Who am I kidding - most of my days are dog days. Not in the dictionary sense of the term: hot weather, lazy days. But really, my days are filled with dog stuff. Chief is 8-ish months old; Charlie is almost 4 years old. One would think that things were settled at my house. Not so much.
I'm walking them separately now since they're both so big and they really deserve time apart. But that means 2 hours a day of dog-walking. That's a bunch of time, especially since school has started for my kids and my schedule essentially revolves around their school and sports schedule. My work, fortunately, fits in around all of this.
And now that I've started giving them each their own walk, I can't imagine going back to walking them together. Someday. Maybe.
Chief is still a puppy. It takes him about the first 15 minutes of a walk to get his crazies out. He sniffs everything, zig-zagging along the sidewalk, usually behind me. Then he settles in to walk beside me (in order to get those treats) or calms down enough for me to enjoy the scenery. I'm trying to focus on doing a 'heel' with him for several blocks during our one hour walk. That seems to be fine with him.
Charlie has been a challenge. We adopted him at 5 months old to keep our Malamute company. We'd just lost our older dog and the whole family was out of sorts. Charlie did well, as long as Floyd was around. But once Floyd was too old for long walks, Charlie started to react to every dog he saw. I didn't have a clue about what was happening. In hindsight, I believe that Charlie didn't trust me to take care of him the way Floyd had. He was right. I wanted Charlie to meet other dogs, to have some doggie social life.
After 6 months of tips and training at UnLeashed, I now have a better understanding of dog behavior, especially with my own dog. Charlie would be happy to never meet another dog again, as long as he lived. (And here I was trying to get him to 'like' every dog he met.) So we have definite routines for Charlie. He only goes to the dog park when there are very few dogs there. And he has to have a job to do - chase his ball! And he will be removed if he gets tense and stiff and territorial about the place. When we walk, we will always cross the street when we see another dog. We will do some 'sit' 'wait' 'down' when a person is walking by. I have also promised that he will never meet another dog on leash, ever again, never ever ever.
At first these things seemed like a lot of work. I wished that I owned an easy dog. But now that I have the hang of it, I realize that I've learned so much. And my relationship with Charlie has deepened. He and I have connected in a way that's different from other dogs I've known. We're a team.
When we adopted him, I had no idea how this would all play out. I had no idea that I would be immersed in dog stuff to the extent that I am. I'm no expert, but I'm more aware of dog behavior so that I can give my adopted dog the kind of life he deserves.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Nose work
Dogs' noses are so much more sensitive and capable than ours. I'm sure we can all recount a story to illustrate our pooch's incredible (to us) ability to smell a steak on the grill from miles away. I'll confess, there are times when I'd just like a little spoonful of peanut butter to get me through the morning. I creep into the kitchen, quietly open the frig, remove that precious jar. No matter how quiet I am about opening the lid, I know I'll have 2 begging dogs by my side in no time. They do not respond the same way to lettuce. Not that I test them with lettuce too often...
Nose Work is a relatively new sport for dogs and handlers, based on the law enforcement world's dogs sniffing out drugs and other contraband. At their best, these companion dogs sniff out tins of scent like birch in a room or field.
I participated in a Nose Work workshop with Charlie a few weeks ago. It was perfect for him. Even tho he's fine in a training class and he'll tolerate leashed dogs on the other side of the street, he's much happier without lots of other dogs around. With Nose Work, each dog does his run alone! In the beginning, we used lots of different cardboard boxes. The dog's handler holds the dog on one end of the row. The 'hider' shows the dog a closed pouch full of really smelly treats, leaving one treat on the outside. The hider then pretends to place the pouch in some of the boxes finally hiding it in one. Depending on the dog's experience with the exercise, the hider even tries to trick the dog. Then the handler lets the dog go and the dog much sniff out the treats.
It might sound simple. But the way scent travels on air currents, actually makes it a challenge for the dogs. First time out, the dog will usually investigate the last box that the hider touched. Then the dog might make a big circuit around the room. But eventually, the dog will get to work and look in each box for the treats. When they finally find it, they're self-rewarded with the treat on top of the pouch. Then the handler opens the pouch and feeds more treats from the pouch.
