The Dog Blog

You don't know enough about dogs if ...

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

How much do you really know about man's best friend? Well, here are some signs that you may not know enough.

You probably don't know enough about dogs if you've ever ...

Muttered the phrase "Don't worry, all dogs love me."
The answer here is simple: No, all dogs don't love you. It's impossible. If you truly believe that you're some sort of dog wizard, incapable of receiving anything but love from any dog you come across, you really (and let me emphasize, REALLY) don't know enough about dogs.

Said, "Oh, he/she is just trying to make friends" to explain why your dog is misbehaving
I see this most commonly with people whose dogs are not good at meeting others, usually barking or lunging at people or other dogs.
Even if we're talking about a friendly dog, barking/lunging/growling/jumping/snipping/peeing or insert some other bad behavior here, is never a dog's way of demonstrating he/she would like to make friends. It may be a display of extreme excitement or anxiety or just plain ol' poor communication skills, but trying to explain the bad behavior as your dog's way of making friends just isn't accurate.

Told someone your dog did something to spite you
No he didn't.
I'll give you credit that most people do make this assumption about their dogs, so you're certainly not alone in making this mistake, but that doesn't make you right either.
No dog spends his day plotting and planning against his owner. There are lots of good reasons why a dog might be motivated to do something like rip down your blinds or chew up your couch, but spite is not going to be one of them. And just because he has a guilty look on his face when you come home doesn't mean he knows he did something wrong — the only truth is that he knows certain scenarios add up to "bad things are going to happen to dogs." For instance, blinds on the ground plus human returning home usually equals bad things for dogs. What type of look would you expect your dog to have in that situation?

Ever defended your dog biting someone or something
I know, it sounds totally asinine, but it happens. Honest to God, it happens.
Unless your dog is defending you, himself or his home against a real threat, there is no excuse for this. You have failed in teaching your dog to behave properly, or failed in managing your dog's poor behavior around others, or both.

Disagree with me? Leave a comment with your point of view.

Royal Oak Doberman will be muzzled, not euthanized

2012-02-07T10:44:00.002-05:00

Heidi, the dog at issue

Last week, I blogged about a dog owner in Royal Oak who started an online petition to "save" her Doberman after it allegedly bit a man.
The dog owner was saying the city was forcing her to choose between euthanizing her dog or relocating it outside of the city, according to earlier reports.
The city contested that, and it appears the city was right — on Monday, the dog owner agreed to muzzling the dog at issue and in exchange, the dog is allowed to stay with its family.
Happy ending.
If I were the judge, I wouldn't have been so kind to toss out the fines related to her dog not being licensed, though.

The world does not belong to your dog

2012-02-06T13:51:00.001-05:00

Are you one of those people who think the world belongs to your dog and rules don't apply to you?
You make my life so hard.
I had some bad experiences this weekend ...

On Saturday, I was starting to feel sick but determined not to let it get the best of me; not with such beautiful weather on tap. I took Sensi to my favorite park, Addison Oaks. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I spotted two dogs off leash.

I jumped out of the Jeep, the dogs (I had Sensi's little pomeranian girlfriend with me) still in the backseat, and approached the couple. Getting closer, I realized the dogs were kinda on-leash ... Kinda. The couple had what looked like a 30-foot training lead running from one dog's collar to the other, so the dogs were connected to each other, but no one was holding on to them.

"Excuse me," I called out; the couple turned around and looked at me, puzzled.

"I have two dogs with me too, and one of them is not very friendly. I see your dogs are off-leash. Can you make sure they don't approach mine?" I said, biting my tongue to avoid calling them out on breaking the park's "All dogs must be on a 6-foot-leash at all times" rule.

They looked at me quizzically, and then the man said, "We're heading out anyway." And they continued down the Buhl Lake trail with their dogs running 20-feet ahead of them, not restrained in any way except being connected to each other.

Luckily, we didn't run into them on our walk. But I was so perturbed that these people had the nerve to treat Addison Oaks like it's a freakin' dog park. You know what, folks? Oakland County has provided you with a spectacular off-leash dog park. If you think your dogs deserve to be off-leash at all times, please take them there. I really see no excuse for breaking leash laws, regardless of how wonderful you think your dog is.

My husband went to Oxford's Seymour Lake Park to play a round of disc golf the same day. He came back with two off-leash dog stories.

He ran into this guy who identifies himself as a retired Navy Seal for the second time. The first time he ran into this guy, last summer, he watched this guy's dog bite another older disc golf player on the next hole up and the dog's owner became irate at the victimized disc golfer, blaming him for the bite because he was throwing a disc and the dog wanted it. Hello? That's the whole point of disc golf — throwing discs — and the last time I checked, Seymour Lake has a disc golf course; not a dog park. Anyhow, in that incident, my husband and his friends had to step in and protect the bitten disc golfer from this man's threats of violence.

On Saturday, the guy's dog tried biting my husband as he was squaring up to putt the disc into the basket — the dog, obviously, wants the disc and has not been taught proper teeth restraint during play. Again, the dog's owner became irate at my husband after he asked the man to control his dog. Knowing this man's unstable temperament, my husband didn't press the issue and they waited for the man and his off-leash dog to give them some distance before they resumed playing.

Then, on the back nine, they came across an off-leash Mastiff accompanied by two older people walking the course. This dog also wanted to chase the discs, my husband said, and the older couple had a hard time getting the dog in control.

Seriously, people — the world does not belong to your dog. If your dog is so wonderful and well-behaved that it can be off-leash, this does not give you license to break rules requiring that your dog be on a 6-foot leash. Especially considering that I have yet to meet one off-leash dog that is so well-behaved that it asks its owner before approaching an on-leash dog, which is an entirely dangerous situation regardless of the temperaments of the dogs involved, both on- and off-leash.

Take your wonderful dog to the wonderful dog park, and if you're too lazy to make the drive and want to walk your dog somewhere closer to you, use a leash. Please use a leash.

Controversy surrounds Doberman biting man in Royal Oak

2012-02-03T09:47:00.004-05:00

Heidi, the dog at the center of the controversy

Interesting story today out of Royal Oak, where the owner of a Doberman has alleged that the city is "requiring (the dog's) destruction or removal from our family" after the dog bit a man.
According to the family's website, the man's nose was broken after he leaned down to pet the dog at the same time she popped up to greet him.
The man alleges his nose was bitten and broken in the process — the city attorney says photos clearly show puncture wounds on the man's nose and below his lip.
The city is also saying that the family's claim the dog will either be destroyed or removed from the city is inaccurate — that other solutions have been presented.
And oh yeah, the owner is also facing fines because her dogs are not licensed.
What do you think of all this?
As the owner of a less-than-perfect dog, I have to put the burden on the dog owner here. You have a dog breed with an often poor reputation to begin with, and I'm sure she is a great dog — my dog is a great dog — but a dog can be great without being perfect.
The burden falls to the dog owner to make sure his/her ownership and management of the dog is as perfect as can possibly be.
This dog may even be generally friendly, but even generally friendly dogs aren't bomb proof. And as the owner of the dog, you need to be the one know that. You need to know all those little situations where your dog might screw up and protect your dog from doing so.
Pay the fines, learn your lesson and see your dogs for exactly who they are — dogs. Less-than-perfect but still great dogs who need a super vigilant owner.
As for being unlicensed, that is purely irresponsible.
There's no excuse for having an unlicensed dog. Get it done or understand that if your dog does do something wrong and you wind up in a similar situation to this dog owner, the decision to not have your dog licensed is going to cast a shadow over your side of the story.

Last but not least, my favorite reader comment on this issue comes from Michael Rusing: "Owner should be fined but not put the dog down. As the owner of an easily excited large dog, I don't put myself in that situation."

Thank you, Michael, for knowing your dog and being a responsible dog owner.
(join the discussion on The Oakland Press Facebook page)

Old dog wisdom

2012-02-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

If old age brings with it greater wisdom, I'd argue the same is true for dogs.
My dog — impeccably trained, if I don't say so myself — has been disagreeing with me lately. Or perhaps manipulating me is a better way to put it.
Almost 9 years old now, he knows more words and commands than I can keep track of. He knows my habits and routines and all sorts of little signals. And in his old age, he is making some demands.

Take, for instance, the Buster Cube — the food dispensing cube that I usually give half his breakfast in. Last week, I was too busy to fill it up in the morning. He skipped breakfast on a couple days, watching me fill his bowl and walking away from it. When Monday came around on week two and still no Buster Cube, he flat-out boycotted food.

He wouldn't eat his breakfast. At dinner time, I moved his food bowl into the living room — sometimes, the novelty of eating in a different place is enough to get him to eat. Instead of eating, though, he started gingerly grabbing his blankets and putting them over his food bowl, trying to wrap the bowl up and hide the food. And then he'd dig at it playfully and eat up whatever little morsels came flying out. This whole blanket thing is very reminiscent of our hide-and-seek games, where I'll hide treats and toys around the house, wrapping them up in blankets and under couch cushions. He thinks it's a wonderful game.

Point being, he wanted to play with his food. He was mad about not getting the Buster and wasn't going to eat unless he got a little game out of it.

The following day, I gave him the Buster Cube at breakfast. And what would you know, he ate like a charm. The old man is demanding his Buster Cube and launched a hunger strike to get his way.

Yesterday, after our walk, he was tired and tried telling me he was too tired to jump up in the back of the Jeep. What he was really trying to say was, "Let me in the front seat where I can climb up."

See, Sensi's back legs are spindly little things that aren't very good support for his heavy front end. He's never been a jumper; not comfortable supporting himself on those little back legs of his. So getting up on to things is usually a matter of carefully climbing, one step at a time, rather than jumping.

He prefers to enter a vehicle in the front, where he has the most space to get his two front legs up on the floor. Once that is complete, he climbs on to the seat while getting his back legs onto the floor.

But he was covered in mud after yesterday. No way I'd be letting him the front seat.

I told him to get up and he just stared at me — his way of politely declining my offer.

"Get up, Sensi," I re-emphasized. Get up is one of those phrases he knows like the back of his hand. And nothing. More staring.

I do realize he's getting old. He's not as strong as he used to be. I wasn't going to hold him to jumping up. But I did need to get him in the Jeep and the only option left seemed to be lifting him up.

I took a deep breath and leaned down. "You ready for this?" I asked him as I wrapped one hand under his belly and another around his chest.

Now, I've lifted some pretty heavy dogs before. But my dog, 85 pounds and awkwardly arranged, is not easy to lift. Not for me. He doesn't care if my husband tries to pick him up, but balks when I reach for him.

He jumped out of my embrace and gave me another look. Then sighed. Then jumped into the back of the hatch.

If he could talk, I'm sure he would've told me: "No way, Ma. Don't kid yourself. I'm old enough to know you're not strong enough to lift me. I'd rather do it myself."

Smart enough to try telling me he wanted to use the front seat, and smart enough to know that I can't lift him.

Got any old dog wisdom stories to share? I'd love to hear them.

K-9 Stray Rescue League, Teacher's Pet to benefit from fundraiser

2011-11-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

Two really fabulous nonprofit groups focused on helping dogs get adopted will benefit from a fundraiser scheduled for Dec. 4 at the Grand Traverse Pie Company in Troy.

If you want to be there, make sure you register by noon this Sunday.

Order tickets by contacting Ken and Nancy at clinnk@yahoo.com or calling 248-489-0732.

Find all the information you need by viewing Fundraiser will benefit K-9 Stray Rescue League, Teacher's Pet

Ace the emaciated pit bull euthanized by City of Detroit's Animal Control

2011-11-11T14:07:00.001-05:00

My instincts are telling me that while the story of Ace was gaining national attention this week, little Ace himself was already gone.
The announcement came last night that Ace was euthanized by Detroit's Animal Control. I don't really believe that Ace was actually euthanized yesterday, though.

I think he was likely euthanized the very day, and maybe even within a matter of hours, of being brought to animal control.
I have no information on which to back up this theory of mine. It's just a feeling.
But let's consider the circumstances. First, you have an organization with a policy to euthanize all pit bulls not claimed by their owners. Second, you have a pit bull who is on death's door when he arrives at the facility. Third, he appears to be a stray.
I just don't think this dog was given the time of day, especially considering his health.
Later in the week, people came forward as Ace's owner. Perhaps they were being truthful and really believed the dog belonged to them or perhaps they were just trying to pull off a white lie to save a dog's life. We'll never know.
In one report, a nursing student from Detroit claimed Ace was her dog, stolen from her a long time ago. But when she went to the shelter and asked to see him, she was led to a dog that, she said, was most definitely not Ace.
We likely will never know who is being truthful or what really happened, but I saw a picture of the dog this woman was led to on TV one night this week (I can't find that report now or I'd shared it here. Sorry!). The dog she was brought to looked about 10 pounds heavier than the photos being circulated of Ace as he was found earlier this week.
I have a hard time believing a dog can put on 10 pounds in three days.
Ironically, the nursing student said she named her dog (presumably Ace, before he was stolen) DooDoo as a puppy.
I think that's a pretty accurate way to label this whole mess — a bunch of doodoo on the face of Detroit.

Last night's report on Channel 7

Thousands show support for saving Ace, emaciated pit bull scheduled to be euthanized in Detroit

2011-11-09T09:37:00.002-05:00

As the clock ticks down to Friday — the day emaciated stray Ace, a pit bull, is scheduled to be euthanized — the number of people fighting to save him continues to grow.
Personally, I cannot see how Detroit can allow this stray to be euthanized.
Policies and politics and pit bull rhetoric aside, the sheer amount of bad press this story is generating for the City of Detroit makes it seem impossible that the euthanasia will actually occur.
After seeing last night's TV report on FOX2, which mentioned an upcoming meeting between a rescue group and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, it looks to me like Bing will get to be the hero that saves Ace's life.
And if he doesn't, Bing will certainly be nabbed as the villain that killed him.
As for the policy that is mandating Ace's euthanasia, I can only say I struggle to define my own opinion on it.
It seems perfectly reasonable that any dog, regardless of breed, ought to have the opportunity to be transferred to a rescue if a rescue so requests it. That, at least, I'm clear on.

But with my husband working in the gritty neighborhoods and alleyways of Detroit five days a week for the past few years, I am all too familiar with the stray dog problem in Detroit. And yes, my husband reports, a great majority of those strays appear to be pits or pit mixes.
We buy dog food for him to bring to work. Most of the guys on his crew do the same. Sometimes, if working in same block for a few days at a time, he'll come back with success stories of finally getting one dog or another to approach him or take food from his hand.
These are feral dogs, most likely born that way, and most likely living short and difficult lives. Most of the dogs he sees are emaciated. A feral life is not an easy one for a dog.
I don't know what the answer is, but I know the situation is a sad one.
I hope Ace's story will have a happy ending. God knows the city needs it.

Find petitions and contribute to saving Ace.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Read the story, Detroit's pit bull policy causes outcry after malnourished dog Ace remains scheduled for euthanasia this week

Detroit Refuses to Release 'Ace' to Dog Rescue League: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Taking my dog camping: “What are all these dogs doing here, Mom?”

2011-11-07T15:10:00.005-05:00

For the bulk of Sensi’slife, we lived in a place that was set far back from the road. You couldn’t seethe road at all from the house and Sensi grew accustomed to the privacy. Hesaw people walking dogs during our walks, but never saw people walking dogs infront of his home.

Alert Sensi

Now, we do live in a housewhere Sensi can see people walking or riding bikes from the front window orwhen he’s out in the yard. If he’s outside, he gets upset and barks at them.

With all the time I’ve spentgardening this year — and Sensi outside with me — I came across a great phraseto calm him down. I can’t say with any certainty that he really understandswhat I’m saying, perhaps it’s just the positive association he has with thewords I use, but I’d like to think he does understand, even if just a little.

One day, we were in thefront yard — me knuckle deep in the flower beds, Sensi sunbathing on thedriveway — when a lady walked by with her dog. Sensi began barking. I walkedover to him to calm him down, kneeled down beside him and said, “That’s a nicelady walking a nice dog. Don’t you like to go on walks, Sensi? That’s whatthey’re doing. They’re going for a walk.”

He calmed down right away,looking intently at my face like he was really trying to understand. And, I’msure, wondering if we were going to go for a walk.

We didn’t.

I went back to gardening.

About 10 minutes later, twowomen walked by. Sensi barked once, then stopped and looked at me. I walkedover to him, again saying, “Those are nice ladies going for a walk. You likegoing for walks, right?”

About 10 minutes after that,the first lady with dog returned, likely walking back down the road to herhouse. Sensi got to his feet, but did not bark. I walked over to him anyway andsaid the “walk” thing again.

About 15 minutes after that,the two women walkers returned. Sensi lifted his head but didn’t even botherstanding up.

This experience gave me thecourage that Sensi could handle a campground and all the activity going on. Itshowed that he can acclimate, and that there’s a very good phrase I can use tohelp him do it.

We arrived at our campsiteat about 6 p.m. on a Tuesday evening. Right off the bat, there were plenty ofpeople walking dogs by our site.

Sensi, in a new place andI’m sure a nervous and excitable because of it, barked ferociously at the firstperson who walked by with dogs. He calmed down reasonably well, me using the“walk” phrase.

A few more dog walkers laterand he wasn’t barking anymore at them. Just watching. And he’d cast a glance atme, as if to ask, “What are all these dogs doing here, Mom?”

Of course, all this activitymeant we had to be on our game.

It’s always better to stop abehavior before it starts — using the “walk” thing is way to react to thesituation, but it’s always better to prevent a behavior if you can.

Like being at a park, Iwatched him closely for signs that a person or dog would be passing by. As withmost dogs, Sensi’s behavior can indicate what’s going to happen before it does.I know, from watching him, whether there’s an off-leash dog in close proximitywhile at the park. He’ll sniff the air, his body will tense and he willsuddenly become focused in one direction.

That’s when I holler to mygroup, “There’s a dog around here somewhere, everyone stop and be on thelook-out.”

See the treat pouch? It's my new favorite thing.

And it never fails. Withinseconds, a dog will come breaking through the brush with no owner in sight.Then, it’s Brent’s job to catch the loose dog before it rushes up to Sensi. Youwouldn’t believe what an excellent loose-dog catcher he’s become over theyears.

In the campground, Iwatched for the same behaviors to let me know if a dog walker was just aboutready to come into sight.

I learned, the very firstnight around the campfire, that having my Planet Dog treat pouch at my side wasgoing to be a necessity throughout the trip.

As soon as I saw Sensi tenseup, I redirected his attention with treats. Doing that meant being able toavert the whole, “That’s a nice dog walking” thing, because by the time the dogfinally walked by, Sensi didn’t care anymore. He was focused entirely on gettingthat piece of dried lamb lung from my hot little hands.

Lamb lung, by the way, stinks. It's awful smelling. But dogs go crazy for it, so it was important tool for keeping the peace in the campground.

Taking my dog camping: Thank God for friends, and thank God for the Jeep

2011-10-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

Allison with Sensi in Benzie

Friends of ours, Alan and Allison, joined us on our trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I call this place Benzie — you can find out why by reading my article, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: The most beautiful place in America — and for all future references in this space, I’m going to call it that. It’s what I’ve always called it and I’m not stopping now. So remember, Benzie = Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
My dog loves Alan and Allison, who put in some serious work to become Sensi’s most beloved friends. Read about that here: Introducing my fearful dog to new people, a summer of hard work and great success
Having them with us made me all the more comfortable with bringing Sensi to a campground for the first time ever. Bringing a dog with fear issues into a busy place like a campground is a full-time job, and the more people you have with you to help out, the easier it is for everyone.
Alan and Allison have a big truck. The two guys towed our outrageously heavy pop-up with that (it’s a

The 1970s Rockwood pop-up

1970s Rockwood, family heirloom, I suppose, and weighs a ton).
Allison and I drove together in the Jeep, which left the backseat open for Sensi. Sensi has mixed emotions about car rides.
He knows that cars take him places he loves to go, so he loves to go into cars. But the actual ride he does not care for so much.
He is not so anxious on car rides that he needs medication, as some dogs do. He just has a hard time settling down. Every bump makes him nervous (can you imagine how upset he must’ve been when we moved down a perennially-bumpy dirt road?), so even if you finally get him to lay down, he pops up with every bump the car hits.
Sensi grew up riding in my old Cutlass Ciera. It had a bench seat in the front and a bench seat in the back. Sensi grew accustomed to having a bench seat, and after a good long walk at the park, he’d get tired enough to sometimes lay down during the car ride home.
After the Cutlass died, we only had Brent’s truck, which has fold-down seats in the back. This means Sensi has to stand on the floor of the vehicle when riding in the truck. Every little vibration becomes that much more noticeable to him. He hates riding in the truck.
But when we brought the Jeep home a couple years ago, it was like Sensi knew, right away, that it was ours and he was pumped about it. He had a friggin’ bench seat again, and my goodness, what a difference it makes for him.
Earlier this year, I bought a dog hammock for the backseat. It’s a great investment. Loops strap it to the

The backseat hammock

two seats in front and two more loops secure it to the back of the bench seat. It means he doesn’t have to worry about falling into that space where we humans put our legs. It made a good thing (the bench seat) even better for him.
On top of that, we piled up all his bedding (and remember, my dog is the king of comfort) on the hammock.
In total, we brought one dog bed, one body pillow donated to the dog and three blankets — one fleece, one microfiber (his favorite) and his special afghan.
Allison got to experience the joy of a nearly five hour car trip with my dog. She was the designated behavior guide for him — meaning, it was her job to dispense treats in order for successful lay-down commands. And those commands had to come after every single little bump in the road.

Sensi on our way up north

“Geez Sensi,” Allison said at one point. “You’ve got the most comfortable seat of all of us. If you don’t take advantage of it, I’m going to get back there and take a nap and you can sit your butt up here.”
It was pretty ridiculous, but all things considered, it was also the best Sensi has ever been on a long car ride. With the help of some treats, he did lay down for most the ride — of course, we stopped along the way for potty-and-stretch-the-legs breaks.
And I found myself thanking God for the Jeep.
And for Allison.

Taking my dog camping: It’s about time

2011-10-30T08:00:00.018-04:00

If you’ve ever had a dog from puppydom right on through to senior citizenhood, you know as well as I that after so many years, you think you know everything about your dog. That there are no surprises left.
But time after time, Sensi proves me wrong.
Even though Sensi is now almost 9 years old, our September camping trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was his first time in a campground.
Not that he’d never experienced “up north” vacations before. Up until he was about 5, we’d take regular trips with some friends of ours to their property in Northern Michigan. He lived for those trips — off leash with a pack of dog friends to keep in order, morning romps through the woods, late nights curled up by the fire and an endless bounty of sticks to turn into mulch. On really cold nights, he’d ask to climb under the covers with us in our tent. And when we got the pop-up camper, he thought he was king of up north with so many different cushion-laden sleeping areas to choose from.
In recent years, we haven’t taken those trips anymore. Last year, Brent and I finally got ourselves back up north, pitching a tent at beautiful Higgins Lake for a less-than-beautiful (it rained ALL weekend) last-minute Labor Day weekend. We choose not to bring Sensi — see the post, Not a campground dog — and were so grateful we did.
The state park we stayed in was packed with campers and dogs, many of which were not on-leash. The campsites were so close together that there was no semblance of privacy. And the cold, wet weather would’ve had my dog endlessly depressed.
But this year, we were finally going back to the land that stole my heart as a child. The place I know like the back of my hand. The campground I treasured for two weeks every summer.

Beautiful, beautiful Benzie

Being a national campground, the rules are strict and strictly enforced. How many times I heard “stay off the vegetation!” from a park ranger as a kid I can’t count. And if they’re worried about your footprint disturbing the vegetation, you can bet your butt they don’t tolerate off-leash dogs.
I also know the sites are set up to be reasonably private, and that if you really know the park, you can usually get yourself into a site with better-than-reasonable privacy.
On top of that, I’ve wanted my whole life to show Sensi Lake Michigan. It means so much to me, and for as much as he loves water, I knew it would blow him away.
So it was time. After a summer full of fear-reduction exercises — exposing him to large crowds at parks, even walking past air balloons being launched — it was time to stop using his behavior problems as an excuse and get him up north again.

