Graduation, adoption, and the great food debate

Here is Danno. He graduates the program Friday. He has an adopter already interested in him and he will go home for a slumber party on Saturday. He and his handler have both done fabulous. He knows all the basics, can heel on and off leash, is crate trained and has a few tricks he can show off. He is also a very sociable boy and loves to make new friends. He will make a wonderful dog for his new family. I will miss him.

This is Chloie. She is an akita that is under consideration to be our next prison dog. (one of many) I thought she would get adopted quickly but the person interested in an akita came in and said "that isn't what he wanted". I have a suspicion he wanted something a bit larger and more macho. It's to bad because she is very friendly and has a great personality. His loss.

So the new raw diet is going well. With hunting season in full swing, I have access to LOTS of meat scraps that my wonderful husband is saving and grinding for me at the shop. Here it is all packaged as I get it. Fresh and ready for the freezer or fridge. (labels on the underside) I rented space at the shop in one of the extra freezers for the season because I can't fit it all in the two freezers we have.

This is a bag of liver he ground for me even though he hates working with it at all. I can't say I blame him. It is pretty gross. Next time I think I'll have him just cut it into pieces and freeze those, it will be easier. For now I have the liver bagged into smaller bags so I can mix it into the ground meat along with the calcium supplement I use. (Only because at the moment I am feeding no bones, calcium isn't needed if you feed actual bones.) Tip: when mixing meat use rubber gloves so the smell doesn't linger on your skin.

Check out my awesome B-day present. A scale is a must if you want to feed raw so you can keep an eye on proper amounts. I tried using a cheap food scale and it was way to inaccurate so be careful. Digital is the way to go. Thankfully I have a raw friend who is overseeing my progress. VBG (Thanks Lauren!)



I found this book to be excellent and highly recommend it. It will take much of the stress out of figuring out how to feed raw. It will also explain things simply in a way that makes sense. Just one of the many books out there on the subject.


I'm still giving Wellness Super 5 with whitefish for breakfast. I did switch Jenny over to that too and so far she is doing fine on it. Is raw for everyone? No, but for some of us it is a great way to know we are feeding our dogs a healthy diet more appropriate for their species. Think about it, what did dogs live on before kibble became popular? And I know I am not a nutritionist, but chances are neither is your vet. Think general practicioner vs specialist. Only my family doctor isn't selling a brand of food to us. Hmmm Food for thought?

*

So here is my speil: There are lots of options out there for our pets so they can eat healthy. Learning how to read labels and choosing wisely is up to us since they can't do it for themselves. The book "Food pets die for" by Ann Martin is a great start on learning what is really in pet foods. Ironicly she is against raw diets (she listens to vets) but it is still a good book about the industry. (I sound like a broken record about the book but it was SO eye opening for me!) For those that want to try raw but don't want to do the prep work or find it to gross there are some great companies out there doing raw diets. I use Primal myself when I don't get meat from hunting season. So far I am very pleased with the results I am getting and the satisfaction I have from knowing I am providing healthy meals to ALL my family members, not just the human ones. Actually considering all the additives in people food I think my dogs are eating better than the rest of us at present. For me it works, though I will try not to become the dog food nazi for others. Do what works for you and your dog. Just know there are many options out there. Don't take ANYONES word for it, even mine, do your own research and see for yourself. Good luck and good health.

Sometimes I just have to say no

I hate not being able to do everything I want. I also hate disappointing people. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day though. I have reached a point in my life where I accept my own limitations. Even if I don't want to. The new job means less free time for fun and sometimes even training. Reality sucks.

I had to pass up an opportunity to work on a movie. Shooting right here in the area. They need a handler of a dog in one small scene. A pretty easy gig from the sound of it. But the new second job schedule and my own already busy training schedule just isn't giving me the time I would need to do it. (not if I want to get any sleep that is)

I know how movie sets work, they rarely keep to a set schedule and I don't have the leeway I used to with my time. It sucks but I'll live. I console myself by saying there are no guarantees. It is always possible the scene ends up on the cutting room floor anyhow.

