k9 issues & association

Being a dog trainer I have had to deal with many k9 issues. From fear based behavior, over excitement, pushy or phobic. Most dogs have some sort of issue just like humans; and it is not always an understandable issue. Many suffer from fallout behaviors, a behavior that was set in place by an occurrence. It is great when we know what caused an issue for our dogs but often we just don't know why they act the way they do.

For example; a dog may clearly dislike or fear children. Every time a child comes near the dog goes into a Cujo mode; is there a reason? There may be, I worked with a dog like this that had been living with a family and a young child. The dog was then placed into another family with teenage children. But the dog displayed awful aggression towards small children; which would seem like maybe the first life was not a happy one with the small child.

No matter where this issue stemmed from it had to be dealt with. Creating a positive association to small children from a far and then moving closer and closer to the trigger (a child) was the solution. This is one of the worst issues a dog can have; no one wants their dog to bite a child or anyone else for that matter. So extra caution and supervision is always a must.

Another dog I worked with had hidden issues. All seemed fine until we started with hand signals. Each time we raised a hand over the dogs head level he would cringe and leave the room. This dog was far from being mistreated and was a cherished member of the family. After much pondering I felt that is was clearly a confidence and submissive issue. So we then moved on to create a positive association to hands in the air.

How you behave during a display of unwanted behavior really helps or hinders. As I have said many times before; your dog is watching you. I happen to have one of the most obviously watching dogs I've ever met so through Luke I have learned just how much our dogs watch us.

The other day it was breezy which puts Luke into an uncomfortable state. His association to wind was caused by a slamming door; caused by the wind. This slamming door awoke him out of a deep sleep and he slipped into a seizure. Now when the wind blows he watches the doors. I am very careful to make sure that all slamming doors have stops at them. But I'm only human and errors occur occasionally.

So the other day as I came in off the balcony; the stage was set. Luke was standing in the middle of my bed; his eyes flying from the slowly closing door to me. He had panic written all over him but I was too far from the door to stop it. With the impending slam I flew into action immediately. Cool as a cucumber; Luke circled me, tail down, crouched posture and seeking eye contact. I wouldn't give it to him.

So as I busied myself around the room he followed at my heels. I opened several doors and closed them loudly, picked up some clothes off the floor and asked the dogs then to follow me onto the deck where I sat and rocked. Luke shook off his fear very quickly but never stopped watching me. How you react is EVERYTHING.

If you can figure out what happened to your dog to create an issue then great. If there is no explanation to some sort of issue it makes no difference. You need to best map out a solution and deal with it. By taking baby steps you can help your dog with their "issues."

Often you will need a professional to get you going in the right direction. Just like when a human has an issue; flooding is not a good idea. I am not a fan of flooding; which means to completely submerge a dog into its fear. Sort of like throwing someone with arachnophobia into a room filled with spiders. One step at a time is always the best way to truly help your dog.

And remember; your dog is watching you.

Life with dogs

Good Saturday morning; yes I did sleep in and so did the dogs. Jessie is loving her step stool I bought for Tilley and her; I can tell by waking up with Jessie squished up against me somewhere every morning now. I vaguely remember hearing the her little feet hit the stool and then I woke up and there she is. Tilley lay on her bed for a longtime moaning; she communicates her wishes through odd sounding groans. This is how she wakes us at night if she needs out.

I hopped out of bed thinking she needed out and she just lay there staring at me, okay. I crawled back into bed as she continued her attempts at telling me something. I said to her "come on then." And she slowly got herself up (she's 11) and hopped up onto the stool and on the bed. That's what she wanted; up on the bed but she was too lazy to get there. Luke was already up on the bed covered of course in a fuzzy blanket that looks like a continuation of himself.

Our dogs are very much a part of our family; daily plans are made around them often and when they cannot come the decision as to best accomodate them being left are made. The poodles have just left for their extreme canyon running and will come back exhausted. There will be no wondering what they are doing for he rest of the day, especially Tilley. Jessie will be going down to the beach later with us. It is getting increasingly difficult to find somewhere to take Jessie; she is very allergic to grass which is great fun. So the beach is a perfect place for this little one; and often it is my daugther who will take her.

Now that my children are adults they take great interest in all of the dogs. Each has a special connection with each dog; Luke's being the most physical out of the three, of course. When all of my kids are home I am constantly called to "see how cute" one of the dogs is being. I agree and go about my business happy that my kids take notice. Compassion for animals is in my opinion one of the most important things you can pass onto your children; the future. If humans have no compassion for animals; all will surely be lost.

You cannot teach compassion by shoving it down someones throat as many of the animal rights groups attempt to do. Humans are complex creatures and sometimes it takes a little work to figure out how best to get a message across. Example is the best and most impactful way to teach compassion, I think anyway. My children have seen me care for our animals, with respect, kindness, patience and guidance. They have seen me stop the car and jump out to rescue a dog in the street, take the dog into our home and find the dogs guardians.

Our little Jessie almost died 6 years ago, we spent thousands of dollars trying to find answers; this is just what you do. And just last fall Tilley almost had to have her tail amputated; but I was determined to save it which I did through weeks of around the clock care. My children have watched all of this and learned through my actions. This is how animals should be treated; bottom line. You treat your animals just as you would treat any member of your family.

One big happy family.

TGIF

What a blast; the poodles and I attended a poodle gathering of sorts at one of the members homes yesterday. I wasn't sure how Luke would react to being in someones yard with all those other dogs; it really depended on how large the yard was. When we arrived he was already wound and whining; whining is never good when Luke is doing it. This means that he is already over excited; so I kick into my super calm and mellow mode to assist him.

Once in the backyard he was his typical whirlwind until everyone was there and he had made the rounds. I have to say I was so proud of my boy; the only pushy behavior he displayed was to dominate a 5 mos old puppy which I already knew was going to happen. He loves to strut his stuff and its easy to look big and tough to puppies who are still insecure. But all in all he was the perfect gentleman as he was the only boy there. Tilley took a bit to warm to our new enviroment but was chasing shadows before too long.

Luke kept a close eye on me the entire time we were at the get together; I was watching him watching me. If I started making a fuss over one of the other poodles he immediately came over to get some eye contact "yep, I'm your boy right MOM?" What a guy. And as one of the other poodles jumped up to say hello he was by my side in a flash. No one else would know how closely he was watching me unless they too were watching him; he is a corner eye watcher. He is constantly throwing side glances to keep my whereabouts well known to him. He is kind of like a Nav system.

About an hour into the visit he started hanging out with the people instead of the other poodles and about 1 1/2 hours into the gathering he was ready to go. He was using his eyes and his body language to let me know that he was good and ready to go home. One thing that Luke did that really amazed me; I know what you're thinking Luke this and Luke that, hey it's my blog! So anyway, there had been a babygate at the door to go in the house so that the people could go in and not the dogs. Once everyone started to leave it was taken down. As I sat in the yard watching my two; Luke went to the entrance of the house and stopped; he knew it was a boundary and turned around and came back.

