NO HUGGING!

I'm going to keep this short- because I want everyone to read it...

If you ever have the opportunity to watch a very dominant dog meet another dog, you might see a behavior that I call "necking."  The dominant dog will lay his neck over the other dog's shoulders or back and press down.  It is a body language that tests the other dog's temperament and says "I'm the BOSS...  what are you going to do about it?"

If the other dog is submissive, he will simply accept this status and they will get along fine.  But if he does not accept the dominance of the other dog, he will turn and snap and most likely a fight will break out.

When a child leans over a dog to hug it, this behavior can be interpreted as a challenge by the dog.

Your dog may be very tolerant and enjoy this kind of affection from your child.  But your child needs to understand boundaries when interacting with other people's dogs.

And as dog owners, we also need to teach children who interact with our dog, that hugging or laying on or - heaven forbid- sitting on a dog is never ok.  I insist that children sit down and my dog sits so that they can interact safely.  I don't want the child to trip over or step on a tail or fall against my dog.

This may seem like an "eye roller" post to some, but I've seen way to many children injured and good dogs having to be euthanized because a child simply did not understand the message that they were innocently sending a dog.  

HUGGING = NECKING  Maybe the dog will accept it.  Maybe he won't.  Maybe yours will.  Maybe the next one won't.

 MOVEMENT-

if you’ve ever trained with me for more than 5 minutes then you’ve heard me say the phrase that "movement is dominance."

"Dominance" has become an ugly word in today’s society, but it is just another term for taking the lead. Even if there are only 2 living beings in any situation, whoever can move the other is the dominant one. The dominant one takes the lead on which direction is traveled and how they will get there.  Even very kind, easy going people- or dogs- can be dominant by using some form of manipulation to move another.
Dominant does not mean “abusive.”
I once had someone tell me they only use “positive reinforcement” for their dogs because they don’t like to hit them.
What?
So abuse is the opposite of positive???
Um. No.

Yesterday I was watching a pair of geese move their tiny flock of babies across a busy street and parking lot. There were about 8 geese total. Mama Goose was pecking at the bums of the tiny geese, moving them along slowly but at the same time keeping them close together and going all in the same direction.
What she was not doing was standing in front of the babies, facing them, and pleading for them to come with her.
And yet that is what I constantly see humans doing to try to convince their dog to follow them. A good leader does not beg and plead and barter. A good leader moves in the right direction, facing forward demonstrating confidence in the movement.
I'm sure some of our “positive only” training counterparts would consider her pecking at the tiny yellow fluff butts to be abusive. I mean, she looked pretty aggressive, with her neck coiled like a cobra squawking and carrying on.  Why didn’t she just kindly and patiently offer them a treat if they all stayed together and went across the parking lot?

Because the seriousness and dominance she demonstrated let her babies know that it was critical for them to follow her. She kept them safe. She delivered them to the other side despite the closeness of big scary rolling tires and roaring engines.

 The uncertain goslings trusted her completely and she delivered them safely to the other side. None of the baby geese were traumatized by her authority. Instead they reached the pond on the other side and nestled down peacefully into the long grass.

We, as dog handler’s, need to learn to move our dogs just as Mother Goose did.

For the safety and well-being of your dog, learn to be the leader and don’t be afraid to use humane correction to keep your dog's world big and safe and fun.  Whether you're walking into the vet or trying to get them into the car, be a good leader, not a sappy nagger and don't worry about what other people think.  Find the right collar, leash and equipment to help you be a successful leader and don't join in your dog's drama and anxiety by feeling bad.

Look forward at where you are going.  Move assertively.

Lead,  Feel good about it.  Repeat.

EUTHANASIA; when your heart flips wrong side out

 

EUTHANASIA: when your heart flips wrong side out...

It is THE WORST day of your life with your dog.  It is a day you may have been anticipating for weeks or months- when you know you are near the end, taking the last walk, eating the last ice cream cone or hamburger, or for my dear sweet Mooi- plate of spaghetti.  Whether it be due to old age (hopefully) or a diagnosis with a sad prognosis, the time to euthanise is self inflicted, unmitigated torture.

You play it over and over and over in your mind... asking all the questions- 

"Am I making the right decision?"  "Will my dog understand?"  "Am I being selfish?"  "Should I wait?"  "What if he might get better?"  

When I was little, we lived on a farm at the end of a half mile gravel lane.  My mother would wait for me to get off the bus at the road.  I would climb down with an armload of books and lunchbox and papers and sweaters and whatever else I brought home each day.

She would empty my arms and carry them for me- setting me free to run and dance and skip and pick flowers and climb trees and catch caterpillars and do cartwheels and play all the way home.  

