The golden years

We have alot of golden years going on at our house; Jessie is nearing 14, Tilley 13 and Luke 10. When we spend the morning out and about on our long walks it is a surefire guarantee that the afternoon will be spent in very deep sleep for all; or at least the girls. My oldest Jessie is a sun worshiper; she finds the single beam of sunshine coming into the room midday and soaks up the warmth on her little body. With her hearing going now she often does not hear my moving about anymore; I can go out and come home without her knowing.

Tilley was always the busy girl; during the day she could be found out in the yard enjoying her shadows. She too has an extreme depth to her slumber now; her hearing is good so she may wake but her body tells her to stay put. Just yesterday I got home from an errand and she did just that; woke, greeted me with her eyes but never moved from her comfort zone curled up on her bed. These are the moments when you realize that things have really changed. Change is sometimes diffiuclt but if you go with the flow change is good.

The change for us now is that we slow our pace. Pretty much everything concerning the dogs has slowed; getting in the car, going outside, bedtime, grooming and day to day routine. Jessie has always been hoisted into the car being that she is a short 12" tall. Tilley is lifted in and out now; she has been for several years. Rousting everyone for their last trip out at night is a process; one where we are cheering them on to rise from their bed and wait patiently for it. As you see your dog aging like this; watching the time it takes for them to simply get up and out of bed, it calls to the nurturer in you. You can't help but want only the good things in life for them now; the best food, the most comfortable bed and the yummiest of treats.

With the cooler nights now; everyone is tucked in, literally. Each dog is snug and comfy under their fleece blanket. New beds have been bought to ensure that old bones do not feel the hardness of the floor making their slumber a welcome one. It is hard to see our dogs age; seeing the spring in their step slowly turn to an effort, watching their bright eyes cloud over and seeing them sleep much longer than they ever use to. But with it comes a new experience for your relationship, more time spent on just being. Just being with each other can be one of the most wonderful moments in time.

Hug your dog today.

Good fun

I've been noticing of late that my old gal Tilley has had a new surge of youthful energy. I'm not sure what is the cause; but whatever the reason it is good to see her with a spring in her step. Yesterday we went to the park; the poodles and I. We met one of Luke's best friends there; it is so cute to see his reaction when he sees her. As a dog who is very demonstrative with his emotions; it is immediately apparent when he sees a familiar face. It can even be a familiar silhouette; often she is on the other side of the park which is some distance and he stills knows that it is her. As soon as he's sees another dog that he is familiar with his ears drop and the whining starts.

Tilley on the other hand is very reserved and distinguishing her recognition abilities is much more difficult. So we did the beginning of our walk with friends and after they left we enjoyed the park for playtime. Being that Tilley is up in years there isn't that much physical play that goes on anymore but like I said; lately she has had a resurgence of youth and Luke gets to benefit.

I brought my big camera with me to the park because of the fierce winds; I love capturing flying ears and hair. So while I was focusing my attention on shooting Tilley; Luke got silly with attempting to draw my attention his way. He grabbed a stick and tossed it around; "look how much fun this is over here." So after capturing the beauty of a senior we both went to join in Luke's stick fun. Tilley accompanied Luke in stick chewing and then I tossed a few to get the action going. It didn't take long and Luke was in full swing. The customary proceedings are as follows; Tilley has the stick and Luke wants it. He runs like a fool until he gets the stick and then we start over.

Both dogs seem to enjoy their part except that now Tilley is not the powerhouse she once was and can loose her footing more easily. This is the only part that she seems none so happy about with the whole game. I don't blame her; Luke tends to be a numbskull much of the time and barrels into whoever has the stick. We stayed at the park for a long while enjoying the open field, the wind and the cool breeze for a change. I am so glad I could capture some of the moments.

Having fun together

My daughter and I took the dogs to the beach again yesterday. It was slightly overcast and breezy; the temperatures could have been cooler but I'll take what I can get. We hit the Montage beach which is a more quiet place to walk the dogs. The pathway down to the beach is simply breathtaking and you feel as though you are walking into a postcard as you reach the end where the beach ramp takes you down. There are several places to get down to the beach but we use the end one mostly.

Luke is chomping at the bit; Tilley is being her perfect self as we make our way through the beautifully crafted walkways. The ramp down to the beach is concrete and if it has been well used it will be covered with sand. Not a great combination to walk down with a sled dog leading the way. Yesterday it was clean but I am still careful not to be slid full speed down the ramp as Luke can barely contain his excitement. Once down the dogs transform; whether it is the feel of the sand between their toes, the sea breeze blowing through their ears or the many seabirds hovering just above head they are outwardly exhilarated.

After having some fun climbing rocks and running through the surf we sat on a stone wall and just took in the beauty. The dogs enjoy just sitting and looking as well; Luke spotted several birds exploring the shore and broke out into a whining frenzy. He does get himself into a tizzy; but quickly returns to normalcy once reminded that he is being rather idiotic and told in no uncertain terms to stop. We continued to watch the birds quietly.

In a quiet moment; enjoying one anothers company. These amazing moments are some of the simple things we can do with our dogs. Simple but very powerful; a connection of two species brought together to fuel so much enjoyment can neither be replicated nor denied. There is nothing like the companionship of a canine.

No hair?

Well; it is suppose to be cooling off for a while, I'll believe it when I feel it. In the high 90s yesterday; my house sounded like a library. All the dogs had found their place and were crashed. A favorite spot is my bedroom although it is the hottest room in the house; you can hear the constant hum of the fan, the dogs love the fan. Tilley will infact lay right in front of the fan if I have it set on the floor; something you would never do with a puppy around. She enjoys the wind in her ears and the cool air passing over her; she will sleep deeply there enjoying the cool. Afterall Tilley wears a fur coat; who wouldn't want to lay in front of the fan?