Even when a guardian and their poodle were leaving he stopped in his tracks as they crossed what Luke thought was a clear boundary. Funny when all this hard training kicks in; it is very rewarding. When it was time for us to leave Luke was right by my side, Tilley was still chasing shadows and took several calls to get her head out of the clouds or should I say off of the ground.

Now that you've had your dose of poodle talk; have a good weekend.

This and that Thurs.

I found a new homemade dog food company. Someone who read my blog sent me the info "thank you". As you know I make my own food but there are times when I run out or am just too lazy so this will be in my freezer. They make treats which I have to tell you my dogs ate like they were made out of liver, even Luke. I got home with them yesterday, peanut butter puffs, apple pie cookies and freeze dried chicken. The cookies smelled fabulous and from the dogs reaction they were delicious.

Every morning my dogs get a cookie or two before they get up, this prevents anyone from starving to death before I get their breakfast made. This morning I gave them the cookie from Homemade Doggy Dinners, the peanut butter puffs. Luke sat in front of me salivating which is a normal behavior for Tilley but not Luke. So I guess I will be ordering a bucket of the peanut butter puffs.

I have not tried out the food yet but it comes in what looks to be ice cream scoop servings. Round balls of complete dog food frozen; ready to thaw and use at anytime. I'm going to try it probably tonight and see how Mr. Fussy feels about it; will let you know.

The poodles and I are going to a poodle get together this morning. It is to be held in someones backyard so we'll see how that goes. Poor Jessie stays home for this event; she wouldn't have fun anyway; she would just want to boss everyone around and become angry because no one was listening. But she won't mind because I will fill a marrow bone with peanut butter and cheerios and she'll be pleasantly occupied.

Have a great pre Friday.

What's cook'n?

Well, what was cook'n at my house only moments ago was liver and London broil. I forgot that I didn't have any meat ready for breakfast this morning so I was out barbequing in the am. My dogs had salmon lastnight which went over big. Luke doesn't typically like Salmon a whole lot and much prefers Halibut, yep.

But this morning I had a half frozen london broil and some fresh liver I just bought. I don't give my dogs liver often, only as a special treat as it is pretty rich. And when they do get it, it is mixed in with other meat. So this morning they had two types of beef, rice, pumpkin, flax seed and arugula.

Lastnight was salmon, pasta, red pepper, and zuccinni. Pretty good grub I'm thinking. Even with this good food Luke still prefers; and I hate to use this term "people food." And I don't mean it in the same way that most people do. Most people use the term "people food" as in not dry dog kibble, anything like meat, potatos, veggies etc.

When I say "people food" I mean prepared stuff like Lasagna, sheperds pie, spaghetti, crepes etc. You know the kind of food that actually has a recipe if not in a book but your head at least. Luke loves good food, he has well educated taste buds for a dog and would choose bangers and mash over plain old beef anyday.

The boys got taste; what can I say?

Asking permission

I often tell my clients that their dogs should not make decisions like getting up on the bed or couch on their own. You should wait until their dog asks if they can get up; this always results in the guardian looking at me very strangely. Ask? How is my dog suppose to ask? I am discussing asking; because my Jack Russell asked to get on the bed this morning. She has just realized that the new ottoman is for her use to get up on the bed but once up there she is not sure about going the whole way.

You are probably asking yourself "okay what did she do to ask?" Right? Dogs can ask permission in many ways but usually it is just a waiting game with some eye contact. She was sitting on the ottoman beside my bed as I was typing. She looked at me, then the bed and back again. Then she took her front paw and tapped the bed; she must have done this about 8 times when I told her okay.

I wanted to see if she would eventually just come up but she only came onto the bed when I gave her the okay. It was pretty cute to watch her poking the bed and then directing her eye contact on me as she waited patiently. This is exactly how the rules in the house should be followed. But it doesn't happen overnight; it takes alot of establishing who is in charge and what the rules are that must be followed.

It truly amazes me when I go to a new clients home only to be pounced upon by their out of control beast. The dog jumps up on the couch, stomps all over me and physically tries to take the pouch with my treats in it from me. Hmmmmm. Dogs who get away with this type of behavior quickly become worse in other behaviors.

Not all dogs are made alike; a very true statement. Some dogs need very few rules, they just don't push in life like my Tilley. Then there are the dogs who are constantly pushing and being generally obnoxious. So implementing rules is a very personal deal; because not only are dogs all different we are even more different. What you may think is a totally acceptable behavior I may find completely unacceptable. I like order in my house and dogs running amuck does not work for me.

So the decisions lie solely on you guardian; whether or not you implement and enforce is entirely your decision. But never underestimate your dog; they are way more intelligent than you think. How does your dog know that they have to ask? By setting clear boundaries from the start, establishing that you make and enforce the rules. Obedience training is a must, even the most basic of commands gives you a way to communicate the good manner rule.

What a dog wants

Ah, the heat has broken finally. What a weekend; it sucks when you have plans for a great weekend and then it turns out that you don't even want to venture out the front door. My poor plants and flowers took a beating so it will be a big gardening day today. The dogs were in as well, only out for a quick backyard run and back in again.

Summer is now upon us and with summer comes new puppies; lots of new puppies. If you are in "the search" stage; you should be asking yourself alot of questions along the way so that hopefully you will end up with the perfect match for your family. Adding a dog to your family is a win, win situation. You get the dog you wanted and you give a dog the life they always wanted, right? But what does a dog want in their life? Wow, have you ever considered what your dogs life aspirations are beyond the food bowl and cookie jar?

If it was up to them what would they want their life to look like? Well, looking at my three on the bed with me at the moment; a comfy place to sleep comes to mind. They love comfort and those people who think it is weird that a dogs wants somewhere comfortable to sleep just don't get dogs. As I have said many times before; my house both inside and out is filled with dog beds, all of which are used on a daily basis. So comfort would definitely be on the "want list" for our dogs.

Next would be companionship, both canine and human. Dogs in the wild don't need humans but our domesticated guys need us for sure. I am a huge believer in multiple dog households, that is only if you want more than one dog though. I think it is very good for dogs to live with dogs as well as humans. Humans are great to live with aren't we? Well, not all of us but even as great as some of us are; we aren't dogs and dogs need other dogs in their lives.

Food is a big one; for some dogs it would be number one on the list; like my Jack Russell. And I'm thinking if it was really up to our dogs they would be eating a raw diet, or at least a "real food" diet. I don't imagine any dog would choose to eat a dry bowl of the same kibble day in and day out. They would like bones as well, dogs love to chew bones contrary to what some people believe. I've seen it with my own eyes.

Exercise would be on the list as well, dogs love to run and they love to join us on outtings. Of course they have their favorite forms of exercise; many dogs love to retrieve, some obsessively like my girl Tilley. Almost all dogs love to run free and when you watch them; there is no mistaking the pure joy of running for them. Some have learned that frisbee is the greatest thing in life, others may love the challenge of the agility course but whataever it is; dogs love to move.

