The fearful dog

I have a soft spot for fearful dogs; they don't understand that whatever they are fearful of is really nothing to be afraid of. Just like humans, even if we could explain it to them, it is just not that easy. When Tilley came to us she was quite a fearful girl, not confident in a new environment and quite uncomfortable around men. Fearful dogs need help, they need understanding and above all else patience. There is no quick fix for a fearful dog and if you try a quick fix you risk making matters far worse.

The worse thing you can do to a fearful dog is push. The more you push them to the object of their fear the more problems build. One; they will grow to distrust you, two you will be creating more fear and three they might just break. There is a breaking point in fearful dogs; one that you never want to go near. Many fearful dogs just back off; their answer to the fight or flight scenario is flight. Removing their ability to backoff creates a fight situation.

Fear biting dogs are one of the most dangerous dogs to deal with. Once a dog discovers that biting helps to remove the object of their fear they will use it more often. Unfortunately many fear biting dogs have been pushed into biting because their guardian didn't properly understand how to deal with canine fear. When a dog backs off cringing, it is very important to understand that this is how the dog is feeling. It is our job to create a more confident and well adjusted feeling by slowly exposing the dog to their fear, SLOWLY.

When a new scary person would come into our home; Tilley would hit the back wall and lurk around, head slung low growling so quietly it was barely audible. Not what a guardian wants to see their dog doing but this was the communication that I needed to know how she felt, really, really uncomfortable. So off to work we went. Out everyday, walking into the town, going to peoples homes to visit and taking an obedience class. The obedience class really helped because it was so structured; during a long stay she was right beside other dogs but not interacting so this enabled her to see that it wasn't all that bad.

Another very important factor when dealing with fearful dogs is trust; you must let your dog know that you are the one to go to in need. Fear is a scary emotion and often dogs will simply bolt; they become so fearful that they zone out which is extremely dangerous. There is a difference between trust and coddling; you want your dog to come to you when fearful but not come to you so that you can make the scary thing go away. Your dog must learn to deal. Yes they can hide behind you but don't touch them.

Your behavior is even more important than your dogs behavior in a scarey situation. As I have said dozens of times before; our dogs are watching us. How you behave in a situation will fuel your dogs behavior. If you wrap your arms around them and hug them in close during a fearful situation; you are infact telling them that you agree, this is very scarey. You may need to concur your own fears before tackling your dogs fears. Often when you know the outcome of a situation you may slip into the over protecting mode quickly letting your dog see an issue as scarey when it fact it may not be. Ya gotta chill.

Chill out and do your best acting job. If you are uptight about a situation, there is no way you are going to convince your dog otherwise. So get a grip and control your own emotions, take a deep breath, lower your shoulders and chill. Do not change your pace if you are on a walk, do not scold your dog for acting fearful, DO watch your dogs behavior for the slightest sign of relaxing and praise it. It does not matter if the fear is homebased or out walking, the situation can change quickly and you need to be prepared for that.

What if you are out walking along nicely and all of a sudden a dog comes around the corner? Many dogs have a startle fear; which is a toughie to deal with. If you have been startled as well as your dog then you should immediately go into your chill routine being very conscious of your pace and your body posture. If the situation is in your home, make sure people know that your dog is fearful and what to do and not to do.

Helping a fearful dog is a process achieved by babysteps, some smaller than others. But it is imperative that you never go beyond a comfort zone. And even more important; NEVER, EVER SCOLD OR DISCIPLINE a fearful dog for their fearful behavior. Instead reward the smallest of achievements and the bad behaviors will slowly dissipate.

No sleep and getting out

We had a rough night lastnight, I am once again exhausted. Luke was up several times, he had a weird stomach yesterday as he does often and needed to rush outside 3 times during the night. He is such a good boy about letting us know he needs out; he propels himself up onto the bed and dives off again in such a manner that there is no possible way you won't know that he needs out. I don't mind getting up with him; what I do mind is that I can't fall back asleep. Once you start thinking about stuff you're sunk.

So this morning he is sound asleep dreaming on the end of the bed and his breakfast will be chicken, pumpkin and rice which hopefully he will eat. Whenever the dogs have an upset stomach for some reason it is very easy to fix; often the solution is to skip a meal; that's easy with Luke but he does not have enough meat on him to do this very often so we'll try a bit of breakfast.

Yesterday I had the dogs at a beautiful park where I take them to often. The weather was perfect, cool, sunny and breezy, it was actually amazing for walking the dogs. When we got to the park there was just one other person there without a dog, nice. So I strategically placed us on the opposite side; the park has a path all the way around in a circle so with us on one side I let the dogs off leash. They did their whole walk off leash and it was great. Luke charged up ahead as he always does and Tilley trotted behind at a nice pace.

When I first let the dogs off leash they both charge off and around a corner, this is where the rabbits hang out and the dogs know it. They always come back once all the rabbits have dove for cover and we proceed around the park. This is my thinking time; and yesterday I was thinking about the importance of getting the dogs out. Even as seniors they need to get out of the house; not always for physical exercise but for mental. Dogs go stir crazy just like we do if we are in the house too long. Dogs love to explore new places and finding areas that you enjoy and your dog enjoy is very important.

When you take the time to find new places to enjoy; the experience is really good for your dog. There are new smells, sights and sounds to take in. Dogs these days lead a pretty boring life, they spend most of their time just at home not doing a whole lot. So if you get them out each day for a walk somewhere; and not always the same old park it gives them the opportunity to grow. Not all walks need to be a exercise extravaganza; sometimes just taking in all the new around them is exhausting and wonderful.

No matter where I take my dogs everyday; when we get back home they are much more content with spending the rest of the day lazing around the house. So get out with your dog and experience some life; it'll do you both good.

