Jumping up

Jumping up; almost everyone with a dog has dealt with it or is dealing with it. It is a very common behavior for dogs; dogs greet in your face. When I take my girls out for a walk and we return; it is a very in your face greeting that they receive from Luke. Unfortunately our face is up high; so dog's feel that they need to jump up in our face to greet us. They are not being bad or showing disrespect; they are simply greeting us in the only way that they know how. It is up to us to show them alternative ways to greet us. And if you have an very excitable type pooch then you may have more work cut out for you.

The old caveman way of stopping a dog from jumping was to knee them in the chest. Another option was the step on their toes method or knock them to the ground. First off violence is not the answer and secondly what horrible things to do to your dog when they are simply wanting to greet us. You really have to take the "bad dog" out of an exuberant greeting. So just how do you teach a dog to stop jumping up to greet you?

The method I like the most is the "four on the floor" routine. Small steps are the key to success once again. You cannot take a dog that is accustom to propelling itself airborne and expect it to simply stop cold turkey. So you start by asking for four feet on the floor and rewarding it. Treat delivery should be via the floor and it may take a while for your dog to realize that there are treats being dropped onto the floor. I like to use good ole cheerios or Charlee Bear Treats which make a nice clicking sound when they land. Often a sudden light bulb goes off in your dog "oh the place to be is here on the ground where the treats are." Keeping your hand behind you; try to drop so that the treats seem to appear simply by achieving four on the floor.

Along with this method you should also ignore jumping. That said; if you have a 140lb airborne hound, ignoring is not always easy. For these guys I find that teaching a "place" exercise really helps. Teaching a dog to go to a certain spot; bed or carpet when told and being rewarded for it can make the difference. Once your dog gets the whole "four on the floor" the rest is up to you.

The biggest problem with jumping dogs is the humans that they are greeting. "Oh Fido; ooooh look how cute you are, we missed you poochie." All this while hugging and kissing and over stimulating your dog. You can really help your dog in the jumping department by calmly greeting; or waiting to greet until your dog calms. Often when I get home the dogs are wound tightly; everyone is panting and circling in a frenzy, not good. So I will walk in the door and past the crazed hounds into the kitchen and outside. I make like I have some serious puddering to do in the yard and will only greet once everyone settles.

Humans think that the problem is within a jumping dog; and yet the problem lies in ourselves. Both fueling and teaching are on us. Teach your dog how you would like them to greet you and you'll both be happy.

I'm back

I'm back; I've been away for a week and it is good to be home. Believe it or not we had sunny 70 degree weather and snow in Canada on our trip; very cool. We received a wonderful homecoming last night and it feels great to be back with the dogs. I miss them like mad when I'm away and this trip away did not supply the dog companionship that I needed. I often am surrounded by family dogs but not this trip. There were a few scattered meetings here and there; one really great shoot but that's it. So I was in need of some canines when I got home. Enjoying breakfast in bed this morning surrounded by my dogs did the trick and now I'm back in the swing of things.

We had a new petsitter this trip away; she was wonderful. It is so important when you go away that you have someone you have complete trust in to care for your dogs or you simply don't have a good time. We've been very lucky with our sitters and so far the dogs have loved them all. It can be very time consuming researching and interviewing sitter candidates but in the long run more than worth your time and effort.

Recommendations are very important; if other people have used a sitter and love them then that is definitely a starting point. After interviewing the person; do you feel 100% comfortable with leaving your dog's in their hands? If you don't then keep interviewing; you really need to go with your gut with this one. We opt to have a stay in sitter; I think it is the best way to go. But there are other options for your dogs when you are away. Many doggy daycares do overnights and if your dog is one that is accustom to going to daycare that can be a great option.

Let your neighbors know that you will be away so that if anything is out of the ordinary they will take notice. Make sure to leave lots of information about your dog with your sitter; I basically write a novel. I feel like the more individual info you give them the better they can deal with anything that might arise. Like I always write; dogs are all individuals so throwing them all in a bucket and treating them as a whole is just not the way to go. My pack consists of three very different personalities and it is important for me to let the sitter know just who they are and how they react to stimulus.

Making sure that you feel just as comfortable as your dogs will while you are away is essential for a good trip for all.

So glad to be back. ;)

Runners

A couple of days ago; one of my daughters said to me "I don't get dogs that run away." She said that she didn't understand having a dog that wanted to run away from their guardian. I have to admit the concept of someones dog running away has always left me puzzled. I have never in all of my years of living with dogs had a dog that wanted to run away from me. I'm sure there are days when running away might have crossed their mind just like my kids may have had the same thought but in general they like it here. As a trainer I know many people who's dogs want to run away and there are many reasons for it.

Many times a dog wants to run due to genetic make up. Take sitehounds for instance, it is a well known fact that you don't allow them to run off leash. They love to run just for the pure joy of running. They are also triggered easily to moving objects; which means they are gone before you know it. My JRT is the same, she has a feather trigger switch. Sledding breeds would also be in this running category although they do not trigger, they love to run. But in all of these cases the dogs are running after something; not running away from their guardian.

There are the scent dogs who follow their nose. Often they become lost in their scent voyage; finally looking up I'm sure that they realize that they are far from their home, their guardian and where they want to be. Beagles are one of the most common breeds that "take off." Again, most of the time the beagle is not intending to run away; they just can't help following their nose. And for this reason alone, these type of scent breeds need alot of training and consistent work on their obedience skills.

Boredom is probably one of the biggest causes of runners. Life in a backyard can be pretty darn boring; so given the opportunity of hopping the fence and having fun, many dogs take the risk. "Escape artists," is how they are tagged; these dogs who seek excitement outside of their own domain. Who can blame them though, many are labradors, border collies and other over energized breeds and mixes. Once they have a taste of what lies on the other side of the fence; the old saying of "life is always greener," is a factual statement.

And then their is the sad reason for running; no connection to home or guardian. No dog should ever feel this way but sadly many do. Their guardian more than likely sees them as "the dog." Now I know they are the dog but you know what I mean when I say "the dog." No bonding, no amazing relationship, just no connection at all. This is sad for both species, to never know how a dog can change your life if given half a chance to do so. Give and take, it is a simple process; but one which requires an open heart and open mind.

I know that dogs love to run but to have your dog run away from you emotionally is something entirely different. If you know anyone who has not connected with their dog; give them a glimpse into the amazing mind and heart of a dog by telling your story of dog love. I have met many people who are absent of a canine relationship even though they have a canine; and I always try to explain what they could be missing out on.

Obedience

Obedience is important, but what exactly should your dog know? I am a big fan of obedience, it is a way for us to communicate with out dogs without having to man handle them. There are a few body positions that are important and rules they need to know. Obedience is a vague word in itself and there are many meanings. The first dictionary definition is: the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person. This pretty much sums it up I think.

I speak more of behavior rather than obedience now and use the term obedience more for the military style competitive aspect of behavior. I definitely want my dogs to listen to me and teaching them to take a certain body position when linked with a verbal cue is important. The first and most important of course is the "come" behavior. Others that they should definitely know and comply with are sit, down, stay and wait. These to me are the bare minimum which every dog should understand and be able to perform.

I do not like to see dogs being controlled by physical means. Yes, there are always going to be times where you need to control your dog physically. But in general you should be able to control your dog verbally or vocally without relying on the physcial grab. This is only achieved with alot of repetition, training without distractions and working up to high distractions. Stay is one of the most important and one that most people don't really train to perfection. Many people tell their dog to stay but in their head they don't expect it. All behaviors need fine tuning over the years as most dogs tend to slip when we tend to get slack.

Rules are the same; taught and learned through repetition. Rules are more unspoken but taught the same. I have alot of rules, no jumping out of the car until told to do so, no jumping on the couch unless invited, no boltint out an open door etc. These have all been ingrained into my dogs heads and yes every so often they forget themselves and are rereminded of the rules.

By teaching body position verbal cues and rules you can communicate with your dog without the need of physical control, nice.

How long do they remember?