Dogs love to go different places as well and experience many aspects of our life with us. Where we go our dogs want to follow, travelling as a pack. Taking our dogs to different environments is good for their mind, it is very stimulating. It also helps them to enjoy life more; the more they are introduced to the easier it is for them to enjoy our human world.

Dogs are a simple species in regards to "needs." They are happy with very little; they don't need fancy collars, leashes, clothing, eye wear, houses or designer beds. They need us and we need them. Having chosen to be a canine guardian you have takne on the responsibillity of giving your dog a good life. Is your dog enjoying their dog life?

Dogs and feeling good

Yesterday we spent a good deal of our time indoors. It was well over 100 stink'n smoggy degrees, yep I love the heat. My daughters and I were just chill'n in the familyroom; the dogs were spread out. Jessie my little JRT was on the couch with my daughter; they were both laying down enjoying each others company. Tilley was on the big dog bed and Luke was on the leather couch with me.

My daughter said "don't you notice how dogs make you feel better? They always love you." She was talking about when you are feeling down and the meer presence of your dog makes you feel much better. I thought about the studies that have discovered that animals can actually lower your blood pressure. They make people in nursing homes feel better when they visit and can put a smile on just about any face.

When life gets a bit over stressful or just a bit too much I often will tell my dogs that I need a hug. They are more than happy to oblige; its almost like the stress leaves instantly as I bury my head into their curly coats. There isn't a whole lot in life that I enjoy more than just spending time with my dogs. Whether it is going on a hike, going for ice cream, a car ride, grooming or simply laying on the floor with them it is always relaxing.

Humans like to be needed and we like to be loved; dogs deliver 100% in this need. I love caring for my dogs and I love how they turn to me in need. Just yesterday Luke hurt his bum ankle when he jumped off the bed; with his big stressful eyes he came to tell me what had happened. As he limped my way his eyes were telling me the story and looking for sympathy (he's a boy what can I say?) I checked his leg, gave him a hug and kiss and he was all better.

This not only makes Luke feel better but it makes me feel better. We have an amazing bond; I cannot imagine having dogs without such a close connection. The slightest change in behavior or physical stature will let me know that something is off; up or going on. It is this very intense bond that gives me what I need and what they need.

And lets me honest, who doesn't love the greeting you get when you walk in the front door? You may have just stepped out to get the mail, be gone for a couple of hours or been away on a trip and you are always welcomed home. When I walk in the door I am greeted by a tiny Jack russell running in circles with a bone in her mouth, Tilley bowing over and over again with the occasional toothy smile and Luke bowing, spinning, jumping, hair biting and open mouth huffing who tops it off.

It sure makes me happy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Size doesn't matter

Does size matter? Not in dogs it doesn't. From the tiniest of pocket pooches to the largest of the giant breeds they are all dogs. Recently I had a 4 pounder in my arms; this tiny dog fit the bill of a pocket pup to perfection. She was trembling which is very common to the breed (a chihuahua) but she was very friendly which is nice to see in this breed. As I held her I realized how difficult it was to hold her comfortably. Being so tiny it was almost like I couldn't get a good grip on her.

I've worked with lots of tiny dogs but not in a while; and everytime I meet a new one I am amazed by the tiny size. My small girl (a jack russell) weighs in at 15 lbs which is a good arm full and she gets heavy after a while.. There are physical precautions that need to be taken with tiny dogs; obviously but everything else about these dogs is all dog. The same goes for the giant breeds; there are physical issues like fitting them into a car or being crushed as they try to crawl into your lap but they too are dogs just like the micro breeds.

The tiny breeds definitely suffer fallout of human behavior like being held continually, being treated like a little human, over protectiveness, not being able to be a dog basically. The happiest tiny dogs I've met are the ones that live on the ground most of the time; the dogs who's guardians treat them like a regular dog. It is sad for a dog to live as an accessory, never interacting with other dogs, never sniffing, never running with packs of dogs. This is probably the biggest issue for tiny dogs to deal with.

The big giants deal with perception issues, big dog = bad dog. Many of the giant breeds like Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Mastiffs etc are the most gentle of dogs. Often people purchase these breeds in hopes of having a "guard dog," only to discover that their dog is a lover not a fighter. The old phrase "attitude is everything," is more definitive in dogs than size. It sometimes seems impossible that a pomeranian and an Akbash could be of the same species. But what's inside gives us a better look at similarities in a species.

Humans designed the exterior packaging of a the canine. We have taken them to extremes, distorting their bodies into what we see as desirable. The original dog is in there, sometimes you really have to take a good look to see it. Each and every breed and mix is all canine, no matter what their shell looks like. Whether a dog has the whole package jammed into the tiniest body or spread out over a vast expanse of a dog makes no difference to the canine heart.

I just love them all, the compact, mid-size and full-size versions.

The beach and teeth

I'm already back from the beach and its only 8:20 am. I decided as I was going to bed lastnight that I would try to get up early and hit the beach with the dogs before the 8:00 off the beach rule. It takes me about 15min to drive there, then find parking, leash up the dogs and I'm good.

I opened my eyes at 5:55am, lay there and took in who was where in the room. My hubby is away so the dogs tend to sleep on the bed then. Luke was curled up and sound asleep on the end of the bed; Jessie was in Luke's bed and Tilley was in her own bed. I contemplated going down for my coffee and then decided to just enjoy not having to get up; when I remembered the beach.

So at 6:15 I pelted downstairs, grabbed a coffee and bowl of cereal and ran back up to my bed to check emails and eat. The dogs had no intention of getting up although Jessie had now moved to the bed. I grabbed a quick shower, let the dogs out and checked the car for leashes, rugs, water and bowl.

We left at 7:10 and I figured that would give us a 1/2 hour walk on the beach. I was right on; we were able to park right on the street in front of the beach, throw leashes on and hit the beach. We walked a full 1/2 hour and made it back to the car at 8 on the dot. The dogs love the beach and so do I; especially this early when there aren't too many people out yet.

So I am now preparing their food for breakfast; which this morning is raw beef, organic rice, flax seed, green beans, olive oil and blueberries. Then about an hour later I will finish scraping their teeth which I started lastnight. Both Tilley and Luke's teeth are amazingly clean. Especially Tilley's because she uses a bone to clean them whenever they need it. Luke's back teeth only need a quick scraping but Jessie's need some work now that she is 12.

I hadn't realized they were quite as dirty so she will be my main focus today. Cleaning their teeth on my own and giving them raw marrow bones to chew ensures that I don't have to have any of them put out to have their teeth cleaned which is dangerous; especially at this age.

They don't love it but I will write more about how to prepare your dogs for home teeth cleaning. And how to prepare yourself with the knowledge and guts to do it.

Have a great day, its suppose to be a scorcher here.

Inbreeding Coefficient or IBC%

IBC or COI% - Inbreeding coefficient is a term that is becoming much more popular these days. In layman terms: It is an estimate in percentage rate of related ancestors in a dogs pedigree. Meaning the % of common genes from related ancestors.