Off days

Yesterday morning it was apparent that Luke was in a bad mood. It doesn't take long to read his mood because he displays his emotions outwardly; he isn't the type to hold in his emotions. The girls may have bad days as well but they don't show them as obviously, only the tiniest of things let you know it's an off day for them. With Luke you know right away, he is either over the top tail wagging from the minute he sees someone, sort of on the fence about seeing you or won't talk to you.

Is it a fair statement then to say that dogs have bad days? Darn right. Ask anyone who does a competitive performance with their dog; whether it is flyball, agility, dock diving or frisbee they have off days. And because of this I like to take a good hard look at a behavior when a dog is not performing. Even in simple daily obedience, where your dog might always come to you immediately, one day they might just not. Often an angry reaction is the human response but perhaps it should be "what's up with Fido?"

Yesterday Luke was not talking to me; which is very rare for him. He was still following me around but not like he normally does. There were a few times I changed rooms and he stayed where he was. I have a feeling he was perhaps overly tired from his power exercise weekend and not in a cheery mood because of it. So I take that into account when I am interacting with him, I don't push him on his off days. Hey; it's not a good idea to push me on my off days either, you could be seriously injured ;)

If you know your dog inside and out then you should be able to see an off day. Like I said it is not always as easy as Luke who is so visual. Sometimes it's a simple change in their usually very predictable behavior, so keep an eye out and be an extra good guardian on those days and this will pass.

The mounting debate

Well good Monday morning; we're going to get right into it this morning and discuss mounting. Mounting is vastly misunderstood, confusing and left to it's own far too often. Some dogs mount more than others in general, I have noticed though that alot of "puppymill" dogs mount alot. Mostly they have no idea why they are mounting and many slip into a habitual mount or humpering. I'm not sure why so many puppymill dogs are mad humpers but it is more than likely caused by a psychological issue; ripped away from their mother sometimes as young as 4 weeks old, this has alot of damaging effects.

There are three reasons that dogs hump, the first being dominance. This means that it is a male or female behavior; there is no difference between the sexes when it is caused by dominance. My little 15 lb female Jack Russell regularly mounts my other dogs, mostly my male because he crosses the line too often. When I brought a new puppy into our home last year, the first thing on Jessie's mind was to mount it. Mounting is a hierarchy behavior; and is seen in the smallest little teacup yorkies all the way up to our canine ancestors, the wolf.

Dominance mounting is why dogs mount children most of the time. They are attempting to weed out the week and gain a higher status within the pack. This should never be allowed and be quickly stopped and the behavior completely discouraged. Many children need adult assistance when interacting with a status seeking dominant dog. It is important the the child never crawl around on the floor, play dog type games like tug-o-war or run to be chased.

Another reason for mounting is of course the desire to mate; although sometimes a dog has the drive but no knowledge of the procedure. Many young dogs mount and hump and they are much to young to even know what they are doing. It is an instinctual behavior that many practice at young ages and this can get them into alot of trouble. Some learn early on when it is and is not appropriate.

And the last reason for mounting is excitement. It is closely linked with dominance and mating ritualistic mounting but intertwined with the lack of knowledge and experience. Seen mostly in very young dogs who are aroused by excitement. This is where I see the puppymill mounting; which seems to have a general lack of gray matter behind the activity. You will often see these dogs also mounting and hump inanimate objects which often leads to the obsessive humping dog.

Mounting and humping are only one piece of the puzzle, you must pay close attention to the environment, interactions and other body language that the dog is displaying to really read into what is going on. Often it is a simple explanation, sometimes it may seem to be easily explained by sex drive but may be clearly and only dominance. But in all cases it should be immediately stopped, unless of course you are breeding the particular dogs. ;)

Busy weekend

Whoa, where'd the weekend go? It's late Sunday night and I cannot believe it's over already. The weather was great so the dogs got out alot to exercise. Luke went for a huge run yesterday morning and the old gals went out with me. Tilley actually had a spring in her step which was really nice to see and she jumped out of the car on her own before I could get a hold of her. I've been using glucosamine/condroitin and shark cartilage in her food and it seems to be doing the trick.

Then after their morning romps they had breakfast and it was our turn. We went for a huge off road and hiking adventure which was great. There was to be quite a bit of poison oak so the first time we visited the falls I wanted to be sure it was an okay place for the dogs. Luke and maybe Jessie can join us next time but Tilley will stay home, it was alot of walking over rocks and climbing that would be too much for her. While we were at the falls at Holly Jim's we saw a couple of dogs. One was a very athletic young Ridgeback (although he happened to be ridgeless) and another a very old and fat beagle who would have been better left at home I think.

One reason I was leery to bring the dogs was the fact that they might get poison oak on their feet and then jump on me. Back home in Canada, every summer at the cottage I got a case of poison ivy with each year worse than the one before. The year we left to come here I was covered with a severe case of it. The dogs use to pick it up in the woods around the cottage and then share their lovely poison with me. I got it everywhere because they regularly jumped on me when I would come out of the cottage first thing in the morning. So I am extremely sensitive to these type things and I am not interested in acquiring anymore thank you very much.

Today my hubby took both poodles on a walk and said that he too saw a difference in Tilley, very nice.

Curbing leash crazies

Okay I want a show of hands; how many of your dogs go spinning out of control when they see their leash? I thought so. Over the years I've seen so many dogs who just loose it at the sight of their leash in the guardians hands. Sometimes even the meer opening of a closet, the leash closet is all it takes to send your dog into a whirling tornado. This usually starts out small and over the months grows into a huge uncontrolable issue. And why does it grow? Because we fuel it.

Leash desensitizing is one behavior that is very easy to stop. It may take a while and needs commitment, consistency and dedication for the long haul if you want to accomplish the task at hand though. Desensitize: To render insensitive or less sensitive. To make emotionally insensitive or unresponsive. How nice would this be? Imagine picking up your dogs leash and seeing only a slight reaction, maybe raised ears instead of having your dog launch themselves at you? So the goal in desensitizing the leash is to stop the craziness, correct?

