Listen to Your Dog and Work with What They Give You

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Lisa

                                                                  I am working with two brilliant Karelian Bear Dogs. One is 14 months, the other 7 months and they live together with very dedicated owners. Kola, the older boy had 5 months of training under his belt before his “sister” arrived. During my first training session I worked with each dog to determine where to begin. Kona was all business, He understood how to build on what he knew, how to work with the human end of the leash and how to get rewards. Deydan, the 6-mos old approached things differently. Her immature puppy brain flitted from one thing to the next. My session with her went something like; “sit,” look at the cat having fun on the table, “sit,” I’m SITTING, “down,” I’m down, now I’m up, “down,” blank stare, why? “smell these treats,” I’m DOWN…and up again…I think I want to follow you around really, really close…no, maybe I want to go outside now.

All the while, Kola, is watching intently, eyes pleading, “Let me, let me. I can do it!”  The owner thinks Kola is the smart one and Deydan is the social butterfly. It is much easier to work with Kola at this stage of the game. But, it isn’t because he is smarter.

I go through this all the time in my personal life with dogs. Every single time I bring a young, green dog in for training I have to take a mental step back and adjust my expectations to avoid frustration. Working with advanced dogs is addicting, with its own intrinsic rewards. Working with green dogs is more of a chore with the promise of rewards down the line.

Patricia McConnell, PhD, has a new book out called, “Love has no Age Limit: Welcoming an Adopted Dog into your Home.” It contains this quote: “Your goal, beyond providing your new dog a safe and stable environment, is to honor him by letting him tell you who he is right now, accepting that, and acting accordingly…Do all you can to see him for who he is NOW, not who he was years ago or who you think he should be.” I would add, do not compare him to the dog you used to have or your older dog that had time with you before your time was divided among one more.

So, with Deydan, we let her show us what she understood of the training she had up to that point, and took into consideration her age and attention span…then built her training from there. She immediately blossomed as soon as we stopped expecting her to perform above her level.

I have worked with thousands of dogs and I can say this without reservation: Misbehavior is nearly always a training problem…our training problem, for which the dog gets blamed. I think it is always good to ask this question of ourselves, “Are my expectations realistic or fair?”

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Of China, Chicken Strips and Dog Beds

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Lisa

Admittedly, I am a label Nazi. And I don’t buy dog treats made in China. Ever looked at the label on a bucket of Chicken Jerky treats in Costco? China. And, according to a client who recently sent me a warning, they’ve been irradiated for safety. There is a small flower-like symbol on the package that says, “Irradiated for Safety.”  There are reports of young dogs getting cancer who had eaten a fair amount of treats from China. Is it the radiation? I don’t know. But, it’s China. Dogs are a food source in that Country. We don’t share the same compassion for our furry family members. Of course there is recall of some sort. Sadly, dogs have been getting sick..and worse, for years.

I was in a feed store the other day in the dog treat isle. One brand boasted they were made by An American Company. “That’s weird,” I thought. “I’ve never seen that on a package before.” I turned it over and read the fine print. Made in China.

On another note, lets talk about those wonderful, big cedar dog beds sold at Costco. Maybe other places too, but that is where I have purchased them. In fact, I have four of them in my house. They smell good. Like Cedar. And cedar is a natural pest deterrant. Pest, as in flea. Ever opened one of those beds? There is hardly any cedar in it at all! It is full of a material that looks like batting. SO, what is the fragrant cedar smell that lingers for months? Artificial fragrance. Many people are allergice to chemical fragrances. And I suspect my dog is also…I am in the process of working with Dr. Wright, a homeopathic veterinarian, to isolate whatever is causing her skin to itch. I know I am sensitive to chemical fragrances and have been reacting to something the past 8 months or so, and I think it may be her beds.

Fragrance is a big deal. There is a profound difference between natural essential oil and fragrance. In fact, if you see the word, “fragrance” anywhere on a label, you are looking at a chemical. Fragrance is code for chemical. Even if the front of the label says it contains natural essential oils, the fine print in the list of ingredients may reveal a different story.

Why does it matter?