Inbreeding is a term normally used for breeding close relatives like Father to daughter, sister to brother etc. The term linebreeding is used when breeding dogs who are related further out, cousins, aunts and uncles. This is done to produce desired traits "cookie cutter" dogs so to speak.

Inbreeding and linebreeding is a way of increasing the likelihood of diplicating a desired trait but it can also have dire results. The term inbreeding depression is caused by increasing the number of similar genes which leads to undesirable recessive traits manifesting themselves in a litter. One common effect is low birthrate.

As most breeds started out with a small gene pool it can be difficult to find dogs that have no related ancestors several generations back. But some breeders after doing extensive research are opting for: outcrossing; which is when two unrelated dogs are bred together in hopes of adding "new blood" or vigor to a line of dogs. Many breeders are outcrossing internationally now with the available frozen semen shipping and insemination practice.

There is so much to know about breeding animals correctly. Not a casual undertaking by any stretch of the imagination. Making it very difficult for the casual pet owner to even know how to go about finding a good and ethical breeder these days. More on that later.

Types of intelligence

All dogs have intelligence, that said there are all types of intelligence. Some dogs are born with built in "how to's" others learn very quickly from example and some take different strategies to learn. My two breeds are both very intelligent, but very, very different in their way of learning.

Just this morning I was shaking my head as my Jack Russell jumped up and down for a full minute. She wanted on the bed; I have just bought an ottoman for this exact purpose so that she can come up without waking me up. Or having me reach down until I just about plummit to the floor as I try to grab her.

So there she was jumping up and down BESIDE THE OTTOMAN; so close that she was actually bumping into it. This is the fourth morning with the ottoman and I declared I'm not telling her. Up until this morning I had pointed out the ottoman for her and she quickly jumped up. Not this morning; I was going to make her figure it out; wasn't happening.

I grew impatient in my groggy state and said "go there." And she promptly jumped up on the ottoman and up onto the bed. Tilley is using it very nicely on her own, so what is the difference? Both breeds are highly intelligent but Jessie needs motivation; food. But not all food, if the food is too good then she can't even think.

The best way for Jessie to learn is through a training session and patience. If she thinks we are doing training she will offer anything to me. And she offers much better if I keep quiet and let her figure it out; which I did not do this morning but I swear I will do tomorrow morning.

Jessie can learn a new behavior in 5 min., I do it all the time. I don't want to use a verbal cue as I want her to come up on her own, hence not waking me up in the process. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bigtime controversy

This morning I'm going to get controversial, yep I'm just going for it. I was watching Good Morning America when a commercial came on for Heartguard; the medication that kills all the nasties in your dog. I get it; I get that they are putting the fear of worms into us; so much so that we run out and buy the stuff. Hey, it's advertising and it works. Okay now onto the controversial stuff; vaccinations, medications etc.

I was at the vet a while ago when a lady came in with her very young dog. She got his vaccinations, his consumable flea medication and Heartguard to boot. As I sat and looked at this little dog I cound only imagine what his little body was about to go through. What type of war was going to be going on in there and would his body win or not?

How much is too much? I am not a vet and I do not claim to be but I do know that I haven't had a vaccinations in years except for a tentanus that I was required to get to volunteer at the shelter. We are not required to be revaccinated every year; so why then do we insist on giving our dogs yearly shots? Ever consider this?

I've done a ton of research on vaccinations and medications and I do little of either now. My dogs are 7.5 years, 11 years and 12 years old and I have titer tests done on them. What is a Titer you ask? titer testing calculates antibodies to specific diseases; the result verifies whether a dog's immune system has enough immunity with the previous vaccinations. This way there is no need to overdose your dog with more vaccines.

All it takes is a little blood test and your done. This below link has a plethora of information, really good information.

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

There is alot of information and research on the internet about over vaccinating. I am not advocating never vaccinating; on the contrary I think all puppies should be vaccinated but carefully. I do not agree with multiple vaccinating at one time but spreading them over a time period allowing a body to adjust accordingly. Yearly vaccinations are the big controversy, please research before you vaccinate.

Pest medications

This is another big controversy and if you are amongst those who are moving to a more hollistic way of life you already know this. I hate pests like fleas and ticks but I will not put the toxic topical treatment on my dogs. I am vigilant, bath regularly and use some of the readily available natural alternatives. It does take time, there is alot of research to do but our dogs are worth the effort.

JMHO

Monday morning- poodle rant

Good morning everyone, we are into the heat once again and once again I'm not happy about it. I should just learn to shut up and live with it right? right. So we had a good weekend, lots of gardening plans; a trip to the great new nursery we found and tons of exercise for the pooches. My husband was up nice and early to beat the heat with the dogs so that they would not overheat; neither dogs nor humans.

With the summer heat now upon us I gave the poodles a new hair cut on Friday; they are sporting Mohawks. Alongtime ago I got over the whole "poodle" clip and have not looked back. I had dealt with the "oh you have poodles?" accompanied with the rolling eye thing for years and finally after leaving the beach with my very athletic retrieving dogs, we were walking up the ramp when a really stupid guy said to me "oh I bet they wish they were at the beauty parlor instead of the beach," I pledged to my dogs not to do it to them again.

From that moment they have not had poodle haircuts. For years before I had gone between poodle and completely shaved; and I love the completely shaved look. I know why poodles are clipped in show type clips and the clips they sport today are modified from this water retrieving version but its all a human decision now. I have actually had people who own poodles approach me to find out what breed my dogs are!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have they never seen their dog wet before? They don't come out with pom poms, nope they are just furry faced retrievers.

Yes alot of poodle people do not agree with my new freedom poodles. I was even asked once why I would want poodles if I don't want them to look like poodles? My dogs do look like poodles, more than the ones that do have pom poms on them. Except of course when they are sporting Mohawks. But one of the fabulous things about poodles is that you can trim them anyway you like. I've seen poodles that look like Giant Schnauzers, cocker spaniels and horses.

Poodles are not French poodles; that is one thing I cannot stand being asked. "Are they french poodles?" No!!!!!! I'm sorry but poodles are not from France; although it was the French who made clipping your poodle in the very "poodley" clip fashionable. And because my dogs are shaved at one length I cannot ever go into public without someone asking if they are Labradoodles.

So much for my ranting; what really bothers me is the badrap that poodles have. They are in my opinion one of the most versatile dogs there is; so to put them into the "prissy" category because of a haircut humans choose to put on them annoys me. They are not a prissy breed at all, they are amazing athletes, intense retrievers, excel in the swimming department, are the most intelligent breed that there is and the little known fact they are fabulous guard dogs. So like I say about other misunderstood breeds; don't judge until you actually get to know one.

The one good thing about the "poodle" clip is that it keeps the poodle from becoming over popular which is always a good thing.

Dad's with Dogs

Seeing that this blog is dedicated to dogs I would like to celebrate Dad's and their dogs today. Those of you who live with dogs; who share your life and love with your dogs. Ladies, what is hotter than a guy who has compassion for animals? Nothing in my books.

