New Years Eve

Happy New Years Eve day everyone. First I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and taking an interest in your canine/s. Now I'd love to know if you have any great New Year's resolutions concerning your dog/s? Each and every year I make a pact with myself to be a better dog Mom. For me that means more research and more time spent with each dog individually. There is always progress to me made on oneself; so onto the New Year and a better me; I say.

Spreading information is a very important part of canine guardianship. I cannot tell you how many times I start speaking about something canine related in a way that I expect the person whom I am talking to already know about. It is then that I get the puzzled look and I realize they have never heard of this before; time to spread the info. So many people love their dogs; just as much as us but aren't into researching the mountains of info that there is out there. So when you find out some new and exciting news; share it.

Every little tidbit of info; whether it be about behavior, a new product either dangerous or good needs to be shared. There are many people out there that still don't know about the dangers of chocolate for our dogs; surprising but true.

Life is an never ending evolution; how do you plan to evolve in 2010?

A dog is a dog

A dog is a dog is a dog; correct? Yep. From the tiniest of pocket pooches to the giant Irish Wolfhound and Leonberger they are almost identical in their genetic makeup. Sure they look very different from one another but inside all is the heart of a canine.

Often dogs are treated to match their outward appearance; this is caused by our natural human visual response. A tiny little dog tweeks at our "it's a baby" reaction where the big brute dogs tend to give off the "tough guy" vibe. But all dogs; big, small, long, lean, buff and average are the same inside. I have often witnessed small dogs living in the home while larger dogs in the same family live outside. Or cute looking dogs live in the house with the family but the rougher ones live outdoors. This makes no sense once so ever; all dogs no matter what they look like deserve to live indoors with their family.

Take the pocket pooch trend that Miss Hilton launched to catastrophic proportions. Do you really think because a dog is small that they enjoy being treated like a living doll? Nope. The tiny dogs are still dogs and love to hike, smell, play and do all the things that other dogs do. Yes of course you need to take more care; especially if you purchased a "teacup" dog. Please if you are looking to get a small dog do not be duped into buying a teacup size; they have a slew of medical issues due to being bred down so far in size. Let alone their breaking point; they are a fragile bunch. And the term teacup is strictly used as a marketing plow.

Where dogs differ is obviously in the exterior and their hardwired behaviors. Hardwired behaviors are instinctive traits that are not taught; they are there from birth and are passed down by dam and sire genetic information to their puppies. Different breeds can display vastly contrasting hardwire behaviors due to human intervention. Thus we are left with dogs that do what they must; they are driven to. Border collies must herd; Golden retriever must retrieve etc.

So even though our dogs may seem so different; they are all still dogs. Over the years humans have taken the different breeds in distinctively different directions, deep down they are all still one. The amazing canine.

Old dogs new tricks

There is never an age when you cannot teach a dog something new. They are perhaps one of the most amazing creatures; and even when they are well into their senior years they are more than willing to learn. I have already disgusted that we are in a very transitioning stage with our dogs now. Jessie is loosing her hearing quickly and because of this I have had to make some changes. Last night she displayed to me that she's got it down.

I have been removing Jessie from the kitchen when she is done eating. This has been for her own protection but it has been very upsetting to her; so I change it again. I decided that she could be on the corner bed if she stays there. She isn't so offended by the bed appointment as she can still see (barely) what is going on. But she went further last night; while waiting for her to finish her 3 second chow down I watched to see where she would go after she was done. To my surprise she went no where; she stood at her bowl, gave a quick glance over her shoulder and Luke but didn't move an inch.

I watched longer; she quickly through a look over to Tilley and then back to me. At this point I realized that she had already got the idea "the association." Move towards someone else's bowl and you are removed. Smart little dickens she is. So I let her remain for a few moments longer just watching her. Sure enough she was not moving towards anyone's bowl. And you must know Jessie to get that this is huge; Jessie will literally stand between one of the poodles legs waiting to snatch their food, she is not stupid but she is fearless. And unfortunately just about completely deaf so that she no longer hears warning growls.

She made me smile when I realized that even at this age; 13.5 years old she has learned this new adjustment very quickly. I will still remove her and would like to teach her to automatically go to her bed; which will be much more difficult. She can stand and not move hoping that I will not remove her, that she is okay with but to remove herself would be a whole "freak'n with her head thing." Jack Russell's don't move away from the food, it is just not in them to do so. Oh they can learn to but it is a challenge.

So it again comes down to association; it is all about association. Create an association and you've got it.

The pack

Much attention is being put on the pack mentality of our dogs these days. Because of the popularity of a conventional trainer on tv; many positive trainers are trying to move away from the idea of "the pack." With the popularized trainer using harsh methods and using "the pack" to explain much; the good guys are looking for a different way of explaining things. Every pack; each situation, environmental surrounding and the individual members changes an outcome of dog behavior. I have seen people who live with a bunch of dogs which in no way resembles a functioning pack. A bunch of unruly dogs living together is considered a pack, but a fine tuned one it is not.

There are many stories of wild packs of dogs killing prey and farm animals at night. These packs mostly are stray and are a dangerous bunch. The pack is constantly changing and when they hunt it is more a frenzied attack rather than a well thought out plan for a meal that a pack of wolves would take part in. But as far as our lives with dogs; the dogs we live with in our home as part of our family is indeed our pack. At least to our dogs; we are part of their pack.

It doesn't take alot to witness pack behavior in your own home. Just go lay on the floor of your living room; the pack will follow. Do you have a shadow with you on your daily wandering around the house and yard? That's what packs do. Packs do stuff together; everything from walking, sleeping and playing, all together. And every pack has a hierarchy which is another touchy subject. But as far as the pack; humans are the bosses and dogs are the dogs basically. That is how it should be.

