tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85715039994790304102024-02-20T06:02:09.034-05:00Positive PawLisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-35709916097469961362011-06-12T14:27:00.000-04:002011-06-12T14:27:51.316-04:00Walking Multiple Dogs<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sVO2hHJyfhcoxUVwNBwV6gX6bm_04YZByon_rnUnLEaWLaiLn0s99NDjrB4_rvGpaj7iWu_bkkwgUmW18qpG3XLSPsTX5PXtTfHBPlOSiUCqWKmLu81plzmrlF8RsFwMNE5_nEsOuCk/s1600/Happy+New+Year+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sVO2hHJyfhcoxUVwNBwV6gX6bm_04YZByon_rnUnLEaWLaiLn0s99NDjrB4_rvGpaj7iWu_bkkwgUmW18qpG3XLSPsTX5PXtTfHBPlOSiUCqWKmLu81plzmrlF8RsFwMNE5_nEsOuCk/s320/Happy+New+Year+3.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Each Sunday morning I wake up anticipating a nice long walk with the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These walks are the highlight of our week – we have time to ramble along instead of rushing to get back in time for work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I planned this morning’s walk in my head, I remembered the stray hound dog I am holding while trying to find her owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sweet Pea” is a quiet, friendly dog that really likes attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hated to leave her home alone so I thought “what’s one more?” and grabbed another leash.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Walking one or two dogs on leash can be challenge enough, but I frequently walk three or four dogs on leash together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning I didn’t think twice about adding a fourth dog to our morning line up even though Sweet Pea obviously has spent little or no time on leash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our walk had a couple of less-than-graceful moments (which were only to be expected) but otherwise was relaxing, enjoyable and went very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Let me share some of my tips for walking multiple dogs:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Have a lineup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know which dog you want where.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my pack, Pip generally walks furthest to the left, Nellie in the middle and Ben furthest to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t set in stone but the dogs know the routine and generally default to this line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I add a new dog, they go to the right of Ben so I can manage my three dogs with my left hand and have my right (dominant) hand free to wrangle the new dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">If you have a dog that is nervous about traffic, put him on the side of the lineup that will keep him furthest away from oncoming vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way, if he spooks away from the vehicles he won’t be tangling the leashes and running through other dogs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Don’t let a dog crossover, especially not behind you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a dog tries to cross from one side to the other in front or behind you, use his leash to return him to his appropriate position as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you lead him back on the same path that he took – don’t allow him to circle around behind you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Circling not only takes two hands to untangle the leash, he will wrap his leash around your legs and risk tripping you as well as snarling the leashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are firm and consistent, your dogs will quickly learn to walk without weaving and tangling. </li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Good leash handling is critical to enjoying a multiple dog walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tangles are inevitable but how you hold your leashes will prevent tangles and allow you to respond quickly to changes in the line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never wrap or bundle the leashes and don’t loop leashes over your wrist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will not be able to respond quickly enough to prevent tangles or correct your dog’s position if you can’t get one leash free in an instant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the tail ends of the leashes hang free so they don’t knot together when you adjust leashes.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Hold your horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to hold my leashes like I would a rein while riding horses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The leash runs from my dog, over my pinkie finger, under my ring, middle and index fingers and out over my thumb (my palm would be facing down with the thumb closest to my body).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way, I have a powerful grip on the leash (I can hold all three of my dogs in my left hand this way – even if they try to bolt after something) but I can also access each individual leash rapidly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, I’ll run each leash through a different finger (one between pinkie and ring finger, one between ring finger and middle finger, etc) so it is even easier to grab the leash I want with my free hand.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Having lots of pretty leashes helps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the look and feel of leather leashes, but I use different colored nylon leashes for walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows me to instantly recognize which leash I need to grab to redirect an individual dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Narrower or less bulky leashes are helpful so you can comfortably hold them all in one hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I prefer ¾ inch leashes to 1 inch wide leashes for this reason.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Keep moving – tangles frequently happen when the pack stops or tries to turn tightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of turning tightly, stop and walk rapidly backwards until all the dogs turn and walk towards you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can then redirect them or turn yourself and walk back the other way.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Teach an autosit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows you to stop without the dogs milling around and tangling the leashes around your legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easiest to teach autosits to dogs individually and then practice as a group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The easiest way to practice is with treats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walk along for several strides, stop and ask your dog to sit immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep this up until the dog starts to anticipate your command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reward for sitting immediately when you stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want your dog’s default behavior be to sit when you stop walking whether you ask or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Solid sits are also very helpful when you are trying to leash or unleash multiple dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Keep calm and carry on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use your “leave it” command or “walk on” to keep the pack focused on you and moving forward past exciting obstacles like bear poop, taunting squirrels and small, yappy yard dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the dogs slow down, maintain your pace so they have to keep up with you (you will feel like you are pulling them along to start with).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you stop every time one of three or four dogs wants to sniff something, you will never make it out of the yard. </li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Pick your position – in front or even with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer my dogs to walk out in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes crossing over and circling behind easier to control and it keeps the slack out of their leashes so they are less likely to get the leash tangled around their legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Train dogs to different sides to make management easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said before, Pip and Nell walk to the left and Ben to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also heel to those respective sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put your more challenging dog or biggest dog in your dominant hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Group less challenging or smaller dogs in your less dominant hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I know the AKC says your dog should heel on the left but no one is judging you out there on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do what works and is most secure for you.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Some people like couplers but they don’t work for my dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you use a coupler, make sure the dogs are similar in size, weight and temperament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t fair to couple a timid, nervous or small dog to another dog that will simple drag it through the walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a dog that is at all aggressive or prone to redirecting frustration as aggression, do not use a coupler.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">While front connect harnesses and, to a lesser extent, head halters can be useful tools in the right situations, they can cause challenges when walking a large group of dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lower connection point of the leash makes it more likely that dogs will get their legs up and over the leash and cause a tangle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not fair or healthy for a dog with a head halter to be jerked or yanked because someone else got tangled up in his leash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer to use just regular collars when walking larger numbers of dogs or adding a new dog to the mix.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Remember that you are outnumbered and may be outweighed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the event that the dogs lunge forward as a group (ie., the sudden appearance of a suicidal squirrel), keep your elbows in close to your body, your arms bent at the elbow and rock your weight back on your heels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will allow you to use your arm and back muscles to absorb the pull and your body weight to slow them down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you let your arm get pulled straight or your body weight pulled forward, you could wind up in a dangerous situation and be pulled forward or off your feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, never wrap or loop your leashes over your arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the event of an emergency, it is better to be able to drop your leashes and let your dogs go than to get pulled off your feet, dragged or hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these reasons, don’t ever walk more dogs than you can physically control if the worst should happen, no matter how well trained they might be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So grab a couple of dogs, or three or four if you have them, and go for a walk!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-10823509210220914962011-05-01T13:36:00.001-04:002011-05-01T13:36:24.496-04:00Ready, Set, Go!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The key to running, for both people and dogs, is to start out slow and short and build gradually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some easy steps to get started running:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Start by walking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you haven’t been walking your dog or if your walks have been very casual, work up to briskly walking for 20 minutes at a time at least three times a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you are comfortable, add a couple of minutes to each walk until you are walking for 30 minutes at least three times a week.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>After several weeks of consistent activity, you can start adding in some short running intervals to your walks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your first runs will look something like this:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Walk briskly for 5 minutes to warm up</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Run for 1 minute followed by a two minute walking break</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Repeat 6 more times (for a total of 21 minutes walking/running)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Walk for 5 minutes to cool down</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Slowly increase the length of the running interval while decreasing the length of the rest/walking interval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your progression may look something like this: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>1 min run: 2 min walk (7 times for 21 minutes)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>1 min run: 1 min walk (10 times)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>2 min run: 2 min walk (5 times)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>2 min run: 1 min walk (7 times)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>When you are comfortable running for 2 minutes and walking for 1, gradually add 1 minute to your run interval until you are running the length and distance you want. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 78pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 78.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Remember to always include 5 minutes of walking for both of you to warm up and cool down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You don’t ever have to go long or go hard with your dog and it may be best if you don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is running on leash, keeping a steady speed for miles is not only hard on his body but can be boring for him mentally as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are better off keeping it short and interesting so you both have fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my experience, dogs enjoy intervals of walking and running best because they like the variety and it is less stressful for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirty minutes is long enough for both of you to ramp up your metabolism and reap the cardiovascular benefits of running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>45 minutes is great if you both have it in you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not recommend running your dog on leash for longer than an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you do want to add additional time and distance to your workout, don’t add more than 10% a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If you are measuring your workout by time, that means you can add three additional minutes to your initial thirty minute workout each week.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to go too far too fast is a major cause of burnout and injury in runners – both human and canine! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Watch your dog and set a pace that is comfortable for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is frequently switching between trotting and running, speed up or slow down so he can hold a consistent gait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carefully watch for any signs of stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he’s running behind you more than he is running with or ahead of you, this may be a cue that you need to slow down and walk home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 24pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dogs running off leash (where legal and if your dog is reliable) can regulate their personal speed and gait better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>If you are going for a longer run, make small amounts of water available at intervals during your run but don’t let your dog down a large amount of water mid run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Watch for signs of slowing down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As your dog ages, he may not be able to go as far or fast as he used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he isn’t as eager to run or gets up stiffly the morning after a run, consider cutting back on the speed and/or mileage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, discuss any changes with your vet to rule out underlying medical conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Older dogs may prefer certain types of footing (dirt roads and trails tend to put less stress on the joints than pavement) or to run off leash (if appropriate) so they can set the pace that is comfortable for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 42.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Not every dog was “born to run”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have planned carefully and started slowly and your dog isn’t having fun, look for a different activity to engage him in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some dogs just don’t enjoy running for exercise, they may prefer to walk or play off leash instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-64215965050035805052011-04-17T14:18:00.000-04:002011-04-17T14:18:55.726-04:00Running with Your Dog: Let's Get Started<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Pip has been hounding me to post so here is an introduction to things to think about before you actually start running with your dog. Next week, I'll get around to the actual running part.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It’s spring time and for many of us, it is time to start getting back into shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution to lose a couple of pounds or you just want to be more active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, running is a great way to do it and including your dog provides additional incentive to get there and get it done. Chances are good that if you are out of shape, your dog probably is too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pet obesity is a growing problem in the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">US</place></country-region> and the best way to fight it is to measure your dog’s food and make sure he is getting enough physical activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In today’s world, running with your dog is a great way to up his activity level in a safe and enjoyable way.