Children and pets

I have worked with alot of children and their dogs. Most of the time working with the kids on the sidelines with Mom and Dad being the main caregivers. But several times the parents have taken a step back and left me to work with their child and dog alone. Feeling that the child wanted the dog and the child will be caring for the dog; hey I may as well teach the child.

A couple of times it has not been a good idea. Once the child was too young; another time the child was a "no it all" and wouldn't listen to a word I said which left me no alternative but to discuss it with the parent. And one situation was a little out of the childs reach, the dog was overly dominant. I do believe that children should learn all about their pets; whether it be a dog, cat or hamster.

We don't just know how to deal with animals and as humans we make a whole lot of mistakes. So I was thinking that a "pet" class in school would be very worth while. Why not teach our children about animals and how to treat them. There could be classes on all sorts of pets, with general care and behavior on all. It would be a great chance to teach children about kindness and empathy towards animals.

Studies have shown that children who regularly interact with animals have a higher levels of self esteem, greater empathy, and better social skills. Many adults haven't a clue how to raise a dog; yet for some reason we all feel like "we can do it, it's just a dog." Imagine if we all learned the basics; how great for both humans and animals alike.

Looking forward to Saturday

What a crazy week; you know those weeks where you feel like your head might just explode? Well; my week was like that.

I had a beach shoot lastnight with an amazingly gorgeous dog; simply stunning images. There were quite a few dogs on the beach having fun. This was another new place for me and one that I will bring my own dogs back to.

When I got home I got my normal big greeting with a hint of "where were you?" My dogs are very use to me smelling like other dogs and take in stride. Tilley was missing from the pack when I got home so I put all my stuff down and started looking. Her color lends to a camouflage effect often so I really have to look. Not in the familyroom, not in my room, the kids rooms are empty................hmmmmm.

I was standing at the top of the stairs thinking where to look next when she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She had clearly been sleeping in the livingroom on the couch. Her face and her ears told me so. She has taken to sleeping on the sofas even though she knows they are not suppose to sleep on the sofas. And I know when I came in that she had a mental battle with herself. Stay in her amazingly comfortable spot or get up and greet Mom? She chose the couch for a bit and then I won.

It was tough waking up this morning; even with a nice hot cup of coffee waiting right beside me. I can't wait for tomorrow. I'm an early riser and sleeping in for me usually only means 7am but that 1 1/2 -2 extra hours seems like heaven. I was once at a conference when the speaker said "imagine sleeping until you're done?" That phrase has stuck with me over the years; it's a good one. It is much easier to wake up when you are done sleeping rather than be awaken before you're done.

The dogs are all curled up on my bed and I am contemplating clipping Luke. Tilley had her grooming lastweek and I was suppose to do Luke today. But; I adore his blonde, luxurious coat. He was bathed and dried a couple days ago making him a huggable magnet. Everyone is constantly touching or hugging him. Even Jessie loves when his coat is like this and I will find her curled up beside him with her head resting on a giant pillow of loose blonde curls.

The girls had their apple in bed; its not a huge favorite but they like it alright. Luke on the other hand will have to move if I put a piece beside him; he doesn't do apple. But, once I get the Liver Biscotti out everyone's ears are up. It is the one thing that Luke has NEVER turned down, that's huge. I have to admit it's a great product.

I am pondering my day; perhaps the beach with the dogs this morning. Well, whatever...............I can't wait for tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

When a touch is a bad thing

You wanted a dog to be your companion and now you cannot even touch him. Does your dog growl at your touch? Many dogs are not okay with human touch; some came this way and some have learned how to keep you away. But no matter how your dog got here it is not a good place to be. You want to snuggle with, brush and cut their nails but each time you touch them they growl. How can you change this?

First; dogs are not humans and because of this they don't accept some human behaviors like we would. Take my girl Tilley; she is an amazing dog, she loves the entire family and loves to snuggle. She can be found daily with her head pressed on someones chest soaking in all the love she can. But if you try to hug her she pulls away; is this strange? No. Dogs don't hug; a hug in dog terms is a mount and very undesirable at that.

Even though Tilley loves to snuggle she is not comfortable with a direct hug. But she has never growled over it; she just is not comfortable receiving one. When a dog does growl; it is a clear signal of something. Whether they are not comfortable or they just don't want it a growl is a communication. Some dogs just growl and that is as far as they'll take it. Others will up the communication if their message doesn't work.

So how do you turn your untouchable into a touchable, loveable, snuggable? It must be done in very tiny baby steps, push too hard and your work will backfire. The method is simple; link a favorite thing with an undesirable action. Most dogs hate to have their nails cut; it's a normal dog thing and it starts with the feet. So let's start there because so many dogs have foot issues.

Get out the best treats you can, and if your dog doesn't like treats then get out whatever they do love. It may be peanut butter, a favorite type of chew or a toy. Sit beside your dog and bring out a treat, touch foot and give the treat. Only touch the foot for a second while treating. Over time make the touching last longer while giving many treats. What you are doing is creating a positive association to a negative situation; thus turning it around.

Once your dog is fine with you touching their feet you want to try to hold their foot, so lots of treats while this is going on. It also really helps to name body parts; especially when they have an issue with it. This gives them a heads up; on what you intend to be doing. My word for feet is......well.....Toadies; that's right. So when I'm going to cut nails or I need to see a foot I just ask them.

Once you can hold your dogs foot with ease you move to pulling on the nails; easily, lots of treats. Sort of massage the foot and give lots of treats. Then you want to introduce the trimmer; touch the foot with the trimmer and treat, treat, treat. Tap the trimmer on a nail and treat. You want to work up to cutting a nail, treat, next nail, treat. I'm not going to discuss the actual trimming as this is not what this blog is about. It is about touch and being cool with it and maybe even learning to love it.

Many dogs go through a stage of not wanting touch strictly because of their age and desire to do what they like; the teenage years. It is so important that you be able to touch your dogs whole body, clip their nails, scrape their teeth, brush them and anything else you'd like to do without being growled at or bitten. With a bit of work you can get there.

Be warned though it is extremely important to start at a place where your dog is not growling. A far distance or a simple one finger touch; you want to avoid the growl entirely. Each time your dog growls and you back off they learn that this is the way to keep you away. So you start before the growl.

Questions?

Dominance aggression within a pack

Dominance - high status in a social group, usually acquired as the result of aggression, that involves the tendency to take priority in access to limited resources, as food, mates, or space.

Aggression - any offensive action, attack, or procedure; an inroad or encroachment: an aggression upon one's rights.

So; putting the two together results in a direct challenge. It does not mean that there will be a bite but it definitely implies there may be if needed. Not all dominance is obtained via aggression. Dominance is a state of being; more so than an aggressive display. Unfortunately the term dominance has been tarnished by it's overuse in the world of dog behavior.

Being dominant is not a bad thing; it just is. What does matter is the particular dominant individuals state of mind and leader qualifications. My boy Luke is a dominant dog but he has no skills and everything is issued with an overly inflated ego and lack of true confidence. So in this house I keep him in his place and will not allow him to be a top ranking dog, he just doesn't deserve it. He would make a poor leader and I know that.