When I am called in to fix a problem behavior it is often caused by lack of leadership. The dog basically came into a home where no human took the "leader" role. In life there are leaders and there are followers; both in humans and in dogs. But when it involves a dog and a human it is important for the human to play the leader role. This has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with patience, guidance, educating and understanding.

Let's talk about the difference between dogs and wolves for a minute. Wolves consist of family members; rarely a strange wolf will be allowed into the pack to live. Usually strangers are driven out or killed. And often there are members in a pack that just don't get along; when this happens, normally the wolf of lower status will leave to find another lone wolf and start their own pack. When you have dog pack members in your home that do not get along, it can often be resolved with guidance and strong leadership. But sometimes it just isn't going to work and it may be the best for everyone involved to place one of the dogs.

With a pack of dogs; you may be able to bring in a new member who will be accepted over time, much easier than a strange wolf. A pack of dogs who have a strong leader can have a much calmer, less volatile pack than a pack of wolves. Wolves; although very intimate and are hardwired not to hurt other pack members tend to be in a state of status seeking. There are always resources to fight over; but we teach our dogs that fighting over resources is not acceptable. With a strong human leader you can keep status seeking behavior to a minimum if you know what to look for.

Packs of stray dogs that band together don't seem to display typical "pack" behaviors. Afterall they are not a true pack like a wolf and have no strong human leader to keep things under control so it ends up being a sort of free for all. Some experiments have been done on large stray dog populations where they found that although the dogs did come together for food resources and breeding they did not pack together like a wolf pack.

Perhaps the dog being completely domesticated to live with humans found that once they are stray they become a little lost. And we cannot ignore the fact that a pack of stray dogs is not living as a pack of wolves that are fearful of human and do not live with human intervention. The surrounding enviroment is completely foreign from a secretive wolf pack way up in the mountains somewhere.

I believe that I live with a pack of dogs; a very nice pack I should add. But "pack" is not how they are treated or controlled. I do not believe in alpha rolling as a "leader" to keep members in line. I do believe in constant guidance; clear cut educating of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Something we have the priviledge of giving another species.

This and that

First let me say that I got a lap cozy from my son for Christmas. It is for a laptop and being that I blog nearly every morning in bed; blogging will never be the same. I LOVE IT. Okay; the holiday was wonderful, Boxing day was even better but it's back to reality today.

Luke went on his big hike today with Dad but the girls are still waiting. The dogs have had such a smorgasbord of food over the last couple of days. Perhaps like us it will be difficult to go back to normal food; we'll see. We had another growl incident this morning; and we are in a constant state of change at the moment. Luke was laying in the kitchen after his big run; Jessie decided to smell his head which Luke was fine with until she got to his eyes. It wasn't a huge deal; he just gave a soft growl like "okay, enough sniffing." Jessie heard nothing but luckily I did this time. I quickly shooshed her away and all was well.

Jessie is not taking her new feeding kitchen routine too well. She has caught on very quickly; knowing that now she must stay out of the kitchen after she eats but she is getting somewhat upset. I may have to modify the change and just find a spot in the kitchen that is a safe distance for her to stay. Yesterday after being whisked out of the kitchen she stood facing the wall under the diningroom table. Today she went into the livingroom facing the window with her head hanging down. Hmmmm; not great.

So I will tweek the routine until it is right for all. No only is Jessie nearly deaf and loosing her sight but her routine is changing which can be upsetting to an old dog. I don't want any of my dogs upset, so I will work on making it fit for everyone.

Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day After Christmas; this is my favorite Holiday because this day has the same charm as Christmas without all the work. The day for us is spent lazing around; although we did run the dogs bright and early. We eat lots of leftovers (love leftovers) and spend time with the family.

I hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas had a great one; we did as did the dogs. Luke was in full swing yesterday; opening presents is one of his favorite activities and this joy can sometimes become a bit of a hinderance. He learned the wonders of gift opening on his first Christmas; we always get the dogs something. Once he opened his first gift he thought it would be fun to open them all. Encouraged by onlookers he has become a little bit of a crazed gift opener. If someone does not want his assistance you must be very firm with a "LEAVE IT". Then he just wanders off to the next gift.

The girls were not quite as enthusiastic as Luke; they spent the day snuggled on the couch and in front of the fire. Tilley enjoyed her soft pink boot toy but Jessie really wasn't interested. Once dinner came they were all very interested in sharing turkey dinner which they got to indulge in. I always save the organs for them and they get sweet potato; more turkey and cooked carrots.

I am enjoying this quiet Boxing day surrounded by the dogs. Happy Holidays everyone.

Stepping back

She yanked; she pulled, stepped on the leash, yelled and snapped her fingers. All this was delivered to the dog on the end of the leash. I don't know the whole story; all I know is what I saw unravel before me; and I didn't like what I saw. This young woman was walking a pit mix in the park. As I stood chatting with a friend the woman with the pit used us as a distraction; that is about the only good idea she had. Her dog was obviously excited by our presence.

There was a huge void in the human/canine connection; there was no praise, no reward, no guidance. What I witnessed was very common with choke collar training, anger. What was missing was the education factor; it was simple "STOP." Stop pulling; stop looking at those dogs over there and stop acting like a dog. Choke, yank and choke some more. When she wanted his attention she snapped her fingers; she kept snapping them to no avail. Why should he stop doing what he wants to bend to her every whim?

When a dog is highly excited; no matter what the trigger is you must find a way to make that dog want to listen to you. If all you have to control your dog; to connect you to your dog is a chain around his neck then you have nothing. There are times when you need physical control; but if you have nothing else to fall back on then you basically have nothing at all. This dog was completely focused on us and the human on the end of his leash was a mere annoyance. When he wouldn't down on command she stepped on his leash making it impossible for him to do anything else; or be strangled.

