Wordless Wednesday

Little dog love

His name is Milo and I loooove him. I mean seriously, isn't he simply adorable??

I went to my sons basketball game this evening and this sweetie was sitting behind me. (a 10 week old Chihuahua) I didn't notice him at first because he came in a canvas tote. (OK so the dog in a purse thing gets made fun of but I think some of that is jealously. I mean if I could sneak Jack places in a purse I would totally do it. Just saying.) I got to molest him at half time. He gave me kisses and puppy love while I got sweet nice cuddle time. It was awesome. Being the dork I am I requested a photo to share here. Yes I have no shame.

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Once upon a time I never would have considered having a super small dog. Now I find myself really liking them. I can even see myself with a tiny little guy like Milo someday. A pretty big change from the 100 plus pound akitas I've always had.

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There is something to be said for the lesser expense involved in having smaller dogs. The difference in their food bill and my akitas food bill alone I'm sure is quite substantial. I suppose that could translate to being able to afford to have more dogs. A herd of Chihuahuas anyone? VBG

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Speaking of food this was the scene here last week.

The lobsters were making noises in the bucket and Jenny couldn't quite figure it out since she wasn't tall enough to see over the edge. I'm sure they smelled pretty interesting too. (another 6 were already in the cooker) Jack was curious but not excited by the commotion and Missy could have cared less.
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The Missy Update: She is doing ok. She has good days and bad days at this point. We had to increase her prednisone recently as some her symptoms had returned. So far so good on this dose.

Continuing education

One of the things I get excited about is attending seminars to keep learning about training and behavior. I feel like there is always something more to learn in this field. I don't care if you have been in the business for 5 years or 50, you can always learn more. Check out Ed Frawley, a training veteran of 50 plus years admitting even he learned something new recently in regards to Marker Training http://leerburg.com/markers.htm Something he admits to making fun of in the past. I look forward to seeing more of his stuff veer in the positive direction after his many years in the force method training camp.
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Side note: Yup force training works, I just prefer to go the non-confrontational and sometimes pain inducing route with my dogs whenever possible. I am not actually against all force training. But many people use it unfairly for the dog in my opinion. I started in force methods years ago so am technically now what they call a cross-over trainer since I switched techniques. When you know better you do better is the way I look at it. (P.S. Positive does NOT equal permissive.) His marker training video is awesome by the way and I can highly recommend it.
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I have a hard time understanding why any trainer wouldn't pursue their continuing education. Learning more helps make you a better trainer. The more you know the easier your job becomes. Plus it is always good to get together with your peers to trade feedback on cases.
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There are some seminars I can't attend due to timing, cost, travel issues or for personal reasons but I try to make any that come anywhere near me whenever possible. I can't always make it happen however. I am going to miss a spectacular one in Boston coming up with Dr. Ian Dunbar and Dr. Nicholas Dodman due to a combination of timing with my husbands winter job and a sick dog. http://www.jamesandkenneth.com/store/show/EBT-001 I placate myself by trying not to think about it. (But pass the info on!!)
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Fortunately I found this gem in an ad seen in the local dog newspaper: Downeast Dog News. I am very excited that not only is it a fun seminar that will apply to clients dogs too, I can participate hands on with one of my dogs AND it is local to me. No long distance travel time necessary this time. Score one for me!



Yes I have her book already in my library. FMI on Dee Ganley: http://www.deesdogs.com/
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I'll most likely take Jenny as she is my high maintenance dog that could really use the work. She is also the one I need to mentally challenge more. I'll be sure to try to nab some photos to share during the workshop.
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P.S. Hey check out my new "search this blog" gadget on the top right of the page. I am WAY excited about this. Now finding past posts on other topics has become so much easier. Enjoy!!

Happy Halloween!

I got a lovely update on our former foster frenchie Dash. Here he is with his brother Ivan.

It seems they entered a costume party with their bulldog cousin. The grand prize was a stay at a fancy Boston hotel for their humans. They not only looked adorable but they also won. (yay!)Mom and dad are very proud.

Their cousin as a hotdog, Dash and Ivan as the condiments.

He really is to cute for his own good. (not that I am biased or anything)

And check out the free jack-o-lantern dog breed stencils at the Better Homes and Gardens site: http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/pumpkin-carving/pumpkin-carving-stencils-of-favorite-dogs/ Here's one of them that my friend Sarah did for work.

Enjoy your holiday and keep those pupsters away from the candy and scary masks.

Why I heart trick training

So is anyone else as excited by the new show on Animal Planet called Super Fetch as I am? Hosted by Zak George this is a show that literally shows how you can teach any dog any trick in a step by step process. I love it.