When aggression shows up within a pack; what happens next really depends on the rest of the pack and the human leader. Dogs communicate very clearly and we often miss signals that have been thrown very fast at one another. As a canine guardian it is your job to have your pack running smoothly and that can be alot of work. It definitely means you must know what is going on. Is everyone chill with their status?

Not all dogs are meant to be nor do they want to be the leader. Many dogs are just fine and dandy being a middle man or beta position in wolf terminology. When you are compiling a pack it is very important to pick the right type of dogs to live together. There have been many times when a guardian must place a member of the pack for their own safety. Many times when a verdict cannot easily be reached between fighting pack members; death is a very real possibility. Thus placing a dog is the best option for everyone involved.

Having an easy pack is very enjoyable. But it is not solely about the pack and very much about the human guardian. What you allow and do not allow in a pack makes a big difference. Are you a calm and understanding leader or do you send nerves running through the pack because of your inconsistencies?

In my pack Jessie is the dominant dog; and at nearing 13 and only 15lbs (okay a pudgy 17lbs right now) she needs my assistance to hold onto her status. Tilley is a wonderful Beta dog; she is perfectly fine with being in the middle. Luke pushes Jessie and Tilley occasionally but is quickly reminded that it is not happening. He is very respectful of me; which is extremely important.

Dominance in itself is not a bad thing. A dominant display may be okay in the rudimentary stages; maybe a hard stare or growl but that is as far as it should go. Anything further would be considered aggression and typically brought on from another member not listening. When everyone listens to the top dog; there is no need for further action. Even lower pack members will communicate dislikes with growls; depending on what those details are is when I step in or not.

But I feel very strongly that communication must be allowed with dogs. If you take away lazer stares or growls then they are left with no means of communication. Being punished for these mentioned behaviors can lead to a dog that goes right to the bite.

A happy pack is so much fun to live with; you just have to be on top of it. :)

Trusting your breeder

I have discussed where to get puppies often; and for me one of the best places is a good breeder. One who has a few dogs living in their home, who care for their puppies, do all the health and mental testing and demand alot from a prospective puppy guardian. Afterall these puppies are their babies; it should be tough to pry one away from them.

I have also spoken about choosing a puppy; and how puppy looks should have little or no impact on a decision. With many breeders; there is one choice of a puppy. It is this one puppy or no puppy. This is common practice with good breeders and one that I agree with. Sometimes there are several puppies you have to choose from which means that they are similar in temperament.

Placing puppies with the right home takes work. When I do temperament tests I get to see just how different puppies are. I do believe that where puppies end up can make a huge difference in the adult dog that they will grow into. But an important factor is to place each puppy in the best home for them and the new family. Breeders need to ask alot of questions; and the more honest answers the family gives them the better chance of having a well matched puppy.

Many people feel the need to choose their own puppy. Whether through long distance photos over the internet or in person they feel somehow that they should choose their own. Well, most people have no idea how to choose a puppy other than going with the one that comes to them or the one (as I've said before) with the spot over their eye.

Each puppy is vastly an individual and deals very differently when pulled from the litter. The one in the litter that may seem to be the big bully may indeed be the most fearful once pulled out and tested. The little tiny one who seems lost in the litter may be the agility prospect for the future. Good breeders know their puppies, they have spent hours upon hours watching and assessing. They have watched the slow evolution of each puppy and can best place them in a matching family.

I understand the desire to choose your own puppy; but if you have met a breeder you trust. And this is very important; you should have discussed much with your prospective breeder; and if you are not comfortable getting a puppy from them then move on. There are few great breeders out there; and there are many bad breeders. Finding a good one takes time, talking to referrals and other people who have puppies from this breeder.

Once you feel comfortable and put your trust in this particular breeder; put your trust in them to choose the correct dog for you. In the end it will be the the smartest thing you can do for your puppy and for your family.

Spiderman

It happened again lastnight. I was cleaning up after feeding the dogs before heading downstairs to watch On board Airforce One. I noticed immediately; I hadn't even gotten down the stairs as I noticed that Luke was staring at his couch bed. My husband and son were already enthralled in the show and hadn't seen that he was standing there in a trance. He was standing with his giant ears up staring straight down at somewhere behind his bed.

There is only one thing that causes this body posture and it is spiders. Had it been a lizard; there would have been wagging along with the staring. Being that we have alot of Black widows around here I always listen to Luke's spider detector and take action. We also had a possible spider bite incident over a year ago with Tilley's tail (go to previous posts at the bottom of this post to read more about her tail. Warning gross; read with caution) so no spider goes undetected in this house.

We never intentionally taught Luke to seek out spiders but being that both my husband and my son have arachnophobia; perhaps this is where it came from. But over the years Luke has been praised over and over again for finding spiders. I have always tried to teach him that once found he was to never bite the spider. He is pretty good most of the time and leaves the job to me.

He will stand staring at the evil enemy until someone does something about it. He stands frozen in his "I found a spider" position looking slowly from the spider to myself and back again. He expects us to take action; which I ultimately do. There have been times when I'm busy about the house and upon passing by the livingroom notice him standing there. Who knows how long he has been standing frozen in his spider posture but as soon as I get close he backs up with excitement waiting for the kill.

Once the spider is killed he has a sniff and is good to go. All is well in the Regalbuto household again. But I always wonder what a spider smells like. They must indeed have a quite distinct scent as he is able to find the tiniest of spiders anywhere. But when you think about it; many insects are vegetarians, spiders are predatory which may lend itself to having a greater and more pudgent scent.

But whatever they smell like; Luke knows the smell well. This is a natural ability of his which although we never taught him to do we have praised him for his amazing ability. Dogs truly are amazing.

Learning how to raise a dog

We don't come pre-educated in the art of raising a dog; just like we don't come preprgrammed to play the piano, sail a yacht or do brain surgery. Most things in our life take educating; some things need more education than others but even raising a puppy takes learning. For some reason raising a puppy seems to be one of those things that most people think they've got covered.

If I decided today to get into birds; I would have alot of learning to do. I have no knowledge of domestic birds. I have some knowledge of wild birds as I was an avid bird watcher back in Canada, I knew their migration dates and charted exact days they left and came back to the North. So what makes the canine species seem so simple to people?

Dogs are simple at first glance but the more you know about them the more you realize what you don't know. Raising dogs is like most things in life; not a science. What works for one probably will not work for another. Canine behavior is extremely complicated and in a matter of seconds a dog can have conveyed many communications. And for the untrained eye, you would have missed the signs.

To admit that you don't know and seek to find the answers can only create a better canine guardian. Trying to tackle behavior issues when you are not equipped with the knowledge is an uphill battle. One that you may not only not be able to accomplish but you may indeed create worse problems because of your lack of knowledge.

Learning about dogs is enlightening; if you plan on sharing your life with a dog or many dogs then seek to find the answers. Talk to people who know, do your research and consult behavior experts. Learning how to decipher what your dog is saying takes alot of work and learning. But it is well worth the time, you may actually know what your dog is saying and have the tools to deal with what they are communicating to you.

Happy Friday

It is Friday once again and here in sunny California it is raining. I'm pretty happy about that except that I have to take Jessie; my almost 13 year old jack russell to the vet. My vet is a good 30-40 min. away; more if the traffic is bad and rain means slick road conditions here. Because it doesn't rain often, when it does it's bad.