Back to blogging! Camping series, contests coming up

2011-10-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

I do realize it's been a while ... in fact, I'm not sure "a while" really covers how long it's been. But let's not go into details.
I've been working on a series about our camping trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore earlier this fall. It's a bit novelish, but I broke each post down into behavior-related mini-stories.
The first in the series will publish tomorrow morning.
After that, I'm going to start hosting a lot of contests, so bone up on canine behavior knowledge if you want to win a bunch of neat stuff. I've got everything from awesome travel gear for your pooch, a funny t-shirt, calendars, books and more.
It's all been amassing under my desk and if I don't start dishing this stuff out soon, there's going to be nowhere left for my feet.
So, I'm back, for real this time, and I've got lots of good stuff coming your way.
Check back tomorrow morning for the kick-off of the camping-with-a-behaviorally-challenged-dog series!

Live chat today!

2011-10-06T12:11:00.002-04:00

Hang out with me in a live chat today, talking dogs and cats with myself and the author of our "Cat Chat" blog, Caren Gittleman.<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f579eed194" &amp;gt;Dog chat with Karen Workman&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Sensi at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

2011-09-30T15:22:00.003-04:00

I have to keep this short and sweet, but here's the gist:
We went on vacation. We finally brought the dog to Lake Michigan — it was his first time ever camping in a campground, and first time ever seeing a body of water as large and ominous as Lake Michigan.
You can see his cautious approach in the photos.
I have fodder for enough posts to last me the rest of the year from our trip! Let's hope I find more time to write soon :-)

In the meantime, enjoy the photos!

Where have I been?

2011-09-08T17:26:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to touch base and let everyone know that yes, I'm OK and I'm still blogging.
It's been a busy few weeks for me and I just haven't been able to post. My apologies. I miss it.
Most embarrassing is that my hiatus came in the middle of a four-part series which I have not yet finished. I kept thinking I'd find the time one night at home, but that clearly hasn't happened.

So here's a brief update:

1) Yes, I am going to finish the four-part series I started on four simple things to teach your dog to make life easier. I've got two posts to go and pledge to work on it as soon as I can. If nothing else, I have a vacation coming up and no vacation is complete for a writer without finding some time to write.

2) Speaking of this vacation, we are once again going camping. Last year, I joked about how Sensi would've hated the campground. A big part of this is the cage, which we made the poor choice of using as punishment for Sensi when we were young and dumb. However, the cage must be used in order to make this trip work. We have a pop-up camper and it's simply not safe to leave Sensi in there alone. One push on the canvas and he's out, so the cage is coming with us. For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to undo all his phobias of the cage. Progress is slow but surprisingly better than I had expected. He still gets anxious when the door closes, but not if it's while he's eating. Most shocking, he has gone in there three times of his own accord to lay down. That is pretty impressive.

To rehab the cage fear, I started with:
1) Putting a nice comfy bed, his favorite blankets and even a body pillow as a bolster, in the cage
2) Every feeding is done in the cage
3) We play a fetch-tug combo game using the cage — I throw the rope in the cage, he retrieves it and we play tug for about 30 seconds and start over.
4) Every time he goes into the cage of his own accord, he gets a treat
5) Every time he goes into the cage of his own accord and lays down, he gets a better-than-average treat
6) We practice extended down-stays in the cage using food puzzles, like stuffing the Kong with lots of goodies that will take him some time to work out

I need up the ante on the closed-door part, but we're getting there. We are getting there. Wish me luck, though — it never hurts to have a luck on your side, right?

Four simple tips to improve your dog's behavior — #2 The Sit-Stay

2011-08-11T08:01:00.012-04:00

When training a dog, everyone thinks of 'tricks' first — you know, sit, shake, speak.
But how much do those tricks really help you or your dog to live a better life together? They don't, really.
Instead of focusing on cutesy tricks, try working on these four things. I'll share one tip each day and give training instructions.
Yesterday's tip: Sit
Today's tip:

Sit-stay — it's all about teaching patience
You've done the work on sit. Don't stop there.
Teaching your dog a sit-stay is definitely one of the most valuable skills you can teach your dog. This is because a sit-stay teaches patience, and patience is a skill that pay dividends over the lifetime of your dog.
For example, you need to trim your dog's nails, but he has no idea that in life, he is expected to remain still for any period of time for anything. Makes nail trims pretty difficult, huh? If you'd had a sit-stay in place, you could use that command to help get your good-behavior-for-nail-trims routine in place.
Or, how about keeping a begging dog away from the kitchen table, or keeping your dog from crowding guests when they first walk in the door?
If yesterday's 'sit' training is the ultimate building block command, sit-stay is the next layer of blocks you need to lay down.
You've built sit, then you build sit-stay on top of it. Sit-stay is a versatile command because it is effectively all about teaching a dog patience. It's a command you'll be able to use to better your dog's behavior in a variety of situations that you won't even be able to envision until the time pops up, and when it does, you'll be glad you're able to express to your dog that he needs to stay still.

Teaching a sit-stay
1) Give dog sit command
2) Develop a hand signal, most people use the open-palm that most humans recognize as a 'stop' signal. Use the hand signal in conjunction with the word 'stay.'
3) Take a step back with one foot (so one foot remains unmoved, meaning the position of your body isn't moving backward. Just the one foot is). Once the heel of your moving foot touches the ground, immediately bring it back forward to its original position.
4) If the dog has not moved, immediately dispense treat upon your foot landing back in the same position.

You may need to do this a couple times. If your dog is staying during your one-foot-movement, then add your other foot into the equation — now you're taking one full step backward with both feet. Immediately go back to your original position. If the dog has not moved, dispense treat upon both feet being back to their original position.

Gradually build the number of steps you take backward. If the dog breaks his sit-stay at any time, put him back into a sit and go through the routine again, but with fewer backward steps.

If the dog cannot stay still for even your beginning one-foot-step, then take no steps at all. Simply give the hand signal and stay command, wait a second, dispense treat. Do this again, wait two seconds, dispense treat. Do this again, wait three seconds, dispense treat.

The important thing is to remember, if it's not working, decrease the challenge.

At some point, the dog will catch on that his task is simply to remain put until you return with a treat. Then you can begin moving far away, down the hallway, out of your dog's sight, etc. while keeping him in a sit-stay.

Next, practice the sit-stay outside and wherever you can to ensure the dog understands that regardless of where he is or what other people or dogs may be around, the sit-stay game still reaps rewards for him (treats).

Common mistake — making sit-stay into sit-stay-come
I've seen lots of dog owners start 'stay' training by putting the dog in a sit-stay, moving away and then asking the dog to come to you. This is an advanced sit-stay that incorporates a recall command. Many people mistakenly start with this method, but this should be an exercise done after a solid sit-stay has been trained. Remember, to begin, move away from your dog, then move back to your dog. This makes it clear to the dog that the game is not about staying until called, but simply staying. Feel free to move on to the sit-stay-come after you've built a strong sit-stay in the first place, and then switch up between the two. This keeps the dog on his toes, listening intently for your command to see whether he stays put, or comes when called.

Four simple tips to improve your dog's behavior — #1 Sit

2011-08-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

Almost everyone teaches their dog to sit. That's great. It is the ultimate building block.
Many people almost intuitively know how to teach a sit.
But just as many people don't, and even those who do know may not understand why it is that what they're doing works.

How sit improves a dog behavior
As I said earlier, sit is the ultimate building block command.
Sit lays the groundwork for a sit-stay, and a sit-stay (tomorrow's tip) will come in handy in a variety of situations. Sit-stay also helps the dog learn patience, which is a valuable skill that transcends into almost all aspects of behavior.

How to teach a sit
This is an age-old method. People use it even when they don't know why it works. Teach it while your dog is a puppy and it is almost always a breeze for the puppy to pick up on.
I have met one adult shelter dog in my life who this doesn't work for. My guess is that somebody unknowingly used this method to teach a different behavior and now the dog doesn't associate it with sit.

OK, here it is:
1) Cup treat in hand. Put hand close to dog's nose. Wait until you are sure dog knows a treat is in your hand. You might want to make the treat partially visible.
2) Move your hand backward over the dog's nose and backwards so you wind up over the dog's eyes. What you're going for here is having the dog follow your hand with its eyes. You should find that, when your hand moves back-and-over the head to the point that the dog is having a hard time seeing it, he will automatically sit his butt down so that he can remain in view of the treat. This is the 'why' of why this old training method works like a charm — it's all about positioning the treat so the dog feels he has to sit to remain in view of it.
3) Give reward as soon as butt touches ground.

Keep doing this, saying 'Sit' while putting your treat hand over the dog's head.

Most dogs pick up on this one really quickly. Remember to keep using the hand signal until it seems like second nature, then, you can begin taking the hand signal out of the equation. If the dog does not respond to the verbal command, bring back out the hand command.

It is important that the hand and verbal commands are simultaneous — so, your hand moves back at the exact moment you say 'Sit.'

The dog will learn, over time, to associate the hand command with the verbal command. This will make it easier to start dropping the hand command all together.

Personally, though, I like the hand commands. Dogs almost always learn physical cues before verbal cues. My dog is eight and a half years old now. I can give him almost all his commands silently — with physical cues only — as well as entirely verbally (not giving any physical cues).

If you're looking for something to impress guests with, that'll do it. People think the dog and I share brainwaves or something, but that's not it at all. Just physical cues vs. verbal cues ...

Bulldog cuddles up on pile of ice in hot weather

2011-08-08T11:37:00.001-04:00

Some people hate email forwards, some people thoroughly enjoy them. Count me in as part of the "thoroughly enjoy" crowd.
This adorable photo was forwarded to me with the following caption:

"This is Elliot, a British (English?) Bulldog, and this is an un-posed picture (trust me, you couldn't actually make Elliot do anything) of said pooch trying to beat the Texas heat after his owners emptied their cooler in the driveway in Sachse, Texas."

Is that darling or what?
So, a couple things to note from this photo and caption ...

Keeping your dog cool in hot weather
While not every dog will be willing to lie down in a pile of ice, this picture makes a whole lot of good doggie sense.
I've written before that cooling a dog's paws and belly can have the biggest impact on cooling down your dog overall.
Aside from panting, dogs can regulate their overall body temperature through their paws and belly. Have you ever seen a dog dig down underneath a tree or bush on a hot summer day? He's digging to reach cooler earth, and simply lying down on top of a cooler surface will do wonders to help cool down the whole body.
When my dog gets really hot, I'll dip his paws in ice water or drape cold rags over his paws and belly. It works like a charm.

Read more about how to help your dog out in the hot weather by checking out these posts and articles:

The caption is true: Bulldogs are notoriously stubborn
I thought it was cute that the email noted "Trust me, you couldn't actually make Elliot do anything."
I'm sure Bulldog owners would find no surprise in this.
English Bulldogs are often referred to as stubborn and difficult to train.
Personally, I've never worked with one before, but I don't doubt the rumors.
I'd argue, however, that as with training any dog, success comes in knowing what motivates your dog. If the dog is not motivated by treats or toys, training will be a challenge.
With Bulldogs, I'd guess that reading the dog's mood from one moment to the next is also imperative to successful training. Many Bulldogs are quite content with whatever they've got going on — say, chillin' on the sofa or stretched out on soft sod — and if the dog appears to be really enjoying his chill time, you're probably not going to have a whole lot of success starting a training session.

Wait until your dog is acting playful to engage in training, and most importantly, remember to shape behaviors by rewarding off the cuff for any behaviors you do like.
No dog is impossible to train, some are just more challenging than others. There's nothing wrong with that!

One last note: let's remember that dogs with smooshed-up faces (Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, etc.) have a difficult time breathing, period. Heat and humidity make it that much more difficult for them, so please remember to keep your smooshed-face dogs cool!

Big dog, small dog, shaggy dog and blue-eyed beauty

2011-08-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

My friend Allison and I have been volunteering at K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford Township on Friday afternoons this summer.
Interacting with so many dogs, and seeing so many dogs interact with one another, has been a dream for me.
I can't make it this weekend — my sister and I are taking her two little boys on a camping trip — but during the past few Fridays, I've made quite a few dog friends at K-9.
Here are some of the dogs I've walked and befriended: (scroll to bottom to view video)

Big dog: Duchess

See Duchess' Adoption Profile

Duchess appears to be a purebred Rottweiler, about 6-years-old. She looooooves humans.
During our walk, she wasn't really that interested in walking. It was pretty hot. She went directly for every shady spot in our route and promptly plopped herself down. Soon after, you could bet she was on her back begging for a belly rub.
She was very affectionate with me and very much the alert watchdog you expect Rottweilers to be. You can see, in the video, as her eyes flick toward any sound or movement to make sure she's keeping abreast of all things taking place around her. She wasn't necessarily reacting to any of that stimuli — like, cars going by or leaves rustling on the trees — but she was aware of every last bit of it.
In the kennel, she can be dog aggressive. A note on her adoption profile said she has done well with other dogs in a foster environment, but careful introductions are necessary.
Duchess is an absolutely beautiful Rottweiler who would do best being an only dog. She is super affectionate and sweet and really needs a home where someone can lavish upon her lots of affection and creature comforts.

Blue-eyed beauty: Ice
Ice is a very unusual looking dog, between 2-3 years old and weighing in at about 60 pounds.
She has clear blue beautiful eyes, but is not blind.
K-9 volunteers have her listed as a Catahoula Leopard Dog mix.

See Ice's Adoption Profile

She reminds me a bit of my own dog because, like Sensi, she has a deep, broad chest leading back to a tiny little hiny. Cuteness.
Her adoption profile says she can be a little dominant when first meeting other dogs. I'm not sure about this, at least when it comes to males. I saw her play with an adult male dog last Friday and, upon first meeting, she was very submissive and appeasing to him. They made fast friends.
With female dogs, it could be a different story. Unfortunately, I can't say I know.
She is not good with cats, though.
Ice is recovering from a nasty gash on her back. She had her stitches out last Friday, July 29, and is doing quite well.

Shaggy dog: Kane

See Kane's Adoption Profile

Kane is an adorably shaggy medium-sized terrier full of spunk. He is energetic and true to his terrier self in terms of playfulness.
If you're looking for a dog who will never grow old — at least, not in terms of behavior — this is the guy. Terriers tend to be playful dogs for life, no matter their age, and I bet Kane will continue being laughably playful well into his senior citizen years (he is a young dog now, but not sure of his exact age).
He literally bounces around, his little body scrunching up with every big bouncy step he takes.
He's a small dog, about 35 pounds, so his tendency to pull a bit didn't wear on my arm. He's a featherweight on the other end of the leash.
They say he's mouthy and would be better suited for a family with older kids because of it.
I say that because he's a terrier, he's bound to be a quick learner. Use a mix of toys and treats to reinforce good behaviors, ignore the bad ones and don't give him opportunities to mess up, and in no time, you'll have yourself a wonderfully jovial and fun-loving companion.

Small dog: Shelly
Shelly's dream home is with people who can spend a lot of time with her and give her lots of affection.

See Shelly's Adoption Profile

She is between 1-2 years old, 30 pounds and could be a mix of shepherd, terrier or even beagle — she kind of has the shape and size of a beagle, but the coat of a shepherd.
Shelly recently had a litter, but will be or has been fixed since arriving at K-9.
You can hear her whine a bit in the video. She has some anxiety and I'm quite sure it's attachment anxiety — she wants to be with you. I noted absolutely no fear issues, so it's not that. In fact, she seems like a very affable, outgoing little girl. She is affectionate and a home where people have lots of time to spend with her will make her a very happy little dog.
Oh yeah, one last thing: She's a frog-dogger (see how she's laying? She's in motion, splaying her legs out directly behind her. That's a sign of a dog that is free of hip problems, good thing to note!)

Watch video of Duchess, Ice, Kane and Shelly

Cool new fundraising event this weekend: Animal House Party

2011-08-03T14:26:00.004-04:00

There's a cool new fundraising event for the Michigan Humane Society taking place this Saturday, August 6, at The Whitney in Detroit.
It's being called the "Animal House Party" and is geared toward young professionals.
"The goal of AHP is to raise awareness beyond the usual animal-focused crowd and have a little fun along the way," said Hubert Sawyers III, who helped organize the event with Eliza Sawyers.
The event is for those ages 21 and older. DJ Kim Sorise of WDET will open for DJ Graffiti from Ann Arbor.
Tickets are $40 and include drinks, appetizers and valet parking. The event is from 8 p.m. to midnight and will be on the Garden Patio at the Whitney.
Tickets must be purchased in advance by going to animalhouseparty.com.

Bathing your dog: It doesn't have to be such an ordeal

2011-08-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

Sensi and I prepare for his bath

Long time readers of this blog are well aware of my dog's allergy issues.
This is pertinent because an allergic dog needs lots of medicated baths.
At one point in Sensi's life, we were bathing him twice a week per veterinarian instructions.
We don't have to do it so often anymore, but it is important this time of the year to make sure he stays clean.
In addition to food allergies, Sensi also has some seasonal allergies.
Mold, pollen and all those outdoor allergens build up on Sensi's skin. You could literally see how much better my dog felt after his bath Sunday, even if he hated the bath all the same.
Anyhow, all this bathing we've done over his lifetime has made us old pros at the bathing routine.

Bathing tips: Part I — Make getting into the bath more comfortable!

At one point, Sensi started refusing to get into the bathtub. This is when I draped a towel over the ledge and voila! He was back in.

Nowadays, there's no picking him up and lifting him in, no pulling or prodding of any kind. Just a simple "Get in the tub, Sensi" and he does.

Don't believe me? Well, that's why I taped it.

Bathing tips: Part II — Areas to clean well, areas to avoid all together

Do you squirt water in your ears to get them clean? Didn't think so, so don't do it to your dog.

The face is another big no-no for us. I learned long ago that if you leave the dog's face alone, he's much less inclined to shake the water off before the appropriate time.

Toes, armpits and the butt, on the other hand? Just watch the video ...

Bathing tips: Part III — Shake on command and roll dry

You can hear my friend Allison, the one behind the camera, start cracking up after I shut off the water, pull the curtain closed and tell Sensi to shake.

Sounds unbelievable, I know. But it's not. It's all just part of the bathing routine we've worked on for more than 8 years now.

Then, watch as my big black dog dries himself off. He uses more towels than I do, but I suppose he has more hair than I do too ...

When is it too hot to take your dog with you?

2011-08-01T10:53:00.001-04:00

Try Orion Oaks Dog Park on a hot day. It has a lake!

Reader Alayne Hansen emailed me this morning about an experience she had this weekend that angered and concerned her.
She wrote that, while attending an outdoor event this weekend — you know, one of those events hosted entirely on concrete, like so many fairs and festivals this time of year — she was "horrified to see pet owners walking their dogs on the blazing cement and nearly unbearable heat."
In particular, she told me about a long-haired dog struggling to walk, stumbling around and, I'm sure, alternately lifting his paws up.
Hansen told the dog's owner that it was unsafe to continue on with the dog in the extreme temperatures and scorching cement. He didn't care. Neither did the police.
So folks, let's talk about how to gauge when it is too hot out for your dog.

What is the surface of the ground and how hot is it?
Taking your dog for a walk in the woods during yesterday's 90 degree temperatures would've been pretty safe. The Earth, especially dirt packed trails, stays much cooler than man-made surfaces, and the shade helps too.
Still, the extreme heat begs for extra caution — so perhaps you shorten that walk, come prepared with portable water dishes, etc.
If your walk or outing is planned for concrete or asphalt surfaces, though, it can be quite dangerous for your dog.
The easiest thing to do is to put the palm of your hand on the ground and hold it there for at least 30 seconds.
If you can't do that because it's too hot, then it's too hot for your dog to be walking on it.
Remember that paws are a primary temperature regulating tool for dogs, and their bellies aren't too far behind.
This means that while a dog might be able to handle the hot temperatures if, say, he was hanging out on the grass in the backyard or joining you for a walk down a wooded trail, the concrete/asphalt surface can increase the effects of the heat on your dog substantially, to the point that it is not safe for him to be outside.

Signs that your dog is struggling with the heat
Uncontrollable panting, bright red gums and an air of disorientation are signs that your dog may be only moments away from heat stroke, which can be deadly.
Also, if a dog is alternately lifting paws, you have a serious problem as well. This applies in both winter and summer.
Essentially, the dog is lifting it's paws because the ground is either burning them or freezing them.
Hot asphalt can burn paw pads.

What to do if your dog looks too hot
Get the dog cool as quick as possible. If you don't see a near-immediate improvement, rush to the emergency clinic.
Move your dog to an air conditioned environment or put a fan on him.
Dip his paws in cold water or put cold rags on the bottom of his paws, the top of his head and his belly.
Water, water, water.
Ice cubes are another idea. My dog thinks they're treats. On hot days, I put a whole tray of ice cubes in his water to help keep it cool too.
Read this story for more detailed information about preventing against heat stroke and the dangers associated with it, Veterinarians warn that with high temps, heat stroke can be fatal for dogs

The lesson
There's lots of great outdoor events taking place right now, as it is summer in Michigan.
When it is this hot outside, though, take a moment to evaluate whether it's really going to be a good environment for your dog.
If it's 90 degrees with blazing sun and sticky humidity and the event is on concrete or asphalt, please leave your dog at home.
And if you forgot to think about it, when you look down at your dog and he's panting and looking all together hot and uncomfortable, put your hand down to test the ground.
If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for your dog.
Whatever you do, just don't stick your dog in the car while you finish up at the event. Hot cars kill dogs, and it happens incredibly fast.

How to stop a dog from digging

2011-07-29T13:35:00.001-04:00

So you have a digging dog and you're wondering how to get him (or her) to stop.
Well, I'm of the mindset that you don't — and shouldn't — stop him.
"That's ridiculous," you're all saying right about now. "I can't have him digging up my garden beds every time I let him outside."
I agree that he shouldn't be digging up your garden beds, or digging anywhere you don't want him to. But stopping the digging all together is, in most cases, just not going to work. Not 100 percent.
Fortunately, there's a way to manage to this behavior that will keep your yard and gardens free of holes, and make your a dog a happy little digger in the process too.

Why do dogs dig?
Digging is something we developed many breeds of dogs to do. Terriers are the most notorious diggers. They have been born and bred for centuries to dig up varmint. That urge to dig remains present among many of our dogs, terriers and mutts and all dogs alike. For many, digging becomes an enjoyable, rewarding and sought-after activity. Add in that inherent urge and that's why it can be so darn difficult to get a dog to stop digging.

The tank theory
This idea comes from my favorite author, Jean Donaldson, in her book Culture Clash. I don't have it word for word, but here's the general idea, anyhow:
Essentially, she says to think of a dog as a machine with a bunch of tanks full of gas. Let's say that one tank is marked "chewing," another is "chasing," another might be "tug of war" and perhaps yet another is "digging."
Each day, these tanks need to be drained. If not, when a new day begins and more gas gets poured into the tanks — as happens every day, regardless — there is no where for that gas to go. It overflows.
So, the tanks represent doggie behaviors that the dog is instinctively inclined to perform everyday.
When a dog engages in those behaviors, the tank is drained. The dog's need for that area is met for that day.
When a dog does not get his tanks drained, the resulting overflow equals behavior problems. He's bursting at the seams, right?
That is where all kinds of behavior problems can develop. Maybe the dog develops a neurotic fixation for something like chasing his tail to try to expend some of that energy and drain his tank.
Maybe he claws at the door handle until it pops open so he can go outside and run.
Or maybe he chews incessantly at his paws until his hair starts falling out because he's bored.
And if he's a determined digger, perhaps he learns to dig at your carpet corners or couch or comforter or just waits until you look away for a moment to dig up your garden.
It's hard to say what the dog's brain will come up with when its hard-wired needs are not being met. The possibilities are endless.

