A REMINDER

Present day: Sunday 7pm

The phone rings. It’s Jessica
“Hey mom.”
“Hey”
“I’m ready to kill my dog!”
“Oh geez, what happened?”
“She ate twelve cupcakes. Will she be alright?”

Back flash to six months ago:

While I stand in Jess kitchen, S is in her high chair eating her breakfast, rooting on the floor directly under her are Ottis and Amber. When the flow of cheerios stopped, Amber’s front paws make contact with the counter top next to me and she proceeds to “surf.”
With my mouth agape I watched Amber in full sniff mode searching for easy pickings.
I then eyed Jess standing on the other side mindlessly chatting, involved with what she was doing.
Again I looked at Amber, then at Jess. Jess was oblivious to the four legged vacuum working her way across the counters edge.
“Jess!”
“Huh?”
As I directed my gaze back to Amber Jess came back to reality and shooed Amber off. I closed my mouth but couldn’t keep it shut.
“What the heck?”
“What? She got down when I told her to.”

At the risk of being redundant, let’s go back to doggy 101.

Dogs will repeat a behavior if it’s reinforced whether intentionally or not. The higher the payout the stronger the behavior. That is why preventing the behavior from ever happening is vital. Food is highly motivating for most dogs. Combine that with toddlers who drop food and are low to the ground they become food slot machines. Snatching food off the counter just one time will teach a dog where the high payouts can be found.
An owner will drive themselves crazy trying to “correct” the problem of food stealing with punishment than preventing the behavior to begin with. Every time the owner leaves the dog alone with reachable goodies on the counter or free to cleanup while the child is eating, the dog is inadvertently being rewarded for the stealing behavior.

Fast forward to present time:

“Jess, how did she get a hold of twelve cupcakes?”
“They were on the counter cooling while she was outside with us. The neighbors came by with their dogs and I put her inside so she wouldn’t go crazy, and when I came in she had eaten them. "
“And why would you leave cupcakes where she could reach them?!”
“I know... I know. But she was outside; it’s all the neighbors fault!”
“Your not serious right?" I wanted to reach through the phone line and smack her silly. That’s called “positive punishment”
“No, I’m not. I just wasn’t thinking. I forgot all about them. Will she be alright?”
“Where they chocolate?”
“No, vanilla with vanilla icing.”
“She’ll be fine. But remember, what goes in eventually has to come out.”
Hopefully this will be a wake up call for Jessica when she is up at 2:00 in the morning cleaning up a dozen vanilla cupcakes that her dog so enjoyed.

MY HOW TIME FLYS!

Wow, so what happened with the time? It’s been a month and a half since my last post.
Well, I guess there really wasn’t much to write!

Amber is growing at a normal pace for a puppy both physically and behaviorally.
House breaking is having its ups and downs, but she is getting the idea. Jess and the family are making great strides with Amber but are becoming a little slack at preventing some bad behaviors. One being begging and taking food from the baby.
Because there is such high reinforcement from a baby dropping food or feeding the dog, that asking any animal especially in the beginning stages of training to leave the food alone is virtually impossible.

I suggested they keep Amber separated from S. when she is eating, and then only if Amber is calm after S. is done, can they let her out. Also giving Amber a special treat filled toy while the baby is eating, can distract Amber from the falling food. We would also start to implement the “go to your spot” so that eventually she wouldn’t have to be locked up. If they had not strayed from this routine, Amber would eventually learn that being calm during eating time would get her great rewards.
Being a parent of two young children can be overwhelming and distracting, but by just taking those few extra minutes of prevention could eliminate a future of frustration with your dog.

The family worked on Amber’s obedience lessons at home, but also took a group class with my other students. This helped Amber with socializing with people and dogs, but also helped with her distraction work.

Many people don’t understand that although you may work diligently with your dog at home, you will never get the “bomb proof” dog if you do not work in other environments and at different distraction levels. This is called proofing your dog. You teach your dog the obedience behaviors in a quiet, non-distracting environment then carefully and sloooowwwly introduce heavier distractions. You can not expect to teach your dog to lie down at home in your kitchen, and then the following month take it to a softball game and expect the same behavior. Any trainer worth a dime will tell you this. If not, then they are probably using harsh training methods such as electronic collars.

I hear time and again, “I don’t have to socialize my dog, because I have two other dogs at home its good with”. Not only will your dog be afraid of unfamiliar dogs, but may become extremely dependent on the other dog or you. This is called “learned helplessness. “ Think about it this way, if you had children, and the only human contact they ever had in their entire lives were with the parents and siblings, and they never saw the rest of the world except their home how socially stable do you think your children would be?