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The first episode had a french bulldog that was owned by a man with a hair salon. To help drum up business he wanted the dog to fetch the clients gowns once they sat down. The other dog on the episode was an akita mix. The wife of the household wanted to teach the dog to move the husbands alarm clock when it when off in the morning to prevent him from hitting the snooze button repeatedly in the morning. I won't tell you how it turned out, but I will say I loved the part where the wife was happy that the dog was now listening to her more since starting working with him. Before that the dog was much more into her husband. She realized that the training helped them build a better bond with each other. I found another episode with a guy that wanted his dog to do a trick so he could get women's phone numbers hysterical. (homework is always assigned which the owner never did)

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I have to admit I once thought tricks were a silly extra in dog training. I have since discovered that tricks have alot of power. Consider that for some reason people expect dogs to do the basics like sit and lay down. Stay and come are also not very flashy but also expected by many owners. Even when your dog knows these exercises people aren't impressed. But there is something about your dog showing off a trick that makes them look brilliant to everyone around. Even if that same dog eats it's own poo or gets lost in tall grass.

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I am a big fan of rescue groups teaching tricks along with the basics to dogs that are waiting for homes. Just one good trick can really wow potential adopters. People think that if you can teach a dog a trick, then they can learn anything. This can then translate for some people that those really smart dogs can learn to be very well behaved dogs. (which of course we know they can)

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Trick training is always a positive way to interact with your dog. And alot of tricks also utilize some basic obedience at the core so you are teaching more than just a trick. For instance you can't teach roll over until you teach down first. Trick training can also help you learn to communicate more effectively with your dog. If they do not understand what you are asking, they cannot learn the trick. It challenges the owner to bridge that communication gap between canine and human.

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Trick training can be great mental stimulation for high energy dogs as well. The act of having to figure out what their human wants can be challenging for them. Mental stimulation can help to tire out a dog that needs an energy burn off. Think rainy day and no walk. Or maybe the owner is physically limited in some way. Think broken leg and no walk. Mental stimulation can be a way to manage a dog that needs something to do to prevent boredom related destruction as well.

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Trick training can also be more fun for some owners to do than basic obedience training. If it is more fun for the owner then they will be willing to participate more training their dog. If they work with the dog more and because of that build a better bond they are then more willing to invest time into the basic obedience work as well. It is a win win situation.

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These are just a few reasons I like dogs doing tricks.

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Not convinced trick training has any real value? Check out this guys story. He has turned a trick into an enterprise to sustain himself. http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/10/20/two-beans/

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And here is more info on Zak George with some videos. http://blogs.discovery.com/zak_george/

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I haven't forgotten my goal of working through the 101 dog trick book, I have just been to distracted by Missy lately to focus on it as a priority. My trick training is "to be continued" for the moment.

A Minos weekend

My sister is out of town so Minos is here for the weekend. Being a (yet) unneutered 10 month old male is making the visit just a little bit more interesting. There has been lots of peeing on things (dog beds that smell like other dogs are his favorite) and ardent pursuit of the Jenny. (He looooves her.) Jack is still happy to play with him but a little less tolerant of some of his antics then previously. Add to that Missy's occasional accidents as a side effect of her medication and I am already doing an extra large load of laundry tonight. Thankfully in all other respects he is an easy keeper. No food aggression or toy possessiveness, eats on a schedule, good recall and crate trained. It could be so much worse. I am still tired of cleaning up dog pee though. Thank goodness for natures miracle.

I finally nabbed a photo of Thomas, the other clinic cat. He was also brought in years ago due to litter box issues to be euthanized. (which he interestingly doesn't have at the clinic) He is super shy and was considered difficult to place so he lives with us. (yes we got permission from the owner to keep him first for those that are wondering) He is one of the biggest chow hounds I have ever seen. He is always on hand to share food left lying around if invited or not.

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And on another note please send thoughts out to a friend who lost her cat yesterday to a tragic accident. His name was Bobby and he was a beautiful orange tabby. My thoughts also go out to another friend who lost her Italian Greyhound "Dragon" in a tragic accident and a friend who had to let her Collie "Rosie" go because of a painful tumor. It has been a dark time for to many people this week. No matter when or why, losing our beloved companions never seems fair. Our time with them is always to short. Godspeed sweet friends. May they all find the peace they deserve.

Photo op!

Since Missy's diagnoses I have been a little obsessed with getting a really good photo of the 3 dogs together. These are a few of the better ones I took yesterday. If I can figure out how to crop this first one the size I need I might use it as a blog banner.

Missy is not a fan of the camera as you can see by her ear set. To be fair the sun was also in her eyes. She is doing MUCH better on the prednisone at the moment. She is almost normal again and even felt good enough for a roll in the grass the other day.

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Jenny got a new harness. The step ins are great as a dual use tool because you can also use them as a seat belt. This is the "Zen" pattern from: http://www.marityndog.com/ I special ordered it at The Loyal Biscuit. She carries the line for those that are local. (Or not. E-mail her if you would like to purchase something from there yourself. She will ship. )

Missy looks happier in this pic because there was food involved.

This is a photo of the shirt I got for helping at this years dog walk for the shelter. You can buy them here: http://www.humanesocietyofknoxcounty.org/ (e-mail them for prices, sizes and colors) It is a beautiful shade in person. Very "fallish", and I think the logo is adorable.

I swear this year I WILL get a nice photo of the kids and dogs for this years Christmas cards. I always plan it and always procrastinate just a little to long. Wish me luck. Oh and feel free to comment and leave opinions on the new blog look. Likes and dislikes. I do love feedback.