Drain that tank!
For the reason listed above, I do not buy into the theory that we should stop our dogs from engaging in behaviors they are hard-wired to do simply because it inconveniences us.
Instead, you teach the dog to funnel that behavior into something that does not inconvenience you.
I'm all about turning unwanted behaviors into wanted behaviors, regardless of whether it's a hard-wired behavior or just any ol' behavior you don't like.
For instance, Sensi used to bark and bark and bark at pool sticks, and try to grab them, whenever a person made a shot on the pool table. The sound of pool balls hitting each other just sent him into a tizzy.
He was not responding to "no."
My solution? Train him to play pool. Suddenly, it went from "no one wants to play pool when Sensi's around" to "people are coming over because they want to play pool with Sensi."

The digging solution
Digging is one of the easiest problems to start managing.
Step one: Get a sandbox, fill with sand
Step two: Bury a toy in it
Step three: Encourage your dog to dig up the toy, praise him for doing so
Step four: Verbally reprimand the dog ("No! Bad dog!") whenever you see him digging somewhere that is the not sandbox, then immediately lead the dog to the sandbox and encourage him to continue his digging there.
Optional Step five: Reward digs in the right place. Some dogs might need a little treat to solidify for them that digging in the sandbox is the right place to dig. For other dogs, the digging alone may be reward enough.
This is essentially the same training method as used with chew-training. Even people who don't know a whole lot about dogs seem to have heard about the "When your puppy chews something of yours, take it out of his mouth and insert or encourage him to chew on a dog toy instead."
Same thing, different behavior.
The biggest reward, of course, is that a tank is being drained every time the dog gets to dig in his sandbox. Every tank drained is a behavior problem averted, so drain those tanks!

Thundershirt, herbal remedies to help calm your dog during storms, other anxious times

2011-07-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

I awoke at 5 a.m. this morning to the feeling I was being restrained, or that at least my legs were.
Then I heard the rain and thunder. A strike of lightning lit up the woods outside the bedroom window.
Groggy as I may have been, I knew what was happening to me.
I was being spooned by the dog — his heavy head and big front paws squarely over my calves — who was seeking some reassurance that this storm wasn't going to barrel through the window and get him.
The storm was in full swing when we got up this morning — the claps of thunder loud enough to even make me jump, and I love storms.
Sensi stuck to us like glue this morning, even laying down on the rug outside the shower while we cleaned up.
Once we shut the windows (we leave them open when it rains because we have 6-foot overhangs and enjoy the sound of the rain) and gave him his Buster Cube, though, he was over it.
I'm lucky that, for all Sensi's intense fears, storms aren't one of them.
In his old age now, he jumps a little at a loud clap of thunder and likes to be near us when it's particularly nasty outside. But there's no panting, no drooling, no shaking, no hiding or whining or even tail tucking. Pretty lucky, I know.
Lots of folks have dogs who may not have any other fear issues, but go absolutely bonkers when a storm rolls in.
If you are one of those folks — or if you're trying to mitigate other situations that create anxiety and fear for your dog — here are a couple suggestions from a reader that might help you out.
"First is the thundershirt," wrote Jessica Meier, who has trained dogs for obedience competitions for more than 20 years. "This really helped my Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. He has since passed away, however, he enjoyed wearing his shirt!"
I love the Thundershirt idea. Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation, talks about the impact a good squeeze and embrace can have on settling both animals and autistic people. Read more about that in my blog post, Storms on their way, how will your dog react?
"On my Toller Annie, his granddaughter, I use Animal Essentials Tranquility blend," Meier continued. "It is an herbal tonic. It works like a charm."
I have heard a lot of good things about herbal calming solutions for dogs.
So, if your dog has anxiety issues, those are couple things to think about.
I'd love to hear your dog-thunderstorm stories! How does your dog react in a thunderstorm?

Rant: Things that make me mad

2011-07-25T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry I was absent last week — things get busy. No worries though, because I'm back and I'm in heck of a mood today.

Rant 1: What are you thinking???
I know of a little dog who likes to chase after cars. Incredibly, his owners do not seem bothered by this. The little dog is never restrained to his yard. On more than one occasion, I've seen him nearly get hit by another vehicle or had to slam on my brakes — to the point of fishtailing and leaving skid marks — to avoid hitting him myself.
In recent weeks, I've also seen him going through garbage left by the curb — two times, to be clear. Same neighbor's garbage.
And so, in reference to the dog's owners, "What the heck are you thinking???"
Maybe they don't really like the dog.

Rant 2: Ignorant defense of pit bulls
Okay folks, you're getting on my nerves. If I hear, "But pit bulls are the sweetest, most loving, gentle dogs in the whole world" one more time I am going to scream.
I am, first and foremost, a huge pit bull supporter. I own one myself, I love him, I love the breed.
But I am not ignorant and I'm getting sick of hearing these "sweetisms" uttered by people who are.
Not every pit bull in the whole world is the sweetest, most loving, most gentle dog ever. And you know what folks, how you raise a dog is a large part of the equation, but it is not the whole equation.
So add "It's all in how you raise them" to things that could potentially lead to me screaming.
A lot of it is how you raise a dog. How you raise a dog can trump genetic predispositions.
But let's not go around espousing this theory that pit bulls are the greatest, sweetest dog in the world and any old person can own one and as long as he/she loves the pit bull, the pit bull will be the greatest, sweetest dog in the world.
There's more to dog ownership than love.
And no, I don't happen to believe that every person out there makes a good pit bull owner.
The stakes are higher. You need to not just be more responsible than the average dog owner, but you need to have a lot more good knowledge than the average dog owner.
So let's stop playing this game and be honest.
Pit bulls can be great dogs when they have a great owner. Some of them can be great dogs even when they have a bad owner. But some of them can be bad dogs when they have a just mediocre owner, and I think we see a lot of that in our society.
Why?
Probably because someone told a person with a big heart that pit bulls are just misunderstood sweethearts that make the greatest pets in the whole wide world, and that person brought a pit bull home thinking it'd be just like raising any other dog — just love it and it will be great; don't worry about training, don't worry about socialization, just love it.
The thing is, everyone should know that every dog needs more than just love. But with pit bulls, if that's all you're doing, you run the risk of allowing dangerous behaviors to develop.
And so especially with pit bulls, you need to be a better-than-average dog owner.

Rant 3: Doggie dental care
Doggie dental care is important. Yes, I support dental cleanings. I would never discourage anyone from taking care of their dog's teeth.
But here's the thing — a dental cleaning can be a pretty penny because of the anesthesia involved.
And for the last year or so, I've been inundated with requests from all types of groups to write more about doggie dental care, and plug this person/group/product when I do. And when I say inundated, I mean inundated. You would cringe at my inbox.
For every request I get, I can't help but think of the financial motivation behind it. Especially since I've watched the market grow — going from "hardly ever do you get a request" to "Oh my goodness, everybody and their brother has something to say/sell/offer/advertise with relation to pet dental health."
It's becoming overwhelming.
For the record, take good care of your dog's teeth. Brush them regularly with doggie toothpaste. If you can, get a professional cleaning performed by a veterinarian. The impact is far reaching.
But, be a skeptical consumer. The market is on overload now with dental products. Do your research and choose wisely.
In my house, the most important dental care products for my dog have always been the simplest: 1) Dog toothbrush, 2) Dog toothpaste.
And yes, we would like to get Sensi's teeth professionally cleaned. I recommend checking into that as well. Talk to your veterinarian about it.

Lessons from a shelter dog: Patience is key to improving dog behavior

2011-07-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

Last Friday marked the third week my friend Allison and I have volunteered walking dogs at our local dog rescue, K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford Township.
It's hard to believe this Friday will be a month.
Walking rescue dogs is no easy task. There's a lot of pent up energy to go around.
Two weeks ago, I had what I call a "swimmer and spinner."
This young beagle/lab mix had all fours spread out as far to the side as possible as soon as I clipped the leash on him and brought him out of his pen. It looked like he was trying to swim on concrete — hence the "swimmer" part of my nickname.
What that actually achieves for the dog is a lower center of gravity (his belly and chest only a couple inches off the ground once he started 'swimming') and that means more strength to pull against the leash.
When we finally got out of the yard, he began 'spinning.'
He would leap forward against the leash and, with me standing still behind him, would rear up on his hind legs like a horse when he reached the end and spin around.
Then he started doing circles around me, spinning once or twice along the way and pulling like a freight train.
I wasn't sure I could actually hang on to the leash while he was behaving that way, and I also did not want to give that behavior my stamp of approval.
So I stood there, and stood there and stood there. The dog flat-out wore himself out spinning in circles around me.
We only moved forward when he stopped.
Miraculously, we were walking like a regular ol' human-dog pair in no time.
"I can't believe this worked out," I said to Allison, walking a different dog beside me. "I really wasn't sure he'd settle down."
And let that be a lesson to all of you, and especially those of you adopting a dog from a shelter — patience can have the biggest impact on behavior at times.
Sometimes, you just have to let a dog completely exhaust a behavior (and in my case, wear himself out in the process) before the dog realizes the behavior is not working as a means to the end he desires and gives up on it.

Vince, Shepherd mix

Big beautiful shepherd mix for adoption
Meet Vince, an approximately 3-year-old Shepherd mix.
I met Vince last Friday. He was the first dog I took out.
Vince is a very big boy. His adoption profile says he is about 90 pounds, but he may have packed on a few more since that posting. Vince is big.
Of course, that's what caught my attention — the big dog lover I am.
Like the dog above, Vince needed to work out some energy when we first got going on our walk. He did not swim nor spin, however. Instead, he bounced like a boxer.
Based on his bounciness, my money is on boxer definitely being a part of his mix, even though it doesn't look like it. As I state in the video, I wouldn't put past there being a bit of some sort of mastiff in Vince's make up too.
Vince's adoption profile says he is slightly insecure. This could be true, though I'm not sure it's a very serious problem.

Vince, see adoption profile

He did climb up on a big semi truck when a driver from a nearby business slowed down to offer the dogs some treats. He did not, however, take the treat. He did take the treat, and sat nicely for it, just a second later from my own hand.
Comparing him to the fear my dog has shows that his insecurities are minimal at best. My dog would have never even gotten close to the semi truck, nonetheless put two paws up on the steps to the cab. My dog also will not take treats from a stranger, and really, I was a stranger to Vince. Yet he took a treat from me.
So, a little insecure? Sure (because he wouldn't take the treat from the driver) but not to any sort of extreme. I had some concerns that his social skills around other dogs weren't fabulous either, but paired with the right dog, he could make a great playmate.
Vince's moment to shine was when we started jogging down the road. He fell right into step next to me and zoned in on the forward movement, not pulling, not getting distracted, just trotting merrily beside me.
Vince is an incredibly handsome boy with great potential.
If you've got the right home for him, learn more by going to Vince's adoption profile.

Watch a video of Vince!

Training your hunting dog

2011-07-06T14:29:00.000-04:00

The orange flowers are Butterfly Weed!

Training a dog to hunt has always been one of those mystery areas for me, and in part because of that, it's also something I find intrinsically interesting.
While working on the feral hog story, I got in touch with Mike Schippa. He's president of Michigan's chapter of the Versatile Hunting Dog Federation.
The federation is a group of people who train dogs to do a variety of hunting-related tasks.
Often, we think of Labradors as waterfowl specific hunters, pointers for field work, beagles for rabbits, etc. But Schippa said lots of dogs can excel and quickly switch between many different types of hunting.
The group is also part of a wider association of hunting dog groups that are taking part in a stewardship program that allows them use of the Highland State Recreation Area in exchange for volunteer work to improve the park.
It's a neat partnership. As the daughter of an avid hunter, I take a lot of pride in our state's hunters who care deeply about conservation and the environment. This is another example of group of folks doing just that — and providing their dogs with jobs to boot. These are the things that make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

That's Mike Schippa in the foreground

Check out the story I wrote: Michigan hunting dog group trains at State Park in Highland.
Also, did you notice those beautiful orange wildflowers in the photo and video? That's called Butterfly Weed. It's a flower I first photographed in the property behind the house my husband used to rent. I fell in love them then and have been overjoyed to catch sightings of them along the roadside or in parks here and there. They're in bloom right now.
Oh yeah, I also picked up two during a recent visit to American Roots native plant nursery in Brandon Township. I'm naming one Pride and the other Joy.
Sorry ... I've drifted away from my usual dog-centered musings ...

Video of the Michigan Versatile Hunting Dog Federation at work

Getting a dog to behave around fireworks: treat therapy

2011-07-05T15:32:00.002-04:00

It's year three of using treat therapy to combat my dog's extreme anxiety about fireworks and this year, we've had a major break through.

The bad behavior
Fireworks go off. My dog leaps from where ever he may be, barking, hair raised and bee lining it toward the nearest door or window. Barking only increases. He goes from one window to the next, checking every opening in the house, barking and barking and barking. He does not pay attention to anyone or anything. Anxiety does not diminish, but only increases in intensity. It's awful.

The past two years
We live across the street from a lake. Lake people love fireworks. The first year, Sensi damaged a window beyond repair. We had to do something about his anxiety. I started using treat therapy — year one, not a whole lot of progress. Year two, showed good progress — it was easier to calm him down, he began anticipating treats. But progress is a relative term.

This weekend
With four people around to help distract and dispense treats, we made great progress. Fireworks started going off Saturday at dusk and continued for a couple hours. As quickly as possible after every firework, we called Sensi, asked him to sit and gave him a treat. By the end of the night, even if he ran to the door or window to bark, he would stop himself just prior to barking and instead turn around to look for a treat. This means the association is finally gaining strength — he is actually connecting, in his head, that those big booms can equal treats and all he has to do is find a person and sit before them. The downside? Boy is it ever a lot of work. The night is basically dedicated to treat therapy. That's why having a couple friends around to help pitch in as treat dispensers really helped. I don't think we could've made such good work on the boom-treat association if we didn't have the help.

A better idea
When fireworks go off outside, we have no idea that it's about to happen. We aren't watching the people setting them off and we have no way to anticipate the exact moment a firework will go off.
This means we can't have perfect timing.
Timing is everything with training and behavior modification, and if your timing isn't perfect, your training won't be easy.
With something like fireworks, you want the dog to be eating the treat as the firework is going off — not a second later after the dog has taken off to bark out the window.
My plan to fix this is to create a DVD of a fireworks show I filmed over the weekend. It's really all the same to him, anyhow. He barks just as much for that pesky furniture store commercial that has fireworks in it as he does for the fireworks outside.
With the DVD, we'll be able to work on this more than just a couple weeks out of the year and we'll really be able to nail our timing and get the message across to Sensi with a whole lot less wear and tear on the both of us.

Watching his coping mechanisms change
One of the most interesting parts of this whole behavior mod process is seeing the change in how he copes with the anxiety brought on by fireworks.
He previously went right into a threat display, which would continue relentlessly. In the worst of times, he became destructive — as in the case of the scratched-beyond-repair window.
Last year we saw that threat display decrease substantially. He only used it for the really loud booms. I saw him actively engage in treat therapy — during a long session of fireworks, he had nose buried in the food I was shoveling toward him. As soon as the helpings ran out, he wasn't running away to refocus on the fireworks as you'd think would happen. Nope, he was nosing the food bowl with the intensity of a crack addict on a crime spree. I could see willingness on his behalf to learn a different way to cope with fireworks.
This year, he's gotten so much better that he no longer wants to run to the doors/windows at all — he wants to stay lying down by us to get his treats — but lying down conflicts with the anxiety he feels for the fireworks. When a loud boom goes off, he gets his treat and then has to cope with the "I want to get up, but I know it doesn't yield the best reward" scenario. So he whines like he's in pain until the next firework pops off.

We still have a long ways to go. He is still under a lot of anxiety about the fireworks, even if treat therapy has done wonders to modify his behavior.

It's one of those situations where changing the behavior comes much more easily than changing the underlying emotional state, which he is clearly still struggling with.

I'll take some video of us doing the fireworks DVD training. In the meantime, wish us luck!

Has your dog ever caught a critter?

2011-07-01T09:48:00.004-04:00

A couple weeks ago, I posted about how my dog dug to China in hot pursuit of a mole. He didn't get it, but he did get himself covered in mud and earned himself a bath far too early on a Sunday morning.

If only he'd gotten the mole, I wrote, I wouldn't have been so mad about the whole ordeal.

Well, I'm not sure, but I think he might've got one this week.

Much like that Sunday morning, I let Sensi outside early Wednesday for his after-breakfast potty break and noticed he was spending longer than usual outside. This time, I didn't waste a moment going out after him. I slipped on my sandals and ran out the door, calling his name as I closed the door behind me.

But this time, he came charging at me. He was not dirty. And so, I praised him for responding so beautifully to my call, let him inside and forgot about the whole thing.

A couple hours later, I decided to sit outside on the porch to enjoy the gorgeous day. I let Sensi out with me and he meandered over to the side of the house where he last dug for the mole. My view was obstructed and I couldn't see him, but once again, I thought, "Gee, he's been over there for a while now. Wonder what he's doing."

I walked around the garden beds to see and found him lying on the grass — unusual for Sensi. He only likes to lay down on sod. Our grass is not carpet-soft, however, and he's only ever laid down on it a couple times in the three years we've lived there.

So again, I praised him — bending down to give him a good neck rub. As I bent down, the direction of my body twisted a bit and that's when I saw it. A dead mole, lying belly up, about three feet in front of Sensi's face. He wasn't lying down because he thought the grass looked good for it. Oh no, he was keeping an eye on the dead animal.

A few feet beyond the little mole carcass was a rip in the grass. It looked like the mole had been traveling along in one of his holes when snap! Something just grabbed him up, ripping the mole out of his little hole and leaving an mole-sized opening in the top of the tunnel.

Did Sensi do this? I think so. I'm not sure. But here's the behavior history that makes me think why he's responsible:

1) He got bathed the last time he dug for a mole — definitely a punishing consequence. Perhaps this led him to try a different method of getting the mole, hence the rip-out?

2) The mole had no external injuries. This totally screams Sensi's name. He doesn't know what to do with real moving prey. The closest he's ever gotten to "real moving prey" is the baby bird last summer that tried to fly out of the nest. And what did he do with that? He bumped it with his snout, catapulting the poor thing further in the air before it crashed down on our driveway and died. And then he didn't know what to do with it. I think the chances are good that if he did catch something, he'd toss it around like a toy and leave it.

3) Why would my dog leave a dead animal? We've come across dead mice and rodents here and there on our walks over the years. Like all dogs, he's tried to roll on a dead animal, but I've always been there to tell him no. He doesn't try anymore. He understands that, "Mom says leave dead animals alone."

4) Was fear of getting caught with a dead animal the reason he came running so fast toward me when I called him from his morning potty break? Maybe.

Now, my biggest doubt that he's the responsible for the dead mole comes from the fact that he simply has never caught any critter ever before. Even the baby bird was a fluke. He bumped it and the resulting fall on concrete is what caused its death — very different from chasing, seizing and holding prey.

Then again, what else would rip a mole out of its tunnel and leave it for dead on my lawn? Any wild predator — from the feral cats to the raccoons — would've eaten it.

I guess it will always be a bit of a mystery. If Sensi is responsible, I approve of the way he handled the situation. He didn't destroy the yard to get the mole, he didn't sink his teeth into it and he didn't drag it back to the front door. He just laid there, keeping an eye on it.

My Aunt and Uncle's cat and dog used to work in tandem to catch rodents. The cat would catch it, the dog would steamroll it and they'd both stand proudly by the front door with the dead rodent between their paws.

I never thought I'd have a dog-critter story to tell. Catching critters has never been my dog's strong suit.

But I know lots of dogs live for chasing down a chipmunk, so tell me, what is your dog-critter story?

Pit Bull specific rescue & cool Great Dane in need of a home

2011-06-30T11:22:00.003-04:00

So I've got a soft spot for big dogs, giant dogs and even pit bulls, which are actually quite small dogs by my standard.
In fact, I was not thrilled about getting a pit bull because I felt the dogs were way too small (some people think I'm a little nuts, others understand. There's just something about walking a 100-plus pound dog that is so awesome). Lucky for Sensi, he's got labrador in him to give him some extra height and weight, he was first born and far larger than the rest of the puppies in his litter, and he was an absolutely adorable puppy in looks and behavior. Had all of those elements not lined up, I probably would've turned my nose up at the idea of bringing home any of the puppies from his litter or any pit bulls period.
But eight years later, he's taught me to appreciate a type of dog I'd have never predicted becoming a champion of — terriers. And of course, pit bulls too.

When my friend and I stopped by Pet-A-Palooza (it was last weekend, June 25-26 at The Palace of Auburn Hills) this weekend, I managed to find a couple things that spoke to my soft spot for giant dogs and pit bulls. Now, I'll share them with you.

Adonis, rescued Great Dane available for adoption

First up is Adonis, who you simply couldn't miss. Adonis is a purebred Great Dane available for adoption through Last Chance Rescue out of the Howell/Brighton area. His foster mom said he was found severely emaciated in the backyard of a Saginaw home when he was rescued by animal control.

My estimation is that he is a bit more special than your run-of-the-mill Great Dane. When I went to a fundraiser earlier this year at Orion Healthy Pet, the Ohio Great Dane Rescue was present — meaning there were a whole lot of purebred Great Danes around. One local man, however, walked into the fundraiser with a Great Dane that towered over all the others. It was an enormous black Dane that was both taller, squarer and larger-headed than the rest of the Danes. I asked him why his dog was so much bigger than the rest.

"We had him imported from Europe," he told me. "The Danes over there are a little different, much larger."

Must've been expensive, I thought to myself. And it probably was. But I swear, Adonis looked like a skinnier replica of this European Dane (he still has some weight to put on before he's back to full health). My gut is telling me that some awful person spent a whole lot of cash to get Adonis, and then for whatever reason, decided he or she didn't like the dog and left the poor thing to starve on a chain in the backyard. Such a shame. But it doesn't have to be — this special dog has been given a second chance. Now is your opportunity to step forward and say yes, I'm ready to own one of the most unique dogs I'll probably ever own ...

OK, check out video of Adonis:

Next up is the pit bull rescue. Founded by Warren resident Jenn Morrison, Misfit Angels Rescue is a

Jenn Morrison with rescued pit puppy

pit-specific group Morrison launched after owning a pit bull of her own.
You have got to give kudos to her for doing this. There's an overwhelming number of pit bulls out there that need help, yet many organizations try to stay clear of the breed and some simply don't accept pits or pit mixes at all.
My friend made an observation that I've made countless times before in all sorts of shelter environments. She said, "These are the calmest dogs here. All day, all the dogs around (Pet-A-Palooza) have been barking and jumping and pawing. Leave it to the pits to present themselves as the well-behaved ones."

Here's video so you can see for yourself:

What a feeling — helping rescue dogs get adopted!

2011-06-27T12:35:00.001-04:00

On Friday, my friend Allison and I headed to K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford to walk some dogs for them. We are so glad we did it!
The last pair of dogs we were walked were adult labradors named Duke and Gracie. They were sharing a pen together and we asked what their story was.
"Their owner died," a volunteer told us. "They were surrendered to a shelter and the day before they were scheduled to be put down, K-9 picked them up."
Can I just say, "Whew!"
Those two definitely deserve better.
Walking rescue dogs is no easy task. No dog that stays penned up for any period of time can be expected to do anything less than tug and pull and be totally wild when let out on leash. We had plenty of dogs that were ready to pull our arms right out of their sockets, but not these two sweethearts.
They walked together, side by side, smiling and happy to be out and about, tails gently wagging. They didn't pull at all.
As we walked, chunks of old fur were flying off them in the wind. They were shedding and in need of a good brushing, so before we left K-9, we sat down on the deck and brushed out all that soft lab fur.
We talked about them all night, hoping to hear they'd been adopted.
On Saturday, we got the news we were looking for while stopping by Pet-A-Palooza at The Palace in Auburn Hills.
Carole Powell, founder of K-9 Stray, stopped us when we walked into K-9's area.
"You two brushed those labs out so nice they were the first ones to get adopted this morning!" she said.
Allison and I erupted in cheers and high-fives. What an incredible feeling it is to know you've helped two great dogs find a great new home after first losing their owner and then coming so close to losing their own lives as well.
Powell filled us on in the adopting family.
"They're just wonderful," she told us. "A nice family with children and a new baby. The dogs are going to do great there."
And I have no doubt that they will.