Training and behavior modification has come so far since the choke collar "caveman" days. It is sad to see people stepping back into the past. Had this woman brought some hotdog with her I bet she could have easily convinced this boy to listen to her and like doing it. Why not say "hey; listen to me instead of obsessing on those dogs and I'll give you something yummy?" Would you go to work everyday; do everything you are asked without getting paid? I think not.

Like I have said many, many times ASSOCIATION is what it is all about with dogs. What association do you think this dog was learning about the presence of other dogs? Not great right? But if the presence of other dogs resulted in guidance, praise and food reward; the result would be a very positive association. So please, we've come so far; don't go backwards. Step up, not back.

It happened

It happened; sooner than I had thought it would but we had a scuffle last night. Things are now going to change; as life changes you must adapt so we are adapting. I cooked up some gizzards and giblets last night for dinner; the dog's dinner that is. They love these and after Thanksgiving I stocked the freezer up with them. Jessie of course was done nearly before her bowl had touched down onto the ground and then started her ritual of moving in on Luke. I have already changed the eating routine once by placing Jessie on a bed in the kitchen once she finished eating.

By giving her a clear boundary it enables her to achieve a greater level of "stay there" success. If you don't make it clear then she starts her sneaky one step approach to the bowl. So with Jessie on the bed and the poodles finishing up their gizzards I turned to load the rest of the dishwasher. No sooner had I turned my head and there was a dog fight. My instinctive reaction kicked in and I quickly rushed the fight yelling. It was over in seconds and Jessie banished from the kitchen.

Now some people might fell compelled to yell at the big dog for going after the little dog but size nor age had nothing to do with this. Jessie was attempting to move in on Tilley's dinner. Normally Tilley doesn't mind so much but this is gizzards we're talking about. Tilley was obviously enjoying this more than usual and was not about to let the small white one steal it from her. As Jessie quickly moved into take what was left of Tilley's food; Tilley would have given a warning growl. Jessie couldn't hear it.

Seeing that Jessie was not backing off Tilley was forced to up her warning by lashing around hitting Jessie; which is when Jessie retaliated. A simple turn of the head was all that would have been required from her to defuse the situation. Jessie has always been quick to heed a warning around the food bowl but she is now unable to hear the warnings. This is a recipe for disaster; so change is required. Jessie will now be banished from the kitchen entirely once she has finished her meal.

After the initial commotion Jessie attempted to come back into the kitchen. It is difficult now to communicate with her as she is nearly deaf and has little vision. So my message had to be loud and clear even for Jessie. With a dish towel in hand and blustering up I let her know that she was not welcome back into the kitchen. This is now the law; once a law passes in this house, it is cast in stone. Dogs do not do well with middle of the road rules; it should always be black and white. So it is written.

We'll be walk'n for sure

I'll be walking with the dogs for sure this morning. There are wind warnings and it is suppose to be in the low 60s, nice. The poodles are sporting a fuller coat now as it can get into the 30s at night. The weather is strange here; it can be in the 80s during the day and then drop 50 degrees at night. It is not strange that I have the air on in my car during the day and the heat on in the house at night. So keeping the perfect length of coat on the poodles can be difficult; especially for Tilley as she is dark and heats up quicker than Luke with his blonde curls.

Funny here in Southern California; one of the most common breeds I see is the Siberian Husky. I often wonder how they feel about the scorching temps being that they are a northern breed. If they are born in these warmer temperatures and not a transplant from a colder climate then I am sure that they adapt very well. These type breeds have huge shed times where they shed their thickest insulation coat as the temperatures rise.

This is a wonderful article on how the northern breeds adapt to warm climate.

Any dog can overheat; high levels of activity in very warm temperatures should be avoided for all dogs. They must be allowed to cool themselves; but there is a point that their cooling system may not be able to function. Heat exhaustion can happen in a flash so even though it is winter; the temps will rise in the warm climates like Southern California so take great precaution with all your dogs.

Space

I have to talk about space today. My husband and I ate lunch out yesterday at The Corner Bakery; great little place with great food. It was busy of course with all the shoppers out hussle and bussling. We sat down; got our food and were enjoying our lunch until; let's just say a very large guy came a pulled an extra chair, a fifth chair at a four table right beside our table. Normally I wouldn't mind this but the guy was literally up against our table; I mean touching our table. If he leaned back he would have been between my husband and I.

So as we sat there finishing our meal of course it made me think of the space our dogs need. I need alot of space; I do not like when people assume that they can enter into my personal space anymore than dogs do and like us they are all different. Like most people; the better I know you the closer you can get without it bothering me. So let's look at dog space. Last night Tilley had a primo position for sleeping; the other two dogs were wandering around looking for a spot. Everything was fine until they crossed an invisible boundary Tilley had made for herself and then she let them know. With the use of body language dogs make it perfectly clear when you are too close.

Of course some dogs have no personal space boundaries; some have very large boundaries and the boundary can have specifications. A dog may have a larger personal space designated for humans but dogs are welcome. Or it may be that only certain humans are allowed in and only certain dogs. Some dogs may only want humans in their space and not other dogs. Typically a dog let's their pack within a much tighter space than strangers; be they dog or human.

Within a dogs personal space specifications will be regulations; when, why and how you are allowed to enter into it. Humans should not assume just because a dog is friendly that they should enter the space completely. Dogs give signals and they may be so small that if you are not paying attention; you won't see them. Space issues are completely different concerning your own pack members versus strange dogs; the ones that you do not live with. Space is a safety precaution; both for humans and dogs. Space is what makes a fearful dog feel more comfortable and a very dominant dog less challenged.

A good rule to follow is to take it slow and always let a dog approach you; never push an approach. And save the hugs for the dogs you live with; don't hug dogs that are not in your own pack.