Like I said, it's easy. So what do you do? Pick up the leash, at different intervals during the day. In the beginning you put the leash on the floor in a room, leave it there. After a couple days when your dogs stops staring at the leash, kick it when you go by. Once your dog has stopped responding to the kicking, you pick it up and put it back down. Next you will pick up the leash and move it somewhere else, put it on the floor. Perhaps put it on the couch for a couple of days or pick it up and carry it around for 5 min. or so then put it down.

The big secret is the unknown. You are changing the association that your dog has with "the leash." "I might just be moving the leash, or maybe just putting it away." This really helps your dog in the "control" department. Once a leash means walks and only walks; and if your dog LOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS their walks then it's pretty difficult to calm them. But if the leash movement means lots of different things then your dog is always guessing.

Now here is the icing on the cake; hook your dog up onto their leash and take it off. That's correct; go to your dog, put on the leash and then take it off. Walk away like no big deal. Then put the leash on and let them drag it around for a while, that sure takes the umph out of a leash. What you are doing is taking the almighty power out of the leash. You can even hook them up, walk out the door, and walk right back in taking the leash off and dropping it.

Mix it up, you will be doing your dog and yourself a big favor. Oh and don't get crazy excited about telling them they are going for a walk either.

Think green

With Earth day just yesterday I want to discuss a few green things that pertain to dogs. First the "hot topic" of the day; topical flea and tick treatments. The EPA has just come out with a warning that they think that just maybe the topical flea and tick treatments for pets might not be too healthy.................ya think? I have used these treatments on my dogs; years ago before I thought about this stuff quite as much, and I regret using them.

I honestly don't know how the people who come up with this stuff and promote it sleep at night. "Push the chems people," I can just hear the weekly meeting. "Come up with some scarey looking flea and tick characters for our promos." And the flea and tick treatments that you give internally? Don't even go there. Yes fleas suck, but the fact is they are pretty easy to get rid of by bathing your dog regularly. Plain ole shampoo and water drowns the little suckers. Make sure that you vacuum regularly, especially where your dog sleeps.

I guess it was all the dogs falling ill and or dying that tipped them off that these products may not be so pet friendly. When the directions say not to let children touch the application sight, chances are we shouldn't be doses our dogs with it. But don't stop there with your new healthy thinking, you need to think about the "heartworm" pill that your dog gets and the new vaccines that are coming out apparently to protect our dogs from beasties.

Now let's talk poop; there is literally mountains of it yes? And far too many people are picking it up in plastic bags. Remember the whole get rid of plastic grocery bag issue? Let's not use them all for picking up poop. Don't purchase plastic poop bags. There are many companies that now make biodegradable bags, purchase some. I have found a wonderful supplier for biodegradeable poop bags which does not cost an arm and a leg to buy. I've order twice from this company and give them a four paws up. Unfortunately if something is expensive the product is not likely to catch on.

The focus is on our carbon footprint these days, take the time to consider the carbon pawprint as well.

Talk'n to dogs

I am enjoying the cool breeze this morning immensely; as are the dogs I'm sure. For the past several days they have been laying around the house like a bunch of sandbags, they don't enjoy the sweltering heat anymore than I do. The weather has broken; so we are happy once again.

I was having a discussion with Luke yesterday.................okay Sherri has lost it, she is talking to her dogs. I know what you are thinking and yes I talk to my dogs on a regular basis. They are very good listeners, or at least the poodles are. Jessie tends to listen for a moment and when there is no mention of food; she's over it. Luke is my best listener; I just know he is trying his hardest to figure out what the heck I'm talking about.

Just how much do they understand? Alot has to do with how much you talk to your dogs and how much you have educated them? My guys have a huge vocabulary that they understand. I am forever trying to teach them new words for things that might pop up in their life. I try to teach them the terms for their body parts or at least the ones that I'll have to deal with, ears, stomach, feet etc. Luke being a huge worry wart I like to let him know everything I intend on doing to him; this helps to relax him. He knows that "Mommy see," means that I need to look at something on him. His body posture changes when I say this, he clearly understands versus me grabbing him and tryiing to check something out unannounced which freaks him out.

"Let me help" means I will be assisting him off of something and he is cool with that. Just don't try to pick him up without telling him you are doing so. When you talk to your dog and they are listening; they are waiting for words that they recognize and have a clear association to. It can seem that they know exactly what you are talking about by recognizing a number of words in a sentence. For instance when I say "who wants to go for a walk?" The first word they understand is "who," most dogs who are talked to know this one.

But when a phrase is used repetitively they do understand the phrase. It is the phrase in general they understand, you can say "who wants to eat a toad?" and they still think it is something good. I often use the "who wants" phrase in my photography. Almost every dog will cock it's head for that phrase. But when you are having a discussion with your dog, lots of words are thrown aside. They stand listening for the words they understand, dog, hungry, outside, car etc. Put enough of them together and they can have a clear picture of what is going on.

You can clearly see when a dog understands a word "oh oh I know that one." Especially when you try using words that they don't understand. Some dogs will completely ignore you if you talk nonsense or things they don't understand and then there are the ones who really want to figure it out but can't. Those are the cute guys who turn their head constantly, mine all do.

Some recognition is based on tonal delivery, used alone or accompanied by a familiar word tone can make or break an understanding. If a dog truly understands a word, then tone does not matter, give it a try. Use a familiar phrase like "going in the car" and say it in many different tones, it is very interesting.

My association training comes in the form of "I see a need." Typically when there is confusion I see a need to explain and educate. A very good example is getting one dog out the door and leaving the rest in. As a trainer I see this mass confusion often, people trying to hold back one dog while the other is let out. There are legs and arms used and it is all very confusing for everyone involved. To simplfy this I have added "just" before the name or names of the dogs to come with me. When I say "just" everyone listens carefully and if that is "just Jessie" then just Jessie comes to me, confusion gone.

Talk to your dogs.