Video of Allison and I walking Duke & Gracie

Dusty still needs a home!
Also on Friday, I met Dusty — a chocolate labrador and pit bull mix who is absolutely gorgeous. He really stole my heart.

See Dusty's Adoption Profile

Again, you expect penned dogs to pull like crazy. Dusty didn't.
Sure, he pulled a little bit, but he was very interested in what I was doing — that's a great sign, from a dog trainer's point of view. If I stopped, he stopped. If I said his name, he was at attention immediately. Having a dog that is very focused on and motivated by human attention is a huge bonus. It makes training so much easier.
Dusty needs some four-on-the-floor training and probably some work with mouthing too. He didn't really mouth me at all, but in playing with a potential adopter who encouraged the mouthing, he quickly delved right into it.
Either way, he's got great energy and excellent training potential. He is a total lover and wants to bond with every human he comes across. Top it all off with his attractive looks and you've got yourself a great dog, so what are you waiting for? Adopt Dusty!

Kiddie pools can be great for water-loving dogs

2011-06-20T14:54:00.001-04:00

It was a few weeks ago when I finally purchased a kiddie pool for Sensi. It's something I've been wanting to do for years and for whatever reason, I never ended up doing it.
Not this year. And with the pool I bought costing just $15 at Meijer, I can't believe I didn't do this sooner.

Introducing a dog to a kiddie pool
The first day we filled it up, my friend Allison and I took turns encouraging Sensi to go into the pool and giving him treats. I later brought out his toys and that was a real hit with him.
It's just like in a big pond — he wants the toys thrown into the pool so he can jump in after them and retrieve them. In particular, he likes having his most-prized possession — the Jolly Pets Teaser Ball — tossed in there.

Many water dogs will take to kiddie pools right away. With Sensi, everything needs to presented the right way the first time to him.
He is very reactive and fearful and while he does love water, he could've easily developed a phobia of the pool.
But, a few treats and mingling the pool with playtime sealed the deal. The dog loves his little pool.

The perfect cool down
This year has brought many long, hot days spent trying to turn our enormous front flower beds from weed-haven to presentable.
Sensi wants to be outside with us, but it gets so hot. He has to be the 30-foot cable because we have no fence.
The pool is perfect for these situations.
On Saturday, we set him up under a tree with his pool full and a couple toys. I really enjoyed seeing him use the pool without any encouragement from us.
Since we weren't throwing the ball for him, he created his own little routine. He picks up the Teaser Ball, drops it in the water, jumps in after it, paws at it and pushes it around, then picks it up and jumps out of the pool, and then repeats the process.
Sometimes, though, he just went over there and stood in the pool. I'm still waiting for him to sit or lay down in it, as I have seen so many labs do.

Here's a video of Sensi (with the help of friend Allison) enjoying his kiddie pool:

Breaking his hose fixation
Sensi has the potential to get a little neurotic about water.
He is fearful of sprinklers and stays away from them. But hoses, oh my goodness. It's pure neuroticism.
He's not necessarily aggressive toward the hose, but extremely fixated on it. He'll bark and lunge and try to bite at the hose — I know that all sounds like aggression, but it's different. It's a fixation; an obsession — an incredibly unhealthy and unstable state of mind for a dog to be in.
Sensi has made great strides this year. He needs very few reminders that when Mommy is watering her flowers, he need not pay any attention to that pesky hose.
The kiddie pool is helping this along too. It's a struggle for him to sit there and watch the pool get filled by his very nemesis the hose, but from a behavior modification standpoint, it's a golden opportunity.
He still needs lots of reminders, but he's come a long way. He can even stand in the pool while it's being filled without paying attention to the hose — as long as I'm standing right there, of course.

Boa constrictor loose in Addison Oaks won't keep me from favorite dog-walking trails

2011-06-17T10:43:00.001-04:00

File this one under odd news.

Sensi and I at Addison Oak's disc golf course

I could hardly believe it yesterday when an editor emailed me an anonymous tip saying that a 12-foot boa constrictor was on the loose in Addison Oaks. In fact, I felt like there was a good chance this was either a big hoax on us, or a rumor.
Well, the 12-foot part is rumor. The boa constrictor loose in my favorite park, however? Not rumor. True.
The boa loose in the park is only 5-feet-long. I was told by park officials yesterday that it does not pose a threat to any humans, and that even small dogs and cats are unlikely to be bothered by this unwelcome guest.
So the big question is, how did the boa get into the park in the first place?

On the rock at Addison Oaks

Apparently, some guy thought it'd be a good idea to take his pet boa camping with him. It got loose. I don't know how that possibility didn't cross his mind before he packed up the boa in the pop-up, or if it did, why he didn't listen to that little voice ... Read the full story here, Camper loses boa constrictor at county park.
Readers of this blog will be familiar with my favor for this park.
Ever since the weather broke, Sensi and I have been out there multiple times every week. I absolutely love the 2.5-mile Buhl Lake trail (I've never seen a dog off-leash there!) and in addition to that, my husband and I, our friends and dogs, usually play a couple rounds of disc golf on the beautiful and challenging 24-hole course at the park.
You can download a map of the Buhl Lake Trail by visiting my blog post, Know of a good place to walk dogs in Oakland County?
Now, I do have to say that I've been disappointed with the lack of leash rule enforcement on the disc golf course. In fact, it's darn near getting to the point that I'm afraid to take Sensi out there on the course with us.

Tree frog on hole 3. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I don't mind disc golfers whose dogs are trained to be off-leash while disc golfing and don't stray from their group, but that's frequently not the case.
Too often, dog owners think the disc golf course is the perfect place to let their untrained dogs off-leash to run around and explore the park. Newsflash: the disc golf course is not a dog park. We don't enjoy your dogs chasing after our discs and creating conflicts by approaching on-leash dogs.
And the bottom line is, park rules dictate all pets must be kept on a 6-foot-leash at all times. So keep'em leashed.

Cranes by the lake at Addison. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I don't feel threatened by the boa, especially since I follow the leash rules while at the park. My biggest concern is not for my dog — who would definitely fall into the too-large-to-be-boa-prey category — but for my friend's dog, a darling little pomeranian we fondly refer to as Sensi's girlfriend.
But again, we follow the leash laws. She's not running around exploring little nooks and crannies that may contain this 5-foot boa constrictor.

Blue Heron perched on tree. Photo by Allison Jagow.

I am a little excited about the rest of the summer at the park, now. My crew gets pretty deep into that park's natural areas and I think we have a better chance than the usual park-goer to spot this snake. I've programmed the park's number into my cellphone and if I spot it, I'll certainly be calling.
And taking video. And sharing that video with all of you.
Plus, if you're afraid of snakes, the boa constrictor should be the least of your concerns when it comes to visiting our county's incredible parks.
The county has confirmed that the Massausauga Rattlesnake — Michigan's only poisonous snake — is present among Addison Oaks' 1,140 acres.
Give me a choice between a 5-foot-boa and a rattlesnake and I'll take my chances with the boa any day over the poison-injecting rattlesnake.

Brent & I with our discs at Addison on our wedding day!

Neither snake is going to stop me from going to my favorite park, though.
Here's some dog blogger personal trivia: My husband and I even got married at Addison Oaks. After the wedding and reception, we even played a couple holes of disc golf!

Hope you all have enjoyed this selection of photos from my outings at Addison Oaks — the wildlife there is amazing without the help of this non-native boa!

Crawford pledges not to hear statewide pit bull ban, effectively killing the legislation

2011-06-15T10:36:00.000-04:00

State Rep. Hugh Crawford is stopping the bil

Legislation has been introduced to eventually ban pit bulls statewide, but with Oakland County’s Hugh Crawford chairing the committee it’s been referred to, the bill is not likely to see the light of day.
“The message from me, who’s chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee, is ‘I’m not going to run the bill,’” said Crawford, the Republican State House Rep. from Novi. “It will just stay in committee. I will not even take testimony on this.”
Crawford has a couple reasons for not taking up the legislation.
“I think it’s a people problem problem, not a dog problem,” he said in a phone interview from the House floor on Tuesday. “It’s totally unnecessary to penalize a breed of dog, or really, a variety of breeds.”

Contact State Rep. Tim Bledsoe

The term pit bull is a classification that refers to one of three or four breeds — American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and in many cases, Bull Terriers as well.
The legislation introduced by Grosse Pointe Democrat Tim Bledsoe would ban only the first three, allowing Bull Terriers — the breed best known for appearing in Target commercials and ads — to remain in the state.
Bledsoe’s bill, House Bill 4714, would extend the ban to “a dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of the breeds (listed to be banned)” and “a dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any one of the breeds listed.”
If it were passed, it would be illegal to breed or sell a pit bull in the state one year after it takes effect.
Four years after taking effect, it would be illegal to own or possess a non-sterilized pit bull.
Ten years after taking effect, it would be illegal to own or possess a pit bull.
Crawford said another reason he won’t take up the bill is because, “The state has got better things to do than to be the dog police.”
Amen. (Watch my video editorial on this bill)
In terms of what the public response has been since word of the legislation prompted a media firestorm last week, Crawford said, “Oh my gosh, overwhelming.”
“I’m not one to react to polls and responses and to be clear, I made this decision before I received the first email,” he said. “Since then, I have gotten hundreds of emails. I would venture to say that about 98 percent of them are against a pit bull ban for all sorts of reasons.”
Crawford said he also has friends and relatives who own pits or pit mixes.
“They’re fine dogs,” he said of the pit bulls he knows.
Other media reports have said that Bledsoe was planning to meet with Crawford early this week. That hasn’t happened.
“He hasn’t contacted me,” Crawford said. “If he does, sure, I’ll meet with him.”
As for whether the bill could come back in the future, Crawford said he’s learned from being a politician to never say never.
“Sometime down the road for some reason unforeseen to me, somebody might say, ‘Take that bill up,’” Crawford said. “But I’m confident (current) leadership won’t do that. As it stands, I’m not going to take testimony on it.”
As for totally getting rid of the bill now, Oakland Press Political Reporter Charles Crumm said that may not be possible.
“I don’t believe you can withdraw a bill once it has been introduced,” Crumm said. “More likely, it lingers until the end of the two year session when all legislation not acted upon dies when the Legislature adjourns the session. The Latin phrase for that is ‘sine die.’”
The current session will end January 1, 2013.

Dreaming of a better world where dogs aren't banned because of their breed

Ewwww, ticks!

2011-06-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

Bees bother me, deer flies and horse flies can drive me inside, but the only insect I can truly say I am terrified of is the tick.

Fleas on far left. Engorged tick second from left (so gross!)

And it's tick season. If you're a dog owner, you should know this already.

Unlike down south, where a variety of ticks thrive and can become such a pest that you have to pick them off your dog after every trip outside for a potty break (one more reason I will never live down south), we in Michigan have fewer varieties of ticks and it's not a constant battle to keep them off our dogs. Unfortunately, the deer tick is a particularly dangerous variety and may be the most common around here.

The deer tick can cause Lyme disease, which can be debilitating and difficult to treat.

I have never had a tick (knock on wood) and neither has Sensi. This year, we're using a tick collar as opposed to a topical or oral treatment to keep the nasty bugs off him.

What I like about the tick collar best is that I can feel quite confident in it's ability to keep ticks from attaching in the first place. What I don't like so much is that, well, it's a tacky collar. But whatever — a package of two cost just $18 and will last me through the fall. And as long as I follow the instructions, I shouldn't have to risk having to pick any ticks off my dog.

Removing ticks can be tricky. If you don't get the tick to release before you pull it out, you can risk it's head being left in the flesh — if this happens, disease can set in. So it's very important to remove a tick properly, both from your dogs and if you happen to get any on yourself. I've never had to do it before and honestly, I think I'd just as soon make a trip to the vet or urgent care to have a professional do it for me. I'm just so worried that I could do it wrong!

Here's some need-to-know tick information:
1) Tick risk goes up in wooded areas, areas with tall grass and shrubbery and areas with regular deer populations.
2) Protect your dog by talking to your veterinarian about what type of tick protection is best for your dog, and using some!
3) Protect yourself by wearing clothing in high "tick risk" areas that will cover you as best as possible. I've heard tucking your pants into your socks or boots can be especially helpful.
4) Ticks thrive in hot and humid temperatures, so keep that in mind as you plan walks and hikes.
5) Walk in the center of well-defined paths.
6) Check yourself and your dogs when coming in from the great outdoors this time of the year.

No, you cannot use tick preventatives on humans. I've asked. Trust me, if I could wear a tick collar, I would. The bottom line is, your dog has a shorter lifespan than you and the impact of tick preventatives on a dog's long-term health is not considered huge. If you used tick preventatives throughout your lifetime, though, the impact on your long-term health could be substantial.

Here's what my veterinarian Dr. Stephen Steep had to say about ticks during a late May visit to the office:

(Oh yeah, if you really want to be grossed out, the next time you're at your vet's office, ask them to pull out their supply of dead ticks for you. Imagine the engorged ones being attached to you or your pet. Gross!)

Resources for preventing ticks:
Centers for Disease Control: Human tick prevention (I really like the tips about how to set up your yard to keep ticks out)
Centers for Disease Control: Pet tick prevention

Last but not least, do you have a tick story to share? How about a tick removal tip? Let me know. Leave a comment here or email me, karen@oakpress.com.

Or, can you answer this question for me: Exactly what purpose does the tick serve in this grand circle of life? Really, I'm serious. I want to know. For instance, mosquitos feed frogs and dragon flies. This helps me wrap my mind around the greater purpose of a mosquito. Ticks, though, I have no clue. What is their purpose?

If only he'd gotten the mole ...

2011-06-13T13:36:00.002-04:00

This is supposed to be one of those "heartwarming and comedic" stories I promised to share with readers every once in a while ...

So, I came down with a cold last Thursday. By midday Friday, I could tell bronchitis was settling in (I have lots of experience with it). By the time I got off work Friday, I took some cough syrup and slept. And slept, and slept, and slept.

I basically slept for all but three hours on Saturday. And anyone who has slept so much knows that after so long, your body starts aching from lying in bed so much. But battling intense pressure on my lungs, a painful cough and no voice to speak of (pun intended!), it's just easier to get through it sleeping.

When I woke up at 7:30 Sunday morning, I coughed. It wasn't as painful as on Saturday. I did my routine "hello" to test my vocal cord functions. It was scratchy, but working. And that's my test — if the cough isn't too painful and the voice is functioning, it's time to get back to life.

I don't normally rise so early on Sunday, but seeing as how I'd slept for almost 48 hours, I didn't even want to be asleep anymore. I walked to the refrigerator, poured myself a glass of orange juice, got the dog breakfast and rounded up some stray pieces of laundry from the living room.

Sensi, his breakfast now merrily in his tummy, trotted up to me.
"It's time to go outside, Mom!" he said, except he doesn't talk. But you know what I mean.

So I let him outside on the chain, picked up the laundry and walked back to the bedroom.

My thought: "I can get enough laundry sorted before he wants back inside to get a load started, then I'll make coffee."

And back to the bedroom I went. After about ten minutes of sorting laundry, I thought it was odd that Sensi had not barked to get back inside. He normally doesn't like staying outside without us — it's pee, then poop, then nibble on some blades of grass and bark to get back inside.

I moseyed back to the front door, still in my pajamas, and looked for the chain. It was still. My heart always flutters a bit when I don't see movement on the chain.

"Did it break?" I always wonder, even though the chain is actually a super-duper strong (though lightweight) cable with super-duper strong hooks on it.

I opened the door and hollered Sensi's name in my special sing-song voice that always garners a "full-charge ahead" response from him, watched the chain and ... nothing. No movement.

Now my heart wasn't just fluttering; it was beating rapidly. I was about to have a heart attack.

And so, with just my house slippers and pajamas on, I ran out the front door and around the garden bed. He looked up at me as though he wasn't expecting me to come running — surprised, taken aback and clearly caught red-handed.

I came to a screeching halt as soon as I saw him but I could form no words. My brain needed some time to process this scene I saw in front of me.

My dog, my black and white dog, now colored brown. Backing away from a corner of the house, in a garden bed, behind where the hose sits. Fresh dirt. Large hole. Brown dog.

"Oh my God, Sensi," I finally said. He didn't need to hear any "bad dogs" from me. He knows very well that digging in mommy's garden beds is not allowed, and from the way he was backing away from his deed, I knew he knew exactly where we stood.

If only I'd grabbed the iPhone and snapped a photo of him. That's my only regret.

And so, that is the story of how, at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday on the very first morning that I'd felt remotely OK after battling bronchitis for more than 48 hours — before I even got my morning cup of coffee — I wound up in the bathroom, dirt on my forearms as I sprayed the caked mess of mud off my dog.

Which, of course, also is the story of how I wound up cleaning the entire bathroom from top to bottom after that. But not before my morning cup of coffee — which, thank God, Brent had woken up and made for me while I bathed the dog.

I went out later to inspect the damage and that's when I realized the whole mole connection. Darn mole got into my garden beds and uprooted about 90 percent of my plants. I'm sure the dog either saw, felt or smelled it moving in the ground beneath him.

Now, if only he'd gotten the darn mole ...

Legislation introduced that would ban pit bulls in the State of Michigan

2011-06-09T14:20:00.000-04:00

Pit bull ambassadors, it's time to take action.
State House Rep. Tim Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe, has introduced House Bill No. 4714 to ban pit bulls statewide.
The gist of the legislation is this: One year after legislation is passed and takes effect, it would be illegal to breed or sell a pit bull in Michigan. Four years after it takes effect, it would be illegal to own a non-sterilized pit bull. Ten years after, it would be illegal to own or possess a pit bull in the state.
Bull Terriers are not included, but American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs), American Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Amstaffs) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies) are.
Here are your need-to-know links:
Contact Tim Bledsoe
Read the legislation
Join Punish the Deed, Not the Breed - Fight MI House bill 4714
Best Friends' Animal Society Action Alert

Last but not least, here's what I have to say about this:

Believe in your dog

2011-06-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

This continues the puppy saga that began earlier this month.

To recap, we introduced 8-year-old Sensi (my dog) to 10-week-old Reese (my friend's puppy) and immediately, Sensi hated Reese. He didn't want her near him.

But Allison and I are good friends, we do a lot of walking and hiking together and it was really important to us that, at a minimum, our dogs learn to tolerate one another.

The first thing we did was an exercise I crafted called "Picnic at the Park." You can read all about that in my previous post dedicated to it (Getting an adult dog to like a puppy: Exercise one "Picnic at the Park").

We walked, then "picnicked" on some blankets near each other — moving a couple feet closer every once and again — then walked again, more "picnicking" etc. We spent five hours at the park that day and the dogs loved every minute of it. I was really proud of Sensi. Though we never allowed them to physically touch other, we got them pretty close and Sensi acted like it was any ol' day at the park, relaxed and happy and totally comfortable. Of course, we were keeping the social distance for him. Had we not, I'm sure he would've taken matters into his own paws and tell Reese to stay away in a not-so-friendly manner.

Sensi looks on as Allison and Reese take a break on the disc golf course

The following day, Allison and I took the dogs out to the disc golf course with our husbands. We spent another couple hours out there. This time, the dogs had an expectation about being around each other. What was it? That they're going to be four-feet apart at times, but they're not going to interact and they're not going to misbehave because they can't. Once again, the outing was pure gold.

A couple days after that, we went for another two-hour walk. This time, we brought the dogs very close to each other. Allison would walk on one side of the sidewalk, me on the other, and both our dogs to the grass on either side. It was a bit of risk — if one dog lunged at the other, they were within leash-range to reach each other. But we'd already put in good work establishing expectations for the two dogs and were very vigilant about watching for any potential situations. We didn't have any. Both dogs were great.

The situation was hardest on Reese, who was desperate for an adult dog to play with. I'm sad that Sensi couldn't provide her with that. Had he been able to, who knows what would've happened — perhaps it would've been enough to meet her needs and she could've stayed with Alan and Allison. But that didn't happen.

When this all started, I wrote a lengthy email to my favorite dog trainer Nicole Herr (read it on my post Adult dog doesn't like puppies, what do I do?) that ended with me saying the experience had dealt a blow to my confidence.

It's a little ironic that in the end, the experience would have the opposite affect on me.

When you see an adult dog decide he or she wants nothing to do with a puppy, it's quite the predicament. If you let the two dogs go off-leash and unrestrained to work it out amongst themselves — which in many cases can be the best thing — you do risk the worst of outcomes. One bite from a dog as big as mine could kill a puppy as small as Reese. It's hard to think about bringing two dogs together at all when the risk is as big as life and death. And when you're determining whether the risk is that big, you've really got to know your stuff. If you misread the dogs and let them go to figure it out themselves, you could have a dead or badly injured dog on your conscience.

But, adult dogs disliking puppies isn't exactly an uncommon thing. Even my dog, when he was younger, was raised with two adult dogs who just despised him. In that situation, we let the dogs work it out themselves because we were confident that the girls wouldn't hurt him, no matter how nasty their snarling sounded. And that worked out very well. Sensi never got hurt by them and they taught him a lot about being a dog and being a respectful one, too.

I told Allison, Reese's owner, that I wouldn't consider the two dogs ready to be around each other freely until I saw a play bow from Sensi. Play bows are wonderful communications — they not only mean, "Play with me" but they also say, "I mean no harm to you."

It's hard to say whether we'd have ever gotten there; we'll never know for sure. But either way, I learned some things about my dog and myself from the whole experience:
1) He can be around dogs he doesn't like and be totally calm and comfortable in the situation so long as I maintain a comfortable social distance for him.
2) I can do this, and he can do this. And we can do more things like this too. As long as I'm my dog's rock, he will trust me to protect him in situations he's uncomfortable with. And he can even learn to be comfortable in those situations if I can be there to help him.

For someone who's dealt eight years with a fearful dog, that's a big lesson learned. And so, I leave you with this message — Regardless of your dog's behavior problem, believe in him. Believe he can change. Believe he can learn. Believe he can better, because I'm telling you, he can. He just needs your help to get there.

Picking the right puppy for you: it's all about energy

2011-06-06T12:19:00.000-04:00

Do you have the right home for Reese? Check out her adoption profile!

Last week, I wrote about how my friends Alan and Allison worked to gain the trust of my fearful boy, how experiencing Sensi's calm temperament and good house manners encouraged them to get their own dog, and then how they did — they brought home a puppy, and two weeks later, returned it.

So, let's talk about how they chose the puppy.

It was a Saturday afternoon when they stopped by a pet store. Outside, a rescue organization had a litter of 10-week-old Beagle/Labrador mixes.

Reese tuckered out after a long day at the park

"Her sisters looked totally like labs," Allison told me. "Some looked like yellow labs, others were all black, and then there was Reese."

Reese is a beautiful puppy and she'll make a gorgeous, regal adult dog. She is a chestnut color with a white streak down her face and chest, white paws and a white tipped tail.

"She just connected with us instantly," Allison said.

The couple had seen some other litters that day too, but didn't feel that connection with any of the other puppies. Reese immediately gravitated toward them, crawling around in their lap and wanting to play. And so, the deal was done — they were taking Reese home.

Over the next two weeks, they learned things about Reese that had them second-guessing that first impression. She was a high-energy puppy, very focused on her nose and very deep into the puppy mouthing stage.