Over the years I've shot (photographed) alot of dogs and one of the most different breeds has been the Xoloitzcuintli. Known commonly as the Xolo (sholo) is the national dog of Mexico and originated in South America a very longtime ago. When I first met a xolo I was mesmerized by their coat or lack there of. They feel so foreign to the touch that I just had to keep my hands on them. Their skin is soft but not; feeling like nothing I had touched before. They commonly have a nice tuft of hair between their ears and due to a lack of hair show all the tiniest scars on their body.

Even though the breed is a hairless one there is a coated Xolo. The breeding of hairless and hair dogs is controversial but it is done. The coat of the xolo coated type is short, smooth and dense. Very different from the coated chinese crested dogs.

The breed is a hardy one and although they have no hair they do very well in different weather. Most xolo's have a good supply of sweaters for the winter of course as do any other hairless breeds. The xolo comes in toy, miniature and standard sizes of which I met the miniature. I have seen images of the standard and would like to meet one someday. The vast amount of xolo's live in Mexico and this is the first country to have recognized the breed.

When I first met the xolo's I had the honor of shooting I was quickly told of the short form of the name. As hard as I tried I could not get my brain t to recallhe actual name and was glad to be able to call them Xolo's (sholo's).

See you do learn something new everyday.

Manners please

It always amazes me when I see dogs who have no manner training once so ever. The struggle to find a happy place in a home when you have no training is a difficult one. There are times when I can say something and times when I cannot. If I am called to someone's home as a trainer then I can say all I want; but often I am there for a photo shoot and at that point I just smile. It is difficult to watch a guardian struggle with their dog knowing how quickly behaviors can be turned around.

One of the most common behaviors is food stealing or counter surfing which to me are two very unacceptable behaviors. First let's set the record straight; dogs will be dogs and if you leave food unattended for a long enough period of time there is a good chance it's not going to be there when you get back. I do not expect dogs to be saints but I do expect them to be well behaved and have some sort of house manners. When I do see a dog who does not exhibit manners; I look to the guardian. I put no blame on the dog for not having manners; dogs come with dog manners which are not in anyway human manners.

I believe all dogs deserve an education; what I expect as a minimum for a dog to be taught:

- to know their name (amazingly many dogs don't)
- come when called
- sit, down, stay and leave it
- how to act in the house: no stealing food, jumping on tables, using the house as a bathroom etc.

By teaching a dog a few verbal cues you can then communicate more easily. Communication is also achieved with the use of body language; it is amazing what you can say with your body. But you must have a good basis for your dog to "get" your body language. If you have never used it before it may take a while for your dog to pay attention to it. Your dog will have to relearn to watch you if this is new for you; more than likely have completely confused your dogs with mixed messages to this point.

Having a dog living in your home is a wonderful thing once they understand and follow a few simple rules. We follow rules on a daily basis; our dogs need to do the same.

The wolf inside all our dogs

Hey you with the Chihuahua; did you know that your dog is just as genetically similar to a gray wolf as that German Shepherd down the street and the Alaskan Malamute at the pull competition? That's right; all of our dogs came from the Gray Wolf. From the tiny teacup dogs to the giants of the canine world; they all have the same genetic makeup. Would you choose to live with a wolf? I think not; not many of us would. But you are definitely living with wolf relatives and it is important that you look at your dog as such.

Far too often people think of their dogs and treat their dog as furry humans. This is typically when things go very wrong; we tend to anthropomorphize (to attribute human form or personality to) our dogs. Don't worry; most people do this to some degree, even experienced dog people. As much as it is in a dogs genes to act a certain way; so too is it our way to treat things in our human way. My dogs know me as "Mommy;" even though I am obviously not their Mother. Occasionally even I slip up and my maternal instincts kick in instead of my "leadership" instincts. Dogs need leaders; it is how they work, leader/followers.

You know when your child ask "why do I have to do that?" And your response is "because I said so?" Well basically this is the roll you need to play with your dog. Black and white; this is how we do it, that's it that's all. This is not to say that life will be no fun; far from it. A dog with a strong leader; one who guides and teaches them how to live in our human world is a happy one. Leave a dog to figure it all out on their own and I can guarantee they'll get into trouble.

"The domestic dog is an extremely close relative of the gray wolf, differing from it by at most 0.2% of mtDNA sequence15,22,23.
In comparison, the gray wolf differs from its closest wild relative, the coyote, by about 4% of mitochondrial DNA sequence14. Therefore, the molecular genetic evidence does not support theories that domestic dogs arose from jackal ancestors. Dogs are gray wolves, despite their diversity in size and proportion; the wide variation in their adult morphology probably results from simple changes in developmental rate and timing." From The Molecular Evolution of the Dog Family by Robert K Wayne

"At the molecular level not much changed at all: The DNA makeup of wolves and dogs is almost identical." National Geographics

So take the time to learn about your little wolf relative and you will be enlightened to some of the behaviors we consider to be weird but are very normal for a canid.

Personality descriptions

I have been doing a lot of thinking about personalities and the complex depth to which each dog has. When describing my individuals quickly I would say; dominant, timid and reactive. But dogs are so much more than most think; they are very complicated creatures and to live with them and truly know them as individuals you must do just that, get to know them. I have a wonderful mixture; a combination that over the years has melded into a fine tuned machine. We rarely have even a disagreement and as my dogs age this has become more important to me.

Just this morning there was a tiny thing; it was a split second of stupidity from Jessie. She came up on the bed which is the norm for our mornings but in her "breakfast" frenzies she landed on Luke who was snuggled down in the corner. He immediately set to posture as she darted to the other side of the bed, he flashed her a dirty look and it was over. That is the extent of dog "issues" in our home and that is the way I like it. But we didn't get here just by chance; I do not allow nonsense. Yes I allow growling and communications but if someone wants to get into it; they have to go through me first.

I have two dominants and a neutral personalities. First I'll talk about Jessie; she is very dominant which is the norm for a Jack Russell. That said she is not a crazy dominant like many are and she loves people. Even though she is very dominant she is not a bully when it comes time to ruling her pack; she only gets involved when things get out of hand in her opinion. Barking and chasing Dad around is out of hand and over exuberant greetings is out of hand. As dominant as this little 15 lb dynamo is; she is not stupid and has very good canine communication skills. Jessie is confident and steady; not easily flustered or startled although her lack of hearing is lending itself to more startle situations. She is extremely affectionate and devoted and in her old age loves nothing more than a comfy lap to crash in.

