dog growls, whether it is at a human or another dog; they are telling us something. It is very important that dogs be able to growl at each other, but growling is as far as it should go. Just this morning my beyond perfect Tilley growled at Jessie in the kitchen. I was cleaning up the kitchen and heard her growl. This let me know that Jessie was trying to take Tilley's food, (a head's up).
Should I have scolded Tilley for growling? NO, Jessie got scooted away past the poodle bowls and I kept a closer eye on her. Tilley was doing her job, and because of it there was no need for a fight.
The dogs are not having their run this morning, the air is not good and they would all come back little ash dogs. So they will be grouchy and I am grouchy because I just cleaned all the freaking ash off of everything. Being that we are all grouchy I thought I'd discuss growling.
What exactly is a growl? Right from dictionary.com (to utter a deep guttural sound of anger or hostility) Although this definition is close it is not entirely correct. Dogs can growl without being angry or aggressive, a growl is a means of communication to convey an emotion. Are there such things as happy growls? NO, a growl is a growl and a growl means to stop, it is meant as a warning. Dogs do make happy noises but they are not growls.
So what is your dog saying when they growl? They may be saying "don't even think about taking my food, this is my comfy spot on the couch, I am uncomfortable with your proximity to me or stop, just stop whatever you are doing that they don't want you to do. A growl is an insight for you; a heads up for what may be around the corner.
Far too many people react to a growl with their own aggression. Yes, it is our nature as humans when threatened to protect ourselves. But, this can be damaging when it comes to our dogs. What if our dog growls when a person who is not in their pack approaches to touch them? A typical reaction might be to slap or yank on the dogs collar; then maybe a severe scolding, right? Your behavior has now proven to your dog that people are really bad to have around, they create a very negative association.
What should occur is that you see that your dog is uncomfortable with strangers being very close. A dog who is uncomfortable with strangers coming close is not rare; everydog has their comfort zone just like we do. I have a rather large personal space and although I will not growl at someone who enters it; I will definitely react by stepping away. If a dog feels that they cannot move away, they may threaten the person not to come any closer.
So a growl lets you know you have work to do. Instead of teaching your dog that they receive a scolding each time they growl, work at making them feel comfortable around people so that they don't feel threatened. Make sure people do not approach your dog until they feel comfortable in this situation.
When a dog growls, whether it is at a human or another dog; they are telling us something. It is very important that dogs be able to growl at each other, but growling is as far as it should go. Just this morning my beyond perfect Tilley growled at Jessie in the kitchen. I was cleaning up the kitchen and heard her growl. This let me know that Jessie was trying to take Tilley's food, (a head's up).
Should I have scolded Tilley for growling? NO, Jessie got scooted away past the poodle bowls and I kept a closer eye on her. Tilley was doing her job, and because of it there was no need for a fight.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Shopping Friday
So, with the biggest shopping day upon us I wonder how many people are out there going crazy? Well I for one am still in bed with my dogs snuggled all around me. The weather is fabulous; in the mid 60s and overcast this morning. Although hearing that it is snowing back home is a little hard to take this time of year. I know my dogs would love to be playing in the snow today but they are just about to go for another big canyon run with their Dad. They all went yesterday with Dad and my daughter; Jessie doesn't always go because she is such a sniffer and lags behind badly. With the threat of coyotes looming they cannot leave her alone to catch up.
Yesterday we celebrated CKO (Christmas Kick off); you see we already celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving so on the Am. Thanksgiving we prepare for the Christmas season. We had a huge Italian feast and while my daughter and I were cooking up a storm my dogs were unusually quiet. I occassionally saw them enter the kitchen, have a look around at what was being prepared and leave again.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Pit stop
Hey guys, I don't have alot of time this morning; big shoot. Today is completely booked.
My guys are patiently awaiting their breakfast. I cooked up a pile of salmon lastnight and I am now waiting for their basmati rice to be done. They will have some cut fresh greens and apple along with those two staples.
The dogs obviously felt the drop in temperature as Luke never left the bed so with that I had a cramped but warm sleep. Once he is down and comfy it can be very diffcult to move him. And with his new hair cut he was not about to move out of the warm spot on his own.
Well, breakfast time and I'm off.
Happy Turkey Day to everyone for tomorrow.
My guys are patiently awaiting their breakfast. I cooked up a pile of salmon lastnight and I am now waiting for their basmati rice to be done. They will have some cut fresh greens and apple along with those two staples.
The dogs obviously felt the drop in temperature as Luke never left the bed so with that I had a cramped but warm sleep. Once he is down and comfy it can be very diffcult to move him. And with his new hair cut he was not about to move out of the warm spot on his own.
Well, breakfast time and I'm off.
Happy Turkey Day to everyone for tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Status-gaining and loosing
Good morning, I thought I'd talk about Status this morning. We have alot of status seeking behaviors going on right now in our house so it quickly came to mind. Right now I think my status seeker is downstairs under a blanket sleeping. He is a huge sleepy head in the morning and often does not rise with the girls. He stays in bed until he is good and ready to rise and you only get a greeting if he is in the mood. What a guy.
So what exactly gains and looses status for you in the dog world? Believe me I have lots of examples so that you can truly see how the dog mind works.
Anytime your dog makes a decision where you are involved can be a status escalator. Do you throw the ball each tiime the slimey thing is dropped into your lap or at your feet? Up for your dog, down for you. When your dog stands staring at the cookie cupboard in the kitchen; do you go and get them a cookie? Up for your dog, down for you. Does your dog barge out the door each time it is open? Up for your dog, down for you.
Now this is a big one and one that few people "get." Do you lavish attention on your dog the minute you enter the house? You got it, you have just lowered your status. Of course many or all of these behaviors are not bad for all dogs, many dogs have no status seeking secret plots in their daily agenda. For these non status seeking dogs it doesn't really matter if you mess up or not as a guardian. No two dogs are alike so dog behavior modification is not a science. And those who use "one" method to work with dogs are not educated in true dog behavior.
I have a very good pack to work with, all very different; infact they are at opposite ends of the spectrum behavior wise. Luke is my challenge when talking about status seeking; actually Luke is my challenge for just about everything. Tilley is pretty much perfect and never does anything wrong and Jessie tries hard; but she is a true terrier afterakk. Status seeking behaviors can be very small, so small that they can go unnoticed until they are large enough to become serious. But if you stay on top of them; status seeking behavior will remain just that, seeking not obtaining.
One biggy is the ownership of prime realty. Does your dog have the best, most comfortable spot in the house? Does your dog growl at you if you try to move them from the position? Is your bed a war zone? For many this is a daily obstacle and it should not be. If your dog growls when you attempt to move or dislodge them from a certain spot in the house; then they should not be allowed to have that certain spot. Usually this is the bed, so they get the boot TODAY.
I know only too well how difficult it can be to change some of our own behaviors. Afterall your dog is so adorable it can be very difficult not to hug and kiss them all day long. But if you have an attention seeking type dog; like my Luke it is not a good thing to do. Here is a good example: A new visitor comes to my home and immediately upon seeing the dogs lowers themselves to dishing out all kinds of attention. Next, my visitor stops their direct attention to my dogs and starts to walk into my home. This is where Luke swings into action; barking and lunging and acting the fool.
One minute Luke is being rubbed by the visitor and loving it and the next moment he is acting like he never saw this person before; so what is going on? In Luke's mind; this person came into his home and was immediately demanded to dish out worshiping attention from the dogs. So right away the visitor established a low rank by handing out attention; leader types don't dish out affection for nothing. So Luke; as the true low man in our pack takes it upon himself to do some pushing around. He doesn't get to do it often so takes advantage of it when he can.
It is very easy to turn behaviors around with dogs although some behaviors that have been inplace for a longtime can take some maneouvering by you and your family. Going for walks is a very common situation where status is involved. Does your dog grab their leash and act like a maniac until you are out and on your way? Take control today, do not take a step out of your front door until your dog is under control.
It is very important for you as "top dog" to be in control at all times. This does not mean that you have to run a military camp; it may if you have a bunch of hard heads but if you have an average dog then it means that you need to be calling the shots. If you sit down and think about your day interacting with your dog you will soon discover that a good portion of it is controlled by your dog, turn it around today.
So what exactly gains and looses status for you in the dog world? Believe me I have lots of examples so that you can truly see how the dog mind works.
Anytime your dog makes a decision where you are involved can be a status escalator. Do you throw the ball each tiime the slimey thing is dropped into your lap or at your feet? Up for your dog, down for you. When your dog stands staring at the cookie cupboard in the kitchen; do you go and get them a cookie? Up for your dog, down for you. Does your dog barge out the door each time it is open? Up for your dog, down for you.