Without much of a yard for the puppy to romp around in, the couple was relying on walks to work out her energy. It wasn't enough. Reese was going stir crazy. With no other dog around to help out on the mouthing front, she was proving to be particularly challenging in that regard.

For Alan and Allison, who'd been dreaming of a dog like Sensi, doubt began creeping into their minds that Reese was the right dog for them.

A couple weeks ago, they made the decision final — leading to the tearful phone call where Allison told me, "She's just not the right dog for us."

She was right. Alan and Allison have expressed time and time again that they want a calm, mild-mannered, human-attentive dog. Reese was a high-energy dog and, in keeping with her hound heritage, independent and strong-willed. She is practically the opposite of my dog, who I'd describe as low-energy and very dependent on his social bonds with humans.

Beautiful Reese during our 'Picnic in the Park' exercise

Hindsight is 20/20, right?

"Looking back, I'm thinking, 'OK, she had already been worn out from being outside all day with her brothers and sisters,'" Allison said of first meeting Reese. "She was the only one with energy left, she was kinda picking on her brothers and sisters. It was hard to see her energy level in the moment, but now I'm thinking, 'She was the high-energy one, she was more dominant than her brothers and sisters.'"

This truly is a common mistake made by puppy and dog shoppers alike. The high-energy dog is so easy to connect with — he runs up to you, he jumps in your lap, covers you with kisses. Who wouldn't feel like that dog was screaming, "Take me home! I want to be yours!"?

But the question remains, are you a high-energy dog person? Do you want a dog that needs vigorous daily exercise? Is there something about your lifestyle that will help you meet the needs of that dog — be it another high-energy dog for the puppy to pal around with, a yard where you can work out energy with some good long games of fetch, etc.? Or, are you going to take that high-energy dog home only to find it is bouncing off the walls and driving you nuts?

She was responding to her new name, Reese, very well

In the case of Reese, a home with another adult dog, a yard and an active family is perfect. (If you can provide that home, check out Reese's adoption profile. She's listed as "Bubbies" but some focus exercises had her responding to "Reese" quite well by the time Alan and Allison returned her). Alan and Allison are active, but they're lacking the first two things on the checklist. It wasn't going to work out and frankly, it's in the benefit of both the humans and dogs that she went back to her foster home — where she happens to have an adult dog and a yard to help meet her needs.

A high-energy puppy, even if it doesn't appear so here!

The lesson is two-fold: 1) Make sure you're not falling for a dog simply because you feel it "connected" with you by jumping, licking, etc., and 2) It can be really tough to pick out the right energy puppy.

Yesterday, Allison and I were out shopping and came across another rescue group in front of a pet store. We stopped to pet the dogs and look at the puppies. Standing beside the puppy pen, I noticed one little lady slowly took a couple steps toward me. I put my hand down and she stuck her nose through the wires to sniff it, then continued standing there, looking up at me. Meanwhile, her rambunctious brother hopped over and jumped up on the wiring to lick and paw at me. It would definitely be easy to overlook the mild-mannered puppy who simply stood there and sniffed me for the rambunctious puppy who wanted to jump and lick and seemed to be yelling, "Pick me up! Pick me up!" at me. (Ironically, this puppy was the only one of the group who had so far been adopted!) But this is where you have to know what kind of dog you want in your life. If what you want is a calm, low-energy dog, you've got to set aside those emotions raised by the jumping puppy and pick up the mild-mannered one instead. My bet is that one look in her sweet, quiet eyes and you'll feel just as connected with her as you would the jumper.

Puppy shopping and dog shopping in general is tough because it's such an emotional thing. We go into it with our hearts, not our heads. But it is by using our heads that we'll save our hearts from aching in the future over having made the wrong decision, and realizing it's too late.

Do you have the right home for Reese?
Again, Reese will do best in a home with other adult dogs who will play with her and teach her all about doggiedom. She would also benefit from having regular access to a decent yard to get out some energy with puppy-zoomies and fetch — she's a natural retriever already. Reese is a perfect fit for an active family. She seemed to enjoy herself most on long walks in the park. She is super-friendly and had been great with meeting new people and children. As of two weeks ago, she was very deep into puppy mouthing. However, she has been staying with a foster home since then that has an adult dog and I'm sure this has helped her immensely on that front. Reese is a strikingly beautiful dog. If you're interested in adopting her, contact Whiskers Cat Rescue and Canine.

Introducing my fearful dog to new people: a summer of hard work and great success

2011-06-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Last May, Brent's coworker, Alan, was in need of a ride home from work. We had just dropped off our truck at the shop to have some work done too, and Brent was also in need of a ride home. I arranged to pick him up and on my way, he called to tell me Alan needed a ride too.
"No problem," I told Brent.
Alan said his wife, Allison, could pick him up from our house — she worked nearby — and so it all worked out.
It was the first time I'd met the couple and instantly, the four of us hit it off as friends.
That first night, they admired the photos of our dog — who was put away in the bedroom, as he doesn't meet new folks very well — and asked us to bring him out.

Sensi & Alan in the car on the way to the park earlier this year

"He's fearful," I told them. "He doesn't do well meeting new people, but if you guys can promise to follow a few rules, I can bring him out."
The rules speech in my house goes something like this: "Don't touch him — I mean it, or he'll bite — and don't talk to him, don't make prolonged eye contact with him — it's OK to look at him and stuff, but if your eyes meet, just look away. Don't hold eye contact — and don't sit on the floor. Basically, just totally ignore him. Act like he's not there and he'll be fine."
They were fine with that, and we felt like they were the type of people who both heard us and would listen to us, so I brought Sensi out on his leash. I walked him around the table we were sitting at, stopping briefly at each of their chairs so he could sniff their feet, and then brought his bed next to where I was sitting and asked him to lay down.
Everything went well. They never made contact with him that first night and he was perfectly calm.
After a while, I let him off the leash and gave him some toys to play with and stuff to chew on. He was content and his playful antics garnered their admiration.
That was night one.
As is often the case when forging friendships, it took a little time for the bond between Alan and Allison and Brent and I to grow.

Night two: Around the fire
About a month later, we invited them over to a bonfire with some of our other friends. Again, we initially had Sensi in the bedroom.
"Bring your dog out, Karen!" Allison scolded me. "We know the rules, we won't break them. But how is he ever going to get used to us if you don't bring him out?"
"OK, I'll go get him — but remember, no touch, no talk, no eye contact and stay in your chairs, let us know if you need to get up to go inside," I said.
I brought Sensi out, first keeping him on his leash and again walking him past their chairs for a quick sniff of their feet. He eventually got put on the long chain, as we usually do around the fire.
Later that night, our little shin-dig moved to our open, unfinished basement. Alan and Allison watched while our other friends played with Sensi; Alan threw the ball for him a couple times, both of them were allowed to toss him some treats — which he gladly gobbled; a good sign.

Night three: Dinner and a dog kiss
A couple weeks after that, Alan and Allison joined us for dinner.
This time, we didn't put the dog away at all, but kept him on the leash as they entered the house. He was allowed another foot-sniff and stayed on the leash for a half hour or so before I let him loose on some new toys.
The same rules still applied, except this time, we let Alan and Allison throw the ball for him. And this time, Sensi brought it right back to them and dropped it in their laps for another go.
The couple really enjoyed interacting with Sensi, and we really enjoyed watching our dog take this big step in becoming comfortable around new people.
After dinner, we were sitting around the kitchen table chatting when Sensi suddenly walked up to Allison, put his front legs on the edge of seat and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. He immediately turned his head away from her and removed himself from the area after the quick lick — telling me he was growing trust, but still not totally sure.
Allison was pumped, though. She still talks about that first Sensi kiss.
"Who'd have thought he'd just decide to jump up and kiss me?" she's said to me. "I knew right then that we were going to make friends with him."

Sealing the deal
By then, Alan and Allison and Brent and I were spending an increasing amount of time hanging out and taking turns cooking dinner. This meant Sensi saw them with greater frequency, and so the trust-building came a lot more quickly.
They got into the habit of picking him up tasty treats for whenever they stopped by. Pretty soon, we could tell Sensi "Your friends Alan and Allison are coming over" and he'd get all happy and butt-wiggling; racing to the windows to see if they'd arrived.
Within a couple more visits, they were allowed to pet him. By that time, Sensi liked them so much there was no fear.
They played with him, pet him, talked to him and Sensi was all about conning them into endless games of "throw the ball for me" when they came over.
In August, Alan asked if he could sit on the floor so he could work on his laptop from our coffee table in the living room.
"You know what?" I said. "I think that's going be just fine. Sensi has consistently displayed nothing but affection for you guys for the last few visits and shown no fear. Go right ahead."
So he did. Sensi came over and kissed his cheek, then ran and got a toy.
By fall, Alan and Allison had earned 100 percent of my fearful boy's trust. It might've been a summer of hard work and lots of patience, but in the end, it paid off tenfold.
Sensi has even slept in the bed with them on a couple occasions, and I've promised them that they're first in line to dogsit when the occasion arises.
They love Sensi. Sensi loves them.
"This is the first dog I've ever really bonded with," Alan told us. "I know he's got the fear issues, but aside from that, he is like the perfect dog. He doesn't jump or nip or beg or do any annoying stuff. Usually I get so irritated with dogs, but he's not irritating. I just get to enjoy him."
I appreciate the compliments.

The lesson
Meeting and befriending Sensi was a huge factor in Alan and Allison's decision to get a dog.
"We want our own Sensi," they so often told us.
Alan really wanted to ensure that he could get a dog to behave like Sensi, who is calm and lazy until you engage him in playing or walking, and has great house manners.
I promised to help them with training, but I cautioned them too.
"You have to understand that Sensi has always had a calm nature. As a puppy, he was very timid. So one of the things you want to look for is a calm puppy," I said. "But also understand that timid puppies are often or can easily become fearful, which can lead to problem behaviors like we have with Sensi now."
Either way, I promised them I'd be there for them.

Allison with puppy Reese, who is now available for adoption

A year later
In mid-May (a couple weeks ago), Alan and Allison brought home a 10-week-old beagle and labrador mix named Reese.
Right off the bat, Sensi decided he hated her.
"Kind of ironic," Allison observed. "We spent all last summer getting Sensi used to me and Alan, now we're going to spend all of this summer getting Sensi used to our dog."
Except it didn't wind up that way. Two weeks after bringing Reese home, they brought her back.
A tearful Allison called me last Thursday to say, "We just can't do it. She's just not the right dog for us."
Allison was right, and tomorrow, I'll talk about why and the implications their story has for just about anyone looking to bring home a puppy.

Read previous posts about Sensi & Reese
Adult dog doesn't like puppies, what do I do?
Getting an adult dog to like a puppy — Exercise 1 "Picnic at the Park"

I'm back!

2011-05-31T15:43:00.000-04:00

I'm back to work this week folks and goodness do I have a lot to catch you up on.

First off, remember puppy Reese from previous posts? Well, she's available for adoption again (check out her adoption profile online by clicking here for Whiskers Cat Rescue and Canine). Unfortunately, it didn't work out between her and my friends. I started writing a blog post about this while at home, but I forgot to bring it to work with me. Look for that post to be coming soon — tomorrow, I hope!

Then, I'll backtrack a little bit to go over the good work we were able to do in terms of getting my dog to tolerate being around her.

I'm also hoping to get back into compiling and posting a weekly calendar of dog-friendly events going on in the area.

Meanwhile, here's some advice for handling your pets in today's extreme heat:

1) It's too hot to exercise yourself outside, nonetheless your fur-wearing pet, regardless of how much those beggin' eyes egg you on. If you must exercise, make it a walk, make it very brief and make it on a non-asphalt surface. Remember that dogs heat and cool themselves through their paw pads, so if you're ever wondering if it's too hot for them, lay down the palm of your hand on the walking surface to test it out. Asphalt, being black, is obviously the most dangerous. Concrete takes a little while longer to warm up, but it too can get too hot for dog walking. Dirt trails are my favorite for summer walks — the cool earth beneath his feet really help him cope with the heat.

2) Don't leave your dog in a car, not even for a minute.

3) If you absolutely must leave your dog outside, make sure there's an overabundance of water at his or her disposal and a good shady spot to get out of the sun. If you find your dog has dug out a little hole for himself under a tree or something when you get home, don't yell at him. He dug that hole because he was too hot and was trying to unearth some cooler ground to lay on. If you don't like finding dog-cooling holes in your yard but refuse to let him stay inside your house while you're gone, at least buy him a cooling pad. Here's a link to Polar Products, which makes a variety of cooling products for both animals and humans. There's no electricity, refrigeration or freezing required — soak the product in water and it stays cools for a day.

4) I give Sensi an ice cube when it's this hot out and then put the rest of the tray of ice cubes in his water bowl. This will entertain him for a few minutes as he tries fishing a couple more ice cubes out of the bowl and it also helps to keep the water cooler over an extended period of time.

5) If your dog heats and cools itself through it paw pads, primarily, then that's exactly how you can help your dog cool down too. One time, when Sensi had spent too much time sunbathing and looked too hot for his own good, I had him lay down and pressed cold wash rags against his feet and draped them over his belly. It helped to cool him down really quickly.

Be safe out there!

Getting an adult dog to like a puppy: Exercise One "Picnic at the Park"

2011-05-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

Sensi, relaxed, with Allison & Reese in the backgrou

Friends of mine and Brent's (Alan & Allison) brought home a new puppy, 10-week-old Beagle/Lab mix named Reese, last weekend. On Tuesday, we found out Sensi hates her (see my previous post, Adult dog doesn't like puppies, what do I do?).

So, we're working on that. Yesterday was our first exercise in getting Sensi to tolerate Reese. I call it "Picnic in the Park" and it's a total twofer — meaning that while Sensi is learning that being around Reese can be an enjoyable, positive experience, Reese is also learning a lot, from general obedience to good dog behavior in a park setting. And oh yeah, both dogs are getting energy drained — woo hoo!

When we first got to the park, we walked both dogs on opposite sides of a park road, Sensi comfortably ahead of Reese so he was focusing on the walk and not on her. He had on his Halti (gentle leader) but no muzzle. It was hot, which worked in our favor in terms of tiring the dogs out pretty quickly. We then returned to our vehicles, grabbed our blankets and coolers and bags full of dog goodies and set up camp.

I took the Halti off when we got settled. He drank a bunch of water and then I gave him a porkhide to

Chillin' with his tennis ball, watching puppy Reese

chew on, which he absolutely loved and that kept him busy for quite a while. I don't like him devouring a porkhide like that in one setting, though, so I took it away after a bit and had Allison toss him this supersized tennis ball she'd picked up for him (what a good friend, buying toys for my dog!).

Sensi was thrilled with the tennis ball. He loves ripping those apart. He was so happy that he moved off the blanket, into the grass and began rolling around his back. He actually moved closer to Allison and puppy Reese while rolling around, which definitely signaled to me that he was 100 percent comfortable with the current arrangement.

Allison and Reese moved closer, a couple feet at a time, than what you see in these photos. We were probably about 15-feet apart, each dog on 6-foot-leash, when all was said and done.

Allison & Reese

We later got up and walked them down to a spot where they could walk a couple feet into the lake. It was Reese's first time seeing a lake and the lab in her really shone through. She jumped right in and stuck her nose right down to the bottom of the lake to pick up some seaweed! Sensi, meanwhile, waded in the water as far as he could and fished out a couple sticks. He also watched Reese's adventure in the water with some relaxed interest — he's tried to teach so many non-water-loving puppies to love water and never had success. I hope her playfulness in the water sparked a bit of admiration from him.

We took the long way back to the blankets, each of us taking breaks to practice obedience along the way with some real cooked chicken. They loved it. We hung out on the blankets again, this time maybe a little less than 15-feet apart, until our men finished their round of disc golf. In all, we were out there for about five hours full of giving our dogs a doggone great day — a day full of walks, water, toys and really awesome treats and rewards.

Sensi was totally relaxed. I am feeling a lot more confident that we can do this, though I haven't forgotten dog trainer Nicole Herr's advice — take it slow. While it's very encouraging to have such good behavior from Sensi yesterday, I'm reminding myself and Allison that it's all about social distance with dogs. Yesterday, we kept a social distance between the dogs that Sensi was totally comfortable with. Had we decreased that, had we made them have direct physical contact, we could have turned it into a very, very negative situation. For now, we'll be keeping that social distance.

In the meantime, Reese will grow quickly and learn a lot about being a dog. Sensi will learn that having Reese around is going to be a part of life from now on. And maybe, just maybe, they'll learn to be pals along the way.

A short video clip from our outing:

Adult dog doesn't like puppies, what do I do?

2011-05-20T10:34:00.002-04:00

Puppy Reese: Photo by Allison Jagow

No, this isn't a reader question. Really, what do I do?

Just kidding. I've got a plan.

Let me explain: Good friends of ours recently brought home an adorable little beagle/Labrador mix. Her name is Reese and she's 10 weeks old. And Sensi hates her.

I'm calling step 1 in my plan to change this "Picnic in the park." Reese is still too young to go on our long walks, and for a couple weeks yet, she can only be around dogs who we know are up to date on vaccinations.

Here's the gist of my plan — I'm going to tire Sensi out by taking him on the 2.5-mile walk in advance; go pick up Allison and Reese (Reese will be crated in the back of the Jeep) and head back to the park (not the dog park, just a dog-friendly park). Sensi and I will set up camp on a blanket while Allison walks Reese around a quiet, mostly unused picnic spot. She can practice a variety training stuff while tiring out Reese, while I work on getting Sensi to be calm and enjoy the outing via treat therapy. I'm pulling out the big guns for this one — I'll have a variety of doggie-favorites in my picnic basket, from cooked chicken to frozen green beans (a favorite of his), cheese, perhaps a banana and some brand-spankin' new toys from the dollar store for him to rip up. The idea is not to have the two dogs interact, but to get them used to enjoying themselves while being in the general vicinity of one another.

Now, for some background. Here it is, copied from an email I sent to fabulous dog trainer Nicole Herr for some moral support yesterday:

Sensi was a good nanny to puppy Ruger, about 4-months here

If there was one thing Brent and I thought we knew about our dog beyond the shadow of a doubt, it was that he loves puppies. He used to be a total and complete nanny dog. As a younger dog, he was so good with puppies it was magical to watch. He'd splay out on his back, let the puppies chew on his lips and ears (even carried an 8-week-old Brittany around who had latched on to his droopy jowls). He'd alternate between playing with the puppies and trying to teach the puppies things. He's tried to teach every puppy how to swim ... not with a whole lot of success, but he tried his little water-lovin' heart out anyhow.

He's been a "nanny" to four puppies in his lifetime and has met and played with many others too. One of the puppies lived with us for about six months. Puppy interaction probably dropped off about the time he was about four, though — by then, most all of our friends had gotten puppies.

A few months after we moved into our house in 2008 — the first time that just me, Brent and the dog finally all lived together — I brought home two foster puppies, 8-weeks-old. I've always wanted to foster, but I wanted to do it even more for Sensi. He was five. I thought he'd love having "his own" puppies to raise.

I brought the puppies into the house myself. He acted interested and excited, sniffed their butts and then walked away — out of the room completely, in fact. A few moments later, one of the puppies went to investigate him. When the puppy got close, Sensi bared his teeth and growled. We muzzled Sensi and I had Brent get him up on the couch. When the puppies walked by the couch, he'd try to get up and get away from them — moving away from them on the couch. If they followed him, he growled. We later put him back in the bedroom. The following morning, we tried again. Sensi wanted nothing to do with those puppies. He snarled at them again through his muzzle when they got close, once seemed like if he was not muzzled it would have been a bite for sure. He employed all avoidance techniques. I decided it was not in the best interest of either the foster puppies or Sensi to continue onward and we brought the puppies back to another foster home that day. We've figured that there was a big difference between those puppies and all previous puppies — he thought they were ours. Every other puppy he knew belonged to a friend of ours and clearly not us.

Since then, he has had no interactions with puppies.

On Saturday, Brent and I stopped by our friends' house briefly to meet the puppy — 10 wk old female beagle/lab mix. When we came home, we let Sensi smell us and repeated the words: "Alan & Allison's puppy Reese" and "Friend." He knows the words Alan & Allison, he knows puppy, and he knows friend. He was excited, body language looked great.

On Tuesday, I brought Sensi over to Alan & Allison's to meet the puppy after a good 2.5-mile walk. He has only been there once, to pick up Allison for a walk, and never went inside their house. She brought the puppy out, let it's butt drop down within reach of Sensi. Wearing muzzle and halti. He was very excited. I probably should have waited until he calmed down ... He sniffed the puppy's butt, then immediately walked away from the puppy. He went straight into avoidance. The puppy walked in front of him at one point and peed, he leaned forward to sniff and she turned around, putting her face next to his. He snapped at her and, since he was muzzled, opted to use his big ol' paw to give her a good whap. She yelped and jumped away. We then walked them up and down the street a couple times. Total avoidance — kept his body turned away from her, practically walking on an angle because of it, his head, never even got close to looking at her. If we stopped, he immediately sniffed the ground. The longer we stayed there, the more his tail tucked and body began crouching — like fear — even though she wasn't even within reach of him, and just before leaving, he went so far as to try to hide from her by crawling under the Jeep (and came out just covered in thick gobs of mud, which was lovely).

My next course of action is to do a sit-in with both dogs at the park. I'll have Sensi walked again, then have Allison and the puppy meet us. I'm going to bring a blanket and set up shop on the grass with Sensi on leash. I'm going to wait for Sensi to totally calm down — like, take a nap — while Allison works out some energy with the puppy in the general vicinity. Once Sensi is calm and puppy is de-energized, we'll walk the dogs past each other, around each other, etc.

As the puppy gets older, we'll start doing our longer walks together.

Right now, I have no hope that they'll ever get along, but darnit, Sensi will learn this puppy is to be tolerated.

I'm so heart broken, and my confidence has taken a bit of a beating. I so wanted to see my nanny dog return.

Can I do this?

Nicole approved my plan and advised me to take it very slowly. That I can do. I'm not really clear on why Sensi decided he doesn't like Reese, but as I've said in previous posts, the "why" doesn't matter nearly as much as the "what are you going to do about it."

Nanny dog Sensi won't be returning. Sensi may well be in that senior citizen stage of his life and simply isn't interested in having youthful puppies around. But there's no reason that these two dogs can't learn to at least be around each other, and maybe, with time and lots of solid work, they'll even learn to like each other a little bit. I won't hold out hope for that, but I am determined that we will be able to walk these dogs together.

I'll keep you posted on our progress throughout the summer!

Advice from a trainer: What to do if an unfriendly dog approaches mine at the dog park

2011-05-19T08:45:00.000-04:00

On Monday, I posted my response to a reader asking what to do if an unfriendly dog approaches her dog while at the park. You can read my response here: What to do if an unfriendly dog approaches ...

With my own pooch not fit for the dog park, though, it's not an area I have a whole of experience with. So, I reached out to my favorite local dog trainer, Nicole Herr. She and her husband, Brian, run Herr Pet Training. They have the right knowledge about dog behavior — not all trainers do — and are capable of tackling the toughest of behavior problems. It's all about credibility for me and these two have it.

Without further ado, here is Nicole's response:

The question
“What to do if you are at the dog park with your dog and a “not friendly” dog approaches. I would love to say this never happens when we are out, but there have been a few times that I have been out with my dog and another dog comes up that is a little too aggressive (starts to show aggressive dominance behaviors like mounting). If you had any tips about how to handle while minimizing getting hurt that would be great!”

Great blog post Karen! (Gee, thanks Nicole!!) You've written sound advice on a very tricky subject and I'm going to build on that...

This is the trickiest part of a trip to the dog park ... the other dogs. It's an element you can't control for, so you need to be very alert and aware to your own dog's body language and cues of stress. If your dog begins to look stressed, it is our job as pet parents to step in and manage or remove them from the situation. Many dogs do not handle the dog park environment well. Having even a basic knowledge of canine body language will help you identify what dog-dog communications are occurring, and if your dog will fit well into the environment.

