Never Assume!

So I was at a garage sale today.  It was a rather large one with a good number of folks walking around. One of the owners let's out a very pretty female boxer.  No leash, she just lets her out.  The dog stops and looks at all the people.  Her little boxer stub tail is FLAT against her body.  She sniffs around, carefully would go up to a person when they weren't looking to smell a shoe then back peddle out.  Her human is not paying any attention to this.  The only time she looked for her dog was when the dog went across the ally to pee in the neighbor's yard.  She calls her back and says, "oh, you had to go pee", of which of course I had to pipe up loudly and say, "ya, in someone elses yard!".  No response from Human.  In the meantime this very uncomfortable dog was then surrounded by a family with kids.  Her body language is "help"!  She is trying to be friendly, but she's low to the ground, turning quickly around, and if (and I say IF) her human had any sense she would have gotten her out of there.  Moral of the story.  Never think that just because you have a friendly dog that 1) they will be friendly in a situation with a mass of strangers and 2) that your dog won't bite someone in fear, or because they were surprised.  What would have been the right way to handle this was Human would have had her on leash and then let folks pet her.  On her own, this little boxer was worried.  I felt bad for her knowing she was doing the best she could.  Someone said "wow, I've never seen such a calm boxer before"...of which of course I said, "she's not calm, she's reserved."   Ah, yes, forever trying to be politically correct!! 

Obedience helps behavior!

As I spoke with a couple folks today I was reminded how important it is to have a baseline of obedience instilled in your pup.  I often get the question of how to stop barking, or pulling, or jumping up on people.  My first question is always, have you taken an obedience class, and if yes, the response it what can you dog do reliably for you. If the answer is no, we talk getting into a class asap!  Dogs that don't get into the "habit" of working with you won't stop barking just because you say so.  Teaching a dog to do small things for you on a regular basis, like sitting, doing a quick down, a short stay, a consistent recall.  These are ways to get into your dog's brain.  To set his computer on "respond" when you ask something instead of "why?".  Obedience helps in so many little ways that often folks don't even realize.  Having that bond of knowing your dog will listen to you means that when you have a problem arise, i.e., a barking issue, when you go to start mending it, he'll understand what's being asked of him.  So keep your dog on his toes, asking small tasks of him during the course of a day.  Let him know how brilliant he is when he responds and enjoy that wagging tail! 

A Fun Summer Backyard!

So often I have folks complaining to me that their dog doesn't want to spend much time outside in the backyard alone.  Well of course there are a few reasons, one big one is you aren't there, you are inside, so where does the dog want to be?  With you of course!  However, that said, it might be time to take a look at your backyard from a dog's point of view.  How much fun is it really out there.  If you were to put a child in a backyard with no playset or play area, they wouldn't last long!  Why do kids love to go to the park and play?  Because of all the interesting things there.  Can we make a more pleasurable backyard for our dogs without ruining it's look?  Of course!!!

First always have a water supply.  There are many beautiful ways to do this, while keeping the water fresh.  Take a peek at your local Fleet Farms, Home Depots, etc. to find one.
Shade:  Seems like a no brainer, but your pup needs it! 
Fence:  Of course!!!!
Dog Safe garden area:  Dogs love to explore - be sure the Dog Garden plants are safe for them!
Mulch:  Mulch is soft on the paws and doesn't hold the heat
Play Place:  This is where you and your dog can go and play fetch, find it, even obedience practice!!!
Their Place: I love the pic of the dog house - having a place that your dog likes to be that gets them off the ground a bit, and some shade is a great idea!
Dogs love to explore - if you have the area to put in some paths, go for it!

I keep a toy box outside during the summer.  It has safe chews, balls, and more!  Yep, before you mow you have to do a toy hunt, but it's great for the dogs to puruse through when they're out there alone.