Take your puppy everywhere! Don’t over whelm him especially at such a young age, but take him to doggy fun places, the park, pumpkin picking, Christmas tree cutting, the feed store. Get to know your dogs stress signals. Watch his body posture. Is he stiff or tail tucked? Panting or licking his lips? Large dinner plate pupils? If so, it may be too much for him, take it slow by going to the park when no one is there. Or is he calm? Wagging his tail and happily greeting people? Sitting or lying down. Well, maybe you can move on to a little bigger distraction or environment. Highly reinforce your dog ANY time he shows calm behavior. If you stay calm and in control, your dog will also

Ok, we know Amber has some dog to dog issues. Whether it’s from coming from a household of all dominate large dogs, that reportedly were harsh with her and her sister, or if she is picking up some of these behaviors from Ottis, I’m not sure. She may have been taken from the litter to early and never learned proper “doggy” behavior from her mom and siblings. Either way, the history is not really important. Fear or aggression (aggression usually stems from fear) is all worked with the same way. Re-direction, desensitizing and associative learning.

So how does Amber react?
She did well in class. Rob and Jess where able to keep her focused on them with treats and her obedience. This is re-directing the behavior. If she is looking at them, and doing other things, she won’t be focusing on the other dogs. She will also come to associate calm behavior and yummy treats with other dogs, associative learning. Off leash, she’s ok with play, but is cautious when first meeting another dog. She is fearful and will react in a fearful way if a dog moves to fast towards her, but once she is familiar with the dog, she can play nicely, occasionally getting a little to rough. She is very vocal and sometimes Jess reacts too quickly as if she is going to fight. I try to discourage Jess from over reacting, because this can make a situation worse. Calmly get your dogs attention, re-direct her or calmly remove her from play.

So what do you do if your dog starts barking and carrying on when seeing another dog on leash?
What you DON’T do is what most people always do.
Holler and start yanking on the dog’s collar.
A couple of things are going on here.

First, your dog at that level of distraction is not focused on you. It is focused on the other dog, especially if the other dog is reacting the same way. When you start to scream you are feeding into that high level of excitement. Like a pack of dogs that are going for the kill.

Second, you are pulling tightly on the leash, which causes your dog’s body posture to change. The other dog, which may at first have been calm, now may see your dog as a threat because of the stiff straight body, which in turn will make your dog feel more threatened.

Lastly, if you correct your dog every time they give a growl or bark, you are suppressing their warning signals . You will create a dog that doesn’t warn you, but who will go right to the bite. Dogs as a species do not like confrontation. Its fight or flight. If they can not get away, or can not let the other “being” know that they are afraid, they will bite. I hear time and time again, “I don’t know what happened; she just bit the dog out of the blue!” This goes for people too. I highly doubt it. The dog was probably giving warnings for quite some time, and no one heeded them or they were suppressed. AH you’re paying attention now!!

Aggression or fear does not just go away. They do not just “grow out of it” It is something that progressively gets worse and dogs get so much better at things with practice.

Heed my warning. If your puppy shows any signs of fear or aggression work with it immediately and for the rest of its life. If any doubt on the level of your dogs reactivity or how to resolve it, call a positive motivational trainer.

But for now, if you have a good puppy and may be experiencing some mild reaction to other dogs, try using some of these tips.

Stay calm!
Socialize, socialize, socialize! Puppy Play!

If you don’t know the other dog and are nervous or uncomfortable. Walk away! Keep walking, don’t stand there and let your dog go crazy! Encourage your dog to follow you and when he is calmer, ask for a sit, praise for the CALM behavior. Keep his attention on you or a toy. RE-DIRECT!

If you meet up with a dog, ask the owner if their dog is dog friendly. You can somewhat tell by the dogs body language, but still ask. Remember the suppressing the growl thing? The other owner may have done that with their dog! If either dog is very stiff or making direct “hard” eye contact, CALMLY tell your dog lets go and walk the other way. If they want to meet on friendly terms, let them stiff for gods’ sake. Don’t pull back on the leash tight. Don’t let them get tangled, but let them do their doggy stuff. As gross as it sounds, let them sniff butt. To them, it’s like you shaking hands with someone. If either dog tries to “mount” the other, even by just putting it’s head on the shoulders of the other dog, calmly tell your dog, ok, lets go and walk away. If they are play “bowing”, and bodies are soft and they are curving around each other, that’s ok. If one lies on its back and is submissive, let them sniff!!
It drives me absolutely NUTS when people want proper “human” etiquette from a dog!

Ok, so one more rant and then I’m off this subject.

If your dog is dog friendly, don’t assume that everyone else’s is also.
I was at 4H fair years ago with my Jack Russell, Peanut. Well anyone who is familiar with this breed knows that they can be pretty defensive. That’s putting it nicely.
I did little agility demos at the fair and as long as she knew what was around her she was fine.

I’ve always kept her close and a watchful eye on her, because she would react to other dogs if surprised.

At this 4H fair, I had peanut on a short lead sitting right next to me while I was getting food.
Someone with her exuberant Golden was standing about five feet away from me. She did not pay attention to her dog as he was jumping around at the very end of his six foot lead and got into Peanuts face. In doggy etiquette, that is being very rude. Peanut turned around lunged, snarled and barked at the Golden. If you know anything about terriers they can be pretty frightening but usually harmless.