Tilley is next in line; she is a very complicated girl but not quite as complex as Luke is. She came to us quite fearful and it has taken years of work to get her to where she is today. She is very affectionate but not a huggy type of gal. Hugs are strictly reserved for family members and even then you can feel a slight pull away if it is the human who initiated it. But when affection is given by Tilley you can expect lap laying, her head on your chest worship type. I can literally do anything to Tilley and she trusts me 150%. She is meek in her daily activities; sitting ever so patiently for whatever happens to be in the works. She is rock steady, she does not startle and is not the nervous type at all. Although she is the only one of our dogs who is very afraid of thunder and fireworks. Tilley and Jessie have an understanding, they coexist with no disciplining. Jessie disciplines Luke but never Tilley.

Last but not least is Luke; the boy with the issues. Luke is one of those dogs who's outward behavior is deceiving to who he really is. He is extremely complicated; first he is a dominant boy and likes to strut his stuff. He likes to push my buttons but is very sensitive as well; if I should raise my voice or posture he turns to mush. He does not like to do wrong and often is caught up by his own over excited behavior. Working with Luke over the years has taught me much about dogs in general as his reactions and mannerisms are bigger than life itself. He is a very nervous type and if something should happen to bump or drop on him; we can expect a big story about what just happened. It just takes one look at those eyes to know that something is up. Luke is on a perpetual conquest to greatness; his daily interactions with many are to inflate his ego. Although with maturity has come a diminishing ego and a more general happy with life attitude.

Luke is often in a state of over excitement which he has no control over. After 9 years of waiting for the whining and crying to stop before commencing I have given up. He is who he is and life it too short to win every fight. I pick my battles and pick them carefully. Luke is HUGELY affectionate; this is what outsiders miss out on and I feel privileged to have. He is without a doubt the most physically affectionate dog we have ever had. The open mouth happy huffing has become one of the most endearing behaviors that I now expect when I come home or when he is just plain happy with his life. Luke has a never ending amount of energy and is up for anything anytime.

So here are my three in a nutshell; a fabulous combination. And although I have touched on their individual personalities there is much more to each of them. I would love to hear about some of the personalities that you live with.

Hidden Collar dangers

I now have something serious to talk about.

I just got notice that another dog has died from strangulation due to their collar. Sadly this is all too common; so I would like to pass this information, please do the same. Collars look cute and are essential tools when you live with dogs; but please take extra precaution and never leave your dog’s collar on while unattended. Collars or harnesses should only ever be worn when your dog is under your strict supervision. My dogs only wear collars when they go for a walk; as soon as we enter back into our home they come off. I had one of these accidents happen to my dogs and luckily I was there to stop a tragedy.

Many years ago now I had two male standard poodles who loved to rough house. One day while outside one of the boys got their mouth snagged up in the other ones collar. Both were extremely upset; thinking that the other was in some way attacking them, they struggled and screamed. I ran screaming myself; I thought they were indeed in a fight. Once I got close it was obvious what was happening and I was able to calm them long enough to untangle them. Unfortunately not all dogs are as lucky; and you don’t need two or more dogs to have an accident.

Many different scenarios can happen when a dog wears a collar unsupervised. There are many stories of dogs being strangled when they have attempted to jump a fence and didn’t make it. Dog tags can become caught on just about anything even in the safety of a crate. Once caught up a dog quickly goes into panic mode. It is often this fight or flight reaction that causes the damage. All collars can be dangerous; choke type collars are the worst because they tighten and don’t let up but even a regular flat buckle collar can take a dog’s life.

Most people keep identification tags on their dog’s collars; having a collar on gives the guardian a sense of security. Tags are fine on a collar for a walk; but if you want to identify your dog 24x7 have them micro-chipped. All veterinarian offices offer micro-chipping; and it is one of the best ways to ensure your dogs return should they ever become lost. Save your collar/harness use for what they were intended; walks. Take all collars and harnesses off when you are not supervising; it could save your dog’s life. Please tell your friends.

Not much today

I don't have much to say today; one of those days. I've already walked Jessie; dremeled 12 feet and I'm heading to the beach with the poodles. This morning I was left shaking on my head once again on my walk as I watched two women yank away at their juvenille goldens by their choke chain. I've decided to make a bumper sticker that says "no chains around our dogs necks." Or something like that; you get my drift.

When you use a choke collar the whole premise around interacting with your dog changes. Instead of wondering hmmmmm how can I fix this behavior that I'm not liking; you just yank away in anger. It is all around us; quick fix scenarios. But a dogs neck should not be a quick fix with a chain...................

Gone to the beach..............................

Okay; I'm already back from the beach, freak'n hot down there already. Geesh will this weather let up? I hit Laguna beach this morning; typically beautiful and scenic but I did notice alot of "permanent" type resident homeless folks set up for the long haul. I've never seen such large "stations" where they keep their stuff. 20'x20' areas with umbrellas, chairs, sleeping bags, dogs (which Luke found under one), you name it they've got it. Perhaps they are saving up for the not as great winter weather.

Well; it is Friday so have a great weekend all.

More off leash talk

Lastnight I had Luke at the park; this particular we are always onleash except for short moments if no one is around. Its pretty popular as it is a huge soccer field park so on the weekends and evenings there are kids everywhere. It was dusk and we were making our way around the path when I noticed a Mom who had her lab off leash tossing a ball with her chuck it. Being that the dog was off leash I assumed she was friendly. As we got closer her ears went up watching Luke as she retrieved her ball. I knew she was going to come and see Luke; her Mom did not. On her final retrieve she headed our way.

Her Mom was following close behind yelling to me that she was friendly. I already knew because the dog could not have been more obvious in her gushy friendliest in her approach. Luke knew as well as ran to meet her as I dropped his leash and they greeted excitedly. It was cute because they were the identical color of light blonde. He said a quick hello and we were on our way. Not all dogs are as friendly and even dogs off leash can be dogs that should not be off leash so you need to read body language.