"Do you think they remember me?" This is often the question when friends and family visit after a long absence. The answer is not always easy to see. Depending on the individual dog it can be difficult to see recognition. But if you know your dog's every tiny behavior; this means watching, always watching you will know if your dog remembers.

How does your dog greet people they have never met before? Often there is a huge difference between strangers and friends in a greeting; sometimes not. Sometimes there is one tiny little behavior that only you could recognize for recognition. Two of my dogs are like this; only the tiniest of behavior lets me know that they remember the visiting person.

Then there is Luke; Luke is a clear read because his behaviors are so large. That said his behavior vary drastically with dog people and non dog people as well. He is a very complicated boy but watching his behaviors are very educational. What I see in Luke is a pumped up version of what my girls display.

I believe dogs remember a whole lot better than we do. Dogs know people intimately by scent, not only by visual. Because Luke displays his emotions so largely I can learn a whole lot more from him; I love it. Luke knows alot of young men; my son is 18 and has a large ring of friends who come and go. When a large group come over Luke will very quickly find the one he has not met before. He pushes by all the known scent until he finds the new one.

Several years ago when my son was younger we had parents coming over more often. It was very interesting to see Luke act like he knew people that he had never met before. When it was a parent of my sons bestfriends there was an obvious recognition from Luke; "oh you belong to that guy." One quick smell and he felt like he already knew this person.

Did Tilley remember her breeder yesterday? She spent the first 8 weeks of her life with this woman. She met her again at about the age of 1 year and then there was a 10 year span. I believe she did; one sniff and Tilley allowed a hug, this is completely out of the ordinary for Tilley. She was not threatened in the least by the close proximity which is something I look for in Tilley's expression.

Like elephants; I believe a dog

Patience is a virtue

Patience is a virtue; true. Just about everything works out better if you have patience. Over my years of training I have incorporated patience into working with dogs. Unless you are using the harsh choke'm method of training patience will do well for you. Many behavior modification solutions need to be well thought out; usually a quick fix is not in your best interest.

Watching requires patience; watching and taking in tells you alot about whatever you happen to be watching. Keeping calm requires patience; and sometimes dealing with dogs, keeping calm can require a whole lot of patience. Take for instance a common issue at my house. I am on my computer and the dogs are outside; Luke decides he would like to come in; so tries a couple of barks.

My computer is at the back patio door so I just say "stop." He thinks about it but decides he would rather come in. I am remaining completely calm as I tell him to stop. One more bark; just a trial small bark to see if I really mean for him to stop. I calmly walk downstairs and look at him out the livingroom patio doors; there are no words, we have a visual understanding and he goes and lays down.

Patience in my photography not only helps the dogs but it helps me as well. There are many instances that one could loose their patience; afterall dogs are unpredictable and react in many ways to many different things. So if I did not have patience I could loose my cool very quickly. I often have to explain to the guardians that I am perfectly fine waiting for the dog to calm or relax.

Loosing your patience almost always results in doing something you will regret later or doing something you will have to undo later. So yes, patience is a virtue.

It washes off

You want to talk dirt? I have run into alot of people who do not like to let their dogs get dirty. My breed of choice - (which means that this is the breed I choose to share my life with at the moment, (I happen to love all dogs; with or without pedigree)) is the standard poodle. The poodle has long held the worst foofoo stigma a dog can obtain and wrongly so. Many poodle lovers do love the big haired, freshly fluffed look of the poodle but do not be fooled by the exterior beauty of the poodle. Like any other dog they love to get good and dirty and to deny them of this priviledge is just well....................wrong in my opinion.

That is one reason I shave my dogs down; they do carry more coat in the winter for warmth but other than that, it's off with the coat, the pompoms and anything else that's use is purely fashion. I am often stopped and asked if my dogs are labra- or goldendoodles because they have no telltale pom poms like a typical poodle. I've even been stopped by poodle people who I'm assuming have never given their dogs a bath because they don't have pom poms when they are wet and you can pretty much see what they truly look like in a wetdown state.

Don't all dogs love to have fun? If you have a pure white samoyed, a hairless xolo, an afghan with beautiful flowing locks, who cares? Everything washes off, and if you are worried about mats? Then cut off the excess hair so that you don't have to deal with mats or other things getting stuck up in your dog's coat. Of course if you have show dogs then you can't just hack off their coat but most breeders do take off the coat as soon as the dog is done their show career. If you want to show in the conformation ring then you have to either deal with a little less than perfect coat or stick to the rules of the game but once you're done you can do what you want.

Dogs love to have fun and if that fun means getting dirty charging through muddy puddles and filling their feet with salt water and sand then I say let'm rip. Of course I do not want to deal with 2 inches of thick mud covered feet on a daily basis, been there done that thank you very much; but on the weekends bring it on.

This statement might have a few of you shuddering as you read it but a dog is a dog is a dog. And I for one love to see a dirty one in any shape or size.

The stay

Stay and come are two of the most important behaviors you can teach your dog. Both stay and come are the most misused, under trained and under enforced behaviors. What exactly does stay mean? I actually looked it up and there are alot of meanings for stay but my meaning for stay is stay put until I say so. So if I put my dog in a stay, that means they are there until I give them the word to move.

The largest problem with stay is that people get lazy and don't enforce a stay. Stay is used in a casual manner meaning to stay until the dog feels like moving away. I see people telling their dog to stay but don't really mean for the dog to stay. So when you don't teach a formal stay, how will your dog ever know when you really mean for them to stay? The best course of action is to first understand what stay means. Then choose another word that will replace the lazy or casual stay, like wait, hold or pause etc.

But stay must mean stay. You can use whatever word you want, my word is stay for my official very serious stay. My casual word for "hey wait up," or "just hold on a minute," is wait. In official obedience trials a dog must do a sit stay and a down stay without altering position. In my obedience they can sit or down, it doesn't matter to me but they must stay in the spot I put them in.

Stay takes enforcing, which means that if they decide to get up and leave, you must enforce. Enforcing takes skill, patience and close attention to body language. You must be serious but not angry because an angry approach to your dog will almost always send them further away from you. Rewarding them for staying is very good through talking and food treats. Although you must be careful when you use vocal or verbal praise because too much can break a stay.

Just like with every behavior you teach your dog you must start out slow and grow with each success. Don't expect your dog to do a 5 minute stay the first day. Once your dog is doing a several second stay you can move up with your time. Distance is another tricky one, some dogs have a safety zone around them and once you leave that they feel they must come to you. Dogs who have separation anxiety can have problems with staying quite a distance from their guardian but this is a great thing to work with them on.

Biggest mistake

One of the biggest mistakes when teaching the stay exercise is calling your dog out of a stay. The way I was taught to teach my dog a stay was to put them in a stay, walk away and then call them. What does this teach? Calling your dog out of a stay teaches anticipation, that at some point your dog will be coming to you. I think this interferes with a very solid stay and that especially in the beginning you should always go back to your dog to release them. Teaching them that the only way out of a stay is by hearing the "release word."

My release word is "okay" and it is my release for everything, wait, boundary training, eating, jumping out of the car and stay.

Don't use Stay unless you mean it and unless you plan on enforcing. Lack of enforcement teaches nothing and leaves your dog with the sense of "they can do whatever they want."

Some dogs who are not use to doing what you ask of them may baulk at this exercise. "What do you mean I can't move?" They run around barking and jumping on the guardian. For these types of dogs baby steps are a must, reward each tiny success and stay close by. It is much easier to stop your dog before they move rather than try to catch them once they are up and on the run.

Continuous failure can cause frustration which can lead to mental shutdown. So quit while you are ahead and reward the smallest of success, building on that.

The instinct to guard

Dobermans; that's where it all started for me. I had one toy poodle growing up; I was lucky to have the one coming from such a non dog family. But luck was on my side when I met Jake; the one that started it all, a red dobie. Most dogs have a natural desire to guard their people; of course there are dogs with absolutely no guarding instinct as well but the guarding breeds were specifically chosen. These dogs have been selectively bred to bring out the guarding instinct. Guarding breeds have a natural desire to guard their territory, people or property.

Some of the more popular guarding breeds are the Doberman, German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd, Rottweiller, Dogo Argentino, Giant Schnauzer, Cane Corso and Malinois to name a few. More guarding breeds.