That was the moment the Golden’s owner decided to pay attention to her dog, She had a few choice words to say to me and my vicious little ten pound ankle biter, and that neither one of us should have been there. She walked away in a huff, muttering under her breath how rude some dog owners could be, while her Golden was pulling her through the heavy crowd of people dodging left and right to stay out of her Goldens way.

Two lessons here. Have control of your dog at all times and don’t assume the world around you is always friendly.


My phone rang, it was Jess

“Yes?”
“Guess what your grand-daughter is doing?”
“What?”
“Riding Amber like a horse”.
“Oh boy!”
“Amber was licking the dishes in the dish washer, and I got tired of telling her no, so I just let her do it, and S. decided to ride her”.
“Did Amber growl at all? Especially with the food?”
“Nope, she just kept on licking.”

What an awesome dog!

WEEK 2

DAY 9

Jessica, Rob and E. are all going on vacation to the outer banks this week.
S., Ottis, Lynx, and Amber will be watched by three different people while they are gone.

Kieran, Jess’ best friend, Angie, Jess’ half sister and me.

Between the three of us we should do a pretty good job of messing up the routines and the household.

Kieran’s stay begins Saturday till Monday evening when I take over.
Kieran, coming from a big family and being the big sister is quite like a mom herself. I had no doubt that S. would be well taken care of and kept to her daily routine. She loves children and S. loves her.
The animals on the other hand may need some intervention, so I made an effort to get up to the house everyday and started working with Amber on her obedience and manners.

“So, how’s it going?” I asked while watching butt naked S. and Amber frolic in the kiddy pool.
“S. is doing well, but Amber had some accidents in the house. She was sleeping so I went upstairs to put S. to bed and I came down and she had messed.”
The “keep the puppy with you at all times” rule is for every human in the house, whether permanent or temporary.
I explained to Kieran some of the training we had been doing with Amber.
Nothing in life is free and extinction training.

Why nothing in life is free.

There has been an ongoing debate between animal behaviorist and trainers whether dominance is the driving force behind a dog’s behavior and how they interact with the world around them. Many argue that dominance of the pack, that includes humans, will always dictate how your dog behaves and unless it is constantly controlled, your dog will battle for that position and bad behavior will result if not done so.
To be a good leader, does one have to be dominant? Dominant means to rule over or control. Lead means to have one follow, or to show the way.
Different training practices have resulted from these conflicting beliefs and theories.
This is what I believe.
When most think of dominance it instills a picture of harshness, intimidation and breaking of ones spirit to gain control.

Hitler ruled with dominance. Gandhi did not.

As a parent, hopefully I raised my child with the sense of respect , and trust with out using intimidation and fear, and hopefully I have done the same with my dogs. I have to be honest, though, I did not think this way when working with dogs twenty years ago.
Ah, now does this mean that I never say no to my grandchildren or my dogs? Would you try to reason with a one year old as to why they shouldn’t touch the stove? No. Would it mean I may have to get really stern with that child to get my point across? Yes. I feel there should be a balance between the both.
Ok, so what does all this have to do with “nothing in life is free?”
It all goes back to leadership. A lot of owners push their dogs into “good behavior” by harsh physical or mental punishment instead of reinforcement. I have been in homes where the dog was so well behaved it wouldn’t move from its bed. When I walked into the room, it wouldn’t even raise its head in greeting. This is not a happy animal. If you look at the rest of the family, they all probably have that same look. Everyone is well behaved and controlled but with a price. Their spirits have been broken.

In most cases, when I walk into a home the dog is totally out of control, along with the kids. Neither the dog or kids know who’s in charge.
In both cases whether they realize it or not, with no consistency, lack of reinforcement or over

use of punishment, owners are creating poor relationships with their dogs, .

Do you teach your children to say please before they get something? Do you reward them for something right even if not asked? Do you take away something important to them as a punishment?

Well, this is what I am teaching Jess to do with Amber. Jess will be controlling Amber’s recourses to gain the sense of leadership. The trick is to figure out what her dog finds very valuable. It could be food, toys, sniffing, running, even Jess herself. Amber will have to say “ please” for everything by offering different behaviors such as a sit or down before getting her dinner, attention or play. Make sense?

It’s definitely control, but without the use of force.
Jessica will also be using classical conditioning and associative learning. These are not theories these are scientifically proven methods teaching.

WEEK 1

Introducing a new animal to an existing household can be tricky.
Before even going into the house, take your puppy to her “potty spot”. She will most likely pee, just from stress. Then introduce one dog at a time outside. Leave the leashes loose or take it off. Let them sniff each other everywhere and I mean everywhere!


Ottis has been around numerous dogs in his life, so one more in his yard wasn’t anything new. He sniffed, she sniffed, and he walked away.
Lynx the cat was a different story. He took one look at Amber as she walked into the house, his tail blew up, he instantly looked ten pounds bigger and his eyes where the size of dinner plates. He flew off the chair, slid into the wall, and went headlong into the baby gate before disappearing for three days.


