K-9 Solutions Dog Training, Inc.

Amazing video

2008-07-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

*Don't try this at home!*

This is an amazing video of a lion that was bought from a store to be a pet. Thankfully the new owners realized he should be in his own habitat and did what was best for him. This is their story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiGKWoJi5qM

Wild animals should NEVER be family pets in my opinion. Taking them from their natual environment is cruel. (not to mention what some people do to get those young animals from their natural wild mothers so they can sell them)

I know it isn't specificly dog related but the video is an excellent example of animals remembering the people they love. (or their memory in general)

I admit it made me cry like a baby.

The Blog Roll

2008-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not have noticed but I try to routinely update my blog roll. This includes taking blogs off my list that either don't update often enough, stray far off topic regularly, or are to graphic heavy to load in a reasonable amount of time. (If it takes forever for me to load it with DSL I don't want those with dial up to get stuck. Some of my favorites have been deleted for this reason alone. Tip: Set your front blog page to only hold a set amount of posts if this is an issue.)

I also try to only include those blogs I like for some reason. It may be the writing, the photos, the info presented or the stories they have to share. I also try to stay away from blogs with alot of political views. I like reading about dogs not politics. (or should I say I reserve that as a seperate activity)

If you have a blog to recommend with a 4 paws up, (sorry I couldn't resist) feel free to share it with me for consideration in my comments section. (If you add a link to a site for business purposes or to sell something I will more then likely delete it. Please e-mail me to ask permission regarding sales of products. Unless it is something I believe in it will not be considered. )

So check out the new additions to the blogroll and feel free to provide feedback. Thank you!

Debunking the Dominance Myth in Training

2008-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

or "Stop 'whispering' and speak up for your dog."

It isn't my title but the tile of a seminar I attended yesterday given by Jean Donaldson. It was excellent and I learned a lot. I did take a photo but it came out dark and horrible. So here is this one instead.

I really liked this quote:

"Hey you 'whisperers', pinning, jerking, shocking and harassing animals - we want our word back." Susan G. Friedman, PhD University of Utah.

whisper

Verb
1. to speak or say (something) very softly, using the breath instead of the vocal cords
2. to make a low soft rustling sound: the leaves whispered
Noun
1. a low soft voice: her voice sank to a whisper
2. Informal a rumour: I just picked up a whisper on this killing
3. a low soft rustling sound: a whisper of breeze in the shrubbery [Old English hwisprian]

There isn't much "soft" about that type of whispering is there?

She had a great insight that our society is watching a "trainer" manhandling 80 to 100+lb predators in homes with children present. This is called modeling which children immitate because that's how THEY learn. A scary thought.

She also brought up the point that no training OR learning theory is required for anyone to hang a shingle and call themselves a trainer. Unfortunatly most of the general public doesn't know this and is trusting their dogs with people who are many times unqualified. Add to that these unqualified people are many times making things worse under the guise of training. They don't need to live with the dog after all so why do they care about fallout or failure?

The following is just a few great tidbits from the seminar:

On the biggest divide in training philosophies ~ There are trainers to elect to train without aversives-to not hurt, scare, or startle dogs to train them. (called positive trainers or "cookie pushers")

There are trainers who elect to use aversives-some call a spade a spade, some use less clear language. (called force or traditional trainers)

EVERYONE believes their way of training is the best way.

On dog social organization: There is little agreement and virtually no research regarding dog social organization. Researchers studying wild wolves disagree with researchers studying captive wolves about wolf social organization. Conventional wisdom on dogs seems to have been extrapolated captive wolf interpretations.

The wolf literature: Packs consist of a breeding pair and their offspring up to age 3. (sexual maturity) By age 3, offspring disperse and attempt to mate with other dispersed wolves to form new packs.

If you breed, you're alpha: "Individual wolves do not have an inherent permanent social status....the alpha male or female are merely the breeding animals, the parents, and dominance contests with other wolves are rare, if they exist at all. During my 13 summers observing the Ellesmere Island packm I saw none." L. David Mech

....And your likely to breed: "Wolves in captivity breed readily and I know of no mature captive individuals that failed to breed when paired."

"In the wild...I know of no permenant dispersers that failed to breed if they lived long enough." L David Mech

Free -Ranging Dog Populations

* Pariah Dogs in India, village dogs in Africa, feral populations in South America and Mexico, Cook Island Dogs, dingoes, semi-feral populations in Romania and Moscow

* Often drawn into proximity by food sources, however none form packs but rather "loose, transitory associations" (Dunbar)

* Functions of estrous cycle

What need does it (dominance) serve among dog people?

* Projection of OUR concerns about status?

* Justifies a need to coerce and punish?

(Last remaining legal bastion of systematic corporal punishment? Imagine the same techniques in a school or daycare. We did away with rulers to hands and backside of kids at Catholic schools, why are we still heavy handed with dogs?)

* Supports our wish for magical motivation?

*Keeps us revelant: at least dog's behavior is in relation to us?

Motivation:

No properly functioning living organism will do something for nothing.

Dogs are properly functioning living organisims and so spend their behavioral dollar wisely most of the time.

And, when a dog exits a doorway ahead of you, it may not be directed at you.

A "problem" according to whom?

Dunbar has famously pointed out that peeing, defecating, digging, barking, chewing, jumping up etc. are not "problems" to dogs, so the onus is on us to teach them when they can act like dogs.

How dogs learn:

Dogs learn via operant and classical conditioning.

OC = Operant Conditioning manipulates behavior via consequences.

CC + Classical Conditioning manipulates emotional responses.

Do you want him to do more or less of the target behavior?

More = Capture, shape or prompt and reinforce what you want more of.

Less = Install a more likeable behavior in its place and/or punish it. (non-violently)

That is only a tip of the iceberg. Then we went into lots of training theory and demonstrations of behavior and training.

Check out the blog at http://www.dogstardaily.com/ for my updated article on Growling.