I have often had the guard dog conversation with people. "I want a guard dog." Many folks think they want a guard dog until they have a guard dog. Realizing too late that a guard dog is different than a watch dog. Guard dog breeds have been discerningly bred for years to bring out the natural desire to guard. Just like a Border Collie loves to herd; guard dogs love to guard. And when put in the hands of the average joe; can go very wrong. Of course not all of these guarding breeds have a strong desire to guard. I've met people who wish that their German Shepherd or Rottie would guard just a little. But if they do have that natural desire to guard you must be careful not to fuel it.

A guard dog breed in the hands of an experienced dog person can be wonderful; they know how to best fulfill the needs of these dogs and work with them properly creating healthy happy dogs. But in the hands of someone who either doesn't understand the instincts or wants a dog strictly to give the illusion of "tough guy," it can be dangerous. Guard dog breeds are typically strong willed dominant type personalities. They need strong leaders to follow; and if someone doesn't step up into the leader role, they'll gladly do it.

I have worked with many people who thought they wanted a guard dog. They purchased one of these breeds and were thrilled everytime the dog charged the front door and barked. Before long they had a problem on their hands and they needed help. If you have a dog with strong a desire to guard that is not going to be officially guarding property or territory, if you are not going to be training in the sport of Schutzhund then you need to defuse the guarding instinct. Some of the biggest offenders for guarding behaviors gone wrong are the smallest ones. Tiny pocket pooches are often over the top guarders simply because they have been allowed to or praised for growling and snapping at people.

Many dogs who are not specific guard dog breeds; guard. Guarding can be an out of control behavior for any dog but can be kept in check with leadership. My own dogs have a very strong guarding instinct; so when they alert me to someone's presence I calmly thank them and take over. Having them back away from the door and wait patiently for me to check it out is a step in the right direction. Being alerted is a good thing; having to hold back a dog who thinks that they are in control of a situation, not so much. What most people want is a dog that let's them know someone is around; and that let's that someone know there is a dog in the house. A guard dog is something more than that.

Before purchasing or adopting a breed for guarding purposes; be sure that you understand what you are getting. Guard dogs require a lot of training if they are going to do it correctly. You don't want to just sit back and cheer on a charging dog; that can get you into a heap of trouble.

There are many houses I'd think twice about going into unannounced; and behind the door of these coul be a Labrador, terrier, mix breed or even a standard poodle.

Walking dogs

Okay; how many of you walk on an angle, with your body compensating for the constant tugging inflicted by the canine on the other end of your leash? Probably a good percentage of you; I see it on a daily basis and even if you have a tiny little munchkin on the end of your leash it basically sucks to walk like this. It's not an enjoyable walk; and the power of the pull can vary from low level tugging to a dog who seems to be trying to win the Iditarod. (I have one of these types.) If you have one of these sled dog walkers and you aren't a fan of walking at an angle with one arm longer than the other; there are things you can do to help the situation.

The first thing to look at is your equipment. Constant pulling can damage a dogs neck and throat so a harness of some sort is best until you get the pulling under control. My favorite head harness is the Gentle Leader; I like the way it fits best. And for body harnesses I like the Easy Walker; it is specifically designed to aid in non pulling. Some harnesses can actually make pulling worse by giving the dogs something to lean into. I use this harness on Luke and highly recommend it.

The best way to stop pulling is to stop it before it starts obviously. So if you have a new dog or puppy, never allow pulling right from the get go. That means if you feel a tight leash you stop until you feel a loose leash. This teaches your dog right from the beginning that walking with a tight leash simply doesn't work. Tight leash=stop, loose leash=walking.

Teaching a dog not to pull who is already a well established puller can be alot of work but it is well worth it in the long run. To start off with get a Premier face or body harness. Next comes the work; no walking if your dog is pulling. Quite a statement; hmmmmmm how to walk without pulling. This may mean that you need to get rid of some excess energy first; an off leash major romp helps in the beginning. Once your dog is tired; you will have much better results. Even if you are simply going to the dog park to let them rip; you should not allow your dog to drag you there.

Babysteps are the only way to go; your first goal is to take one step with no pulling, treat and praise. Teaching your dog not to pull is much easier if you have a dog that pays attention to you. If your dog is totally focused on environmental stimulus it is much more difficult; so basic training in general is a good idea. Will your dog do a sit, down, stay and come on leash at the park? If not get to work.

From one step success you can quickly get two, three and more steps without pulling if you stay focused and your dogs is focused as well. Bring out the big gun treats; chicken, liver, steak, ball or favorite fluffy toy. Your dog cannot keep her attention on you and pull out in front not paying attention at the sametime. So often the problem is simply a lack of guidance from an owner.

Once you can get a couple pull free steps you will need to achieve more steps and eventually be walking again. The rule should always be that a tight leash results in stoppage; once the dog offers a loose leash by backing up or coming back to you, you immediately praise and walk. Timing is everything; immediate stop and start upon pulling and slacking is essential. Also; talk to your dog when they are walking loosely. I carry on huge conversations; lots of happy talk and stop talking immediately if there is pulling. Treat along the way while your dog is not pulling. "See how great it is not to pull? You get treats for not pulling." Also use your obedience while on walks; don't create a mindless walk where the dog with an active mind seeks out his own entertainment. Do lots of sits and downs along the way as well.

Luke is my sled dog; always has been. Luke is also a reactive dog; which simply means that every emotion he has is bigger than life. His reaction to everything is very obvious and he becomes over stimulated easily; so when he is going for a walk, he is very excited. This can be very difficult to stop; but what you can do is to teach an excited dog to be more calm by example. Becoming stressed; flustered or excited fuels a reactive dog so you have to go over the top to be chill.

Never yank on a dog's neck to stop them from pulling. One it is very damaging to their neck and two; you pull the dog pulls back. It is a loosing scenario for all.

Educating canines

Here Tilley is learning to do a back flip; in her younger frisbee days.

Train: to form by instruction, discipline, or drill

Educate: to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction: to provide with information. To persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way.

I use both of the above terms with regards to teaching dogs. I like the term educate and use it more often when teaching new behaviors. Then when a dog has a good understanding of a behavior that they can perform under normal situations; training takes over. Very much like an athlete that learns a new move and then trains to perfect it. Training is the conditioning that leads to a well proofed behavior; meaning that the dog has a full understanding and can execute it under any environmental distraction.

Dogs learn extremely fast; if you deliver the lesson appropriately. I was briefly watching a training show on television lastnight and upon seeing how she was dealing with a behavior I quickly changed the channel. I make it a point not to watch people who aren't educating dogs correctly. Seeing several things that this trainer was doing which was leading to confusion in the dog had me grabbing for the remote.
Educating canines should be kept simple; clear and uncluttered.

Dogs like black and white; they do not do well with grey. Too much talking and too much touching can interfere with the thought process. Arm waving, talking and touching is often our way of trying to explain to our dogs but it can also be the road block on the way to learning. This is why when you start out in your quest to educate your dog it should be done somewhere quiet without distractions. So if you go to a group training class with your dog it is more for you to learn how to teach your dog. Once you understand what you are suppose to do then the best lessons for your dog will be at home in the quiet.

Once a dog gets the basic idea of what you are asking in a quiet environment then you can move to small distractions and work your way up to big distractions. Let's say you are teaching the sit behavior to your new puppy in the living room. Once your puppy clearly understands this behavior in the living room you must then move to another room. Teaching your dog a behavior and then expecting them to do this behavior anywhere is asking them to generalize. Some dogs generalize well; once they "get" a behavior they can do it anywhere; anytime. But other dogs have a tough time generalizing. "What? I've never been asked to sit at the park, I only know how to sit in the living room." By going back to the beginning of the behavior lesson the dog can "get it" quickly and move on to the present stage of the behavior in each new environment.

As I always state; all dogs are different which means you must watch your dog as they learn. This enables you to discover what will best suit their individual educational requirements. My three all learn very differently; Jessie is an instant gratification gal, show her the food and she can learn anything within minutes. Tilley takes more repetitive work and lots of cheering on from the trainer. Luke is easily over stimulated by touch, talk or body movments; he becomes easily excited so we work very calmly with no touching and quiet praise.