Now this is a big one and one that few people "get." Do you lavish attention on your dog the minute you enter the house? You got it, you have just lowered your status. Of course many or all of these behaviors are not bad for all dogs, many dogs have no status seeking secret plots in their daily agenda. For these non status seeking dogs it doesn't really matter if you mess up or not as a guardian. No two dogs are alike so dog behavior modification is not a science. And those who use "one" method to work with dogs are not educated in true dog behavior.
I have a very good pack to work with, all very different; infact they are at opposite ends of the spectrum behavior wise. Luke is my challenge when talking about status seeking; actually Luke is my challenge for just about everything. Tilley is pretty much perfect and never does anything wrong and Jessie tries hard; but she is a true terrier afterakk. Status seeking behaviors can be very small, so small that they can go unnoticed until they are large enough to become serious. But if you stay on top of them; status seeking behavior will remain just that, seeking not obtaining.
One biggy is the ownership of prime realty. Does your dog have the best, most comfortable spot in the house? Does your dog growl at you if you try to move them from the position? Is your bed a war zone? For many this is a daily obstacle and it should not be. If your dog growls when you attempt to move or dislodge them from a certain spot in the house; then they should not be allowed to have that certain spot. Usually this is the bed, so they get the boot TODAY.
I know only too well how difficult it can be to change some of our own behaviors. Afterall your dog is so adorable it can be very difficult not to hug and kiss them all day long. But if you have an attention seeking type dog; like my Luke it is not a good thing to do. Here is a good example: A new visitor comes to my home and immediately upon seeing the dogs lowers themselves to dishing out all kinds of attention. Next, my visitor stops their direct attention to my dogs and starts to walk into my home. This is where Luke swings into action; barking and lunging and acting the fool.
One minute Luke is being rubbed by the visitor and loving it and the next moment he is acting like he never saw this person before; so what is going on? In Luke's mind; this person came into his home and was immediately demanded to dish out worshiping attention from the dogs. So right away the visitor established a low rank by handing out attention; leader types don't dish out affection for nothing. So Luke; as the true low man in our pack takes it upon himself to do some pushing around. He doesn't get to do it often so takes advantage of it when he can.
It is very easy to turn behaviors around with dogs although some behaviors that have been inplace for a longtime can take some maneouvering by you and your family. Going for walks is a very common situation where status is involved. Does your dog grab their leash and act like a maniac until you are out and on your way? Take control today, do not take a step out of your front door until your dog is under control.
It is very important for you as "top dog" to be in control at all times. This does not mean that you have to run a military camp; it may if you have a bunch of hard heads but if you have an average dog then it means that you need to be calling the shots. If you sit down and think about your day interacting with your dog you will soon discover that a good portion of it is controlled by your dog, turn it around today.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Breeds
Isn't it funny how different people love different breeds. One of the many great things about photographing dogs is the fact that I get to listen to people go on about their dog. It usually only takes one question to get them going; dog lovers love to talk about their dogs, I know that for a fact. I love hearing why people love there dog so much and all the little quirks about each of them.
Many people love a particular breed; some just love dogs in general. It is interesting meeting each and every new pack combination. Dogs are special and no two are ever alike; even within the same breed and sex. I have had standard poodles for over 23 years now and no two have been the same. Same breed dogs do have common traits which is why people tend to stick to one breed; but once you get to know them the individuality of each is very interesting.
I love just about all dogs out there, doesn't matter if they are a breed or a mix I just love dogs. A couple of breeds that I think make great pets for the average canine guardian are the Boston Terrier and the French Bulldog.
The French Bulldog or Frenchie is a wonderfully compact little package. They are smaller than the English Bulldog and built a little bit more proportionally allowing them more athletic capabilities than their English cousin. Their ears are erect; but their faces are flat common to other brachycephalic dogs like Bostons, Pekenese, shih tzu etc. This flat face body structure makes it important to keep a close eye on over heating in the breed.
French Bulldogs generally have wonderful temperaments that make them a great addition to a family. They are intelligent and fun loving. I have had the great priviledge of attending a Frenchie get together and found that watching these little guys have fun was very entertaining. They come in an array of colors to suit everyone and their sizes allows you to take them just about everywhere with you. It also might allow you to have more than just one. :)
The Boston Terrier is not actually a terrier breed, they do not have the tenacious personality of a true terrier, but a much more mellow personality. They are one of the true American breeds and like the Frenchie they also have the flat face sydrome that you must take extra care of. Not only do they suffer from extreme heat; all those little folds in their face must be kept clean daily so that they do not become a health issue.
Bostons eyes can be a concern as well as they can stick out further than their face which leaves the eye susceptible to damage. The Boston also has a wonderful temperament and all that I have met have been extremely friendly. They are black and white but do come in shades of brown and brindle as well. Many Bostons have cropped ears but many also have naturally upright ears. Hopefully soon North America will catch up to Europe and disallow ear cropping (that in another post).
Bostons are very intelligent as are most breeds but can have a mind of their own at times. They have wonderfully fun and entertaining personalities and make a great addition to a family.
Unfortunately both breeds are small which makes them perfect for the Puppy Millers to pump out. Watch where you get your Frenchie or Boston from, do your research and support a reputible breeder.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Temperatures
There's a chill in the air and a change in behavior in my home. I have long known about the shift in behavior that weather can have on dogs. Back in Canada and in my "dog showing" days we always marked at the level of energy of the dogs when fall weather made its first appearance. Not only was there a change in the dogs I was showing; but my own dog's behavior changed as well. At the time I was showing I had my first dog, Mandy.
Mandy was a secondhand Airedale and one of my great dogs. She was an angel and not like a typical feisty Airedale in temperament. People would make comments like "oh watch that Airedale" that I didn't understand until I met several other Airedales. They are terriers and typical of terriers, feisty and confident; very much like my little Jack Russell Jessie. But, one thing Mandy loved was snow and cooler weather and her energy level raised as the thermometers dropped.
I remember way back when I was 18 and working at Merrill Lynch; when the first now showed up. It was all I could do to wait until the 5 oclock hour so that I could get home and take Mandy out into the snow. She absolutely loved playing in the snow, she would role in it, run with her mouth open scooping up the snow and could catch snowballs until spring. She was a joy to watch enjoying the snow.
We don't have snow here in Southern California but we do have cooler weather. A couple of weeks have gone by since I clipped my poodles and now with the cooler weather Luke and Tilley are displaying "cooler weather," behaviors. Tilley gets alot more energy; constantly running around the house with a tennis ball in her mouth. Which in turn fires Luke up; of course because he needs to have the ball that she has got in her mouth.
But Luke is getting pushy, he has a new haircut and he feels like a new man. He usually gets pretty grouchy when he has been recently clipped; afterall I just took his big fuzzy, warm coat off that he has gotten use to having on. I have to admit that I love his big coat; he is like a living teaddy bear. He is so enjoyable to snuggle with when his coat is huge but with that coat comes the giant "velcro" effect as well.
We all love the cooler weather but I now have to be on my toes and keep Luke from being too obnoxious. With the cooler weather comes the extra leadership duty of keeping my blondie in line.
Mandy was a secondhand Airedale and one of my great dogs. She was an angel and not like a typical feisty Airedale in temperament. People would make comments like "oh watch that Airedale" that I didn't understand until I met several other Airedales. They are terriers and typical of terriers, feisty and confident; very much like my little Jack Russell Jessie. But, one thing Mandy loved was snow and cooler weather and her energy level raised as the thermometers dropped.
I remember way back when I was 18 and working at Merrill Lynch; when the first now showed up. It was all I could do to wait until the 5 oclock hour so that I could get home and take Mandy out into the snow. She absolutely loved playing in the snow, she would role in it, run with her mouth open scooping up the snow and could catch snowballs until spring. She was a joy to watch enjoying the snow.
We don't have snow here in Southern California but we do have cooler weather. A couple of weeks have gone by since I clipped my poodles and now with the cooler weather Luke and Tilley are displaying "cooler weather," behaviors. Tilley gets alot more energy; constantly running around the house with a tennis ball in her mouth. Which in turn fires Luke up; of course because he needs to have the ball that she has got in her mouth.
But Luke is getting pushy, he has a new haircut and he feels like a new man. He usually gets pretty grouchy when he has been recently clipped; afterall I just took his big fuzzy, warm coat off that he has gotten use to having on. I have to admit that I love his big coat; he is like a living teaddy bear. He is so enjoyable to snuggle with when his coat is huge but with that coat comes the giant "velcro" effect as well.