I love attending seminars to keep up with my continuing education. It gives me a change to re-charge my batteries, network, visit with friends and learn new techniques. I just wish behavior seminars were mandatory for ALL trainers. I know I always learn something regardless of the subject. It was a great day and afterwards I stopped by PlanetDog to look around. They have a great store that I rarely get to. Unfortunatly I didn't have alot of pocket money for extras so I only picked up a copy of Bark magazine and Animal Wellness. Fortunatly I do have a great local store to hang out at and get great doggy things. (The Loyal Biscuit on Main Street in Rockland. Stop by and say hi to Lauren. Tell her I sent you.)

The next seminar Happy Tails has on deck is Ray Coppinger and "The Evolution of Dogs and Their Behavior" September 6 and 7. FMI visit the website at: www.happytailsportland.com Hopefully I will get to that one as well.

A trainers Thursday 13

2008-07-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do a Thursday 13 but after reading a truely disturbing blog by another "dog trainer" I need to share some good training information. I think this is a way to do just that. Here are my 13 tops picks for must read books to help you become a better trainer of dogs. (in no specific order)

1) Kicked, Bitten and Scratched. Life and Lessons at the Worlds Premiere Exotic Animal Training School by Amy Sutherland. A great example of why you need to know basic behavior of the animal you are training to be effective and humane.

2) The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell PhD. An ethologist who explains why human behavior and canine behavior sometimes just doesn't mesh well and how we can work to change that for the better.

3) How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks by Ian Dunbar. Lure reward training and the theories behind it. A great dog's point of view look at training. For all age dogs. (with great photos) A must have for anyone working with deaf dogs.

4) The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. Positive training and canine behavior explained in great step by step detail with examples on how to train your own dog. Written specificly for clicker use but can be adapted. One of the best explainations of classical and operant conditioning I have found.

5) Excel-erated Learning~ Explaining How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them by Pamela Reid PhD. I found this a tough read (and needed notes) but worth it for the information. Great examples on canine behavior with studies referenced.

6) Dog Friendly Dog Training by Andrea Arden. Includes one of the best examples (in chart form) of how and why positive training stacks up in favor for the dog over force methods. Great artwork.

7) Teaching Dog Obedience Classes by Jocham Volhard and Gail Fisher. A must have for anyone teaching in groups. It also has fabulous info on canine behavior relating to fear periods in puppies. Originally written for force trainers, I include it in my list because the info on setting up classes and behavior info is so excellent. (I am also not against force training persay, IF used correctly is has it's place and can be effective. Unfortunatly many trainers have no idea how to use it fairly for the dog. Thank you Mr. Millan. Another great reason to find out about and CHECK your trainers references. There is also a big difference between a training issue and a behavior issue. Not all trainers have the behavior knowledge to solve behavior problems so keep that in mind when you are asking questions of your potential trainer. Suppression of behavior isn't the same as changing the behavior or emotion of the event causing the behavior in the first place. Long term suppression can have some serious fallout including catastrophic failure.)

8) The Dog Who Loved to Much by Dr. Nicholas Dodman. Great examples of behavior problems and solutions. Some of the pharmacology may have changed since the first release. (*Note: Medication should only be used in conjunction with a behavior modification program in place to be properly effective. It is not a quick fix.) He has a new book out that probably replaces this one but admit I haven't read it yet.

9) Canine Body Language ~ A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff. A fabulous book of body postures and facial expressions used by dogs. It even includes a test you can take on the info presented.

10) Aggression in Dogs~Practical management, Prevention and Behavior Modification by Brenda Aloff. A must for anyone working with, or living with, aggressive dogs of any kind. Very in depth.

11) Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. I only read this recently and admit I was blown away by the information included. Even if you aren't a trainer this book has some fantastic tips on changing the environment around you though your relationships. Very interesting read and timeless.

12) For the Love of a Dog by Patricia McConnell PhD. It sounds like it is all about emotions in dogs but it has great info on behavior included as well.

13) The Idiots Guide to Dog Tricks by Liz Palika. I hate the title but it has great info presented in a simple style that is easy to follow. Breaks down the tricks in a step by step manner. Also includes basic obedience info. (you can't teach roll over until the dog knows down after all)

There are many more great training books out there. It was hard to pick just 13 from the many I have read. This is just a good jumping off point for those looking for some good info for their continuing education or curiosity. I hope it helps.

Dog greetings and Trail Manners

2008-07-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

While surfing my favorite blogs (listed at right) trying to catch up with my blog reading, I ran across such a well written post that I wholeheartedly agree with that I just had to share it. Check it out here: http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/mind-your-trail-manners

The above photo was found on this adorable blog: (by accident I swear I wasn't looking for a pug photo to use) http://www.hugpug.com/

And for more info on proper dog greetings, in case you missed my previous post on the subject, this tidbit:

When one dog meets another for the first time, canine protocol demands that he offer his butt to be sniffed, and that he sniff the other's butt in turn. Dogs who are well-known to each other generally don't do it, but all dogs, when they meet another one for the first time, will do so. Canine courtesy demands that the action be reciprocated. *This formality essentially introduces each dog to the other as a specific scent signature, which is then cataloged in memory much as we visually-oriented animals do with faces.

From the technical veterinary site here: http://education.vetmed.vt.edu/Curriculum/VM8054/Labs/Lab19/Lab19.htm
(note the photo THEY used! Scroll down near the bottom of the page. Again, a funny coincidence.)

*Hence the tangled leash issue when doing proper dog to dog greetings. *

Anyone else see the tense body language of the dogs in the photo? How about the avoiding direct eye contact? Photos are a great way to see an exact moment in time.

Check out DogStarDaily and the other blogs too. Boy there are some seriously talented writers and super passionate (and funny!) dog people out there. I am but a drop in the ocean of dog blog land.