Happy Father's Day guys ;) You know who you are.

Familiar sounds

With the sun still behind the trees the time was 5:58 and I was rousted out of my sleep by the familiar sounds of a heaving dog. Nothing gets me out of bed faster than a wretching dog. I'm up and herding them out onto the balcony before I'm awake. She does the two expected hurls and is done; thank heavens for our balcony. Otherwise I would have to race down the stairs; risking injuring myself in my still sleeping state to get the hurler to the safe puke surface. Anywhere but the carpet is the goal.

But now I am out on the balcony once again, this time enjoying the sun as it comes up hinting of a beautiful day. After a full year of living in this house we finally gave in and bought some nice furniture to enjoy our balcony on. Now all we have to do is lay some light colored tiles on it and we're set. It is a dark turquoise color now; lovely (gag) and gets hot as all get out. The dogs are well aware of this and are very apprehensive to come out on it; even in the morning when we are in full shade. They are amazingly smart.

Jessie is the only one who enjoys the degree of heat on the balcony midday, full sun. She brings her little body out onto the hottest of spots and lays out soaking up the rays. I don't know how she does it; I cannot even stand for 20 seconds on it without burning my feet. Her color has alot to do with her sun toleration but the heat to touch is something her little body just loves.

It is this sun/heat tolerance that makes me a little choosey in my puppy selection. I'm not real picky about color; there is alot to choose from in poodles and now the parti, phantom and brindle colors are also getting popular. I am solely concerned with heat; Tilley suffers from the heat much more than Luke does when we are out. If the two are sitting in the sun; Tilley's body is hot to touch, Lukes is not. It's pretty easy to understand and the fact that we live in southern california and we do alot of outdoor activities with out dogs; I'd like to have a dog that is not going to suffer quite as much in the sun .

Nice morning; looking like a nice day. The poodles have just left with Dad for the canyon hike and Jessie sits with me while I write. I think we'll head down to Salt Creek with the little one after breakfast.

Have a great Saturday.

Breed Talk - The Jack Russell Terrier

As I contemplate which breed to talk about today; my girl Jessie sits watching me take each and every bite of my cereal. So I figured I'd cover the Jack Russell this morning; there is so much to say about these little balls of fire. The Jack Russells today have been divded into two groups, basically the working dogs and the dogs in the show ring. I have a Jack Russells, the others are Parson Russells in the ring.

But they started out as one tenacious terrier; bred to get the critters out of the barns. And that they do very well, Jessie loves nothing more than hunting, catching and killing critters. The Jack Russell is not a dog for anyone although they did receive a surge of interest with the popularity of Wishbone and Eddie on Frasier. They suffered the same results as the Dalmation after the 101 Dalmation movie came out; they ended up in the shelters. The money sucking breeders who do it for the cash pump them out without any regard to who is getting one or the health or temperament of the dogs they are breeding. This is the result of popularity in the dog world. Haven gotten in the puppy millers hands there are more than a few out there that are fairly loopy.

The Jack Russell is a very dominant, confident type dog that can have an overabundance of energy. The Jack Russell has a reputation of being crazy; as I am often asked that about Jessie. They have a hair trigger for movement and she is often caught chasing a bag or anything else that moves and catches her eye before she realizes what it is. Jessie has battled a groundhog back in Canada that was much larger than her, caught and ate a bird out of the air and downed a few tiny rodents in one bite. They are not for the faint hearted.

The Jack Russell comes in three coats, smooth like my girl, broken coated which is a more wirey coat with a small bit of facial hair and the rough coat which is a longer wirey coat all over. The JRT is between 10-15" at the withers and a very sturdy built dog able to do anytype of athletic sport. The color of the JRT is typically a tri-color of white (being over 51% of the body) with black and tan markings.

I recently had the chance to do a JRT shoot; both with puppies and adults and I was completely enamoured with the bunch. They kept me smiling the entire shoot; photographing moving Jack Russells is a huge challenge. They are amazingly intelligent and learn quickly; you just need to stay one step ahead of them. They can become quite dominant and strive for the leadership position if you don't keep rules and regulations in check.

The Jack Russell needs alot of exercise but strict care should be used to only let them off leash in a safely fenced area. The #1 way that Jack Russells die is being run over and I sadly know quite a few that have met this fate. There are many different sports that the JRT are born to do and anything you can think up there pretty good at giving it a whirl. Visit the JRTCA site for everything you want to know about JRTs.

http://www.jrtca.com/

A bored Jack Russell is a bad Jack Russell; so before you bring one home make sure you are up for the job.

water retrievers

We had a great day yesterday; I took the poodles to a special spot to see if they could have a swim. The coastline here is really rough making it only swimmable by the water obsessed or big strong dogs. Neither of my guys are up to battling waves and these huge waves are the reason that Luke has never been swimming yet. Tilley was lucky; she grew up at a lake and was swimming and dock diving at an early age. She loves it and is an extremely strong swimmer and water retriever.

Yesterday at low tide my daughter and I ventured out to the spot where I hoped Tilley would get a chance to swim; it is a manmade channel making the waters nice and calm and very swimmable. It is not easy getting down the rocks to the swim area so I let the dogs off leash for two reasons: 1. They are better at finding the best way down on their own and 2: I didn't want either my daughter or myself being yanked down the rocks by an over excited poodle.

Once down on the sand they were in heaven; it is good for one's soul to see dogs running free and natural. I love it and could watch them all day long; especially when they are interacting with other canines. There were quite a few other dogs there yesterday and they were all having the time of their life. It did not take long for Tilley to kick into her shadow chasing issue so I took out her ball immediately to divert her drive.

I threw Tilley's ball in the shallows for quite a while; making sure that she was good and hooked before I tossed it into the deep blue. The first dive always takes a bit of coaxing but with her already into her ball she dove right in. We were standing at a drop off with the water only halfway to our knees; there was a clear visual drop. Luke doesn't know about drop offs so you guessed it he dropped off quickly. Panicking he tried to find his back leg footing which is the completely wrong thing to do but a very natural reaction to a non swimmer.

With his body in an upright position I watched him find his footing, come out of the water and shake it off. The drop off is so severe that he was literally only 2 feet away from the shallow spot. And I had already committed to going in if he needed me. Luckily he did not and was not too shaken by the incident. He loves water; he has just never learned to enjoy it in a swimming fashion. He wanted to go back in and with each toss of the ball he was ready to go but that little "I can't swim" thing was taunting him before he made his plunge. He pawed anxiously at the water, he really wanted to go but fear was holding him back.

So I went to the edge hoping he would come along and he did but it was such a drop off that I could not go far or I would be swimming. I grabbed a hold of him and gave him a small shove into the water, he enjoyed it and came back for more. But he is not the brave type to just go for it; although anyone could see the desire in his actions. So while Tilley continued her diving and retrieving Luke ran off to play with some other dogs in the shallows. I so wish I would have had my camera.