An important note to start: While you are at the park with your dog, don't sit back and read a book. Keep a watchful eye on your dog and stay reasonably close. Seconds matter if an altercation occurs and being a football field away is simply irresponsible.

If I am in the dog park, I am always carrying VERY tasty treats, a loud whistle and a small air horn. The treats can help redirect your dog if necessary and can be used as a lure for others if the need arises. The whistle and air horn are there to serve as an interrupter. They can startle the dogs just long enough for you to step in and diffuse the situation. You should ALWAYS have your leash immediately at-hand as well. Your leash can be used a loop to quickly gain control of your dog when there isn't time to clip onto the collar.

To go back to the original question, I am assuming that you are in the immediate vicinity of your dog when this happens and that your dog is off-leash. If the dog approaches in an offensive and charging manner, take a step between them and give a "HEY!" to startle them. Often, something this simple will stop them or slow them down. At this point a "Please come get your dog" in a nice, loud voice will have the owner coming in for assistance. If the dog continues to approach, use your whistle or air horn if you feel threatened (this will definitely get everyone's attention). We are looking to startle them just long enough to intervene and avoid a dog fight.

"He may stand there, looking at you, confused, not quite ready to give up more of his space. Tell him to get lost. Wave him off. If it doesn’t work, stand there and hold your ground until he decides to trot away in a different direction.
If he tries to go around you, body block him. If he takes a step to his left, you take the same step to match him. Claim your space. Claim your dog. "
This is great advice from Karen. (Thanks, Nicole!!)

A few other notes on this subject:
*Stay calm-- Your dog feeds off of your emotions, so remain calm and confident. If you panic, so will they.

*Don't grab for the collar — A dog in a heightened state won't know your hand from the touch of another dog. They may turn and snap at or bite you if you grab at their collar. Use your leash to loop your dog and regain control. If you need to physically remove your dog from another, do not use your hands. At that point, use your legs/shins to shove them, then loop them to regain control.

*Avoid busy times at the park — Simply put, go when it's less busy. Or visit during times when the less-than-friendly dogs are not there.

*Report it! — If you see a dog that is a problem, report them to park authorities. If there is no one on-site, make a report to the governing offices. Keeping the park safe is everyone's responsibility.

While I enjoy a day at the park with my dog, I highly advocate for trying a good doggie daycare, too. The daycare is a controlled environment, where the dogs have been evaluated for temperament and personality. This keeps the "not so friendly" dogs out, as they generally don't make it past the initial screening process.

Please keep in mind that these are general tips to keep the "not so friendly" dogs at bay. Avoiding them is the first step. If you find yourself encountering them at a park too often, let the authorities know and find a new park. Before I take my dog to a new park I will go by myself to observe and meet some people. Ask questions. Are there times to avoid? Dogs to stay away from? Take the time to find the right place for you and your dog to enjoy.

Coyotes team up to attack large black Labrador in Springfield

2011-05-18T10:25:00.002-04:00

Oh, those wiley coyotes.

Reggie, the lab, was attacked by coyotes

A story I wrote for today's paper, Coyotes team up to attack dog at Springfield home, is getting a lot of attention — and rightly so.
Is it rare to hear about more than one coyote taking part in an attack, and perhaps even more rare to hear of a very large, 110-lb. dog being the target.
The DNR thinks the dog may have wandered too close to the coyotes' den site, or that the coyotes may have wandered away from the den and stumbled upon the dog. The attack, then, is assumed to be a defensive one, not a hunting one.
But I've been hearing from people all over the place this morning.
"You know they go for the hamstrings," said one man who called early Wednesday morning. "They rip out the hamstrings on the back legs' of the dog, and then the dog can only use it's head to defend itself and eventually, the coyotes will wear down the dog."
I noted that Labrador who was attacked seemed to suffer the worst injuries on his back legs.
Another guy told me about some California folks who owned and bred champion Yorkies. He said coyotes came into the yard, attacking and eating the male Yorkie used for breeding. The dog owner got so mad he went out and bought a German Shepherd, but the coyotes had a plan for that, too.
The caller said that the coyotes sent in a female in a heat and the German Shepherd followed the female out into the wilderness, where he was promptly killed and eaten by the rest of the coyotes.
I can't confirm whether any of this is true — it's second-hand information, after all — but definitely interesting.
What there does seem to be a whole lot of information on is coyote-dog hybrids (Google "Coydog"). If that's not a reason to spay and neuter, I don't know what is.
Check out these photos posted on Jonathan Schechter's blog last fall of a potential hybrid coyote in Brandon Township.
I also got an email from the Executive Editor of The Macomb Daily, who said he watched two coyotes take down a deer a couple years ago. He also said he recently saw coyotes that looked to be 60-70 pounds right on the shore of Lake St. Clair. That's much larger than the 25-35 pounds most coyotes weigh in at.
Also notable, Tim Payne of the DNR mentioned to me yesterday that there is some evidence Michigan has both the larger species of coyote, the Eastern Coyote, in addition to the smaller Western Coyote. I found online that Eastern Coyotes mates for life. I couldn't find anything about their hunting habits, though I'd presume if you're a coyote, and you're pairing up with another coyote for life, you might as well hunt together, right? It only seems smart.
Meanwhile, I recommend owners of small dogs in Oakland County take all the precautions they've always had to, and that big dog owners keep a watchful eye out too.
As always, keep your dog in your yard, and keep a watch on your dog while it's in your yard unattended. It's a good practice to have anyhow.

Video of Chip Acey and his dog, Reggie, who was attacked by two coyotes recently

What do I do if an unfriendly dog approaches mine at the dog park?

2011-05-17T10:07:00.001-04:00

A reader has asked me to address the following issue. She writes:

“What to do if you are at the dog park with your dog and a “not friendly” dog approaches. I would love to say this never happens when we are out, but there have been a few times that I have been out with my dog and another dog comes up that is a little too aggressive (starts to show aggressive dominance behaviors like mounting). If you had any tips about how to handle while minimizing getting hurt that would be great!”

Sensi's two small friends holler at him to stop being so boisterous

This is not something I have a whole lot of experience with, since my dog is not a dog-park-dog. To answer these questions, I'm drawing on my experiences of stopping off-leash dogs from approaching Sensi and I while we're out on walks.
Here's a series of posts specifically about that (Learning from Sensi, Learning from Sensi Part II, The charging dog and Challenge the charger).

To check my advice, I've also asked professional dog trainer Nicole Herr to give me some tips. I'll be interested to learn whether our advice is similar and will certainly post what I hear from her.

All right, here's what I've got:

The first step is being able to identify whether there’s any offensive communications going on between your dog and the new one who has approached. Again, this is where knowing canine body language is worth its weight in gold.

First off, how did the dog approach yours? Did it barrel toward your dog, head to head, and not stop until bodily contact was made between the two? That is the ultimate statement of rudeness among dogs, and it’s perceived by many dogs as a threat of aggression — meaning as soon as the offending dog does make contact, your dog has already readied himself for an altercation. This means that even if it was just a lack of good doggie manners driving the offending dog to run at yours and not aggression or the threat of aggression, an altercation may still be had.
This doesn’t necessarily apply between dogs who know eachother. But for two dogs who have not met, one dog running directly at another without stopping and engaging in routine dog-meeting pleasantries is generally a threat.
If you see this happen, stop the approach before physical contact is made with your dog. Position yourself in front of your dog (between your dog and the charger), puff up your chest, straighten those shoulders and stare coldly and intently into the charging dog’s eyes. Do not avert eye contact for a split second. Stand still. And understand that you are now threatening the charging dog and telling him to stay away. There’s always the risk that he won’t stop and may attack you, though I’ve done this more times than I can count and it’s worked like a charm every time. But the risk is there.
The offending dog will likely stop abruptly. He may stand and stare at you. He may run away in the other direction. Hold your ground until he moves on. If he tries to meet your dog again later with proper doggie manners, you’ve made your point and helped a dog learn some good etiquette about meeting others.

Secondly, what do the dogs’ tails tell you? If the offending dog’s tail is held high, up over its butt or like a flagpole up in the air, and your dog is perhaps tucking its tail or wagging it low and rapidly, then you have a problem. This is a clear and early sign that the offending dog is feeling dominant over your dog, who is feeling submissive.
Sometimes these situations work out — the submissive dog submits, the dominant dog stays dominant and all is balanced. But more often than not, an altercation is brewing.
I personally don’t approve of dominant tails. I don’t want to see one on my dog and I don’t want to see one any other dog around me.
If I were in a dog park situation where a dominant-tail dog and my dog were exchanging sniffs, I’d break up the meeting. I use a throaty, growly, sharp “Eh!” to get dogs’ attention. Generally, you’ll see that dominant tail drop instantaneously.
Then, I’d walk toward the offending dog, walking right into his space, to back him up. If he doesn’t immediately start backing up as you walk into his space, you can gently press your shin (I said GENTLY PRESS, not kick and NOT with force! The goal is to push, not strike!) into the dog’s chest/shoulder area to move him back.
He may stand there, looking at you, confused, not quite ready to give up more of his space. Tell him to get lost. Wave him off. If it doesn’t work, stand there and hold your ground until he decides to trot away in a different direction.
If he tries to go around you, body block him. If he takes a step to his left, you take the same step to match him. Claim your space. Claim your dog.

If another dog is mounting yours, I’d pull out that growly “Eh!” in conjunction with physically pushing the dog off your dog. Follow-up your push by walking into the dog’s space, forcing him to back up. Tell him to get lost or stand your ground until he does.

There’s no easy cue, no phrase universally-understood-by-dogs that you can use or sound you can make to let an offending dog know you want him to get lost. You do have to get physically involved, even if it means nothing more than standing in front of your dog and staring at another dog until it runs away.
You do need to understand that you are asserting yourself as dominant when you employ these tactics, and that in some cases, your actions will be perceived as threats by the dog they are aimed at. If you stare down a dog upon first arriving to the park, I wouldn’t try hugging and kissing up on the dog later in the visit to try to make friends. He’s probably scared or at least intimidated of you and wants you to keep your distance now, just like you told him to keep his distance earlier in the visit.
With any of these actions, you are risking that the offending dog may become aggressive toward you. I would argue, though, that if a dog is dangerously aggressive, none of these tactics would work in the first place. But, God forbid that someone would be so stupid as to bring a dog with a dangerously aggressive temperament to an off-leash dog park.
You’re more likely to find an offending dog has little more than poor social skills, poor training and mild behavior issues. Those are traits open for manipulation.

Now, the real question is: How do you handle the aggressive dog owner who thinks his/her offending dog is perfect and gets mad at you for “scaring” or “harassing” her precious pooch who could never, ever do anything wrong? That’s the altercation that won’t be so easy to settle.

Snippets and stuff

2011-05-09T11:54:00.000-04:00

I've got a bit of variety to post about today, so enjoy these little Dog Blog snippets.

Good reminder on fear series
Last week, I wrote a series of posts about five subtle signs a dog will display when uncomfortable, anxious or scared in a situation.
Nicole Herr, my favorite local dog trainer, had this to add: "It's so important that people understand that these signs don't happen alone. Most often you'll see just two or three, or you'll see them all. All elements of their body language should be taken into account."
She is absolutely correct. Remember that your dog has a large repertoire of body language communications and will send out a variety of signals to indicate it's internal state. Learn as much about canine body language as possible and you'll start seeing your dog in a whole new light — the type of light that will make you say, "Gee, it's not as hard as I thought to communicate with my dog."

Puppy Socialization & Basics class
Nicole also mentioned she's leading a puppy socialization class that starts this Saturday. It'll be at the Wet Noses Pet Camp in downtown Rochester.
The class is open to all puppies between the ages of 3 and 8 months, but they must be up to date on rabies (for those pups six months and older) as well as DHP and Bordatella, and have a negative fecal exam. Bring proof of this from your veterinarian.
Classes are from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on May 14 and 28 and June 4. The class fee is $75 and participants must register in advance by emailing nherr@herrpettraining.com or calling 586-797-9267.
I strongly recommend this class for anyone with an appropriately-aged puppy — Nicole and her husband, Brian, have excellent knowledge about dogs and how they learn. This will provide you with a solid base for future training and no doubt give you a wealth of information that every dog owner should know.

Finding good on-leash trails
I wrote a while back about wanting to find a good place to walk my dog where people are prone to keeping their dogs on leash. I asked all of you to tell me about places you've found, but since I didn't hear from anyone, I reached out to our trails columnist Jonathan Schechter for some advice.
I thought this comment was particularly noteworthy: "Except for dog parks, no dog may be off leash in any park, trail, etc. in the entire state of Michigan (excluding special things that are permitted in some areas). That is the law."
So, to all you lawbreakers out there, you can bet I'll be chastising you if I run into you and your off-leash dog on a trail.
Schechter confirmed what I'd already felt was the case with areas like the Bald Mountain State Recreation Area.
"The DNR state recreation areas are notorious for off leash dogs," he wrote.
I'm disappointed at this. State rec trails tend to be very natural, challenging and beautiful. Unfortunately, I'll be keeping away from them with my dog.
He also confirmed another notion I had: "Best trails that enforce the leash laws are the Oakland County parks and the Huron Clinton metroparks ... From personal experience, a few of the parks with the least chance to encounter doggy violations are Independence Oaks, Addison Oaks, Kensington, Stony and Indian Springs metro parks. And the metroparks BAN pets from the nature trails all together."
I can totally back him up on the note about Addison Oaks. I've been out there more times than I count already this year, and while I've passed lots of people walking dogs, I haven't encountered a single off-leash dog. Way to go, Addison!
I feel like writing a thank you letter.

What if my dog is approached?
A reader emailed for advice on how to deal with the situation if a not-so-friendly dog approaches. Specifically, she asked me about what can be done in an off-leash dog park situation.
"I would love to say this never happens when we are out, but there have been a few times," she writes.
I would love to say it never happens either. I have one of those not-so-friendly dogs and am smart enough to realize he's not cut out for the dog park. Ideally, everyone with less-than-perfect pooches would be able to see that in their dogs and do the same. Unfortunately, too many people have what I call "my-kid-can-do-no-wrong" syndrome.
You know what I'm talking about — just like the parents who refuse to admit that their kids could ever possibly do something wrong, there's a ton of dog owners out there who take the same approach with their pooch. They'll make excuse after excuse after excuse for why their dog did this or that, inevitably finding a way to place blame on something out of their own control.
The world would be a better place if more people could take an honest look at their dogs and realize they're not perfect. That, of course, would necessitate that they do something about those imperfections (and trust me, I do my very best to address my dog's imperfections. That's why I'm out there walking him everyday, trying to expose him and desensitize him to as much of this world as possible rather than just keeping him jailed in the house. I realize, however, that for all I'm able to achieve, my dog will never be a dog park dog. That's just the way it is). And when it comes to doing something about your dog's imperfections, far too many people are either too egotistical to admit that there is a problem and they don't have the slightest clue how to rectify it, or will make up their own "solution" rather than seeking out solid advice.
Either way, I have not in the slightest way answered my reader's question. That, however, is something I will focus on doing throughout posts this week, so check back later this week!

Five subtle signs of fear in dogs: The tail wag

2011-05-06T09:59:00.001-04:00

Playful tail: Level w/back, swaying side to side

OK, this is the last in my series of posts listing five subtle signs of fear in dogs that most humans entirely miss.

You can read the previous posts by clicking on these links:
Averting eyes, shifting body
Sniffing the ground
Licking the air

Today's "subtle sign" is all about that tail wag.

Number Five: The tail wag.
It’s a neck-and-neck race between licking and tail wagging in terms of which behavior is more commonly misinterpreted by humans.
If you were surprised to see how many ways a dog can use its tongue to send out communications, you’ll be downright shocked to learn about the tail.

Good tail: Comfortable, confident

A wagging tail is not a sure sign that a dog is friendly. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. As with licking, it’s important to look at both the circumstances and the rest of the dog’s body language to determine what a tail wag is conveying.
The classic human assumption is that a tail tucked between the legs means the dog is scared or — hear me groan — guilty of something, and that every other type of tail wag is a sign of happiness and friendliness. The first part, that a tucked tail signals fear (not guilt!), is true, but a wagging tail can signal fear too. It’s just a different type of wag.

Good tail: happy, comfortable, confident

Have you ever seen a tail that was hanging low, but not tucked, and wagging with fierce intensity from side to side, but never fully extending past the sides of the dog’s body? This type of wag is probably the most likely to be mistaken. It looks the most like a normal tail wag to the untrained eye, yet it warns that the dog is extremely anxious and apprehensive. Think of how hard your heart might be beating prior to jumping out of a plane for your first ever parachute attempt — there’s a mix of excitement, anxiety and apprehension making your heart beat so fast. Those are the same emotions often displayed by dogs through this type of tail wag.

Playful tail: Swaying gently, proudly, but not too high

The more the dog’s fear escalates, the lower it will keep the tail (and the side-to-side wag will continue decreasing in width) until eventually, it is classically tucked under the belly.
So, what should you watch for? A rapid side-to-side tail wag from a low-hanging tail, with the wag decreasing in width as the tail’s position becomes lower, though not necessarily tucked. I recommend turning so the side of your body is facing the dog and ignoring the dog until the tail becomes relaxed. Essentially, if you continue with whatever you’re doing to unnerve the dog, you’ll see the tail continue to go lower until it is eventually tucked.
Everyone knows the expression “she wears her heart on her sleeve.” Think of the dog’s tail as exactly that. It is the pulse of your dog’s emotions, and all the tiny variations in how it’s positioned and wagged tell a tale of what your dog is feeling.

Some other good “tails” to be aware of:
• A tail that is held high while wagging displays dominance laced with excitability and/or playfulness. Get your dog’s attention and calm him down.
• A tail that is held high and erect like a statue (the whole body will be statuesque) is a threat of dominance — your dog is not just feeling dominant, but he’s ready to enforce his dominance as well. Remove your dog from the situation.
• A tail that is held in line with the dog’s back or slightly dipped below the back line, swaying from side to side, is a sign that he’s comfortable and playful.
• A tail that is wagging rapidly in circles like a helicopter tells you that he is extremely excited. Extreme excitability is an unstable mood for dogs, so you should try to calm him down a notch. That tail wag could decrease to comfortable playfulness or switch to great anxiety and fear — the bottom line is that it’s a wild card, so calm down that dog!
• A tail that is resting naturally at a downward angle from the dog’s body, perhaps with a slight wag or no wag at all, is a sign that the dog is feeling stable, comfortable and at-ease. This is the best tail of all.

Five subtle signs of fear in dogs: Licking the air

2011-05-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

All right folks, it's my third post writing about five subtle signs of fear in dogs commonly missed by their humans — yep, I mean you. Thankfully, humans are quite good at reading and learning, so read on and learn about that pooch of yours!

Here's links to my first two posts:
Averting eyes, shifting body
Sniffing the ground

Without further ado, today's topic is about those slobbery dog tongues:

Number four: Licking the air.
“Oh, he wants to give me kisses,” says the person who proclaims “every-dog-loves-me” upon approaching a new dog.
The truth is, wanting to give “kisses” may be the last thing that dog has on its mind.
Licking can mean a lot of things. In most cases, it’s a display of affection. Licking the air can also signal digestive issues, like bloat. Dogs may also use that tongue hoping to get regurgitation action (yes folks, this is disgusting. Just keep reminding yourself that our dogs are descendants of wolves. Wolf pups will lick the muzzles’ of adult wolves to prompt regurgitation and this is how they first taste a solid meal). Additionally, licking can be a statement of submission as well as an attempt to calm you.
Now doesn’t that add a whole new dimension to that slobbering dog tongue?
The key here is to take in the big picture of what the dog is trying to tell you. Don’t focus in on one or two behaviors, look for a variety of behaviors to indicate the bigger picture.
If you see a dog licking the air, consider the circumstances. Did he just eat a big meal and then take a huge drink of water, and now he’s licking the air and dry heaving? You might have a case of bloat on your hands and you need to rush-rush-rush to the emergency room.
Did you just holler out something really loudly down the hallway to your husband and your dog came running, licking the air and trying to lick you? Your loud voice may have alarmed him and he’s trying to calm you down.
Are you approaching a brand new dog you’ve never met before? Look at the rest of his body language before telling yourself he wants to give you kisses. He may very well be more apt to bite you than kiss you, and in that case, you’ll want to keep your face far, far away from those pearly whites of his.

Five subtle signs of fear in dogs often missed by humans: sniffing the ground

2011-05-04T09:50:00.001-04:00

This week I'm focusing on five signs of fear in dogs that are usually missed by humans.
Yesterday's blog talked about Averting their eyes and Shifting their body away from the source of fear.
Today's topic is sniffing the ground.

Number 3: Sniffing the ground
Dogs sniff the ground and that’s just part of being a dog, right? No, not exactly.
Sure, there are lots of occasions when a dog is sniffing the ground simply to sniff — to pick up all the wonders of the world that we can’t experience like our dogs can because our noses just don’t work as good as theirs do.
A dog is also likely sniff a lot when he’s figuring out where to go potty.
But, a dog will also employ sniffing as an avoidance tactic.
Think of it like realizing you and the world’s most annoying neighbor are headed on a collision course down the neighborhood sidewalk, destined to make contact with another. But, you really, really hate this person and you really, really don’t want to get roped into some conversation with him or her. So you pick up your cellphone, pretend to dial a number and start talking to no one about your day. You get to pass by your neighbor with nothing more than a head nod and you didn’t even have to be rude about it.
Sniffing pretty much serves the same purpose for a dog. The dog has been placed in a situation that he’s totally uncomfortable with. Rather than feed that situation with his own energy, he diverts his energy and attention to something he’s familiar with and likes doing — sniffing. It mitigates the situation for him.
Other dogs are able to read this behavior and respond accordingly. Humans, however, tend to be clueless.
To figure out what your dog is sniffing for, look at the big picture. Is he showing any other signs of distress? Did he first avoid eye contact? Maybe he repositioned his body? What is his tail doing? His ears? What are the circumstances — did a stranger just approach you to talk?
Sniffing, like all of these subtle signs, is actually a calming signal. The dog is trying to calm himself with these behaviors, and these behaviors are also read by other dogs as part of their massive repertoire of non-verbal communications. That means they’re not just actions that affect the dog’s internal state, but communications meant to affect the actions and behaviors of others.
So, start listening.

Five subtle signs of fear in dogs often missed by humans

2011-05-03T13:22:00.000-04:00

Everyone thinks they can identify a fearful dog, and they’re partially right. Most people have no problem identifying a dog who is so fearful that he or she is about bite or take flight, but what about identifying fear in your dog before the situation escalates to being dangerous?
This is where most people fall short.
The classic signs of fear that most people know are actually classic signs of intense fear. At this point, you may see a dog whose hackles are raised, body is crouched, tail is tucked, body shivering, ears back, whites of the eyes showing. The problem is, once the dog’s fear has ballooned to such extremes, the dog truly is dangerous. Catching fear when the dog is just beginning to feel fearful is key to reducing the dog’s fear and making the situation safe.

This week, I'll give you five subtle signs most often missed by humans. It's not an exhaustive list, but it's certainly a start. My first two are included here and I'll post one more each day this week.

1) Averting their eyes.
Looking away from whatever is making them uncomfortable is a way for dogs to say, “I’m not threatening you, but I am uncomfortable with you. Please give me some space.”