A saga involving poop, collars and cuteness

2008-07-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

For those with weak constitutionals, this post involves a somewhat unsavory subject. You may want to skip to the end and the other topics. (Or go to The Dog Ma blog, and comment to potentially win a $50 e-giftcard to Petsmart. Yay for free stuff!)

Our dear Jenny is a poop eater. I'm sure I have mentioned it before. It is not an uncommon problem in dogs. To them it is the ultimate in recycling. It even comes out heated and ready to go. To us disgusting, to them a tasty treat. Because I know this about Jenny I use alot of management. I don't add anything to her food as sometimes recommended because she has some food sensitivities. No sense feeding her the pricey stuff only to undo all the work with an additive to address something I can manage instead. So poop gets cleaned up quickly from the yard and she goes out for pottytime on leash only. After everyone has voided and it has been cleaned up do I allow her off leash play. Occasionally management fails because I am not close enough to stop her from getting some fresh unexpected pile, usually from our frenchie Missy. She had not previously partaken of any of Jacks obviously larger piles. That I knew of. Until today. While I was outside with the dogs I decided to rearrange a few of my birdfeeders. They are all pretty close together but a few are outside of the fenced area. As I was returning I see Jack in the position and Jenny standing right under him waiting. Not only did she partake but some fell ON her. Oh the joy of living with dogs. Thankfully I am not a squeemish person. If anything I found it somewhat funny. She has no shame that one. Of course that meant into the tub immediatly for miss Jenny. I am also going to get some doggy toothpaste to have on hand for the next time management slips. (Always my mistake, now I know, assume nothing!) Lord knows I don't want a kiss after that!

I hope everyone has (or had) a safe 4th of July. And for the dogs who run away may be they all be tagged and easily reunited with their owners. I am also a huge fan of microchipping in case they lose their collar or if you have a dog that might look like another dog. If you ever have to prove in court that a black lab (or insert breed here) in question is yours, photos just aren't going to do it. Tags are nice too because they can help facilitate an instant reunion not needing a trip to the vet to find a rabies tag number (usually on a day they are closed) or causing the dog to spend the night unnessasarily in the local pound. (hopefully to be found) I even have an extra tag for visiting dogs with my address and phone number. (which new family dogs can also wear until they get their permanent one) One of the biggest reasons we hear for dogs not having their collar on when they got loose is that they just had a bath. What better reason to have an extra collar and tag for bath day. (while their regular collar they wore in the bath dries) You can put a collar on a wet dog. Worries about coloring on the coat seem insignificant when your dog is missing and naked. (tip-buy the extra collar in white)

*Check out the cute pug blog I ran across the other night. Go Pug Yourself. As soon as I get permission I will add her to the blogroll.

*I know I haven't had any originals photos lately. I need to get new batteries for the camera. Bear with me.

*A note to the blogger Underdogged, I can't seem to leave a comment on your blog. Can you e-mail me?

A summertime warning & home needed

2008-07-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the hotter days we have had. Of course it was also one of the first dry days we have had in awhile which meant it was time to mow the lawn. I usually wait until later in the day so the sun moves to the back of the house and leaves a shady area for the dogs to lay in while they are outside with me. (they like to watch me work) I keep a good eye on them because even though there is shade, dogs do not always chose to lay in it when hot. I learned this the hard way with my first akita, Kuma. (He is the brindle below on the right. My female Shimo is on the left. They were both so beautiful and I still miss them.)

While putting in some new flooring during a summer day I put him out in the yard with plenty of shade and water. Unfortunatly he did not chose to utilize the shade. When I went out to check on him (about 20 minutes later) I realized he was not acting right and staggering. Recognising it was a heat issue I immediately got the hose on him and cooled him down. (the quickest cooling is done under the belly and leg areas) He was fine after the incident but it taught be a very valuable lesson, dogs do not always make the logical choice for their own safety. PLEASE keep an eye on your dogs when outside on a sunny day. Heat problems can crop up fast and can be fatal.

I also heard a story today about two dogs jumping out of their owners car through the open windows. Fortunatly they were close to the store with the open door the owners were in and went straight to them. Luckily they were not parked across the really busy street from the store. Just because your dog has never jumped out of your car before doesn't mean they never will. (Dogs make doggy decisions after all.) I also had an incident at the grocery store parking lot recently where when I went back to my vehicle there was a truck with a lab and a pug and open windows. The pug was so friendly he (or maybe she) almost fell out of the window trying to get to me to say hello. It was a very large tall truck too. I left quickly without engaging the dog so he wouldn't fall. It made me fear for the dogs safety AND from a would be dog thief. (I had an appointment and now feel guilty I left. Next time I will stay and wait for the owner to keep an eye on the dog.) Please leave your dog at home on a hot day and keep those dogs safely tethered or crated in your vehicle to keep your loved ones safe. It only takes seconds for things to go horribly wrong.

This handsome boy is Noah. He is a 3 year old black lab looking for a new home here in Maine. If you are interested please e-mail me directly at CanineHelp@aol.com and I will put you in touch with the party placing him. His owner is having health issues preventing him from keeping him. I am told he is a fabulous boy with a great temperment. Currently being fostered with 3 other dogs so he is very social.

This beautiful trio is a photo an akita person sent of her crew. I just thought it was to adorable not to share.

No bad dogs

2008-06-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

I got to attend a pitbull educational presentation recently given by Drayton Michaels of http://www.pitbullguru.com/ It was fabulous. He is working on a documentary called "Judging the innocent" that should help educate the general public about the breed. In my notes from the day is this sweeties name. (aagh I can't believe I can't find them!)

Getting some love. Her beautiful collar and leash are from http://www.ifitbarks.com/ I have it on good authority that The Loyal Biscuit (local) has placed an order so go check them out.

This cute face belonogs to Jazzy. She is learning to share with her humans.

This is her housemate Eddie. The tail never stopped.
And here is Max. Max is a big boy that is learning not to beat up on his smaller pack mates.