As we made our way around several dogs made growly lunges at Luke; all smile mind you and now that I think of it all the dogs there lastnight were the same color, weird. Anyhow, you need to know how to read canine body language so that you can assess a situation in the making. Even on leash you need to read both dog and human language. I've walked up to people asking if their dog is friendly so that our dogs could play; but as I got closer it was obvious that the human had no intention of letting their very friendly dog play with my poodle deliquent. Their loss.

Watch, always watch.

Nails

The mere idea of cutting nails sends a wave of terror through many canine guardians. When I regularly ask "how often do you cut them?" I receive a look of horror and the common reply is "I can't cut his nails." I know the idea of cutting too much and having your dogs nails bleed all over is scary for most but you can learn to do it without injuring any of those little toes. Some guardians are lucky and they have a dog who grinds their nails down perfectly when they go for their daily walks. I've seen dogs with beautiful short nails and they never have them ground or cut. I don't have those dogs; mind you I'm not much into walking in the streets, we do alot of field running.

So I have been cutting nails for 30 years now. I remember back when I was in the conformation ring; the nails were not to be heard, that's short. But now I want to make sure they are short but not too short. If you trim your dogs nail regularly it is actually easier. That way you can just clip the very tip off each week; being sure that you are not catching any quick with it.

When you start out with a puppy you can use human nail cutters until their nails get too large and hard. Then there are two types to choose from; the guillotine style and the scissor/clamp style. I've used both and use the scissor style mostly now, I find them to give me more control although they do loose their edge fairly quickly.

I ordered a dremel tool and got it yesterday. I have never been a nail grinder but my little Jack Russell has been objecting to having her nails done lately. Being that she is 13.5 she is allowed to object and I will adjust. So my dremel came and I love it already; you can take the tiniest amount off with it and do a little at a time. Now my dogs are very accustom to having their feet messed with so that would be the first thing to do. If your dog is not use to having their feet touched then you must get them use to it. The dremel vibrates and I would imagine feels strange to them.

And I have been worned to watch the hair; if a dog has longer hair on their feet you must take care. The best way is to hold the nail firmly, not just the paw. This gives you better control and less chance of slipping. The dremel will also heat up so only do a second at a time breaking in between. I will use the dremel for keeping my Jack Russells nails nice and short and for smoothing out the rough edges after cuttting the poodles nails. So far I love it.

Running free

Thinking back to my old life; my old house in the country I miss it, I really miss it. One of the things that I miss the most is that I could walk out my back door and off into the woods where I would sit for hours by a stream with the dogs. I always carried a leash with me "in case" but my dogs never wore one. That was along time ago now; these days revolve around trying to find the elusive free field. We live in a leash law world; around every corner there is a canine leash enforcer ready to give you a ticket. On the first "official" day that the dogs could be on the beach here once again; sure enough there he was handing out tickets.

I understand that it takes but one stupid person with their dog who should definitely not be off leash to ruin it for everyone. And I understand if you allow it; then you allow those who should not be off leash, off leash. But come on; give us something, somewhere other than a fenced in overused and overcrowded tiny piece of land to run our dogs free. Here we tend to hit the canyons but then again you risk running into a coyote, rattle snake and even the odd cougar. Also it is so hot and scrubby many months that it's not very enjoyable; especially with my breed who tend to resemble giant velcro.

While I was vacationing in Victoria over the summer we came across a leash free area. It was miles and miles of path running along the edge of the ocean, beautiful. Some dogs were on leash; most were off socializing as they passed one another along their walk. At the time I wished I had my dogs with me so that they could have enjoyed it as much as I savored watching the other dogs on their walk.

Watching dogs run free is not only great for our dogs but good for our core; I could sit and watch dogs run without a care in the world for hours. But alas there is always that nagging feeling you should be looking over your shoulder for the ticket guy. But there are places; you just gotta look long and hard now to find them. But it is most definitely worth the work.

Building confidence

Just like every single person is different; dogs are just as different. Although I have had standard poodles for 25 years; no two have been the same and the two I have now could not have more contrasting personalities. And then my little Jack Russell who has a personality all her own is one dog that I have never had to use any confidence boosting modification for. Being that dogs are all different; building confidence can be tricky, often confusing. Some dogs may seem to be very confident; even overly confident in some ways yet very uncertain in some situations.

I took the dogs to the beach a couple of weeks back; it was a new beach and the access to the beach was through an underground tunnel with a walkway. When we walked down into the tunnel I could immediately feel the pull on Tilley's leash, she was very uncomfortable. Tilley has never been comfortable walking across wooden pathways or especially bridges. To her this was a bridge with water running down the side; it was dark and scary and she hated it. She managed to get through but on the way back I had to do a lot of pushing. Next time I will be more prepared; I will bring some food to keep her mind off of the environment and on the grub.

Dogs are very complicated; Tilley is not a nervous type at all, she is rock solid but yet walking through that tunnel put her into a state of fear. Luke on the other hand who is a very nervous type, jumpy and skittish walked through the tunnel like nothing. So each dog has their own issues that need confidence building and it most always means lots and lots of calm repetition. Fear can be the catalyst to many different behavior issues. Once a behavior is dissected fear or lack of experience can often be the culprit and a little confidence building can be the answer to the problem.

Pushing a dog to overcome a fear of a confidence issue never the answer. Many people use flooding as a solution and depending on the fear; flooding (a form of psychotherapy in which the patient receives abrupt and intense, rather than gradual, exposure to a fear-producing situation) can backfire big time. CM uses flooding on a regular basis; I'm thinking it is for the purpose of the show and he feels like he hasn't got the time to take the necessary steps to get to the goal. I don't use flooding unless the fear is very low level and the act of flooding will not induce high degrees of fear.