This is a very good exercise for dogs. It really works their brains and their natural instincts to search, based on scent. It's also pretty cool to watch different dogs go to work. And sometimes the air currents mess with the scent and send the dogs searching high when the treat is low.
Charlie and I have had a good time with this at home. It's cheap and easy (think rainy days) and make the dog work a little.
So I wondered what it would be like to give some Animal Shelter dogs a chance to try. Charlie at UnLeashed helped me work 3 dogs at the Petaluma Animal Shelter.
Scout, a terrier mix was all over us at first, pushing at our hands, jumping, trying every way to get some human attention. But once he picked up the scent and got his first reward, there was nothing we could do to trick him. On his 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th runs, he was all business, waiting patiently for us to say 'go'. Then he followed his nose straight to the treat pouch! It was so fun to watch his brain engage.
Nikita, a deaf Akita was our next participant. Have you ever worked with a deaf dog? She knows some hand commands, but she's had a rough time. Charlie and I continued to speak to her because we knew that our body language and face would convey a message. Nikita caught on quickly. She tended to circle the room a few times, catching the scent high and then following it back low to the box. She was also determined to stay in that room! She loved this game and it was hard to make her stop playing.
With Ziva, a 14 week old pitt/rottie mix, I learned the most. At first, she had no interest in the boxes. She just wanted to stay near the people and lap up attention. We ignored her (almost impossible with this adorable pup!). Then she'd pick up a scent, follow it for awhile, get distracted, walk right by the treat. But when she picked up the scent and was close, she'd whip her head around and follow it right to the box and the reward. I could almost see the path that the scent was taking, just by watching her progress.
We have a pretty awesome animal shelter in Petaluma. Not only do they care deeply for every animal they help, but they welcome us all to be a part of it. I can only hope that the lives of 3 dogs were enriched by our little games. I'll go back again next week to play!
Nose Work is a relatively new sport for dogs and handlers, based on the law enforcement world's dogs sniffing out drugs and other contraband. At their best, these companion dogs sniff out tins of scent like birch in a room or field.
I participated in a Nose Work workshop with Charlie a few weeks ago. It was perfect for him. Even tho he's fine in a training class and he'll tolerate leashed dogs on the other side of the street, he's much happier without lots of other dogs around. With Nose Work, each dog does his run alone! In the beginning, we used lots of different cardboard boxes. The dog's handler holds the dog on one end of the row. The 'hider' shows the dog a closed pouch full of really smelly treats, leaving one treat on the outside. The hider then pretends to place the pouch in some of the boxes finally hiding it in one. Depending on the dog's experience with the exercise, the hider even tries to trick the dog. Then the handler lets the dog go and the dog much sniff out the treats.
It might sound simple. But the way scent travels on air currents, actually makes it a challenge for the dogs. First time out, the dog will usually investigate the last box that the hider touched. Then the dog might make a big circuit around the room. But eventually, the dog will get to work and look in each box for the treats. When they finally find it, they're self-rewarded with the treat on top of the pouch. Then the handler opens the pouch and feeds more treats from the pouch.
This is a very good exercise for dogs. It really works their brains and their natural instincts to search, based on scent. It's also pretty cool to watch different dogs go to work. And sometimes the air currents mess with the scent and send the dogs searching high when the treat is low.
Charlie and I have had a good time with this at home. It's cheap and easy (think rainy days) and make the dog work a little.
So I wondered what it would be like to give some Animal Shelter dogs a chance to try. Charlie at UnLeashed helped me work 3 dogs at the Petaluma Animal Shelter.
Scout, a terrier mix was all over us at first, pushing at our hands, jumping, trying every way to get some human attention. But once he picked up the scent and got his first reward, there was nothing we could do to trick him. On his 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th runs, he was all business, waiting patiently for us to say 'go'. Then he followed his nose straight to the treat pouch! It was so fun to watch his brain engage.
Nikita, a deaf Akita was our next participant. Have you ever worked with a deaf dog? She knows some hand commands, but she's had a rough time. Charlie and I continued to speak to her because we knew that our body language and face would convey a message. Nikita caught on quickly. She tended to circle the room a few times, catching the scent high and then following it back low to the box. She was also determined to stay in that room! She loved this game and it was hard to make her stop playing.