For anyone with so called "bad breeds" I highly recommend the book "The pitbull placebo ~ The media, myths and politics of canine aggression" by Karen Delise. It has some great information to make debating breed issues easier. http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DEG817

Tag I'm it!

2008-06-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

My fellow trainer and new friend Nancy of A Dog's Life blog has tagged me in a Crazy 8 challenge. This tag asks me to come up with and share 8 little known facts and tidbits my readers do not already know about me.

1) When I was a young teen I wanted to be a nun. Turns out not being Catholic was a great hinderance to the plan.

2) After high school I wanted to study music and become a member of an orchestra had college been an affordable option for me. I played Tenor sax and had a heavy interest in the flute. Unfortunatly I lacked talent for any hope of a scholarship.

3) I started flute lessons 2 years ago. It's never to late to learn and to do what you love. (I still lack talent however.)

4) After I got home from my time in the military I looked into becoming a dental technician. I couldn't afford the schooling. (which worked out much better for me in the long run in my opinion)

5) I was horse crazy as a kid and rode my bike miles to volunteer at a horse for hire riding stable to get free riding. I learned to ride out of books. I still love horses and would love to take carriage driving lessons one day.

6) I have a wooden spike signed by James Marsters. He played the vampire "Spike" on the Buffy and Angel series. I also own a Harry Potter time turner necklace and a Star Trek engineering uniform with rank insignia I bought at a ST convention. Yes I am the uber dork you always read about.

7) I met my husband in jail. He was a police officer, I was a corrections officer. We are an excellent pair.

8) My favorite piece of furniture is my cherry wood Jensen Tina 2 double treadle spinning wheel.

Not all that exciting but there you have it. Trainers are people too! I have been out of the loop so long and am behind in my blog reading so I am not going to tag anyone specifically. (even though I am supposed to tag 8 other bloggers) If you read this and want to participate feel free. You may say you were tagged by me.

Check out the cute photo ad I came across.

Is it not just to adorable? It is for a clicker training apprentice program. While I am not specificly a clicker trainer myself, I am definately a fan of Karen Pryor. Her principles are the foundation of all current positive method training today. Great photo!

News of events and photos

2008-06-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Heads up for those in the area. Wednesday June 11th is the Mid-Coast Kennel Clubs member meeting. There will be a carting demo by Sue and Todd Mendleson and their beautiful newfies. (I hope to get photos to share.) It will be held at 6:30pm at this training center: www.leapingdogs.com (In Lincolnville.) The public is welcome to attend.

I am also attending the Pitbull Educational Seminar in Portland next weekend. (Given by Drayton of www.pitbullguru.com ) If anyone wants to carpool I am up for it. For those interested in more info or signing up here is the webite of the place holding the event: www.happytailsportland.com

This is Maggie. She is learning a few rules in her new home.

Like how to live peaceably with new big brother Jake.

This is the dynamic duo of Gunther (L) and Gilligan.(R) 10 Month old siblings that are also learning some new skills. Like how to listen to mom and dad. We tuckered them out pretty good as you can see.

Maya (L) is also a new addition to a home with a new big sister Emma.(R) She is learning how to bark less and share more.

This is Griffy. He is a 7 month old longcoated akita adopted through rescue I did a homecheck on. He will be headed to training class soon. (He already knows how to work that smile!)

And here is my handsome boy Jack with a family friend affectionatly known as our second daughter. He likes hanging on the couch with the girls given the chance.

Sorry for the lack of timely posting. I have been really busy and sometimes things have to give. I am hoping once summer starts and the kids are home from school things will die down to the normal dull roar.

Good morning!

2008-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few photos of this mornings tracking practice with Jenny. They aren't the best because I just did some point and click so I could keep an eye on her. (Having a blog makes you see everything as a potential photo op.) I'm shocked they aren't blurry like I expected. I have to say everytime I take her out I am blown away by how well she works. This morning was slightly breezy and the area was fresh mowed. I was hesitant but she worked like a champ. Tomorrow I seek out taller grass to start her in.

Red is definatly my color.

Life sometimes gets in the way

2008-05-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind in posts and blog reading. I am sorry. My mom ended up in the hospital with her COPD. Breathing or smoking, she needs to pick one. Hopefully I will be back on track soon. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on losing Zeus. I'm sure she will get another bulldog eventually when the time is right.

Here is a photo of all the toys recently washed. You can see the Fido brand bones are holding up well. I give them a big thumbs up. If they can withstand my serious chewers they are good to go in my book.

In the spirit of memorial day this is a picture of the memorial tree at my local shelter. Dogs and cats that don't make it to a new home are remembered here. (They only euthanise for serious temperment issues or serious health issues, never to make space.)

This cutie is Sam. She came to us in rough shape as you can see and needs a home where she can burn off some of her energy. She gives some mixed signals with other dogs but does well with those that have a similar play style.

This is Mr. T. He will need someone that doesn't mind the extra grooming that comes with his coat. FMI on these dogs check out their website at http://www.humanesocietyofknoxcounty.org

I hope to be back in the swing of things again soon. Until then I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend. Go play with your dogs!

Happy news & sad news

2008-05-12T16:35:00.001-07:00

The happy news is that Jake went to his new home. Here is his new mom and dad. (Big brother stayed home.) Best wishes for Jake and his new family.

The sad news is the reason I haven't posted lately. Due to circumstanses beyond our control, my sister had to make the sad decision to euthanise Zeus. It was somewhat expected yet came much to soon for all of us. We went together and it has taken some of the spunk out of me for dog talk lately.
His body failed him yet his heart never did. God speed sweet Zeus.

A lesson in canine greetings

2008-05-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

And now a discussion in butt sniffing 101.

Check out the following e-mail I received. (heavily edited) This is why I wish ALL trainers were required to take course in basic dog behavior.