I sent the casting person info of other dog people and trainers in the area that might be able to help. The script calls for a chow but they are more interested in the dog being able to do what the scene calls for than the breed when push comes to shove. Fortunatly I know a fabulous Chow Chow breeder that I sent her to as well. (Zola at Red Cloud Chow Chows)

So even though I may have missed my shot in the movies, I hope someone else appreciates and enjoys the opportunity. May it go smoothly for everyone involved. I look forward to seeing the finished movie.

A must share

Passing this on from the Pet Connection Blog from last week. Not to be missed.

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/09/24/well-i-think-i-know-where-all-my-hate-mail-comes-from/

Sleeps with dogs

It is time for me to make an admission. I have a second job.

It started back last December when I began training for a part time dispatcher position at my husbands urging. (Fire/Police/EMS) It was always our long term plan that I get another job once the kids were old enough to be in school all day. Well we certainly passed that deadline awhile ago. (they are in 6th and 8th grade now) Plus a job for me with benefits will help us once he retires from his current position as a police officer.

I LOVE being a dog trainer but owning your own business presents a few problems with things like the lack of benefits and job security. Sure I'll always have the job, but when the economy is bad people aren't always calling for stuff they consider a luxury item. Unfortunately for some this includes dog training. When I started this business I was also one of only two trainers in the area and the only one using positive methods. Now I am one of five that I know of. (4 out of 5 being positive) Plus my forte is private sessions. I didn't want to go back to offering lots of group classes just for the revenue because I knew it wouldn't make me happy. For me training is about more than the money I can earn. I have never been in this for the money, a fact that sometimes exasperates my husband greatly. It is what I love to do to help people and dogs.

I didn't mention it on here before because I didn't want anyone thinking I thought of the training as a part time endeavor. It is my first love and passion. Plus truth be told I wasn't sure I would make it as a dispatcher at times. (and still have questioning moments) I am now full time dispatching and work 4 days a week 10 hours a day on the overnight shift. (including weekends) I didn't plan on going full time quite so soon, (my training lasted until July) but a spot unexpectedly opened up. Considering the economy I would be a fool to have turned the extra hours down.

(Side note: Please make sure your house number is EASILY visible from the road and in the dark. If you want EMS/Fire/Police to be able to find you QUICKLY in an emergency this can save precious minutes. Also be aware that a landline phone gives us a readout of your exact location, a cel phone does not. It might be possible to track you with a cel IF the weather doesn't interfere and IF your carrier provides that service. So you may want to consider keeping a landline in your house for emergencies.)

The great news is this means I have extra funds for the better diet the dogs are on and to buy them lots of good stuff. (oh and stuff for my kids and family too) It also means with the schedule I have that the dogs aren't home alone for 10 hours at a stretch. While I work they are home sleeping with the family. While the family is at school or work I am home asleep, with them.

Missy sleeps on the foot of the bed, Jack in his crate that he loves (door open, he refuses to get on the bed for any length of time) and Jenny the naked pug insists on sleeping UNDER the covers with me. Either curled up behind my knees, in front of my tummy or stretched out along side me. We all wake up for one potty break during the day and then back to bed to finish out the hours needed for me to be able to function at work.

*And if you had told me a few years ago that not only would I someday have small dogs, but that they would be allowed IN bed with me I would have asked what you were drinking. It is amazing how things change.*

So far it is working out pretty well. I still have moments of adjustment. Like not being able to get extra sleep the first day of my week. But overall it is do-able. I get 3 days in a row off to see clients or work the prison dog program and my afternoons are also free to see them on the nights I work.

To dispel any rumors, I want it to be very clear that I didn't get another job because business was bad or I wanted to get out of training. I got a second job because it is part of our overall plan for long term financial security and medical benefits. End of story.

I am still going to play the lottery and hope I get lucky. My dream job at this point is to be a rich philanthropist. Of course I would still probably see clients for the fun of it but I could do it at the new animal shelter I would build with some of my winnings. Oh to dream.