We all love the cooler weather but I now have to be on my toes and keep Luke from being too obnoxious. With the cooler weather comes the extra leadership duty of keeping my blondie in line.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Right around the corner
The Holiday Season is upon us and Christmas is just around the corner. Many people; children included will be hoping for a puppy under the tree. As much as I would love my own puppy under the tree; a puppy in the Holiday season is a really bad idea. Most big, huge, gigantic mistake are made from buying a puppy at the pet store or a seedy breeder out for your holiday cash.
No good breeder will give you a puppy for Christmas day, most will hold puppies until after the big event. Even for myself as a very experienced dog trainer I would not want a puppy at Christmas time. They are just too much work to be able to pull off the Christmas morning let alone a great dinner without a hitch. So if a puppy is in your near future be forwarned.
Stay away from the Pet Stores, find a breeder that will hold the puppy until after the big day. Get a great stuffed replica and surprise your giftee with a "this is coming" card. And make sure that the recipient of your thoughtful gift is going to be thankful and not regretful. Way too many puppies are dumped soon after the Holiday season due to lack of interest and no longer wanting a dog now that they are not an adorable puppy.
This may sound too sad to be true but it is very true. Winter is a great time to get a puppy because they housetrain in a flash, ask me how I know? Standing out in the freezing cold works wonders to get things moving really quickly. And the ground is frozen so there is not much to smell or distract a puppy from their business. But wait until the new year or go ahead and do it now before the big day. Hopefully you will have a routine worked out by then and it won't be such a huge wrench in the works.
Happy Holiday Season to everyone; this is my favorite time of year.
No good breeder will give you a puppy for Christmas day, most will hold puppies until after the big event. Even for myself as a very experienced dog trainer I would not want a puppy at Christmas time. They are just too much work to be able to pull off the Christmas morning let alone a great dinner without a hitch. So if a puppy is in your near future be forwarned.
Stay away from the Pet Stores, find a breeder that will hold the puppy until after the big day. Get a great stuffed replica and surprise your giftee with a "this is coming" card. And make sure that the recipient of your thoughtful gift is going to be thankful and not regretful. Way too many puppies are dumped soon after the Holiday season due to lack of interest and no longer wanting a dog now that they are not an adorable puppy.
This may sound too sad to be true but it is very true. Winter is a great time to get a puppy because they housetrain in a flash, ask me how I know? Standing out in the freezing cold works wonders to get things moving really quickly. And the ground is frozen so there is not much to smell or distract a puppy from their business. But wait until the new year or go ahead and do it now before the big day. Hopefully you will have a routine worked out by then and it won't be such a huge wrench in the works.
Happy Holiday Season to everyone; this is my favorite time of year.
Friday, November 16, 2007
TGIF and Truck dogs
Dogs, dogs, dogs; they are everywhere and yesterday I was driving behind one that was crated in the back of a truck. At least this person had the right idea with putting the dog in a crate; which would give a little bit more safety if needed. The dog was still obviously not happy about the predicament he was in as I watched him shift and turn and turn and turn. He looked like he was trying to get comfortable in this situation but it just was not happening. I was trying to get close enough to see what breed of dog it was that was in the back of this truck.
As I got closer I could see that the ears were cropped, hmmmm it was a bully breed, ah ha an Argentine Dogo. Big, tough dogs, very beautiful. Completely white and resembling a pit; not on steroids. Rare for around here for sure. So I got to thinking about truck dogs again. I have written several articles on the subject which makes me crazy. Just how many stories does one need to hear about dogs flying out of trucks, being dragged while hanging out the back of a truck or just leaping out and causing general havoc?
There are a few people in the area that I see on a regular basis; who drive around with their dog in the back of the truck. One is a small truck owner with a very large Great Pyrenese in the back. I almost always have my windows open so I am privy to the booming sound of the barking coming from the truck far before I see it. The dog sounds aggressive as it barks at anything moving past its vision. The image is of a giant dog in a tiny truck bed; one wrong turn and that dog is going flying.
Dogs should not ride in the back of trucks and I am here to tell everyone this fact. It is dangerous and people who do it are thoughtless. Now I don't mean a quick trip down the dirt road to the old swimming hole; I mean real life roads. My own dogs inside my xterra have a hard enough time as I jam on the breaks, take a sharp turn or dive out of the path of danger as they shift and attempt to keep their footing.
And the worst to see are the big gorgeous trucks; the ones with the owners (and I'll say Owners for this statement) sitting up in their luxurious truck with the windows roled up enjoying the AC while their dog slides around the back of the hot box they call "his ride." I wish I could yell something that would make a difference to these people. But with their windows up and the oncoming traffic, best not to create more problems as it probably wouldn't change things. If they can't see this for themselves; then there lies the base problem.
I wish the phrase Truck Dogs meant to me; dogs that love to ride "in" their truck with their guardians. Unfortunately, it doesn't.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/animalissues/dogtrucksfactsheet.asp
As I got closer I could see that the ears were cropped, hmmmm it was a bully breed, ah ha an Argentine Dogo. Big, tough dogs, very beautiful. Completely white and resembling a pit; not on steroids. Rare for around here for sure. So I got to thinking about truck dogs again. I have written several articles on the subject which makes me crazy. Just how many stories does one need to hear about dogs flying out of trucks, being dragged while hanging out the back of a truck or just leaping out and causing general havoc?
There are a few people in the area that I see on a regular basis; who drive around with their dog in the back of the truck. One is a small truck owner with a very large Great Pyrenese in the back. I almost always have my windows open so I am privy to the booming sound of the barking coming from the truck far before I see it. The dog sounds aggressive as it barks at anything moving past its vision. The image is of a giant dog in a tiny truck bed; one wrong turn and that dog is going flying.
Dogs should not ride in the back of trucks and I am here to tell everyone this fact. It is dangerous and people who do it are thoughtless. Now I don't mean a quick trip down the dirt road to the old swimming hole; I mean real life roads. My own dogs inside my xterra have a hard enough time as I jam on the breaks, take a sharp turn or dive out of the path of danger as they shift and attempt to keep their footing.
And the worst to see are the big gorgeous trucks; the ones with the owners (and I'll say Owners for this statement) sitting up in their luxurious truck with the windows roled up enjoying the AC while their dog slides around the back of the hot box they call "his ride." I wish I could yell something that would make a difference to these people. But with their windows up and the oncoming traffic, best not to create more problems as it probably wouldn't change things. If they can't see this for themselves; then there lies the base problem.
I wish the phrase Truck Dogs meant to me; dogs that love to ride "in" their truck with their guardians. Unfortunately, it doesn't.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/animalissues/dogtrucksfactsheet.asp
Thursday, November 15, 2007
This and that
Good morning, I had a great day yesterday. Met a wonderful canine guardian in the morning for a very special shoot I'm doing next week. Went to my favorite camera shop and got a very cool new thingy for my camera and then hit the beach with my daughter and three dogs. It was hot yesterday which I was not happy about; its fall and I want it to feel like it. So we went to the beach in hopes of spending some cooler time with the dogs, didn't happen.
It was hot even down at the beach; but the dogs had so much fun. Jessie was with my daughter just out of the waters reach and I was in the water with my two poodles; even as cold as it is they love being in the water. It never fails though; no matter how short my shorts are I always seem to end up getting wet; and yesterday was no different. It wasn't bad yesterday, just a bit wet around the edges, nothing like the last time we hit the beach.
Jessie is a very dominant little female, the fact is that most Jack Russell are very dominant so this is a typical trait. She was a little bit misbehaved at the beach because she was not hooked up to me; she was walking with my daughter. It is very interesting how behavior depends very much on "who is in charge." I am a very strong leader, I do not like bad behavior and do not tolerate it. But I am also a big softy and dish out hugs and kisses freely. :)
I believe in training dogs until they are reliable and working to modify any undesirable behaviors. And any leftover unwanted behaviors should be managed; like many of Luke's fallout behaviors of being a reactive dog. He had lunged at Tilley going out the front door yesterday and getting in the car to go to the beach. This is a fallout of his overexcitement; and when we arrived at the beach he whined and paced like a crazy dog. Lunging at the other dogs happens when he becomes over excited; I know its coming and I am all over it.
The girls don't even acknowledge Luke's behavior when he is in this state. I think they actually try to pretend that he isn't with them; "he's not with us, never seen this guy before!" But as crazy as he is; it is again, a joy to watch him enjoying himself. Once we all got home there was a quite in the house as the dogs took up their resting place in the familyroom and snoozed a good longtime.