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Most dogs enjoy running and running with your pooch can help you stay motivated too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t feel like running today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing like a disappointed look from your dog to guilt you into getting out the door (getting out the door is the hardest part of running).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be honest, I wouldn’t be a runner today if it weren’t for my dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I started running, Nellie’s enjoyment of the activity is what kept me going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So let’s start with some basic ground rules:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Make sure your dog has good leash manners before you start running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running is hard enough without your dog pulling or trying to stop and pee on every vertical object you pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog likes to sniff and mark a lot, teach him a “leave it” command, tell him to “leave it” before you get to a distracting object and don’t break your stride if he stops to sniff – keep right on going – so he learns he has to keep up with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Chances are good that you will be passing other runners, pedestrians or dogs, make sure your dog is comfortable moving over to the side of the trail with you and waiting nicely while people and dogs pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one wants a dog lunging at them, even if it is just because he’s really friendly and wants to greet them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog isn’t used to this, practice asking him to sit every time you stop walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you see a person coming, step to the side of the trail, ask him to sit and offer him a treat as the person passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he gets used to ignoring people and dogs passing him, you can pick up the pace and won’t need to stop each time you pass a distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Everything gets more challenging when you pick up the pace so practice first at the walk and in a low distraction environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work up to a more distracting environment at the walk and make sure your dog’s behavior is consistent before you finally start running.</li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Don’t run young dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Puppies need about a year for their joints to stop growing (this may happen as young as 9 months for small breed dogs or not until 18 months for giant breed dogs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t want to put stress on their joints before they are fully formed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until then, limit running to short intervals during off leash play time so your puppy can choose to start and stop on his own.</li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Brachyencephalatic breeds (dogs with compressed faces like bulldogs, boxers and <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Boston</place></city> terriers) have more difficulty breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be careful not to overexert them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on their individual anatomy, some individuals of these breeds may simply not be good candidates as running partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Dogs do not manage heat as well as people do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If outside temperatures are warm, watch your dog carefully for signs that he is uncomfortably warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He shouldn’t be panting excessively or lagging behind you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it is hot out, leave your dog home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember that he can’t sweat and releasing heat by panting while running is difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, hot pavement can easily scorch his paw pads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Senior dogs, overweight dogs and dogs with joint problems are not good candidates for running, walk them instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have any concerns or your dog has any health problems, consult your vet before you start walking or running with your dog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overweight dogs should shed the excess weight through walking, swimming or other low impact activities before you start running with them as excess weight puts additional strain on their joints and organs while making them more sensitive to heat stress. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-19932008762535824052011-03-27T17:41:00.004-04:002011-03-27T17:44:14.161-04:00An Update from the Pack<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Hey there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s me, Pip Squeak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom* has been very slack about writing lately so I have taken it upon myself to write a note and let you know how we are all doing here “down east”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, Mom’s been working a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me tell you, she’s up and going in the morning and doesn’t get back until 5 or 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we go for a walk, have a little play time in the back yard, have dinner, maybe chew a bone and go to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the weekends, we go for a longer walk and get bigger bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All-in-all, it’s okay but I’ll admit things are a little boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are trying to be good and take it easy on her though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This morning, we went for a run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now honestly, I really can’t tell much difference between our “walks” and our “runs” except that I don’t have to wait up for her quite as much on the runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s never going to break any land speed records, let me tell you and boy does she look silly doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell her I said this but she kind of waddles when she runs instead of trotting all nice and slightly diagonally like I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs are so much more efficiently built than humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Today we did “intervals”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s her word for running more like us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she runs intervals, she runs and stops then runs and stops again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is similar to the way I run except I can never tell what Mom stops for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stop to sniff good things but lots of times Mom runs right past the interesting stuff (turkey poop, coyote tracks, deer rubs) and stops in the middle of nowhere just to pant!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like running without my leash best because then I can stop at the good stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, I have to stop when she stops and, as I said, her choice in stopping places can be pretty lame. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When she does start running again, it’s funny because I never see what she’s trying to chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It probably doesn’t matter though because Mom’s never going to catch it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben says he ran in a race with her once and there were some very fast humans there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought some of them could even keep up with us chasing a turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t believe that based on watching Mom run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, she can hardly catch up with me when I’m standing still getting ready to roll in something fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Lots of times Mom stops to make us pose so she can take a picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, you would think she has enough pictures of us at this point but no it’s, “Sit here so I can take a picture” or “Lie down there, that will make such a cute picture”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She even waits until we are all facing her before she’ll take the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, there are things to sniff and chase crazy lady!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do pose to humor her though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, she made us take a picture in front of an old airplane strip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so boring it took a couple of tries before she got a picture with all of us looking towards her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all scanning the woods for something more interesting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, she ignored the perfectly intriguing pile of coyote poop right in the middle of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People have weird priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge58ulwL2Mt5A6v1xPODJMU21TbRUu-MtPVubmMs4C4PFhYlY8xyNColvV829EDSK5GB4LgjM9cGfVFOo6cHzJ_S-ZP0pFBwAq3AfDHFPRMN0bZFL0_-HQSqdC0WHhBb8PjU3bkiBlSTs/s1600/Dogs+Hells+Airport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge58ulwL2Mt5A6v1xPODJMU21TbRUu-MtPVubmMs4C4PFhYlY8xyNColvV829EDSK5GB4LgjM9cGfVFOo6cHzJ_S-ZP0pFBwAq3AfDHFPRMN0bZFL0_-HQSqdC0WHhBb8PjU3bkiBlSTs/s320/Dogs+Hells+Airport.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This is us in front of the airstrip. Anticlimactic right? For those of you who don't know us personally, that's me on the left!<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Mom told us today that we were lucky because even though she is slow, some people don’t ever run with their dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some hardly even walk with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard to believe, but I’ve seen how excited some of the foster dogs get when Mom takes them running so I guess it must be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny but kind of sad at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the most fun we have (other than chewing on bones of course).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So, I told Mom that the next note she writes should explain to people how to get started running with their dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know how fun it is to go for a run with Mom as slow and clumsy as she is so if people just got started even a little bit, I know their dogs would appreciate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So stay tuned for her next note and get ready to start running with your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">*Mom isn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My real mom was a very nice border collie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call Lisa “Mom” because she took my family out of the shelter when we needed homes and she kept me forever because I was cute and persistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also found homes for my real mom and my sister Ginger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So she’s the mom of the family I live with now and it’s nicer than just calling her The Food Lady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-33878095001461186912011-03-19T13:12:00.002-04:002011-03-19T13:12:50.639-04:00Teachable Moments<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span>This week's post is by Terri Wilkes, a Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue volunteer. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>I often use this phrase while working with children, but today it dawned on me that it is a perfect opportunity as a dog owner to work on improving my dog's behaviors. As Sarah can attest, I am known for adopting the schizophrenic pups. Actually, my dog Sophie (a corgi/border/something mix) is 11 years old and has come such a long way in the last few years because I decided to stop protecting the world from her nonsense and make her 'deal with it'.<br />
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We have a big issue with the door, any door. If a person comes through--even one of the family, the dog goes nuts. The barking, shrieking and running away from us goes on and on. I just got fed up that I can't speak to anyone without my dog freaking out. When the doorbell rings I changed my body language. I don't instantly search for her or try to get her contained before I answer the door (I look like a frantic fool). I simply answer the door, give her a firm "quiet" and proceed to let the person know that the dog doesn't attack, she barks and I open the door and allow her to go out on the porch. She gives them a few sniffs and barks and then we all enter the house. Once she sees that I am ok with this person she settles and I reward her with a treat. <br />
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Today the cable man arrived. Big, scary, stranger with tools and wires. So I proceed with the same process and it worked! She started to huff and puff and carry on a bit inside when he was moving about from room to room and opening the garage door. I decided that this was my opportunity not to stress out, but to make it a "teachable moment". I am in the middle of the exact situation I want to work on with her. I planted myself at the dining table with my laptop to work. I got a few delicacies from the fridge (cheese bits, meat, etc) and kept them next to me on the table. This is Sophie's currency ! <br />
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Each time she was quiet, sat next to me and allowed the cable man to pass by I rewarded her with a treat and praise. I ignored any stuff I didn't like. For the first time I had someone in my home for hours and she was just acting like nothing was unusual! She got her toy and went and lay down. She even followed the guy around wagging her tail. I am almost looking forward to having more people show up so I can reinforce this. <br />
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I hope that this inspires others to use those moments when you feel out of control of your dog's behavior and use it to teach. I realize I have to change my reactions and behavior in order to get her to. Took me a little while, but I am getting it!<br clear="ALL" /> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-24073845343493510102011-03-13T08:58:00.000-04:002011-03-13T08:58:24.623-04:00Training Tip for Today:<span class="messageBody">Take the blame out of training time. </span><span class="messageBody">Your dog isn't being stupid, stubborn or "dominant" and labelling him as such doesn't help you train him better. He either doesn't understand what you are asking, isn't sufficiently motivated or you are asking for too much too soon. Take a step a back and look at your training program. Figure out how to make the right behavior easy, the wrong behavior hard and reward each tiny step in the right direction.</span>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-12317106481460926822011-03-07T17:10:00.001-05:002011-03-07T17:11:19.376-05:00Clearing up Myths Surrounding Animal Rescue<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today I'd like to share an article written by our friends at Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Clearing up the Myths Surrounding Animal Rescue </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">When you have been involved in animal rescue long enough, you hear so many things that people assume which are simply not true! So, in order to clear up so common myths or misconceptions, we have listed a few of them here.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups exist to serve and assist former owners and future adopters.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Rescue groups exist solely to serve the animals it seeks to save and must always do what is best for its animals, and not the potential adopter or former owner.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups are grateful and happy to receive the donations of animals from their former owners.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Rescuers are saddened when someone who acquired an animal with a promise to love and care for them are now giving them away.<b><i> </i></b>We are people who believe that caring for an animal is for life, not for convenience. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups are desperate to find homes for dogs, and any home will suit.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Quality rescue groups are very careful about placing the right dog in the right home. Some dogs have special needs and are placed into homes appropriate for them. We invest time speaking with potential adopters, getting to know them. We visit their homes to make certain that the dog we place into their home will thrive in the home that applicant has to offer. We want every adoption to work and to be the best adoption possible and are very careful about our placements. We always try to do what is in the dog's best interest; we are, after all, the guardian of the dog. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups are just like shelters.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Rescue groups tend to be experts on the breed(s) that they are representing. Rescue groups also tend to foster their dogs, rather than to house them inside of kennels. Because of that, rescues tend to know their animals more intimately than a shelter; therefore can really help to place the perfect pet into the adoptive home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups never have puppies (or kittens) available.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Rescue groups do sometimes have puppies available, and often they are quality pups who came out of unpleasant situations. If you are set on a puppy, consider applying and asking to be put on the waiting list.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups always have puppies (or kittens) available. </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Only occasionally do most rescues have young pups available. However, the majority of dogs we rescue are between the ages of one and three years. When considering adopting a rescue dog, please be flexible in your expectations. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Adult animals are difficult to train and do not bond as tightly as animals adopted in infancy.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Adult animals are almost always far quicker to catch on to new rules and in the experience of many adopters, may actually bind tighter, almost as if to not ‘lose’ their new person. While adopted adult dogs do come with history or ‘baggage’, so did your spouse/mate/friend and somehow you manage to love them and they you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: There is something <u>wrong</u> with an animal that is in rescue.