Yesterday,I was walking my poodles at a park that I frequent alot; the view is amazing. The path that runs around the park is 1/2 of a mile so it is a nice long walk. Every so often I let the dogs off for a rip and then back on. As I was unloading the dogs yesterday there was a woman behind my car with a litle toy poodle; she looked really old and out of shape.


Before I lifted the hatch to my xterra I asked her how old? 13 years old and she looked it. The first thing I noticed was that she was overweight; sad for an old girl to be old and overweight I thought to myself. Thinking of how Jessie looks at 13; you would never guess her age. But it takes alot of work to keep her that way. With her appetite she could easily be dragging that stomach of hers around on the ground with her.

So I opened up the hatch and Luke started his whining. He is such a baby; when he get's excited he whines and the sight of these dogs standing right behind his car was exciting him. I let Tilley out first, wait for Luke to be quiet for a split second and then let him out. The whining continues until we get going on our walk.

I like this walk, there are only a handful of people and dogs and the park is big enough to have lots of space inbetween. My mind starts going right away; as I look out over the city and onto the mountains in the distance I think about everything. My mind wanders and every once in a while I'm brought back to the moment as Luke yanks my arm off when he attempts to chase a rabbit.

A simple exchange can get me thinking about dogs and their people. I love talking to canine guardians about their dogs; hearing about how much their dog means to them. Most people love to talk about their dogs and I love to listen. Each story I hear is stored away in the dog story section of my brain for later use. Not all stories are monumentous but they are all worthy of listening to. Even the most simple of stories about dogs are heartfelt and uplifting.

This connection we humans have with our dogs is a special one. Every so often I think to myself "these are animals" closely related to wolves living in our homes sharing our lives. When Luke yawns only a fraction of an inch from my face giving me a great display of his teeth; it makes me think how lucky we are to have this domesticated animal consider us to be family.

And as I work at my computer I realize that my pack has fallen into place; they are all asleep surrounding me. That makes me smile.

Thursday morning - This and that

Good morning; I'm happy about the weather this morning. A high of 62, overcast and chance of rain :) Yes, finally a little bit of winter weather, winter for Southern California that is. Back home they are having real winter weather. We may not be knee deep in snow and dealing with freeze your face off cold but it is indeed winter here in SoCal.

Puppy season is just around the corner, back home May and June were the big puppy month. But for us we always tried to get our puppies in the winter. Winter is by far the easiest time to housetrain a puppy. Take away all the smells of spring, the warmth of a spring sun and you have housetraining in a snap. The cold, the snow and the wind help make your job easy. You take a puppy out in the cold and presto, you're back in the house in a flash. Living in Canada and having puppies in the winter is where my "hurry up" word came from. Standing out in a blizzard or ice storm, "hurry up" sounds like a reasonable request.

I don't like to take my poodles coats off completely in the winter here because although it may be in the 80s during the day; it get's much colder at night. We do our best to cover them up but of course they get up and move around at night and off go the covers. So at the moment Luke has a full coat and Tilley has a very beautiful gray plush velvet coat. Thanks to my new dryer and she was groomed yesterday. This weekend will be Luke's turn, not sure if he is going to like the dryer or not.

Jessie is going to the vet's tomorrow; she hasn't been in a long while. This will be her first trip to this new vet and she will have a complete blood panel done. We almost lost her 7 years ago do to a severe mystery illness; but we have been blessed to have her now years after her horrible ordeal. She's in good health, her hearing is going a bit and she sleeps much more sound but she's good.

If the rains hold off for a while today I'll take the poodles down to the beach. Jessie had a big walk yesterday at her favorite park; she was pretty tuckered by the end. After the beach I'll hit the gym, it feels really great to be lifting again, its been a while. Once home from the gym it will be a little ear plucking for Tilley, nails for all three and a bit more teeth scraping for Miss oldie (Jess)

It Came!!!!!!!!

It came; even though I just ordered it late Sunday afternoon it came yesterday afternoon. I was in the livingroom when I thought I heard a truck out front; the delivery guy is suppose to ring the bell at least, but nothing. I thought I'd check anyway and sure enough; there was a big Pet Edge box, yes.

First I took out my new brush, nail clippers which I seem to have to buy alot of. These things get dull quickly but when they are sharp; they work great. Then the package of free sample size shampoo and cream rinse; which I would use try immediately. And last but not least was this my new dryer.

I wanted to try it immediately but yesterday was crazy. I waited all afternoon for the washing machine guy; I've been without a washing machine for 2 weeks now, fun. So when he finally arrived I was thrilled; but it only took him minutes to tell me that it wasn't the machine, it was the drain. WHAT? I was so happy to be having my machine back and get the piles of laundry done. Okay; gotta get a plumber here ASAP.

I called my plumbers and amazingly they could come right away. Once we got all that fixed and I had my first load in the machine I just had to try my new dryer. Tilley has been needing a haircut for a couple of weeks so into the shower she went. The dryer is amazing; you can literally feel the water fly off of the coat. She now resembles a gray cottonball and is headed to the grooming table this morning.

The dryer is a bit loud but my guys are well use to being blown dry so not a big deal. They all sort of startled when I first turned it on but that was it. I've had standards for 25 years and now I have a great dryer, about time eh?

Grooming responsibilities

This is not about how to groom but more on if you are up for the job or not. Grooming must be something you consider when you choose a breed. Whether or not you want to groom at all or simply have a dog that requires little in the way of grooming. Before you add a hairy beast to your family you must consider the grooming requirements.

Having standard poodles myself; grooming is a requirement. Somedays there is no grooming to be done and other days alot. But I decided way back when I had my first dog which was an airedale that I was doing it myself. I went on to have standards and have always done the grooming. But the grooming requirements for a poodle are not the same for all; if you are like me you just shave the hair off and don't have to worry about it. When their coats are short and I let them airdry they require no brushing. The coat having dried into nice tight curls rarely matt and are easy to care for.

But if you want a fancy clip on your poodle then yes, there will be grooming to do. And not only regular grooming but regular brushing so that they don't become matted. If you decide you want an OES (old english sheepdog), a golden, collie, labradoodle, afghan, borzoi, spaniel or whatever they require all require grooming.

Breeds like the Doberman, Great dane, whippet, vizsla or weimaraner require next to no grooming but still shed. So brushing on a regular basis helps to minimize the amount of hair in your home. And then there are breeds that seem like they don't need grooming but they do. Breeds with thick or double coats like the GSD (german shepherd dog), labrador, Jack russell, beauceron and the rottweiller all have thick coats that shed a ton. And because of the amount of shedding it is important to brush at least 3 times a week to keep it to a minimum.

Many people would never consider grooming themselves, some breeds are a ton of work. But if you opt to have someone do it for you; it's going to cost you. I had a look around on the web and a large breed will cost you approx 65.00 and up. You have to consider how many times a year that your dog will visit the groomer. The less often you bring your dog in; the more it costs which only stands to reason because it is more work for the groomer.

Grooming dogs is alot of work; I know. It is not something I would want to do as a profession and applaud those who do. And like any business there are good and there are bad. When choosing a groomer it is best to get recommendations.