Anyone can educate their canine; but it is always best to educate yourself first. It is very difficult to teach your dog if you do not understand what you are trying to teach them. By sitting down and thinking the whole behavior through you can visualize how best to teach your dog. Your confidence in the knowledge of what you are teaching will shine through in your students ability to learn the lesson. Now go teach your dog something new.

Canine bits and pieces

Good Saturday morning all; as I sit here blogging the sun is just peeking over the trees and the birds are chirping. The pooches are surrounding me as usual; this is my view while I blog every morning. This is my creative spot; I can write other places but for some reason this is where it works best. We've had our early morning snack and soon it will be out for our walk. Yesterday morning I took Tilley out with Luke to one of our favorite parks. This was only her second time there since January; sometimes there are other dogs in attendance off leash and Tilley cannot withstand any body slamming so we have to time it right. And we did; we were met by Luke's best friend, another standard poodle. One who looks quite a bit like Tilley actually.

We had made it halfway around the park when they pulled up; Luke didn't see her at first so I told him she was here. He turned abruptly, scanned the park and charged like a fool across the field. Watching them greet each other is something to see; in fact I'm hoping to capture it in the next couple of weeks for you all to see. After their exhuberant greeting she comes over and greets Tilley. Tilley is not the touchy feely type so when she is on the receiving end of lavish hugs and kisses she just lifts her head and accepts it. Sort of like "okay, if you really have to."

Before my poodle walk yesterday I had Jessie out for a sniff session of her own. She is all about the smells; we don't get that far having to sniff every piece of grass up and down but she has fun. As we made our way back to the park two women came down the path; they froze when they saw us and took a different path in the road. I too had to go that way and when they saw me coming I heard one say "oh no she's coming this way." They got as much distance as they could and waited for us to pass; they looked as uncomfortable as anyone could. So I shouted to them "not friendly?" One of the woman yelled "no; we were hoping to get good vibes from you." I said they weren't going to get that from my girl and we continued our walk.

These dogs weren't displaying; nothing. In fact they barely looked at us as we walked by. Definitely workable but nothing was going to change by running away. These type of issues have to be dealt with systematically as I wrote previously on leash aggression.

Well; off on our walk, have a great weekend.

Nail cutting

Good morning; I first want to tell you that I have joined the I love my dogs fan site. I would like to thank everyone over there for the warm welcome. This new site is a wonderful extension of the HUGE Facebook site I love my dog. I am very excited about this new endeavor.

It is nail day at my house; a day that comes around every couple of weeks or more. I know the whole issue of nail cutting is a scary one for many canine guardians. Anyone can cut or dremmel their dog's nails, you just need to be aware of a few things. Being that I started my whole dog life in the conformation show ring; nails are a non issue for me. It is something you simply have to do when you have dogs going in the ring; the judge is noticing everything. There are several options with regards to doing nails; you can cut them with either a guillotine type clipper, the scissor type or a dremmel. I have used all of these and have now after 30 years of cutting nails; settled on the dremmel.

The first nail cutter that I used was the guillotine type; which worked great but I found that the scissor type gave me a better cut. When you do cut your dogs nails it is very important to just cut off the very tip. If you are lucky and your dog has white nails then you can actually see the quick and avoid cutting it. A dogs nail has an inner fleshy part called the quick which is surrounded by the hard nail protection. If you cut too far and hit the quick it will bleed; and that hurts. The deeper you hit the quick the more it hurts; so you must be careful. Less is more when cutting nails.

Many dogs keep their nails ground down simply by walking; if you have one of these then you are lucky. But most need a trimming now and then. The back feet tend to stay shorter as they are used to propel the dog into motion. So they often don't need as much attention as the front feet. When a dog's nail are left too long it interferes in the way that they walk. The proper length is just clearing the ground when standing in a relaxed position. You should be able to slip a sheet of paper under them. Some people keep their dog's nails very short; but you must be careful not to hit the quick.

No matter which means you decide on for doing your dog's nail you must prepare your dog. Lots of positive association work before the actual cut. A common scenario is created when you begin to cut without preparation. Your dog freaks out; causing you to hold them tighter, this freaks them out even more and they fight harder. This is freaking you out now and you grab them tighter so that you don't cut their quick. The whole scene snowballs until the dog is completely and 100% convinced that nail cutting is the worst thing in the world; they don't forget this.

To start off on the right foot so to speak; introduce the clippers and food. Show the clippers and give your dog a treat. Again baby steps are the way to success here; touch the clipper on your dog's foot, treat. Tap the clipper on their nail and treat. Do this over several days until you can pick up your dog's foot and clip one nail then treat without resistance. If you get resistance from your dog then you still have positive association work to do. NEVER EVER hold you dog down firmly to cut their nails; instead make getting their nails cut a worth while necessity.

For Dremmel usage; I found it best to work on the positive association and then up to barely touching the nails for a half second. This was done for several days in a row until my dogs were showing no signs of stress. When you use a dremmel you must be careful not to burn your dog's nails. The dremmel heats up the nail with by friction so small 1-2 second touches ensure that you don't burn their nails.

To this day I still give all the dogs a treat after having their nails done. Do they enjoy it? No. But do they tolerate it? Yes. I have made it very clear that if they let me do this then they will receive a treat at the end. It is also important to build trust with your dog; more on that in a later blog.

If you do hit the quick by mistake; there is a product called quick stop that you can apply. The bleeding typically stops quickly; if it does not stop within an hour, call your vet.


Step by step how to cut your dog's nails

The tail

In this image you can clearly see Luke using his tail to maneuver a sharp turn.

This is a controversial subject; and these writings are my opinion on the subject. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. Now donning my safety suit.

How important is the tail for a dog? Way important; and this crucial piece of anatomy is often chopped off. Certain breeds; even mixes sometimes have their tails removed or docked (full or partial removal of the tail.) My own breed; the standard poodle has their tails docked as do Jack Russells. My dogs all have docked tails; do I agree with this procedure? Nope. I would love my next dog to have an intact tail but sadly they are removed as young as three days old. There are a few breeders who will set aside a specific pup with tail intact but at three days old you have no idea if that is the dog for you temperament wise so not a good idea when choosing a puppy.

Dogs tails are essential for optimum communication and maneuverability. I also feel that they deserve to keep their tails just because. Who are we to say that a dog looks better with their tail chopped off? Hogwash is what I say. Wolves have long tails and all of our dog are decendents of the wolf. Luke has a longerish tail which I love; it is a nice visual and is a tell tale about how he is feeling.

Tails are huge in communication; I watch tails all the time if they have them. Tails speak volumes and cutting them off hinders a dogs ability to fully communicate. Dogs who have little or no tail create a challenge for the receiver of their communications. And if you watch dogs in action you see just how much they use their tails. Tails are used for balance and direction changes. As a lover of action photography I get the chance to see the tail in action alot. By freezing dogs in full out maneuvering positions you see the tail usage clearly.

Tilley almost lost her tail several years back due to a severe injury. On our second visit to the vet for this reason he suggested that we amputate. At 11 years of age I did not want her to undergo surgery nor did the idea of chopping her tail off sound good to me. I could just imagine the pain she would have to endure. I gladly report that she still has her tail, completely intact. It took around the clock nursing for several months but we came through with a full tail. :)

I am also happy to say that there are a few rebel breeders out there who are taking a stand and not chopping off tails. Many of these people are involved in some type of performance with their dogs and see how much dogs do use their tails. If you do some research you can find these breeders. Perhaps there will come a day when we look back shaking our heads at the idea of cutting off tails, we can hope.

Here are several links in regards to tail docking.

Young Lawyers Animal Rights committee

Advocates for animals

Communication study

Routine vs structure

Routine: regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

Structure: a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part.

Routine/no routine; that is the question. Just like us; dogs are very much individuals and what works for one does not always work for another. Routine can be a good thing for dogs; too much can be a bad thing. So how much is enough? Do you need any routine at all? I'm not a real routine type of gal myself; I like to be spontaneous, I'm not a fan of making plans. More than often my days are arranged by by appointments that I work around; but other than scheduled appointments I like to wing it.