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: The large majority of animals in rescue have simply been tossed away. Sure, some of them do need some honing to become perfect, but most of us need that as well! Many of these animals are shy and under-socialized. They have not been abused; they have not been trained or exposed to the world. This is an easy thing to accomplish and the large majority of animals respond well to simple exposure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Adopting a child is easier than adopting an animal through a rescue group.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Adopting an animal is sometimes time consuming and yes, you will need to answer questions and allow us to visit you in your home, however, comparing pet adoption to the adoption of a child is ridiculous and incomparable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue people use rescue to make money. If they were really interested in finding animals homes, they would give them away rather than charge a fee.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: While some rescue groups get financial support from a national club (either the breed's club or a national rescue for that breed), most money that is spent on the care of the dogs in rescue comes from the rescue. In order to continue to rescue animals, the rescue must charge a fee or the rescue will fail. Each animal receives the vet care needed to ensure that they are reasonably healthy when they are adopted. Vet care costs, as does food, and shelter. In reality, the Adoption Donation made for an animal is far less than the actual cost to care for the animal while it is in our care.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue is going to ‘make money’ from the animal that I donate, so there is no need for me to give a financial donation if I choose to relinquish my animal.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Far from it. The rescue that kindly accepts your animal into its rescue program will likely invest double its adoption fee into your animal before it is placed into its forever home. Your donation ensures that your dog receives the best care possible and that the rescue can continue to operate in order to save another animal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: The breed rescue people will take my dog if it has bitten and will rehabilitate and re-home that dog.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: If you do not trust your dog, you should not ask anyone else to trust your dog. Dogs ‘speak’ with their mouths (teeth), and some dogs speak more loudly with them than others. In a situation where a dog is unpredictable, it cannot be placed safely into a new home. Please take responsibility for your dog and either handle him with training or management, or in severe cases, euthanasia. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: The rescue people will take my old or sick dog and care for him in his final days </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Breed rescue does not exist for your convenience. Rescue exists for the animals, and our ability to re-home them. If an animal is ill, or old and infirm, it is far less likely to be re-homed, therefore, we are unable to assist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Breed rescue will adopt out intact dogs for breeding purposes.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: As unbelievable as this is, many people think we will do this. The truth is, we aim to REDUCE the number of dogs who wind up in shelters, not to INCREASE those numbers. No ethical rescue person will adopt out an animal that is intact.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Rescue groups are the people who have dogs that sniff in rubble or avalanches to find bodies or trapped people or rescue groups are the people who train dogs to help the disabled.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: Not us. The first is Search and Rescue, the second is Service Dogs. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Myth: Animal rescue groups are against breeding as a general practice.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Reality: While some rescuers are against breeding in general, many people involved with rescue are breeders themselves. What we are against are irresponsible breeders who are uneducated and are not breeding in order to improve their chosen breed. Breeding is not something to be taken lightly. It is not something one just does, out of curiosity, to teach the kids about nature or to make some extra pocket money. When done correctly, breeding is not profitable, and is done ONLY to improve the overall quality of the breed. There are many people out there who breed simply to satiate the demands of the "pet" market, which ends up weakening the genetic pool of the given breed. This is what most rescuers are against, because we do not want to see anything happen that will diminish the quality of the dogs we love so much. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">© MABCR 2009</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Portions of this document have been borrowed from various animal rescue sites on the internet, as well as valued MABCR volunteers. </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-79115067866331008972011-02-27T08:32:00.001-05:002011-02-27T08:36:26.136-05:00The Cocklebur Conundrum<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJo4W7JPK99sh33s4aEAZKAgHlcCtqHi9ImBO1Ik1oBLfxVU9f-O-lpA_88qACiizzEaJAPAo4_3-zdhHsvOuPAIiZosPEINwXssKbORuvoWcoRchLEyHILHoTmE3B2hWmW28msfj-gw/s1600/P1011503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJo4W7JPK99sh33s4aEAZKAgHlcCtqHi9ImBO1Ik1oBLfxVU9f-O-lpA_88qACiizzEaJAPAo4_3-zdhHsvOuPAIiZosPEINwXssKbORuvoWcoRchLEyHILHoTmE3B2hWmW28msfj-gw/s320/P1011503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Or “Why Fuzzy Dogs Don’t Grow in the South”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As we get to know our new area, I’m coming to understand why dog breeds native to the south have short slick coats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, it’s because of the heat right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I’m sure that plays a role, I think the presence of sharp, prickly vegetation is more of a limitation than the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, a fuzzy dog can dig a nice deep hole in the shade on a hot day or sack out in the air conditioning but he can’t avoid the constant onslaught of spiny vegetation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After each walk or potty trip outside, Ben and I practice our new ritual of removing the native vegetation from his feet, ruff and britches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cockleburs, sweet gum balls and cat claw briars are the main culprits here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Yes, I could shave his coat but as many of you already know, Ben survives based on his charming good looks and his overly flamboyant tail and britches are a big part of his charm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So several times a day, Ben and I sit down and get to work removing the prickly vegetation from his fluffiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the bright side, Ben has never liked having his feet or nether regions handled but his touchiness is getting better by the day since we have no choice but to do it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Like many owners, I often avoid working on a problem unless I actually have a compelling reason too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until now, we had relegated grooming to every couple of weeks and I simply make him lie down and stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither one of us enjoyed the process much but it worked so we didn’t fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after three weeks of me “helping” him pull the cockleburs and sweet gum balls out of his feet and coat, he’s starting to make the connection and realize that even though what I am doing is uncomfortable, it makes him feel better in the long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s realizing that my working on his coat is a good thing and starting to relax, even when things are tangled up tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The cockleburs are a pain to deal with but are actually function as a training tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In behavioral circles this is called “negative reinforcement”, something negative (a cocklebur) goes away when Ben does something good (not reacting to my handling his body and tugging at his coat). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I have to get the cockleburs out after each trip, we have lots of repetitions each day where something he doesn’t like (handling) is followed by something more pleasant (stupid cockleburs go away).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So if you have a training issue, remember to break it down into several short sessions throughout the day, work on it every day and be consistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more you work on it, the faster your dog’s behavior will improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And be glad if you have a short coated dog or live in an area without cockleburs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-57886158203668056912011-02-06T16:28:00.002-05:002011-02-06T16:28:52.060-05:00The Problems with Underground or Invisible Fences<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Periodically people ask my opinion on underground or invisible fences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are fences that rely on a cable laid in (or on) the ground and an electronic collar to keep a dog within a prescribed area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the dog gets too close to the cable, the collar will beep in warning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the dog continues, the collar will administer an electrostatic shock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally, the boundary is initially marked with flags and the dog is gradually introduced to the fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people love their invisible fences but I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I don’t consider them to be a fence at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Invisible fences:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Don’t protect your dog from people or other animals coming into the yard and harming him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If something poses a threat, your dog does not have an option to try to run away.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Can cause or increase aggression and anxiety because the dog may associate the discomfort of the beep and/or correction with the people or dogs he sees passing by at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your usually cheerful, people loving dog is consistently corrected with a beep (a threat that he may be shocked) each time he trots towards the neighbors walking down the road, he may change his mind about the neighbors.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Can cause fearful dogs be uncomfortable in their own yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some dogs may be scared enough that they just won’t go out in the yard period; others may not be able to relax enough to go to the bathroom or simply enjoy the space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some dogs are noise sensitive and just the warning beep of the collar will make them nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s the point of having a yard if your dog isn’t happy and comfortable there?</li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Will not prevent your dog from breaking out if the stimuli is strong enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have known many dogs that will happily run through a functioning invisible fence – they have learned that once they are through the shock will go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once they get out, most dogs will not cross the barrier again to get back inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After they have learned that going through is an option, many dogs will break out over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Will fail when the battery gets low or the wire is damaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dogs learn that when the beep fails, the shock does too and they will be out and gone before you realize the battery is low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything breaks the cable, your dog may be able to escape before you realize the fence is broken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Finally, that “harmless beep” really isn’t harmless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To you, it’s a warning that your dog is getting too close to the boundary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For him, it is a threat that he may be shocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some studies have indicated that dogs may have a similar psychological response to the beep as to the actual shock itself and no wonder – the beep means the shock may be coming next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even for dogs who only ever get shocked once, the beep itself can be very aversive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-10538512972708988872011-02-01T19:58:00.002-05:002011-02-04T20:08:05.924-05:00Cat Scratch Fever<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Cats scratch, a lot, and they seem to be very good at finding places to scratch that we don’t appreciate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like on my blue arm chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or the leg of the newly refinished dining table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my cats transitioned from being indoor/outdoor cats with a cat door to strictly indoor cats, scratching became an issue for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to this, they did most of their scratching outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a cat scratched inside, I would hiss at them and they would stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once they were permanent indoor cats, the scratching got worse and, while I could stop them when I was home, they would scratch like mad when I was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a multi-pronged approach to getting the scratching under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Here is a list of things that you can do to help redirect scratching to acceptable places:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Provide multiple scratching opportunities so you can figure what your cat likes.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Many commercial cat towers aren’t structurally sturdy enough for cats to really enjoy scratching on them so if your cat ignores his, don’t give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cats have personal preferences for the texture, softness, and surface of their scratching place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some cats have a preference for vertical versus horizontal surfaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some cats like corrugated cardboard scratchers while others prefer twine covered or fabric covered options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at the surface your cat chooses to scratch on and try to replicate it if possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to provide several options at all times – some horizontal, some vertical and ideally of different textures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">My cats are most consistent about scratching on corrugated cardboard scratch pads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They seem to prefer the texture of regular corrugated cardboard scratch pads to the Emery Cat pads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure the pad is large enough that your cat anchors it securely when he sits on it to scratch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can find corrugated scratch pads that hang from a door knob if your cat prefers a vertical arrangement and there are stable slanted options available too.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Lots of cats are very happy with low-tech, homemade solutions too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have someone handy in the household, cut a thick sturdy branch (choose a branch that is at least several inches wider than your cat) and wedge it securely in a corner of the basement or utility room (if that is somewhere your cat is comfortable).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or get really creative, attach it to a sturdy base and figure out how to work it into your décor!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Good luck on that one.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">My new discovery is that my cats *love* to scratch a rolled up area rug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have an old one (or a cheap one but an old cheap one would be best) roll it up so the bottom is facing out and either lay it on the floor or brace it in a corner of the cat room for scratching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rug my cats just inherited after our move should last for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Make the right locations fun.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">My cats love catnip so I put a little catnip on their scratching spots each day when I feed them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This encourages them to roll, play and scratch in that particular area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to sift the catnip into the corrugated cardboard pads a little bit so they really work to get it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">If your cat doesn’t really like catnip, try the Cosmic Catnip brand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guys are pretty unimpressed by some of the other brands but really love Cosmic Catnip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have multiple cats, make sure you provide multiple scratchers/catnip locations as some cats will get rowdy and play rough or beat up on each other when given catnip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">If you are really ambitious, you could reward your cat for scratching in the right spots with treats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could even break out a clicker and click-treat for interaction with the scratching pad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">If you have dogs, put the appropriate scratching opportunities in a room separate from the dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of dogs like to “help” correct cats when they are scratching and you don’t want your dog to deter your cat from scratching in the right place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Make the wrong locations not fun.