Building confidence has a great deal to do with you; how do you react to a situation. As I have said many, many times before our dogs are watching us so if you startle or react to a situation so to will your dog. Once you see that your dog needs confidence building in certain areas then you must set to work; breaking each issue down into baby steps which can be successfully overcome before moving onto the next step. Never respond to a fear or insecure display and reserve your words for the tiniest of achievements and they will grow.

Saturday morning

Wow; it's 9:00 and I'm still lazing in bed with the hounds. Luke is heading out in a moment with Dad for one of his weekend runs down in the canyon. These are the runs that Tilley can no longer do; but both her and Jessie will be heading out with me very soon. I will take them to one of the many parks that we go to; Jessie will be jetting around and Tilley following us at her own slow pace.

I love the weekends and this one we have everyone home. We will be celebrating a late Canadian Thanksgiving (it was actually last Monday) tomorrow with turkey and all the trimmings. The dogs will have turkey as well which will be a very nice change for them. It is after the American thanksgiving that I load up on turkey for the dogs. Last year I scored hugely at Albertson's grocery picking up 20 lb turkeys for $5.00 a piece when they were trying to get rid of them.

I also stocked up on canned pumpkin yesterday which I have heard will be hard to find soon. Apparently it has been a bad year for pumpkins; and you know what they say about scarcity? I will buy more the next time I visit Trader Joe's as well. We eat alot of pumpkin as well as the dogs and you all know about it as a miracle diarrhea cure right?

Found it, finally

I found it; I finally found it. Several years ago I was contacted by Pearson hall publications advising me that they were putting one of my articles in a text book. Being that they had already done this without my permission I was a bit miffed but happy as well. It is a great article and one worth reading I think. I never did receive the copy of the book I was suppose to get and never saw it. But this morning while surfing something else I found the book online. (It's the black book on the right) My article starts on page 690 and is titled Boredom blues begone. The fact that children are reading this article makes me very happy and probably this is the publication that I am the most proud of.

Then while searching some more I found the actual article; so here it is.

Over vaccinating

The vaccination debate is a biggy; not just with canines but humans as well. I am not a big yearly vaccination fan; I just don't get why dogs would need the same shot every year when we all had our last shot when we were kids. So why do dogs need all these shots? They don't. That's correct they don't and we are actually harming them by giving them yearly vaccinations. I feel strongly that they do indeed need their initial shots and may need them again in their lifetime but with yearly titer tests you can know whether or not your dog has a good level of immunity to certain diseases. I won't go on and on about it because there is plenty of information to read on the subject on the internet. I have linked some good articles below.

http://tolldenfarms.ca/Articles-on-Health/vaccines.html

http://doglady1.tripod.com/scribe/id5.html

http://www.nationaldog.com.au/2009/2009-august/x08rle_014p.pdf

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/titer_test.htm

http://www.wellsphere.com/pet-health-article/is-your-dog-s-vet-a-vaccination-expert/751440

Please read the articles and at least be informed before you opt to have your dog revaccinated every year.

It's windy; so we're chill'n

The wind is whipping through the house; I love it but Luke does not. Big storm watch on that started yesterday but we only started getting the rain at noon. The wind started earlier and has Luke on his toes all day. Luke spends much of his day on my bed while I'm on the computer which happens to be beside the big patio doors. Each time something blows his ears go back and he his eyes quickly dart to me for "this okay Mom?" I immediately go into my chill routine; often even whistling while I work. This calms him immediately; this is how you do it.

I have never had a dog that had so much outward behavior displays as Luke. And because of this he has taught me so much. While Jessie, Tilley and my other dogs may have been feeling strange their behavior was so small that you often missed it. So now I miss nothing; or at least I try very hard not to miss anything. This is done by watching; watching very closely. And this goes for anything; scary, loud, intimidating, startling or just plain weird.

Yesterday at the park our group of poodles was approaching a dog that was tied to a table. His guardian was exercising and her dog was anticipating our passing. He readied himself and started the all too familiar lunging and barking; it was a black sort of chow mix type. Knowing Luke does not back down when challenge and that we were going to pass at about a 10 foot distance I calmly said "leave it." He turned to look ahead and calmly walked by; of course he got a ton of praise. Had I opted to reel him in; telling him that it was all right and to ignore that dog things would have been far different.

My behavior in this situation let Luke know that I wasn't worried about this at all. Infact I never broke stride and continued to talk to my walking buddy. Tilley had no interest in this mad man on the end of the leash jumping and growling; she gave him a quick glance and fell into place as I called to her.

Lead by example!

Tomorrow's blog; over vaccinating.

Can you hear me now?

I've been testing Jessie's hearing and vision for a while now. Every once in a while I will whisper call her; a bit louder, a bit louder and then finally hit the "response" decibel. Although Tilley and Jessie are so close in age they are aging very differently. Jessie is loosing her sight and her hearing; Tilley on the other hand is getting very wobbly. Her hearing is good; perhaps not quite what it use to be but pretty good and her eye sight not bad for having such cloudy eyes.

Aging sucks and for our dogs it happens far too early; Jessie will be 14 on her next birthday, Tilley will be 13 and Luke will be 10. Luke is not showing aging signs yet except that he has finally matured. Jessie's body is very deceiving; she doesn't look like an old dog and she doesn't move like an old dog. No one we meet on our walking adventures ever believes it when I tell them that she is 13.5. And although Tilley doesn't look old; she moves old.

I can come and go now from the house without much notice; at least as far as Jessie is concerned. The other day I went out and she was sound asleep curled up in a blanket in my room. When I returned 4 hours later she was still in the same spot and didn't know I'd been gone. She sleeps very sound and with her hearing failing her she doesn't hear the goings on in the house. She is not completely deaf though; I just have to yell alot. I remember not so long ago yelling for Clyde my old boy.

This is when sign language really comes in handy; that is if they are not asleep. I use to sign to Clyde all the time; and when he lost his hearing from old age he continued to watch me sign to him. Let's face it aging sucks; but we are all headed in the same direction right? Dogs are resilient creatures; and even when her hearing is long gone, Jessie will adjust.

Continued from previous post

I got this in my email this morning.