Until then you can find me sleeping with the dogs. ZZZzzzzzz

Before and After ~ A grooming tale

This could also be called, Jack the hairy beast. Here is Jack last September (I think) during an attempt of mine, pitiful though it was, to stack him. I show you this so you get an idea just how thick his coat is normally. Though it doesn't show just how long his back bloomers usually are. (more before pics can be seen in the right side photo area)

Here is the haircut I gave him in progress sometime last month. It started with a hot spot on his back that I shaved to help with the healing. Then for some silly reason I thought I would take more of his coat off due to a slow shedding season. (Tip you HAVE to brush them out first or the clippers do not go through the coat. So it is a falicy that a cut will save you time.)

And an after photo. You can see I only really took off the back end bloomers and leg fur. Which made him look abit front heavy.

And here he is with a REAL haircut from the groomer. Wow look at that, it's even!His side view before groomer, after home cut:

And after groomer.
So there you have it folks. The best evidence for investing the time into a professional IF you decide to ever shave a dog. (which isn't always recommended, is not something I ever thought I would do, and is fodder for another post) Thanks to Yankee Clipper in Rockport for always doing such a great job with Jack. He loves going there for baths and I don't know what I was thinking denying him the real deal.

On another note, his fur is growing back a bit slowly for my taste in the hot spot area. That coupled with a few odd episodes of him losing balance and losing some weight has made me do a blood draw for a full panel thyroid test through MSU. I'll get the results next week. Wish us luck in figuring out what is going on.

Hunting season has begun here in Maine and this is Jenny licking the moose blood off my husbands shoes. He has a side business as a game butcher, a fact the dogs love due to all the extra bones they get.

Jack and Jenny playing on Jacks new winter bed. Thanks to Lauren at the Loyal Biscuit Company for such great deals. The new plane toy was given to Jack by his aunt Monica. (mom of Nani and Tomo, also akitas) If you look past Jacks head you can see Missy in her crate chewing a bone. She is to much of a diva to lower herself to "associating with the peasants" in actual play very often.

Jenny is chewing the toy and Jack is flea bitting Jenny.

He won this round.

Jenny also loves the new bed. The pet stairs to the couch are something I got for our frenchie Missy because she would occasionally strain her back jumping down to the floor. Heavy bodied dog, short legs, a disaster waiting to happen. We haven't had another problem since and I highly recommend them.
Edge detail. Isn't it beautiful?
So that about sums up my week. Groomer, vet, shopping. Oh and some work thrown in just to keep my head above water.

Pure breed issues

First check out this blog about Hurricane Ike and the animals in need of help.

http://www.animalrescueblog.org/

If you have a few extra dollars or equipment to spare please consider sending it their way to help out. This will be a mess for a long time and I'm sure they will need all the help they can get. If anyone has other websites that may be useful to the animal disaster and rescue relief please feel free to post them in the comments section. (NO PETA posts/links please.) Our thoughts are with everyone in the area.

*For the record I am not a breeder and have no plans to ever be. I know how much work it is to do it right and I can't afford such an endeavor. My vet makes enough off me already thank you very much. These are just some of my thoughts on the subject having dealt with many breeders in the past and thinking about it as a general subject in the dog world. These are just my observations as a self proclaimed "dog nut".*

There is much broo-ha-ha going around about a British documentary that has shed light on the health problems of pure breed dogs. Anyone who stops and thinks a moment knows this is true in many cases. It is not new information for anyone who has been in dogs for any amount of time. We have taken dogs and selectively bred them for a specific look and not always bred for health first. Just look at breeds like the bulldog, a breed that needs to be born c-section because the heads are to big for the mothers pelvis. It cannot surprise people that they then have issues being able to breathe with their shortened nasal passages.

The sad part of the story is that they were developed back before there was so much vet intervention. Does this mean we have created a different breed than when it was developed? Looking at old photos can show you how much we have overdone it in some cases to change breeds to fit our standard.