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Anything that changes the texture of the surface will help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Double sided tape or covering a horizontal surface with saran wrap or tin foil can help deter scratching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Active corrections like squirting your cat with a spray bottle filled with water or tossing a penny can near him may help deter inappropriate scratching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(A penny can is an empty soda can that you put a couple of coins in and tape the opening shut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you toss it in his direction – not right at him! – it will make a noise that will startle him.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, these options will only work when you are home so you will probably need to prevent him from having physical access to this spot when you aren’t home to supervise during the training period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Trim your cat’s toenails</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">This doesn’t end the problem but it reduces scratching and prevents them from doing much damage if they choose something inappropriate to scratch on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just trim front toenails and do it once every week or two (add it to your list of Saturday morning chores).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sit on the couch with a cat tucked under one arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back of the couch prevents them from being able to back out of my hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I trim their toenails with normal human fingernail trimmers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-75991395910657721322011-01-30T15:36:00.003-05:002011-01-30T18:04:49.420-05:00Moving and New Move Resolutions<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The Positive Paw pack just moved from the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina to eastern <place w:st="on"><state w:st="on">North Carolina</state></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many trainers, I have a vocation (horticulture) that helps to support my avocation (dogs, horses and critters of all sorts).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was offered a fabulous “real job” closer to the coast, it was too great an opportunity to pass up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the kids and I loaded up the Uhaul and headed east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Just kidding, I loaded up the Uhaul with a friend and the kids mostly spectated.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 128.25pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We have been in our new home for less than 48 hours and I thought this would be a good time to discuss ways to help your pack transition better when and if you have to move:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crate training really helps!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">My dogs were crated far more than usual for several days while we loaded the Uhaul (I didn’t want anyone slipping out the door and into the road!), drove (the dogs don’t ride loose in the car – see the entries on “My Not So Excellent Adventure” and “This is How We Roll”) and unloaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily my dogs are very used to and comfortable in their crates, so this extended crate time didn’t stress them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, in light of all the chaos going on around them being crated actually helped them to settle and relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also allowed me to focus on packing and loading efficiently instead of worrying about the pups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Once we were unloaded in the new house, I brought the dogs in and they all ran back into their crates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to laugh because this was after spending the night (while we stayed at a hotel) and most of the day in the car!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t shut the doors, but it was great to know that after all that time crated, they came into the new house and were reassured to find their crates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a changing situation, they view their crates as their “safe place” and spot to relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, you could do the same thing with a dog bed but the real advantage to the crate is that you can shut the door and have that added protection of knowing your dog is confined when you need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">At home, my dogs aren’t normally crated during the day but I am crating them when I go out right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have moved from a very rural setting to one with neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crating them when I leave means they can’t practice any undesirable behaviors like standing up and looking out the windows or barking at the neighbors or birds in the backyard while I am gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we are all comfortable in the new house, I’ll gradually transition back to not crating during the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Provide happy constructive activities to keep your dog busy and entertained.</b></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Since the dogs were spending *way* more time in their crates than usual, I focused on giving them plenty of good chewing opportunities (recreational raw bones are the norm in my house but you could stuff kongs or any other treat dispensing toy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a tiny bit of trick training before each meal to give each of them a little individual interaction (usually it was just a couple of repetitions behaviors they already know like sit, lie down, high five, touch, rollover).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also sacrificed a couple of small cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls and some newspaper for the girls to run around with, tear up and destroy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aim for as much consistency as you can.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">I tried to keep my pets’ routines as normal as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the dogs, this meant getting out for a little walk in the usual places – even if we couldn’t go as far or as long as normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also tried to make time every night for the girls’ indoor playtime even though it had to be shortened (sometimes it was only a couple of minutes long). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Ben, I made it a point not miss evening snuggle time – even if it was for just a minute or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the cats, it meant leaving them in my old house for a couple of days after everything was packed even though I was staying with a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way, I wasn’t bouncing them between multiple houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Small spaces make transitions easier for cats.</b></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">The cats were shut in a single room while we were loading the Uhaul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My cats are indoor only at this point so they were easy to find and confine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have indoor/outdoor cats though, you many need to confine them before you start packing since nervous cats may be difficult to find for days at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If Stella had access to the out of doors, I would have confined her before packing the first box since she is very flighty about any change in the routine.)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">During the actual drive, the cats were confined to large dog crates with small litter boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I offered them food and water at each stop (they invariably spill the water if I leave it in the kennels while driving).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This setup worked great, even when we had to stay in a hotel overnight since they had access to litter all the time, and water and food at regular intervals.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">With the help of a friend, I was able to carry the crated cats right into the house and the “cat room” when we arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shut the cats in their new room overnight to help them relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helped them learn where the litter box, food and scratching posts were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this house is small, I was able to quickly transition them to having run of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The larger the house is though, the slower I give them access to new space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we moved into the big house on the mountain, I gave them a new room every couple of days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">The speed of the transition depends largely on the personality of your cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A more timid cat will be reassured by a slower transition (maybe even start out confining him to a bathroom) while a bold cat may not require as much time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(My cat Cleo is uber-confident and The Queen of Moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She adjusts to almost any move within a day or so but she is a *rare* exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is also our sixth move together.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much space at once increases anxiety and the risk that your cat will hide, mark territory, scratch inappropriate objects or have litter box issues.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Plan for the worst and manage, manage, manage.</b></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">If your critters have any issues, expect that the stress of the move will exacerbate them and be prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way, you are one step ahead of the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it doesn’t happen – great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s always better to be safe than sorry – especially when your pet’s safety is at risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what your pet’s issue is (marking in the house, chewing, not coming when called, separation anxiety, etc), assume that the move will make it worse and take proactive steps to alleviate and manage the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As much as I hated to leave all of my clients and their dogs behind in the mountains, I am excited about my job opportunity here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will start teaching classes again after I have settled in but right now my goal is to focus on my dogs and working with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have realized that over the years, I spend so much time working with other people and their dogs that I have a tendency to come home and manage my dogs rather than actively changing their behaviors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, I look forward to working with and training my own dogs more. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Meanwhile, I’m still just a phone call or email away for my WNC clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will still be posting on Positive Paw (and Positive Paw on Facebook too).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will also be back in the mountains regularly to catch up with friends and hope to see some of “my puppies” then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So please contact me if you have any questions and I’ll keep you updated on how the Positive Paw pack is doing with our transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-76860139764720916552011-01-26T22:10:00.001-05:002011-01-26T22:17:05.339-05:00Adopt and Save a Life<div style="text-align: center;">Or, “Why you should look to your local animal shelter for your next pet”</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqy50JkI__0xg-BPomqxMnXaCXHs0LZbr6rFVLoAtcCxaKFCXYH1EYO9tYu044fINPkOVTy5t0l_Lsd3HYZ_pKE8JdfPzXagbi9UnxLTGQbdyxyxP5zc9ReXKlKweM_jRWFPLqEEm1Ms/s1600/Dylan.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqy50JkI__0xg-BPomqxMnXaCXHs0LZbr6rFVLoAtcCxaKFCXYH1EYO9tYu044fINPkOVTy5t0l_Lsd3HYZ_pKE8JdfPzXagbi9UnxLTGQbdyxyxP5zc9ReXKlKweM_jRWFPLqEEm1Ms/s320/Dylan.bmp" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dylan</div>There are many reasons you should adopt your next pet from the local animal shelter. Most of us are looking for companion animals, not purpose bred working dogs and millions of really great companion animals are put to sleep in animal shelters every year. In the US alone, an estimated 5 to 7 million companion animals wind up in animal shelters every year. Of these animals, approximately 3 to 4 million are euthanized. The reality is that 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats that enter shelters each year die.<br />
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5 out of 10 dogs are euthanized simply because there aren’t people to adopt them while 7 out of 10 cats are euthanized for lack of adopters. This means that the vast majority of these animals are put to sleep not for behavioral or health reasons but simply because there are more animals than there are people to adopt them.<br />
<br />
How do these animals wind up in shelters? These animals come in either as owner surrenders or strays. Many strays are never reunited with their owners due to lack of proper identification (collar tags, microchips, tattoos). It is estimated that 15-20% of dogs are returned to their owners while less than 2% of cats are.<br />
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While some animals are relinquished for behavioral issues, many animals are dumped in shelters for totally unrelated issues including: moving, landlord issues, cost of maintenance, lack of time, inadequate facilities, too many pets in the home, owner illness or death, and personal problems. Many owners are unprepared or unsuited to caring for the pet. In my experience, while challenging dogs certainly do exist, most of the “behavioral issues” that dogs are relinquished for are basic training issues. Many owners fail to understand the time and energy that a pet will require. Others choose to give their pets up when major life changes make pet ownership more challenging. Even more owners simply don’t have the knowledge to train their pets effectively.<br />
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Very nice dogs and cats wind up in shelters on a regular basis through no fault of their own. Due to the high euthanasia rate in many areas, animals with significant behavioral issues frequently never make it to the adoption floor. (This doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but it isn’t an everyday affair.)<br />
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If you are set on having a purebred dog, it is estimated that 25% of dogs that wind up in shelters are purebred. I even find purebred puppies in shelters. You may need to spend a little more time looking and waiting for the right animal but it is well worth the investment of time. If you want a specific breed, use Petfinder.com to search for animals by breed and location.<br />
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If you are concerned that adopting a dog from a shelter is buying “damaged goods”, rest assured that I see just as many problem dogs that were raised from puppies in their own home as I do adopted dogs. In fact, one of my clients bought a puppy expressly because she “didn’t want a dog that someone else had screwed up”. Two years later she realized that she had “a dog I have screwed up all by myself!” Most of us raise puppies like we drive cars – we like to think that we are way above average when we probably aren’t.<br />
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Finally, few things are as satisfying as knowing you have made a difference for a homeless animal. I adopted all three of my current dogs from local shelters and pull great dogs out of shelters on a regular basis. Watching these dogs learn, grow and develop to their full potential is very satisfying. <br />
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So go ahead, get out there and check out your local shelter. Your new best friend is waiting for you. Adopt and save a life.<br />
