Missy update and some tracking info

Missy's surgery is scheduled for the 13th. Unfortunately we didn't have any openings sooner. If anyone cancels their surgery we will certainly slide her in sooner. I hate waiting. In the meantime I have put her on full raw. It is believed that carbs and sugar can feed cancers. I'm not taking any chances. She is currently getting moose in the morning and Primal's nuggets in the evening. (pheasant formula this week) I love the nuggets because you can leave them frozen and thaw them quickly as needed. I just take them out in the morning and thaw them right in the fridge for the day. They are perfect for small dogs. No mess easy prep. I barely cook enough to keep myself alive so less prep is always music to my ears. I have used their patties before for Jack and the girls but had to cut them up for the girls since they were to big for a meal. Shout out to Lauren and Bill at The Loyal Biscuit Co. for being my fabulous supplier.

I had planned on going out tracking this morning but am battling a kink in my lower neck that is making to much movement painful. If I can get it worked out I will go. I went the other day and introduced turns which she did well with. I need to work in some longer grass and wooded areas next. I have a borrowed friends copy of Component training for variable surface tracking by Ed Presnall I also need to read. (virable surface is tracking on pavement as well as dirt and grass)

If anyone is interested in trying tracking here is some info to get you started. The books I would recommend for all beginners would be: "Novice Nosework" by Ed Presnall and Lois Ballard. As a companion book I also liked "Track Laying 101" by Ed Presnall put out by The tracking club of Wisconsin. It gets into all the stuff you need to know to lay great tracks for your dog. (you self lay in the beginning) And a book that can help dispel some myths and preconceptions of tracking that I really enjoyed was Following ghosts, Developing the tracking relationship by John Rice and Suzanne Clothier.

Most of those can be found on my favorite tracking site: http://www.pawmark.com/ I use their Sure-Fit adjustable tracking harness and their lines. (Though you can use any harness that is comfortable for the dog to wear and pull in and a long leash or training line.) Not only are they adjustable, they are easy to get on and off your dog. I also admit to loving that you can get almost any color you like in both harness and lines.

You can track with ANY dog. If they can breathe and smell, they can track. Some breeds may need to have some adjustments in training but all are capable. There are also many free e-mail lists out there as well. I am a member of Tiny Trackers on Yahoogroups. It is specifically for small dogs that track. This gives me a forum to ask questions of others that have more experience, and commiserate with those that have hit the same training hurdles when support is needed.

Look around, you may have a tracking group in your area already. If not, there may be a trainer that can steer you in the right direction or know of tracking seminars coming up. It never hurts to call and ask.

If you have a reactive dog, tracking can be the perfect sport to do because it is solitary. You and your dog get to work together and alone. It will help you learn to read your dog as well as give them something interesting to do that can help tire them out. We all have heard the saying, a tired dog is a happy dog.

Initially in tracking you have to teach the dog to follow the track you set. Eventually after they have learned the game, you need to then trust your dog on the track. The tricky part is learning to read their body language during the training portion so when you start doing blind tracks, those layed by others that you don't know where it goes either, you can trust them based on knowing when they are actually working the track or not. As you can tell by the video I am still in the teaching the game part to Jenny.

I encourage anyone interested in tracking to give it a try. Even if you never want to trial it is alot of fun to do with your dog. It is also a great way to spend time outside being surrounded by nature in all it's glory. If I don't get out in the field today I will at least play the "get the glove" game with Jenny. This promotes her drive to find the end article since finding that equals much fun. Plus it is a good marker of the "find it" game being over. I was doing the sit at the end but have decided to have her pick it up instead. If I can figure out how to get DVD clips of tracking trials I have video'd on here I will add those soon as well. I am some great footage of dogs earning their TD's. (Tracking Dog title)

Video of Jenny, the tracking pug

Today I finally had some time to take Jenny out for this years first track. It went pretty well. I only did two short ones since it was warm out. I slept in and didn't get out first thing in the morning which is ideal for tracking practice. It is cooler then and the grass being damp helps with the scent. She was panting after the second track and I didn't want to push it and risk her overheating. As a pug she is more prone to that issue when using her nose so much. I also want to keep it fun for her and quitting before she gets tired of it keeps her drive up.
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I decided to take some video because I know there are people who just don't believe I am tracking a pug. I have posted photos but they don't really prove she can do it. I hope this helps. I am sure there will be some people who say I am doing everything wrong. The downside to posting video is that it opens yourself up to criticism from some viewers. I have one viewer in particular that loves to rip me down, hence one of the the reasons I have moderated comments.
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I'll go on record saying that I am not a tracking expert. I have been doing it off and on for about 10 years now but never seriously. It is just something I enjoy doing with my dogs, and watching other dogs and handlers do. There is nothing like seeing a dog doing something that comes naturally to them, and that they also have fun doing. Jenny is much more driven than the other dogs I have tracked with so perhaps I will finally get serious about it.
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No you do not need to train for tracking with food. It is just how I choose to train. And with Jenny food is the perfect motivator. So I hope you enjoy the video. It is about 2 minutes long and there is sound. I was trying to explain things as I went along. I should have just shut up and let her work and explained it after. Next time I will have someone else do the videoing so I can concentrate on the work. It is hard trying to do everything all at once!