Hide treats!  A great hunt and find exercise is just what the dog ordered!  Take three Kongs, stuff them up.  Show them to your dog.  Then while the dog is watching (but not allowed to follow you!) "hide" them behind trees, under a bush, etc.  Yes, he'll see you, but remember, he has three to find!  He'll be able to hunt them down, eat them and go for more.  A nice relaxing "game" for him.

And of course YOU are the best to have outside with them.  They love it when we're all together, don't they!  So think about making your backyard a bit more fun for your dog.  Just being outside can be boring, so jazz it up a bit and put your thinking caps on!  You'll figure out what your individual dog needs to be entertained and happy back there for some time!

The joy of Walking with your Dog

Hey, I'm baaack!  Time to get blogging again! 

Let's talk walks.  Most people look at them as a necessary thing because it gives their dogs "exercise"  You see folks letting their dogs go anywhere they want ahead of them while they talk or text on their cell phones.  Imagine you were on a walk with someone.  You really like this person and love spending time with them.  You get to go out with them and the entire time you are with them they totally ignore you except to now and then tell you to stop doing something.   I think (IMHO of course!) that we have actually trained our dogs to ignore us on a walk.  By not interacting, reacting, or be pro-active with our dogs on a walk we teach them to effectively ignore us and do whatever they want.  Now I'm not saying you have to have a nonstop conversation with your dog, but imagine your pup's surprise when you go out if 1) you insist they walk on your side  2) you carry small treats for them when they give a nice look or "check in" 3) YOU find things for them to go investigate instead of letting them drag you from tree to tree (or worse, mail box to mail box!).  I do chatter at my dog when we walk.  I stop at least once or twice on our walk to just crouch down and give them some loving, a little kiss or some nice petting.  There are times we are just walking together quitely, enjoy the air, moving at a comfortable but consistent pace and just "being" together.   When you come in from a walk with your dog you should feel like you just spent some quality time with them versus you "there, we got that done"!!  So enjoy those walks - don't be invisible to your dog! 

Know your Dog's Limitations

Wow, I can't believe how many folks don't truly know what their dog can and cannot handle.  You have to remember, our human lifestyle is full of stress factors for our dogs.  And every dog, no matter how well balanced, does have a limit as to what they can handle.  Don't you?  I certainly do!  Put me one on one with the president of the United States and I might be just a tweenie weenie stressed!

Let's remember, stress isn't fear.  But, it can cause behaviors we may not like or expect.  Example:  A dog is at a party, loose amongst the guests, of which there are say 30.  Suddenly you hear a child's voice say "he tried to bite me!"  You are shocked, as your dog likes kids and has never done anything like this before.  Well, let's look at the BIG picture.  Lots of people, plenty I'm sure stopping to pet the dog.  Children running and playing, bringing a huge energy with them, and you not being able to watch him, or direct him (pack safety).  A child comes up behind him, and surprises him.  He spins and snaps, because he wasn't expecting it plus he's on high alert with all the activity, etc. 

It's up to us, the humans, to understand that not all human activities are especially fun for your dogs.  Having a large amount of "non-pack" members in their territory, can be stressful.  Yes, most dogs would simply handle it, but what about the ones that can't?

This is where you, the steward of this wonderful soul, should really know your dog.  When people tell me "he's never done that before"  I can usually, after a number of questions and answers, make them realize that he has shown this side of him before, it was just in a smaller version and was probably ignored or excused.  Paying attention to the small stuff helps with the big stuff!

That said, does this mean your dog can't ever attend a party at his own house?  Of course not, but understand your dog's limits.  He may only be okay with it for an hour, and then need to be removed to a quiet spot in the house where he can recharge himself a bit.  He may need you to keep him on lealsh so he feels connected and not lost to you.  Or, this may just not be his gig.  He might be the guy you bring out when the party is starting to dwindle down a bit.

Keeping your dog a part of your life is important, but always be sure he's not being too stressed by it!

Have a great day!

Deb
Corky the yorky, Everee the BC and Eli the Bloodhound!