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Below, you'll find some photos of just a few of the wonderful dogs I have found in shelters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs7j-VmV1MFJ4gb4C4NvUxY7HlbB9zaI4GAY_7X-HOrtlkrBe1d7Ks8JEfY7fzmvHfhGvgA_xr93vTKEM6zECqXLcL7jCQzMhdVT95_BcgeP7GBu8Xqh38iV0C8gI5svegx0ScK0SZrk/s1600/P1011241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs7j-VmV1MFJ4gb4C4NvUxY7HlbB9zaI4GAY_7X-HOrtlkrBe1d7Ks8JEfY7fzmvHfhGvgA_xr93vTKEM6zECqXLcL7jCQzMhdVT95_BcgeP7GBu8Xqh38iV0C8gI5svegx0ScK0SZrk/s320/P1011241.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Finn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKmEl-MxajxrjQBmVuA9H4Ol-gMDJWEmLhCKz3rKvi1uBuRTm6DjOub_ScxtfjIHGKpKyjfWwg6Bb_yPvSIxR9se62JKNMtB1WgZ6RsO7SoNcinT_RVSIQejQPe0rIA3RzmyIzYKcTNA/s1600/Pergo+Scott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKmEl-MxajxrjQBmVuA9H4Ol-gMDJWEmLhCKz3rKvi1uBuRTm6DjOub_ScxtfjIHGKpKyjfWwg6Bb_yPvSIxR9se62JKNMtB1WgZ6RsO7SoNcinT_RVSIQejQPe0rIA3RzmyIzYKcTNA/s320/Pergo+Scott.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Scott</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICW13owA8bbFMvjIVC48j0Wpj_Sc-PxOQeXosUbpsxxX0wxSC083zW40B8p08fqx6aZ9AJ93usSwNb9R1Ithj8KgRppRM4tEG7ryn9dlbANeg5NLFClsvOuYIzd0fd91vwRucqCJWmqw/s1600/Shep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICW13owA8bbFMvjIVC48j0Wpj_Sc-PxOQeXosUbpsxxX0wxSC083zW40B8p08fqx6aZ9AJ93usSwNb9R1Ithj8KgRppRM4tEG7ryn9dlbANeg5NLFClsvOuYIzd0fd91vwRucqCJWmqw/s1600/Shep.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Shep</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjcXhViUs575Ly_cUS9JiZMBzUgb9U-A071G_xTF9LVrzAqVUKo2JUAgrhb_pWul0T-4Z5fIEtTcix5YI6-QW7d9NY8SwKuGt4YJ_fXg5WNrfq4T3PUUp2bW_eNjzf6ZBP0nBBx31LXQ/s1600/Charm+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjcXhViUs575Ly_cUS9JiZMBzUgb9U-A071G_xTF9LVrzAqVUKo2JUAgrhb_pWul0T-4Z5fIEtTcix5YI6-QW7d9NY8SwKuGt4YJ_fXg5WNrfq4T3PUUp2bW_eNjzf6ZBP0nBBx31LXQ/s320/Charm+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Charm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6RtSxSHTCtB81sG_cMccohPvlAvbLuLjMH_BJgg6n5L5WfDLu0SgW6-P2NlPsH2jUtqDHeMqPgIewkzB5M6GWicohy9wb8Yiy1fv-o_1E7RoSpARtggo2XwRwG7J_xWhU1kukzblEIY/s1600/Nell+Ben+and+Pip.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6RtSxSHTCtB81sG_cMccohPvlAvbLuLjMH_BJgg6n5L5WfDLu0SgW6-P2NlPsH2jUtqDHeMqPgIewkzB5M6GWicohy9wb8Yiy1fv-o_1E7RoSpARtggo2XwRwG7J_xWhU1kukzblEIY/s320/Nell+Ben+and+Pip.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pip Squeak, Ben, Nellie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-aWUR8ljo_XQmv8OtVePFWQPeWik5Oy1sqWYiPIpJl9KxuY2DK_XogodLoLJAYM3N5YRpjN5f6DZUMYylmSDvS3aGbVm7GNc7gAX8iZE6K3nYUmv91BrjBDkL-bVYVEFQEpfUl7FUIE/s1600/Winston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-aWUR8ljo_XQmv8OtVePFWQPeWik5Oy1sqWYiPIpJl9KxuY2DK_XogodLoLJAYM3N5YRpjN5f6DZUMYylmSDvS3aGbVm7GNc7gAX8iZE6K3nYUmv91BrjBDkL-bVYVEFQEpfUl7FUIE/s320/Winston.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Winston</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZS-Wk97l2eUnhFjZ5_5f87Ei_Xm02RxRJF_3wnZ2eCajR9rpkzg3WZY8wXG07xeLml2RIuw8UWCQoo3rVRBvloaZnsRm5kBZKTZ3k_XR92k0LXCh9eLwNO3B3XkxDWGgL7ddU4Ih978/s1600/Suzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZS-Wk97l2eUnhFjZ5_5f87Ei_Xm02RxRJF_3wnZ2eCajR9rpkzg3WZY8wXG07xeLml2RIuw8UWCQoo3rVRBvloaZnsRm5kBZKTZ3k_XR92k0LXCh9eLwNO3B3XkxDWGgL7ddU4Ih978/s320/Suzie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">Suzie</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-74060305426706882842011-01-22T15:28:00.000-05:002011-01-22T15:28:42.259-05:00The Importance of Exercise<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The dogs stop to pose during a hike on the Appalachian Trail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNGFM7ztH0qm9tmYMw_X0mXu0stOL0jeBTjuiCP8M3yf_EMIzE8ofnYzV-zqpOfwjBNIVJtOOKUPpKD1FxJzeNqA6AfJWDPsGCTgLqNCKvCV21Gk1lC_pp2QpzwYPC3sRz9-Mw3o6cZs/s1600/Dogs+on+Roan+Mountain.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNGFM7ztH0qm9tmYMw_X0mXu0stOL0jeBTjuiCP8M3yf_EMIzE8ofnYzV-zqpOfwjBNIVJtOOKUPpKD1FxJzeNqA6AfJWDPsGCTgLqNCKvCV21Gk1lC_pp2QpzwYPC3sRz9-Mw3o6cZs/s320/Dogs+on+Roan+Mountain.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Exercise, along with good food and training, is one of the most important things in a dog’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, many owners fail to fully capitalize on the benefits of thoughtful exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As society in general has become less active, so have our dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We no longer spend as much time outdoors and many of us have realized that it is not safe (or legal in many areas) to let our dogs roam around outside unsupervised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, appropriate exercise promotes your dog’s bond with you, increases your relevance in his life, encourages training and provides your dog with the mental and physical stimulation that will help him settle and behave the rest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nice side effect of a thoughtful exercise program for your dog is that it can help you get in better shape too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are certain types of exercise that are better than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great ways to exercise your dog include:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Running or walking (preferably off leash if your dog is reliable and you have a safe, legal area to do this; if not, on leash)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Structured play with you AND rules (you and your dog play together outside, you run the game and make the rules)</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are many positive benefits to exercising with your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we train a dog, we want to be one of the most important things in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For most dogs, exercising and playing outside are the biggest highlights of their day (other than mealtime).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to be involved in leading and directing these activities because it will make us an even more important part of their lives and help them look to us for leadership and direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you put your dog outside (by himself or with another dog) or pop him on a treadmill you are missing out on this important bonding opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Exercise through walking or running also provides important mental stimulation for your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is he listening to your cues (speed up, slow down, wait at the corner), he is also being exposed to new environments, sights and smells – even if this is the same route you walk most days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These environmental stimuli will help to satisfy his natural curiousity (wearing him out mentally) while providing ongoing socialization and training opportunities and making him more confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New routes provide even more mental stimulation and training opportunities.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now, walking at human speeds is admittedly a little boring for most active dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two things you can do to really improve the activity for your dog is to walk very briskly or even to run in short spurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now maybe you are saying to yourself, “Hey, I’m no athlete!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a runner” and I totally understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until five or six years ago, I didn’t run either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I still can’t quite call myself a “runner”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t have to a runner to shake up your next dog walk, just include five or six 30 second jogging intervals into your walk and watch how your dog lights up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’ll discuss how to start running with your dog in a future note.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am always amazed at the way my new foster dogs light up when I run with them for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like they are realizing, “Hey, she runs too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How cool is that!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must be a pack.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Maybe you have limited mobility or don’t have a good place to walk or run with your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s okay, aim for constructive play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Games of fetch or tug where you make and enforce consistent rules provide you dog with exercise and training opportunities at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach him to drop his toy on command (or have a second toy handy while he’s learning this skill), then ask him to perform a behavior like sit or lie down before you throw the toy. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">NOT great ways to exercise your dog include:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Letting him run around outside alone – in a fenced in area or not </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Unsupervised play with another dog</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Boisterous play where your dog is running the game</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Running him to “tire him out” without applying rules, structure or providing mental stimulation </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Using a treadmill (unless recommended by a veterinarian for rehabilitation purposes of course)</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Interestingly enough, dogs left alone outside may fall into one of two categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the dog is not in a fenced enclosure and has the right temperament, he may run off and be gone for long periods of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, he is at risk of being hit by a car, being shot for chasing livestock or wildlife (whether he really is or someone just thinks he might) or any number of other risks while he is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, many dogs when left outside alone don’t do much of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My crew will sit outside the door and wait for me to come out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get very little exercise unless I am there to lead the fun and games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Unsupervised play with another dog increases you dog’s bond with the other dog, but not with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can make training more difficult since he will be more concerned with the other dog than you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, unsupervised play can lead to rough or inappropriate play that the dogs come to think of as normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they then try to play the same way with other dogs, it can lead to issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, there is always the concern that dogs, like children, may accidentally hurt each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play can escalate to out of control levels or a dog may catch his teeth in another dog’s collar leading to a strangling risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By all means, let your dog play with other dogs but make sure you are there and supervising the fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Some dogs can become overstimulated by the wrong sorts of play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog gets overexcited, jumping and nipping when you try to play fetch or tug, letting him play out of control can actually make the situation worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is the case, you need to step in and make sure you are running the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignore your dog and refuse to play until he provides you with a polite behavior like sit or down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep a longline on him if necessary to make sure you can take the toy back when you want it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach him to drop a toy and leave it so you can control the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach him that he has to sit or lie down between throws for you to keep participating in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you are starting and ending the game and put the toy away between games so it is “your toy” that you choose to share with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Have you ever looked at your boisterous dog and wished you could pop him on the treadmill for 30 minutes while you watch your favorite show?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you’ve seen it done on tv and thought, “Hey, I wish I could do that with Rowdy!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except for rare occasions, I don’t recommend putting your dog on the treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exercising your dog by walking, running or playing with him offers many more benefits than just wearing him out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Popping your dog in the treadmill (or out in the back yard by himself for that matter) misses out on these benefits while carrying risks.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are certain risks inherent to using a treadmill for dog exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Treadmills require training and direct supervision during their use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can never walk away from a dog on a treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, the two of you might as well be walking together outside and enjoy the changing scenery (the exception of course is if your dog is undergoing some form of physical therapy for which the treadmill is recommended).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, treadmills can put additional strain on your dog’s joint due to their action and the constant speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a treadmill, your dog cannot speed up or slow down to a rate that is comfortable for him based on his gait or fatigue level like he can outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not closely supervised, this can put excessive stress on his cardiovascular system and his joints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Used inappropriately, treadmills can result in injury or even death of the dog.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Many people who let their dogs run loose outside or ask about putting their dog on a treadmill are looking for a way to wear out an over active dog or to exercise a dog with poor leash manners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, many of these dogs aren’t just lacking exercise (which many of them are!) but they are also lacking appropriate leadership, training and direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these dogs, providing additional exercise to wear them out physically without addressing the other issues present simply results in highly conditioned canine athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These same dogs then require even more exercise to wear them out next time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These dogs learn best when they have a structured exercise program and then additional training at home that helps them learn to walk politely onleash, settle and respect appropriate boundaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So grab your leash and your walking shoes and head out the door for a walk and some structured playtime with your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be good for your dog, mentally and physically, it will be good for your relationship, and it will be good for you too!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-63615009143001922862011-01-18T19:18:00.003-05:002011-01-18T19:20:12.027-05:00My Favorite Things<div>Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to try a lot of different products on a lot of different dogs. Lots of products are okay, others are disappointing but a few stand out above the rest and become staples that I use and recommend over and over. Below are some of my favorite things.<br />
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Midwest Ultima Pro Triple Door Dog Crate: These crates are hard to find (usually only available online) but their heavy-gauge wire is sturdy and durable and the three doors give you a multitude of options in the house or car. They fold for carrying or storage. I am also excited to see that Midwest is producing a 21” wide crate specifically for use as a side-by-side crate in the back of a vehicle. These may be on my next list of favorite things.<br />
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<a href="http://www.petstreetmall.com/Ultima-Pro-Triple-Door-Dog-Crate-/8989/4080/details.html" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.petstreetmall.com/Ultima-Pro-Triple-Door-Dog-Crate-/8989/4080/details.html</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?subcat=1&submenu=1&catid=1" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?subcat=1&submenu=1&catid=1</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?maincatid=1&subcat=1&submenu=0&catid=11" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?maincatid=1&subcat=1&submenu=0&catid=11</span></a><br />
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Walk through baby gates: I own two of these and love them. They fit wide openings and the smaller walk through gate means it's not a hassle or health hazard to try to get through them. I use one on my cat room and another to keep the dogs out of the basement. They make great barriers in high traffic areas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755234" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755234</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #3b5998;"></span><br />
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Lupine Collars and Leashes: Lupine collars, harnesses and leashes come in a great range of sizes, styles and collars. Even better, they are guaranteed for life – even if your puppy chews them! The Combo collar (also called a martingale or greyhound style collar) is great for dogs who slip their collars. Stewart's Mountainview Animal Hospital carries Lupine locally or you can find them online through Amazon or online petstores. <span style="color: #3b5998;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.lupinepet.com/dog/med_dog.php" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.lupinepet.com/dog/med_dog.php</span></a><br />
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Boomerang Collar Tags (Slide On or for Adjustable Nylon Collars): These collar tags are sturdy, durable and most importantly reduce the risk that your dog will get his collar tag stuck in something. I have seen dogs get their collar tags stuck in crates (always remove collars from crated dogs), chainlink fences, heater grates, and most recently in a folding chair. Dangling collar tags are a safety risk and can result in panicking, strangulation and death. <br />
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<a href="http://www.boomerangtags.com/page.php?c=collartags&k=h" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.boomerangtags.com/page.php?c=collartags&k=h</span></a><br />
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Premier EasyWalk or Softouch Sensation or Sensible Harnesses: These harnesses are a great tool for dogs that pull. They are easy to put on, adjust and they work instantly. Because the leash attaches to the center of the chest, your dog is redirected back towards you when he pulls. Dogs accept them quickly without fighting or fussing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs%2Fproducts%2Fcollars%2Feasywalk%2Fdescription" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs%2Fproducts%2Fcollars%2Feasywalk%2Fdescription</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.softouchconcepts.com/" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.softouchconcepts.com/</span></a><br />
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Kong and Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude: These toys can be filled or stuffed with treats to provide your dog with interactive fun and lots and lots of chewing. Great for pups that love to chew as well as a tool for crate training and separation anxiety. Put them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kongcompany.com/" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.kongcompany.com/</span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs%2Fproducts%2Fbehavior%2Fbusybuddy%2Fsquirreldude%2Fdescription" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs%2Fproducts%2Fbehavior%2Fbusybuddy%2Fsquirreldude%2Fdescription</span></a><br />
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Zanies Dog Toys (especially the Bungee Gecko): These sturdy toys are lots of fun with a squeaker in both ends. The Bungee Gecko is pack tested. After a year, Nellie and Pip have had so much fun playing and tossing them that they haven’t surgically removed the squeakers or any other part of it (squeakers, ears, feet and eyes go quickly in our house). And they are cheap! You can get them at Mitchell County Animal Rescue or online for just $3-4.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.petedge.com/product/Zanies-Bungee-Geckos-Dog-Toys/44287.uts" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.petedge.com/product/Zanies-Bungee-Geckos-Dog-Toys/44287.uts</span></a><br />