As I scanned the living room I asked, “So where did you put the crate?”
“What crate”
“You didn’t put the crate together yet? When are you going to do it, tonight at 8:00? I’ll go get the crate.”
As Amber wandered the house and got her bearings I reminded Jess that she needs to watch Amber like a hawk. Either tie her to her waist or lock her in the room with her. If she could not watch her, put her in her crate. Rob and E. will be the hardest to convince on how important this is when housebreaking a dog.


Here is a copy of what I give to clients to help with the housebreaking process.
Housebreaking
1. Crate, Crate, Crate! They are not cruel and unusual punishment. If introduced in a positive way, it can become your puppy’s favorite space. Dogs tend to be clean animals and as a rule, do not defecate where they sleep. (Getting a dog from a pet shop or kennel, may blow this rule out the window) It should be big enough for the pup to stand and turn around in, no heavy beds or blankets (they will soak up the urine) and keep away from direct sunlight or heat. If the pup has to be in for extended amounts of time, he should be exercised adequately am and pm. That means, running, playing for a good 1/2 hour at a time. A walk to the mailbox does not constitute good exercise.
2. When you take pup outside. Go immediately to one area (10x10) and do not move until your pup has emptied. Praise,THEN…take him on a nice sniffing adventure walk. That is his reward. Letting him browse before he goes, will distract him and take a heck of a long time. You can also put a cue to his "business" (go potty). As he learns, he will go alot quicker and the cue is useful when in strange places. BE PATIENT!
3. If pup does not go, (over time you will get to know his habits) put him back in his crate, and try again in another 15mins or so. Or you can put him on a leash and tie him to your belt. BE PATIENT!
4. That brings us to the most important tip. WATCH HIM LIKE A HAWK!! No free roam of the house. In the same room with you or in his crate. They are very good at sneaking off and doing their business before you even notice their gone. If he does have an accident out of sight. Do not scream, hit, put nose in it or any other punishment. Their short term memory is just that. SHORT! The only thing you are doing is making the dog afraid of you.
If you CATCH him in the act, with a stern, growly voice tell him "NO" and quickly take him outside, saying "Outside" as you do so. Even if he did it all in the house, still take him out. Worry about cleaning it up after you come inside. BE PATIENT!


You can restrict their water, unless their is a medical reason not to do so. Pick it up after dinner time. He will be fine. Feed on a regular schedule, do not free feed. Check your dog food. The cheaper brands usually have alot of "bulk" in them, which will make more volume. It’s worth the investment to buy a better brand. It’s better for their health all around. I recommend Wellness, Nutro or proplan. PLEASE...no Kibbles and Bits. ugh!
Good luck! and....BE PATIENT!



We spoke the next morning.
“So, how did it go last night?”
“She was really good. She had no accidents and slept through the night. She’s really good with S. and S. really loves her. Ottis just keeps taking her toys. I haven’t seen the cat. “


E. came home from vacation and was surprised to see one of his birthday presents chewing on a toy in the middle of his living room. A hug and pat on the head, and E. was searching for his other gifts. Typical eight year old boy.


Day 3


Still no cat.


A phone call at work
“Mom, Amber attacked my kid”
“What do you mean attacked her?”
“Well, we were taking a walk, and we were running around a lot, and on the way home S. was in front of us and Amber jumped on her, knocked her down and grabbed her neck.”
“Holy crap!”
“I hollered at her, we started walking again, but then she grabbed her pony tail and yanked her down!”
“Holy crap! I’ll be right over after work”


So John Q, what is the first thing to come to your mind? Vicious dog? Beat the dog? Send it back or put it to sleep?


This is why I have reservations about small children and dogs. This is why NO dog should ever be left alone with a small child, especially an infant.
Amber is not afraid of children nor has she shown any aggression towards children. Remember adoption day? If she were to show any signs of fear, she would have shown it at that time when the amount of stress and excitement was high. She was comfortable and happy with all the kids. (Most aggression is fear based)



Amber was being a dog. Dogs chase prey. Puppies play with other puppies by biting the neck and pulling on tails. Amber saw a perfect opportunity and went for it.
After getting excited by running around and playing with Jess, she saw a rolly polly little person, not much bigger than she, arms waving back and forth, squeals and giggles, and one heck of a tail coming off that pretty little head. I also wouldn’t doubt that there was a yummy binky in there to be had. An imaginary target was painted on S. back, and Amber was going for the bulls eye.
I am not condoning this behavior and no one should, but people should realize whether they own a dog or not, that dogs do not have an on and off switch when it comes to normal dog behavior in our human environment. People should learn what these behaviors are, work with the animal to either control the behaviors or not put the animal in a situation that may permit the behavior to happen.


Did Jess handle the situation the right way? Yes, I would say so.
She scolded the dog, but not harshly. If she had, she could have opened a door up to fear or real aggression towards the child. This is called associative learning and I’ll get into that later.
What did Jess learn?
That she won’t play excitedly with Amber when the baby is around. She will play tug or running games when the baby is napping or in another room. She is using management to prevent the same situation from happening again. She is giving Amber a lot of exercise, so that when the baby is around, she will be too tired to play. Jess will redirect Amber if she is getting to excited with S. and reward Amber when she is being calm and gentle with S.
Jess and Rob with my help, will teach Amber obedience and alternate behaviors, so that her natural behaviors will be redirected in a constructive way.