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear me now? Maybe a little but what is it that they can hear? My dog Jessie is losing her hearing and losing it fast. She went from a normal hearing dog to one who rarely hears. She will be 14 this coming May; she is slowly losing her sight but other than that she looks like a young'n. She sleeps alot but it is the hearing that is the most troubling. Just today we had her at the park; seeing that she really needed a romp I let her off her leash after a good surveillance around. She charged in every direction and it was at that point I really realized the impact of her loss of hearing.

She's fine with it; she does tend to startle more these days but that's about it. But when she was free and running around I had no way of communicating with her. She is not like my poodles who constantly watch me; she's more a girl with her own agenda. And just the other day was another impactful moment. Tilley was out of it last weekend from her pain meds and when Jessie approached her she growled. It is out of the ordinary but Tilley was not herself. When she growled she gave no other signals of displeasure; she was out of it. Jessie never heard the growl which made a huge impact on me. She can't hear the warnings; that's a dangerous situation.

When a dog is born deaf they adapt; all of their other senses are heightened. When a dog slowly loses their hearing it can take longer to adapt if they do. Like Jessie; when she was running around this morning she had no sense that she should watch us. She does not seem to be paying closer attention to body language being that she probably does not realize that she is not hearing like she use to. As a dog ages their reactions are slower naturally so combined with this and a loss of hearing she is definitely handicapped.

Where once Jessie would be quick to turn her head when Luke growled at her approach to his food bowl; she no longer hears this. Unfortunately she is watching the bowl and not watching him. So great care must be taken now that there is not even a small conflict that might get the little deaf one into trouble.

A wealth of info on deaf dogs here.

Poodle and Jack shoot day

Good Saturday morning; the weather is suppose to warm up here which I'm not happy about. So because of that the pups will be going out early. I've had my coffee and shared by morning muffin with them so we're nearly ready to head out. I've decided to do some shooting today; Tilley is feeling better so I'll take advantage of three healthy dogs and snap away. We just renovated our garage and at the moment there is nothing in it so I'll shoot in there for fun.

Tilley's wound is healing; slowly but healing. I have to admit I was pretty amazed by the whole bloodroot process. And I have joined a bloodroot group to find out more about it.

I've also started a Just dogs with Sherri Facebook so look me up and join. I will be answering any question you might have and discussing canine behavior and anything else you'd like to talk about concerning dogs. So hope you join; see you there.

Dogs in the OC in the Register

I am very happy to say that Dogs in the OC is in the OC Register. Not only did we make the paper; we made the front page..........very exciting.

Dogs in the OC article in the OC Register.

Available here

December 17, 2009

I have to admit it was tough getting through yesterday. Tuesday night was spent listening to the dog door swing open and drop into it's magnetic landing place. I listened as Tilley went in; and came out. I listened to her as she searched for a perfect spot to rest between her trips outside; all this from the couch in the family room where I could monitor her comings and goings. The afternoon before; Tilley had decided to remove her bandages which I found in a pile in the bedroom when I returned from a quick errand.

Did Tilley eat some of the bandaging? Not sure. Did licking all the ointment off of her leg upset her stomach? Perhaps but whatever it was her system was flushing and as usual it happens at night. By yesterday morning she was fine; she was hungry and she was tired as was I. But luckily for Tilley she was able to spend the day resting and sleeping while I battled the parking strategies and the other shoppers at the mall and tried my best not to sit for too long knowing that I just might slip into a deep sleep.

Luke was tired as well; he had a restless night. He didn't like that I was not in my normal spot and made many trips down to check on me. He went in and out a couple of times to see what Tilley was up to and tried to settle on the couch with me. But from his behavior yesterday he had not gotten a good night sleep along with me. All the dogs slept sound yesterday and I think today will be a better day.

Have a great one.

Bloodroot - Neoplasene

First let me explain that I am a skeptic; I am not a naysayer but I must have proof before believing. I feel that this stance is the best approach and tend to think that if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. I am in no way promoting this product; I am simply stating the facts as far as my own experience with my dog Tilley.

Tilley had a lump on her leg; she has had it for many months. Most recently the vet attempted to withdraw some cells from it to send off to see if it was cancer or not. Unfortunately it was like a little pebble and she was unable to get anything from it. I kept a close eye on it for change etc. Last week it changed; it had opened up and I was unsure if it had opened on it's own or if Tilley had injured it on something. Luckily we already had an annual visit appointment to the vet set up for following Thursday.

Once we arrived and the vet had a look she said it should come off. She then told me about Bloodroot or Neoplasene. I'd never heard of it and because Tilley is nearing 13 years of age I didn't want to go the surgery route. I okayed it. Neoplasene was applied directly to the tumor; a protective salve was spread around the healthy flesh to protect it. Then it was all wrapped up and to be left wrapped for at least 12 hours.

The next day I opened up the wrapping to find some irritated skin and the tumor which was slightly white. I cleaned the entire site with peroxide and then covered it with a natural organic salve. We made another trip to the veterinarians on Saturday morning. I was concerned about another treatment as it had leeched onto her healthy skin when wrapped. The Dr. asked if I had time to sit with Tilley for about an hour? We could apply the neoplasene on the tumor and leave it to work for an hour. I agreed; the healthy skin was again protected with salve and the neoplasene applied. I sat with Tilley for an hour while we allowed the substance to do it's thing.

Tilley's leg was wrapped again and we headed home. The next day Tilley decided to unwrap her leg on her own. My son called me as she was in the process. After unwrapping it properly and washing down to peroxide again it was obvious that the tumor was indeed starting to pull away. I covered it with salve and wrapped it up again. Skipping ahead to yesterday; I started unwrapping. As I began to pull the gauze from Tilley's leg I could see that the tumor; now only half the size had completely come away. It was off of her and now lay in the gauze.