Lastnight they ate a meal consisting of cooked beef, cut baby greens and cheerios. This seems to a big hit; at least for Luke as the speed of his consumption definitely excelerated. All my dogs are grazers so they really seem to like it when I put chopped baby greens in their meal. I know I love a huge big bowl of it for my meal; so it makes sense to me.
Now this morning they have had their favorite cookies which are the Peanut Butter flavored ones from Trader Joe's. They are made by Blue Dog Bakery and they have been a huge hit since I first bought them several years ago. www.bluedogbakery.com They are by far the best dog cookies and even Luke; my boy that will sometimes turn down meat, never turns down a Blue dog bakery cookie. Although I have not tasted them, they smell fabulous.
It was hot even down at the beach; but the dogs had so much fun. Jessie was with my daughter just out of the waters reach and I was in the water with my two poodles; even as cold as it is they love being in the water. It never fails though; no matter how short my shorts are I always seem to end up getting wet; and yesterday was no different. It wasn't bad yesterday, just a bit wet around the edges, nothing like the last time we hit the beach.
Jessie is a very dominant little female, the fact is that most Jack Russell are very dominant so this is a typical trait. She was a little bit misbehaved at the beach because she was not hooked up to me; she was walking with my daughter. It is very interesting how behavior depends very much on "who is in charge." I am a very strong leader, I do not like bad behavior and do not tolerate it. But I am also a big softy and dish out hugs and kisses freely. :)
I believe in training dogs until they are reliable and working to modify any undesirable behaviors. And any leftover unwanted behaviors should be managed; like many of Luke's fallout behaviors of being a reactive dog. He had lunged at Tilley going out the front door yesterday and getting in the car to go to the beach. This is a fallout of his overexcitement; and when we arrived at the beach he whined and paced like a crazy dog. Lunging at the other dogs happens when he becomes over excited; I know its coming and I am all over it.
The girls don't even acknowledge Luke's behavior when he is in this state. I think they actually try to pretend that he isn't with them; "he's not with us, never seen this guy before!" But as crazy as he is; it is again, a joy to watch him enjoying himself. Once we all got home there was a quite in the house as the dogs took up their resting place in the familyroom and snoozed a good longtime.
Lastnight they ate a meal consisting of cooked beef, cut baby greens and cheerios. This seems to a big hit; at least for Luke as the speed of his consumption definitely excelerated. All my dogs are grazers so they really seem to like it when I put chopped baby greens in their meal. I know I love a huge big bowl of it for my meal; so it makes sense to me.
Now this morning they have had their favorite cookies which are the Peanut Butter flavored ones from Trader Joe's. They are made by Blue Dog Bakery and they have been a huge hit since I first bought them several years ago. www.bluedogbakery.com They are by far the best dog cookies and even Luke; my boy that will sometimes turn down meat, never turns down a Blue dog bakery cookie. Although I have not tasted them, they smell fabulous.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A smile on your face
We should all know by now that having a pet in our life is good for us. I read an article years ago which I am going to try to find on the net today; about how we are not as healthy now that we have moved away from the farm way of life. I'm a big believer of dirt, I try to use as little chemical cleaners as possible and opt for vinegar and baking soda for as much as I can. My family has been (knock on wood) very healthy to this point.
I am not a cleaning fanatic by a longshot but I like my house to be very tidy and clean. Infact I have had several people suprisingly say "you have three dogs?" while looking around my house in astonishment. So back to farm living, the more regular dirt and germs that your body comes into range with throughout the day the more your body can handle. Of course I'm not talking about filth and buckets of germs, just regular everyday stuff.
I truly believe that people who have dogs (I know other pets count as well) are much happier and healthier. Each day my dogs make me smile, and it is the small things that do it for me. Watching Luke wait patiently while he stalks a lizard across the back wall or Tilley enjoying a good roll in the grass and then showing up at the backdoor covered from head to toe in all the dead grass she pulled out of the lawn.
One of the greatest things dogs give us is being dogs. How much fun is it to watch your dog having a blast being a dog. The beach or a park are some of the best places to see it. Dogs running free and loving every second. Watching a dog dig a hole is completely enlightening; of course only if it is not in the beautiful garden you just spent hours planting.
I walked into my yard yesterday to see a pile of dirt outside of one of the planters, a huge smile came to my face as I pictured long legged Luke in there flinging dirt everywhere. Seeing my little Jack Russell Jessie trigger my a movement in the bushes makes me smile. And watching my three dogs all covered in blankets cozied up together twitching away in their dreams makes me smile.
Dogs truly do bring meaning to our lives each and everyday; so start watching for those amazing little things they do for us.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Couch dogs
Good morning, I'm up and at it early. I have to get cooking this morning; the dogs had chicken, spaghettti squash, cut baby greens and oatmeal for dinner lastnight. Luke surprisingly paced and watched the entire process of getting everything together and then thoroughly enjoyed his meal. It was light on the meat so I thought he wouldnt' enjoy it as much as his typical meals but he ate unusually fast. He loves chicken and he knew that chicken was on the menu so I guess his appetite had been sparked.
Luke is a creature of habit, as soon as he finishes eating he has to go outside. And I mean as soon, he goes from bowl to the door and if I'm not fast enough he'll hit his bells hanging on the door. He also has several spots in and around the house that are "his" spots. The girls are much more flexible about their life, typical don't you think?
Before we moved Luke had a spot on the couch where he spent most of his day. Unless he had something great to be doing he could be found on the corner of the couch watching the comings and goings. Once we moved; our movers lost the cushions to Luke's couch and it had to be tossed. I felt sadness as they took Luke's couch out to the curb, butI knew that it would be a good thing in the long run. It's not good for anyone dog or human to get too set in their ways.
The whole move was very good for Luke, it shook things up a bit which is what he needed. The girls have lived in Canada and several houses but Luke had only ever known one home. This house is not layed out for one perch sitting, it is multi-level so there really is no one spot to sit and watch everything. And I have said before I have dog beds all over my house to accomodate my following pack.
Another change is that the dogs are no longer allowed on the couches, the cloth couches. They are still allowed and will always be allowed on the Leather couch. Luke is a digger and circler, everytime he is going to lay down he circles and digs (except for the leather couch) until everything is just right. We decided right from the beginning that we did not want to come home to find a hole in the couch so "new rules." This was a huge adjustment for Luke, again not so big for the girls. He would literally stand and stare at us the entire time we were on the couch. But since then he has adjusted to not being on the couch, or so we thought.
It is actually an easy process to train your dogs not to go onto the couch. And if you decide that they can go on the couch but only when you say, easy as well. The tough one is teaching the dogs not to go onto the couch when you are not around. I'll discuss this in detail in a later post.
We came home on the weekend after being out for several hours to find him curled up on the livingroom couch surrounded by all the blankets. You see I'm a big fan of cozy blankets and I just bought two new ones at Costco; they are the softest blankets I've ever felt. These are the furry type, caramel brown and luscious; and its not only us that think they are so great obviously. The look on his face when we came in; we caught him and he knew it.
Now that I have been enlightened I have to make sure that the comfy blankets are away before I go out. Dogs do love their comfort just as much as we do.
Luke is a creature of habit, as soon as he finishes eating he has to go outside. And I mean as soon, he goes from bowl to the door and if I'm not fast enough he'll hit his bells hanging on the door. He also has several spots in and around the house that are "his" spots. The girls are much more flexible about their life, typical don't you think?
Before we moved Luke had a spot on the couch where he spent most of his day. Unless he had something great to be doing he could be found on the corner of the couch watching the comings and goings. Once we moved; our movers lost the cushions to Luke's couch and it had to be tossed. I felt sadness as they took Luke's couch out to the curb, butI knew that it would be a good thing in the long run. It's not good for anyone dog or human to get too set in their ways.
The whole move was very good for Luke, it shook things up a bit which is what he needed. The girls have lived in Canada and several houses but Luke had only ever known one home. This house is not layed out for one perch sitting, it is multi-level so there really is no one spot to sit and watch everything. And I have said before I have dog beds all over my house to accomodate my following pack.
Another change is that the dogs are no longer allowed on the couches, the cloth couches. They are still allowed and will always be allowed on the Leather couch. Luke is a digger and circler, everytime he is going to lay down he circles and digs (except for the leather couch) until everything is just right. We decided right from the beginning that we did not want to come home to find a hole in the couch so "new rules." This was a huge adjustment for Luke, again not so big for the girls. He would literally stand and stare at us the entire time we were on the couch. But since then he has adjusted to not being on the couch, or so we thought.