" I was having a conversation with my neighbor last night with the Golden puppy and she was talking about a recent group class discussion with Trainer X. Since I wasn't actually there for the discussion, I of course don't know the actual context. She may very well have simply misunderstood what Trainer X was saying. But I thought I'd run it by you and see if you have any thoughts. The discussion had to do with dogs and butt sniffing. Trainer X's position seemed to be that when dogs sniff each other's hind quarters, there is bound to be trouble - that it is an aggressive behavior by dogs who have not been properly trained, and that a fight is bound to ensue. He compared it to a couple going out to dinner and the man going over to sniff other women. "

Oh good grief! Honestly it makes my head feel like exploding. That is just plain bad information. Here is the real story on dog greetings and butt sniffing.

A proper dog greeting is face to face briefly and then they sniff each others butt or genital area. This gives each dog information about the other one. Are you male? Female? Are you in heat? Will you be in heat soon? Do you have any leftovers to share? Etc, etc, you get the picture. (yes dogs are gross by our human standards)

Direct prolonged eye contact, in dog language, is a threat or a challenge so we don't want to force dogs to stay face to face by preventing the butt sniffing portion of the greeting. Humans greet each other face to face directly, not dogs. If we force them to stay in that position we also most likely have at least one dog also straining at the leash. Why? So it can get to the other dogs backside for that proper sniff. If we are holding back a dog that is straining we are also changing it's body language. The pulling dog can then look offensive (and threatening) to the other dog. (One reason they look offensive is due to oppositional reflex. When we pull back on the leash they lean into it automaticly, thus looking offensive to the other dog.)

So now we have two dogs face to face with at least one of them looking forwardly offensive. What happens next? Possibly a fight because the other dog may misread the body language and decide to defend himself from the other dog's possible pending attack. It is all a miscommunication caused by people preventing a proper canine greeting. (usually because they are embarrassed by the butt sniffing)

To do proper dog to dog greetings I highly recommend doing them first on neutral territory for both dogs. This prevents any hostilities with dogs that may be territorial. I also recommend taking both dogs for a walk first to burn off energy. Then meet on the neutral spot and them go for a walk together. Everyone going in the same direction. This lets the dogs see and smell each other in a non-threatening manner. No meetings until both dogs are calm and relaxed. (and handlers too!) Then stop and let each dog say hello properly on LOOSE leashes. Watch the body language for any warning signs. (stiffening, whale eyes, growling, lip lifting) Simply walk off, with said dog, if one dog seems uncomfortable.

This is important. Make sure YOU are loose and relaxed. This includes your facial expressions. Dogs take their cues from their handlers and if they seem nervous the dog may respond to that tension. Smile alot and have a loose body. (Even if you don't feel like it. Be a noodle!)

Yes if a man in a restaurant came over to sniff me (or my butt) I would probably not like it. However I am a human, not a dog. In humans this isn't unacceptable behavior. In dogs however it is. "Hello, who are you?" Butt sniffing is NOT an aggressive behavior in dogs. It is simply their way of getting information about the other dog. Letting a dog, trained or otherwise, run up to another dog to say hello might be rude if the dog wasn't socialized properly or lacks proper canine greeting manners. (and gets into the other dogs face or jumps on him) Then yes, trouble could ensue.

I would also caution that you should NEVER let your dog say hello to another dog unless you first check with that dogs owners first. (exceptions would be in a dog park where the assumption is that all the dogs there have appropriate manners to be off leash in a group of dogs - I would caution you to find groups with dog having similar playstyles to yours for the best match and supervise well)

Do not assume by size, age, actions or breed of dog that they are ok to say hello to. There are many reactive and unsocialized dogs out there with owners who walk them in public just fine unless an uninvited dog gets into their space. If your uninvited dog gets into a dogs space that doesn't like it and gets hurt as a result it is YOUR fault as the handler of your dog. Remember that. You are holding the other end of the leash after all.

Part of training your dog should include being able to pass other dogs on walks without them going crazy to go say hello. Not every dog wants to say hello back, especially to an overly enthusiastic dog or puppy. Also training them to sit (or at least stay) at your side when you stop walking, no matter the distraction, is also recommend.

If you have a reactive dog you can either move off the path and do a "watch me" exercise using yummy tidbits to let the other dog pass or turn around and change direction completely when you see another dog. Some dogs who get reactive towards other dogs do so as a distance seeking behavior out of fear. They are trying to drive the other dog away. You will need to counter condition these dogs to teach them they have nothing to fear. (using tidbits and working under the dogs threshold initally)

I have gone somewhat off topic. My point is that if Trainer X did actually say that butt sniffing was an aggressive behavior, then Trainer X was wrong. And not just a little bit but a whole lot of wrong. I don't know where they are getting their information. Hopefully the conversation was misunderstood. But this is a prime example of the problem of dog training being an unregulated field. Unfortunatly not every trainer has an interest in dog behavior. This is just one example of bad information being passed on by a "professional" in the field.

It's all about the chewie

2008-04-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

We are testing a new chewie here at our house at the request of Lauren (my new BFF) of The Loyal Biscuit. Lauren knows what a fan I am of nylabones and thought perhaps I would also love this version, fido brand that is made here in the USA. Since I have 3 super chewers here at my house who better to do a test run on them? (Nylabones and Kongs are my top 2 dog toys. No dog should be raised without them!)

They feel similar to nylabones. The one on the left is a softer version. I really like the shape.
And here is Jenny in the act of stealing one from Missy. Mine!!!She apparently wanted to test them all first. Mmm the ring is good.
Mmmm the softie is good too.
This big bone is excellent but slippery. That won't stop me though! (note the crazed look in her eye) It was like Christmas here when I handed them out. Then Jenny stole them all for her own in under 5 minutes. No worries, Missy and Jack will also partake once Jenny has calmed down abit. I will be sure to post photos of the wear they receive as we go along. Below is a photo of what Missy generally does to nylabones.