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Chuckit Ball Launcher: This toy will make even the weeniest tennis-ball tosser (that would be me) a hero in the eyes of their dog. And you won’t have to bend down to pick up nasty, slobbery, muddy tennis balls ever again. Pick up some Chuckit glow balls or a 2.5 inch Sergeant’s Buddy’s Glow ball while you are at it. Normal tennis balls have silicone in the nap to make them sturdier. The silicone along with dirt that gets trapped in the fibers may abrade your dog’s teeth over time. For this reason, I prefer to use a smooth surfaced ball for dogs that play fetch regularly.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.caninehardware.com/#/product/launchers" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.caninehardware.com/#/product/launchers</span></a><br />
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Furminator: I *love* my Furminator! It strips the soft, dense undercoat out of Nellie and Pip Squeak’s coats like nothing else. This product seems to work best on animals with thick undercoats. I also use it on my cats.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.furminator.com/products/tool" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.furminator.com/products/tool</span></a><br />
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Semi-moist Dog Food Rolls: Made by several different companies, semi-moist dog food rolls make high value, nutritionally complete treats for training. Natural Balance and Pet Botanics are two brands to look for. Dog food rolls are especially good treats for small dogs, dogs with weight problems or sensitive stomachs. Remember to substitute the dog food roll for a comparable amount of their normal food.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3262859" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3262859</span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/DFRolls.html" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/DFRolls.html</span></a><br />
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Anything by Patricia McConnell: Patricia McConnell is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and has her PhD in Zoology (she researched dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals). I recommend her books and pamphlets frequently. She has several small, affordable pamphlets humanely addressing a range of issues from housetraining to separation anxiety to managing a multi-dog household. These pamphlets are also available on Amazon.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/category/dog-training-books" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/category/dog-training-books</span></a><br />
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Spot Shot: Great for getting pet messes out of carpet. The spray penetrates the carpet and helps lift residue to the surface. It will also break down and remove old stains, blood and bile stains. I always have some in my cupboard just in case. You can find it in most grocery stores in the cleaning aisle.<br />
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Cleanrun.com: Carries lots of great products including many of the items listed here.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cleanrun.com/" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.cleanrun.com/</span></a><br />
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Standard Measuring Cup: For measuring your dog’s food. Many people eyeball their dog’s food or use a scoop of unknown size. If you use a standard measuring cup, it will be a lot easier to manage your dog’s food intake to maintain a healthy body weight. Available in any grocery store.<br />
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Greenies Pill Pocket Treat: These soft, moist treats have a pocket that make hiding a pill inside quick and easy. Yes, you can do the same thing with peanut butter or American cheese but pill pockets are neater and easier to use. I especially love them for giving pills to cats. They come in several sizes and flavors. Available at most pet stores and many vet offices.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Products/DogPillPockets.aspx" onmousedown="UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this), "e4da0", event);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Products/DogPillPockets.aspx</span></a><br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-63347174160587657852011-01-16T19:13:00.002-05:002011-01-16T19:17:17.989-05:00Snow Day Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ7N2ts3nzqVV87pqMkLFEAs_ExWOucOJdrtjhyphenhyphenb7lzOcbiwqbySnXMqfHQJnSSd14yLqOYXWiajII2vnCkAyzV9tygyYempB28MgPA8GAz_UqLI5WKHCizqvpYkZ5UHALPLqPaoYP7Q/s1600/P1011483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ7N2ts3nzqVV87pqMkLFEAs_ExWOucOJdrtjhyphenhyphenb7lzOcbiwqbySnXMqfHQJnSSd14yLqOYXWiajII2vnCkAyzV9tygyYempB28MgPA8GAz_UqLI5WKHCizqvpYkZ5UHALPLqPaoYP7Q/s320/P1011483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We’ve been snowed in three times this winter and it isn’t even the middle of January. This weekend, the snow is deeper than Pip Squeak and the day time highs are only in the 20s. This is making walks and other outdoor activities challenging and unappealing to say the least. The dogs always weather the first day or two stuck indoors patiently but after that the boredom in the house becomes palpable. Yesterday I was sitting on the couch reading and noticed the dogs watching me intently. Although they were being perfectly well behaved, I got the feeling that they were plotting something. That is when I started making a mental inventory of all the things I could do to relieve the boredom on a snow day.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Interactive toys</li>
</ul>Any option that makes a dog work for his food or treats is good for passing time and making the dog think. Good options include Kongs, the Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude, Tug-a-Jugs and the like. There are many interactive toys available online or in pet stores. If your dog isn’t a very aggressive chewer, you can make your own toy by putting treats in a plastic soda bottle (make sure you supervise) or stuffing an old empty marrow bone.<br />
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<ul><li>Working for food</li>
</ul>There is no reason that meals have to come out of a dish. Pip Squeak can consume her dinner in about 30 seconds if presented in a traditional dog dish. She uses a Brake-fast bowl on regular mornings. On slow mornings, I will make her work for her kibble (she gets a piece or two as a reward for performing old tricks or while learning new ones). This morning we worked on her wave and her lie down (which she resents sometimes). Sometimes I sprinkle her food around the living room so she has to run around and collect each piece. This morning she worked for the first half of breakfast and then I scattered the rest.<br />
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If your dog has a good nose, you can build on this idea – put some of his food in a lidded container or an interactive toy and hide it. When he finds it, open the container for him or let him use the interactive toy himself. Start with easy hiding places (in plain sight or where he can see you hide it) and gradually build up to more difficult locations (hiding it while he is in another room). You can split up his meal into smaller portions so he has several opportunities to search for it.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Recreational raw bones</li>
</ul>Any chewing option is going to help entertain your dog and the process of chewing actually releases endorphins which will help him to relax. Raw bones are great because they will help clean his teeth and provide him with high quality protein at the same time. If your dog isn’t used to getting raw bones, start with just a little bit at a time (let him chew on a frozen bone for 5 or 10 minutes or so before taking it away) to prevent gastrointestinal upset. A good frozen bone can keep a dog happily occupied for half an hour or more. When he is done, he should be fairly content and relaxed.<br />
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I tend to feed beef marrow bones (they have a lot of fat so start slowly), beef ribs (more meat, less fat and the dog may consume some of the bone) and chicken legs (the uncooked bone will be consumed and digested) most frequently. Raw bones may not be a good option for dogs with suppressed immune systems, those on a low protein or low fat diet and those that have had pancreatitis. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with your vet before offering your dog raw bones.<br />
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<ul><li>Modify outdoor games for indoor use</li>
</ul>I play fetch and tug indoors with my girls. If you dog isn’t too big and bouncy, play these usually outside games with indoor rules. The girls aren’t allowed to be as rambunctious and wild as they are when we play outside. Each dog has to wait their turn and play with their own toy. I frequently ask them to sit or lie down between turns to prevent collisions and keep them from getting too wound up.<br />
<br />
When playing fetch, I roll the ball along the floor rather than throwing it. Practice asking your dog to stay while you roll the ball and only release him after the ball has come to a stop. This will help make your dog’s stay more solid while also teaching him to follow a “dead ball” (one that isn’t moving) and keep him from driving too hard to the ball and knocking over the coffee table in the process. I like to mix things up like rolling the ball so it will bounce off a wall and out of sight into another room. This makes the girls think harder and encourages them to retrieve a ball that is out of sight.<br />
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If you have multiple dogs, work on sending each dog independently after their own toy. Send them in opposite directions if possible. This will make it easier for them to determine when it is their turn and reduce the temptation to take off after the other dog’s toy.<br />
<br />
Obviously, indoor fetch may never be an option for some dogs due to size or excitement level or if one of your dog resource guards their toy (the enclosed space will exacerbate this issue).<br />
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<ul><li>New toy/recycle an old toy</li>
</ul>I’ll admit to being an impulse toy buyer. I love to buy toys for the girls and frequently stash new toys for use as a special reward or for a snow day. New toys are always more exciting than old toys. Of course, old toys that have been buried on the bottom of the toy bin are almost as good as new toys. So dig down deep and find a new old toy (or is that old new toy?) for playtime.<br />
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<ul><li>Destructibles </li>
</ul>My girls always enjoy it when I give them something they are allowed to destroy. Cardboard boxes, oatmeal tubes, paper bags, the inner tubes from paper towels or toilet paper, and the like are all fair game. Yes, it makes for a little bit of cleanup on my part but their enjoyment makes it worthwhile. Ben likes crunching on plastic soda bottles. Of course, you want to supervise and destructibles probably aren’t the best choice for dogs that tend to chew off and eat chunks of things.<br />
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<ul><li>Trick training</li>
</ul>In my experience, ten or fifteen minutes of trick training will help satisfy your dog far better than the same amount of exercise will. Teach any silly trick you like including rollover, crawl, or shake. Break out the clicker and teach your dog to wave good bye. The possibilities are endless. Be silly and have fun – that’s the most important thing to your dog.<br />
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<ul><li>Targeting</li>
</ul>Teach your dog to target (your hand or an object like a stick or a small plastic disk like a can lid). Start with your dog onleash in a quiet area. Present the target object (your open hand, the stick or disk) and wait. If you are patient, the dog should eventually sniff the target object. Mark and reward any initial interaction with the target (say yes or click and treat). I like to put the treat on the target object itself to help reduce confusion initially. As your dog gets the hang of the exercise, add a verbal cue and gradually increase the distance between him and the target until he is moving to touch the target.<br />
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You can use different targets to achieve different goals. A hand or stick target can be useful in teaching your dog to heel. A disk target is great for training your dog to go out on command (like in agility training) or to go to his place (teaching him to go to a particular spot in the house).<br />
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I keep thinking I should teach Pip Squeak to target my cell phone and Nellie my car keys. Maybe they can keep up with them better than I do. If I’m snowed in long enough, I might get around to doing that.<br />
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<ul><li>Grooming </li>
</ul>Grooming frequently gets put off in my house. I tend to brush when Ben is getting matted or Nellie has clumps falling off her. However, I have no excuse on a snow day. Nellie and Ben don’t like to be groomed so 10 minutes of brushing has them ready to go hide in the closet. Pip Squeak loves being groomed so 10 minutes of brushing gives her the concentrated hands-on attention she craves. Either way, it’s an easy constructive way to give your dog some direct attention (desired or not!).<br />
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If your dog doesn’t like having his toenails trimmed, work on desensitizing him by making a positive association with touching his feet (pick up his foot, squeeze it slightly, give him a treat and put it down. Work up to building a positive association with the trimmers (trimmers touch my nail, no clip and I get a treat – okay!). Then work up to trimming just one or two nails at a time (following each nail or two with a treat). Wait an hour or two and do a couple more. It may take all day but heck, you’ve got time. How nervous your dog is will determine how quickly you can work.Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-75789829798836637572011-01-14T12:43:00.000-05:002011-01-14T12:43:31.594-05:00Nothing in Life is Free - NILIFIn our previous note, we mentioned "Nothing in Life is Free" (NILIF) as a tool to help your anxious dog but NILIF is appropriate and helpful for ALL dogs. Nothing in Life is Free is just that, your dog works for each thing he wants. He sits before you fix his dinner, he waits before you open the door. This technique teaches good manners and help generalize training. If your dog is used to working for everything he wants, he won't just blow you off because he knows you don't have cookies in your pocket today. NILIF also helps your dog understand just where he fits within his pack because a higher status pack member (you) controls access to resources (toys, games, food, etcs) of a lower status pack member (your dog). This happens in a humane, stress-free way that teaches your dog patience, frustration tolerance and good manners. <br />
<br />
Please read the link below to learn more about NILIF:<br />
<a href="http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm">Nothing in Life is Free - NILIF</a>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-89474059660108561762011-01-13T16:38:00.003-05:002011-01-13T16:39:36.527-05:00Preventing and Treating Separation Anxiety<div>We discussed the symptoms of separation anxiety in a previous post. There are many steps and techniques that can be used in treating separation anxiety. We will not discuss all of them here. Instead, I will talk about the steps that apply to the widest range of dogs and significantly help most dogs with moderate separation anxiety.<br />
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The steps outlined below will help prevent and treat separation anxiety for most dogs:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>When you first bring a puppy or new dog into the house, practice building positive associations with a crate or small, dog-proof space that you can leave him in when you are gone (read the post on crate training for detailed suggestions). </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Practice consistently confining your dog in his crate or area when you are at home so he doesn’t learn that being in that space predicts that you will leave him home alone (practice several times a day for short periods of time).</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Practice leaving him in his crate or space while you leave the house for short periods of time (ideally starting with several minutes at a time and work up from there) from the first day.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Most dogs and puppies are fairly stressed and shut down when they first come in to your home. Setting up a consistent routine involving confinement and separation from the first day will help them adapt better than if they spend the first several days with you all the time and then you have to turn around and leave them alone when you go back to work. </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Keep your coming and goings very low key. Of course you love your dog but you don’t need to make a big deal of it when you leave the house or come home. Being overly emotional will encourage your dog to be overly emotional. Walk in the door, spend a couple of minutes doing other things, quietly greet the dog and then take him straight out to potty. You can be more excited and rambunctious later when he comes back inside. </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Follow a Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) program (search online or look for a future post) and exercise your dog well before you leave him alone. These two things alone won’t fix separation anxiety but they can help. NILIF allows dogs to be more relaxed and confident while a tired dog is more likely to go to sleep and less likely to engage in destructive behavior. </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Make sure you have a well defined program for housetraining and teaching your dog not to chew. Dogs may develop separation anxiety after being repeatedly punished when their owner has come home to housetraining or other accidents. </li>
</ul><br />
If there has been an accident, chewing or destructive behavior while you were gone – ignore it. Punishing the dog when you get home won’t teach him that the behavior is wrong, it will only cause him to be more anxious when you come home.<br />
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<ul><li>Dogs with separation anxiety tend to fall into one of two categories – some dogs are more relaxed if they are crated; other dogs panic more if crated. If your dog becomes more anxious when crated, you may need to find another way to confine him in the house – shutting him in the kitchen or a large bathroom is a common solution. If housetraining isn’t an issue, you may confine him to a bedroom or other larger room.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Generally, keeping the dog in a part of the house that he is used to and normally spends time in is better.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Try to protect the dog from outside stimuli – he doesn’t need to see traffic, pedestrians or other dogs outside the window. This sort of stimulation usually only makes the situation worse. You may want to cover or block windows if you can’t prevent his access to them.</li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>Help him feel good about being alone. Provide high value, constructive chewing options when you confine him in his space (Kongs, marrow bones and interactive treat dispensing toys are all good options). </li>