Its heat'n up

Good morning, nice and cool at the moment but heating up quickly I'm afraid. Yesterday it hit 100 here; and I was cranky about it. It's just too hot to do anything; and it's not only me, the dogs were strewn around the house completely crashed. Only Jessie got up to greet me when I got home, Tilley was asleep in the cool room downstairs and Luke was on my bed. He was happy to see me but not so much that he felt the need to move from his position.

Unfortunately many dogs die every year from heat stroke. Most in cars but some simply from being out in the extreme heat or being exercised when it's just too hot. I have personally had announcements made over the PA system over a half a dozen times because people have left their dog in the car. Dogs don't enjoy sitting in a car; believe it or not. They are left waiting, just waiting and if it is hot then they are suffering as well. A dog should not be left in a car if the temperature is even 70 degrees, it get's way hotter in your car than it is outside.

When it came time for me to get a new vehicle I steered away from black because of this fact alone. This had nothing to do with my dogs as I never take them in the car to wait. It was because I don't want to suffer from the temperatures that a black car gets, but even my red one heats up. Death can come quickly for a dog left in a car. Dogs cool themselves by panting but if the heat gets to be too much they simply cannot get rid of the excess hit fast enough.

This is a great article on hyperthermia that details what heat stroke is, the signs and what to do if you think your dog has heat stroke. So please if you have places to go and people to see, leave your dog in the safety of your home.

Hip talk

Looks like another warm one today; this is the dogs day off. After much exercise over the weekend they typically take Monday to rest. Not me though; I am at the moment wedged in bed by the poodles but need to wriggle out and get to the gym. Exercise, exercise, we all hate it but love it at the sametime, eh? I would like to briefly discuss Canine Hip Dysplaysia today. In my breed it is something I have kept a close eye on.

Most large breeds are affected by the disease; CHD is a genetic disease that is passed onto offspring. There is still much research going on with this disease and much is unknown. One thing that I did find out recently is that racing greyhounds do not suffer at all from hip dysplasia; definitely something to look into. They are obviously doing something right if it has not crept into their breeding at all.

When one looks at the disease, where it comes from and how you can stop it; there are many factors. The first and most obvious is the OFA test This is when a dogs hips are xrayed and they are given a rating. Excellent - Severely dysplastic. In my opinion only excellent and good dogs should be bred but that is and only if they have good or excellent ratings in their pedigree. You cannot get rid of a disease by breeding borderline dogs.

What is in a dogs pedigree is even more important than the individual dog itself. An excellent rated dog can have a very poor rated background giving it a high rate of producing more bad hips. Environment and nutrition also play a role in CHD; but they cannot come into play if the genetics are not there. Meaning you cannot create Hip Dysplasia in good hips unless of course there has been a serious injury at some point.

Even with the best of research it can pop up; you do your research to find a good breeder and it can still happen. That is called life! The great breeders are doing their work; unfortunately there are alot of not good breeders out there undoing alot of the work out there. But by following strict guidelines, one a good breeder has made for themselves; they must be prepared to pass on a breeding. A good breeders main statement has always been "better the breed." This should be the guideline.

It is all about research, research, research. An excellent puppy pulled from a questionable pedigree will more than likely pass on the questionable.

Learning to walk again

This morning my hubby decided to take Luke for a run in the canyon. As I've said before Tilley has been retired from "the runs." If he is going only for a walk Tilley can accompany them but this morning was the power run. So I decided to take the ole' girls to the park. Jessie has to walk in very specific areas because she is very allergic to grass so we find park areas with little grass if possible.

Off we went; me walking and I mean walking the girls. We got to the park and it is obvious immediately; I have to completely learn this walking thing again. I am known as a speed walker, I am usually on a mission and see no reason to dilly dally walk. My kids are always telling me to slow down so now with Tilley slowing down I have no choice; she just doesn't keep up. Jessie is fine and flies when I need her to although she does have a tendency to sniff for unreasonable amounts of time. You know; each blade of grass, up one side and down the other, geesh.

So not only has Tilley been retired from "the runs," she has physically made me readjust my walking. I have to admit I have a very hardtime walking slow, it drives me mad at a mall when people walk slowly in front of me. For this I have to walk slow, there is no choice. I counted today and it is pretty much one step per second, that's really slow.

Things are really changing around here and we all have to adjust. This will give me more time to stop and smell the roses; what we should all be doing more of.

Sunny Saturday morning

Can't complain about the weather this morning, beautiful sunshine, cool breeze and the birds are chirping.....................................but I'll be complaining this afternoon if the temps reach the forecasted high 80s into the 90s. I love the cool weather, it is the best dog weather. This weekend is the big OC Pet Expo; I've attended every year with my camera but this one I'm missing out on. I've got lots of specific breeds to shoot for my upcoming books.

I had the chance to meet a half a dozen dogs yesterday; all were amazing. Not only were they all gorgeous but adorable on the inside. To be honest I have never met an ugly dog; I don't care what they look like they are all beautiful to me. From the most prestigious show dog to the unknown mixtures they are all wonderful. When I'm doing a shoot it is the eyes I'm looking at; those expressive eyes. And yesterday some very amazing eyes caught my eye.

Capturing a look thrills me; to see a dog who is so expressive with their eyes is a photographers dream; and as a behavior specialist it is magic. And to the plain ole' dog lover in me I just love it. There are so many different personalities; the shy, the outgoing, the obnoxious, fearful, anxious, mellow, nervous and the social butterflies. Every dog is so different; and I love meeting them all. Honestly what better job could one have?

Canine longeivity

The lifespan of a canine is far too fleeting; ask anyone who has lost of loved companion. In terms of mammal longeivity the lifespan of a dog is relatively short. Although not as short as some mammals; the pocket gopher is the shortest lived with a life expectancy of only 20 months. Some whales and tortoises can live up to 200 years. It is surprising that within the dog species itself there are large differences in longeivity of individual breeds.