My dogs generally eat breakfast around 10ish; give or take several hours. I do not want dogs that run to the kitchen in a panic if they haven't eaten by 6am, no thank you. Because I like my flexibility I make sure the dogs get food as soon as they wake up; when we have our early morning breakfast. So if breakfast is a little far off they aren't going to starve to death. Plus being that we are in Southern California much of our walking takes place in the morning when it is cooler. And walking dogs on full tummies is not a good idea.

Although feeding time is not on a routine at all in our house; the act of feeding is structured and the order of delivery is routine. Having routine allotment feeding helps to eliminate a free for all feeding. Each dog knows their turn and waits patiently for their delivery. The feeding place is switched up often. Sometimes it's in a bowl on the floor in the kitchen, maybe outside, perhaps tossed around the yard in a game of prey drive fulfillment and occasionally all the dogs are handfed by me. But the delivery remains the routine.

Too much routine can create behavior issues; dogs can become very set in their ways. Take dogs who eat at a very specific time; or go for a walk every day at 5:00pm. They can drive you mad if you fall out of that routine for some reason. It is hard to explain to them that you have to get something else done before they get their routine dinner or walk; they don't get it. So for me a small amount of routine is okay; but structure is better.

Some second hand dogs do very well with some routine in their lives. But you don't want to over do it. Routine can give an otherwise scattered dog some rhyme and reason to their life creating a more relaxed and confident dog. A small amount of routine used with a good amount of structure works well in my books. Structure is a more hands on type deal; something that you are more in charge of. When routine can run amuck; structure is basically up to you and that's a good thing.

Take a new toy situation for example. You bring a bag of new toys into the house; your dogs could go totally crazy jumping and grabbing, creating the not so desirable free for all scenario. But if you have thought out the whole situation first; and applied a structured facilitation then everyone has fun without loosing control.

So if you are a very routine type of person; try switching it up a bit for your dogs sake. It puts you in the driver seat and that is where you should be.

The dogs in our life

I am often asked "how do you know its time for another?" Sadly our dogs only share a portion of our life; their life expectancy is only a fraction of our own. They come into our life; enrich and leave us with life experiences and memories. Each and every dog that passes through our life leaves a mark; alone they assist in our human/canine evolution. All of us; as in humans, have made mistakes with our dogs. Making mistakes is a part of our evolution. You are the dog person you are today because of all the dogs who have come through your life.

Many of the dogs that leave the most considerable and lasting mark on us are not even our own; they may have simply passed by leaving life lessons upon us. What we do with those life lessons are our own personal evolution. As a trainer I am constantly helping others to understand life with a canine. Countless owners over the years have been overwhelmed by a sense of wrong doing. "Sherri; I wish I'd known." Going back in time and beating oneself up about things you wish you would not have done; is counter productive. We cannot go back in time and undo all the wrongs that we have done; heck I wish I could many times. And I wish I'd known back then what I know today. But the fact is; life is a never ending education.

Many of the dogs that slip through our lives are what we call "heart dogs." A heart dog is the equivalent to a human soul mate. It can be the loss of a heart dog that stops us from adding another to our life. "How can I ever love another dog as much?" I have loved each and everyone of my dogs; but differently. They have all been individuals; each sharing their life with mine. An intertwined species relationship that can and should be equally beneficial although I strongly believe that we are the lucky ones.

When I look back at the dogs who have progressively molded me into the dog person I am today I have good and bad memories. Some of the saddest moments have the biggest impact on change and the passing of a canine can be that. It can leave you an empty shell mourning the loss but it can also be the catalyst into dogdom. A great love can supercharge an understanding that may have otherwise been lost to you. I cannot imagine not having a dog in my life and as much as I love the dogs that I share my life with now; I also know that there will be others. And I look forward to knowing the dogs that I will share my future with. So make this day a great day; live, learn, love and move forward.

A dog's life

A dog's life; this statement is meant as a purely positive one. Must be nice; the life of leisure. Oh to be a dog. It would be wonderful if that is what it meant for all dogs as well. Right now my guys are all curled up in bed with me; they've had their share of breakfast in bed and now are somewhere doing fun dog things in their dreams. Not all dogs have the dog's life as it is by definition, understood as "you lucky dog." On the contrary; far too many dogs lead a sad and lonely life.

Dogs are pack animals; even though there is alot of studying going on at the moment trying to debunk this fact. Being followed around the house from room to room is enough proof to me that dogs are indeed pack animals. Dogs love nothing more than to just hang out with you. Have you ever sat watching a sunset; crackling fire or rippling water with your dog at your side? How wonderful is it? It is pretty great; some of the best moments are the fleeting ones spent quietly enjoying life with your dog by your side. The sheer enjoyment of sitting next to your canine companion is immeasurable.

So what of the dogs that never get to spend time beside their guardian? The dogs tied to a doghouse out back, left in the garage or backyard? These dogs miss out on the good things; yes they miss out on "the dog's life." It always leaves me confused when people tell me that there dog is not allowed in the house. Why on earth would you ever get a dog if it doesn't live with you? It just makes no sense; get a dog and put it in the backyard with the patio furniture. "There; we have a dog."

Dogs belong in a family; if you want a dog for your backyard, then there are some wonderful dog statues I've seen at the outdoor stores recently. They look very real and have no desire to be your best friend; have a look a one. You need to ask yourself; why do I want a dog that will live in the yard or garage? What purpose does this animal fill in your life? What good do you bring to the canine in your yard? Do you somehow enrich this dogs life? Even if you go out and play with the dog every so often; it's not enough. Dogs need to live with us.

That does not mean that you need to spend every waking minute of the day actually doing something with your dog; you don't do that with your human family. Sure you want to make sure that your dog gets out everyday; a great walk where they can be their doggy self. But much of daily life with dogs is simply chill'n. Just hanging out together; enjoying each other's company. If I am working then my dogs are all in "the office" beds. When I get up and go outside; everyone goes outside. We sit on the double lounge; listen to the birds, catch lizards (not me) and basically enjoy the company of each other.

How do you explain life with dogs? There are many words to describe the coexistence of a canine and a human but if you don't "get it," it can be lost to a human. Dogs belong with us; living in a yard is no place for any dog. I often hear breeders stating that "this breed must live with the family; you cannot leave this breed in the backyard alone." No breed or mix should ever live a life alone; it's just not right. Every dog deserves to live a dog's life.

I wrote an article on this subject six years ago for Pets Quarterly in Canada. Read it here; it starts on page 10

Tackling leash aggression

Yesterday's visit to the park has yet again inspired another blog on leash aggression. We were done our walk and making our way back to the car; the girls and I that is. Luke and Dad headed the opposite direction towards his car. We were almost there when a car pulled up; the passenger door opened to a symphony of scream barking. A young girl hopped out with a chihuahau mix then came another and yet another. When they were all out there was a Mom; two girls and three dogs. And all of the dogs were going off on my dogs. I was pleasantly surprised that Jessie decided not to retaliate; I guess at 14 she's over it.

The largest of the bunch was doing the most serious barking; the Mother bent down and grabbed him under the neck by the collar and strung him up; right off his feet. The dog quickly turned its attention to her trying to bite her. She put him down and he proceeded to growl at her; direct hard stare and all. This while the younger girls voiced their complaints for the treatment of their dog. What a crazy stressful scene; made worse by the harsh treatment in attempts to stop the frenzied barking.

So what should have happened? This one particular incident could have been avoided by waiting until we passed by; getting the dogs out of the car and redirecting them onto something else or grab a handful of treats and have everyone receive treats while we walked by. But if you want to teach your dog not to act this way you need to work; patience, understanding and lots of treats are way to get started. First each dog needs work on their own; it is very hard to teach three dogs a lesson when they fuel each others inappropriate behavior. Once you work with each individual you can then attempt taking them out together.