After much research I found there to be two very strong opinions on this subject. It is definitely worth looking into as I feel that the treatment for cancers have gone far wrong in many ways. I also believe that this is a product that the unscrupulous will grab a hold of and run. Like anything humans tend to want to make a buck so caution is always your best route. Is this a miracle cure? I guess the jury is still out; but like anything that gives a glimmer of hope it does deserve more research. It can be dangerous in the wrong hands as many things can be.

I will keep a close eye on the progession of the loss of this lump. Tilley now has a very small wound to get healed up which after dealing with her tail issue several years back seems like nothing.

Snow dogs

Last night as I was starting to drift off I found myself thinking about snow dogs. I spent many a winter day detaching snowballs from my dogs legs and leaving them by the heater to drip dry. I haven't had to do that now for almost 11 years; but I am considering heading north so that I can shoot some snow dogs. Other than shooting dogs at the beach I think shooting them in the snow is about the most gorgeous.

I have a couple of photos put away; some amazing ones of Tilley when she was only a year old that I will have to dig up and scan. She was still pretty black back then and that with the white snow all around and her silver face; well pure magic in my eyes or lense. The dogs use to love the snow; even little Jessie as she would trudge almost completely consumed by the surrounding snow trying to keep up with the long legged poodles.

Shoveling was even fun when the dogs were around; there was always one dog ready to catch a face full as I tossed the unwanted snow over my shoulder. And a snow dog can have just as much fun with snowballs as with tennis balls; albeit after a while they tend to get the equivalent of brain freeze I would imagine. A wet face surrounded by falling snow; beautiful. And when you take a standard poodle soaked to the skin from playing in the snow and capture those flying ringlets; well I could sit and shoot for hours.

The only snow days that bothered the dogs were the frigid ones. You always knew it was really cold out when the dogs started lifting their feet; we stayed in and enjoyed the scenery out the window on those days. And we quickly learned that shoveling a path through the deep snow for the dogs to use helped keep the snowballs down. Poodles and any other breed that has alot of leg hair tend to be snowball magnets. Especially on those mild days when the thermometer hovers just below freezing; the days you want to spend outside. I remember my airedale being covered in three inch snowballs as we head home after a big snowy hike.

Ah,....... snowdogs on snow days.

What a weekend

Wow; I'm actually glad the weekend is over and I can move on. I had our girl Tilley at the vet for a very small procedure where she was given some pain meds. Well; she had a sensitive reaction to it and was pretty much in a tranquilized state from Sat. morning until well into yesterday afternoon. I have never had a dog in this state and I never want to again. Not only was she out; so was her bladder. After getting her up; I carried her outside and attempted to have her relieve herself. Little did I realize that she had already done so on the bed where she had been resting.

I'm pretty sure after watching her that her urine was just coming out freely and there was no actual peeing involved. So from then we had to monitor very closely; I set up a area for her with garbage bags covered in blankets. There she lay for pretty much the whole day. I made sure she got water into her; spoonful by spoonful I trickled it into her mouth being careful not to pour too much. Then I watered down her food and by angling her bowl exactly perfect she slowly lapped her dinner.

At bedtime we set up the same sort of bed deal as she had spent her day on although we put the xpen around her. She was unable to walk properly so I didn't want her wandering around in the dark alone as she may injure herself. By yesterday afternoon we were seeing a little glimmer that our girl was coming back. She took herself out to pee and started rummaging around the kitchen. She was still very wobbly on her legs and obviously not happy about the situation.

Unfortunately through all this she had made quite a mess of herself. Not wanting to segregate her any longer it was into the shower. We worked fast; I don't think I've ever bathed a dog so quickly. And once she was out both myself and my husband worked at drying her as fast as possible. I used the forced air dryer and he had our warm air dryer as we worked furiously to get her dry, warm and comfy. It wasn't long and she was clean again, happy and content to sleep the rest of it off curled up in mountains of blankets and tucked in all nice and snug.

She seems almost back to normal this morning. We move on after a lost weekend.

Evolution of a human

Life in itself is an evolution; animals are in a constant state of change as are we.

Evolution: a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development, as in social or economic structure or institutions.

I want to discuss evolution with regards to the human, canine connection. I know that my evolution with regards to dogs has been a big one. When you speak of the evolution of a human; the emotional change of an existing human it can be vast or non existent. Fifty years ago; the dog was pretty much considered to be "just the dog." There were some people who already considered them to be family members and brought them into their homes with open arms but many canines lived their lives out of the human home.

So where has the dog evolved in your life? Has there been a large scale evolution where you never had a dog and considered those who gushed over their dog to be foolish? But you now find yourself doing the gushing? Were you an outside dog family and now enjoy the companionship of your dog by your side in the comfort of your home? No matter how small the steps I believe each and every step that is positive is an evolution.

I have had many a discussion with other dog people about the mistakes we've made; ah... to err is human right? Right. So we have all made them; myself included and there are things I look back at now and shudder about but if I had not made these mistakes I would not be the person I am today. Each and every dog I have had; has had a hand in my canine evolution. And as I evolve with my dogs so do I evolve as a whole.

When my dogs come to me on their own; rest their head on my lap or lean into my leg to be touched I realized just how important they are and that this whole human/canine connection is pretty darned amazing.

Lots going on

Wow; lots going on yesterday and today. I had to take Tilley to the veterinarian; it was her annual check up plus there were a few specific things I wanted to have the vet look at. She is in great shape for 12.5 but she has lumps. Tilley has always been prone to http://www.petplace.com/dogs/sebaceous-cysts-in-dogs/page1.aspx; and the older she gets the more lumps and bumps she's getting. I never like taking the dogs to the vet; they get pretty upset, in fact Jessie is the only one that doesn't hate the trip.