But whether or not you decide to do it yourself or hire sommeone to do it; grooming is something you need to consider before choosing your dog. Otherwise you can just end up with a big mess and big headache.

Obama dog

Okay this is the one and only time I will discuss this. Typically I don't care about these things but when it has to do with "image" that's when I get my back up. I honestly do not care what type of dog the Obama's acquire, only that they either get a rescue or go to a "good breeder" and my list of what makes a good breeder is a long and stringent one.

Anyhoo, the idea that they would not want a poodle because..........well it's a poodle irks me to no end. Although I have to say that I am happy that the poodle got scratched from the list because becoming popular in the dog world does no favors to the breed. Once a breed becomes popular; all the money sucking heartless humans come out of the woodwork to grab their piece of the pie.

So who are the Obama's consulting with I wonder? Who told them that the Labradoodle is non shedding? Because whoever did is lying. I have had several clients who found this out the hard way. Nothing is sadder than falling in love with a puppy only to find out that they make you sick. And yes some of the labradoodle breeders promote this breed as "hypoallergenic" but there are a few who don't.

I have only met a couple of really good labradoodle breeders over the years. I don't have a problem with mix breeding as long as the breeders are doing all the health and temperament testing and pass my stringent rules for being a good breeder. It is the ones who do it for the money that is the problem and they are the problem for whatever breed you are speaking of.

And what many labradoodle breeders are doing now which leaves me standing wondering about we humans; is breeding a labradoodle back to poodles again. This giving you a 3/4 poodle................hmmmmmmmmmmmm. I understand the genetic issue of this but unless you have a wonderful lab specimen with a clear pedigree then why ruin a good thing? I've met people that have even closer relatives; a 7/8th poodle labradoodle. I bet they cost a fortune too but hey now they can say they have a labradoodle and don't have to admit they have a poodle, honestly.

Now as far as the PWDs; I like the breed myself. I have worked with many and researched them extensively as compared to the poodle. But they are not poodles and having talked with many breeders and people who owned them, they are working dogs. Probably too much dog for the Obama family. But if they go to a "good breeder" they can perhaps get one of the more calm pups or dogs.

I do have to say that it is too bad for them that "image" plays a part in the choosing because as many of us know, poodles are more than what they look like. Infact I am stopped regularly and asked if my dogs are labradoodles. They are often clipped like a labradoodle so being that labradoodle are the "in" dogs now people think that's what they are.

I don't know how many times MEN have said to me "I didn't know I liked poodles" once they find out my dogs are indeed standard poodles. Funny how exterior images plays such a huge part in our day to day, eh?

Aging gracefully

It is sad; I knew it was coming but you just sort of put it at the back of your mind. My husband and I have talked about this moment for a longtime but it still sort of snuck up on us. Tilley has been left at home today; Luke's gone on a run. She has been aging gracefully and very slowly until now. Not that she is old and haggard but the canyon runs are taking alot more out of her.

She is not recouping as fast as she use to and yesterday she was clearly exhausted. Believe me she knows; here she sits on the bed with me listening to the sounds of Luke being hooked up for his run. I know she is devastated; Dad is her one and only, she's always been Daddy's girl.

Tilley is and always has been the epitome of structural perfection. Her movement is easy, her hips and shoulders are amazing and her agility unbelievable. She exudes utility; and she has drive that is off the charts. Tilley has competed in frisbee where she displayed air displays typically reserved for the border collies. She appeared on PetStar twice, been my demo dog, done dock diving and helped many canine fearful people overcome their fears.

Aging has been a very slow process for her but it has arrived. She still has a spring in her step but only half the time. And I have noticed of late that she sounds different when she walks. Just lastnight when my son came home she went to run up the stairs to greet him and fell; so sad.

Tilley can and still loves to go on long walks but the power runs are out now. Lastnight before bed when we take the dogs out for a last trip she moved very slowly from one bed and then plopped down on another. It took us quite a while to convince her to move off the second bed and go outside. The run had clearly been too much for her.

So here she is with Jessie, both laying on the bed with their heads down and ears up. They know where Luke has gone with Dad. Although this is a very sad time for both the girls it is a part of life. And worst still it is us who have make the decision to keep them at home. Given the chance they'd run until they dropped. As guardians and caregivers it is our job to do what is best for them at all stages.

Making them happy now comes in different forms; power runs are out.

Making them smile

I love to make my dogs happy. I mean what is better than a waggy tail and a big smile from your pooch? So I am often thinking of things to make them happy, toys make them happy......all of them. They are all very different in what they do with their toys but getting news ones puts everyone in a good mood.

Yesterday I was out getting my little JRT some chicken for her not so great tummy. On the way I thought I'd pop into Old Navy to see if they had some x-mas toys on sale. You see I always buy toys on sale; in this house they are destroyed quickly and as much as I like to make them all happy, I don't like wasting my money. So, into Old Navy I go and they did have toys on sale. From 7.50 now 1.99; that's what I like to see. So I scooped up 6; I'll probably go back and get more today.

Then onto the grocery store where I look like quite the carnivore going through the cash. Everyone is always looking; I mean just because I'm buying 4 beef roast, 3 packs of chicken breast and 4 packages of liver? Oh, and a box of chamomile tea........funny. At other times it is all the meat and a package of veggie strips; that looks weird.

Once home and through the door I am faced with three very happy dogs. The first thing they know is that I have bags of meat, raw meat. Then I ask them "what did Mommy buy?" This is the statement that sends everyone over the edge; they don't know what it is but they know it is for them. Calmly removing the tags they sit and wait. One for Jessie; she darts off like a bullet. One for Tilley; who takes forever to actually take the toy from my hand, Miss polite she is. And one for Luke; who's pupils are dilated and he wastes no time snatching and running.

None of the dogs are toy guarders, except from each other that is. There is no growling, just a frozen posture that lets the other dogs know the toy is not up for grabs. Jessie is happily nibbling on her toy, Tilley softly mouthing and Luke's tail hasn't stopped wagging as he sqeaks away to his delight.

Me, I sit and watch with a big smile on my face.

The cleanup, not pretty, not for the sensitive stomach

No I don't have a sensitive stomach, not like my husband. I believe that there has to be someone in a family who doesn't get queazy or gag about cleaning up the gross stuff. Otherwise; I can't even imagine otherwise. So in this house that's me; nothing really bothers me and I don't think I've ever gagged in my whole kid and dog life. That I cannot say for most of the other members in this family.

So after having my coffee and waking up; it was cleanup time, nice. I got out all of my equipment, rubber gloves, steam cleaner, cleaning substance, paper towels, bucket, bag and water. First don rubber gloves, next the paper towels. Now, when you attempt to pick up the offending substance you do your best to uplift, not grind in. It is at these special times that I wish I had people; other people to do this. Okay I don't so let's move on.

After you have done your best to scrape the crap off the carpet, you get some cleaning substance and water. Again with paper towels (which I only ever use for puke and crap as they are bad for the environment) you try to clean the surface substance off without further imbedding it into the carpet and worst still the underpadding.