In other news I have ordered Jenny a proper tracking harness from http://www.pawmark.com/ In red as requested by her owner, my son. He says it is his favorite color and it will show up well as she works. (smart boy!)

New to the blog roll

2008-04-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

For those seriously interested in showing in competition obedience I share with you this blog:

http://otchrah.blogspot.com/

It chronicles all the hard work it takes to get an AKC Obedience Trail Championship title. The best part, for me, is that she is attempting it with a doberman from rescue, Rah.

Isn't he simply stunning? He came from this fabulous group: http://www.dru.org/

Now go, sit, read!

Why I love it

2008-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

While this post explains abit how I train for tracking I am NOT an expert tracker by any means. All dogs are different and therefore methods may vary considerably. There are many ways to train tracking and scent work, this is only one method. You do not need to use food to train for tracking. For some great tracking books for beginners through advanced check out http://www.pawmark.com/ (They also have awesome gear.)
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Today was Jenny's third time out. So far I have been doing easy stuff, using food rewards in some of the footsteps on short straight unaged tracks with the wind blowing towards us. I do three in a row with a rest in between for her while I lay the next one. First thing in the morning with dew on the grass which is best for keeping the scent in. As I went to lay the first track this morning I noticed I didn't have my usual starting flags. Oops, I had left them in the field after our last track yesterday morning. So after we were done today I drove over to that field and retrieved them. Fortunately it wasn't far. We ended the day with me only using food in every 9th step. Eventually I will phase the food out completely but for now this helps her learn she has a reason to find and stay on the scent path. I think my biggest challenge with her is going to be keeping her from going to fast. She is motivated!
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She is doing amazingly well. I need to call my tracking friends (who know FAR more than I on the subject) to come watch us and correct any mistakes I may be making. I know yesterday I screwed up the first track by wearing my bait bag. She kept looking at me for direction before I realized why. (bait bag usually means heeling practice to her hence the looking up at me) Fortunatly I corrected it on the next two tracks which went very well. I do need to get some new bigger flags because she is skittish of real moving flags. I currently use sticks with surveyors tape as markers but if we ever go advanced she will need to be ok near real flags blowing in wind. (note to self, buy or make real flag markers!)
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While driving home after training today I got to thinking why I love tracking so much. For me it is private one on one time with my dog in a relaxed manner. Having 3 dogs this one on one time is special. They also get to do something that comes naturally to them, finding scent, and they are allowed to follow their nose instead of having to do something less exciting to them. It is in the woods or a field with nature all around, a place I love to be. And when you get to the point where you might try for a title, EVERYONE roots for you and your dog. It isn't competitive. We all want to see the dogs succeed. No one beats anyone else. I REALLY like that. Honestly I could care less if I ever title. Not to say I wouldn't LOVE to earn one, it just isn't my overall goal. The act of doing something fun with my dog is why I do it.
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It has been fun this week seeing and working with a dog that really wants to track. Jack is lovely but not the most motivated about it. Could I work on that with him? Probably, but I am not about to make a dog do something he doesn't really enjoy. Tracking is about working as a team. A good team listens to each other. I'll keep tracking him, but on his terms. One track at a time.

A beautiful day for tracking

2008-04-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

First a Jake update: Check out Jakes soon to be new big brother Moxie. Some of you may remember Moxie from an older post. He lives in town and I made quite an idiot of myself the first time I met him. Even trainers aren't immune to human nature. He is a french mastiff, also known as a Dogue De Bordeaux. They have a ball playing together. This was taken after they were somewhat tired from a play session.

Yesterday was so beautiful I dusted off the tracking gear and took Jack out for some practice. Here he is in his beautiful blue tracking harness.
While it is fun for us, Jack is what we would call a lazy tracker. It really is to much work to do more than once in his book. But he looks good!
So today I thought I would try little miss Jenny at it. Now pugs aren't your normal tracking breed. Unfortunatly some can barely breathe normally so sniffing for scent for long periods isn't something they are well known for. However because miss Jenny has a longer nose than some of her fellow pugsters, her nose works quite well. And boy does she love looking for food treats.

She has started avoiding the camera these days so this was the best pic I got. (And yes she needs a better tracking harness which I shall order soon from http://www.pawmark.com/ A super site for all your tracking needs.) I am very happy to say she took to it like a duck to water. We did three short tracks and she was fabulous every time. Not bad for our first time out. I'll try to get one of the kids to videotape us on a future track to share here.

I just thought I would throw in a pic of Zeus looking cute. (please excuse the pile of laundry behind him) Don't hate me because I am beuuutefull.

We have a visitor

2008-04-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

First here is Dobby, a cute client from this week. He is a sweetie that was adopted from our local shelter that needed to learn a few manners. He is incredibly smart.

Check out these photos of my nephew Zeus. He is here for the week while my sister is away in Florida. If I don't blog much this next week now you know why. Juggling 4 dogs, 2 with issues, is oh so much fun. Thank goodness for crate training and fenced yards! Thankfully they all get along fine. What he is best at, relaxing.

He actually managed to jump all the way up on the table after I snapped this pic. He's pretty agile when he wants to be.
There's that relaxing again. Catching some rays by the door.
And he came with me to be a distraction for Jake while working at the prison.
Jake really just wanted to go play instead. It was good practice for him.

He is cute but don't look to close or you'll see his face is kinda crooked.

And Zeus with a stuffie. He is a Katrina rescue and was adopted out twice and returned before my sister took him. One adopter was even a vet tech that couldn't take his puking anymore. (he has regurge issues, skin issues, breathing issues and some aggression issues) He is also afraid on windy days, probably due to being in Katrina. (he was found with another bulldog that had been killed by a fallen tree in his yard) So you could say he is somewhat high maintence and has been expensive along the way. Thankfully she is patient with him and has managed to give him a darn good life in spite of his many quirks. (others would have sent him to the bridge long ago) As you can see he is quite small for a bulldog of that type too. Perhaps a back yard bred dog. Who knows. If only they could talk and tell us their stories.