After about 45 minutes in the water I said "Let's quit while we're ahead," which is my motto in life. We headed back up the rocks where I gracefully lost my footing and scrapped my way back down to the sand. As we made our way to the xterra, we were all wet and I was bleeding down both legs. What a great day!

Training??????????????

Train: to make proficient by instruction and practice, as in some art, profession, or work.

I'm going to discuss training this morning; fairly remedial right? Not always; often we assume we are training our dogs when we are simply saying a word or words that mean nothing to our canines. I see it all the time; people telling their dog to stay, down or heel in vain.

During training or a shoot; I will ask "does your dog know what stay means?" The answer is usually no if I had to ask. Dogs don't come pre-educated in the art of physical behaviors that we like to ask them to do.

To Heel: to follow at one's heels on command.

Heel is a word that is used alot and trained seldom. Heeling can take weeks or months to ingrain into a dogs brain. You cannot just throw on a leash and say "heel" expecting them to know what it means. Heeling is a very controlled way of walking; the dog stays at your side and must pay close attention to your movements.

If you would like your dog to respond to a verbal cue you must take the time to teach them. Would you know how to make a Chicken pot pie if I said to you "make me a chicken pot pie?" Probably not unless of course you had learned how to make one already.

Teaching your dog starts with patience, quiet and reward. You start out easy, no distractions and break a behavior down into small enough steps so that your dog can "get it." You then work up to the actual behavior, then add small level distractions working up to large distractions. It is a process, and it can be a long one.

Then there is proofing, making sure that your dog can perform these tasks under any situation. And just like the beginning teaching; you must train in any environment that your dog will be expected to perform in. Many dogs can down at home, in their own yard or neighbors house but for some reason they will not do it when you ask them at the park. Have you trained your dog to down at the park?

It is much more difficult for a dog to perform when distracted either by environment alone or noise, other dogs, people etc. So you must train in these situations. Sometimes that means going backwards in your training until you catch up to the non distraction level response.

If you want a well trained responsive dog; be prepared to educate.

The big black eye of doom

Being a dog photographer can be a tricky endeavor; even the best of dogs can become unglued having a huge eye staring at them. My body posture is frozen and I have direct eye contact which both portray the wrong message. There have been several instances when I have had to act very quickly to diffuse a situation. Sometimes it is a dog that I have set up a shoot with; other times have been at a dog park or beach.

When I'm at a park I typically single out a dog to follow with my lense. One time my subject was a weimaraner; he had no idea I was shooting him which is what makes for great shots. Kneeling down in the park and watching him intently through my big lense everything changed in an instant. All of a sudden he caught me in his peripheral vision; his attention veered from other dogs to me. This is where I have to watch a dogs body language closely.

Often a dog will notice me and head my way to investigate; then there are dogs who get their ears up, have intense eye contact and are coming at me straight on. I look for signs of apprehension; this is can be the slightest change in posture that tells me the dogs is a bit afraid of me. I quickly lower my camera, turn to the side and slowly walk away or pretend I'm interested in something off in the distance.

It has always worked; I have never (knock on wood)been in a situation that went too far. Probably a quarter of my shoots are interupted by a sit on the ground session. This is when the dog is becoming anxious; I've been staring at them for alongtime and they need to see a human behind the lense. Typically I sit on the ground, turn away from them and let them do the once over sniff of me.

They have already done the sniff test in the beginning but many need the reassurance of doing it again; midway. Sometimes I will see the trying to smell me; trying to read something from the air around me. I will do the ground sit then as well; let them give the camera a once over and whatever they feel the need to smell.

I will usually at this point put on my big lense; this lets me get nice and close without having to get close. I probably use my big lense 80% of the time unless I am wanting some scenery in the photo; then I must use my wide angle lense.

Dog photography is a sort of like a body language dance; action, reaction so to speak. To get good shots the dogs must be relaxed which means often my big black eye of doom must veer away to save the day.

Breed Talk - The Toller

Wow, I remember being introduced to my first Toller way back in the early 80s. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever or Toller as they are known by their fanicers is a medium sized red retriever. Often confused for a small Golden Retriever they are very unlike the Golden. The breed was recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 2003 and the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) in 1945 and is the official dog of Nova Scotia which is their Canadian province of origin.

Standing 18-19 females, 19-20 and weighing approx. 40-50 lbs the Toller is a solid, athletic dog. They have a very strong desire to retrieve which is what they were bred to do. I have had the pleasure of knowing quite a few Tollers and their drive to retrieve is a big part of who they are. They are typically very happy in a family setting where they are given alot of exercise. A typically friendly breed; the toller can be reserved with strangers, not one to throw lavish attention on people who they do not know.

The Toller is double coated which protects them in the icy waters where they started their work in Nova Scotia. There coat is medium in length and soft with a softer undercoat. Their coat can range from straight to a slight wave with more feathering around the ears, hind quarters and tail. The Toller comes in various shades of red with lighter colored feathering. Each dog usually has a touch of white either on their tail, feet, chest or blaze on their face; although not always. And their eye rims and lips and nose pigment is usually flesh color but can be black as well.

The NSDTR is a highly intelligent breed, easily trained and enthusiastic. They have amazing focus ability which may need to be directed through training. A great little working dog; they have alot of energy to retrieve which should not be taken lightly when considering the Toller for a companion. Given the chance they will retrieve from sun up to sundown.

This and that

Good Sunday morning. I spent most of yesterday gardening in our front yard. For Southern California our front yard is fairly good sized but of course it still has a sidewalk and road out front. So it is rare that I allow the dogs freedom out front. Yesterday we had Luke out front for a bit; but he doesn't like it. He is not out there other than to get in the car so he gets antsy and runs back into the house; really a good issue in my books.

Because I was working right out the front door I thought I'd just keep the door open so they could chill with me. I am so impressed and proud of my dogs when it comes to the boundaries they have learned. It was hours that they sat there watching me. Tilley went into the backyard several times and came back again. Jessie left to find somewhere comfy to rest and didn't return for a longtime. But Luke, Luke was there the entire time. None of the dogs were anxious about the open door; they were all relaxed and just chill'n.

All of the dogs had been on a canyon hike with my husband in the morning and were very tired. Tilley is really showing signs of her age and at 11 she seems much older than Jessie at 12. This is because Jessie is a small dog and Tilley is a large dog. After a good amount of exercise Tilley is starting to find it difficult to get up. She is slow and precise about her movements, it is sad to see.

Just this morning we were having Sunday morning bedtime with the dogs. Tilley was the last up and when she did make the leap she fell off the bed. In my anthropomorphism ( the attribution of uniquely human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings) way I put humiliation on the incident. I'm sure she was not humiliated but I do know that dogs do not like to show signs of weakness and this definitely was a sign of weakness.

I felt awful for her; so this morning I am off to find a bench for the bedroom. One that will assist her in getting up onto the bed without any trouble and one that is strong and stable enough for her to get down from the bed on. No one wants to see their dogs get older but just like us they are going in the same direction; aches, pains, wrinkles and all.