2) Shifting their body away from source of fear.
Whether it’s a person, another dog or an inanimate object, a dog is sending a very clear sign that he is apprehensive when he shifts his body so that his head is facing away from whatever he is fearful of.
I often see this displayed during “first meets” with a new person, and it almost always follows an eye aversion.
Envision this: You meet a dog. You reach down to scratch the underside of the dog’s neck. The dog avoids eye contact with you. You don’t notice. You sit down to be closer and “make friends” with the dog in that ignorant human manner that we have. The dog doesn’t get up, but does shift it’s body so it’s front paws and head are now facing away from you; it’s back now facing the front of your body.
Most people don’t read this at all, and depending on the dog’s bite threshold, these communications can very well be the only signs you’ll get before that dog turns around and bites you, considering you persist in trying to “make friends” with dog and don’t listen up and give him or her an inch of space and moment of time to acclimate to you in a more dog-mannerly fashion.
Between dogs, you may also see a dog’s body take a half-moon shape (standing broadside, front and back paws slightly more forward than the dog’s torso) upon meeting or even during play. This curvature of the dog’s body tells the other dog a lot of information — I’m stopping here, please stop too, I’m uncomfortable, please keep your space, I’m nervous about you and apprehensive to decrease the social distance between us.
Of course, dogs may also use this posturing with humans, but in my real world experience, I’ve spotted it much more often between dogs than between dogs and humans. Eye aversion and body shifting is more readily used by dogs trying to communicate with humans, in my experience.

And the winner is ...

2011-04-29T15:23:00.001-04:00

The winner of The Dog Blog contest for a Petmate Swivel Bin and Rake is KAREN BURGSTEDE of Wisconsin!
Congratulations, Karen!
We'll be mailing out your brand new Petmate Swivel Bin and Rake as soon as possible!

WATCH THE DRAWING

Petmate Swivel Bin and Rake: Contest drawing today at 3 p.m.

2011-04-29T09:41:00.002-04:00

Hello dog lovers!
OK, so I've been slacking on new posts. In fairness, I wanted to keep the Petmate contest post as the newest post on the blog through today's drawing. After all, it's a pretty cool item to win and I wanted as many people as possible to see the post and enter!
Next week, I'll resume regular posting.
Today's drawing will be livestreamed on my blog at 3 p.m. A coworker will film the drawing live with the iPhone so you can watch it right here as it happens.
Check back at 3 p.m. to find out who the lucky winner is — see you then!

REPLAY OF THE LIVESTREAM: SELECTING THE CONTEST WINNER

Win a Petmate Clean Response Swivel Bin and Rake and make pet waste pick-up cleaner and easier

2011-04-19T13:23:00.000-04:00

Petmate Clean Response Swivel Rake & Bin

For years now, I've used a grain scoop for horses combined with a plastic garden shovel to pick up my yard of dog-doo.
It was not a good method.
First, my method required a lot of bending — not only was that rough on my back, but it was stinky too. No one wants to get that close to aromatic, festering dog doo, right? I can't believe I did it for all those years.
Second, it was messy. I never wanted to store the tools inside the garage because of the mess and stink, so I stored them discreetly near a bush in my front yard.
There, they attracted every type of dung beetle and spider imaginable. One time, I even had a snake curled up in the scoop (enter my habit of kicking the scoop before bending down to pick it up).
Why didn't I invest in one of those scissor-like pooper scoopers sold at every big box around? I did. Twice. Maybe it's something about the size of my dog (and subsequently, the size of his doo) but I kept breaking those darn contraptions. I broke the first pooper scooper my second time using it; I broke my second pooper scooper the first time using it. I then muttered some choice words and promised I'd never spend another dime on the darn things.
Going on the advice of a friend, I bought the grain scoop and have been miserable ever since.
But not anymore.
Earlier this month, I walked up to the sight of a big box sitting on my desk chair. The whole newsroom got a good laugh over how excited I became when I opened it up and discovered I'd been sent a pooper scooper.
As excited as I was at the mere fact this rake-and-basket partnership meant no more bending and no more getting my face awfully close to rotting poop, it got even better once I arrived home and started putting it together.
"Look here, hun," I said to my husband. "The instructions say to use a grocery bag and you just clip it right into these hooks."
"You know what that means, right? That means this basket will never get gross like the grain scoop did," I continued.
I used it later that weekend and was quite pleased with the whole experience.

Watch a video demonstration

Here's what I like about the Petmate Clean Response Swivel Bin and Rake:
1) No bending
2) Large basket fits a lot of waste
3) Being able to use it with grocery bags is pretty cool. I have a lot of them, and it makes the clean-up about as clean a process as it's going to get.
4) The rake clips on to the basket for easy storage
5) Because the items stay clean, I can store them in my garage.

I have one request — this one can go out to Petmate and ALL grocery stores — please make some biodegradable bags that have the same style and shape as the plastic ones. I always feel bad about putting dog poop, a totally organic substance, into plastic bags. The convenience and cleanliness of the grocery bag (and the many uses I find for them) keeps me using them, but I'd certainly feel a whole lot better about it if they composted more easily.

Win one free!
I've done my job telling you about this useful product. Now, it's time for you to send me an email with your name and address for a chance to win one yourself! This is a contest run through my blog, so you won't be contending with millions of people. Petmate is sending me one brand new Swivel Bin & Rake to auction off to a Dog Blog reader. I'll accept entries through Thursday, April 28. Your email will be printed, stuck in a hat and I'll have one of my coworkers do the honors of picking out a name at random. Send an email with your name and shipping address to karen@oakpress.com.

Purchase information
I found the product sold online through Petsmart for $23.99.

Dog used to stay in the yard, but now he runs away. Is it spring fever?

2011-04-13T16:14:00.000-04:00

Eddie

A friend of mine emailed me for some advice about her dog Eddie, a 3-year-old, non-neutered Jack Russell (Parson's Terrier) and Rat Terrier mix. She said he used to stay in the yard with them, but lately has been prone to running off.

"Is it spring fever?" she asked.

No. It is definitely not spring fever.

The first question to ask yourself if you're encountering such a problem is, have I done any active training, using a positive reward method, to teach my dog that he's supposed to stay in my yard?

A dog does not inherently know that his territory has boundaries. That's the first thing that needs to be taught. Secondly, he needs to be proofed against any and all distractions that he may encounter while in the yard.

What do I mean, proofed against distractions? Well, how about rabbits, deer, birds, other dogs, cats, people walking by the road, etc. If he saw a rabbit in the backyard and it took off running into who-knows-where, what would he do? Dog law says he'd probably chase it. That much is inherent. And so, you have to train against it. Usually, you do this with a recall command. And remember, whatever you're asking your dog to do has to be more attractive to him than whatever it is you don't want him doing. So ask yourself, does coming to you for a dry dog treat compare in the least to chasing wildly and freely after a bunny rabbit? Probably not. Chasing a bunny is probably a 10 on most dogs' scale of awesome things to do; getting a dry dog treat from you in exchange for coming when called is probably like a 4.

This means you need to activate the prey drive in order to train against the prey drive. I followed instructions in Culture Clash (book by Jean Donaldson) and used a brand-spankin' new toy — a stuffed animal rabbit, just to be cute! — to train the recall. I put Sensi in a sit-stay, starting at about 5-feet away from me, and when I called him to come, I spread my legs out (and brace for impact!) and tossed the toy through my legs and behind me, creating a tunnel for Sensi to run through in order to chase after his toy. Now, you're activating the prey drive while teaching the recall command. I gradually moved him and practiced at different distances. Then, I'd surprise him while he was just moseying around in the backyard. Then, we practiced the same exercise in the front yard, the side yard, etc.

But there's a problem with this training, and that is the fact that it relies on your presence to call the dog. If you want to be able to just let your dog outside and feel confident he'll stay within the confines of your yard, it's not going to help. You can instill the strongest recall in the world, but if you're not there to give the command, the dog is going to do as he pleases.

Personally, I'm not sure it's possible to proof against every distraction that could possibly show up while in the yard. You can't control the world outside your house, right? So how can you be sure you've proofed against every possible situation?

Because of this, I do not condone the theory that you can just let your dog out to do his thing, totally unrestrained, and trust him to follow human rules that he really doesn't know and hasn't been taught. If he spots a person walking a dog in front of your house, how is he supposed to know that it's rude to walk over to them and introduce himself? How does he know that he's not supposed to follow that scent of rotting flesh from a dead raccoon deep in the forest? He doesn't. He just doesn't.

Fortunately, there's a myriad of solutions out there to help you keep your dog in the yard — fences, zip-lines, chains, invisible fences, etc.

But, why is that Eddie is doing this now, as a 3-year-old, when he has no history of doing this before? It's hard to say why, but this is something I often try to express to dog owners: why matters very little. Why is not necessarily going to let you know how to fix the problem. What you think may be "why" may have nothing to do with the behavior problem at issue anyhow, and we can't really check with our dogs to find out whether we're right or wrong. So go ahead and muse about the "whys" but understand they're not critical. The critical element is finding a way to fix the behavior problem. Why the behavior problem exists may or may not be something you ever figure out, so it's best to put that question in the rearview mirror and drive on forward for the sake of solving the issue at stake.

Either way, the fact that Eddie is not neutered is going to contribute SIGNIFICANTLY to whether he can learn to stick around. Non-neutered male dogs are the most likely to roam and the most likely to cause trouble while they're out and about. You cannot turn off the sex drive on a non-neutered male (unless you neuter him, of course!) and being as such, he has an inherent, instinctual need to find a mate. And dogs will travel miles to find one.

In addition to this, you have take breed into consideration. He is part Jack Russell and all terrier and what does that mean, folks? He has energy that will never wane, a fierce independent streak and a strong prey drive. This is a breed that needs not just daily exercise, but VIGOROUS daily exercise. He also needs some good mental draining exercises too to satisfy the independent hunter in him — hide and seek in a sand box (bury toys, make him find) is an ideal exercise for these breeds, which originally were used to dig varmint out of the ground. Treat dispensing balls, hide-and-seek with treats inside the house, agility and similar activities are also excellent outlets for these dogs.

I've known at least one person in my life who has adopted a Jack Russell, only to find they can't handle the breed and wind up giving it back to the shelter. Don't let the size and cuteness fool you — these guys have some serious energy. As always, the first step in improving your dog's behavior is to make sure its needs are met. With a Jack Russell, that can be a challenge.

Of course, nothing is impossible. Check out this story about a North Oakland woman who trains her Jack Russells for agility: Stray brings home luck

And, here's some previous posts about why it's so darn important to keep your dogs in your yard:
Another good reason to keep your dog in your yard
Don't let your dog go
Does anyone use a leash?

Know of a good place to walk dogs in Oakland County?

2011-04-11T13:39:00.002-04:00

Cranes at Addison: By Allison Jagow

I was gratified after writing the post Does anyone use a leash and hearing from so many people who face the same challenge I do — finding a place to walk your dog where other peoples' dogs are actually kept on leash.
Well folks, walking season has finally arrived and this year, I'm determined to create a list of safe places to walk your dog.
By safe, I mean where leash rules are in place and are actually enforced.
I'm happy to report that so far as I can tell, Addison Oaks County Park is one of these places.

Trillium in bloom at Addison: By Allison Jagow

On Friday and again on Sunday, I walked Sensi on the 2.5-mile paved Buhl Lake Trail. Though paved, the path has its hills and valleys to leave you feeling like you have indeed done a little working out.
I was nervous about whether I'd encounter dogs off leashes because the trail goes pretty far out of the main park area. People will often let their dogs "go free" once they feel they've gotten far enough away from the watchful eyes of park employees, but that did not appear to be the case at Addison Oaks.
On Friday, my friend Allison, Sensi and I had the park all to ourselves. It was truly awesome. We saw three park staffers, but that was it. There wasn't another car in the park when we arrived nor when we left.
On Sunday — with the weather absolutely gorgeous — I knew there would be lots of people at the park and I was right.
We encountered a total of four dogs while on our walk. A couple walking two pit bulls had both their dogs on leashes, a third small dog was also on leash for a walk and a fourth dog, a Huskie, was on leash, running beside his owner's bicycle.
I really have to hold myself back from coming off as weird at times and yesterday was one of them. I wanted to holler out to every person I saw walking a dog, "Thank you for having your dog on leash!"
But I didn't. I am, however, so grateful.
Park rules do stipulate that dogs must be kept on 6-foot-leashes at all times. I assume these rules apply to all county parks — dog parks not included.
The thing is, lots of places have leash rules. Whether people follow them is a whole different story.
I think it comes down to enforcement. If a park's staff regularly patrols the park, people are less likely to feel they can get away with "letting their dogs run."
Kudos to Addison Oaks for having the rule and enforcing it. I'm looking forward to lots of walks there this year.
On the other hand, the Bald Mountain hiking trails are losing ground with me. As Brent and I sat around with a couple friends, I asked them, "So, do you usually see dogs loose out there?"
Though the four of us have only been on the trails a handful of times, we were able to come up with more than a dozen run-ins with dogs off leashes.

Now, there's only one thing left to do — gather information on good, leash-friendly walking trails throughout the county. Tell me about those trails where dogs are almost always found off-leash, tell me about the good trails and safety path routes where dogs are almost always on-leash, or just suggest a trail for me and the dog to go try out.
We'll test it out for you and report back.

In the meantime, grab that 6-foot-leash of yours and head out to Addison Oaks for a great dog walk. Maybe I'll see you on the trail!

Addison Trails

Confession: Sometimes I feel like barking at dogs

2011-04-06T10:53:00.000-04:00

Does that make me crazy? Probably not. Does it make me immature? Sure, I'll admit that.

I got Sensi to bark during a photo shoot

At least now I know to never exercise this desire around a police dog, thanks to an article I read this morning about a Ohio man getting charged with a misdemeanor for doing so.
Read the full story, Cops: Ohio man charged after barking at police dog
My favorite part of the article is where the man says "the dog started it."
My second favorite part of the article? The misdemeanor this guy was charged was for "teasing a police dog."
But seriously, have you ever felt like barking at a dog?
The article reminded of a recent trip some coworkers and I made down to Dearborn to visit a friend of ours. We walked from her apartment to a restaurant downtown. On the way back, we passed by a home with a dog barking furiously at us from the front porch.
I leaned over to my dog-loving friend and said, "Is it bad that I want to bark at that dog?"
She laughed. "I don't know, but it's funny," she said.
I didn't bark at that dog. I wanted to, though. My motivation? I was irritated. It's kind of like being around a crying baby and wanting to scream "Wahhh Wahhh Wahhh" back at it.
Is it awful? Sure.
Does it accomplish anything? Nope.
Is it a sign of my incredibly impatient attitude? Definitely.
Is it among the most immature desires my responsible adult self has? I think so.
The practical, intelligent, dog trainer side of me knows that barking at a barking dog only makes the barking dog bark more.
The immature, impatient, irritable side of me says, "Ahhh, whatever. Bark away."
I have not yet barked at anyone's dog. If the day ever comes, I hope someone's around to hear it and get a good laugh.

Looking for a Great Dane? Think adoption

2011-04-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Great Dane Rescue group made an appearance at Saturday's fund-raiser at Orion Healthy Pet.
Great Danes are one of those breeds that always stop you in your tracks when you see them.
I remember driving down a neighborhood street once when I saw what I thought was a cow in someone's front yard headed toward me. I slowed down and the behemoth animal approached my car.

Shirley, 1-year-old deaf female, is available for adoption

I realized it was a Dane as it got closer, but sat in awe as the dog stretched it's head up and sniffed the roof of my car. How many dogs can do that?
A lover of big dogs, a Great Dane has always been on my wish-list. When the day finally arrives, I think I'll hook up with rescue group I met Saturday.
The group does service Michigan — Great Dane rescues are apparently few and far in between — as well as other nearby states. One of their Danes was recently adopted to a woman from Troy, and one of their foster dogs available for adoption is also here in Michigan, fostered by a local man.
In talking with a member of the group, I came to realize something — Great Danes rescues have a tough time finding foster homes and adopting out their dogs.
It's common knowledge that small dogs have an easier time getting adopted, so think about the obstacles facing one of the largest breeds out there.
People just don't think they have what it takes to care for such a large animal. That means Danes don't just face obstacles getting adopted, but rescue groups face obstacles finding folks willing to foster and help out.
So, if you're like me and you love big dogs, perhaps do a Dane a favor and become a foster. Better yet, adopt one!

Ohio Great Dane Rescue visits Orion Healthy Pet

Large breed owners sound off about Saginaw's proposed BSL

2011-04-04T14:25:00.000-04:00

A Great Dane meets a little dog at Saturday's fundraiser

The fundraiser at Orion Healthy Pet on Saturday turned into quite the celebration of big dogs (meaning I was in big dog heaven!).

I took the opportunity to speak with the owners of these large breeds about the breed specific legislation (BSL) currently proposed for the City of Saginaw.

The BSL would apply to the owners of Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Great Danes, St. Bernards, Doberman Pinschers, Chow Chows, pit bulls and Presa Canarios.

If passed, anyone owning one of the breeds would have to pay a $50 registration, place a warning sign on their property and muzzle the dogs while in public places, according to information posted by the AKC.

Here's what the owners of a Malamute & St. Bernard have to say about it, as well as a representative from the Ohio Great Dane Rescue.

Meanwhile, I called the City of Saginaw this morning to get an update on the ordinance. I was told there will be a committee meeting preceding tonight's council meeting to discuss the ordinance. It will be open to the public.

All sorts of information about this ban — from contact information to media reports, CDC links, etc. — can be found on a previous post, All about money? Saginaw BSL not an outright ban

Look for more posts from the fundraiser later this week, including a video feature on an adoptable Great Dane located right here in Michigan!

Join me tomorrow for fundraiser at Orion Healthy Pet

2011-04-01T12:05:00.001-04:00

Mike Hogan (Great Dane Rescue) & Mary Beth Darby, store owner

My pet food store, Orion Healthy Pet, is hosting a fundraising event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, April 2). The fundraiser benefits the Oakland County K-9 Unit and Great Dane Rescues.

On tap:
• Food from Big Dog BBQ
• Demonstrations by the K-9 unit
• Vendor booths
• Homemade pet food demonstrations
• Pet Psychic
• Professional pet portraits (photos) for a donation
• Raffle & prizes

Honestly, I'm most excited to see a bunch of Great Danes. I love big dogs and they just don't come much bigger than that!

I spoke with store owner Mary Beth Darby and here's the lowdown:
One of the Great Dane rescue guys is bringing a pull-behind smoker BBQ and will be whipping up pork sandwiches for a donation. A bake sale will also be taking place. In addition to the Great Dane rescue, another rescue group, Canine Companions, will be on hand with some adoptable dogs.
Local artist Kimberly Santini will have paintings available for purchase and photographer Mark Kelly will take photos of peoples' dogs for a donation.
The raffle drawing will likely be around 3 p.m. Tickets cost $1 a piece or $5 for seven. You can win gift baskets that will feature a $5 off coupon.
Also, the store's major brands of dog food will be offered at a reduced price (which is awesome, because I'm out of dog food!). Usually, the store offers 10 percent off on dog foods on Saturdays, but that deal won't be taking place tomorrow in lieu of all the other deals available.

Even though there will be a lot going on, I'm pretty confident about where I'll be spending the most time — fawning over the big dogs!

Orion Healthy Pet is at 1472 S. Lapeer Road. Call 248-690-7796.

Related articles:
• New Oakland County pet stores offer good health food, treats, toys and non-allergenic, grain free kibble diets: Healthy Pet in Lake Orion and The Pet Beastro in Madison Heights
• Lake Orion artist finds success in unexpected career

Historic wolf population in Michigan could be gone forever

2011-03-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy MDNR

Wolves may be having a pretty successful comeback in Michigan and in many other states too, but our nation is coming awfully close to losing one of very few packs that can trace its roots on U.S. soil back to at least the 1940s.
That pack is a Michigan pack; right here on our Isle Royale.
Most wolves are either transplants or travelers making the long trek down from Canada themselves to resettle old wolf ranges.
Back in the 1940s, it was a pack of Canadian travelers that settled on Isle Royale.
By the 1970s, wolves were completely eradicated from everywhere in the lower 48 states except two places, and Isle Royale was one of them. (Fact check me? Read National Geographic's Wolf Wars)
The pack has continued to live on there, finding a way to beat our nation's desire at one time to have all wolves dead and gone for good, beating the trials of harsh winters, disease and more.
All this time, they've managed to keep their bloodlines alive.
Now, the Isle Royale pack is in serious danger.
They're down to just two females. If the females don't successfully mate, the pack could die out; those fighting bloodlines gone forever. (Read the Associated Press story, Wolves of Michigan's Isle Royale National Park may go extinct)
What a loss that would be — not just for Isle Royale, not just for Michigan, but for our entire nation.

Read previous posts about wolves in Michigan
A western war heading east?
Killing wolves in Michigan
Wolves in Michigan

Check out an in-depth article I wrote for the paper about wolves in Michigan
Michigan wolf pack surpasses requirement for endangered species listing, yet they remain protected

Are pit bulls ever a victim in the public's eye?

2011-03-29T10:29:00.001-04:00

I was rather distraught to see the comments following the latest story about a dog groomer who killed a pit bull that was living with and acting as a service dog for a Waterford woman.

To recap the story: Groomer Kathryn Tucker was hired by Waterford resident Laurie Crouch, who has multiple sclerosis, to trim his nails. Crouch alleges that Tucker tied a variety of collars and leashes around his neck and muzzle and then sat on him with a male friend, suffocating and killing the dog before its nails could even be trimmed. Now, Tucker is facing animal cruelty charges. She was recently ordered not to have contact with any animals and told the court she didn't own any. When the court learned she had four dogs in her possession, she was called back to court yesterday. She didn't appear and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

What did people have to say after reading the latest story?
zedman2222 wrote: "Heck, the dog was part pit bull! Let it go ..."
BigBoss added: "Why hasn't the owner of this dog been tried and convicted yet of violating the pitbull ban? Even if the groomer killed this dog, who cares? It was going to be taken away and put down due to the ban on these dangerous beasts. Sounds like this dog groomer did everyone a favor by preventing this pit bull from hurting a child, something all pit bulls eventually do."
alfred50 wrote: "I can't see what difference on less pit bull would make. Even a half one. We should be allowed to shot them on sight."

Really, alfred? You really think you ought to have the right to shoot my dog as he poops in the yard, simply because you were walking by my house and saw him? Dogs are not target practice. And my dog is my property, and I make sure he stays on my property, and nothing gives you the right to shoot him because you don't like his breed.

That's not to mention the average person has a pretty tough time actually identifying a pit bull. So now you should just be given the license to go around shooting whatever dogs you think might be a pit bull? Ridiculous.

To BigBoss, the issue of Crouch owning a pit bull in a township where they are banned is valid, however, I'm unaware of any procedures to prosecute a person for having previously owned a pit bull that is no longer violating the ban. Even when a pit bull is found in the township, the township usually gives the owner warnings and notices to rehome the dog outside the township before any legal action is taken. The township does NOT automatically euthanize all pit bulls found to be living in the township, as your comment alludes.

The rest of your comments are terribly offensive. You ask who cares? I do, and you should too. It's not like this groomer runs a pit bull specific business. What if your neighbor hired her to trim the nails of his super high-energy Labrador and in the process of trying to get him to stay still, she kills that dog too? Why does the breed have to make it acceptable to use unacceptable and dangerous practices?

And every pit bull eventually hurts a child? That is so incorrect I won't dignify it with a response.

It just blows my mind, the reaction of some people. The ignorance. It's sickening.

I'm ending this post with a short video featuring Ian Dunbar, arguably the most well-respected behaviorist working right now. And yes, Dunbar advocates pit bulls as therapy dogs to work specifically with children.

Dr. Ian Dunbar on Dog Attacks

Read previous articles about the dog groomer case:
Disabled woman grieves loss of her best friend
Woman gets new puppy to replace her best friend WITH VIDEO
Woman charged with animal cruelty in death of dog
Dog groomer pleads not guilty to animal cruelty charges WITH VIDEO
Warrant issued for dog groomer's arrest WITH VIDEO

Jolly Pet's Teaser ball in action

2011-03-28T10:47:00.003-04:00

The Teaser Ball by Jolly Pets continues to tantalize my dog.
He's still trying to figure out whether he can push the inner ball out by sticking a paw in one of the holes. We're still wondering if he'll succeed with that effort.