Okay this is where my major gripe is, carpet. Who invented this horrible idea for foot comfort? I hate it; I've been complaining about it for years. Carpet has to be one of the worst inventions ever, wall-to-wall that is. Not the type you can pick up and toss in the machine or bring to the cleaners. We only moved in this home almost 2 years ago and in the near future, there will be no carpet in this house. I mean honestly, kids, dogs and carpet..........hello? Okay, got that out of my system.

Next the steam cleaner which you have hauled out of the garage and filled with special "pet odor" cleaner. It works pretty well but not perfect. Just before using the steam cleaner I pour some good ole vinegar on there. That makes sure that at least some of the smell that reaches the underpadding will be eliminated.

Scrub brush to make sure all those wonderful little fibers are getting covered with cleaner. And then some more steam cleaning. Then the fun of cleaning out the steam cleaner, grunt and groan and complain some more. Then finally; get out the candles and lots of them.

"I love dogs, I love dogs, I love dogs." Have a good one! ; )

Not all dogs communicate so well

The first words I heard this morning were "Sher, watch it." I wasn't even awake but these word take me from a deep sleep to awake; fast. "What?" "Jessie crapped and puked." Don't you just love waking up to that sort of news? I know I do. But for some reason I was blessed with a very tough stomach so the news is not as bad for me as it may be for some. But none the less it is not good news to start off my day.

Funny, lastnight before bed I had one of my weird feelings. For some reason I thought about getting Jessie's crate out. And as my husband has told me several times now "don't ignore those feelings." I shouldn't have and now I pay the price. I'm not sure what Jessie got into or if she may be sick; it is always the question. But the answer 99.9% of the time is something she ate.

She is obviously not a communicator; the only heads up I would get from her at night is if she had been sleeping on my bed. She would have jumped off and that alone would tell me something is up. Although if she had been in her crate she would whine and paw at the door; she doesn't want to mess in her crate. This enables me to get her out before we have a mess. But she doesn't mind messing on the other side of the room from her bed and will crawl right back into her little cave bed once she's done.

But my poodles speak volumes if they need out at night. I've discussed Tilley's moaning before; she makes a closed mouth groaning noise. A noise that is an unmistakable communication. Luke is a springboard communicator; he hurls himself ontop of my husband and then immediately leaps off the bed. He will repeat this athletic move as many times as needs be and thankfully it is always on my husbands side. Once on the ground he stands 1" from the door staring until you open it. So these are my poodles means of communications; Jessie offers none.

So this morning I quickly rounded up the troops and we moved downstairs. I need to wake up before I handle this. Instead of coffee in bed it is coffee infront of the fire under my amazing wolf like fur blanket that my husband gave me for Christmas. I'm kind of a blanket fiend. Dogs are nestled infront of the fire and all is well; down here that is.

It is now time to face the music as they say; wish me luck. Thank goodness I have a steam cleaner. Hope your Friday starts better than mine.

Fat dogs

We are all talking about weight as of late. It's pretty typical being that it is January. January is the resolution month, right? Well I'm right there with ya'll this year and just joined 24hr fitness after a long hiatus. It feels great and I'm really looking forward to getting back into shape. So this morning after much pondering; I had a little writers block, I have decided to blog about fat dogs. Having had my guys at the vet more often lately they've been on the scale alot. Tilley has amazed me with her weight; at the age of almost 12 she weighs the same as she did at 2 years old. 47lbs; give or take a pound over 12 years, pretty spectacular. Why can't I be the same weight that I was when I was 18? Okay back to dogs.

Luke fluctuates a small amount 3-4 pounds up or down but my weight concerns for him are how to keep it on him. He will never be heavy unless something drastic changes over the years. I was recently asked if Luke is a good eater when he is offered something that appeals to him? My answer? Nope. And just yesterday having given him his favorite breakfast of a raw beef ; there laying in his bowl after he left the kitchen was a handful of raw beef. What kind of dogs leaves raw beef? Luke, that's what kind.

Having a fat dog is no fun; no fun for the dog and no fun for the guardian. Fat dogs overheat easily, succumb to ailments like arthritis, pancreatitis which can then lead to diabetes, a much shorter lifespan and a whole list of other health issues. It's just not fair; and it's all our fault when it happens. Dogs rely solely on us for their exercise and food consumption. Often a dog is simply given too many bon bons, other times it may be a lack of exercise.

But unfortunately just like us when we become overweight it is a nasty cycle. Dog is fat so they can't exercise. Dog is overweight resulting in joint problems which cuts down on their ability to exercise. So whether it is too much food or too little exercise it is an easy fix. Get out there and exercise or control your dogs food intake, that's it. Pretty simple eh?

If you have a fat dog it is your fault, not your dogs. When I see a dog that is younger than my guys but looks and acts much older because of excessive weight; it makes me sad. Sad that this particular dog does not get to have as much fun as they should be having.

My Jack Russell's weight is much more of a balancing act. One because she will eat anything in sight and two because she is small. It takes much less food to fatten her up so I am constantly aware of her mid-section. All dogs should have a wasteline and if yours doesn't; chances are they are carrying too much weight. Can you feel their ribs with a very small amount of sponge on them? Or do you have to dig and still can't find them?

What an easy job to keep your dog fit. Now as far as I'm concerned? I gotta get to the gym ;)

Tail docking

Okay, this is a hot one people but it is a topic of discussion on one of my groups so I thought I'd throw it out there for everyone to ponder on. This is my opinion and mine alone and you are completely entitled to have and voice your own opinion on the subject. I am completely against docking and cropping; but this specific blog is about docking.

Docking is typically done between the age of 2-5 days and without anesthesia. If you've ever witnessed the procedure; yikes. There are several sites on the web that show step by step how it is done from start to finish. Only look if you have a strong stomach.

As a lover of dogs, all dogs whether purebred or mix I think that docking now belongs in the history books. I just know that our Grandchildren will look back and shudder when they see what we did to dogs for fashion. Being that I have a docked breed I have had many a heated discussion on the subject and balance seems to be one of the important factors in docking today. "The dog looks more balanced." More balanced?

I don't understand how people justify our human eye more than the natural length of a tail. Dogs like wolves are born with tails for a reason; all physical. They use them for communication purposes and to aid in agility. Watch a dogs tail when they swim, do agility, frisbee or any other active type sport. That tail is turning back and forth in the opposite direction of the body like a rudder.

From a behavior perspective a dog with a tail has much superior communication capabilities than that of a dog with a shortened or completely docked tail. It is simple logics to see that they cannot throw signals as easily nor can other dogs read them as freely.

As a trainer I much prefer dogs with tails as it let's me know much more comprehensively of what is going on in that little head. Tails are not the only thing used for communication but they are a huge factor.

Many breeders state that the reason they do it is because the standard says so. Hey, isn't there a saying that says "rules are made to be broken?" If everyone just stopped, no more docking and everyone banded together the standards would change, bottom line. The Europeans are way ahead of us in this department.

The other reason many stand by docking is for injury reason. It is stated by many that a working dogs tail can be damaged leading to later amputation. Yes well accidents happen and I know many, many dog breeds that are not docked that are amazing working field dogs. Labs, Goldens and English pointers all have their tails.