Day 4


“Well, how’s it going?”
“She peed and pooped in the house.”
“Do you keep her with you at all times?”
“I leave the gate open so when I’m in the kitchen she can come in or stay in the living room.”
“Then she’ll go behind the couch were you can’t see her. How about when you go upstairs?”
“Well, that’s a pain in the butt to have to put her in her crate up there every time.”
“Yea,,,, so keep her tied to you or put a crate downstairs too.”
“Rob doesn’t want a crate downstairs.”
“Ok, then you’ll have a dog that pees and poops in your house.”


Day 5

Went up to the house.
There was a crate in the kitchen.

GETTING THE NEW PUPPY

Jessica and Rob had talked about getting another dog for years. Unfortunately they were living with us and in the process of building their own home. When they had their second child and moved into their new home, they again discussed getting a puppy. I did everything in my power to discourage them from getting one. And this is why.


10 years ago, if you had asked me my feelings about dogs and children growing up together, I would have said why not! I would get very angry at shelters and rescues when they had a “no child less than 10 “policy. I would shake my head in disbelief when talking to prospective adoptee, who where turned down again and again because of small children. This was before I had the experience of having a toddler and dogs living under the same roof. My family and I were unfamiliar with the day to day interactions between toddlers and dogs. The only experience I had was from the students I have trained. I know dog behavior, but it is one thing reading and observing from afar, and another living it day to day.
Because of the natural behaviors of children and those of dogs, stress, conflict and injury is common. You will find many of the dogs in rescues are there because of normal dog behaviors that were not dealt with properly as puppies. People have preconceived ideas of how a dog should act and do not take into consideration, breeding, environment or training.

Back to Jess and Rob.
They didn’t heed my advise, and started the process of deciding which breed to get.

“We want an American Bulldog”
I responded with, “What are you nuts? Why do you want a bully breed?”
“Rob wants a real dog.”
“Why don’t you get another Jack? There are so many in rescues”
“Rob wants a big dog”
“How about a Brittany?” Having two myself, they make wonder family pets
“We don’t want a lot of hair, and Rob doesn’t like them”
“But if you get a bully rescue, there will be a high percentage of getting one with behavioral problems and many are mixed with Pit. (Nothing against pit bulls, just not around my grandkids.) If you go to a breeder, you’ll pay 1,500.00. Why don’t you wait till I breed Betsy?” My female bitch that comes from a very long, good line. “You won’t even have to pay for a pup! “ Feeling like I’m loosing the battle, I think of a compromise. “How about a Boxer?”
“We want an American Bulldog.”

Weeks pass by:

“Ok, so I think I talked Rob out of an American Bulldog.” I breathe a sigh of relief and stop envisioning my grand daughters head in a Bulldogs mouth.
“Were going with a Mastiff”. My relief is short lived.
“Jess, do you know how big they get? Poor S is going to get knocked around and E is afraid of big dogs.”
“But their gentle giants”
“I understand, but their 150 pound giants. What about a Boxer, or a Brittany? They really are sweet dogs” As Betsy calmly sleeps with her head in my lap. “And you can go to Boxer or Brittany rescue. “ Hoping to persuade my son in law with the money angle “Mastiffs are so expensive.”

More weeks pass by:

“Ok, so we’re not going to get a Mastiff. I talked Rob out of getting a huge dog. He said we could go with a Jack if I want to, but I’m going to look for a boxer.”
“Yeh!” I know Boxers are an active breed, but I’ve dealt with a lot of them through clients and family, and with good training they make wonderful pets.
“So when are you going to start looking?”
“I already have. I put in applications with boxer rescue. I saw a really cute boxer mix. Do you want to go to south Jersey with me? And I have an appointment on Sunday to see another mix at xxxxxrescue, but they want the whole family there. What do I do, E is away with Pop pop. Do I wait till Monday, but then it may be gone, and they won’t hold a dog and blah blah blah, blah, blah.” Her words started to blend into each other.

Two days later:

“We’re not going to south Jersey. The lady hasn’t emailed me back, and she won’t return my calls.”
“What about Boxer Rescue? Did you check out the ones I forwarded to you?”
“You can’t have small kids and I have to have a physical fence and the ones you sent me are all older!”
“Their only a year or so”
“I want a puppy”
“Well, you’re looking at that pup on Sunday. You really don’t want a Brittany pup?”

The next day:

“I’m going to look at that Boxer puppy at the pet store” We had seen the boxer in the store while shopping for something else.
“Jess, first of all, they want 800.00 for it. It’s a male, and you know it’s a puppy mill puppy”

We both have very strong opinions on the whole puppy mill industry as I’ve said before. Although the puppies kept at this store are very well taken care of, and clean, but when asked where they came from we received two different answers from the owners. One said local. Local being Pa. Pa. being the puppy mill Mecca of the East coast the other said states out west and south.