Road trip with a senior lady

I made a trip down to San Diego yesterday to pick up my daughter; have lunch and come back home to the OC. Being that I wouldn't be spending a huge amount of time down there I thought I'd bring the little one along. I donned her harness, set up a nice big comfy comforter in the front seat and strapped her in.

Before we headed onto the freeway I filled up with gas, whoa $$$$$$$$$$$$. Then I thought I'd take my xterra for a quick trip through the carwash. I didn't know how Jessie would react but I had a snack so out came the distraction. I was eating my all natural energy bar through the wash and gave Jessie a few pea sizes pieces. She didn't even know we were anywhere different until the drying part at the end. She was great.

So then we started out and she was already in sleep mode but that ended quickly and she was fussing. I thought that maybe she had to go so we made a quick pitstop at a scenic lookout. Bad decision; seems everyone was there to photograph the squirrels. If you know Jack Russells at all; squirrels are their life. They were bred to go to ground (down holes in the ground) and fetch critters out. Jessie loves nothing more than chasing, catching and killing critters.

So with the squirrels all around she was pretty much in the same mode as Luke had been only yesterday with the squirrels. So going to the bathroom was not in the plans even though I did my best to give her one last chance before we were in the car for a good hour, no go.

She was so good, she did fidget a little bit but soon lay back and relaxed. As we got closer to the ocean down by the army base she stood up and took in as much scent as she could. She clearly thought we were headed to the beach. But that smell soon left and she settled once again.

Once we were at our destination I hooked her up and let her out to visit my daughters apartment. We made an immediate stop to a tree planting so she could relieve herself first. Jessie could truly pee on a dime; if there is some sort of scent either on dirt of grass; she'll go.

She was very excited to be at my daughters apartment, it was her first visit. We then went down to Hillcrest to wander around and find a place to eat. We settled on a Deli where they had an outdoor patio where Jessie could eat with us. I was mad at myself that I hadn't brought a tiny blanket or pad to give her a place to plant it. She sort of shifted around until the food came and I asked her to sit under the table; there she recieved her lunch as well.

I spread her lunch out over the time we had our lunch so that she would remain under the table and focused. If there is food around, Jessie has focus that would amaze anyone. The waiter brought out some water for Jessie and then we were on our way again.

For the trip home she was set up in the back seat right behind me so that my daughter could keep a close eye on her. She is strapped in so it is important that she not get herself twisted up and hurt. She fell asleep for almost the whole ride home and no one would have ever known there was an old girl in the car. It was an enjoyable trip with the little one; one that I will definitely remember.

Extension arm

I had my poodles at Salt Creek yesterday; I had taken at least five minutes to consider bringing all three dogs or just the poodles. Taking them to Salt Creek is a whole lot different than a regular walk; we have to deal with squirrels. And for all three of my dogs squirrels are like hanging a carrot out infront of a rabbit, or a piece of chocolate cheesecake infront of me. They are tempted beyond the breaking point.

So knowing full well that I would be dealing with pulling issues with both Jessie and Luke I opted for just the poodles. Plus, adding a 15lb dog to the mix results in leg tangling as she weaves in and out of the poodles. So I filled a bone with Peanut butter and cheerios for the one who was left behind. Jessie is more than happy to be left at home when she can have food. I place the food well inside the bone so she has her work cut out for her.

The whining started well before we reached the 1 mile to the beach mark. Luke started his pacing back and forth, left to right, left to right and back again. For a reactive dog, excitement is the enemy at least where I'm considered. Excitement propels a reactive dog into uncontrolable behavior; never good.

So we get to the parking lot and the whining continues; I won't let him out of the car until he quiets at least a little. It is important that he get a grip every so often otherwise he will spin into oblivion. But once out on the path to the beach he slips quickly into squirrel mode; not good. Looking into his eyes; my Luke is gone and the bad Luke has taken over. I'm not fond of Bad Luke; but we have learned to coexist.

The path down to the beach is on a downward slope; not the type of terrain you want to be dragged down by a 50 lb out of control dog. So we stop often, sit, get some fleeting eye contact and continue. Each time I have taken Luke to this beach he is markedly getting worse. His tip off point is hitting him earlier and earlier; so I'm thinking next trip will be Luke alone and alot of work.

Both poodles are in hunt mode; zoned out to be exact. When Tilley is in hunt mode she is a little harder to get through to but she goes into an over calm state; her posture is slunk down, her head turning with the utmost of control in slow motion. Her whole demeanor whispers "quiet, I'm stalking." So I have one in slow motion and the other in full out mode. I can pretty much ignore Tilley; a few TILLEY's get her back into my zone. Tilley also deals with the shadow issue at the beach which is a big one.

Luke on the other hand is being taunted by the squirrels, each time I get a bit of control there seems to be another squirrel out ahead of us sitting up on a rock shrieking at him, daring him to go for it. And unfortunately Luke is one of those guys; you know the type who can't turn down a dare. So off he goes with me attached; the whole walk is a "be prepared" type walk for me.

After our lovely, relaxing walk along the beach (NOT), I opt to sit and chill with the poos on the grass hill. Bad Luke still has a tight grasp on my boy; not willing to let him go quite yet. Both Tilley and Luke are glued to the squirrely beasts running around infront of them. Tilley does a down, she is so in control even when the thing she wants to do more than anything in the world is to chase the squirrel.

The inner good Luke is listening to me; the bad Luke is not. So I only have 1/2 of my dog to work with and when I ask him to down he does but never takes his eyes off his target. With the sun heating things up I decide it's time to go; I'm over this whole squirrel thing now anyway. So as we head back up the hill which is where the exercise really kicks in my boy starts to slowly come back. You can literally see it happening, his body starts to relax, he starts looking around at his environment and looks back to see that I'm there. Then the Good Luke is back in his entirety as he glances back, gives me a wink and a wag and were good to go.

Has it made a difference

So the Oprah show on Puppy Mills has now aired twice; has it made a difference? Are people still mindlessly moseying into the pet stores and buying on impulse? We have a pet store at our local mall; it is about 5 min. from my house but I don't go in or even look that way as I pass the store front. So I don't know if people are still going in. I do know that by now with all the media coverage including the Oprah show that there is no reason not to know.

Even people who do know about Puppy Mills and the horrific lives these breeder dogs live go into the stores. I know several rescue people who know all about Milers and their evil deeds but they bought a puppy in a pet store. Why is this? When then when you know the facts; would you go and give them your hard earned money? The way that some human minds work is to save or rescue when they can. So to them they are saving a puppy.

WRONG!!!!!!This is the wrong thing to do and believe me I have a definite "save" mentality as well but knowing the big picture and "getting it," helps.