Missy has a brag

2008-04-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

Is everyone sitting down? Missy has some big news to share. She is a grandma! (again)

Our Missy came to us about 4 years ago at the age of 4 as a retired mom. (wow time flies!) She had been bred and had some great puppies out there in the show ring. One of those was Lacey, who looks quite alot like dear old mom. Here is a link to her page:

http://champagne-frenchies.com/lacey.html

And a link to her show page:

http://champagne-frenchies.com/lacey-shows.html

A couple of photos of the new grandchildren and watchful mom Lacey. She had 6! puppies.

When I told Missy the news she insisted I brag about them here for her. For many more photos of the cuties check out their page here: http://champagne-frenchies.com/tiny.html We are all very proud of the great job Miss Lacey is doing.

Wow 6 puppies. The thought of it makes ME want to take a nap!

This weeks reading

2008-04-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

From the book Always Faithful ~ A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII by Captain William W. Putney D.V.M. USMC (Ret)

Captain Boyd pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to me. It was a memo, addressed to all personnel of the War Dog Training School, and it outlined the spirit in which Marine handlers and their dogs would be trained and cared for. It read, in part, as follows:

The handler will learn that the dog will be loyal and can be depended upon. It can be expected that the man and his dog will create a team that will be unbreakable. The handler in this course will develop a feeling of pride, companionship and ownership in his own dog by the natural response of one to the other.

To further accomplish this, the handler will furnish all care and maintenence of his charge. He will feed and water his dog on a scheduled basis. He will clean and groom his dog every day as directed by his instructors. He will maintain his animal's quarters in a manner specified by the Veterinarian.

Training will consist of the following exercises to teach the dog to heel, sit, down, stay and come (on recall), crawl, and jump both high and broad. These exercises will be taught using both voice commands and arm and hand signals.

The method used shall be one of reward for accomplishment. This shall be a combination of voice praise, physical petting and fondling. Under no circumstances will physical punishment or abuse be tolerated. Reprimands shall be restricted to oral disapproval. Any violations will be severely delt with.

Training, according to the memo, would be completed by July 15, 1943.

**I am finding this book to be VERY interesting. I was particularly struck by the training methods they used back then. Positive training has been around longer than many people realize. The book tells how they trained for different things in various manners as well as being a behind the scenes look at the War Dog program for WWII. Happily after this war the dogs (the ones who survived) were retrained and allowed to go back to civilian life, thanks in large part to the books author. Not a fate seen by other War Dogs our country has used in the past. (most notably after Vietnam) Complete with 16 pages of photos this book has alot of interesting information. Fans of German Shepherd Dogs and Dobermans might also like it as they were the two most popular breeds used by the Marines at that time. Other breeds and mixed breeds were used as well and were donated by their civilian owners. (I can only say that sentiments were vastly different back then regarding that practice.) Overall so far the book is excellent. Well written and an obvious honoring of the use of Mans Best Friend during their military service. I know I haven't hit the sad parts yet, as is inevitiable when reading of war. Obviously not all the dogs survived. (or their handlers) It is a facinating look at working dogs however and I am glad someone decided to tell their story.

(Semper Fidelis is the motto of the Marine Corps. Translated it means Always Faithful.)

I'm sick so here are some photos.

2008-04-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling my best so here is a short photo filled fun post.
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This cutie is Dal. He is about 7 years old and he is completely deaf as far we can tell. He is at my local shelter and I have started working with him teaching hand signs. Thankfully he is food motivated. (FMI on deaf dogs as pets check out www.deafdogs.org )

It was so beautiful out the other day I took a few pics of my own dogs playing for a change. Jack doing his best to entice Jenny in a game.

If that doesn't work he tries chasing her with his toy. Play with meeee.

She gives in and plays a little tug.
Taking a break on the picnic table. (Good thing we never actually use it to eat on!)

Jenny doing her muppet impersonation and Missy looking annoyed.

Heads up, photos and seminar info

2008-04-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

OK I am packing alot of info in this post. Sorry for the length. I am slightly behind with news and photos. Trying like mad to keep up!

It seems Oprah will be tackling the subject on the evils of puppymills on her Friday show. I will be sure to watch. It is good that she is doing the show, she has a large following and will reach MANY people. However I have a few reservations from the woman who bought her 3 sibling white goldens from a backyard possibly high volume breeder. I hope someone on her staff did some research and that she doesn't paint all breeders as the bad guys now. It should be interesting to watch.

For a great look at the myth of AKC papers check out this well written post from Underdogged: http://www.underdogged.net/?p=63

And here is Jake this week. He is wearing his halti in the photos.

We are now training the dogs to accept head halters as well as no pull harnesses during their lessons. (along with working them in a regular flat nylon collar) This way, should the new home NOT keep up with the dogs training, they still have options to ensure the dog is able to be exercised. We also taught him how to use the drinking fountain for water breaks.

And this is a photo essay of Orli, the fabulous store dog at The Loyal Biscuit Company. Notice the bandages on her head. She had a bit of a run in with one of the cats and it gave her a boo boo.

Geez lady are you still here? (She is elegant and she knows it!)