Dog stuck in crate caused by topic flea and tick treatment.

Toxins

No toxins, because they are worth it!

Toxins are all around us; they are in the stuff that many of us use on a daily basis and they can be very detrimental to our health and our dogs health. First let's take the flea treatments like Frontline, Advantage etc. I use to use the topical type; they seemed like a miracle cure at first didn't they? No fleas, no ticks? But what we weren't considering then and many don't consider now is what's in this stuff? There are articles everywhere on the net if you want to find out the real goods; here are just a few.

#1

#2

#3

People in general are becoming so much more aware these days. Do you really want to put that toxic substance right onto your dog when it says keep children away? Do you want to give your dog a pill that will stop the cycle of fleas from the inside out? I didn't think so. If you do a small amount of research there are so many way to treat your dog safely; for both your dog and the humans. Phramaceuticals and pet products are big business these days; for the health and safety of your dog don't blindly grab the newest product on the market.

Some safe ideas for natural flea repellants but just look it up on the net and you will find a plethora of products to keep you flea free. Also remember that fleas drown even with a regular shampoo bath; suds up your dog and watch the fleas try to get away. Wash them down the drain and be rid of those pests.

Association

I've discussed association a lot in past blogs; but I cannot talk about it enough as it is the whole art of teaching our dogs. Association - to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc. Dogs learn through association; you can watch it in the making if you are paying close attention. Many behavior issues that I deal with in my training work can all be explained by association.

I had the girls at one of our parks yesterday; the park was filled with tiny soccer players and their parents. As we made our way around we passed alot of people; mostly men. As we walked by each man Tilley pulled out; lowering her head in an "is this my Dad?" position. Tilley has now associated this park to meeting up with Dad; it has happened about 5 or 6 times now so that is what she hopes for each time we come.

No one can explain to their dog that when food is put into a certain bowl; this means that they can eat what is put down. But all of our dogs know that when they hear the tell tale sounds of certain bowls in the kitchen; it's chow time. Good comes from using positive associations and bad things can happen with negative associations as well. Often accidental associations occur and unless you know what has happened it can be difficult to figure out a behavior issue.

Ah; let's take the vets office. Once left there each of my dogs has a very negative association to the vets office. And even offices that are not vets may seem like a vets to your dog. Tilley is one who completely hates the vets office; as I lift the back hatch of the car she is shaking in her boots. She only started this behavior once she was left at the vets once.

Luke has learned the association to waving; waving = treats, even when no one asks him to wave. Of course this is our fault because we think his waving is so darned cute. Luke also has a bad association to doors moving in the wind; he once had a seizure because he was awakened abruptly from a door slamming. Doors blowing in the wind freak him out now; and heaven forbid they slam.

Negative associations can happen anytime, anywhere so you must be very aware to your dogs surroundings. If something negative happens you must quickly kick into gear and undo it. Counter conditioning should start immediately; getting back on the horse so to speak. So if you are walking along the street and a car backfires freaking the heck out of you and your dog; get out on that street again. Remain as calm as a cucumber and bring a ton of treats. Your dog is watching you; how you react will be how your dog perceives the situation. Cool is the rule.

Friday once again

Good Friday morning; the weather is much cooler than it has been in a long while although they are talking about it heating up again, but I'm not listening. I'm a northerner and it's in my blood; back home they are calling for snow showers this weekend, yep. And being that I spent my first 36 years there it is still how my brain functions. Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving this weekend so if you have any Canadian friends wish them a happy Turkey Day.

Yesterday was bath day around here again; contemplating my showering strategies I opted for a quick grab and into the shower with Luke first. I did Luke first to save him the hours of worry he goes through if someone else goes first. As soon as one is in the shower the others know; and Luke spends the moments before his turn fretting running here and there trying to hide. So I used the surprise attack and when he was downstairs and close to the bathroom I just quickly ushered him in. Even still by the time he hit the shower he was quaking in his boots.

Just recently I shaved the poodles so they are nice and short; this makes for a very short bath time, which works well for my back. Someday I'm planning on getting a nice raised stainless tub; ah I can dream. But in the meantime it is in the shower downstairs; which is small but very convenient to the outdoors. Once clean the dogs are quickly sent 5 feet to outside where they get rid of all the excess water. It was nice and warm in the morning yesterday so after they receive their thorough towel dry they air dry in the sun.

It is cute looking out to see all the dog bodies laying soaking up the sun. They were all dry very quickly and the poodles have their adorable tight curl hair; a look I love and will loose if a brush touches them. So needless to say I don't brush unless I have to and when their coat air dries it doesn't mat either which is very nice. No; I do not have high maintenance poodles.

Well; I have a small poodle gathering this morning to get ready for, have a great weekend.

Watch it bud

Wondering why her dog will not heel properly we head out to the cul de sac to check it out. A beautiful yellow labrador Daisy (name change) had picked up heeling amazingly and was one of those dogs who was stuck to your side as she pranced along giving constant eye contact. This is a trainers dream. But; on this session I had been told that she is pulling away while heeling, what's up? I ask Daisy's guardian to heel in a big circle as I watch; within a second I can see it. Daisy is being hit in the face by her new leash clasp. The leash is heavy and with every step it sways back and forth smacking her square in the jaw; problem solved.

Getting in her calastetics for the day; I watch as a woman rounds the park at full speed. Her dog; a beautiful large mixed breed is trying to keep up but with every step he is on the receiving end of her power strides. With each step her arms are thrown back and forth hitting the dog square in the face. "Does she not feel this?" He remains enthusiastic but with each whap he seems to deflate. As we pass for the second time I shake my head in amazement; how hard could it be to stop walking like this?

This is a fairly common scenario; "I'm walking and the dog better just keep up" mentality. Having started training at a very young age I've been watching canine reactions to behavior modifications for a longtime. And if you watch very closely you can see exactly what is going on. Now these two tales above were so obvious a 5 year old could have solved them but often it is something so tiny you need a professional. Sitting back and analyzing situations like this is what I do so when I see it out in the general public I find it hard not to say something.