A couple of months ago I received an herbal collar called a Calming Collar . I was really hoping for a miracle with this collar; but with any product I test I retain my professional skepticism before and during the test. I had been waiting for this vet day to give it a try. I watched Tilley's behavior every few minutes on our trip to Brea. It doesn't normally take but a few minutes for the trembling to start. Tilley get's the tip off when she is loaded into the car and strapped to a seatbelt, a different scenario than a trip to the park.

Once we hit the freeway I moved the rear view mirror so I could easily see her. Nothing; she was calm, in fact it looked like she might be nodding off. The next couple of miles I checked again, nothing. Could it be? Once off the freeway is when it usually starts to really get bad and she did then start to shake. And then when we got into the office she was visible stressed, trembling and shaking. But, I do have to say that she did not zone out like she typically does. So although the collar did not deal with this level of stress it definitely helped with the low level stress. Interesting.

Now, onto to today. I will be visiting the big dog show in Longbeach this afternoon. I'll be bring the big camera to get some great shots of dogs in the ring. I believe this show in indoors which is a good thing as it is raining today and the one thing a camera does not go well with, rain.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Balls

Nuts, jewels, balls or testes, no matter what you want to call them we really don't see them around these days. It is customary in North America to have our dogs neutered; it cuts down on unwanted pregnancies and disease. Since neutering has become a more popular decision and shelters have implemented their spay/neuter policy; there has been a significant decrease in unwanted dogs. But like anything in society; it is not done across the board and the biggest problem regarding to unwanted dogs is the puppy millers.

Show dogs; dogs that are shown in the conformation ring cannot be spayed or neutered. They must remain intact; unless they are in the veterans class. After all what is the point of showing and obtaining a championship title if you are not going to pass on those genes? So at dog shows you will see lots of balls; but other than they are pretty rare to see around.

On a walk the other day a family walked by with a pitbull; it seemed to be having some issues with regards to my dogs so I watched. As I turned around to see that they were on their way I noticed balls; what? I found this strange and wondered why this dog was intact. It did not look like a show dog; so why would this dog be intact? After discussing this topic with many families; not everyone is okay with neutering. When it comes to neutering a male, many men take issue. One gentleman that I spoke to was very interested in the fact that he could falsies for his boy. That's correct, they make fake ones.

This is one company that produces the artificial testicles called Neuticles. Yep; Fido goes in for surgery and comes out still intact but falsely. Will fake testes convince more people to neuter; I think so. And that a good thing. Neutering a dog not only stops unwanted pregnancies and testicular disease but can help in some behavior issues as well. It is not a cure for aggression or dominance but can definitely help.

Neutering only lowers testosterone levels in a dog; it does not get rid of it. And although it may assist in lowering marking tendencies it will not cure other behavior problems. Behavior issues are always best dealt with modification procedures. Many consider neutering when their male starts to mature. They start to display male qualities that are not always desirable; and the owners thinking that neutering will stop all this take them in for surgery. Often they are dismayed by the end result as it seems to have made no change. Behavior problems need addressing and working with a dog will fix problems.

As with all surgeries there is risk. The older a dog is the higher the risk of being under anesthetic. There is also risk that the dogs body will not accept sutures; which is what happened to my girl Tilley. This can be a long and drawn out problem that may or may not require another surgery. This article explains some of the downfalls of spaying and neutering. Early spay/neutering considerations for the canine athlete.

It seems to be an issue with the boys. I remember as a teenager hearing my guy friends razz their buddies that their now neutered dog was an "it." This never seemed to happen to the females who got spayed. Neutering a dog in no way creates a less masculine dog; it make take a bit of wind out of an overly inflated ego but it's not going to make your dog a sissy.

Like I always recommend; do your research before you take the plunge.

Its cold

Wow; it is cold this morning. It is hovering around the 34 mark; and with the bedroom patio door open sleeping was glorious. Of course our bed is piled high with down comforters making it nearly impossible to crawl out in the morning. And having a big buff blonde dude snuggled in next to me messes with your mind. It just seems wrong to get out of bed under these conditions. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning Luke came up; it is very rare that he comes to the top of the bed let alone stay there. He has his usual spot at the bottom left where he typically lays. But for some reason he wanted a snuggle this morning, fine with me.

Jessie is using Luke as her heating pad and pillow and Tilley is wrapped up snug as a bug in a rug under her blanket. Jessie had her normal trembling episode until she had a piece of toast. She does get herself into a tizzy around food. Tilley had her toast delivered so that she didn't have to get out of her covers and Luke; well yes he ate on the pillow.

I have a poodle walk this morning; I always look forward to these if only so that I can watch Luke and the other poodles display such happiness to see their friends. Our walks are always fun; and there is always good conversation. The dogs all love each other which is just the cutest to watch. Tilley is the oldest in the group and the next notch down are three 9 year olds including Luke. After than they get younger and younger; and we even have a new puppy in the group which I will meet today hopefully. She is the color of Luke so I'm sure I will be reduced to mush.

Busy day; time to get out of bed. Have a great one all.

It never rains in Southern California

It never rains in Southern California; but it is today. It doesn't rain here often; infact I can't remember the last time it did rain. So today canine guardians all over the county will be trying to get their dogs out into the rain. This is one of the biggest problems here; believe it or not. Just like the people who live here; the dogs get use to the sunny skies and warm weather. Even my girls who were born and spent their first year in Canada where they were accustom to the frigid temperatures and lots of rain; jam on their breaks at the door when they realize that it's raining outside.

Accidents will be happening all over the county as well and not just on the freeways. I am accustom to getting alot of calls and emails on rainy days. "Sherri; she will not go outside," "Sherri; he messed in the house." Just know Southern California dog people; you are not alone. For many people with young dogs this may be the very first time that they've seen water falling from the sky; be patient.