</ul><br />
Remember, these dogs frequently will not eat if left home alone so start by making it really yummy, really easy to eat and practice putting him in his space with a great chewing options when you are home. Gradually, work up to leaving the room and finally leaving the house while he is chewing.<br />
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If you have the time, you can initially only leave him alone for a short period time. Return before he is done with his goodie and take it away from him. This will cause him to think “Hey, I wasn’t done with that! Go away so I can finish!” Obviously, do not do this if your dog guards food or toys.<br />
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<ul><li>Dogs with severe separation anxiety may need additional work including a desensitization program and possibly anti-anxiety medication. If your dog has severe separation anxiety, talk to your vet or trainer to develop a personalized treatment plan for your dog. </li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li>For more information on separation anxiety including a detailed explanation for desensitizing your dog, check out Patricia McConnell’s pamphlet "I’ll be Home Soon!" It is available online and at Amazon.com. </li>
</ul><br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-35440156504374472192011-01-13T16:34:00.003-05:002011-01-13T16:40:02.148-05:00Separation Anxiety<div>Do you and your dog worry when it comes time to leave him home alone? Do you worry about what you will come home to – housetraining accidents, chewed baseboards and complaints about doggy screaming from your neighbors? Does your dog worry and pace when you start to pick up your coat and car keys? Separation anxiety is a serious issue for the dogs and people affected by it.<br />
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Separation anxiety involves a variety of behaviors that are a result of a dog’s inability to relax and be comfortable while you are gone. These dogs are acting out of a feeling of panic, fear or anxiety that has to do with being left home alone. Symptoms of separation anxiety may include some or all the following behaviors when left home alone:<br />
<ul><li>Eliminating in the house. </li>
<li>Pacing, panting or drooling.</li>
<li>Chewing and digging.</li>
<li>Sucking, kneading or chewing soft objects like blankets or pillows.</li>
<li>Excessive vocalizing – whining, barking or howling.</li>
</ul><br />
Separation anxiety isn’t the only reason for misbehavior when dogs are left home alone. I frequently see dogs that potty in the house, chew inappropriately and whine or bark during the day for other perfectly normal reasons. They may not be fully housetrained, they may be teething or bored, they make lack “frustration tolerance” or they may be overstimulated by things they see going on outside the window (wildlife, passersby, vehicles, etc).<br />
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It is important to analyze the situation and determine whether the behavior is caused by a basic training issue or separation anxiety. It may require the input of a vet or trainer to distinguish between the two situations however, dogs with separation anxiety will frequently:<br />
<ul><li>Eliminate even if left alone for only a short period of time; bowel movements are frequently soft or liquid and may be spread about the house.</li>
<li>Chewing and digging are frequently targeted towards doors and baseboards.</li>
<li>May harm themselves in the process of trying to chew out or escape.</li>
<li>Not eat when left alone.</li>
<li>Vocalize as soon as they are left alone and may continue repetitively for long periods of time.</li>
</ul><br />
To manage and treat separation anxiety, we need to change the dog’s emotional reaction to being left alone. We will discuss techniques for preventing and managing separation anxiety in a future post.<br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-49212139360783037752011-01-06T08:47:00.001-05:002011-01-09T12:32:07.752-05:00Training a Deaf Dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="text-align: center;">Megan "checks in" by looking at her people frequently. This behavior is helpful since she is deaf and "checking in" allows her to respond to physical cues from a distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVi7JSsrErSKFi4yv5nWKONQuqwsfJDyZHTvZ_rtcy5vQxbxB0Ue_3jgNV3txMH2DFw0hQtunJjr96N5vFOGwRi9oMsoBqN6aCKLYzH9f13tzRmyuIxByk_kzSsTzhQ1LwWW5lDSMxiX0/s1600/Megan+checking+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVi7JSsrErSKFi4yv5nWKONQuqwsfJDyZHTvZ_rtcy5vQxbxB0Ue_3jgNV3txMH2DFw0hQtunJjr96N5vFOGwRi9oMsoBqN6aCKLYzH9f13tzRmyuIxByk_kzSsTzhQ1LwWW5lDSMxiX0/s320/Megan+checking+in.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The basic concepts behind training a deaf dog are no different than training a hearing dog – the basic process of teaching a behavior is still the same (refer to the previous note for the basics on teaching a behavior).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However deaf dogs have special needs and there are some important considerations that need to be taken into account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Deaf dogs have special requirements that fall into three basic categories:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">There are certain behaviors that are more important for deaf dogs to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Deaf dogs may require different cues, signals and markers during training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Deaf dogs do require more effort and management on you part.</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For hearing dogs, probably the most important behavior they need to learn is the recall (coming when called).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because a deaf dog cannot respond unless they are looking at you, the most important behavior to build is for you deaf dog to “check in” with you frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do this, reward any time that your deaf dog checks in with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can reward with a treat, toy, game or cuddling (choose the options that most motivate your dog).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Treat checking in just like you would your recall – never do anything unpleasant when your dog checks in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once he learns that checking in a pleasurable and rewarding behavior, he will naturally start to check in more frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives you more opportunities to communicate with him by signaling without you having to go to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There are several things you can do to get your deaf dog’s attention while he is at a distance from you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the house you can try flashing the lights of the room you are in or stomping your foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many dogs will respond to the vibrations of a foot stomp even though they can’t hear the noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are outside at night, try flashing the porch light or a flashlight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use any of these behaviors as a cue for your dog to check in or recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Some people use a vibrating collar or a shock collar (set on vibrate or the lowest stimulation setting) and train their dog to recall or check in response to the collar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This works for some dogs but may be too aversive for sensitive dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard that some dogs actually find the vibrating collars more offensive than a shock collar set on the lowest stimulation setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I have worked with several deaf dogs, I have never used either type of collar and think the success of either type of collar would depend highly on the individual dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I am not a fan of shock collar use in general, I would encourage anyone thinking about using a vibrating or shock collar as a recall cue to work directly with a skilled trainer to make sure you are not doing more harm than good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">These collars aren’t a quick fix – they just become a remote tap on the shoulder for your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You still need to train and proof the recall just like you would with a hearing pup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, remember that if your dog is out of sight, the collar does not provide any clue about your location to your dog so he may have a much harder time finding you than a hearing dog would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let the collar lure you into a false sense of security.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There is a good introduction on how to train a deaf dog to respond to a vibrating collar here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.deafdogs.org/training/vibratrain.php">http://www.deafdogs.org/training/vibratrain.php</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Deaf dogs are particularly prone to being startled especially when they are asleep, feeding or looking away from you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice desensitizing the dog to these situations and carefully manage to prevent accidents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it a point to stomp before approaching a sleeping or eating deaf dog to give them warning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, practice waking the sleeping dog up gently and offering him a treat so he learns to associate being woken up with good things happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Deaf dogs require different cues, signals and markers than hearing dogs do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The training process is the same but once you can initiate the behavior consistently (through luring, shaping or a combination of the two) you need to put a physical cue or hand signal on the behavior rather than a verbal cue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no right or wrong hand signals, it’s just important that you choose signals you are comfortable with and will use consistently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For basic obedience behaviors, you can use the same hand signals that would typically be used in an obedience class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, you may need additional signals to communicate more fully with your dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people use American Sign Language (ASL) or a modified one handed version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I’ve never used ASL and couldn’t see myself doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I simply develop a hand signal that is a natural progression to the physical cue I used to lure the behavior during the training process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">During training, it is important to have a marker that indicates “good dog” and a “no reward/try again” marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When training hearing dogs, we frequently say “yes”, “good dog” or click a clicker to mark desirable behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you condition your dog to a physical cue that indicates he’s doing the right thing or making progress in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people clap their hands to indicate “yes!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some deaf dog trainers use a small pen light in place of a clicker – a quick flash of the light takes the place of the clicker for marking the correct behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are going to use a pen light, you would need to follow all the same rules you do for clicker training including ‘loading’ the light as you would a clicker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We’ll talk more about clicker training in future note.)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">It is also important to have a no reward marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us naturally say “ah ah”, “oops” or “try again” when our hearing dog makes a mistake or is headed in the wrong direction during a training exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use a head shake, closed fist (no cookie for you) or slight turning away of your head as your no reward marker for your deaf dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more consistent you are with your markers, the easier it will be for your deaf dog to understand what you are trying to communicate to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Finally, deaf dogs do require more effort on your part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot rely on your voice to bring your deaf dog back to you, get him out of trouble, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be many cases when you simply have to go get your deaf dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be many times when it will not be safe to let your deaf dog off-leash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many deaf dogs in urban settings, they will need to always be on-leash outside of safely enclosed areas like baseball fields or dog parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For deaf dogs in rural settings, only let your dog off leash if you are sure that the dog is familiar with his surrounding and will be safe if he looses sight of you or ignores your recall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs that go deaf with age generally require more in the way of management and less training while pups that are born deaf require a great deal of both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A great resource for living with and training deaf dogs is the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out their website here: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.deafdogs.org/">http://www.deafdogs.org/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Especially their page on training: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.deafdogs.org/training/">http://www.deafdogs.org/training/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There is also a Deaf Dogs List (Yahoo Group).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a good place to get direct feedback from a group of people dealing with similar issues:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?.intl=us&.src=ygrp&.done=http%3a//groups.yahoo.com%2Fgroup%2Fdeafdogs%2Fjoin&rl=1">https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?.intl=us&.src=ygrp&.done=http%3a//groups.yahoo.com%2Fgroup%2Fdeafdogs%2Fjoin&rl=1</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-1557938994640178122011-01-05T14:23:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:23:46.551-05:00Teaching a Behavior<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Teaching any behavior starts with the same basic process. If you understand and master this process, you can teach any behavior you like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The basic steps are outlined below.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>First, you need to be able to make the behavior happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you can make the behavior happen consistently, you can add verbal cues and hand signals before the behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you need to generalize the behavior to new areas and proof it in the face of increasing distraction.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When teaching any behavior, a trainer has four basic options to make the behavior happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can lure, shape, capture or mold a behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">In the case of luring, we use a treat to guide the dog into the desired behavior so we can reward it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">In shaping, we wait and reward steps towards the desired behavior, slowly raising our criterion along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of playing the game “hot and cold” as a child, you aren’t guiding the dog into the desired behavior but rather waiting for offered moves in the desired direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shaping is most easily accomplished with a clicker to mark the behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Some people combine aspects of shaping and luring to acquire behaviors more quickly.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Capturing can be used to train behaviors that a dog naturally engages in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The handler waits until the dog performs the behavior and then marks and rewards the behavior as it naturally happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Finally, molding involves actually placing the dog in the desired position through physical manipulation (like pulling up on his collar and pushing down on his butt to make him sit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I much prefer to lure, shape or capture a behavior rather than mold it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one thing, in molding the dog isn’t actually performing the behavior himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, you are forcing the behavior on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Molding can be a valuable tool when a trained dog blows off a known command but is not the best way to initially teach most behaviors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for teaching new behaviors, I strongly recommend luring, shaping or capturing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I frequently use luring in my group classes because it is generally the easiest training technique for handlers to pick up and become proficient at quickly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For handlers and dogs that are comfortable using a clicker, I highly recommend shaping and, when appropriate, capturing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll talk more about clicker training in a later note.