With Ziva, a 14 week old pitt/rottie mix, I learned the most. At first, she had no interest in the boxes. She just wanted to stay near the people and lap up attention. We ignored her (almost impossible with this adorable pup!). Then she'd pick up a scent, follow it for awhile, get distracted, walk right by the treat. But when she picked up the scent and was close, she'd whip her head around and follow it right to the box and the reward. I could almost see the path that the scent was taking, just by watching her progress.
We have a pretty awesome animal shelter in Petaluma. Not only do they care deeply for every animal they help, but they welcome us all to be a part of it. I can only hope that the lives of 3 dogs were enriched by our little games. I'll go back again next week to play!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What the heck?
Charlie had an interesting day. I took him and Chief to the dog park this morning. I usually don't go in the morning. I'm not really a morning person and without a few cups of coffee, I can't make polite conversation. But I was tired this morning, so I didn't want to walk.
Charlie and Chief chased the ball. Chief played with another dog. All seemed fine. Until Charlie spotted a Boxer on leash, outside of the park with his owner riding a bike. I really pay attention to Charlie - he's sensitive and reactive. But he presents these attributes by making the first strike: lunging (on leash) and barking. When Charlie perks up his enormous ears, I make him focus on me. He can hear a dog coming a mile away. But there are just some dogs that he cannot trust me to protect him from. Boxers are one of those breeds.
He's been attacked a few times by Boxers and bully breeds. I think he remembers this.
So he saw that dog, who he's seen before. We've met the dog/owner-on-bike pair on the sidewalk before. They ride by fast, but it's still a surprise when they vacate the sidewalk to let us walk by.
Charlie ran out of the park, chasing the pair. I called his name. He looked at me. He kept running with hackles raised. Chief followed him. My heart was pounding (does that count for a cardio workout?), but there was no way I could catch them. In 2 seconds, they were both back in the park. There had been no growling, snarling confrontation. Charlie came right over to me. I made him do some sits, downs and finally a down stay. He focused his eyes on mine for 2 minutes. That's a long time.
While he was staring at me, dog and biking owner rode by the other side of the park. Charlie stayed right in front of me, staring, focusing on me. Incident over?
I threw the ball a bit more for Charlie, but then a different Boxer came into the park. What the heck? I grabbed Charlie's collar loosely, but kept him by my side. This Boxer was young, played with Chief for a bit and the other dogs. When he got near Charlie, Charlie would growl. I decided that we needed to leave the park. But as I was getting the leash on Charlie, the Boxer's owner struck up a conversation with me. I tried to explain that Charlie had been attacked by other Boxers. He was incensed that 'his breed' could be aggressive. He kept telling his dog to stay away from my 'mean dog'. But really, he didn't have control over his dog who was interested in Charlie and kept approaching him.
I don't blame the owner or the dog. Dog parks are off-leash heaven. His dog was running and playing. My dog just didn't particularly like that behavior from that particular dog. And I was doing the responsible thing by leaving the park.
But why do I feel like the pariah? Every other dog owner who I'd been chatting with, moved away from me as soon as this interaction took place. They all started making comments about my dog. I knew my dog well enough to avoid any kind of incident. I was removing my dog from the situation.
Should I never take Charlie to the dog park again?
Tonight, I walked both of my dogs, separately. (That's 2 hours of walking!) Charlie was awesome. He stayed by my side when I asked him to. He calmly walked by other dogs on leash. He looked to me for all of his cues.
Everyone has their own perspective on dog behavior and what it means. We humans tend to anthropomorphise. What's really going on? Maybe my dog just doesn't like that other dog. And maybe he doesn't feel the need to hide his feelings.
I just have to stop caring about what other people think about me, my dogs, and my perspective on dogs in general.
And I thought if I owned dogs I wouldn't need a therapist.
Charlie and Chief chased the ball. Chief played with another dog. All seemed fine. Until Charlie spotted a Boxer on leash, outside of the park with his owner riding a bike. I really pay attention to Charlie - he's sensitive and reactive. But he presents these attributes by making the first strike: lunging (on leash) and barking. When Charlie perks up his enormous ears, I make him focus on me. He can hear a dog coming a mile away. But there are just some dogs that he cannot trust me to protect him from. Boxers are one of those breeds.