The solution is an easy one; and like most canine solutions there are many different levels of attack. For myself; I have to go out with the dogs the first trip out. They are sure they can hold it until this horrid weather stops; I'm there to make sure that they don't hold it until they burst inside the house. If you have a dog that has absolute no intention of following you out? Bribe. Use a treat; once out stay very calm acting like water pouring onto your head is not a big deal and ask them to do their business. Once done; reward them, believe me this is much better than cleaning up messes in the house.

The temperature high for my city is suppose to be around 55 with rain; how nice for a change. It's Monday so the dogs have their day off; the furnace will go on, the blankets come out. It's gonna be a great day here in Southern California. ;)

For the dog who has it all

Tis the season to be Jolly; correct? With the holidays upon us everyone is shopping; just take a trip to the mall and you'll be a believer. It's pretty crazy this time of year and something that I stategizr about; low times is when I hit it. So with your shopping well underway; have you forgot someone? Perhaps not; I've already done my shopping for the pooches; they don't get alot. I make a point of getting each a new toy and they were purchased from TJ MAXX weeks ago. Each will get a toy that resembles an UGG boot; I don't have puppies so I don't need to worry about the mix up between my UGGs and their UGGs. They are very cute toys but the dogs truly don't care what they look like.

But what if the decision was left to the dogs; would our dogs really like for Christmas? Our dogs want more time from us; simple right? Not always. With life spinning out of control at this time of year; finding a few fleeting moments to sit and rest can be difficult enough. Finding time to spend quality moments with the dog can slip through the cracks for many. I understand; I have a busy family but my family is an extended one. One that includes 3 furry members who are very important members at that.

I think now at their old age; their favorite part of the day, other than their outing is couch time. I will forgo many things so that I can have couch time with the dogs. Our couch is something crazy long; like 13' which more than accomodates all three dogs and two humans. Heck there is room for other humans if they like as well.

Do dogs care if they get a new outfit for the Holidays? Nope. What about a new collor or leash? Nope. A new bed? Perhaps. How about a box of organic grain free cookies? No doubt they will love these. A new warm blanket? For sure; as I cover up the oldest furry member, I know she appreciate the extra warmth. But what our dogs love best for Christmas is us, our time. Yes life sometimes makes it difficult to find time; but just make it. The joy you will receive by taking the time with your dog is immeasurable.

Happy Holidays to all and to all a good walk, ride in the car or snuggle.

To breed or not to breed

To breed or not to breed; that is the question for many canine guardians. Over the years I have pulled out my soapbox more than a dozen times; climbed upon it, gave my schpeel and put it away for the next. "We think it would be great to have a puppy from her," "we'd like the kids to see puppies being born," "my neighbor wants a puppy." These are some of what I've heard over the years which then causes me to pull out the box. Breeding is serious business; or at least it should be. With so many unwanted dogs in this world we surely don't need anymore.

I understand that you love your dog; what I wouldn't give to have a couple of Luke's running around. BUT; and this is a big BUT,there is alot to consider before you take the plunge. Alot more than those cute little puppies to think about. The list of considerations should be:

1. Is your dog structurally sound? By this I mean is everything where it should be? Or is their structure compromised in some way? I've met many dogs who should not be bred simply by structure alone. And this has nothing to do with a beauty pageant; structure is about correct physical elements in place creating ease of movement.
2. Is there temperament stellar? Would anyone want to live with your dog? Is she friendly and steady in temperament? Or would you be passing on traits that are not so desirable. You need to look deeper and past a pretty face.
3. Are you willing to pay the hundreds into the thousand dollars to have health testing done? Afterall you owe it to the perspective puppy owners to give them the healthiest puppy you can.
4. There is always the risk of complications; c-section, eclampsia (or milk fever), compromised puppies or even death. And there is always the risk of more serious complications; even death for the dam.
5. Do you have the time, money and patience to raise a litter of puppies until they are at least 8 weeks old.
6. Do you have a list of people who will take these puppies? Often breeders are left with one or more puppies; especially in this economy. Can you keep them until you find a home down the road?
7. Are you willing to take a puppy back into your home for any reason? Things happen in life; often things that were unforseen. Many puppies need to come back; and if you are not willing to take them back they may end up in a shelter.
8. Are you willing to take the time and energy to learn about proper nutrition and health in puppies, pregnant dogs and nursing dogs?
9. Vet bills can easily reach into the thousands; you got that covered?

I could go on for a longtime but you get the drift. Someday I would like to have a litter of puppies; this will only happen if I have an amazing specimen with an wonderful temperament. And even then; I don't know if I could ever hand them over to people, I may just end up with a poodle emporium of my very own.

So if you are dying for a new puppy; skip the breeding idea and find a good ethical breeder. Or visit the local shelter or rescue group. Your dog will definitely thank you for this one.

Old dogs

Old dogs are wonderful; I've never had so many old dogs at once before. There have been alot of life changes and this last year has seen the most drastic. My dogs are all seniors; even though Luke seems very distant from that designation, he is nine years old. I believe it is the 8th year that makes a canine an official senior. But if you have a giant breed then 8 is an old dog. If you have a small dog then 8 is nothing. My Jack Russell is 13.5 and although this year has brought many changes to her, she can still jump and rip around like a 4 year old.

Quiet; that is probably the biggest change in my daily life. There is a peaceful silence throughout the day. As I wander from room to room trying to locate each dog; doing the regular head count I cannot help but notice the lull. I hit the favorite spots first; where there are sunbeams there will be a Jack Russell. I regularly find Jessie curled up, tongue hanging out soaking up the warmth. She has always loved the sun; being that she is short coated and white. But now more than ever she seems to need it. And I think it must feel pretty good on an old little body.