So you have a leash aggressive dog; there are several ways to approach the situation. One you can teach your dog a very solid behavior that is not conducive to displaying leash aggression; meaning you can't do this one behavior and act like a crazed dog at the sametime. Teaching your dog to watch you when asked is a great tool. You can use "watch me" "look" "me" or whatever word you want to get your dog to give 100% attention on you. Starting out you reward for just a look and then ask for longer and longer time looking at you. To build the time your dog watches you; use praise and continual rewarding. The rewards need to be really good for watching you. Many trainers spit food out of their mouth which really helps to have your dog keep watching you.

Once your dog understands this well you need to work on the same behavior but with small distractions. Distraction work is called proofing; this means that you are creating many different situations that your dog learns to work around. When you add distractions you typically need to up the value of your treat. Once you have achieved some distractions you will want to practice around other dogs; but the first work needs to offer the other dog and you some distance. Do not set yourself up for failure; keep as far away as you need to, to achieve success. Once you have success then you slowly start moving closer and closer.

One of the most important things for YOU to do in this training is to remain calm. You need to show your dog that other dogs mean nothing, no big deal at all. Your dog is attached by a leash so don't worry about it. Keep your dogs mind active while you walk by other dogs. I like to use direction changes as well as the watch; my dogs have been taught turn, this way and let's go. These direction cues are useful for walking by other dogs because they interfere with the whole focusing on the other dog.

I also use "catch" while walking by other dogs. My dogs all LOVE catching; especially when it is food. When you are doing a fun activity and getting food while walking by other dogs; it makes walking by dogs a good thing. Many behaviors snowball once they get going; that factors in good and bad behaviors. So once you start making walking by other dogs a good thing; it just gets better and better. You can get closer and closer until you actually have contact; a monumentous event.

But be aware there can be moments of regression; if another dog goes after your dog it can set you back in your training. But get right back on the horse and attack it head on; promote the positive and try to erase the negative.

New toys

Ah Friday; the day we all wait for is finally here once again. My husband and I made a trip to Costco last night where we bought a package of new dog toys for the pooches. As I made my choice carefully; comparing the two different types I envisioned the empty carcasses strewn across my family room in a pool of white fluff; oh well. I bought the toys and brought them home; new toys for all. Dogs love to get new toys; even though they have two baskets full of old and haggard ones already, a new toy is a big happening in our house. A toys life is not a long one in our home but the joy they bring is immeasurable.

We arrived home and I went into the house with an armful of stuff; I tossed the box of toys onto the floor and watched. Luke was of course the first to check it out; he pushed it around a bit and rolled the box over. Although the toys were boxed; both the head and tail end were sticking out for all to see and touch. Next Tilley meandered over to see what this was that Luke was so interested in. She too rolled it around and stood staring; then looked at me with a "are these for us?" look on her face. I put a few more things away while watching the new toy interest displayed by the dogs. Once I was done messing around I gave 100% of my attention to the dogs and the new toys.

Jessie was a late arrival; she finally came down to see what was going on. She started her regular greeting but couldn't find a toy. She is a toy grabber during a greeting; she can't greet you without a toy in her mouth. I yelled at her (she's nearly completely deaf) to come to me. It was at that moment that they all lost it; it was a free for all of grabbing. Luke latched onto one of the toys heads and postured; with his head turned sideways and his body frozen he was not letting this little Jack Russell get all of the goods. Enough was enough "LEAVE IT." Everyone sat focused on the toys; no one looked away in fear of loosing the chance for a new toy.

I slowly broke open the box; there were a few grab attempts which stopped the opening procedure. Once all were under control I commenced the box opening. Things are dished out in the same order always in my house; Jessie, Tilley, Luke and the dogs are well aware of this. So first Jessie got hers; she grabs it and runs off shaking the life out of the new stuffed giraffe. Tilley is next; Miss patient, there is no grabbing with Tilley. I actually have to wing the toy around so that she will grab it; then she quietly takes her toy and lays down with it. She gets to know her new toy from top to bottom and only then will she get on with the gentle mouthing of it.

Now Luke; last but definitely not least. Considering that he is a reactive dog; he does very well to wait his turn but he can wait no longer. He makes a grab which results in a mock disgust from me; he then sits back down and waits. He is rewarded for this with the toy, finally he gets his new toy. You cannot mistake the pure pleasure when a dog leaps tossing his head around like a wild stallion with the toy hanging out of both sides of his mouth. He lays down madly chomping the toy; it's squeaks can be heard across the house. Not long after the chomping commencing and the squeaks are silenced; after all the goal is to kill the toy, at least for Luke it is.

I make myself comfortable and continue to watch the happiness a new toy can bring. The dogs have positioned themselves strategically; enabling them to enjoy their toy while still keeping an eye on the other dogs, just in case. Luke is a "the grass is always greener" kind of guy and eyeballs the other toys continually. He knows that he is not allowed to make a grab for them; but he cannot help but wonder what he is missing out on. The other girls need only to leave their toy unattended for a moment and it is snatched up by the blonde guy. But a simple "leave it" results in an immediate drop where he is left staring at the toy only inches from his face. He will not touch it again; he might turn his head away to assist his urge to chomp the toy for he does not like it when Mom is angry.

Ah the joy of a new toy.

Canine food banks

Our family regularly donates to our local food bank; it is something I feel strongly about. Not long ago I contacted this particular bank and asked if they took in dog food; they did not. Most human food banks do not take in dog food and after talking to many of the area food banks I understand why. Dog food takes up a whole lot of room; much more room that most food banks could accommodate. But the good news is that there are dog (pet) food banks. Here are a few I found online.

Save our pets food bank

The pet food bank

FIDO

Petco

In these difficult economic times many families are forced to make decisions they would never otherwise consider. When a family is having a tough time putting food on the table; feeding a pet may be impossible. These pet food banks are essential; they can make the difference for a family contemplating giving up a loved family member. There are many neighborhood pet banks out there; Save our pets food bank has a list of National banks on their site. Many local shelters offer food donations to people who need it; and pet stores are starting to offer the same.

If every family who could afford to; donated a bag of dog food to those who cannot, there would be far less animals in the shelters today.

Many of these pet food banks run food drives; just like the human version. What a wonderful idea; helping people keep their family pets by feeding them. When you fill up your dogs bowl; think about those who cannot and donate a bag of food. Having to even consider giving up a dog simply because you have fallen on hard times and need short term help with feeding is horrific. One bag could be the deciding factor in a dog and families life. Donate today.

Value of the Jibber Jabber

Do your words hold any clout? When you speak does your dog listen? Often we humans expect our dogs to know what we are talking about even when we have not trained nor associated a meaning to a word. Yesterday when I was at the park with Luke; I shouted to him as he was running up ahead of me. "Luke; there is a LIZARD over here." He flew into action; his ears had gone up at the mere mention of his name. At this park; he listens and he knows that when I have something to say, it is worth listening to. The word LIZARD has huge clout; he will drop whatever he is doing when he hears it.

This is the type of listening that is very cool indeed. When you see a dog react this way to a simple phrase; you realize the importance of association. As a long time dog trainer I have heard this phrase many, many times "why doesn't he heel when I say heel?" Then I ask the all important question; "have you taught him what heel means?" The awkward pause; "nope." "My dog will not stay no matter what I do." "Have you taught your dog what stay means?" "What?"

Dogs need words that mean something; suggesting that if you shout a bunch of words at your dog you will either get a reaction or not depending on what those words mean to your dog. Are you simply walking along and yanking your dog into place shouting "HEEL," without having taught him that heel means to walk beside you? Dogs don't come with the preprogrammed understanding to the words. You must associate a meaning to each and every one. Sometimes we associate a meaning to a word without consciously doing so.

When you start to educate your dog to the meaning of words; you will get a huge variety of reactions. Some words will have high value (clout) responses; some will get a reaction but nothing to write home about and other words will hold meaning but elicit a neutral response. Value, value, value: relative worth, merit, or importance. If you want a big time response you have to put high value on a word. One word that I have put a very high value on is "Here" This is my second and more valuable word for come. Come is commonly used far too often and the value can wane. So I have trained a recall response to the word "here." This word is not overused thus it retains its value and can be pulled upon when I require a quick response.