He's been attacked a few times by Boxers and bully breeds. I think he remembers this.
So he saw that dog, who he's seen before. We've met the dog/owner-on-bike pair on the sidewalk before. They ride by fast, but it's still a surprise when they vacate the sidewalk to let us walk by.
Charlie ran out of the park, chasing the pair. I called his name. He looked at me. He kept running with hackles raised. Chief followed him. My heart was pounding (does that count for a cardio workout?), but there was no way I could catch them. In 2 seconds, they were both back in the park. There had been no growling, snarling confrontation. Charlie came right over to me. I made him do some sits, downs and finally a down stay. He focused his eyes on mine for 2 minutes. That's a long time.
While he was staring at me, dog and biking owner rode by the other side of the park. Charlie stayed right in front of me, staring, focusing on me. Incident over?
I threw the ball a bit more for Charlie, but then a different Boxer came into the park. What the heck? I grabbed Charlie's collar loosely, but kept him by my side. This Boxer was young, played with Chief for a bit and the other dogs. When he got near Charlie, Charlie would growl. I decided that we needed to leave the park. But as I was getting the leash on Charlie, the Boxer's owner struck up a conversation with me. I tried to explain that Charlie had been attacked by other Boxers. He was incensed that 'his breed' could be aggressive. He kept telling his dog to stay away from my 'mean dog'. But really, he didn't have control over his dog who was interested in Charlie and kept approaching him.
I don't blame the owner or the dog. Dog parks are off-leash heaven. His dog was running and playing. My dog just didn't particularly like that behavior from that particular dog. And I was doing the responsible thing by leaving the park.
But why do I feel like the pariah? Every other dog owner who I'd been chatting with, moved away from me as soon as this interaction took place. They all started making comments about my dog. I knew my dog well enough to avoid any kind of incident. I was removing my dog from the situation.
Should I never take Charlie to the dog park again?
Tonight, I walked both of my dogs, separately. (That's 2 hours of walking!) Charlie was awesome. He stayed by my side when I asked him to. He calmly walked by other dogs on leash. He looked to me for all of his cues.
Everyone has their own perspective on dog behavior and what it means. We humans tend to anthropomorphise. What's really going on? Maybe my dog just doesn't like that other dog. And maybe he doesn't feel the need to hide his feelings.
I just have to stop caring about what other people think about me, my dogs, and my perspective on dogs in general.
And I thought if I owned dogs I wouldn't need a therapist.
Foster Kittens!
I picked up 3 foster kittens from the animal shelter yesterday. They're black and white females, soft and a little shy. They got settled in to their giant crate last night, complete with hammock, litter box, food and toys. Today, Gordon and I let them roam around the laundry room and play.
I love to watch kittens playing! They are so intent on the string or ball or whatever. They jump sideways and forget that anything else exists in the world.
And I love to hear my son cackle with joy as he reports the antics of these little creatures.
Gordon and I are having an interesting summer. He's 10, but thinks he's 15. He craves independence, but forgets to brush his teeth. His favorite expressions seem to be centered around challenging me, "But mom..." "Don't say no until you hear the whole thing" "Why" "Why" "Why".
I'm letting go as much as I can, but I resist. How do I stay connected with my boys as they become young men? Do I learn about their passions (sports and video games), or do I force them to embrace mine (animals and knitting)?
As with so many things, I guess it's somewhere in the middle. These foster kittens help.
I love to watch kittens playing! They are so intent on the string or ball or whatever. They jump sideways and forget that anything else exists in the world.
And I love to hear my son cackle with joy as he reports the antics of these little creatures.
Gordon and I are having an interesting summer. He's 10, but thinks he's 15. He craves independence, but forgets to brush his teeth. His favorite expressions seem to be centered around challenging me, "But mom..." "Don't say no until you hear the whole thing" "Why" "Why" "Why".
I'm letting go as much as I can, but I resist. How do I stay connected with my boys as they become young men? Do I learn about their passions (sports and video games), or do I force them to embrace mine (animals and knitting)?
As with so many things, I guess it's somewhere in the middle. These foster kittens help.
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