Consider also that breeders save puppies who might not make it without that medical help, and then sometimes breed those puppies. So much for survival of the fittest. Now I'm certainly not saying we shouldn't save a fading puppy, but I have to wonder if then breeding that dog later isn't adding weakness to the gene pool. Got a bitch that can't seem to get pregnant naturally? Well lets do artificial insemination. Does anyone else wonder if the maybe shouldn't get pregnant if she can't on her own? Could this be more weakness to be passed on?

Speaking of gene pools there are breeds out there with pretty small ones to chose from. I'm sure that doesn't help when it comes to trying to find a good pedigree match. Should we consider not splitting so many breeds when we have gene pool issues already? Is shrinking the gene pool now going to mean drastic measures later?

I used to think that a person that showed their dogs in AKC conformation events was the earmark of a good breeder. While it CAN be, I am here to tell you that isn't always the case. It seems there are some show breeders out there with only the standard of the breed in mind, even it is goes against the health or temperament of the breed.

Take the standard for the akita for instance. This is what it says under temperament:

From AKC.org = Alert and responsive, dignified and courageous. Aggressive toward other dogs.

Now in this day and age, shouldn't we be breeding a dog that can live easily in our society that INCLUDES other dogs? Or am I crazy? I have heard about breeders using this in the standard as an excuse to NOT breed away from that trait. I have also been told, by several breeders "If you want a golden retriever temperament in an akita, get a golden retriever". All I want is for breeders to consider breeding away from traits that makes a breed tough for an average person to own. Otherwise, what is the future for that breed going to hold? While we fight BSL, shouldn't we also help dogs not become easy targets of it?

That is just one example. To me a reputable breeder is breeding to improve their breed, through health and temperament as their number one and two concerns. Because without these you could end up with a pretty good looking dog, and a soon to be dead dog. Bad temperament will get a dog euthanized as quickly as a serious health issue. Just check in with any local animal shelter to see for yourself.

My new litmus test is to ask why they are breeding and if they don't show to ask what sport or working trait they are breeding for. If they DO show then my next questions will all be health and temperament related. Tell me about the health tests the parents have had prior to breeding. If it is a working breed that they show, can their dogs do the work they were originally bred for? Or are they just breeding for the ring look? A good breeder will not be upset with questions, and they should be able to answer them with no problem.

So what happens if you end up falling in love with a "man made" breed like bulldogs or pugs? Well you try to find a breeder that does as much health testing as possible before breeding, or you go to your local shelter or find a breed specific rescue group to get a dog from realizing the challenges the breed can have medically.

(Interestingly there are imports of french bulldogs that are free whelpers so it is possible within the breed, NOT conforming to our AKC standard of course. To my untrained eye they look like the frenchies in the old photographs. The reason these people developed free whelpers is to keep vet costs down. Unfortunately they most times have horrendous health and temperament problems IF they survive the flights. Do NOT support those breeders/brokers please!)

That's how we ended up with our pug Jenny. I went onto a pug breeder e-list and asked about health testing and got ZERO responses. Why would I support ANY breeder not trying to produce healthy puppies? The short answer is that I wouldn't, and didn't. I'm sure there are some out there but it seemed at the time I had a hard time finding one. (I of course also live somewhat in the boonies which may not have helped.)

I am all for supporting responsible breeders. Buying from a responsible breeder gives you the benefit of a support system for questions and drastically reduces health issues that can crop up in the puppy of the breed you have chosen. (ALL breeds have health issues specific to that breed. Do your research BEFORE buying.) Puppies being produced from untested parents are a crapshoot. If health isn't a concern for you then don't support a backyard breeder or puppymill, (which feeds supply and demand and keeps these idiots in business) check out breed specific rescue instead. They are the ones cleaning up the messes most commonly caused by those type of breeders. And in some cases taking the "extras" produced by show breeders. (which I find vile and those breeders should be ashamed of themselves)

I think breeders have a challenge in front of them. One of them being to reconsider what they are producing for our society. Is this a healthy dog? How do you know, are you doing as much health testing as possible BEFORE breeding? Are your dogs sound in body AND temperament? Are you raising them in a good environment to give them the best start possible? Those first 8 weeks are pretty darn important in their behavioral development after all.