Anytime you end fun or introduce a negative activity in association with a word you devalue the word itself. My word for leaving an off leash area is "leash on." It does not get an ears up and running to me response; instead I get an "alright; fine, whatever" response, which is all I require.

Sure there are lots of times when I am simply yakking to my dogs. Perhaps the conversation is about our daily activities; my dogs enjoy listening to my ramblings. Speaking to your dogs is very important in the whole learning process. Try this; as you are discussing non value topics to your dog slip in a word that holds value. You immediately get an ears up "did I just hear what I think I heard" response. For us every word holds some sort of meaning; unless of course you have never heard a particular word before. But for dogs; there are very specific words in their vocabulary that mean something to them. With time and effort you can teach your dog many more words than they would normally learn in an average lifespan which
Dr. Stanley Coren says is an average of about 165 words. That is a total of trained, associated and accidentally learned words.

To teach your dog the meaning of words you must use repetition; the more repetition the faster the association. I am always teaching my dogs new words; and because of this it seems that they understand everything I am saying to them.

Some of my basic words are:

Car
dinner or feed
dogs
walk
leash
upstairs
out
in
sit
down
stay
leave it
catch
heel
finish
swing
roll over
shake
wave
this side
this way
toy
ball
over there
go
up
off
couch etc.

Some preemptive phrases that hold high value in my home are these: What does? Who wants? What did? Is there? These are commonly followed by something good; so they hold a pretty high value when used.

The more words you teach your dog the easier it is to communicate with them. I have met dogs before who have had no education once so every; and when talking to them it is clear that words have no meaning to them. If you take the time to teach your dog the meaning of words you can then implement them throughout your daily life. I often use a "leave it" on a walk as we pass by a string of munching rabbits. Even off leash Luke will turn his head and keep on going, but if I do not use it then he is off and running. I used the trained word "catch" to implement a non aggressive response to other dogs while on leash. It was a great word to Luke; he loves catching and it started a good association to dogs walking by who were had a threatening posture.

Words are great; what new word are you going to teach your dog today?

Bloat and Hip Dysplasia

Good morning; I'm going to discuss a couple of health issues common to large breeds today. The fist is bloat; this is when the stomach swells up to a dangerous size; it can be caused by food; stress, gas etc. Once this happens a torsion may or may not follow. Torsion is when the stomach flips creating a twist in the esophagus and duodenum which may cause irreparable damage. Many things can cause bloat and stomach torsion but the most common one is the sequence of events as follows: Dog goes for a run; comes home and drinks a lot of water, is then fed a meal of kibble, then drinks more water. This is always in the back of my mind; therefore I never feed before a run and always wait an hour afterwards. You can give them a quick couple of bites snack about 1/2 hour before hand; a piece of cheese or chicken works well.

If you do choose to feed kibble; buy the best quality you can for your dog. Never feed too much at one time. Best to feed several small meals than one big one. Too much kibble in the stomach at one time can be very dangerous. Kibble expands and with added water it expands even larger. Here is a list of recommended foods from the Whole Dog Journal. Food list You'll notice that Iams; Science Diet and Purina are not on there. My kibble of choice is Orijen; a newer food from Canada.

I know many people who have dogs that have either just bloated or bloated and torsioned. With quick action a dog can live through a torsion but many sadly die. Bloat and stomach torsion can also be genetic; do your research. I found this wonderful site that has everything you need to know about bloat and gastric torsion. My boy Luke is definitely in the high risk category; he fits all of the stats under the Build and Physical Characteristics section.

Hip Dysplasia; is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. Unfortunately years ago HD was a death sentence for a dog, but nowadays many dogs live long and happy lives with HD. There are many degrees of HD; it can be so mild that there is never any evidence of the disease to a worse case scenario when surgery must be performed. This article on Hip Dysplasia explains it fully with images. In the last year I have done extensive research on the subject of Hip Dysplasia; there are again many causes, the #1 cause being genetic. One important piece of information that I found was the flooring material used when raising a litter. It is imperative that it not be a slippery surface. ie; Newspaper, vinyl flooring, tile etc. Puppies need to be able to get tractions as soon as they are born. Hip usage starts when as soon as they make their way to Mom to nurse.

There are many natural treatments for Hip Dysplasia available. Depending on the severity of your dogs HD; some may be useful. Natural dog health remedies. Hopefully your dogs will never suffer from either of these; but if they do, do your research and know what you are up against.

Shooting my dogs and an earthquake

Yesterday I took the opportunity to shoot my dogs; even though I shoot them often I rarely get to a park to grab some nice action shots. My new camera is a beast and with my big lens on it; it is not something I want to carry everyday on a walk with my dogs. We headed out together which is different as well. Luke and my hubby had gone on their walk earlier in the morning so we decided to all go for our slow meandering walk. He grabbed the dogs; I grabbed the camera and off we went.

When we got to the park it was really quiet; a few random people here and there but unusually quiet for a Sunday, nice. Tilley was up for more of her rehab; she is making amazing strides so I was able to capture it for everyone to see. While Tilley ran after the ball Luke was being a very good boy waiting his turn; he'd already had his big walk with Dad so most of his ya ya's were gone. Jessie was clipped onto a 10 foot leash attached to one of the carabiners that I keep connected to my pouch. So while Jessie had her fun sniffing; Luke waited patiently, we watched and enjoyed Tilley having fun.

I had to end Tilley's fun when I think she'd had enough; she is one of those dogs who even now will just keep going until she drops. So once Tilley was done with her turn it was Luke's; and even with most of his ya ya's gone he still had energy to run and just have fun. I caught a non action shot of Luke that totally sums him up. It is the image of him simply standing; standing with the ball in his mouth for all to see.

After our shoot it was time to head home; what a gorgeous day for a walk and a shoot. Once we got home I spent a good part of the afternoon gardening with my poodles as my audience. Jessie had retired to the big bed upstairs in our room and there she stayed for the remainder of the day. The poodles rested their weery bones as I planted, pruned and weeded. About midway through my gardening I headed over to the hose. Luke was on his double lounge relaxing but started to act strangely; he was upright looking all around the ground beneath him. By the time I got to the faucet I was getting dizzie; the ground seemed to sway underfoot. My first thought was that my vertigo was back but then I noticed the water in the dog bowl swaying. It was in fact a good sized earthquake. At that point Jessie ran out the door and right to me; she was trembling. At almost 14 years old; nearly deaf and blind she didn't know what was going on when she was shaken from her sleep. It was over in about 30 sec., the dogs continued with their lazy afternoon and I my gardening.

By evening all were tired; the dogs and myself. As I got ready for bed I realized that my left arm had several cuts; a couple from a puppy shoot this week and the other identical ones from gardening. Visual reminders of a great week. Dogs and gardening. ;)

Are you paying attention?

Good Sunday morning; I hope that you all have a great day today. So I tried something new yesterday and let's just say it wasn't a big hit. I get it; you are here to read, not to write although I did have one comment from Mesa's Pet Resort, a big thank you.

So onto writing; I thought I'd write about an event I saw yesterday at the park. Yep; someone out there walking their dog was my object of study again. As I always write; I'm a watcher, and I like to watch how humans interact with their dogs. I was walking the old ladies back to the car yesterday when I noticed a Dad with a young and very exhuberant golden on the end of an extension leash. We were pretty far away so I could watch them together for a long while. The Dad was fairly young and had a couple of young children with him as well.

As they entered the park the man was not focused; he seemed to be in a hurry. His young dog stopped to sniff causing him to stop at the end of the leash. The man yelled at his dog "stop it". Stop it? Don't have a quick sniff? The dog bounded around and she then had to pee; she squatted down as the Dad was still walking. Again he came to an abrupt halt at the end of the leash and yanked on it "what are you doing?" He hadn't even noticed that he pulled her out of relieving herself; he was angry and there was absolutely no connection between the two.

Of course this left me pondering; are you paying attention? Often it is the little things that we miss that lead to other larger things. Noticing the small things that your dog is communicting or doing can help when working with issues; good or bad alike. When something is just in the fledgling stage; taking mental note of this can be a make or break point. Had this man being trying to teach his dog to pee while on a walk; he would have missed a perfect chance to reward this behavior. He also could have used the sniffing behavior to teach a "let's go" meaning to stop what you are doing and come with me lesson.