And the last reason and most historic is that of the guarding breeds that looked just too darn cute with their ears and tails. They were taken off to create a more menacing appearance and to eliminate the grab ability of the would be criminals. Most police dogs nowadays; German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherd, Tervuren and the Malanois have tails. And from where I stand they are pretty scarey, seems like the criminals on the news think so too.

Check it out:

Cool site

Kids and dogs

Good morning; I had a great day yesterday with my two daughters, we headed down to the beach for the afternoon. With the temps in the high 80s it seemed almost unimaginable that Christmas was just a couple of weeks ago. We first stopped at the Montage which is where I had my most recent poodle walk. It was glorious but there were not many dogs out; I think because of the heat. It makes me happy when people consider their dogs in the heat. We did see a man playing with his dogs in the surf, they were having a great time.

Both my daughters are huge dog lovers; but they weren't always interested in dogs. When they were small they pretty much considered our dogs to be pieces of furniture and it was not until the arrival of my son that the dogs ever really intereacted with kids. My son was different than my girls, as soon as he was mobile he made a b-line to the dogs. I remember the growling and the look on poor Clyde's face. As a Mother a growling dog is not something you want to hear but from Clyde's point of view he did not want to see a smelly small human crawling his way.

So with work and time Clyde and my son got use to each other and learned how to appropriately interact. This is one of the most important things you can teach your dog and your child. Often when I am called in to work with a "problem" between children and dogs it is simply a lack of supervision and boundaries created by the parent.

I don't know how many times I've heard a parent say "the dog is going to bite you." If you think a dog is going to bite your child; whether it is your dog or someone elses dog then you should stop your child. It should never, ever be left to the dog to discipline your child; which is a very dangerous situation. It takes time for dogs to become accustom to children, especially small crawling children.

But even older kids can freak dogs out, it amazes me how dogs can tell the difference between a teenager age human and an adult. Luke grew up with teenage kids and after a couple of years my sons friends look very much like grown men; at least in their size. But Luke could always tell the difference, he loved this age kids but grown men he wasn't really fond of. He acted differently and more guarding when a grown man would come in the house vs. a teenage boy.

It is of the utmost importance to socialize dogs with children and if you can do it when they are puppies; all the better. Kids can freak dogs out and dogs can freak kids out causing them to act silly and not dog friendly. Babies, toddler, kids and teenages smell different than grown humans. And they act very different at every age; to expect a dog to be okay with each you must socialize them with each.

And never leave the disciplining of the kids to the dog, NEVER.

Up early

I had to get up at 5am this morning to let Tilley out. Not that she herself needed out, I had to let her out so that by the time we got to the vets for her Urine Analysis at 9 her bladder would be partially full again. I'm not use to waking to the alarm; my husband gets up and turns it off every morning so I usually sleep through it. Funny how if you have to get up you hear the alarm though.

So bleary eyed I stumbled down to the kitchen; let her out and then got her some food. She had salmon and oatmeal soup sort of. She is not a big drinker so I filled her bowl with water; she didn't seem to mind and scarfed it down. Now she cannot go out again, not easy. She may have to poop but that's too bad she can't. I hate doing this and this is when I do wish my vet was just around the corner.

So here we sit in my bedroom waiting; waiting until I have to leave which will be earlier than I had thought. The earlier the better at this point so I can get her in and get her back home. She will be a quivering mass by the time we get there; I always know what to expect when I lift the back hatch. As I've said before she knows that she is going to the vets when she goes in the car alone.

Pour girl; she is getting a needle through her stomach and into her bladder. She's had this done often and doesn't even flinch, what a trooper. Dogs are amazing aren't they?

A rainbow of colors

Many breeds come in an array of colors and patterns; others come in a one size fits all color. But whatever the color it is the dog inside that counts. I am often asked to assist in finding dogs for families. I have a questionnaire that when filled out helps me to know what the people are looking for. If they aren't sure of what breed they want it is these questions we visit first.

Although there are no question of color on my sheet; they tell me anyway. "We would like a white dog, or we would like a red dog." We quickly move on to what do you want in a dog and what are you willing to do for a dog. Let's say pure white is the most important factor for you so far. Okay, the samoyed, bull terrier, poodle, bichon. havanese and many other breeds that now come in white that aren't suppose to. Many of these breeds who now show up in white deal with deaf and blindness which is another topic all together. So there you have a handful of white dogs; not much in common with these dogs is there? Hmmmmmm.

Being that standard poodles are my breed we have a rainbow to choose from. People always contact me saying I want a blue, or a white or a red. What do I tell them? "Go color blind." That's right, forget the color and look for the dog. And I can guarantee whatever color you end up with will be your new favorite color.

There are still people who choose puppies because of the way they look, a cute spot on their tail, the soft blonde one or the jet black puppy with the white patch over their eye. But that tells you absolutely nothing about the dog inside. Sometimes puppies come out the wrong color and this may be a disqualification. Wrong color???? That's right, all standards have color requirements. It has absolutely nothing to do with the dog inside but for some reason they are pushed aside. Breeders often "got rid" of these puppies; which is not so common now adays. More often these "mismarks" are placed in loving family homes and not for show.

So when you are looking for a dog; where should you start? Characteristics, whether that be in a purebred or a mix. You can search for characteristics that you would like in a dog or view characteristics in a particular dog. If you want a couch potato type dog and are set on a black and white dog then best to focus on the couch potato issue. Because border collies are b/w and you aren't going to be happy with one of those.

It comes down to basics; like most things in life. Look beyond the exterior.

Dealing with emotions

As humans we are an emotional bunch; sure there are those who are hard as stone, the tough guys. Do dogs have emotions? I think yes; but they are not like ours. A dogs emotion is true, clear and uncluttered. The dog emotion relies more on core temperament more than our "feelings" type emotion.

Today we were out for several hours; when I came into the house Tilley was on the new leather couch. I naturally told her to "GET OFF." She knows it is off limits and also knows that she can get on it when we are not home. And she does tend to like the comforts of it when she is unusually tired which would be today. She went for a long walk so at nearly 12 she was tired. But; because I have three dogs, one of which likes to fluff anything he lays on I must enforce this "no furniture" rule.

What is Tilley's response? She immediately albeit slowly gets off of the couch. She comes to me squinting and sits before me in respect, she will be blinky for a while now. This is not an emotional response but a hierarchy response and a smart one at that. Tilley is more a sensitive dog but not so emotional; Luke is my emotional dog. He wakes up with an array of emotions each day and until you speak to him you really don't know what type of mood he is in.

The females in my house seem to be much more level with their emotions, not as demonstrative as Luke. Luke definitely has more fluctuations with his emotions. He is easily upset and worries about nearly everything. He can wake in a good mood, a smile and wagging tail or he can wake-up not wanting to talk to anyone.

Where I see emotions in dogs generally is when they are ignored or feeling as they are being ignored. Or when they are scolded unexpectedly. For instance; if Luke or Tilley is getting alot of attention, I will see Jessie's face change. She doesn't do anything about it but her posture changes. And she may even drag her little body to a pillow and plunk down depression style. Funny.

If Luke get's in trouble, and it is only ever vocal he sulks. He is obviously upset and not just reacting to my action. The action/reaction is immediate and over quickly. Even once I have forgiven him with a change of posture he will keep eye contact me for hours, he does not like to get into trouble. Whereas the girls react to my negative action in a typical submissive body posture. Once forgiven by my change of mood and posture they usually go about their business and all is over.