The buyers out there also need to take more responsibility. Do some research before getting a puppy. First make sure the breed you choose is the best one for YOUR situation. Not sure? Try fostering for a shelter or rescue. Try it on for size. Talk to rescue people before breeders (or visit their websites) to find out the NEGATIVES of the breed you think you want. Some breeders might forget to tell you all the downsides, especially if they are just looking at the sale.

Put your ego aside, a good breeder is going to question the beejeepers out of you to make sure the puppy THEY created goes to the most appropriate home. If this upsets you get over it. This means they are in for the long haul, not just to sell you a product. They will be there for the LIFETIME of that puppy! This includes if you can't keep the dog later. They will either take the dog back or help you rehome it if something happens and you can't keep it. If you buy a puppy as a product be prepared to go it alone and have many vet bills ahead of you. (Do you really think if they are breeding for money they are going to cut into their profits by testing the parents before breeding?) You will get what you pay for.

STOP and think before you get a puppy or a dog. This is a HUGE decision that shouldn't be done spur of the moment. I'd love to hear the statistics of shelter dogs that were gotten on impulse.

So those are my thoughts on the subject. I do think responsible breeders will admit the issues their breed has, and work to correct them whenever possible. Breeders NOT working for the betterment of their breed should be run out of it. Unfortunately there will always be uneducated puppy buyers for them to prey on. I guess our job, as the educated, is to help spread the word so we can save them from those breeders.

There are to many dogs out there needing homes already for people to continue adding to the supply and demand chain for irresponsible breeders. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

A victim of stereotyping

Today I became a victim. A victim of stereotyping. I saw a client who during the session admitted a friend told her not to call me for help with her dogs because "She's been in the Marines and is heavy handed with dogs".

For the record the Marine Corps part is true. I spent 6 years right out of high school in the Marines as a jet mechanic on A4 Skyhawks, (seatshop) and as an Embassy Guard. (with tours in Geneva Switzerland and London England) I was even in the first class to admit women in the embassy guard program. (which explains my non-hardship tour, they had no facilities for women at that time) There are 5 of us women in the first class with 3 of us graduating the school. Two of us finished the full program successfully. (one went home early for personal reasons) I am very proud of the time I served and it was a very exciting time in my life. Being a women in the military back then was a challenge for sure.

However, how this translates to me being heavy handed with dogs has to be a mistake of stereotyping. Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows I am a positive reward based trainer. Since becoming a professional trainer I have always used positive methods with my own dogs as well. Previously I had been a traditional method trainer with them. When you know better you do better.

My husband got a good laugh when I told him about it. It would be laughable to me too if it wasn't something that I consider a negative perception of me and the training I offer. Even my dogs would laugh about it if they could understand the story.

All of my clients now are taught with positive methods with the RARE exception for special cases. (like the police drug dog that was previously trained with a prong collar and no food rewards allowed) The key to traditional methods is timing and knowing how to use it to be fair to the dogs. It is NOT used for behavior modification which I do a fair amount of. I seem to be one of the only trainers in the area who sees behavior cases. Thankfully considering one trainer (trainer X previously mentioned) seems to not know very much about normal canine behavior. Scary considering they are teaching group classes including puppies.

But I digress.

I would urge anyone looking for a trainer to check them out before using them. Don't just take a friends word for something unless they are describing their own experiences with the trainer. (and even then consider your source if they are prone to dramatics) Ask around to other people and possible clients of theirs and your local vets. See if they are online with a website. Find out for yourself about the training they offer. Call and ask them! Trainers expect questions from potential clients.

Hopefully after working with her and her dogs today she can nip that rumor in the bud. I would love to know who started it of course and I have my suspicions. I admit it took me back as it is the first time I have heard negative stuff about me as a trainer. Thankfully it is unfounded. It does make me wonder if others have the same perceptions. I guess I'll need to look at my presentation and see if it should be tweaked. It's always something isn't it?

Semper Fi!!