The seminar with Dr. Nicholas Dodman was fabulous and I learned some excellent information. I did introduce myself to him since we write on the same blog. (www.DogStarDaily.com) Then I got to go have dinner with another trainer I had only previously known through the internet, Nancy of A Dogs Life Blog. (Because listening to 6 plus hours of dog behavior stuff just wasn't quite enough for one day.) It is always fun to meet people face to face. My next planned trek is going to be back to Happy Tails in June for a pitbull informational day with Drayton Michaels of www.pitbullguru.com He also writes for Dog Star Daily. He is working on a documentary about pitbulls called "Judging the Innocent" that I am very excited about. We need information out there to educate people about the breed as much as possible. For more information about the info day and seminars that Happy Tails will be having go to their website at: www.HappyTailsPortland.com

Happy endings

2008-03-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

This time I have happy news to share. Here is Diamond and some of his new family members. Diamond was the second dog we put through the K-9 Corrections program. He is a border collie that had lived most of his life on the end of a chain. Walking him was like flying a kite! He had so much untapped energy to burn. He learned the basics plus alot of cute tricks. He is super smart and working with him was a heck of alot of fun. We had a hard time finding just the right home for him and his energy level. As you can see by the happy faces it all paid off with a super successful adoption. Yay for Diamond!!

A dog named Worf

2008-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've been talking alot about pitbulls this week for various reasons. Whenever that happens I find myself thinking of Worf, a pit that stole my heart. This is his story as I remember it. Reader alert, not all stories have a happy ending.

He was a beautiful red pitbull that needed a home. I don't remember all the details, like how he came to be at our shelter, just that he was there and had been for a long time, waiting. This was about 9 years ago and I had started working at the shelter part time. Back then I didn't know as much about dog behavior, just what I had picked up from my years of owning akitas.

I had been warned about going into his kennel because he liked to grab arms and sleeves in his mouth and pull you around. No one knew how to get him to stop, but they recognised he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. "Wear a coat" was the advice I was given. The first time I entered the kennel to take him out into the play yard he grabbed me and started tugging. I admit it scared me, more than a little. "Holy crap, a pitbull is yanking me around!" He was very strong.

After I realized he was just playing and got him out where he needed to be, I noticed just how beautiful he was. He was a deep red color with a large blocky head. His eyes were a light brown and matched his coat almost to closely. He wasn't small, probably about 70lbs of solid muscle. He moved like electricity through water, fast, fluid and intense.

I knew we had to find a way to stop his inappropriate play. A rough playing pitbull was just to intimidating for people to consider adopting, and it was getting hard on the staffs wardrobe. We came up with the idea of taking toys into his kennel to stick in his mouth to redirect him. It worked like a charm. He stopped looking for arms and sleeves and started playing with balls and tug toys.

I remember him as a quiet dog, rarely barking in his kennel. Ignoring other dogs as they passed by on their way outside. He had been there for a long time, more than a year when I began there. There was little interest in him, or interest by people that were turned away for being inappropriate matches. It was a different time then. In our defense, we didn't know what we know now.

I began my training apprenticeship and took him with me to some of the group classes I was required to attend. He did fabulous. He learned quickly and was very attentive. I worked him wearing just a regular slip collar. He ignored all the other dogs in the class and I believe won over some of the other owners in the class to the breed. I was well on my way to falling in love with him. We was sweet and loved attention from anyone. He was what we called a "people slut" whos tail never stopped wagging.

I don't remember if he was allowed to play with other dogs in the play yard. We didn't use play groups or pairs back then like they do there today. I do remember an incident where the shelter manager (at the time) had one of her dogs get loose, a doberman, and charged Worf when I had him out for a walk. Worf just stopped and waited for the dog to get to him, they sniffed noses and the dobie walked off. I remember being grateful there hadn't been a fight. I also remember being proud of Worf for it. "Good boy!"

Adopting him myself just wasn't an option. I had cats at home, and a male akita at the time that was not tolerant of other male dogs. Worf's brief known past had him labeled as a cat killer. The situation wasn't a good match for all involved.

One day a woman came and took him home. She lived alone in the woods and had been looking for a companion. Joy!!! Progress reports were good. Then I came in one day and he had been returned. "What happened?" I asked. This is the story I got back:

One day the woman got an oil delivery and Worf ran out to say hello to the oil man. (He was allowed to run off leash in the yard because he didn't run off.) Happy wags, tail in gear, man pats dog, all is good. "What a great dog, he's beautiful." he says. "Thanks" says the woman "He's my new dog from the shelter." "What kind of dog is he?" asks the oil man. "They said he was a pitbull" replies the woman. "Oh I would never own a pitbull" says the man and pulls away from the dog.

The woman was sad about how others would perceive her dog as being a "bad breed" and decided she didn't want to live with that, so she brought him back. Not because of his behavior, but because of how he looked to others. I felt ill.

Worf doesn't seem to mind being back at first but then begins changing. He begins barking at the other dogs. He seems more fustrated in his kennel. He hurts a dog in the kennel next to him, badly. Meetings are held. What are we going to do with this dog?

I called a pitbull rescue. "If he has killed a cat and hurt another dog we can't take him either. The liability for us as a group is to great. There are to many pits without issues filling our rescue group already. We have no space. I am sorry."

The decision is made. Worf will be euthanised. We have no choices. I have no choices. I can't bring myself to take him to the vet. Someone else does. He is gone. No more playing ball in the yard, no more rubbing his soft ear leather between my fingers, no more smelling his big goofy head as I kiss it. He is gone. My heart, my heart. I loved him. I just couldn't save him.

I keep his photo on my wall because though he was never adopted, he is claimed. I claim him and will look for him at the bridge one day. He is mine. It is also a reminder. A reminder that ignorance kills. What we didn't know as a shelter, as a student trainer, as ignorant of so many things, killed this beautiful boy. I will not let it happen again. I cannot. The price on my heart is to high.

What could we have done different? Now I have some answers. Now we have some answers. Environmental enrichment, foster homes, health testing, diet changes, medication options, knowing more about breed traits, not being so judgemental of potential adopters. What we did not know then will not kill another dog now. This is why education is so important. For all the Worf's out there. There are many, and to many are dying because of ignorance and fear. We cannot forget the lessons we learned. We cannot forget what he taught us with his death.

So now he stands upon my wall, along with my others who have passed before us, a happy slice of time forever frozen and kept. His tail still wagging. He will be forever in my heart, I have promised him. He is mine and he was a pitbull.