It is actually an easy process to train your dogs not to go onto the couch. And if you decide that they can go on the couch but only when you say, easy as well. The tough one is teaching the dogs not to go onto the couch when you are not around. I'll discuss this in detail in a later post.
We came home on the weekend after being out for several hours to find him curled up on the livingroom couch surrounded by all the blankets. You see I'm a big fan of cozy blankets and I just bought two new ones at Costco; they are the softest blankets I've ever felt. These are the furry type, caramel brown and luscious; and its not only us that think they are so great obviously. The look on his face when we came in; we caught him and he knew it.
Now that I have been enlightened I have to make sure that the comfy blankets are away before I go out. Dogs do love their comfort just as much as we do.
Monday, November 12, 2007
A couple of breeds
As I have said many times; I love just about all dogs. Not so much the ones that have tried to devour me though so they are not included in the "all dogs." Many people ask me what I think of certain breeds and I'm about to tell you. I'll start with the most popular and work down the list. Labs have to be the number one dog that I have worked with and I believe that they are the most popular breed in America and have been for sometime.
Within each breed there is a huge spectrum of personalities and body types. I have worked with shy and fearful to very aggressive in almost every breed so although they may look like they come out of a cookie cutter; no two dogs are alike.
Labs are wonderful, high energy, intelligent, enthusiastic and devoted dogs. They come in three basic colors, black, yellow and brown. The yellow has an array of subtle colors within its own category; blonde to "red," which is the new name they are putting on them to raise interest and sell puppies. Red is simple a dark yellow lab, so don't be fooled. Labs shed a ton, probably about as much shedding as you'll ever see so be forwarned.
Labs typically love water; but not all. I know people who wanted a water dog desperately and ended up with a water hating lab so nothing is for sure. But most labs I have known cannot stay out of the water; whether it is at the beach in a pool or just in a bowl in the backyard or kitchen.
They have endless amounts of energy which needs to be used up in a controlled environment. You must take the time to exercise both your labs body and mind. If you don't they will; ask anyone who has had their backyard renovated by their lab or new decorative holes chewed into their walls.
If you have one of the mellow labs you are a lucky one. Labs are great, if you can make it through the first few years you'll have a dog that everyone envys.
Bulldogs
Bulldogs are the 2nd most common breed that I work with. The English bulldog, not the little Frenchies, which I will discuss later. If you have never met a bulldog I highly recommend meeting and getting to know one. To me they are the funniest, most expressive dogs that there is. I absolutely adore them and could watch them for hours. Each one that I have known has been very different and individual.
Contrary to belief Bulldogs are highly intelligent. Almost everyone of my guardians has given me the excuse that their dog is; well a bulldog. I then show them how smart their dog is; so smart that they have convinced their guardian that they can't learn anything.
Bulldogs are physically challenged though and you must take this into consideration. They cannot tolerate the heat well due to their flat muzzle and their bodies are not meant for swimming. Please take great caution around water with your bulldog.
Another misconception is that they are meant to be fat; your bulldog will probably have you convinced that they are continually starving; they do love food. But there is nothing more beautiful that a shapely bulldog. So exercise and a proper diet are a must.
I love bulldogs.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What's for dinner?
What did your dogs have for dinner tonight? My guys had salmon, potato, peas, and ground flax seed. Luke had a smidgin of butter on his just to get him started. These dogs are very lucky that their Dad fishes alot. And for me cooking the salmon is becoming a daily routine that is getting easier and easier. I've now figured out how to easily rid the fish of their bones and the meat comes right off of the skin.
The peas I had forgotten that i bought for them a couple of weeks ago and found at the bottom of the freezer. They had obviously been pushed out of the way to make room for the cream puffs, ice cream and other goodies. We had mashed potatos for dinner so the dogs got their potatos before I added the butter and sour cream. And the ground flax seed is something we have all started eating, its good for everyone.
I think I might make a trip to the butcher tomorrow for a raw treat for the dogs. I typically pick up stewing beef when I'm going to feed raw because then I don't have to cut it up which can be quite a process for three hungry mouths.
All three are tucked in and covered up with their down comforters, it's chilly tonight.
Sweet dreams.
Stiff dogs
Good morning, Luke is feeling much better since his neck incident. By Wed. he was loads better and charging around the house. If Luke does not get out and get rid of some excess energy he tends to zoom. And at 25" tall and just about all legs zooming is a pretty hilarious site.
So Wed. afternoon I took the two poodles to my "secret" field to have a run. I figured if Luke just ran around on his own that he was much less likely to reinjure himself, WRONG!!! Luke is one of those dogs that loves to run just for the pure joy of running. Once off his leased and released he always charges full steam ahead for a couple sessions around the field.
He is a joy to watch, when a dog runs because they love to; it is quite a site to see. We didn't stay long, just long enough to get his ya ya's out for the day and back home. Once we were home for about an hour I could see that the run had not been a good idea. He was back to the painful neck stage from a couple of days before.
So, with rest and as much babying as caninely possible he is good again. He did not go for any canyon runs this weekend but a trip around the block instead. It is no ordinary trip around the block though; my husband pushes the. But no crazy hair turns, jumping, spinning or jamming on the breaks. Luke wears a body harness so there is no neck jarring either.
So they had their exercise and he is no worse for it; infact he has his happy face on. A good way to start the week off tomorrow.
So Wed. afternoon I took the two poodles to my "secret" field to have a run. I figured if Luke just ran around on his own that he was much less likely to reinjure himself, WRONG!!! Luke is one of those dogs that loves to run just for the pure joy of running. Once off his leased and released he always charges full steam ahead for a couple sessions around the field.
He is a joy to watch, when a dog runs because they love to; it is quite a site to see. We didn't stay long, just long enough to get his ya ya's out for the day and back home. Once we were home for about an hour I could see that the run had not been a good idea. He was back to the painful neck stage from a couple of days before.
So, with rest and as much babying as caninely possible he is good again. He did not go for any canyon runs this weekend but a trip around the block instead. It is no ordinary trip around the block though; my husband pushes the. But no crazy hair turns, jumping, spinning or jamming on the breaks. Luke wears a body harness so there is no neck jarring either.
So they had their exercise and he is no worse for it; infact he has his happy face on. A good way to start the week off tomorrow.
Friday, November 9, 2007
2 TGIF posts?
Hello again, I was just sitting on my kitchen floor holding Luke's breakfast. What an image eh? Here you go your Highness!!! Well, its not like that; Luke has got a really sore neck and finds it very difficult to lower his head to his bowl. And the whole raised bowl issue is one that I don't buy except for when they are hurting. So anyway, there I was on the floor watching him take every mouthful when I thought that I should let you all know what I feed my dogs.
So many people that I talk to are diehard "dogfood" feeders. Many people have asked me "you cand feed that to your dog?" When I tell them what I feed. So, this morning my guys had a cooked breakfast, ground beef, king salmon, potatoe, ground flax seed and chopped baby greens. Sounds pretty good. Lastnight as I sat on the floor again they ate cooked beef, cut apple, tomatoe and pasta.
The great thing about feeding the dogs this way is that their system gets use to eating differently everyday, like us. So many dogs that eat the same thing day in and day out; get an upset stomach with the slightest change in their diet. So this way, wherever I am or whatever I am doing I can feed my dogs and be pretty certain their stomachs will be okay. Now of course there are things that upset them, some things are very individual and some are more across the board.
Fat is a very big no no. All of my beef is rinsed; once cooked I rinse off all of the fat. I buy my beef at Trader Joe's; it cost 1.99lb which is a great price but it does have a little bit higher fat content that the expensive stuff. I always trim the fat from any meat they are getting and make sure to remove the skin from the fish. I often will make them an omlette for breakfast; it is very different from the one I make my husband and son. ;)
Have a good one!
So many people that I talk to are diehard "dogfood" feeders. Many people have asked me "you cand feed that to your dog?" When I tell them what I feed. So, this morning my guys had a cooked breakfast, ground beef, king salmon, potatoe, ground flax seed and chopped baby greens. Sounds pretty good. Lastnight as I sat on the floor again they ate cooked beef, cut apple, tomatoe and pasta.
The great thing about feeding the dogs this way is that their system gets use to eating differently everyday, like us. So many dogs that eat the same thing day in and day out; get an upset stomach with the slightest change in their diet. So this way, wherever I am or whatever I am doing I can feed my dogs and be pretty certain their stomachs will be okay. Now of course there are things that upset them, some things are very individual and some are more across the board.