The breeds with the shortest lifepans are the Dogue de Bordeaux, Bloodhound and Irish Wolfhound with the average expectancy being 6-7 years. And the longest living breeds are the smaller guys; the chihuahua, Tibetan Terrier and Border Terriers. So in the big picture, some of the largest mammals live the longest and the smallest have the shortest time here on our earth. So why then does it seem that the larger the dog the shorter the lifespan?

There are alot of factors that play a part in lifespan. The skeletal system is a major one and those of very large and giant breeds suffer wear and tear on their joints early on. The body of a very large breed of dog has a great need for oxygen which is pumped through the body via the heart. This puts a great strain on the heart. The small breeds just don't have the stress on their body that the very large and giant breeds do.

There is no other species that has as many variations as the dog. There are many differences in coat type, size and structure. Dogs as a whole evolved from the wolf, but from there we humans designed what we wanted in a dog. It is the morphing that gave our dog more or less life so to speak. The wolf lifespan is approximately 13 in the wild and markedly more in captivity. So to generalize the average lifespan our dogs started off with was somewhere around 13ish.

All of my dogs have left me at the age of 13. This seems to be a good age for our dogs to live to. I have known several giant breeds who were more the large size, not so giant and they lived a good long 12 years. Sizing down seems to be a good idea for our dogs. With great medical care and proper nutrition; we may be able to increase these years if we don't grow'm so big.

Luke's story

I've decided to write about each of my dog's entrance into our lives. I was going to start with the Matriarch of the family but Luke had a seizure tonight so I'll write about the young'n in the bunch. Luke seized due to being waken from a deep sleep and thrown into the hectic sounds of Tilley barking madly. This is what usually does it and sure enough he had a bad one. He is fine and sleeping now.

Luke is the baby, at almost 9 he will be my baby until another real baby joins our family. Luke joined us in November of 2000. That July I had lost one of the loves of my life; Clyde, and although by November I was more than ready to add another dog to our family I was not ready for another boy yet.

Luke was born August 16th, 2000 to a blue Mother named Lacey. His Father's name is Chico and from what I've heard of him Luke not only resembles his looks but also his personality. When I first met Luke I was in the process of adding a niece of Tilley's to our pack, things were being worked out. At the sametime a friend of mine had a litter. I decided to have a look at her puppies before they all found their way into a new home.

I arrived that day thinking "this will be fun." She greet me at the door and I immediately met the gang. Mom was on the couch as she had become ill after having the pups and had required surgery; she was resting. This had meant alot of bottle feeding for my friend, that is a huge commitment. Now 7 weeks they were weaned and on their way to becoming dogs.

The pups were in the backyard; they'd had an early start to the day, one had gone on a plane ride to his new home. The whole litter was black except for Luke who was a beautiful light amber color and his sister who was cream. Everyone was asleep, except Luke. As we walked through the yard we discussed the litter; I wanted to know who was the pick, who was an agility prospect, which pup was the timid one and who was the bully.

The entire length of our discussion Luke continued to jump on me and want attention. Finally after putting up with his constant jumping and climbing on me I held him in front of me and asked "do you want to come home with me?" Not even thinking about what I had just said I placed him down as the rest of the bunch started to wake up. They were all very friendly but Luke stood out, bigtime.

I found out that Luke had been the chosen boy for show, he was a looker. Before I left the litter thoughts started seeping into my head; he had definitely caught my eye and he had tried his hardest to wriggle into my heart as well. I said my good byes and was on my way home when I realized that I was still thinking about that little blonde boy. Once home it was all I could do to try to get him out of my head; what had happened?

The plans to ship a puppy from back home fell through; partly because I had a puppy right here in my town who obviously wanted to be mine. It took me 5 weeks of contemplating to come to a decision. With the help from some amazing friends; I made the final call to my friend and asked "do you still have the blonde boy?" I held my breath not really wanting to know the answer; sure that he was already happy in someone else's home. "Yep, he's here."

We drove to Huntington Beach that Saturday and picked him up. He was freshly bathed, he was an armful at 12 weeks, an armful of beautiful soft blonde curls.

To the dogs in our life

Spring brings with it new life; as with every season there is a beginning and an end. This blog is dedicated to the many dogs that have touched many of my friends. It is not easy to let go; there is no choice. Loving a dog is a gift; and in the end a difficult one.

The excitement level is high; everyone is on cloud nine with the new addition to the family, a puppy. How much fun is it to have a new puppy? No matter what breed or mix they are adorable, never met one that wasn't. But in the blink of an eye they are a puppy no more. You look at your dog and there stands a wonderfully mature adult where a puppy had stood not so long ago. How does time pass us by so quickly?

Sitting on the floor craddling perhaps the love of your life, your heart dog, the end is near. From the adorable fluffy bundle that tried your patience at the best of times, to a wonderfully well mannered adult, now a senior near the end. In what seems to be the a heart beat, the end is near.

If our dogs teach us anything; it is to live life to the fullest. Take everyday and do with it what you choose. There is no time to dwell on the negative, always move onto the positive. Keep positive people around you and do what makes you happy. Live the life you want to live; and take joy in the small things. The smallest things in life can be the best; just ask a dog.

There's alot to be said for the little things. A lizard running across the yard is a very exhilarating event, finally getting that one cookie you've been hoping for, sitting on the beach watching the sunset, a long walk in the park, sleeping soundly on your very own bed, someone to play tug o war with and someone to just sit with.

A dog comes into our life and alters it; they teach us to be patient, kind and sharing. Our time with them is a short one; cherish the moments, the small moments that make up the big picture. Now go hug your dog.

Don't cross me

It's late this morning; wow it's already almost 8 and I have yet to go to the gym. Don't know if I can make it this morning with these horrible allergies, I can barely see through the tears streaming down my face. I've sneezed now about a billion times and don't see it letting up anytime soon. Well, I'm ready for the gym if it should cease for a while. The dogs are happy, they do not care if we get up early and enjoy being in bed until they absolutely have to get up.