That afternoon:

“Let’s go to the shelters” So we headed off to the local pound, which ended up being not so local and we got lost on the way. I was actually quite surprised and impressed by the cleanliness and condition of the shelter once we did find it. When we introduced our selves, I highly expected to be drilled, patted down, and told the “child” had to wait outside. Not so. We were directed to the kennel entrance and mingled with the other prospective adopter’s. As I looked into each dogs eyes, my heart skipped a beat. Everyone seemed to be saying “please take me home”. It reminded me, that I will never give up on my “problem child” ( trainers get many of those), I will have all my dogs micro chipped and licensed, and I will make provisions for my pets before I die. As we walked out of the shelter empty handed, there was a young man saying good bye to a dog. His dog? A dog he may or may not take home? I don’t know, but my heart broke in two
As we got in the car Jess said,
“Let’s go to the pet store where the boxer puppy is.” I agree, just to get my mind off of those soulful eyes.

“Oh my god he is so cute”
“They are all cute, and he’s already 12 weeks old.”
Jess asks how much, the owner says 550.00. No health guarantee, no idea about parents, and no return.
“Rob will never let you spend that much”
“I’m calling him”. As she pleads to him for the 550.00, I can hear his reaction on the other end. Besides being in a meeting, he will not spend that kind of money right now. I think to myself, Thank-god.
Jess makes it quite obvious to the owner that gee, hubby will not go for it. Is there anyway she could go lower. The owner holds fast. It cost her 400.00 for the dog. She has to make some money.
“But he’s already 12 weeks old!”
She would not budge.
As we walked out the store, Jess disappointed and ready to debate with Rob that night, I think to my self, that puppy is already 12 weeks old what will happen to him when he is too old to be sellable.

John Q, do you see the vicious cycle? Legit breeders are to expensive, rescues no longer euthanize “non” adoptable dogs, rescue from out of state, have an over abundance of dogs, but yet extremely stiff with adoption rules. Potential owners turn to pet shops out of frustration or impulse, large majority of those dogs become rescues.
I know some of my feelings seem contradictory. Understand, I am coming from a professional trainer’s point of view and a parent who wants to see her child happy. This is a real moral dilemma.

The next day:

“You’re right mom. I can’t do it. I couldn’t sleep all night. I even belong to an Anti-puppy mill organization.”
“Jess, I’m proud of you. I know it’s hard when you want something so bad, but you need to think with your head and not your heart. That is why those places are in business. Besides, wouldn’t you rather see your money go to a rescue?’


Day 4:

“Did you see the puppy I forwarded to you? The boxer mix and her sister?”
“Yea, I saw them before, their pit mixes.’
“No, they think Mastiff.” Since Jess searched the web every morning and night, she knew every puppy by face and name.
“Penny and QT?” I said
“Yea, wait let me look.” A long pause as she goes through her web “favorites” and up pops the puppies.
“Oh, I think I sent an application to them, but they didn’t answer me.”
Everything is becoming a blur. Phone calls, emails, call backs, no call backs. She immediately sends another email to the rescue.

1 hour later:

“She called me and we talked for awhile. She sounds like she really likes us but we’ll have to drive an hour away to their adoption day Saturday at Petco. It starts at 11:00; I want to be there at 10:00. I want to be the first person.”
For some reason, this just felt right. Maybe just wishful thinking?
For two days before the adoption day, Jess was like a new expectant mother. She needs to get a new bed, and toys, and food, and a leash, oh yea, and collar.
“Jess, slow down, you don’t even have the dog, and you don’t know how big she is. Besides, I have a lot of that stuff.” Saturday could not come fast enough.

Saturday- D-day

Jess could hardly contain herself as we pulled into the Petco parking lot at 9:30.
“Jess, their not even here yet.”
“That’s ok, she told me what she eats. We can buy the food and stuff. I want to be the first in line.”
“Jess, remember we have to make sure she’s good with S. She may not even like kids.”
“Yes, I know!” But she wasn’t hearing me.
Lord, please make this work, I can’t take another day.
10:15 people started milling about.
10:30 crates with cats where arriving.
Between 10:30 and 10:45 Jess eyed every person there. Sizing them up and down. Cat person or dog person. Starting casual conversations with the intent of getting information.
“So, are you here for the adoption day?” Innocent enough
“Oh, a cat? “ As she looks away with smile of satisfaction.
“Oh a dog? “ “Did you fill out an application?” “No? I filled mine out days ago. I know what puppies are coming in.”
Jess, why don’t you hold up a big sign saying I’m first, and if you get in my way I’ll run over you!