Fat is a very big no no. All of my beef is rinsed; once cooked I rinse off all of the fat. I buy my beef at Trader Joe's; it cost 1.99lb which is a great price but it does have a little bit higher fat content that the expensive stuff. I always trim the fat from any meat they are getting and make sure to remove the skin from the fish. I often will make them an omlette for breakfast; it is very different from the one I make my husband and son. ;)
Have a good one!
TGIF once again
Good morning, the weather is great; nice and cool and yesterday I was even chilly. I plan on enjoying every chilly minute of it this weekend before it goes back to normal temps. I'm sure the retail shops will be thrilled about the cooler weather. Here in California most people aren't big fans of the cold so they will be hitting the malls. That and the fact that the cooler weather makes you want to start your Christmas shopping.
But for those who have dogs; its great news. So often it is just too hot to do anything with your dogs; except to hit the beach. So the beach will be less crowded for sure, good time to be at the beach I say!! And photography? It is so nice to do a shoot and not be trying to keep cool at the sametime. You wouldn't think that simply photographing dogs makes you hot but it does. It is the constant up, down, up, down. So when the weather is in the 80s or 90s, I'm not a happy shooter.
I had a great shoot yesterday; with a great dog and great guardians. It was in fact with a Great Dane; a wonderfully gentle giant. If any dog could sell you on the amazing qualities of the breed; it is this big boy. Walking up to their front door you see the head of the giant peering through the front window. No need to knock, he knows you're there; and you know he knows by the bellowing bark coming from within.
Everytime I see a dog of this size I am truly amazed. I have met many Great Danes in training but this guy is special. Not only is he gorgeous to look at but he has the most wonderful temperament. And to top it off he is one of my star students. I love to hear how early training got a dog on the right track. And that "positive reinforcement training" works for all sizes. So many people think that only small dogs can be trained using positive methods, sad. Dogs from the tiniests to the tallest, sensitive, confident to the bull headed all benefit from positive training methods.
This Great Dane is proof enough that large dogs don't need harsh training. To think that large dogs should be trained differently than small dogs is just as ridiculous as treating small dogs like dolls instead of the dogs that they are. Each dog is an individual; but size has nothing to do with how you train a dog. Size has only to do with where you step or how you decorate your home; or maybe the size of car you purchase. :)
I love them all, pocket pups, the middle man up to the gentle giants.
Can't wait to meet some new dogs today!!!!
But for those who have dogs; its great news. So often it is just too hot to do anything with your dogs; except to hit the beach. So the beach will be less crowded for sure, good time to be at the beach I say!! And photography? It is so nice to do a shoot and not be trying to keep cool at the sametime. You wouldn't think that simply photographing dogs makes you hot but it does. It is the constant up, down, up, down. So when the weather is in the 80s or 90s, I'm not a happy shooter.
I had a great shoot yesterday; with a great dog and great guardians. It was in fact with a Great Dane; a wonderfully gentle giant. If any dog could sell you on the amazing qualities of the breed; it is this big boy. Walking up to their front door you see the head of the giant peering through the front window. No need to knock, he knows you're there; and you know he knows by the bellowing bark coming from within.
Everytime I see a dog of this size I am truly amazed. I have met many Great Danes in training but this guy is special. Not only is he gorgeous to look at but he has the most wonderful temperament. And to top it off he is one of my star students. I love to hear how early training got a dog on the right track. And that "positive reinforcement training" works for all sizes. So many people think that only small dogs can be trained using positive methods, sad. Dogs from the tiniests to the tallest, sensitive, confident to the bull headed all benefit from positive training methods.
This Great Dane is proof enough that large dogs don't need harsh training. To think that large dogs should be trained differently than small dogs is just as ridiculous as treating small dogs like dolls instead of the dogs that they are. Each dog is an individual; but size has nothing to do with how you train a dog. Size has only to do with where you step or how you decorate your home; or maybe the size of car you purchase. :)
I love them all, pocket pups, the middle man up to the gentle giants.
Can't wait to meet some new dogs today!!!!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The fat ones
There are alot of fat dogs out in the world and there is simply no excuse for it. While watching the ugliest dog contest on T.V. a lady arrived with her very distended hairless dog. They all looked about the same in the face, hard to choose. But the fact that their little faces were twisted, their teeth east and west with bulging eyes didnt' make them ugly to me at all. I think the whole contest is awful, I think all dogs are beautiful and this is just another way for all involved to make money.
The fat dog took the cake in this years contest. Did this woman with the with the winning dog try to get her dog this fat? Did she think that it would help in her attempts to win "The ugliest dog" competition? Well shame on her for not caring that her dog was dangerously overweight. When I see a fat dog it makes me sad, fat dogs cannot have the fun that they could have otherwise if they were not fat. Okay, I know I could use to loose several pounds myself but that's me. But my dogs are another story completely.
I have always kept my dogs very lean, they are amazingly healthy other than the bizarre things like spider bites on tails. So what is it in our human nature that sees a fat dog and continues to stuff it? It is that big ole heart thing. Many people feel that feeding their dog treats and goodies or even just plain overfeeding them their food is how we show our love for them.
I've seen shows on tv where the owner simply cannot stop giving her hugely obese dogs more and more food; which is adding to an already scary weight. I am blunt about fat dogs and if one of my clients has a few extra around the middle I am not shy to let the guardians know about it. Many people aren't sure how to tell if their dog is fat. Some people are in denial, some don't know and are shocked when I give them the news.
You should be able to feel your dogs ribs, they should have a nice thin layer of say "neoprene" on them. But anything more is excess. Wolves in the wild do not get fat, wild dogs either. If your dog is fat it is either a health issue or your own fault. After having your dogs health checked and getting a clean bill of health you need to look in a mirror. If you truly love your dog cut back the food and get them out of the house. Exercise is the simplest way to get rid of those extra pounds.
But be careful when you start the exercise program, start out very slow and build as your dogs ability grows. I have seen many young dogs waddle around a park; gazing at the running dogs wishing that could join in. It may not be easy for us to stop reaching for those goodies but we have all the control when it comes to our dogs weight, use it.
The fat dog took the cake in this years contest. Did this woman with the with the winning dog try to get her dog this fat? Did she think that it would help in her attempts to win "The ugliest dog" competition? Well shame on her for not caring that her dog was dangerously overweight. When I see a fat dog it makes me sad, fat dogs cannot have the fun that they could have otherwise if they were not fat. Okay, I know I could use to loose several pounds myself but that's me. But my dogs are another story completely.
I have always kept my dogs very lean, they are amazingly healthy other than the bizarre things like spider bites on tails. So what is it in our human nature that sees a fat dog and continues to stuff it? It is that big ole heart thing. Many people feel that feeding their dog treats and goodies or even just plain overfeeding them their food is how we show our love for them.
I've seen shows on tv where the owner simply cannot stop giving her hugely obese dogs more and more food; which is adding to an already scary weight. I am blunt about fat dogs and if one of my clients has a few extra around the middle I am not shy to let the guardians know about it. Many people aren't sure how to tell if their dog is fat. Some people are in denial, some don't know and are shocked when I give them the news.
You should be able to feel your dogs ribs, they should have a nice thin layer of say "neoprene" on them. But anything more is excess. Wolves in the wild do not get fat, wild dogs either. If your dog is fat it is either a health issue or your own fault. After having your dogs health checked and getting a clean bill of health you need to look in a mirror. If you truly love your dog cut back the food and get them out of the house. Exercise is the simplest way to get rid of those extra pounds.
But be careful when you start the exercise program, start out very slow and build as your dogs ability grows. I have seen many young dogs waddle around a park; gazing at the running dogs wishing that could join in. It may not be easy for us to stop reaching for those goodies but we have all the control when it comes to our dogs weight, use it.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The art of sniffing
Sniffing, our dogs are big sniffers. Some dogs are super sniffers; those who have been bred for years to use their nose for a purpose. Breeds like the bloodhound; which happens to be the best sniffer in the canine world. Here is a link to a great article on the scent ability of the bloodhound http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/underdogs/bloodhounds.html
All dogs sniff, you can watch them on a daily basis even within your own home. If you keep a close eye on the nose you'll see it twitching back and forth. I am continually amazed how my dogs can walk out to the backyard and know immediately that there is a critter close by. They pace back and forth, noses in the air as they follow the scent trail. I love watching them when they are in full pursuit.