1. By buying a puppy; you enable the pet store to buy more puppies.

2. By buying a puppy; you keep the millers in business.

3. By buying a puppy; you enable the millers to continue with their cruely.

4. By buying a puppy; you ensure that the dogs who live the tortured lives at a mill continue, unchanged.

5. By buying a puppy; you keep the inhumane treatment of these in a never ending cycle.

STOP THE CYCLE; DO NOT SPEND ONE CENT OF YOUR MONEY IN A PET STORE THAT SELLS PUPPIES OR KITTENS.

The real truth is that only we can make a difference. It is the consumer who has the power; if we don't buy puppies from pet stores or online stores the millers will go out of business; bottom line.

Positive modification

Good morning; its midweek and the weekend is just around the corner. With June upon us many of us will be out and about with our dogs more; which means that behaviors are going to arise. Both good and bad but how you deal with both makes a huge impact on furture behaviors. What is your reaction to a behavior?

Many behaviors catch us off guard and our human reactions are not good ones. We often over react negatively which can actually make a behavior worse instead of better. Take the example of your dog not coming to you. You took them to the park and decided to give them a bit of freedom; then when you called them they opted not to come. They were having fun and chose not to end this freedom. You then scream and yell; finally get your dog to come and go off on him, scolding him serverly. Think he is coming next time? Probably not.

Dogs are much smarter than we give them credit for; so smart that they often outsmart us because of our impulse to react before thinking. Did you do a ton of recall training before deciding to give your dog some freedom? If not then letting them off leash is a very bad idea. Teaching our dogs to come to us must be ingrained as a positive thing. "If you stop having fun and do what I want you to do; I will reward you, we will have a party."

Solutions to behavior issues should be thought out and the steps mapped out clearly so that you know the means to the end. Feedback both vocally and physically must be timed to perfection. Mis timed feedback can undo or offer no education to your dog; so work on your delivery. Often looking at a behavior from a different perspective really helps; hence hiring a professional is usually a good idea.

A good example of a very misunderstood behavior is separation anxiety and its fallout behaviors. You may come home to find poop all over your house or the neighbor is complaining about howling. Many people accuse their dog of being spiteful and upon discovery of the mess go into a fullout attack of their own. This only increases the stress level of your dog each time you leave putting them in an awful state of never knowing. Never knowing what will happen when you open that door; wanting you home but dreading your arrival.

Dogs who have true separation anxiety need help; your help to overcome the behavior that has stricken them. Just like with other misunderstood behaviors we can make or break them. It is our job as canine guardian to research and discover what is going on in those little canine minds. And what we see from a human perspective may be way off the mark in dog terms.

As I have said many times before dogs learn through association; action/reaction. And when you take an unwanted behavior, think about your reaction and its implications to the action it may be fuel for further unwanted behaviors. Dogs minds do not work like ours do; it can get complicated and it can be as simple as sitting back and thinking before reacting.

Bone Day again

Yesterday was bone day at my house; which means I was up and at the grocery store bright and early. I get strange looks and comments as I order my bones and walk through the store piled high with meat, bones and a can of pumpkin. Of course I bought more than I had planned, I hadn't grabbed a cart.

So there I was literally piled high with bones and meat. When I was ordering my bones the way I like them, I noticed they had their hamburger on sale so after the guy wrapped my bones I asked for 5lbs. I call the bones Flinstone bones, they are full legs and I have them cut in three pieces, they are very big and heavy. He guy at the counter kept insisting that he could help me; "thanks but I got it." I got it alright and my arms were about to collapse as I put everything onto the cash.

There were alot of questions through the cash "making something?" "Nope, its for my dogs." "Oh, bones for the dogs and hamburgers for you?" "Nope, its all for my dogs." ???????????? Human head turns! "You must love your dogs." "Yep!" I gave a quick explanation, sometimes I think people ponder what they feed their dogs after hearing what my guys are getting.

So back home; I took one step in the door and they know; Luke's nose never fails him when there is meat involved. I unwrapped the bones and put 1/2 of them in the deep freeze for later. The others sat on the counter for a while and then in the fridge to thaw. So Luke pretty much hovered in the kitchen or tried to get me back into the kitchen all day.

At around 3:00 the bones were ready and I was ready to give my undivided attention to bone chewing. Jessie gets hers first, then Tilley and last but not least Luke. Everyone is in a separate corner of the yard; placed strategically in the shade and where I can see everyone from the kitchen. I will have no fighting over bones.

This is such an important part of canine hygiene. Teeth cleaning; you cannot believe what their teeth look like after a session of raw bone chewing. There is much value put on a raw bone which means that there can be problems. Although I have no problems with my poodles, Jessie can get a bit possessive. So instead of instilling a guarding behavior by simply taking her bone I have taught her that my presence means a piece of raw meat.

I cut some of the meat off the bones just for this reason and throughout the chewing a deliver a piece to each of the dogs every so often. It has made a huge difference in Jessie's posture alone at my approach. She no longer freezes and gives me "the stare." She simply looks up at me to see what I have for her, very nice.

So now everyone has nice clean teeth once again and I have more bones in the freezer for a couple months from now.

The association factor

I'm going to visit association again; in dogs it is an important factor. What happens in a moment can have huge implications by the surrounding environment at that very moment. So what is association exactly? The wind blows and a door slams; a dog learns that wind very likely means doors will slam. A dog lunges to see another dog while wearing a pinch collar; they receive pain around their neck and associate this pain to a dog approaching.

Dogs associate much more than we humans do; it can actually take us alongtime to associate things. But for dogs it can happen in an instant and be ingrained forever. Sometimes if you get to work on the misassociation immediately; you can undo any wrong doings. But not always, sometimes somethng that happens remains and no matter what you try to do to fix it; there is no fixing.

Puppies go through a fear period around the age of approximately 4 months; it is important at this stage that you try your best to make it a good one. Many dogs are left with fallout behaviors due to a negative association. Once you learn and understand about association in dogs it is much easier to "get" what is going on with your dog. Maybe your dog is displaying some weird new behavior; suddenly they are acting fearful when they come into the kitchen. This is new; what the heck is wrong with your dog? They never use to act slung down, tail tucked and ears plastered back in the kitchen.

If you look at this behavior and think; sometimes you need to think for a long while, you might remember the day when you dropped a pan right as your dog was walking into the kitchen. It scared the life out of your dog and she ran for cover. So now what you have is a fallout behavior, a result of an association. My boy Luke has associated fear of wind; he had an experience of being waken from a deep sleep from a door slamming which resulted in a seizure. So when the wind blows moving the doors around he is in a fearful state. I can slams doors to a certain degree but if the wind is blowing he is on full alert.

It is all action/reaction for dogs so what and when we do has alot to do with how and what our dogs will learn. Leash aggression is a huge association factor. We see another dog coming our way so immediately reign our dogs in; this behavior alone starts the "hey what's up" reaction from our dogs. What we should do is show them that other dogs walking by results in treats and a very happy or level and calm guardian.

Some association instances cannot be helped; accidents happen even when we do our utmost to avoid them. But your reaction can have a huge impact on that association and if you are quick enough, you can indeed change an association before it is ingrained.

Questions?