I took a small walk. When I returned there was a small gathering around an exercise pen. The puppies had arrived. I couldn’t find Jess among the crowd. She was already filling out all the necessary paper work.
My they are cute!
Ok Angel, observe. I watched as the children poked and prodded between the bars. Some where squeezing toys, some where squealing with delight. Adults picked them up, put them down, and picked them up, put them down.
“What do you think?” I turned to see Jess with the woman in charge
“Well I would like to get in there with them and try to do an evaluation”
As I climbed into the pen, curious eyes watched as I methodically picked up one pup at a time. I could see by observation that the pups where not afraid of children. There tails wagged with excitement every time a child coaxed them over. The adults could easily pick them up with no sign of discomfort from the puppy. As I rolled each pup onto her back and held her gently but firmly, the observers became quite. I then lifted each one off the ground facing away from me. QT hung like a limp noodle in my hands while Penny wrestled for freedom. They weren’t jumpers, but a bit mouthy which is normal. I didn’t go any further; I had pretty much made up my mind. Jess looked at me with excited anticipation.
“Well? What do you think?”
“Jess, you know it’s not an exact science.”
“I know, I know, what do you think?”
“I think QT would be best for you guys.”

In the mean time, another older puppy rescue was placed in the pen with QT and Penny. The girls where friendly, but a tag team of two. The older pup was over exuberant with the girls. They became a bit defensive, which started to concern me, but as I continued to watch, QT turned around and quieted down. Penny proceeded to back the new comer into the corner and angrily growled and barked into her face as if to say “Back Off!” Jess and I looked at each other and QT it was.

So what is a puppy evaluation? It is a number of small tests you can give a puppy to get any idea of what kind of temperament they have. This is not an exact science. Age and environment can make a difference with the tests. Some behaviorists think its nonsense. I have used this method with puppy litters from breeders and have been pretty right on. You can find information about these tests on the web or read the book, The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. Remember, when choosing a new pup, even an older dog, OBSERVE first. DON’T SAY ANYTHING. Does it come right over to visit, or does it sit in the corner. Is it interested when you move around, make sweet noises, play with toy, or does it ignore you or shy away. OBSERVE how it interacts with the litter mates. Is it a bully, or is it the outsider. These are just a few of the things to look for.
Also, some trainers will assist you with choosing a puppy. Having a third neutral person there, can prevent you from making an impulsive decision. Bring your most level headed friend or family member.

Also, pet shops care about one thing. The bottom line. If they can get you in there to hold that soft, fluffy puppy, they have you sold. The employees have no interest whether that dog goes to the right home or not. I once observed a family playing with a Cocker Spaniel. They asked the young assistant if it would need a lot of grooming. She told them no. It took every ounce of restraint that I had to not barge into that room and set them straight. What other fallacy did she tell these people just to sell the dog?

That brings me to the third and most important piece of advice. EDUCATE yourself. There is tons of information on dog breeds. If you don’t have the web, go to the library, your vet, groomers, and trainers. Dog shows are a great source of information. I have not met a reputable breeder yet who has not been honest or will “sugar coat” their breed. Most will problebly ask more information about you, then you about them.

DAY 1

Jessica had to stop at the register, before we could head out the door with her newly acquired dependant.
“So, how much did you have to donate?’
“350.00, but I get 50.00 back when I get her spayed.”



Why should you get your dog “fixed?” The obvious being we don’t want unplanned breedings. Unfixed animals have a higher level of mood swings. “Bitches” will be in heat for up to 3 weeks. In that time they can get very active, “bitchy” and can get pretty messy. Males can become aggressive, dominant, wander and “mark” your home. Males also have a higher incidence of testicular cancer when older if not neutered.
Dogs do not get fat from being altered. Food and lack of exercise makes dogs fat.
Spaying (female) and Neutering (male) can run you anywhere from 125.00-300.00. depending on the size of the dog. Females of course are usually more expensive. Ideally, you want to have it done before they start maturity, usually at six months of age. You do not want to do females earlier than six months because it can cause complications with their bladder. Males, you want to wait until both testicles drop. If a male has a “retained” testicle, you are looking at a difficult and expensive surgery.
There are spay and neuter programs that work specifically with certain vets. http://www.friendsofanimals.org/ for example. Also, most rescues will have older dogs done before adoption or have some sort of programs set.

“Spay or Neuter your pet!”


“And how much was all the other stuff you got?’
“About 100.00, but she’ll love these toys, and I have to have this pooper scooper and this leash and collar is so cute!”

As I put the new lead and collar on QT, we headed out the store and started our first lessons. Walking on a leash and learning her new name, Amber.
After taking Amber to the vet for a well check, and spending another 100.00 it was time to take Amber home.

The Family

Jessica 32 years old. Stay at home mom. Had dogs since the age of 6, but most where older rescues. No real training experience, except what she had observed or learned from me. Very outgoing, animated and open minded. Willing to learn

Rob 31 years old. Works full time, and is building their own home. Had a dog when young. Military back ground,a bit rough around the edges. reserved, but with a good sense of humor. Is not familiar with positive reinforcement training but willing to learn.