The weather man says it's heating up which means I do have to get up and get going earlier. Can't run the dogs in the heat although I see people doing it all the time which makes me pretty crazy. I might just hit the beach today with the dogs, if it get's too hot. The beach is great and I haven't been there enough. Before I know it we will be at the end of May and the dogs aren't allowed on the beach then until mid Sept.

I have been working on a new boundary with the dogs. Our front gate blew down and so we only have one gate now. This means that the dogs don't understand that although the gate is gone the boundary still remains. They have a very loose idea that the boundary is there but it needs reinforcing. Of course this is accomplished much better if EVERYONE is on board. If one person lets the dogs continually cross the boundary then it becomes a very wishy washy boundary, not good.

Boundaries must be very official and there must only be one way to cross a boundary and that is your release word. Whatever that word is, it is the only way to get across the boundary. Once a dog is trained to a boundary I proof them, meaning I make it amazingly difficult not to cross the boundary. I call out random words in the same tone I would my release word, they must pay close attention. I run through the boundary and expect them not to follow and I put things on the otherside of the boundary that would make one break a boundary and enforce.

A boundary is serious business; for me it means the difference between getting run over or not. This is where I am the most fierce, cross the line and you pay. I do my best Oscar winning performance here; I want my dogs to looking at each other saying "I'm not going, you go," to each other. There is a clear line in my mind and the ground that you don't cross, if you do you suffer the consenquences and the rarely seen ferocity inside me kicks into gear. I have alot of experience to draw on for this performance. Only a few have crossed me and lived to tell the tale. ;)

Should you have more than 1?

Should you have more than one dog? My answer is a huge YES. Why? I think it is very important for dogs to have canine companionship as well as human. As great as we are and we are great aren't we? We just don't cut it in the dog department. I like that my dogs have each other, I enjoy having a pack of dogs and suspect I always will.

But, and this is a huge BUT; you must want more than one dog to have more. I do not think you should get a second dog because your dog wants one. If you do not want one then you should not get one for your dog. I'm sorry but your dog is not going to take care of it in anyway other than companionship. There will be two piles to pick up everyday, two dogs to feed, two dogs shedding (not mine), etc etc.

More than one dog is harder to control, there is the whole pack mentality thing that happens. They have disputes that need attending to and it is very important to give them one on one time with you. Otherwise you can end up on the outside of the pack looking in with no control. I love pack dimension, I thrive on it. So for me a larger pack would suit me fine.

We sat on the deck this morning with the dogs enjoying the sound of birds and the suns warmth just coming up. I know the dogs enjoy it as much as we do. The quiet has them listening so carefully that every little noise seems to lift their ears. The sun warms them in the cool air.

I went in to get my camera to shoot Jessie resting her head on Tilley's warmer body. Her darker hair attracts the sun which attracts Jessie. You just know how good the warmth of the sun feels on their senior bodies. With the cool air they can enjoy the full benefit from the sun without over heating, very nice.

Luke gets in the way alot when I'm trying to capture an image. He is use to it being all about him alot of the time. So when I get out the camera he gets into position. Sometimes it is difficult getting him out of the way, he doesn't quite get it when it's not all about him. But being able to place him and ask him to stay helps a huge amount. And then of course I always snap one of him.

Above is the girls enjoying the sun and Luke waiting his turn to be shot.

The greyhounds

Good Saturday morning; well I sure slept in this morning. I was awaken early by Luke nuzzling by my head so we snuggled until we both fell asleep once again. Having had several weeks of up and at'm very early we all needed a good sleep in. The weather couldn't be better for me, cool with some clouds which makes for great gardening weather.

I have been photographing alot of greyhounds lately for my up and coming book. The images are spectacular which is not hard with a sighthound. I have to say that over the years I have yet to meet a greyhound that I didn't love. If you are ever considering the addition of another dog; do check out the rescue greys. They are some of the most sensitive and loving dogs I've met.

It is sad that before the rescue group interventions these wonderful dogs were once cast out and euthanized but now there are so many rescue groups that take these dogs in, rehabilitate and rehome. Greyhounds make wonderful pets; seems that you just can't have one though. Rescue greyhound guardians are simply smitten by these guys and it's not hard to see why.

A racing greyhound is a work of art physically, a super athlete in every sense of the word. The sheer size of their back legs is amazing. Their movement is easy and their gate can explode into powerful burst of speed in a split second. Although these dogs all come from the track they all have a different story. Some just didn't make the cut, some had a very short racing career and others were the super stars who have passed their prime.

No matter what their story, most have a happy ending due to the dedicated rescuers of the racing hounds.

The wolf inside

How many times have you seen a dog; perhaps an Alaskan Malamute or a German shepherd and thought how close they must be in genetic makeup to a wolf. Well the fact is that the tiny little foo foo white toy poodle and the narly big Malamute are as closely related to the wolf. Seems impossible right? I myself have seen some dogs that really seem to be just generations away from the wolf but they are not.

With human manipulation we have taken the genetic material of a wolf, coyote and jackal and made our dogs of today. Once domesticated we humans started our transformation into what we considered the best dog to be. When you look at the vast differences physically in a pekingnese, Irish Wolfhound and the Shar Pei, one would think that they all had to come from different molds. But they are all from the same mold which was then tweaked by humans.

Humans pulled out traits that they found desirable, planning and molding our dogs of today. Many dogs are still being molded; take the "designer dogs," some humans are not content with the already hundreds of existing breeds and are working on new ones. When a new breed is in production there are alot of "purbred" breeders on the sidelines complaining about these mongrels that are being produced. All of our dogs are mongrels from way back, each breed is a compilation of what someone thought to be the perfect recipe. But each and everyone has related genes to the wolf, from the tiniest, longest to the tallest.