Once I've located the small one I then search for the dark one. I often overlook Tilley because she can blend in to almost any shadow. I regularly call and call her only to finally realize she is in the same room where I am standing. And at night she virtually disappears into the darkness. Old dogs seek comfort and deservingly so; it is the comfort spots where I can usually find Miss Tilley. She has taken to sleeping on the leather couch in the family room and always with a blanket and pillow.

Looking for Luke is never an issue; where I am Luke is and if he happens to drift off and not hear me leaving a room he comes charging in a panicked mission to find me. Jessie too was a follower but now her sleep pulls her into a deep coma like state, one that with her loss of hearing causes her to miss much of the daily comings and goings. Jessie is loosing her sight and her hearing; although it is her hearing that is worse than her sight and I find my self resorting back to sign language; something I haven't used so much since my Clyde passed.

These are their years; this is their time to be spoiled and pampered. It makes me happy to give them their favorite meals, tuck them in with the fluffiest of blankets while they rest and take our slower than a snail pace walk. Life with old dogs is very very different and although Luke is not old in my mind; we are already starting to see the signs of creeping years. Next year my gang will be 10, 13 and 14................... that's alot of old dogs, my first time ever and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Environmental stimulus

Environmental stimuli are everywhere; they are everything in the environment that surrounds us, anything that we perceive.

Perceive: to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses.

So basically; if your dog is aware of their surroundings then everything has an impact on their brain. Some dogs are much more aware than others; some sort of go through life whistling and wagging, perhaps not taking much in as far as sensory information goes. Then there are the average guys who notice material objects and actions going on around; they take in the information, process it and act accordingly. Accordingly meaning that it will be in accordance to their life experience; how much environmental stimulus they have been subjected to.

Then there are the dogs that don't miss a thing; these are the guys that can be more challenging. They see things that other dogs may pass by. This is all very interesting but the big factor in the level of perception is the end result which is action or reaction. How a dog reacts to stimulus is what we are given as feedback. This is our heads up so to speak. Nothing in life is truly scarey unless you perceive it to be so. Same goes for everything else; this is where fears, likes, dislikes and phobias come from; a basic perception.

So a stimulus is pretty much anything that our dog can hear or see; auditory or visual. Dogs who already have a perception of a certain stimuli can be reprogrammed to change their perception. This is done using counter conditioning which is done by creating a new association to a stimulus. And generally counter conditioning is done slowly to achieve the best results. Flooding is not recommended for canines as it can have negative results.

So by systematically breaking down a reaction by the introduction of a new associated response you can achieve great results. Everything is done by positive application; there is no anger or lack of patience involved. Because both; a lack of patience and growing anger lead to a crack in the building blocks you are stacking towards a new goal. No success can go unrewarded; each and every miniscule step forward is a success and needs to be marked with reward.

Dogs are so much more complicated than many think. Ah; canine psychology, I could go on forever but I must make dinner for the hounds. ;)

Busy busy

Man what a busy time of year; it never fails every year we are doing some home renovation project around the holiday season. This year is no exception and hopefully will be done this coming weekend. So with that there are lots of things to work around plus all the regular stuff. I have a good start of my shopping, baking is underway, got my December Newsletter out on time, photos submitted to the publications, decorations just about complete and the list goes on and on.

The dogs are in need of maintenance; first they all need a bath which may possibly happen today. Then they need some teeth scraping, poodles need ear hair pulling, nails need doing and poodles need a bit of a trim. Tilley has her annual check up next Thursday which is something I implement for seniors. Typically I visit the vets if something is wrong but now that she will be turning 13 its time for annual check ups. Tilley hates going to the vet; she pretty much shuts down and afterwards will be exhausted.

Yesterday I made a quick stop at the grocers on the way home from the gym. I was looking for some beef on special and found giblets and gizzards mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I had completely forgot that this is the time to stock up; so I gathered up about 10 packages, grabbed a turkey, a package of stewing beef and headed home. It took about 2 seconds for the dogs to make their way to the kitchen; they love organ meat and I'm guessing the strong smell has something to do with it. The dogs enjoyed beef for breakfast and gizzards with quinoa for dinner.

Today has just started and the list is already growing; have a great one everyone.

differences

This morning everyone was up early with us. I was very lucky to have a delicious breakfast brought to me and as I do every morning I shared. The dogs were all lined up nice and close; each awaiting their morsel of bread and butter. Both Jessie and Tilley scarf their food down without so much as giving it a sniff; after all they already know what I'm eating. Luke on the other hand must be given the tiniest of morsel; and then he breaks each of those down even smaller. Once he is going on the eating then you can offer him larger pieces but not until then or they are just dropped.

When he does drop pieces that are too big Tilley is right there to scoop them up. She is allowed to snarfle around eating what he drops. Every so often he will posture ever so slightly but that's it. Now; if Jessie even considers sniffing around for dropped morsels she receives the full display of Luke's pearly whites. So what's the diff? Why is Tilley allowed and not Jessie? First; it is obvious that Tilley and Luke are a pair; a couple so to speak. And second there is a constant battle for status between Jessie and Luke. It is with my leadership that this only goes as far as the occasional teeth display or growl; I will not allow anything else.

It is very interesting to watch dogs following pack rules that they have created. Jessie can discipline Luke but not Tilley; they have an understanding. Luke can hassle Tilley to the point of going crazy but not Jessie; if he does he get's a face snap. And there are rules about sleeping arrangements which they all know and understand. Pretty much Tilley get's away with murder; she can do just about anything. This is probably due to her neutral status; neutral is a great way to be. She is happy doing whatever; she is flexible and a peace maker. You can only have so many dominants before something goes sideways.