It is very difficult to describe a dog emotion; we are constantly accused of anthropomophism. But to infuse human emotions on canine behavior enables us to better understand a dogs behavior. Yes their emotions are vastly different from ours but there are definte emotions behind those eyes.

They are all different, but I do believe they have emotions. It is not all action/reaction.

Vomitus

It's Friday yet again; weeks literally fly by don't they? The poodles and I had a great walk yesterday; always nice to find a new place to walk. Although Luke decided to pull a new one on me; he was acting out of the ordinary and vomited twice, pure white foam. I have only seen this type of substance come out of a dog when I have induced vomiting with peroxide (in Jessie) and never out of Luke.

So for most of the walk I had a question mark coming out of my head. I fed him early and a regular breakfast, nothing our of the norm. What I am thinking though is that he got himself into a state of excitement. This was a new place to walk but it was very similar to another place we walk, Salt Creek. And it is at Salt Creek that he becomes out of control with excitement over squirrels. He was diving into the bushes alot during our walk and it wasn't until the end of our walk that I thought about the similarities.

His first upchuck was out of the way on the grass, still it turned a few stomachs. But the second one as luck would have it was just two feet infront of a nice older couple sitting on a park bench enjoying the oceanview. I tried to rush Luke past the couple but he had planted his feet and was in puke posture. Gggraaaaacccchhhhhhh; out it came, a monumentous amount of white foam vomitus. Nice.

I was in the process of apologizing when the lady told me to watch that his leash didn't get into the mass. "How nice" I thought to myself. So much to the disgust of anyone within visual range I attempted to clean it up, not an easy task. I did my best and we were on our way. We finished up our walk which was very enjoyable. Our little poodle group always cause quite a stir and we are regularly photographed by people who enjoy the poodle parade.

Once home Luke had a snack and then later ate his dinner like a champ, no upset, nothing. He is fine this morning and sleeping curled up at the end of the bed. He along with the girls has had his morning snack and has gone back to bed.

Time for me to get going, lot's to do. Have a great Friday.

Art dogs

Being a dog lover and a photographer I see "a shot" in dogs on a daily basis. Like anyone else who has dogs; your camera is never in your hand when you want it. Last fall I finally bought myself a small palm camera; the Canon Powershot (I'm a Canon gal). It's dark brown; although several people have said "what a cute purple camera," so I guess it is more plum color. Anyhow, I love it.

It allows me to get shots that I wouldn't normally get because I try to keep it on me always. As much as I love it, it is still just a point and shoot so it often frustrates me as I'm use to my big camera and big lense. My big lenses let me get in, really close. I never have to look far or wait long during a shoot to get "the shot."

I see dogs as art to start with, their expression, posture and coat all lend themselves to great photos. I'm sure many of the people in my photo groups have seen more than enough dog shots from me; I never grow tired of looking at them. I do grow bored of looking at other type images, say people for instance. It is all in where your passion lies.

My passion is dogs, it always has been and always will be. When I am out with dogs; whether they are mine or not I can often be heard making audible groans sounds. This is the sound of a missed shot; I hate it. There are always shots that you'd love to get; patience is a virtue. On Monday I got just one of those "wait for shots," during my litter shoot.

I have maybe a dozen images in my files that I classify as "special." I keep these shots for use somewhere down the road. They are all natural dog shots; I like candids. I am not a set up pose photographer although I have had to pose dogs sometimes I much prefer the end result from a natural shot.

Dogs are naturally art to me, there is no need to change a thing.

Collars yet again.

I'm going back to collars again this morning. It is a major issue I have and one that is constantly on my mind. I often wonder how people can put choke chains or slip collars on their dog and not flinch when their dog is pulling them down the street near choking to death.

The other day when I had to take Tilley to the vet; there was just such a scenario there. We were sitting nice and quiet; of course we were it was Tilley. When a man came in with his yellow lab; nice dog but pulling like crazy. The kind of pulling where only the dogs feet are moving forward while he is choking and coughing.

The dog had on a chain choke collar; weird how the name describes the collar and yet people never stop to think about this. Some of the more sly trainers these days have changed the name of the collar to a "training collar." I've used choke collars; way back when I was young and didn't know any better and yep they choked.

What caused me to do a complete 360 was Tilley; she came to me with a very sensitive esophagus. Any pressure on it at all and she coughs; obviously bothered by the collar pressure on her throat. I had stopped using choke collars long before Tilley but collar width now became an issue; I switched to body harnesses.

The worst yet is when people use choke collars and extension leashes. The pressure never goes away; it is a constant that many dogs become accustom to. Overtime this can cause a great amount of damage to a dogs neck and throat. There is alot of information out there about the dangers of choke collars; just search the web and you will find a plethora to read.

I do not think that collars are a wonderful thing; but if you take great care not to yank on them they do what they were meant to do, keep out dogs attached to us. I have looked for year and years for nice wide collars; they type the sight hound folks use for when I do put a collar on my dogs. I finally found a lady to makes wonderful collars in 2" width and in a large array of styles.

www.dogsinstyle.com

If you put the smallest amount of pressure on the front of your neck you will see what a delicate area it is. Great care should be taken when choosing and using a collar and yanking is something that should never be done. But as humans we tend to just do and think later. How many times have you seen people yanking their dog down the street? Don't like what the dog is doing? Yank!!

Although dogs have very muscular necks, some resembling The Hulk they are still just necks. They are prone to all sorts of injuries from whiplash to esophogus damage. Take care of their neck like you would yours.

Oodles of Poodles

Yesterday was amazing; I had the great pleasure of spending much of the day with a pile of poodles. There was a litter of 8 week olds and older ones from 6 months and up. I was in poodle heaven so to speak ;) I do temperament testing all the time but having the chance to watch a litter interact over a long period of time is different.

I love canine behavior and could watch it for hours; dissecting all the interactions between the dogs. Watching these tiny versions of dogs to come is immensely interesting and entertaining. Watching how the puppies interact with the adults of a pack; the differences in behavior depending on the status of each adult. Each puppy has their own status already within their tiny pack, but isolated all on their own that varies their behavior tremendously.

All of my dogs are and have been the dogs that I met when they were just tiny puppies. That core temperament in a puppy remains all the years through their lives. But depending on where each dog ends up will relate to how their life and behavior develops.

The amount of hardwired behaviors shown by 8 week old puppies is truly amazing. They react and display many adult behaviors; that is without the benefit of life experience. Many of their behavior displays come from that lack of experience but still gives you a window to see each dog in their raw self.

The difference between each puppy is immense; although at first glance they look like a great mass of tiny clones. It is the subtle difference that must be recognized when placing a puppy. That is one reason that buying a puppy from a photo on the internet is such a bad idea; the other of course being that it is probably a miller.

Each puppy in a litter deals, reacts and displays in their own very individual way. And not all will mesh with your way, your family or your pack. No matter what the breed; puppies are all adorable, I have yet to meet an ugly one. But they are just tiny versions of what they will be, and if you listen to a good breeder and watch carefully there are signs; perhaps subtle but they are there.