But make no mistake, a wolf is a much different animal from our dogs. Even wolves who are bred in zoos or reserves for many generations are not dogs. They may have very similar behaviors to our dogs but they are wild and the main difference is that you don't tell a wolf what to do. At one of the APDT seminars that I attended we were shown a video where Pat Goodman of Wolf Park was disciplining a wolf. She was quickly and accuately put in her place for attempting to discipline the wolf. It was not an overly aggressive behavior, just very matter of fact. A dog is not a wolf and a wolf is not a dog.

flying

I dug up some old photos of Tilley yesterday so I thought I'd post them on my blog. Tilley as alot of you know was an amazing frisbee dog. Just yesterday I took her to an old field where we use to frisbee and retrieve, things were a whole lot different.

I'm off to an early shoot this morning, greyhounds............I love shooting greyhounds. Have a great day everyone and hope you enjoy the images.

The comfort zone

I was awaken this morning by the rain, it was coming down like cats and dogs. But now the sky seems to be clearing and the rain has stopped. The dogs are again wedged up against my legs making it impossible to even budge an inch. When they get a comfy spot they are none to willing to give it up. They do love their comforts. It always amazes me when people find it so strange that dogs like comfort. Like us they know what feels good and what doesn't.

Often a dog will lay on a hard floor by choice; typically this is due to the temperature and not the comfort level. Given the choice between a hard floor or a bed they will almost always choose a bed. Even Mr. Fussy; Luke who does not like to share a bed has taken to sleeping on the really big bed I have in the kitchen. He use to lay in the livingroom which is around the corner. He does not like when the other dogs try to lay on the same bed as him; he doesn't like all the walking around him while he is on the bed.

Normally he would get up and huff away if one of the girls was trying to get cozy near him. Although he regularly digs and tosses the bed everywhere even when they are already asleep on it. The other day he really ticked off Jessie, she was nice and comfy on the kitchen bed when Luke decided he would like to lay there as well. He started to dig; digging Jessie along with the rest of the bed she let him know right away that she was not okay with being dug up.

When I bring home a new bed it takes a matter of seconds for someone to nab it. They know exactly what beds are for and even though there may be great carpet with a plush underpad they go for the bed. Dogs deserve comfort just as much as we do; even young dogs. But that is where you have to be smart; young dogs also like to devour beds and can put you into the poor house by methodically destroying each new bed you buy. So if you have a young bed destructor; stick to the old blankets until they understand and respect the meaning of a good bed.

As dogs age; beds become even more important. Once down and settled it can take an old dog a long while to muster up the desire to get out of their bed. This means you have done well in your bed purchase. My old girl Tilley has started to use a bed that I purchased sometime ago. The bed was not a big hit to start off with, it is soft but the fabric is a bit stiff, not the fuzzy type. Even poodles like a fuzzy faux fur bed; it is their favorite. I put this new not so great bed in the corner of the familyroom room; sort of behind a chair making it seem cave like. She has really taken to this bed and I often cannot find her in the day when she has fallen deep asleep back there. She has specifically chosen the location over bed preference; there is peace and quiet back there.

Our k9 evolution

It's Tuesday and the sun is shining but apparently only today; they are calling for clouds and rain tomorrow. And although I do love a good downpour, we are painting the house so I'm hoping it will stay away for a couple more days. The dogs have been getting out alot for walks and I find myself doing alot of comtemplating of late. As I watch all the people out with their dogs I am noticing that there are alot of old dogs.

Funny how you notice things more when you are dealing with the the same issues in your own life. I haven't seen a whole lot of puppies recently; perhaps that is right around the corner with spring and all. I am often thinking of the dogs in my past, how they were different than the dogs I have today, how I was different than who I am today. I use to beat myself up for the things I didn't know way back then, but I have long ditched that philosophy; replacing it with live and learn.

So many times when I introduce someone to positive training methods they are upset with how they have been treating their dog. "Sherri, if I'd only known," is what they usually say. And then I address the guilt; "you cannot feel guilty for something that you did not know." It is far better to learn and move on than to dwell on what you have done in the past. Yes it is too bad that we don't come out knowing everything but life is an evolution of yourself. I wish I had known back then what I know now, but the fact is I didn't.

You cannot force evolution, it happens overtime if and only if someone is open to change. There are people who will never change, they are stuck and like the way things are. But for those who are open and willing to learn; evolution is never ending. I am a huge advocate for research; listening to what others have to say. Take what you agree with; learn from it and toss the old. Each dog that passes through out life has been involved in our evolution. So far my guys have done a pretty good job; but they are not near done yet. ;)

You're grounded

Well the girls are officially grounded, yep they've had the stool pulled out from them literally. Not too long ago I bought a nice small ottoman or foot stool for the girls to use as a step to get up onto the bed. It took a while for my pea brain to figure out that at this age they should not be up on the bed. But my heartstrings got the better of me and I felt bad that they couldn't get up anymore. Jessie actually hasn't been able to get up onto the bed since we got this monstrous Kingsized beast.

Just this morning as I was getting ready to take the dogs out; Jessie launched herself off the bed like the little rocket that she is and hurt her leg. I am very lucky that she is built like a tank and rarely get's physically injured from anything. She's one tough cookie. So as I watched her walk it off I thought to myself "that's it." No more bed for the girls. I've been lifting them down now since we got the bed but I can't be sure that I will always be there for them and they could get very seriously injured.

Luke is another entity entirely; I'd like to keep him off because I don't want him to be getting hurt either but the last time he couldn't get up on the bed he had numerous seizures. He is a creature of habit and when we first got our bed they brought the wrong box spring, we all stood and roared laughing at the height. There was no way the dogs or us for that matter could get up there easily. So Luke's bed jumping was ended for a couple of very long and tough weeks until the correct sized box spring came.

He will let me hoist him down which is a surprise in itself; he is such a nervous ninny. But if I let him know that I will be lifting him down he is very good about it. The girls will be allowed on the bed in the morning while we have our coffee and then the stool will be pushed away so that they can't get up.

Yes there are alot of changes in our lives lately; that's life.