The Connection Touch

I was with a group a few weeks ago teaching a seminar.  I asked the group how many of them massage their dogs vs. just petting them.  Out of a group of ten I had 3 that raised their hands. 

Let's talk the importance of your touch.  When simply petting a dog, we tend to move our hands quickly over the dog.  We actually bring their blood right up the surface and usually increase their excitement.  Nothing wrong with that except it's not really touch - it's interaction.  Touch is when you calmly stroke your dog, with the soul purpose of connecting and enjoying him (and visa versa!).  The calming stroke is like his mother dog licking him - it feels great to a dog!  Slowly and calmly you stroke him down his back, his shoulders, his chest.  If he lays down and rolls over, continue to stroke his sides, his back, his feet.  No need to belly rub him. This is the connection touch (belly rubs are fun and silly and perfectly ok at another time!).  You can be quitely and sweetly telling him how much you love him, how handsome or beautfiul he/she is, etc. 

Massage is a step up in the connection touch.  You are actually using your finger tips and thumbs to massage those muscles, feel for knots and places where your pup holds his stress (yep, they do that just like people do).  Work it out slowly, look for skin twitches which mean it hurts just a bit, and work on that spot a bit (if it doesn't go away within a few days talk to your vet).  Work his legs, his feet, and I have found from my work in our canine daycare, alot of dogs LOVE to be rubbed on their eyebrows above their eyes.  I use only my thumbs on this and just do small circles.  Every dog has a favorite "rub me" place (again, NOT the belly with this!) - find it and use it to end your session with.  When you do this easy work with your dog you are teaching them how wonderful it is to feel calm and relaxed.  It's an important piece in their life.  So often I find that dogs do not get touched enough, or if they are, it's always the excited play touch.  I've had dogs come to me that resist this touch only because it's so unfamiliar to them.  If you have a dog like this, take your time, work only on a shoulder and then stop if he looks uncomfortable.  Take the time to get him hoooked on how good this feels. He might, in the beginning, only allow you to massage him for a minute, then he'll get up and move away.  That's ok - next time he'll stay longer!

Never forget the power of touch - your dogs will love you for it even more!

Teaching a "Turn Off"

So often I hear a client say "my dog has two switches - On and Off", no inbetween!  Living with a border collie  I am very aware of how busy dogs can seem to just go and go and go!  What folks forget is that when you do have an active dog, that turn off switch is not something that will come naturally (as I hear my bloodhound Eli snoring loudly next to me!). 

From puppyhood on, I teach my pups how to "settle" and in essence, turn off.  This was especially important for my border collie Everee.  Without it she would be constantly pacing around the house with toys in her mouth, or on my lap, and never just "chilling"! 

I teach this by doing the turn off exercise every day, sometimes 2-3 times a day, depending on what I'm doing.   This exercise is the same for puppies, except when I start teaching it with pups, I do give them a chewie while they do it. 

Leash goes on (six feet, no longer), I settle into a chair, turn on my favorite show (or read a book) and relax (it can be so exhausting to train...teehee!).  With dogs that know the down command, I will tell them down before I start.  If they blow the down and get up, I keep the leash so the dog is within 2-3 feet of me.  I ignore the dog.  He can stand if he wants, but it's going to be a 30 minute or longer "chill time" - gets kinda boring just standing there.  If the dog turns his attention on me and starts to try to jump up or interact with me, I'll gently step on the leash so he has to lay down (this should be done on a flat collar, no slips!).  I will, if necessary, keep my foot on the leash to insist on a down.  Again, however, if he's just standing and not bugging you, ignore him and enjoy your show!  

The "just chill" exercise is great.  It can calm a dog down (we all know that down is a natural calming position for dogs) and teaches him that when you rest, he can too.  Again, with puppies (2-4 months of age) I'll do this, but give them a chewie. 

So Practice your "just chill" exercise!  Some dogs just need a little guidance to get there - and others, (loud snoring!) just have their own!