Just yesterday I saw a lady with a very young boxer walking down the street. She too was swinging her arms and pacing out with purpose. The young boxer was ducking every swing of her arm. Not only did she have a way too huge martingale collar on the dog that was hitting him in the face but to top that off she had poop bags tied to the leash at the same place. So he was receiving a clasp and poop bag whap with every step. The guardian was going; she was not waiting around for any young'n nor was she watching how he was doing.

There are a lot of things to watch as you interact with your dog. The more intune you are with your dog the easier it will be to see the tiny behaviors that make a difference. Watch it.

leash clasp, poop bag carrier hitting your dog in the face.

Three in the bed

Dogs in your bed? Yep, mine are usually every morning. Both girls can no longer get up into our bed themselves and the ottoman that I bought specifically for that purpose has since been removed. I figured if they can't get up onto the bed on their own they shouldn't be jumping off. But the morning is different; typically we enjoy our coffee and breakfast in bed before my hubby is off to work. So I hoist both Jessie and Tilley up to join us. When it is time to get up they are hoisted back down so as not to break anything.

Having dogs in bed with you is a very controversial subject; I have often asked clients where their dog sleeps when I receive a very sheepish "in our bed." Afraid to fess up some hedge before I pry it out of them. For me; sleeping on the bed is perfectly fine if it is on your terms. There will be NO growling permitted on the bed; "no growling?" Oh I allow it once; just like all growls it is a heads up of how your dog is feeling. And if you receive a growl in bed your dog is feeling like he owns the place. So; the resulting modification will be "out you go."

We own our bed; we bought it, we picked out the sheets and comforter so that means it is ours. If we let our dogs sleep on it with us; it is a privilege and you should consider it to be so. Obviously the bed is the primo sleeping position; that is where the leader sleeps, me. Our dogs join us in the morning; they share our breakfast but they are very mannerly about it, anything other than good behavior will be grounds for dismissal. Even our food fiend Jessie; who is literally vibrating from head to toe in food anticipation is patient, she doesn't have a choice.

I don't know how many times I've asked clients if they can push or get their dog off the bed easily and they tell me "OH no; he doesn't like to be moved when he's on the bed." Hmmmm; what's wrong with this picture? Like I said; the bed is yours; not your dogs and as much as I love a good snuggle in bed with my guys allowing growling in bed is a clear sign that things are not as they should be. If you have a dog that is climbing the status ladder then a nice comfy bed on the floor is in order. And if you must have them in your bed at some point it is only once you have said so. To put up and even fuel growling in bed is the beginning of your demise.

On a cold night a dog in the bed is a great way to pre-warm your spot so that you don't have to crawl into a cold bed.

Tues musings

Yesterday morning I took my super charged little Jack Russell to the park. She can barely contain herself as I open the back hatch to let her out. The first 5 min. is spent taking the brunt of her charges as she comes to the end of her extension leash. This is when an extension leash is called for; unless you are walking alone at the park or an open space I do not recommend them. Don't even get me started on the many reason why I don't like them. So after about 5 min. she starts to slow it down but then her sniffer is on overdrive; that is what Jessie does on her walks, sniffs.

Jessie goes from a fired up terrier to a lagging old lady pretty quickly. Once back home it is meal time and nap time for the rest of the day. Then in the afternoon I took the poodles to the beach; this was a wonderful beach trip; the weather could not have been more perfect for a walk. Although the weather has cooled off I'd like it to be just about 10 degrees colder; so I'd really need to put on a hoodie. Tilley enjoyed her walk immensely as did Luke; but he always likes anything we do. He is such a happy guy and loves going anywhere and doing whatever.

At one point we had to walk over a wooden walkway; this is one thing I have come to know about Tilley, she doesn't like it. There have only been a couple of occasions for us to walk over a bridge or plank type deal and she pretty much freezes. It's funny because Tilley is my rock solid dog; she never startles, she isn't nervous like Luke but she does not like walking over bridges. Even when they are solid and unless you looked you wouldn't realize you were walking on a bridge; she still doesn't like it. Yesterday she completely froze; having Luke with me as well it was going to be difficult to carry her the whole way. I definitely would if I wasn't able to get her moving.

I'm not exactly sure what her fear is; but as she looks over the edge it has to do with that. We walk over lots of weird things but the bridge deal gets her. Maybe she is afraid of heights? Actually now that I think about it; it might be just that. She does not like to go out on the balcony at all. Even when Luke and Jessie are laying out there she is very hesitant to join them. I'm going to have to look into this further. Anyhow this shutdown behavior lets me know that I need to carry some really good treats with me if I think there might be the chance of a bridge anywhere. I think treats would help her to get over it.

Anthropomorphism and leadership

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, phenomena, material states and objects or abstract concepts. Okay; we are all guilty of anthropomorphizing to a degree, although some people take it to scary degrees. Last night I turned the channel to a show where human couples had adopted monkey's as their kids. No the animals were not purchased as pets; they were clearly tiny human substitutes. I watched in amazement as one woman was applying makeup to her little hairy daughter; odd to say the least. As far as dogs are concerned we all put human emotions on them at some time or another as well.

I am not into dressing dogs as humans; but I do believe in dressing for warmth. It was we humans who made the smooth coated and hairless dogs so we better keep them warm. My poodles are at this moment covered in blankets; they got a new haircut about a week ago and it was cold last night. It can be difficult not to place human emotion on our dogs but it simply is not how they work. Dog emotions are a far cry from our emotional roller coaster; they tell it like it is. Dogs don't lie; they don't play games, they don't do revenge or spite and they don't spend quality time on stupid drama. When humans think that dogs are doing some of these listed behaviors it is our mistake, not the dogs.