Squabbles

Where did the weekend go? It's already Sunday evening and I have yet to write a weekend blog; sorry folks. I don't even know what I did yesterday, oh ya we shopped for new outside lights. Then watched the hockey game. Ducks won over the Sharks 5-2. Today was spent on bathing dogs, brushing and just hanging out. We had a crazy rushing week so it was nice to just chill.

Luke went for a big run today with his Dad and on return the girls gave him the once over. It's really cute to see them sniffing him to see where he went and greeting him home once again. Even though they adore each other and are very much a pack they have their occasional squabbles, but squabbles is as far as it goes. We have never had a full out fight with this pack, but they do have disagreements. So what do you do when there is a disagreement?

The best advice is to stop it, quickly and calmly and stay very non emotional about the whole situation. Like with children, it is over very quickly. I remember years ago; my Mother telling me to never get involved in a fight my children have with friends. The kids get over it within a short time and the parents if involved remain angry. This is so true. So you take steps to resolve piece and your job is done. Other than making sure that no one is continually causing problems, just react and go back to life as normal. That's what our dogs do.

stubborn?

I've got stubborn covered here at my house. Many people say that their dog is stubborn but just because a dog doesn't want to jump up and do what you want them to do immediately is not stubborn in my books. But the real definition of stubborn is: unreasonably or perversely unyielding. Jessie is my stubborn girl and as a Jack Russell terrier it is what I expect. Yesterday she had her full force of stubborness at work.

We have workers at my house, we had been going to hold off for a while but with a change of events; my house is a very busy work in progress right now. This means that I juggle dogs and our relaxed daily activities are now more stringent and structured. I get the dogs out EARLY and we leave through different doors daily. The other day I was taking Jessie out, she ran into the garage to get her harness on and wouldn't leave. No matter how much I asked her to come with me; she thought that the only way out was through that giant garage door. Luckily she is small.

Yesterday I was taking all three dogs out; I know it is confusing to don their leashes before we head out the backdoor but I expect some sort of flexibility; which is what the poodles give me. A little baulk of confusion and then they agree to follow me. Not Jessie, she is not even coming into the kitchen, the kitchen is not where we leave to go on walks. No matter how much I call; it ain't happening. At this point I am laughing at the sheer stubborness of my tiny pack leader. To her, we leave through one of the front doors for a walk and that is it.

Knowing full well that she is not coming into the kitchen no matter how hard I try to get her there; I go and hoist her up giving her no choice in the matter. There is a huge difference in my dogs, I have to say in my breeds. Jessie is amazingly smart but not in the same way that my poodles are. She is more a programmed smart, she learns very quickly but has a difficult time veering off the norm in her life. She is sort of a little robot.

I am not a very routine person, routine bores me to death but even the fact that going for a walk and leaving through the back door lead to such confusion let me know that there is enough routine in my life to set my little Jessie into concrete.

Breed specifics

"Breeding to better the breed;" is a common phrase in the dog world. But what does it actually mean? I have the chance to meet breeders of just about all the breeds there are and I love learning about each, I find the little breed specific facts facinating. But as on onlooker and lover of all it sometimes makes me laugh when I hear people say things like "oh this breed should not be an outside dog," or "this breed must have training and socializing." Because that is a blanket statement.

Yes there are breed specific hardwired behaviors - “Hardwired” is often used loosely to refer to functions that are innate and unlearned in living systems: “The ability to perceive objects in a certain way appears to be hardwired into the brains of mammals.” Hardwired behaviors can be very breed specific; from herding, chasing, swimming etc. There are hardwired behaviors that are common in all dog breeds and mixes that are not breed specific like grooming, predation and communication.

Most breeds do well with other breeds, dogs speak dog. So although there are breed specific behaviors they are all much more similar than many "breed lovers" would like to admit. The breed specifics that makes us want a certain breed are more the external behaviors, surface stuff so to speak. Are they the relaxed type, high strung, retrieving maniacs, guard dog type or live to please guys?

I sort of look at hardwired behaviors as having two distinct levels or tiers, the all dog hardwired behaviors and then the breed specific hardwired behaviors. And the second tier hardwired behaviors are the ones we pick and choose from. Some of the toy breeds having had most of their predatory behaviors bred out; being bred strictly as companion dogs can happily coexist with birds and rodents. Where other breeds who have not been bred as strictly companion dogs have a hardwired reaction to rodents and birds which is very predatory.

Human intervention has made one species very different; what started out as one has become many indeed.

Control

Wow, am I proud. This morning while walking the poodles at a great park we had a rabbit run in. I had them both off leash while we walked twice around the park, it was extremely quiet, very nice. I had just taken Luke's collar off and saw a rabbit up ahead, I didn't worry about it because they are pretty darned fast. I knew Luke would run after it; that's what dogs do, at least that's what my dogs do. He did not just charge in like a crazy dog, he assumed stalking stance and began his painfully slow approach. As I watched I realized that this was not a normal rabbit. It was watching Luke and doing nothing.

I watched for a few more seconds and realized that this would not end in the typical fashion with Luke bounding at the bushes that the rabbit escaped into. This could get messy. I told Luke to "leave it," he froze. Took a few more steps and again I told him to "leave it." I knew it wouldn't be easy, he was right in the thick of it; the full blown hunt zone. So I pulled out my big guns and yelled NO! I rarely use the word; and specifically save it for the really bad stuff.

Again I said "leave it," and with his right front leg held ready to pounce is turned and moved away. The dumb rabbit then sauntered off ever so leisurely, having no idea that his fate had been changed by some great training. This is extreme; had I stopped Luke before he was in his hunt mode it would have been easier; but I thought the rabbit would hop away like normal. So hoping to stop the behavior when Luke was so deep into it was a risk. But he amazed me and came off of the rabbit; perhaps part of the lure was gone, the rabbit didn't seem afraid, it didn't flinch. And just maybe that is part of the thrill for a dog.