When you sacrifice your own emotions, to let your dog go, all that pain, all that grief, all the breath that leaks out of your lungs... you are taking all that on, to let him go free.  What you are carrying, releases him from his suffering.  You take it all on, as you have his whole life, to give him the best you have to offer.

When we set our beloved dog free, it feels like someone is pulling a loose string from our heart, unraveling a lifetime of memories and daily routines and relationships.  There is no official definer of when the time is right.  There is NO easy way to get through it.  It.  Is. Horrible.

But it is what we sign up for and it is a darn good trade off for the the lifetime of loyalty and love and fun and laughs and best friendship that we cherish every day they are with us.

When the time comes, grieve with all your might.  Don't hold back.  Those who know, understand.  Go through old pictures.  Hug his favorite toy. Put his tag on your key chain. Cry as hard as you need.  Dogs never hold back or fake emotion, and yours would never want you to either. 

 I believe that grief is the most sincere expression of love.

Just breath... breathe... breathe... and when you're ready...  It's ok to laugh again.  It's ok to love again.

FIREWORKS!!! Why dog owners hate the 4th of July

C'Mon 'Merica- it's time to CELEBRATE!  

But all I'm seeing these days are social media posts from dog loving friends who dread not only this holiday, but the weeks preceding it, because everyone is shooting off fireworks.
And let me tell you, I understand!  As the owner/operator of a dog that loses her entire set of marbles over the slightest hint of an air disturbance- whether it be thunder, gun shots, (we live near a firing range) or heaven forbid a fire cracker, I've seen her panic and misery during the BOOM BOOM holiday.

Of course my first and best remedy is Valerian Root.  I give my 65# dog 2 capsules of this all natural supplement, an hour before any expected turbulence.  I also put her in her crate where she feels the most safe.  I keep lights in the room turned on so flashes in the sky are not so noticeable.

Some people have good results using the tight body wrap type shirts or other remedies.  Personally, I refuse to give drugs that have side effects for an issue which has none.  Fear passes.  Liver damage does not.  But that's just me.

But my advice for you is the word RECOVERY.  How quickly YOU move on from your dog's stress and trauma directly effects how quickly your dog will.

Last weekend, I was competing at an outdoor event.  I had taken along my fearful dog because I enjoy her company and special time with her.
 She was laying at my feet when a groundskeeper pulled up literally 6 feet away from us in a gator.  He shut the thing off and went and did groundskeeping things and came back and started it up.  When he did, it BACK FIRED so loudly that many of us dropped to the ground- it sounded like a bomb went off.

My competition dog began trembling in his crate, and my poor worry wart dog, about had a heart attack.  But guess what... NONE of us were injured in any way.  As soon as I assessed the situation and gave the groundskeeper my meanest stink eye, I went to my cooler and pulled out some scrambled eggs- which is my dogs' favorite training treat.  I had them sit, and gave them a couple of other familiar obedience commands.  They got eggs.  They got rewarded verbally and energetically.  This is what we do at home all the time.  So suddenly the unfamiliar became very familiar despite their fear and apprehension.  I took this picture just minutes after the incident.  My very fearful dog was resting peacefully, once again, enjoying our girl time.

My dogs RECOVERED!  Of course, I was angry and frustrated that they had been upset, but adding my negative emotions or sympathy to their distraught would help NOTHING!

So my advice here may seem over simplified, but lets face it, life is full of unpleasant surprises! 
So stop hating your neighbors who are just having a good time.  Go eat a hot dog, drink something cold, have some ice cream and enjoy this lovely Independence Day.

My best advice is to focus on RECOVERY as quickly as possible.  Your dog may be wild eyed and panting, but put that leash on him and put him to work.  The quicker you return to business as usual, rather than "Oh you poor poor baby!" the sooner he will get over it.

And if obedience practice is NOT normal and familiar, then perhaps it should be.  Find a trainer.  Find a class.  Find a blog.  And train your dog- (hey that rhymed!)
 it will come in real handy by July 4, 2020!

"IT'S OK" is not OK

When your dog suddenly panics, freezes, cowers or balks when something happens that he perceives as frightening, what do you do?
If you immediately turn back to him (mistake #1) begin to verbally reassure him that "It's OK' (mistake #2) and bend down to pet and comfort him (mistake #3) then you are MIRRORING him, not leading him.
I see it all the time- very kind, compassionate, loving dog owners do all the EXACT WRONG things when their dog becomes frightened.

Think about this... if the room you are sitting in right now was on fire and you were trapped, would you want a fireman to gently open the door, give you a hug and tell you "It's OK" ?!?!
NO!  You would want him to take charge, have a plan and lead the way OUT!