Back at it

Ahhhhh, 5 am came way too early this morning. Over the holidays we tend to sleep until the natural wake up time; around 7 so I'm not happy about this 5 wake up call. The world gets back at it today, right? Everything swings into gear and we are off on another year.

The dogs are sleeping, they don't do 5 in the morning anymore. Jessie stirred only long enough to rearrange her little cave bed and dove quickly back in. They will all sleep as long as I allow them, which will not be long this morning. I have to get up and get cooking, I've got a pile of gizzard to get into the oven this morning and then much after Holiday clean up to do.

Yesterday we enjoyed the last day of the holidays. We went off roading in my xterra around 10 and then spent the rest of the day undecorating. Only Jessie accompanied us off roading, it's a rough ride and the poodles find it difficult to keep their footing, understandably. Jessie was kept wrapped tightly in a dog throw in the passengers arms. Even in her safe cacoon she is still flying around. The passenger was my hubby on the way in and me on the way out. But what a blast and now my truck is filthy, nice.

The rest of the day was out back where we were decked to the nines. Funny how all the dogs are so different; Luke is right there no matter what I am doing. He follows me from place to place and just stands and waits. Often he sticks his nose into whatever I'm doing trying to be very much a part of each activity. Tilley is off watching shadows and jessie is curled up in a beam of sunshine by the door.

Once I head into the kitchen to make dinner everyone takes up their usual spot. Jessie and Tilley lay on the bed in the kitchen and Luke is either in the livingroom around the corner or outside on the double chaise where he can see me through the kitchen window. He started this several months ago. Pretty much everyday now when I start to make dinner he goes outside and lays on the lounge. He really is a creature of habit.

After dinner we head downstairs, the dogs wait by the stairs not knowing if I'm going up or down. Once we head down Jessie and Tilley find a spot and curl up; Luke wanders. He gets out a couple of toys, then stands and stares at Tilley for a while. He'd like the spot she chose; but she quickly let's him know it's taken. What he'd really like to do it to come on the couch and curl up with me, being in the same room is not enough for my constant shadow.

The couch is off limits mostly; and this is because of Luke. He is a digger; a constant comfort seeking dog who not only does 27 spins before laying down, he must also fluff. I am constantly stopping his fluffing process, he has put several holes in many of the dog beds. And he doesn't stop there, he attempts to fluff the carpet and my bed. So if I came home one day and he has fluffed the couch enough to make a hole in it? Well, it wouldn't be good for anyone.

Have a great start back to the New Year and give all of your dog/dogs and big hug and kiss for me.

The breeds we choose

Ever wonder what makes us choose the dogs we choose? I wonder when I look at people with a breed that I'm not fond of, or when I hear people raving over a breed that might be the last on my list of dogs to choose. Then there are the people who just plain love dogs; big, small, smooth coat, long and fluffy, whatever.

I have to say that I love just about all dogs; I love the big ones, small, smooth, rough and everything in between. I love that I get to meet so many dogs as well; often I meet a breed that I have yet to meet in person and love getting to know the breed personally. Each breed has certain traits that makes them desirable or undesirable to some.

Obviously it is the inside of the dog that matters most but it is the outside that we see first, isn't it. And like any other human you can like or dislike the look of a dog. Looks are not a big factor for me and I truly go for what's inside. Strange that I have poodles; they are probably one of the most misunderstood breeds that there is. Ask anyone and they roll their eyes; "oh you have poodles."

Yes lots of people have poodles or get a poodle because of the "poodle" look. That pom pom, majestic looking creature that looks like they should be walking down a runway. This also turns many people off of poodles; but if you've never actually met a poodle you are truly missing out. You can continue to roll your eyes if you like now, if you are not a poodle person.

The breed that started it all for me was a Doberman, love the breed. When I was small my absolute favorite was the Irish Setter and just the other day I passed a lady walking a Gordon Setter and an English Setter which you don't see around often. I adore the personality filled Bulldogs, love the gentleness of an Irish, Wolfhound, I have come to really like German Shepherds and I love to meet great mixed breeds.

I met a Saint bernard mix several years back that was by far one of the coolest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. So for me it's much more about what's inside. Sort of like meeting guys, often you meet a hotty and the minute they open their mouth they go down many notches. But meet an average looking guy who has an amazing personality and they now surpass the other guy leaps and bounds on the hot meter.

We are obviously attracted to exterior first, but to know a dog truly you must look past that and focus on what's inside. Many secrets lie waiting to be discovered beyond a great exterior.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone; how fast does a year actually go? It has been a trying year an I am looking at this one to be a better one. I don't have any resolutions; I think they actually set you up for failure. Instead I set a couple of goals but even those are not set in stone; they are things I would like to accomplish but I don't get nuts about it.

What I do try to do is to be the best person I can be each and every year. That means Mom of human kids and furkids, wife, trainer, writer, photographer etc. I try very hard to improve myself in every factor of my life; it sure can't hurt. But to out and out say I'm changing this or that? That's tough, changing can be hard and it make take a slow evolution to get to where you want to be.

There are a few canine related things that I hope will change in this New Year and that is regulation of Millers (puppy millers) who in my mind are some of the worst criminals out there. Below link is tough to watch, but maybe if more people opened their eyes it might stop sometime in the near future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdcNl5FqcKY

So my New Year will be to be the best I can be in all aspects of my life. Here's to your life in 2009

The dangers of Rimadyl

First I want to say I am not a vet so this is in no way medical advice. I am a canine guardian and as such I do extensive research on new products, diseases or anything that I haven't heard about having to do with dogs. Rimadyl is one such item that I have done alot of reasearch on and feel the need to pass on the info I have found.

These are only a few of the articles found.

http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/rimadylfr.html
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http://www.k9obedience.co.uk/doghealth/treatment/rimadylandmetacam.html
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http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_rimadyl.html

I recommend researching any new medication or product extensively before considering giving it to your dog.

A mucky mess

The dogs went for a New Years run this morning. Having thought long and hard about the conditions in the canyon we agreed that it must be dried up by now. We haven't had rain since Christmas day; that's a whole week of dry weather. My husband gathered all three; slipped Jessie's harness on, clipped on Tilley's collar and rounded up Luke to get his Easy Walk harness on and off they went.

They were gone a longtime when I heard the charging around the corner into the backyard. As soon as I saw their feet I realized that the canyon had not dried completely. We immediately got out the foot bucket; the dog foot washing bucket that is. With the bucket filled with warm sudsy water Jessie is the first in. She fits nicely with all four in at once. There is a little bit of a struggle and she's done.

After the dogs have their feet washed, they get a second dunking into the rinse bucket. Luckily my husband was handling the washing today; it's a back killer and I was on rinse duty. For some reason my perfect in every way Tilley is not so perfect about having her feet washed; she hates it and struggles like a WWF Wrestler, so once she is washed I get her rinsed before she knows what hit her.

Luke is last and so well behaved with the whole feet washing. He is by far the dirtiest as well because he runs with such gusto; the dirt flies everywhere. This is part of life with dogs. Dogs = dirt and that is the way it should be if they are allowed to have the kind of fun that they deserve.

Having a dirt busting partner to help with the foot bathing makes it that much easier. Dirty dogs make me smile; just like dirty kids.