E- 8 yrs old. Intelligent boy, but is ADHA (Attention deficit- hyper active) Loves nature, fossils and rocks. Is not a sporty kind of kid. Very kind heart and respects animals. Easy going but can be impatient. Very willing to learn. Was raised up to six years of age with my five dogs, two of which are Jack Russell terriers. One large lab, One Brittany and one senior Yorkie. Needless to say, the household had a very high level of arousal and stress for both dogs and humans. This affected Ethans relationship with dogs and his reluctance to approach them or trust them.

I will get into the subject of children and dogs as we go along.

S- almost 2 yrs. old. Active, bright little girl. Strong willed. Not afraid of animals. Has only been exposed readily to their twelve year old Jack and one year old cat since moving into their new home. She has a whole different out look about dogs than her brother.

Ottis- neutered Jack Russell Terrier. Bought from a breeder for Jessica when they moved to Mississippi for the military. Has some training. Will empty in house and will mark. Most of this related to separation anxiety. Will also empty when in crate. Leader ship nor confidence ever established. Correction based training used. Will bite if provoked while sleeping or roughly played with.

Lynxs- cat. Found as a stray at 6 weeks. Very loving and plays nicely with children and Ottis. Indoor only.

Introduction

Well, To start off, I just want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Whom ever you are. I hope it is entertaining, comforting and most of all informative.

Let me first tell you a little about myself and why I’ve decided to post my feelings, successes and I’m sure failures for all to see.
I have been in the animal business for over 30 yrs now, and the dog training business for about 13 of those 30. In that time I ‘ve learned numerous training methods, through mentoring, books, and hands on. Dogs are my life. Over these years, I have grown in my knowledge of methods and beliefs . I can’t imagine ever using some of those methods now, or that I ever did. I think back to what I had been taught, or observed, and some times cry, shake my head in disbelief, or just laugh out loud. All at myself. I am sure, as I go through this life experiencing more, learning more, I will someday look back at this time and yes, feel those same feelings, shake my head, and again, laugh at myself.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with numerous families and their pets. Most I hope with great success, some I’m sure with failure. Large dogs, little dogs, purebreds and mutts. Old dogs, young dogs, strays, and rescues. Many I have forgotten, but most I never will.
Working with shelter or rescue dogs are my hardest, and yet most fulfilling challenges. I give kudos, to each and every person that rescues these dogs, works with these dogs, and adopts these dogs. A large percentage of these animals have behavioral , health or management issues. Some fixable in a week, but for most months or sometimes years. A small few, never. I have found though, that the majority of these new owners are committed to their animals and love them enormously.

The pet business is a very profitable one. Over the past 30 years, the pet industry has become one of the largest and fastest growing to date. Right up there with computers and technology. 30 years ago, if you wanted to find a trainer, you had to drive an hour or send your dog away. Groomers where hard to find, usually one to a town, three towns over. Pet supplies or food were only at your local food store or pet shop and kennels where owned by mom and pop.
I live in a fairly rural area. Three somewhat thriving and busy towns just fifteen miles away in either direction. Just in the past ten years, in a fifteen mile radius, there are twenty five new grooming businesses, about fifteen new trainers and four new boarding facilities, and this does not include the large pet chains. Petco, Petland, ext. Three of these have opened up all within a five mile radius of each other. Each offering training, grooming, and supplies all under one roof. Imagine, a “Walmart” geared just to pets. Also, finding a trainer is as easy at turning on your tv. There are so many choices and they all make it look so easy. Isn’t editing great.

What does all that I have said, have to do with rescue dogs. Everything. The hard reality is this.
Dogs have become a commodity. Fashion statement. A part of our disposable society.
“Designer dogs” have become the puppy mills and back yard breeders bread and butter. Advertisements, the movie industry and the famous have desensitized the public to the fact, that dogs are living, breathing, thinking, ANIMALS. They are nothing else, just dogs. Not an accessory. Not a flavor of the month, and certainly not a disposable item.
Unfortunately, a large majority of the public have never had dogs, or forgot that mom and dad where the main care takers of Lassie. Society has changed . Families are busier and moms aren’t home. Bigger houses, smaller yards.
Its become a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

John Q demands a product. John Q willing to pay for product. Product over produced . Product bringing in large revenue. John Q not happy with product and product easily disposed of.
And so, we have formed shelters and rescues.
John Q needs to be educated!


So, I decided to write a blog, to help educate John Q.
Now, I have not written any books or earned any awards. I know I can’t change the world and every body in it. I know I can’t turn every dog owner over to my way of thinking.
But if I can change but one life of a dog because of this blog, then I have accomplished what I had set out to do.
My goal is to take you, the want to be dog owner or new dog owner, through the life of a puppy and her family. To answer some of the questions a new puppy brings. To help you through with some of the problems you face, and give you the tools to not give up on your dog. I want you to understand, that just about everyone goes through the same thing. I want to teach you what is normal dog behavior and how to deal with it. Understand that everyone, including the trainers get angry, frustrated, and discouraged. We make mistakes to.
On occasion, you will get impute from the owner, my daughter. Her feelings, thoughts about owning a new puppy and her trainer.
Some names may have been changed or edited to protect their privacy

I hope you enjoy the reading.