But if what you do is JOIN the dog in his feelings, you are not helping him overcome them.

By turning back to him, you have left your status of  leadership.  You have gone back into the fire with him.
When you feel bad for the dog, now there are 2 beings that feel bad.
If you bend down and pet him or pick him up and carry him, you are rewarding an undesirable state of mind and taking him out of the situation, rather than teaching him to process through it.

Well crap- that's exactly what you do, isn't it???  That's ok- it just means you are a nice person.  But lets make you into a nice person who is a hero to their dog.

Next time let's have a different game plan.  When your dog panics:

FIRST: look straight ahead at the direction you were intending to travel and KEEP GOING.  (don't go back into the fire)  Be sure you have a non-slip collar like a martingale, on your dog at all times, so that he has no choice but to go with you.  

SECOND: breathe, move forward and cheer- not comfort- "WOOHOO Buddy, here we go!"
This is hard when you have an audience and it appears you are dragging your dog, but ignore those feelings for your dog's sake and for progress' sake.

THIRD: physically lead your dog THROUGH the fear tunnel.  Get all the way out and past what frightened him and then... this is the hard part....
SHUT UP!  Just stand tall and relax and DEMONSTRATE that IT IS OK.  Give your dog process time to realize that HE IS FINE and that he navigated a fearful situation by following a confident leader.  And then you can celebrate with a snuggle!

What happens is that each time your dog moves THROUGH and OUT OF the fear tunnel, (instead of you crawling in it with him) he learns that you are confident in bad situations and all he has to do is go with you!

I personally own a Dutch Shepherd that was handed to me at 8 months of age and told she was stupid and un-trainable- because she was completely shut down.  She wouldn't even open her eyes and bolted at the slightest sound.  It destroyed me to see her like that.  So I put her to work- training in a variety of situations that she perceived as SCARRRRRRRY. 
 I'll never forget the first time I walked her past a fire hydrant and she bolted and spun and nearly dragged me to the ground.  
However, a year later, that same little Dutch girl, was ranked #1 in all of World Cynosport Rally Obedience.  "Stupid and Un-Trainable" became "I trust you and will do whatever you say."

You can do it too.  Train yourself.  Lead your dog.

"SLIPPED HIS COLLAR..."

Such sad stories start with the words...  "He just slipped his collar." 

And it's so totally avoidable.

Regular flat collars slip off.  Harnesses slip off.  

Frightened dogs.  Stubborn dogs.  Startled dogs.  

They suddenly back up and pull and they're GONE. 
Just this morning I was on my way with my dogs to search for a tiny dog that had "just slipped his collar."

Before I could arrive on location, I got the news...  "Search called off.  Not a happy ending."

If only everyone knew about- and used Martingale collars- this unhappy ending could so often be avoided.

A Martingale collar fits like a regular flat buckle collar.  You can attach I.D. tags to it.

Unlike Choke Chains, which constrict indefinitely, the Martingale is safe, humane and effective to use in training and every day walks, as it applies pressure, but does not strangle.

But the Martingale's best feature is that, if adjusted properly, it's ESCAPE PROOF.

For big neck dogs, that would normally need their flat collar adjusted snugly to keep it from sliding off, this collar should fit neatly at the top of the neck and allow you to slide 2 fingers underneath.  It only tightens when the dog pulls against leash pressure, or backs up.

There are different versions of the Martingale.  Some have a nylon drawing circle and others have chain.  They both work with the exact same drawing mechanism.  It's just a matter of personal preference which you choose. 
 Some have clasp buckles and some just slide over the head.  
They are relatively inexpensive and usually don't cost any more than a regular flat collar.

If you have a dog with a large head, you should probably choose the one with a clasp buckle so that it can be fitted tightly enough to be effective.  When fitting the collar, the two side rings should BARELY be able to touch with extreme pressure.  Remember, the whole purpose of this collar is to keep it from coming off.  

Even if your dog is a 3rd level obedience champ or walks perfectly on leash, I strongly advise using a Martingale at all times.  You never know what freak accident can happen and you don't want a sad story that starts with the words "he slipped his collar."

I don't make or sell Martingale collars.  I'm just a trainer, a dog lover, who's heart is broken over another unnecessary accident.

3 Ingredient K9 Protein Pick Ups

3 Ingredient K9 Protein Pick Ups

Here is a recipe I came up with for an easy protein snack to pack to trials for an energy pick up.  Or just for a healthy treat because your dog is so dang cute...

And, worse case scenario- if there's no concession stand- you can eat them too, if you're desperate!

Heat oven to 350*

4 eggs

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup peanut butter

Mix together and roll into golf ball size

Bake for 15 minutes!

Easy Peasy Enjoy!!!