When we inhale the scent of an essential oil, the odor molecules travel up the nose where they’re registered by the nerves of the olfactory membranes in the nose lining. The odor molecules stimulate this lining of nerve cells and trigger electrical impulses to the olfactory bulb in the brain. The olfactory bulb then transmits the impulses to the amygdala and other parts of the limbic system of the brain. Olfactory responses to odors induce the brain to stimulate the release of hormones and neurochemicals that in turn alter the body’s physiology and behavior…natural essential oils promote health and balance. 

Chemical fragrances are volatile compounds that linger in the air adding to indoor air pollution and contribute to poor indoor air quality. Fragrance formulations often contain high concentrations of potent and long lasting synthetic chemicals for which very little data exists regarding their health and safety. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledges that poor air quality contributes to a host of physical and neurological problems including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and forgetfulness. Eighty to 90% of fragrance chemicals are synthesized from petroleum products and are designed to disperse quickly into the air where they can linger on fabrics and surfaces for months.

Okay, so back to the beds. I want a bed I can put in the washer and know it will get clean to the core. Short of that, I think a homemade option would be nice. At least you would know what your dog is sleeping on and inhaling. I am incapable of making a decent dog bed, so I am buying a few new. The best I’ve found are made in Montana. The filling is made from recycled plastic bottles, so when it comes out of the washer and dryer it is CLEAN! If you order them thru my website, the Company will drop ship to your house and you won’t pay for shipping. I currently have two different styles on the way for Dharma. If you’d like to take a look-see and live nearby, she would be happy to show you her goods  :-)

In the meantime, READ LABELS. There are plenty of dog treats made in America. And there is nothing wrong with making your own by baking a chicken breast, sprinkled with little garlic powder…

 

 

Posted in Keeping Dogs Healthy | 4 Comments

The Wisdom of Age

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Lisa

Dharma celebrated her 8th birthday in August. Her frosted white muzzle and silver eyebrows practically dance off her jet black coat. She amazes me. At this stage of her life, she is my teacher. And I think she knows it. When she was young, a teenager, she discovered her voice. I heard a one-dog chorus outside and when I looked out the window there was Dharma, perched on a tree stump alternatively barking and listening. She threw her head in the air, barked a few times and then listened. She was pretty proud of herself. After that, it was a little challenging to corral her verbal expression. You know how it goes, “OHMYGOD I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING WOOF WOOF WOOF” But, she gradually learned to save her voice for the important things.

So, last night I turned in early with a book. She was snoozing beside me on the bed when all of a sudden her head popped up with ears erect. I knew she heard something outside. She jumped off the bed, ran to the front door and then back to give me the ol’ let-me-outside stare. I obliged. She trotted onto the deck. Gave the property a once over with both her eyes and nose. Turned around came in and repositioned herself on the bed. All without making a peep. Wow. THAT is confidence.

It so happens I have an 8-mo old visitor. An Australian Labradoodle. Charlie. Charlie is all about “OHMYGOD I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING.” I forgot what that was like. Kind of annoying. Gives me perspective when talking to owners of dogs in that phase of life. You know, I’m human. I just really want him to be quiet. But, he is genuinely worried and he might think it, whatever it is, might kill him. Or steal his squeaky toy. So, I watched Dharma. What did she do when he barked? She didn’t yell at him. She didn’t get all worked up. She barely moved – except her eyes. They looked at him and then at me as if to say, “Why is he here? Make him go away until he grows up.” I took my cue from her. I stayed calm. Redirected him by calling him to me and asking him to do a few tricks. He loves “high five” :-) It helped him cope. He forgot about the boogey man. After two weeks, he hardly barks anymore.

We went hiking today. Dharma was so collected. She carved paths through the air with her nose while following the scent of deer. But, didn’t give chase. There is a steadiness to her movements. A graceful fluidity, even while navigating huge ice puddles and chasing chipmunks up trees. Charlie on the other hand was all starts, stops and slides. The more excited he got the more his body went in all directions at once. He would run so fast his hind-end had a hard time stopping when the front end came to a halt. And yet, he watched Dharma. And tried to mimic her. He knows. She is pure wisdom. She KNOWS things.

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