Some dogs rely more on their vision than scent but that does not mean that they aren't just as good at scenting. My Jack Russell is a great scent dog but when she is pushed and excited she will opt to use her vision before her nose. My poodles on the other hand are much more prone to sniff first and look second. Infact my boy Luke sniffs out spiders; yes he is the great spider hunter of the Southwest. I thought it was pure coincidence the first time it happened but time and time again I would see him frozen in stance; head down and staring. It was always a spider. He has even dug unstoppably under the coffee table or couch; much to our dismay. When trying to stop him doesn't work; we finally give in and move the furniture to find the little spider culprit. It is always there.
Yesterday I took my little Jessie on a nice walk down a really great trail with a creek. It takes us forever to get any distance at all and my power walking idea does not happen until she gets her smelling done with. Smelling is very important for dogs and those guardians who hate dealing with it need to understand how important that it is. Like I said Jessie will often opt for vision before scent but not when she is out alone on a trail. She will find a spot and smell each blade of grass, each side of one particular leaf and then like clockwork; pee on it.
Have you ever noticed your dog walking along when they stop dead in their tracks? Their head goes up and their nose twitches madly until they find the source of smell. My dogs often press their nose firmly over a whole on the ground and immediately know if there is an occupant in it or not. And many times I have opened a new package of meat and wait to see how long the smell takes to get to my dogs who are in the other room. It is only seconds before they all wander in with twitching noses to see what's cooking.
A good session of sniffing out in a new environment is just as important as a physical run for dogs. Imagine all the informaiton that their brain is processing when they are surrounded by new smells. I am often asked about the sniffing; "my dogs sniffs like crazy, how do I stop it?" You don't. What you do want to do is control it. I always tell people that they should allow their dog to sniff on the way out and if they want to get some serious walking in; then do that on the way back on a walk.
Now that doesn't mean that you have to do it everytime you go outside nor does it mean that you must stand awaiting your dogs sniffing completion for 20 min. My JRT could stay at one spot for up to 1/2 hour; I'm sure of it. So after she has a good whiff of a section I ask her to come along to the next one so that we can move a bit. And yesterday I had predecided that it was her walk on the way out, mine on the way back.
Being so close to the ground probably has something to do with it. My poodles like to sniff but if I'm walking they are with me, only occassionally reaching down if something really great catches their nose. Sniffing is what they do and what they were meant to do so take your dog to new places, not the same ole walk everyday. They'll have a blast sniffing all of the new scents out there; and you'll be working their brain.
All dogs sniff, you can watch them on a daily basis even within your own home. If you keep a close eye on the nose you'll see it twitching back and forth. I am continually amazed how my dogs can walk out to the backyard and know immediately that there is a critter close by. They pace back and forth, noses in the air as they follow the scent trail. I love watching them when they are in full pursuit.
Some dogs rely more on their vision than scent but that does not mean that they aren't just as good at scenting. My Jack Russell is a great scent dog but when she is pushed and excited she will opt to use her vision before her nose. My poodles on the other hand are much more prone to sniff first and look second. Infact my boy Luke sniffs out spiders; yes he is the great spider hunter of the Southwest. I thought it was pure coincidence the first time it happened but time and time again I would see him frozen in stance; head down and staring. It was always a spider. He has even dug unstoppably under the coffee table or couch; much to our dismay. When trying to stop him doesn't work; we finally give in and move the furniture to find the little spider culprit. It is always there.
Yesterday I took my little Jessie on a nice walk down a really great trail with a creek. It takes us forever to get any distance at all and my power walking idea does not happen until she gets her smelling done with. Smelling is very important for dogs and those guardians who hate dealing with it need to understand how important that it is. Like I said Jessie will often opt for vision before scent but not when she is out alone on a trail. She will find a spot and smell each blade of grass, each side of one particular leaf and then like clockwork; pee on it.
Have you ever noticed your dog walking along when they stop dead in their tracks? Their head goes up and their nose twitches madly until they find the source of smell. My dogs often press their nose firmly over a whole on the ground and immediately know if there is an occupant in it or not. And many times I have opened a new package of meat and wait to see how long the smell takes to get to my dogs who are in the other room. It is only seconds before they all wander in with twitching noses to see what's cooking.
A good session of sniffing out in a new environment is just as important as a physical run for dogs. Imagine all the informaiton that their brain is processing when they are surrounded by new smells. I am often asked about the sniffing; "my dogs sniffs like crazy, how do I stop it?" You don't. What you do want to do is control it. I always tell people that they should allow their dog to sniff on the way out and if they want to get some serious walking in; then do that on the way back on a walk.
Now that doesn't mean that you have to do it everytime you go outside nor does it mean that you must stand awaiting your dogs sniffing completion for 20 min. My JRT could stay at one spot for up to 1/2 hour; I'm sure of it. So after she has a good whiff of a section I ask her to come along to the next one so that we can move a bit. And yesterday I had predecided that it was her walk on the way out, mine on the way back.
Being so close to the ground probably has something to do with it. My poodles like to sniff but if I'm walking they are with me, only occassionally reaching down if something really great catches their nose. Sniffing is what they do and what they were meant to do so take your dog to new places, not the same ole walk everyday. They'll have a blast sniffing all of the new scents out there; and you'll be working their brain.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
How can people not know
Along with a nice hike with my dogs on Sunday I spent the afternoon shopping with one of my daughters. She went ahead of me by an hour or two; she loves to shop. Once I got to the mall we hit the regular spots and then took a quick coffee break; unfortunately the coffee shop is across from the pet store.
As I sat watching the people flow in and out of the store a little scruffy puppy was catching everyones eye. Even after years of showing dogs and researching rare and new breeds I hadn't a clue what it was. It was adorable; I could see that; but it did not resemble any of the breeds that I knew or fashionable mixes that are so popular these days.
I watched a little girl lead her Mother into the store to see this particular puppy. Mom was petting the puppy but the puppy was not intereacting with the Mom, a bad sign right off. The store was packed and people were coming out with armfuls of goodies, several with puppies. And a huge sign says "no money down, 0% financing; are we at the car lot? Oh ya, we are at the mall and this is a puppy mill supporter.
As my daugther joined me I asked "how can people not know?" With all the news about puppy mills and pet stores I cannot believe that people simply don't know. Admittedly it is difficult to see from the eyes of someone not in the world of dogs so I listened to my daughter. She said "people just don't know." Talking to people she knows, friends, acquaintances and customers at work she stated "people simply don't know." But how can we change this?
As I sat and watched the adorable puppies in the windows all I could see was the image of their parents, breeders. The breeder dogs left behind to live a solitary life, alone in filth. Never knowing the meaning of a family or loving home. And when they no longer can push their bodies to conceive puppies they are dumped, euthanized or left.
I will not enter a pet store that sells puppies. I have on occassion but I know I'll end up being physically removed; so I dont' go there. If I did, I would bring a soap box and stand to tell everyone the sorted details of the past life of these little puppies. How so many of my clients ended up with sick, malformed and mentally unstable dogs from these stores. There are several big ones in the area and one that hits on the celebs, who should know better and who could spread the word just by using their voice.
As I sat watching the people flow in and out of the store a little scruffy puppy was catching everyones eye. Even after years of showing dogs and researching rare and new breeds I hadn't a clue what it was. It was adorable; I could see that; but it did not resemble any of the breeds that I knew or fashionable mixes that are so popular these days.
I watched a little girl lead her Mother into the store to see this particular puppy. Mom was petting the puppy but the puppy was not intereacting with the Mom, a bad sign right off. The store was packed and people were coming out with armfuls of goodies, several with puppies. And a huge sign says "no money down, 0% financing; are we at the car lot? Oh ya, we are at the mall and this is a puppy mill supporter.
As my daugther joined me I asked "how can people not know?" With all the news about puppy mills and pet stores I cannot believe that people simply don't know. Admittedly it is difficult to see from the eyes of someone not in the world of dogs so I listened to my daughter. She said "people just don't know." Talking to people she knows, friends, acquaintances and customers at work she stated "people simply don't know." But how can we change this?
As I sat and watched the adorable puppies in the windows all I could see was the image of their parents, breeders. The breeder dogs left behind to live a solitary life, alone in filth. Never knowing the meaning of a family or loving home. And when they no longer can push their bodies to conceive puppies they are dumped, euthanized or left.