Dogs are very clear and when a dog is feeling; their emotions are shown in exterior body language. It is sad to see dogs clearly communicating to their guardian who in turn are oblivious to what is going on with their dog. I hate to see dogs being hauled around like a little ornaments; with no regard to the true dog wanting to be a dog. When I hear comments like "oh no she doesn't like to get dirty," or "she loves this sweater" I cringe. The list of of human emotions that some people put on their dog can lead to all sorts of issues between canine and guardian. For one; many people think that rules and regulations are mean. I see dogs who don't listen to their guardian all the time; this is probably one of my biggest irks. Dogs have to listen; yes dogs have their own mind and their own agenda but if I speak they must listen. If you have not taught your dog to listen to you; then you have failed.

Not listening and doing what they are told are entirely different; albeit the same. Not listening is simply a lack of respect and not doing as you as is very "I'll do what I want." It amazes me when people call their dog and they don't even get an acknowledgement; and they are okay with this. "Oh; she is busy right now; she didn't want to go for a walk today," or "she has to be in the mood." No; it's not cute and it could be dangerous. When you add a dog to your family you should learn about dogs; really about dogs. We are the leader; bottom line. If your dog is the leader and believe me there are a lot of leader dogs out there ruling their guardians lives. If you are not a good leader then you have failed your dog.

The term leader is getting a bad wrap these days. With regards to dogs in our home; they need a leader and that must be the human. Being a leader has nothing to do with strength, physical assertion or anger. Leadership is the act or an instance of leading; and when paired with the canine species it is our job to show them how to properly live in our very human world. But to try to mold them into little humans or misconstrue their behavior as human is unjust to them as a species. Dogs display a lot of behaviors that may be unwanted by us; and that is because they are dogs.

It is difficult to not put human emotion onto our dogs; hey I'm guilty. But to try to mold them into little humans or expect them to act like a good little human; well that is where it all goes wrong. Dogs growl, dig, mark, jump, bite, lick and steal. All of which are very unacceptable behaviors for a human; but they aren't are they?

On step at a time

I know it's scary; heck I was apprehensive when I started but if you want to attempt it you have to just do it. What you ask? Feeding your dog "real food." It is not "people food" as many will have you believe; what I feed my dogs is simply "real food." I've been feeding real food on and off for years; slowly dropping dog food completely. I now have a nice balance; great variety and a dog food that I keep on hand for those days when I need it. I started out mixing huge amounts of ground beef, rice and veggies adding it to my dog food. I did a vast amount of research which I still continue to do as I try and test many different foods on the dogs.

Over the years I have learned who likes what; what bothers who's stomach and what everyone eats and handles nicely. It has been an evolution and is still in the making. I am dedicated to finding out as much as I can with regards to canine nutrition. There is a whole lot of information out there; and there are huge contradictory sites that will leave your head spinning. The best and most important thing to do is research; go with what your gut tells you.

If possible find a vet that believes in feeding real food. It is not an easy task but they are out there; I have a great one. There are so many ailments that can be cured by simply nutritional supplements and plain old good food. I have two dogs who are walking proof that "real food" is the way to go. Luke who is epileptic rarely seizes now; if he does it usually means we have been exposed to some sort of chemical like fertilizer.

My Jack Russell who is now 13.5 and doing amazing had massive hair loss after she almost lost her life to some weird autoimmune disorder. For years she lost more and more hair which our old vet chalked up to her prednisone use. After being on real food for about 6 months not only was her hair much thicker; all of her bald spots had completely grown in. Now that is proof that I stand behind.

I know that taking the leap to real from processed is a biggy but the toughest step is the first one. If you take that first step the rest are easy and you'll never look back.

Jagameister's Smack Water Jack (Jake)

This is the dog that started it all; my first heart dog and favorite breed for years. Love dobies.

Temperament

A dog's temperament is the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits or natural disposition. This is who your dog is; and your dog's core temperament comes down the genetic lines from her ancestors. When you go and see a puppy; you want to make good and sure that Mom and Dad have nice temperaments. That is not to say that somewhere down the line; perhaps a great Grandpa had a strange temperament, that can rear it's head at some point. But at least if you know Mom and Dad have a good temperament there is a good chance that your puppy will as well.

Temperament is #1 on the important list for me; but not for everyone. Many breeders love a certain look or physical attribute and will overlook a not so fabulous temperament to get it. A structurally sound dog is very important but a dog will short legs, a low tail set, crooked teeth or any other small fault can be overlooked by the average guardian. Temperament on the other hand can make or break a dog; it can be the difference between a great dog and a very difficult dog. I don't know how many "poor temperament" dogs I've met that had parents with the identical temperaments. Asking new guardians about the puppy choosing process; the parents etc and they say they couldn't meet Mom or Dad, hmmmmmmmmmm.

Too many dogs are bred who do not possess stellar temperaments. Many dogs that are spill overs from performance lines end up in the average Joe household; and most average Joe's can't deal with a drive level that is off the charts. Many people purchase a puppy from hunting lines; staying away from show lines. Their thinking is that they don't want a poofy show dog; they want a real dog. Well; real is what they get, real drive and an energy level to match that of the energizer bunny combined with an Olympic athlete. These dogs often become bored and highly destructive; had the guardian only known what they were in for.

Some of the greatest temperaments I've seen were in mixed breed dogs. A good temperament is a good temperament and something I love to see in any dog. One of the best I've ever seen was in a huge st. Bernard mix. He had lived on the street for the first part of his life; he was amazing. There is truly nothing like a sound temperament; a dog with a rock solid temperament should be put on a pedestal and bred.

Temperament is core; but a temperament can be altered somewhat. A dog can be taught to be better or worse by environment. I do not believe that a dog who is predisposed to a bad temperament is doomed. Dog behavior can be modified; you may not be able to change the core temperament of a dog but you can alter their reaction to the world around them. Fearful dogs can learn to fear less; dominant aggressive dogs can be changed by an experienced guardian.

Some dogs may seem as though they don't have great temperaments due to the lack of socialization. Given this hand in life a dog may never be all the dog that they could have been if placed into a different environment. So good dogs can go bad and bad dogs can go good if placed in the proper living situation. This is why I believe strongly in temperament testing; it is not the final word at all but it helps to place a puppy in the environment that they will most thrive.

Unless you and others can say AMAZING about your dog's temperament; then please alter them.