I think she did a pretty good job all thing considered. I especially like the part where she gets off the track and circles back and finds it again quickly. I am still not sure about using food under the first article. I might skip that next time and only use it under the next articles. She works so much faster than other dogs I have handled so I am still working out the kinks of article indication.

Good news/bad news and a warning

Today I took Missy in for her yearly heartworm blood test and while there checked out a lump on her rear. We did an aspiration and it turns out it is a mast cell tumor. http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/mct.htm I am not in panic mode just yet. As noted on the site I linked to, hers is in a better area than others. We will do the surgery to remove it within the next couple of weeks and send it off for a biopsy. The good news is that working for a vet means I get a discount, the bad news is that she has the tumor at all, and that it has the potential to be bad. So send good thoughts our way for a good test result. I can't imagine not having her around for many more years. She is only 8 after all. I will certainly post any updates.

This brings up a warning however. To anyone going to vaccination clinics hosted at pet stores to save money, not all those veterinarians are doing full exams. Yes you might be saving money initially, but you may not be doing your pet any favors if things are getting overlooked that should be taken care of quickly. I've worked for a vet in the past and the lump to me looked like other fatty lipomas I have seen. Fortunately the vet I work for told me the my options based on his experience. Because of that I went ahead and did the aspiration right then. If I had been at a vaccination clinic the only option would be to get referred to my regular vet IF the doctor noticed the lump and referred me, or to wait and see what happened with it. For some pets, this could mean the difference between catching a problem early and saving their life, or missing the boat and getting it checked to late. Vaccination clinics are meant for healthy pets only. If you have ANY concerns PLEASE go to your regular vet and get a full exam. The vet in our area doing regular clinics doesn't have a home base hospital with all that entails either so his resources are somewhat limited. Hopefully he is keeping records in case things come up (required by law but not always checked) so regular vets can be kept appraised of issues in their clients when needed. Also keep in mind you will not get mailed reminders from those kind of clinics when your pet is due again.

Hopefully there are people using those clinics that need them due to financial constraints. I certainly understand the need. People will always have pets regardless if they can afford them or not. I just hope people use the clinics as they are intended and not to replace good regular vet care for their pets.

When Your Dog Runs Away

When Your Dog Runs AwayA dog that runs away from home has somewhere to go. It is quite amazing thatin most cases the owners cannot tell where their dog goes. The usual answer is,"Just out in the neighborhood to see the other dogs or something." These dogshave a definite objective in mind and usually cover the same route during eachjourney. Why is that route or objectives more appealing than his

Some Minos video

Check out our little man Minos. Not so little anymore. He is growing like a weed.

He is 14 weeks and a solid 21 plus pounds. You can really feel the difference when you lift him up. He is just a hair shorter than Missy now too. I have to remove the girls collars when they play because he tries to drag them around by them. I also prefer not to have them shredded by puppy teeth. They are sharp!



Not great videos but a glimpse of his size so far.



If you listen close you can hear me call him Zeus by mistake. Sorry buddy!

A non-dog post

This is Pumba. He is one of two cats that live at the clinic I work at. He was brought in a few years ago to be euthanized. He shares the clinic with Thomas, who was also brought in for euthanasia. Generally they try to find homes for the pets they take on the care of but Pumba has some medical issues and Thomas has some behavioral quirks that made them more of a challenge to rehome. They are quite happy at the clinic however. This is how he spends a lot of his time, when he's not trying to steal food that is. (he's on a special diet)

He he is after his summer do, a lion cut. Isn't he handsome? I am happy to be able to get my cat fix at work. I want to wait until we are in a bigger place before we add a cat to the family again. I definitely miss having a cat in the house. I'll try to get a photo of Thomas to share next time.

Today we saw this cutie who came in with the local ACO along with two litter mates. She was waiting to pick up two more baby red squirrels so they could all be taken to the wildlife rehab person together. I got to hold him. (or her) They are cute but pee ALOT. Just a heads up.

And for a dash of variety this young guy came in today too. A 3 month old ball python. Not sure I would ever have a snake myself due to the high maintenance they require, but they sure are beautiful.

Incessant Barking: Part 2

Incessant Barking: Part 2In the wild, dogs have their own method of going about things their way. But ifyou want your dog to be a well-behaved pet and to live in your home with you,you must teach him the human way of living. Specifically, you have to teach yourdog to redirect his normal and natural dog behaviors. Failing to learn where torelieve himself, what to chew, when to bark, when to jump