I will not enter a pet store that sells puppies. I have on occassion but I know I'll end up being physically removed; so I dont' go there. If I did, I would bring a soap box and stand to tell everyone the sorted details of the past life of these little puppies. How so many of my clients ended up with sick, malformed and mentally unstable dogs from these stores. There are several big ones in the area and one that hits on the celebs, who should know better and who could spread the word just by using their voice.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Playing hard and injuries
Not only humans play too hard and get hurt. My boy Luke is hurt again this morning and he is soaking up the sympathy to the best of his ability. I don't know what he did yesterday but I joined my husband in the morning for the canyon walk. Luke was as usual; up front and in the lead. Jessie was on and off her extension lead depending on my fear level of coyotes in the vicinity and Tilley, well perfectly by my side as usual.
There were no spills, no wipe outs and no obvious incidents to let us know what happened to Luke. But once home and eating lunch I immediately knew something was wrong. I am very conscious of the slightest changes in body posture from my own and other dogs. As Luke displayed some "please give me a piece of ham" behavior he held his head just "off" enough for me to see something was not right. I told my husband, he's hurt his neck again.
Luke is from show dog lines, he's not a showdog but he is very long and flashy; just the way they like them in the ring. So he suffers from neck and leg injuries all the time. Tilley is built much more squarely and rarely is injured in this way. Tilley can turn on a dime, Luke takes a wide attempt when turning and even then often wipes out with his feet slipping beneath him.
So now we have a dog with a sore neck. He will baby himself and expect the same from me today. How can I not when he looks at me with those big sad eyes begging for sympathy. Afterall he is my baby at the moment and I do tend to need something to nurture. He will receive bufferin for the pain and lots of hugs and kisses to make him feel better, at least it helps me to feel better. :)
There is always someone to take care of, whether they are furless or furry.
There were no spills, no wipe outs and no obvious incidents to let us know what happened to Luke. But once home and eating lunch I immediately knew something was wrong. I am very conscious of the slightest changes in body posture from my own and other dogs. As Luke displayed some "please give me a piece of ham" behavior he held his head just "off" enough for me to see something was not right. I told my husband, he's hurt his neck again.
Luke is from show dog lines, he's not a showdog but he is very long and flashy; just the way they like them in the ring. So he suffers from neck and leg injuries all the time. Tilley is built much more squarely and rarely is injured in this way. Tilley can turn on a dime, Luke takes a wide attempt when turning and even then often wipes out with his feet slipping beneath him.
So now we have a dog with a sore neck. He will baby himself and expect the same from me today. How can I not when he looks at me with those big sad eyes begging for sympathy. Afterall he is my baby at the moment and I do tend to need something to nurture. He will receive bufferin for the pain and lots of hugs and kisses to make him feel better, at least it helps me to feel better. :)
There is always someone to take care of, whether they are furless or furry.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Beach entanglement
Good Sat. morning. I took the dogs to the beach yesterday and enjoyed every tangled moment. I typically take either Jessie the small one or the poodles and its not because I can't handle three, it is the size difference. Jessie is 12" at the shoulders and the poodles around 25". That's some difference and the biggest issue in size difference is that Jessie tends to walk under the poodles alot.
But I was in the mood to spend an hour at the beach with all of my dogs so once we were all piled into the car we were off. Luke of course knew where we were going the minute I got off of the toll road. Luckily at this time of year the parking is great and I get to park a stone throw from the beach. Everyone had their harnesses on and off we went.
I had a momentary non mellow moment as one very stupid driver almost ran us over. I immediately kick into protective mode and screamed at the guy; "watch it you *&&%# idiot." He seemed unphased by my attack and kept driving; "ah, I hate people." So we continued across the Pacific Coast Hwy to the beach. This is the point where Luke starts to cry and pace. Once on the boardwalk you really have to watch your step. The boards that makeup the boardwalk are now heaved up and down, bowed and splayed from years of salty, damp weather.
We didn't stay on the boardwalk long and opted to jump off as we saw a Chow making its way to us. The owner was pulling it way off to one side which is a clear sign that "we aren't friendly." Now down in the sand, I take off my flipflops and put them into my trusty flipflop clip on my belt. I need both hands and from past experiences, holding flipflops in my hands is a big hinderance.
I wore a pair of sweats which I shouldn't have done but thought about Jessie when I put them on. She does not like to go into the water so figured I'd be good in pants with her, wrong. The poodle desire to go into the water was much stronger than jessie's desire not to, yep I was soaked. Walking down the beach with the bottom of my pants heavy with sand and water is less than perfect but it was my own fault. I never wear pants to the beach and should have known better.
It was a hazy day the type where the sky and water meld into one big bright white haze. Not picture perfect by any means but it was cooler and the beach was much less crowded. We always start out to the right, make the quick trip to the rocks and then turn around to walk down the longer left side of the beach. It was obvious by the people around that the site of these three dogs really made people happy, lots of pointing and smiling faces hint of it.
We were stopped almost 3/4 of the way down the beach by a lady inquiring into what type of dogs these all were. She first asked me if I was a dog walker. Now I guess in actuallity I am a dog walker but I let her know that these were all mine. She seemed to be quite fascinated and stayed to talk a while. She then thanked us for taking the time to talk and meet the dogs and went her way, nice lady.
Several times on our walk we stopped and sat in the sand just to watch the comings and goings. I love the picture of Luke sitting in the sand, his coloring matches and his big furriness just looks like he's going to bring home a ton of beach with him. So after we finished our walk we safely crossed back over to the parking lot and jumped into the car. A really nice afternoon.
Friday, November 2, 2007
It's November already
I can't believe where the time has gone. Sometimes life just gets going a little bit too fast and we need to slow it down a bit. I think hitting the beach today might just slow it down for me a little. Doesn't a walk on the beach just make you slow down? Not only mentally but definitely physically, how hard is it to walk in sand?
Anyhow, I was out lastnight and on my return I was being barked at pretty steadily as I hunted for my keys. The dogs know its me, I tell them through the door. We also have a window they can see me through, I'm a little distorted but they know its me. Luke was the trouble maker and was not stopping, he wasn't even considering it. You can always tell if they are thinking about listening or not. He wasn't.
I don't know if I've mentioned it before or not but Luke's common greeting when he is super excited is what we call the praying mantise. He comes at you with out stretched arms up on his hind legs. Its a definite "watch your eyes" behavior. As physcially dangerous as it is; it always brings a smile to my face. He truly is a whirling maniac. The barking does not stop once I'm in but is added to by some spinning, jumping and biting.
Luke is in full coat right now so has a nice big furry face to grab a hold of when it comes to close. He was full of it lastnight and along with all the regular craziness did add biting. If you didin't know him and his crazy routine; this would be quite a frightening scene. So, I stop in my tracks and stand upright; the spinning slows right away. I tell him not ask him; to sit. Once he is sitting more or less he is much calmer.
You can hear his heaving breathing of excitement, it is all he can do to keep in the sit position. And if you bend down to talk to him; the chance of having your hair bit is pretty good. Just the other day my daughter came down in the morning after waking up. Luke always gives the hugest greeting even in the morning; and he latched onto her hair pretty good. "Mom, Luke just bit and pulled my hair." "Yes, he does that."
Once you start to move he either completely stops his excitement and just relaxes or more often he follows while constantly nudging your legs the whole way. We have a big mirror in the diningroom so on the way to the kitchen I can watch his behavior by my side. With an open mouth (when he's happy its open) his head is stuck to my leg, he is a very physical guy.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Noise and doorbells
I'm grouchy this morning, its early; not even 6 am yet and I'm so groggy. I was awakened at 4 by the dog next door as she attempted to catch some sort of rodent from behind the garbage bins. She is an outside dog and you all know how I feel about outside dogs. Being that she is on the far side of the garage I'm sure her owners were nice and cozy sleeping away while I listened to her moving the garbage bins around in her chase.
As lastnight was Halloween I dashed off to the store to get a doorbell. Since we moved into our new home we have been doorbell less. But having no doorbell when all the little munchkins come a calling is tough. So I got one that has 64 different chimes, its pretty cool. My daughter and I sat and listened to many until finally settling on the sports charge.
Of course everyone in the family didn't think that this was the best choice of rings so once again we went through many to find just the right ring. What I did realize and had not even considered when I purchased the bell was that there was so many different rings. Once the dogs get adjusted to one ring and the idea of that meaning someone is at the door, I can change it.
Lastnight they never barked once until the bell was put onto the traditional ding dong sound. That was the "ah ha" moment as Oprah says. This is going to be a great thing. Typically we desensitize the doorbell by ringing it whenever, especially when no one is around. Then once the bell is rung you go about your business like nothing. This really works great; giving the doorbell less meaning to the dogs.
I think this is great, a new sound each week will keep the dogs in the dark hopefully.
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