Sometimes, he manages to pin the inner ball against the outer one and grab both with his teeth. Those are proud moments for him and he'll avoid sitting or laying down for about 15 minutes because he doesn't want to lose his grip on the inner ball.
At times, he chews it, at other times, he bats it around. Every once in a while he'll climb up on a bed or couch just to drop the ball off the side and chase after it.
Perhaps most interesting is this new thing he does with the dog bed in the living room. He paws and punches at the dog bed until it's all bunched up around the ball. Then, he gives the bed a good tug in the right spot and it sends the Teaser Ball flying. Kind-of a trampoline effect, I think.
He has not yet stopped cuddling with the ball either. In the video, you can see him resting in a sunspot on the ottoman with the ball at his belly.

Having this new ball in the house has Brent and often saying things like, "What have you got? Have you got yourself a good ball?" and "That's a good ball, Sensi."
I caught myself saying the word "ball" way too much and it reminded me of Christmas, when we gave Sensi an antler as a gift. We referred to the antler as a "bone" since it kind-of falls into that category.

On the Christmas video, you can hear me saying things like, "Good boy Sensi, you like that bone? Yeah, it's a good bone."
After a while, you start realizing that if someone didn't know you were talking to a dog, it might sound awfully perverted.
Just one more reason dogs are referred to "man's best friend" rather than "woman's best friend" huh?
Darn dogs and their perverted toy names ...

Want to know more about the Teaser Ball? Check out these previous posts (with information on where to get the best deals!)
• Open letter to Jolly Pets, the best dog toy manufacturer in the world (buying info. here)
• The Teaser Ball drama continues

Sensi playing & napping with his prized Teaser Ball

Does your dog have a twin?

2011-03-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

Herbie, Sensi's lookalike

I received an email with this photo from Jenny Foss, a reader of this blog.
"I saw a picture of your handsome dog and had to do a double take. He looks a lot like my dog Herbie," she wrote.
I agree! (And thanks for calling Sensi handsome! Same goes for Herbie!)
Herbie, who Jenny says is a pit bull and basset mix, does look so similar to Sensi — right down to his white-tipped paws and the mix of white and black nails. I imagine he's a little smaller than my boy, but every bit as cute.
It's not the first time I've seen a Sensi lookalike.
I remember driving through my Dad's subdivision and coming to a complete halt after seeing an adult black dog that looked identical to Sensi.
"Where did you get him, and how old is he?" I asked the woman walking him. She said he was a rescue and based on the age, it didn't seem like there was any chance he was related to Sensi.
Have you ever seen a dog that looks like your dog's twin?

The teaser ball drama continues

2011-03-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

We're now on day four with the Teaser Ball and the novelty has not yet worn off.
I've met many dogs who enjoy carrying around a stuffed animal or favorite toy just to carry it around. Sensi has never really been like that. Toys have always been all about play time for him. When it's not play time, he doesn't pay much attention to toys.
Not with the Teaser Ball, though.
He's carrying that ball around like it's a winning lottery ticket.
I came home yesterday to find him lying on the twin bed in the extra bedroom — his favorite daytime spot to catch some rays from the bay window — and where was the ball? On the bed with him.
Before jumping down to greet me, he made sure to grab the ball.
When we watch TV, he must have the ball on the couch. It's funny because he drops it right in my lap for "safekeeping." He knows if he leaves it by Dad, Dad will throw it for him. At first, Sensi likes this. But then, he gets tired and just wants to cuddle with us like normal, but can't stand the thought of leaving his ball on the carpet. Sensi wants the ball to be safe, steady and touching his body while he sleeps.
It's so funny to see this behavior from him, especially because he's an old man nowadays and it's not that often we see new behaviors crop up. Not to say he can't learn new things — he does that all the time, with help from us — but otherwise, he's pretty much set in his routine and is quite predictable.
I'm happy to see him have something he considers so valuable. The only drawback is that now, we have to make space for both a big dog and his large, hard plastic ball on the couch! It's not exactly the most snuggle-worthy toy, either, but whatever. It makes him happy.

Open letter to Jolly Pets, the best dog toy manufacturer in the world

2011-03-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

I started to blog about how much Sensi loves his Jolly Pet toys and my first sentence was "I should write a thank you letter to Jolly Pets." The company really deserves it, and so, I'll get two birds with one stone here — a blogpost about the greatest dog toys in the world and a letter I can send to them. So here it goes:

Dear Jolly Pets,

I cannot thank you enough for the years and years of happiness your super durable, well-designed toys have given my dog. He just received his third teaser ball this weekend to celebrate his eighth birthday — that's his fourth Jolly Pets toy over the years.

The deflated soccer ball

Our story begins when Sensi, our pit/lab mix, became about a year old. I went to Petsmart and dropped $16 on a large soccer ball dog toy. The instant I returned home, as I was carrying the toy up the stairs to the front door, Sensi — who was outside — reached up to grab the toy. As soon as his teeth touched it, the ball deflated. Within a half hour, it was shredded into inch-by-inch pieces. "What a waste of $16," I said to my husband. "I'm never doing that again."

From then on, I began searching for durable dog toys. By summer, I found Jolly Pets. I ordered the 8-inch Teaser Ball out of a catalog. I'd never seen Sensi so tantalized and happy in his life. He paraded that ball around the house like it was made out of gold and diamonds. He would not let that ball out of his sight, making sure to carry it upstairs to bed every night — where he curled up his body around it in the dog bed — and back downstairs every morning. When we let him outside for potty breaks, he would carry the ball to the door and drop it just beside the entry way so it was right there for him upon his return inside.

8-inch Jolly Pets Teaser Ball

That ball lasted for two years. Considering my dog's strong jaws and drive to chew hard, the tenacity with which he tries to figure out puzzles ('I am going to get that inside ball out, whatever it takes!') and our encouragement to beat up on his toys however he sees fit, that's a miracle. A toy that lasts two years in our household and is not made of steel is a miracle — there's no other way to put it.

The day that he finally chewed through the tough plastic exterior, after years of strategic chewing, and carefully extracted the inner-ball was definitely one of the proudest moments in his whole life. He ran through the entire basement apartment, showed everyone his long awaited and worked for 'inner ball' and then made his rounds upstairs, making sure everyone saw his special prize. After about a half hour of showing off, he promptly chewed the inner ball to shreds. Whatever. It was his day, his toy, and he'd been waiting for years to sink his teeth into that soft-plastic inner ball.

For Christmas that year, I got him the really big dog version of the teaser ball. It's a 10-inch ball and is considerably larger than the 8-inch one. When he unwrapped the package, he was so excited and proud of his supersized version of his favorite toy in the world. It was comparable to telling a 10-year-old he's going on a trip to Disney World. Like with the 8-inch, he paraded it around, slept with it, played with it nonstop, etc.

The Christmas photo, thanks to the 10-inch Teaser Ball

In fact, I took Christmas photos of him that year but I couldn't get him to pose. He wasn't thrilled about the whole ordeal and he wasn't cooperating. On day two of the photo shoot — day one having ended in frustration and failure — I finally got the idea to give him his teaser ball for the photo. He gently rested his chin on the ball and voila! I got the picture I'd been waiting for. All he needed was his special toy.

Within a week, he'd figured out that the holes on this larger ball were big enough to stick his paws in. Using a crafty combination of both paws and his mouth, he learned how to extract the inner ball. Later that month, I wrote Jolly Pets about the situation and asked if there was any way I could purchase some additional inner-balls to replace the one he'd ripped out. The people at Jolly Pets were so wonderful to deal with; they were kind, amused by the story and shipped me a box of five or so inner-balls with a cute note that said "We hope these keep your dog busy for a little while!"

Nowadays, the big teaser ball is pulled out whenever we have something to stuff inside it. Sensi has mastered the art of removing items from the big ball, though, so it doesn't keep him busy for long.

For Sensi's eighth birthday this weekend, we decided to replace the 8-inch Teaser Ball that kept him busy for so many years such a long time ago. I can't remember the last time I saw my dog so happy. He played with that ball until he was so tired that he could hardly stay awake. He'd fall asleep with it in his dog bed and every few minutes, swat a paw at it or put his mouth on it. It was like he just couldn't stop himself from playing with the ball, even when he really wanted to sleep. He begged to bring the ball on the couch for a snooze (we let him) and of course, spent the night with his body curled up around the ball in his dog bed. I bet he'll play with it all day while we're gone too.

Throughout the years, we've also purchased a Jolly Pets toy designed for water. That's probably the only other toy that's come close to rivaling how much Sensi loves his Teaser Ball.

So, dear Jolly Pets, I cannot thank you enough. Thank you for years upon years of keeping my dog happy. Thank you for creating a toy that is both a challenge to my dog's brain and brawn. Thank you for creating a quality, durable product that can hold up to the most intense chewers. Thank you for the kindness your employees have me treated me with. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Want to learn more about Jolly Pets products?
Jolly Pets is a division of Horseman's Pride. Click here to visit Horsemen's Pride, Inc.
Find the full array of Jolly Pets products online by clicking here, Jolly Pets
Go straight to the Teaser Ball

Shopping tips
Ordering online or through pet catalogs is usually the best deal. Because I didn't think ahead to order one, I picked up the 8-inch Jolly Ball yesterday from Petco in Auburn Hills for a pretty penny — $22 — and there was one left on the shelf. You can find much better deals online and in catalogs. But when it comes right down to it, every penny I spent was worth it to see Sensi with his special toy yesterday.
Teaser balls are also available in smaller sizes for smaller dogs.

Have you seen Mason? Small terrier lost in New Hudson

2011-03-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

Isn't he just the most adorable little thing?
I'm not the most likely person in the world to call a small dog cute, but the cuteness factor on this inquisitive looking fella is undeniable.
Mason was a rescue dog at Waggin' Tails Dog Rescue based out of Northville. He was adopted to a new home in New Hudson on Tuesday, March 16, and: "Promptly split, dragging his leash with him," writes Andrea Elkins, a member of the rescue group.
Elkins added: "He's small and scared and in a completely unfamiliar environment."
She said volunteers have been looking for him since Tuesday night, fliers have been posted, veterinarians and shelters have been contacted, but Mason has not yet turned up.
"He was last spotted Wednesday afternoon near Oakland Southwest Airport," Elkins said.
A reward is being offered for his safe return.
Mason is 15 pounds, wearing both a collar and I.D. tags and is microchipped.
If you've seen him, call 248-788-7050 or 734-476-6441.

Did those Japanese dogs in the Youtube video really get rescued?

2011-03-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

It seems like everyone has heard the story about loyal Japanese dog who refused to leave the side of his pal, who was injured after the earthquake.

If you haven't, here's the video:

Now, what everyone wants to know — and when I say everyone, I mean, this has turned into a global thing — is what happened to those two dogs. Did they get rescued? Are they OK?

According to Japanese Earthquake Animal Rescue, the answer is yes, they've been rescued, and yes, they're OK. (See the status update posted to Facebook)

Another organization called Global Animal is saying that's not the case, though. The report on their website states that members of Japanese Earthquake Animal Rescue searched for the dogs until dark, but were unable to locate them. Someone from the group told Global Animal that they too have heard rumors the dogs were rescued, but haven't been able to confirm it. (See the article on their website, Update: Loyal Dog & Friend's Safety NOW UNCONFIRMED)

Sadly, I don't know if we can really expect any better information at this point. It seems like the nation is truly in chaos over there and I'd be willing to bet the feet on the ground are focused solely on working, working, working — updating the rest of the world, not so much of a priority.

Either way, I'm holding out hope for a happy ending on this one. Let's cross our fingers for some new photos of those dogs to surface — this time of them being healthy, clean, well-fed and happy.

All about money? Saginaw BSL not an outright ban

2011-03-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I posted about an ordinance being considered by the Saginaw City Council to ban 10 dog breeds.
I did a little more digging this morning and discovered it's not an outright ban of the breeds, but breed specific legislation all the same.
The BSL being discussed, according to AKC, to would require anyone owning one of the breeds to pay a $50 registration fee, place a warning sign on their property and muzzle their dog while in public places. Another proposal would limit all residents to owning no more than three dogs.
The breeds on the list, which the AKC believes will be declared "dangerous", are: Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Great Danes, St. Bernards, Doberman Pinschers, Chow Chows, pit bulls and Presa Canarios.
So what is this legislation really about? It's hard to fathom that it's about safety with the long, unusual list of breeds singled out.
Personally, I think it's all about money. A $50 registration fee for every dog on that list? Well, I'd say they designed that list based on the fee, honestly. There probably wouldn't be enough money raised by requiring the fee for pit bulls and Rottweilers alone, which are the two breeds usually discriminated against with bans, so perhaps the council added a bunch of other breeds hoping people wouldn't question the "dangerous nature" of dogs like St. Bernards and Great Danes and just along with it. They widened their circle of discrimination, I think, for a bigger payoff.
Going back to yesterday's statements about this being a case-and-point of how BSL is a slippery slope, the idea that this ordinance may be largely motivated by money makes this slope even scarier.
Could we, as local governments all over our state struggle with their finances, see more of this type of crap? Is it feasible that a community could decide to charge each dog-owning resident an additional fee just for owning the dog?
In dire economic times like these, anything is possible.
The only way to combat this slippery slope is to make your voice heard. Tell your community officials, your representatives in both the state and federal government that breed specific legislation is unnecessary, unwanted and unacceptable. And while you're at it, drop a line to those Saginaw council members too (visit the links below for contact information).
According to information being reported on this Saginaw ordinance, the breeds chosen are those on the CDC's top 10 most dangerous breeds list. This is crap. The CDC no longer tracks bite data by breed in large part because of how the data was being misconstrued by BSL advocates. Do a Google search for "CDC 10 most dangerous dogs." Skip past all the blogs and BSL advocates that come up as the top search results and look for the actual CDC website. The page I was brought to was about bite prevention, I could find absolutely nothing on the "Top 10 most dangerous breeds" but I did find this:

"A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998 ). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.
Many practical alternatives to breed-specific policies exist and hold promise for preventing dog bites. For prevention ideas and model policies for control of dangerous dogs, please see the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions: A community approach to dog bite prevention . *"

Maybe someone should let Saginaw officials in on the CDC's stance regarding BSL since they're trying to use CDC data as the reason to enforce BSL anyhow.

Here's a news report from a local TV station on the issue:

Read more about this topic
American Kennel Club, Saginaw, MI Seeks to Restrict Ten Large Dog Breeds
Pets and Other Critters Blog, Picking on the big dogs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dog Bite Fact Sheet
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dog Bite Prevention
City of Saginaw, City council homepage and contact information for council members
Mlive.com, Poll: Do you favor Saginaw's proposed 'dangerous dogs' ordinance

Huskies, Malamutes, Great Danes and others on proposed "breed ban" list for Saginaw, MI

2011-03-15T12:28:00.000-04:00

I oppose all breed bans and I can write or talk for hours on why. But even so, there is a "norm" for breed bans, a list of breeds I expect to see even though I disagree with it.

Local blogger Lynn Benoit, however, found a bunch of breeds on a "ban list" that absolutely shocked me, though.

In Saginaw, the council has singled out Great Danes, Huskies and Malamutes, St. Bernard's, German Shepherds and other breeds to join the stereotypical ones, like pit bulls, etc.

See the full list on her post, Picking on the Big Dogs

I think her analysis of this is spot on. It's about the size of these dogs, perhaps how they've been portrayed in a movie here or there, and little else.

This is EXACTLY the type of slippery slope I've been warning about for years. We allow our government to ban one breed and we set the precedent that government knows best what dogs we should be able to own and what dogs we shouldn't. And now, government is telling us that Great Danes, Huskies, Malamutes, St. Bernard's and German Shepherds are right up there with those monster pit bulls in the "not safe for people to own" category.

Soon, we'll be banning Chihuahuas because of the bite statistics. Think breed bans can't happen to little dogs? Well, once we've allowed our government to ban all the big dogs, what do you think they're going to go after next?

This is the slippery slope and we have officially begun sliding down it. Let's give a big thanks to all those people who have been crying wolf about the pit bull down the street and gotten government to jump on board with senseless, discriminatory bans. No breed is safe now, and frankly, I'm not sure our democracy is safe either.

Oakland County Animal Control accused of determining services by political party

2011-03-14T10:58:00.000-04:00

Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills

Talk about an asinine assumption that only serves to divide people along party lines and turn a community’s residents against the county government.
It’s without purpose, and I hope Oakland County Commissioner Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, starts backpedaling on statements he made at a Thursday council meeting in Pontiac faster than a DVD can rewind.
Greimel told the council and city residents at the public meeting that there was reason to believe Republican communities were receiving free services from the county’s animal control while Democratic communities were not.
“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” said Mike Zehnder, director of public services for Oakland County, which oversees animal control. “I look at Tim Greimel as an educated man, but some of the things that come out of his mouth disprove that theory.”
Zehnder added: “Politics breeds all kinds of ridiculous statements.”

Mike Zehnder feeds rescued horses last year

It is absolutely crazy to me that as one community after another finds itself in a pinch, having to cut animal control and seek out help from the county, the county is somehow getting the blame for having not provided these “free services” to the community all along.
I saw an article on some Ferndale wanna-be news website earlier this year on basically the same thing. The article touted how a Ferndale official “uncovered” the county’s “free animal control services” like it was some huge secret kept from Ferndale all these years. Like it was the county’s fault that Ferndale was forced to sink all their dollars into providing their own animal control when the county could’ve been taking care of it “for free” all along.

Let’s clear the air on a few things here:

1) There’s no such thing as a free lunch, or free services, for that matter. If people don’t stop referring to Oakland County Animal Control’s services as free, I’m going to scream. Are you hearing yourselves say this? It’s not free. How could it be free? Does that even make sense?
The county’s animal control is paid for by tax dollars, just like the rest of the services provided by the county and services provided by government everywhere at all levels. Taxes are collected from residents, governments decide how to spend it. In this case, Oakland County spends some of the tax revenue it collects to provide animal control services.
What people mean to say is, “Oakland County Animal Control provides services at no cost to some Oakland County communities.” This means, the county doesn’t make the community pay extra to have services. Does it make the services free, like they appear out of thin air? No. It makes them “free of charge” to individual communities.

2) Oakland County Animal Control provides animal control services in communities that do not provide those same services themselves. Makes sense, right? No need to be duplicating services. And so, the rule is that so long as a community has opted to provide its own animal control services, the county will stay out and let them do their thing.
On the other hand, state law mandates counties provide animal control services for communities that don’t provide their own. Northern, rural and largely Republican communities — like Oxford and Addison Townships — never provided their own animal control and have always received services from the county, as mandated by the state.
The county did not force any communities to provide their own services. Perhaps those communities, in more abundant times, thought it’d be better to have their own animal control for whatever reasons — more local control, belief the community could provide better services, etc. But for whatever reasons, several historically Democrat communities in south Oakland County decided, a long time ago, that their local government would be directly in charge of and pay for animal control services.
It was not the county saying to the communities, “Do it yourself because we’re not helping you out because your residents are largely Democrats and county government is largely Republican.” That assumption is not true and serves no purpose other than to divide people.

3) Oakland County Animal Control is prohibited from providing services in communities which have ordinances stating the city will provides it own. Those communities need to rescind their ordinances in order for Oakland County to begin providing services at no charge to the individual community. This is where Pontiac is at. The city council needs to rescind its animal control ordinance and then the county can begin providing services there.

4) Lots of communities that had previously provided their own, city-run animal control offices are nixing them during these financially dire times. Oakland County Animal Control is not turning a blind eye to this. In fact, the county’s board of commissioners — and since Greimel is one, he should be aware of this — voted to increase funding for animal control by $500,000 in order to meet the needs of the county’s many communities who have or are expected to nix their own animal control agencies.
Oakland County even has a plan in place for providing services in Pontiac, ready to allocate four officers and two trucks specific to the city.

A day after the meeting, Greimel later called the history of the county’s animal control “long and complicated” and said “Many local communities chose to provide their own animal control services, and at some point, the county animal control said ‘OK, a number of rural northern communities aren’t.’” He added that no formal policy was made until recent inquiries, which prompted a policy to be written and adopted.
I don’t know about all this policy stuff, but I think the state law makes it pretty clear — if a community is not providing animal control services itself, the county government must provide those services to the community.
That is what has been taking place in our county.
It’s not about Republicans vs. Democrats and frankly, it’s irresponsible of Greimel to spread that viewpoint at a time when the city of Pontiac is turning to the county government to provide more and more services.
Just last week, the deal with Oakland County Sheriff’s Office taking over police services in Pontiac was announced. Lots of city residents have expressed anxiety about this. To spread a false point of view that the county government was discriminating against cities based on how its residents tend to vote only serves to increase anxiety amongst residents already nervous about having county officials providing what used to be city-services.
Shame on Greimel. This is petty politics at its worst.

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these stories
Monday, March 14 — Pontiac city officials might rescind animal control ordinances
Saturday, December 12 — Oakland County Animal Control prepares for expanded services as communities tighten budgets

The pig ear recall: find out what retailers sold the tainted treats

2011-03-09T10:23:00.001-05:00

Worried about the pig ear recall?
If you live in Oakland County, you may have very little reason to be.

Notices about the recall for pig ears made by Jones Natural Chews Co. went out yesterday and include the State of Michigan, where about 25 retailers carry the product.
The concern is that the pig ears may be tainted with Salmonella.
Luckily for Oakland County residents, there are no retailers of the product based in Oakland County, presuming that information on retailers listed on the company’s website is accurate.

Here’s a list of communities that have a Jones Natural Chews Co. retailer:
Allendale, Alma, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Coldwater, Escanaba, Gladwin, five retailers in Grand Rapids, Gwinn, Holland, Iron River, Ishpeming, Kalamazoo, Manistique, Marquette, Mason, Munsing, Newberry, Richmond, Walker and Wayland.

The Grand Rapids retailers include four Chow Hound Pet Supply stores and one Family Farm & Home.

As for the rest of the low-down on the recall, here’s what you need to know:
1) A total of 2,705 boxes of pig ears have been recalled because there is the potential of the treats being contaminated with Salmonella
2) The contaminated boxes were shipped to distributors and retailers between Sept. 15, 2010, and November 2, 2010
3) There is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products
4) Salmonella can make you and your dog sick. In humans, Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever, and can sometimes result in more serious ailments. You should contact a doctor if you have these symptoms. For your dog, watch for lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting, though symptoms can be as minimal as decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.
5) States these pig ears were sold in include: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
6) No illnesses have yet been reported.
7) If you have any of these pig ears, contact the company at 1-877-481-2663 for a refund.

Last but not least, here’s all the specifics on UPCs and other information you need to determine if you have these pig ears at your house:
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears 2pk bag with header card–item upc 741956001047 lot 2420
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears bulk 100ct box-box upc 741956001139 lot 2490, 2560, 2630, 2700, 2840, 2910, 2980
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears bulk 50 ct box-box upc 741956001504 lot 2490, 2840
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears bulk 25ct box-box upc 741956001467 lot 2700
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears 1pk shrinkwrapped-item upc 741956001146 lot 2700, 2840, 2420
Jones Natural Chews Co Pig Ears 10pk printed bag-item upc 741956001405 lot 2420, 2560, 2630, 2840
Blain’s Farm & Fleet Pig Ears 10 pieces bag-item upc 741956001405 lot 2560
Country Butcher Dog Chews Pig Ears 1pk shrinkwrapped-item upc 741956001511 lot 2630
Country Butcher Dog Chews Pig Ears 1pk shrinkwrapped-item upc 741956001146 lot 2420
Country Butcher Dog Chews Pig Ears 12pk bag-item upc 741956001245 lot 2910

Read the FDA press release
Jones Natural Chews Co Recalls Pig Ear Dog Chews Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

Not from Michigan but would like to know what communities in your state these products were sold in? Click here to see a listing of retailers by state on the Jones Natural Chews Co. website.