I see this human behavior quite a bit; you are out with your dog, your dog on a leash. You are going about your own business feeling a sense of "the dog is attached by a leash" so I don't have to pay attention to what they are doing. Wrong. Alot can happen on the end of a leash; yes they are safely attached to you but just what is going on at the end of that leash? Paying close attention to your dog is imperative; and when you do you open up the flood gates of possibilities. Modifying behavior starts by watching it. ;)

What are you doing this weekend?

First I want to remind everyone who reads this blog to watch the chocolate. Oh you can eat as much as you like ;) but make sure that your dog cannot get to any of it. Chocolate is lethal to dogs; the darker the chocolate the more dangerous it is. And the smaller the dog the smaller amount that is needed to be dangerous; please take great care to keep it out of reach.

Now; I thought I'd do something a little different today, I'd love to know what all of you are doing with your dogs this weekend. It would make for some very interesting reading for everyone. If you feel like it; leave your weekend canine agenda in the comments to share with all the other dog lovers. I for one love to read what others spend their time doing with their dogs. It doesn't have to be life changing; it can simply be sitting by the fire, watching a movie or going for your usual walk.

We are pretty much sticking to routine this weekend; a walk this morning, outdoor stuff later today. After sharing breakfast in bed; Luke and my husband will head out for their big walk. Then I will meet up with them in a bit with the old gals. Tilley has been doing alot of retrieving rehab and she has made great strides. She can go much further than she could just a week ago and for a dog with a crooked head it is amazing to see.

I'm thinking that perhaps we will hit the beach in the early evening with Luke as well. It looks like we are in for a beautiful day so The Montage may be on our agenda.

So what are you doing?

Sleeping with dogs ;)

As I lay here in bed; the sun is not yet up. There is a chill in the air; but I am cozy with my very own Jack Russell foot warmer. She's snoring; she is snoring loudy under her down comforter and not far from her is Luke; silently keeping the left lower quadrant of the bed warm. Dogs in bed; the statement alone is controversial. Many guardians love nothing more than sharing their bed with their dog; but is that where dogs should be? There is a great divide on the subject and some of the biggest opponents are the dog trainers. So here's what I think about the subject.

My opinion on dogs sleeping in bed with you is clear cut; black and white. If you would like your dogs to sleep in your bed with you and your dog shows no signs of grumblings, complaining about being moved or ousted then that is where they should be. Enjoying the company of your dog in bed is one of the great joys we have with our dogs. Snuggling with your dog is wonderful; listening to sleep can be a huge stress reliever. But what if everytime you move; your growls. Or when asked to get off the bed; your dog objects, offering the "just try to move me," look? Let's face it; your bed is the prime piece of real estate in your home and in a pack the leader gets it.

Often a guardian will toss some information my way as a side note. "Oh ya; he growls everytime I move in bed." This is the line; the line I have drawn for dogs in bed................off they go. But this is not a life sentence; they can earn a spot back on the bed but "earn" is the important word here. Back when Luke was a young'n we had an incident with him growling at my son for couch rights. Luke is the type that thinks he is all that and a bag of chips and his couch priviledge was fueling this. I was present at the time of the growl and Luke left the couch abruptly; he was kicked off for 6 months. We worked on a new set of rules; asking permission. There has never been another incident.

Being that sleeping with dogs is suppose to be mutually enjoyable; having you avoid your dog in your sleep is not good. If your every move elicits a growl which inturn interferes with your sleep; then this is a clear sign that someone has to go. And that someone is not going to be you. It is your bed; you dished out your hard earned money to buy it, you are going to sleep in it. But now you are feeling guilty; poor Fido has to sleep on the floor? Put your guilt aside; buy a nice bed for your dog and put it right beside yours, this is the best thing you can do for your relationship.

My dogs all have a their own bed in our bedroom; and they use them. With the girls being 13 and 14; it is not safe to be up on the bed if I am not awake so they are safe and sound in their own beds. Most often Luke jumps up on the bed in the middle of the night and everyone joins us in the morning. I feel very strongly that dogs need comfort; and a floor isn't comfortable, not even for a dog. Make sure that if your dog is not sleeping in your bed that they have a very comfortable bed of their own.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the folks who don't want their dog even in their room with them to sleep. Well; the best place for your dog to sleep is in your room, bottom line. Where you lay; your dog should lay. A pack sleeps together; they don't need to sleep on top of each other but they should all be in the same room. It makes me sad to think of a dog that lays alone at night; banished to the kitchen, garage or worse (outside) at night. Bonding occurs during these special times; in the absence of night bonding you are missing half your life with your dog.

Association

Happy April fools day; many of you may be the object of someone else's entertainment today, have fun with that ;) I had a good chuckle yesterday morning; upon returning from the gym I walked in the door to see Tilley out in the backyard draped in her blanket. With her recent haircut she has been sporting a coat at night; the coat is made of fleece, the same as her blanket. So when she got up to go out her blanket remained attached to her. There she was nice and warm smiling in the window upon my arrival; cute.

Association: the connection or relation of ideas, feelings, sensations, etc.; correlation of elements of perception, reasoning, or the like.

Dogs learn through association; often they learn an association that we don't like. A great example is my boy Luke; when he was young he quickly learned that when I called him to come in a park like setting it meant that another dog was around. I didn't mean to create this association but with a few repetitive behaviors from me I created it. So then I had to reassociate which meant calling Luke often in the park for other reasons. It worked well although he still has that "who's here?" every so often.

Dogs can associate the strangest things; and when you cannot figure out what is going on it is often a good idea to have a professional come in to try to piece together the puzzle. So how do you create a new association to a conditioned stimulus? Patience, baby steps and repetition are in order to achieve success. Another good example of association is "leash crazies" you know the dogs who come unglued at the mere thought of you opening the leash closet? I have worked with many guardians with this exact issue. The owner is unable to leash the dogs to go for a walk because they are worked up to such an extent that they are out of control.

This is actually quite easy to rectify; the problem is that the dogs associate the leash to the walk, obviously. So as the smarter species (ya right) we can outsmart them and give the leash a new meaning; or several meanings which in turn lowers the original association to the leash. Wherever the trigger starts; the cupboard door handle, the garage door or the leash itself is where you start. If it is a door handle then you walk to the door handle; touch it and walk away. Do this often and all throughout the day. So instead of your dog firing out of a canon when they hear that knob turn, they ignore it. Only move on when you have succeeded at each step.

Then work at opening the door; closing it and moving on. You are to remain very indifferent about it, giving your dog no reaction to use as fuel. Work your way up to leaving the door open. Then it is the leash itself; pick it up, put it down and go about your day. Lots and lots of touching the leash with no resulting walks. You want to get to a point where you can leave the leashes on the floor and no one cares about them. When you do need to take your dog out; pick up the leash when they are not watching and simply snap it to the dog unannouced and off you go.

Even dogs who get car sick can be helped with changing an association. Tilley use to get very car sick as a youngster; one day I realized that she started to drool before we even got in the car. Many owners simply stop taking their dog in the car at this point which is very sad indeed. But this gave me all the information I needed to help her; it was all in her head. For her the meant; Car=me feeling sick. So we changed what the car meant with baby steps. Lots of cookies and training while heading towards the car. Once the drool stopped outside of the car we did obedience in the stationary car with lots of goodies. Then we just chilled in the car with snacks and fun. Moving from there was a trip down the driveway and back; lots of treats and fun. You get the drift; we quickly moved onto small trips and soon she was a seasoned traveller.

It is a fairly easy process to change association; but you must think the process through. Start out with easily achievable goals and work slowly to your main objective. This is counter conditioning in it's looses form.

conditioning in which a second incompatible response is conditioned to an already conditioned stimulus; "counter conditioning lies behind many of the procedures used in behavior therapy"

It is an emotional response you are reconditioning; not so much a active response. But it is still counter conditioning; as you cannot be out of control crazy and calm at the sametime.