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Whichever technique I am using, when teaching a new behavior I don’t start using my verbal cue until I can consistently predict that the behavior will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I repeat my cue (“sit” or “down”) without the behavior happening, the dog will simply learn that the cue word has no meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alternately, if I repeat the word multiple times before he performs the behavior, he may learn that “sit, sit, SIT!” is the cue rather than “sit”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these reasons, I like to make sure that I can predict the behavior will happen with 90% confidence (9 times out of 10) before I add the verbal cue for the behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I am consistently predicting the desired behavior, I add my verbal cue about one second before the behavior is initiated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In the case of luring a sit, I initially place a treat in front of the puppy’s nose and push it in a line towards the back of his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will cause his nose to rock up and back and his butt will sink towards the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his butt hits the ground, I mark (either by saying, “Yes!” or with a click) and then I reward him with a treat while he is sitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Timing is everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to reward your dog while he is performing the correct behavior – not after he has gotten up to do something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Clicker trainers have a little more leeway since the click effectively marks the moment in time that the dog is being rewarded for.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Your dog may not perform the entire behavior all at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that’s the case, you will need to break the behavior down into smaller steps that you can reward along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of sit, you may initially reward the head rocking back and the butt tucking down just an inch or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the pup is comfortable, reward the butt tucking three or four inches, adding distance an inch or two at a time until the dog’s butt finally hits the floor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once the puppy is consistently sitting when I put the treat in front of him and start to move my hand back, I will start to fade the treat out as a lure and simply make it a reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, I’ll do several repetitions luring with the treat before switching and making the same luring movement with an empty hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the dog performs the desired behavior, I will mark it and reward with a treat from my treat pouch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this process, I want the dog to learn to follow the empty hand in anticipation of an as-yet-unseen reward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is really important at this point to reward 100% of the time when the dog follows an empty hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t want him to learn that he has to see a treat in order to get a treat. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once the dog is following an empty hand consistently, I introduce the use of the verbal cue “sit” just before I present the hand and start to move it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The verbal cue needs to come before any movement on my part so the pup learns that the word predicts that I will cue the behavior with my hand and body next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I add the verbal cue while moving my body, the dog will continue to rely on the physical cues rather than just the word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time the puppy responds to the verbal cue, before I use the hand/body cues, I mark the behavior and give him a jackpot reward (4 or 5 small treats fed in a row).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jackpot reward makes a powerful impression on the puppy and increases the likelihood that he will offer the behavior (in this case sitting when he hears the word “sit” rather than waiting for my hand to move) again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I like to wait until the pup is following an empty hand before adding the verbal cue, some people add the verbal cue before luring with an empty hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like my technique because the verbal cue is not associated with following a food lure but you can choose whichever technique works best for you and your dog.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Once he consistently follows the verbal cue, you can start to train a formal hand signal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simply use your new formal hand signal about a second before the verbal cue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jackpot reward the first couple of times that the dog responds to the hand signal before you say the verbal cue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can decide whether you want to train the formal hand signal or verbal cue for the behavior first but most people do the verbal first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">While I used sit – probably the easiest behavior to teach – in this example, the progression holds true for teaching all sorts of behaviors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Figure out how to lure, capture or shape the behavior consistently before putting it on the cue of your choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once it is on cue, you can start to gradually generalize it to new environments and proof it in the presence of distractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Remember that this progression is not a straight climb up a ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be days when your dog is less motivated or more easily distracted and you need to lower your expectations so he can succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you move to an area with higher distractions, make sure you start back at the beginning and practice your baby steps before moving up through the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realize that you will need to retrain each behavior several times in different locations before your dog generalizes the behavior to new areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your dog is consistently failing to perform, evaluate whether you are moving too fast or have increased the distraction level too quickly and adjust your approach so he can succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He needs to practice success and desirable behaviors, not failure, even if that means moving away from other dogs in a group setting or going back to baby steps on a behavior that he “knows” at home but cannot perform consistently in a more distracting environment.</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-83249432161471426352011-01-05T14:15:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:15:13.125-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvTrisBQwOlAdUh9woHzoyEk-iLKpW95dnVslnmF9CD36AjtloJj5lRYY2ISfhvbcAm2idhLTlOjxU3RFuYlSvgD7PJPXnhKopPGW71VXxt3sNrHaGmR9-s6-yypPBNyW1bv6GG36KGE/s1600/Happy+New+Year+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvTrisBQwOlAdUh9woHzoyEk-iLKpW95dnVslnmF9CD36AjtloJj5lRYY2ISfhvbcAm2idhLTlOjxU3RFuYlSvgD7PJPXnhKopPGW71VXxt3sNrHaGmR9-s6-yypPBNyW1bv6GG36KGE/s320/Happy+New+Year+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year from our pack to yours!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-63899919483129041462010-12-24T23:17:00.000-05:002010-12-24T23:17:10.058-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWtkuuhr3M8D-ow8NIUd52x_Cg4MBbwjZyuGQxrnA1fHlNVx9DMrT44py9dkcmS2jLDgKES36xUlBXozwFCrhWSdabPNDDokXn7MSqaX9D8IALCxmT1nR2RNiGsjmopHUQBeFWyzh5ZQ/s1600/Dogs+in+front+of+pine+tree+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWtkuuhr3M8D-ow8NIUd52x_Cg4MBbwjZyuGQxrnA1fHlNVx9DMrT44py9dkcmS2jLDgKES36xUlBXozwFCrhWSdabPNDDokXn7MSqaX9D8IALCxmT1nR2RNiGsjmopHUQBeFWyzh5ZQ/s320/Dogs+in+front+of+pine+tree+3.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas from our gang to yours!!</div><div align="center"></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-70194251045865070452010-12-24T15:01:00.002-05:002010-12-24T15:01:45.520-05:00Marking in the House<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix"><div>Marking in the house can be an obnoxious and frustrating problem. Scent marking is urination in the house that is not related to an actual physical need to eliminate. To address this issue, it’s important to understand why dogs scent mark. You will also need to manage the dog closely while you modify this behavior.<br />
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Scent marking is a house breaking issue. However, dogs that mark in the house generally are not eliminating because they have to go potty but rather to fulfill a social or self-soothing function. That is, the dog is saying “this is my house” either in an attempt to communicate with a perceived rival or to make themselves feel more comfortable in a stressful situation.<br />
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Different dogs mark for different reasons. For puppies that are raised in the home environment, marking is usually not an issue because it is eliminated during a good house training regime. Dogs that are neutered prior to adolescence often don’t learn to mark or their urge to mark may be very low. However, marking may still crop up in response to stress. Marking frequently needs to be addressed for male dogs that are raised outdoors and then brought into the house later in life, especially those that remain intact well into adulthood. For these dogs, basic house training may be accomplished fairly quickly but scent marking is a separate established behavior that needs to be addressed.<br />
<br />
In many cases, marking is not a day-to-day issue but crops up occasionally in response to stress or changes in the environment. Changes in routine or the household, moving, or additions or changes within the pack are common stimuli. Many dogs do not mark in their own home regularly but will mark in a new house or when visiting another house (especially one that has or previously has had dogs) or when another dog is introduced into their home. Dogs that are insecure, aspire to a higher social standing (alpha-wannabes) or lack well-defined boundaries and leadership in the household may be more likely to mark. While scent marking is more frequently an issue with male dogs, female dogs can be culprits as well.<br />
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Marking usually involves small amount of urination in particular locations compared to urination for elimination. Marking tends to occur in particular locations – door frames, wall corners and the corner and edges of furniture are all prime locations. Marking frequently involves the release of only a tiny amount of urine. This can be a problem because the dog may repeat the behavior many times before you realize there is an issue. Urination for elimination may be on a flat or vertical (for males) surface but generally involves larger amounts of urine.<br />
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If you can’t always determine whether your dog is marking or eliminating, it really doesn’t manner because management is going to be largely the same. Dogs that mark need to be treated as though they are not housebroken; especially in situations that you know are going to exacerbate their marking.<br />
<br />
Steps to take:<br />
1) Go around the house and clean every spot (or potential spot!) with an enzymatic cleaner. Remember that marking can involve just a couple of drops of urine. These spots may be much harder to identify than housebreaking accidents. Untreated spots will encourage your dog to remark that area. It will also encourage other dogs in the house to mark that spot. Pay special attention to vertical corners, walls, doorframes and the edges furniture.<br />
<br />
2) Treat your dog as though he isn’t housetrained, especially in situations that trigger his marking. Refer to my previous note on housetraining. The issue with marking is that you need to manage even more carefully than you would during normal housetraining because dogs will mark even when there is no physical imperative to urinate. In fact, dogs can somehow manage to squeeze out one last drop or two to mark even after they have urinated over and over again.<br />
<br />
3) Look for triggers so you can manage before your dog marks. Some dogs mark all the time. These dogs need to be house trained over again. Other dogs mark only occasionally in response to certain stimuli. Watch your dog closely so you can manage your dog successfully.<br />
<br />
My Ben is great in the house most of the time. However, I know that Ben will try to mark when a new foster dog is brought into the house or when I take him into a new house that also contains dogs (particularly males). Knowing Ben’s triggers allows me to manage him before he starts peeing on things.<br />
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4) Manage, manage, manage. Don’t give your dog opportunities to mark. Crate him or keep him tethered to you so he can’t mark. Let him out for short periods of structured free time in the house and watch him like a hawk. It only takes a couple of unsupervised seconds for a dog to mark, much less time than it takes for a puppy to have an actual accident. Make sure you take him outside frequently for unrestricted play time during this period since his activity in the house will be very restricted. This holds true whether he is marking in his own house or marking when you bring him into a new house. <br />
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When I bring a new foster dog home, I introduce Ben and the new dog outside first where marking is okay. Then I crate Ben and the foster dog in the house until they are comfortable with each other and Ben has relaxed. This process usually takes several weeks. In the interim, I rotate letting one dog out in the house at a time and supervising them closely. I also let them spend lots of time together outside getting to know each other. When I take Ben to a strange house, he stays on leash or crated until he has settled and relaxed in the new environment.<br />
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5) Show him what you want. With your dog on leash, take him into a managed situation where you know he is going to want to mark (ie., walk him up to a spot in the house that he has frequently marked in the past). When he starts to sniff the spot, correct him verbally (ah ah or leave it) and when he looks away from the spot to you, give him verbal praise and lead him away from the spot. Take a little break, and then walk him up to the same or another spot and repeat the process. When using this technique, make sure you alternate it with taking him outside and allowing him to mark outside on leash. Give him verbal praise for marking outside. You want him to learn that peeing in the house is not acceptable but that it is safe and okay to urinate in your presence outside.<br />
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I use this technique when introducing Ben to a new house. I walk around the house with Ben on leash and correct him when he starts to sniff a suspicious spot too eagerly. My goal is to correct him when he starts to *think* about marking, but before it actually happens. Once we have checked out the house in a supervised fashion and Ben is starting to relax, I can gradually give him more freedom.<br />
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6) Help your dog to be more relaxed and confident. Implement a “Nothing in Life is Free” policy in your household. This program helps insecure dogs to feel more confident, reduces the status of pushy dogs, and provides healthy boundaries and leadership for dogs of all sorts. If there is major change in your environment (moving, addition of another dog to the pack, changes in your work routine, etc.), try to keep your dog’s routine as consistent as possible. <br />
</div></div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-14889418759395572342010-12-23T12:08:00.000-05:002010-12-23T12:08:25.607-05:00This is How We Roll - Restraining Your Dog in the CarAfter Sarah's scary adventure, it should be obvious why restraining your dog in the car is important - for the safety of you, your dogs and the people around you. Today I want to talk about these issues, your options for restraining your dog in the vehicle and the pros and cons of each option.<br />
<br />
A loose dog in the car can cause an accident. Even a generally well-behaved dog may distract you by getting up, moving around, getting sick or soliciting attention while you are driving. A more unruly dog may jump on you or obstruct your view if he is excited by a distraction outside the car – another dog, wildlife, moving vehicles. Your dog may cause an accident that puts you, him and other people on the road at risk. There have been several recent accidents in the news where a dog distracted his owner while driving resulting in an accident and the injury or death of other people.<br />
<br />
Dogs also need to be restrained for their own safety. In the event of an accident, an unrestrained dog has no protection – just like a person who is not wearing a seatbelt. Loose dogs can be thrown about the vehicle sustaining injury or even ejected from the vehicle. Some forms of restraint provide much more protection during an accident than others. Several companies are now making crash-tested dog seatbelts to help reduce injury during an accident.<br />
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In the event of an accident, restraint can also protect your dog after the fact. In an accident, dogs may become agitated and fearful. A normally confident dog may escape through an open window or door and run. This puts him at risk of being hit by a car or lost in an unfamiliar environment. Additionally, even normally docile dogs may bark or growl at emergency workers after an accident. This can slow their ability to treat your injuries and may put them at risk. There has been an increase in the number of cases of police officers shooting dogs that they perceived as posing a threat. Many restraints will control and protect your dog from these concerns after the accident even if you are incapacitated.<br />
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Many dog people need to leave their dog unattended in the vehicle at some point like at trials or other dog events. Some forms of restraint will keep your dog safely secured while you are away from the car. Others should only be used while you are supervising your dog.<br />
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There are several methods of restraining your dog in the vehicle including crates, seatbelts, barriers, and tethering. Each method has its advantages and drawbacks when it comes to restraint during and after an accident, ease of use, ability to restrain an unattended dog and cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each method is discussed below but remember that heavy-duty crates and crash-tested seatbelts provide the best protection to the dog in the event of an accident.<br />
<br />
<strong>Crates: </strong><br />
A heavy duty crate provides an excellent level of protection in the event of an accident. Crates must be secured so they can’t move about in the event of an accident. A crate that is sized for the dog, rather than over-large, will provide a higher level of protection because there is not as much space for him to be thrown around in the crate. <br />
<br />
Provided the crate stays intact through the accident, it will provide a good level of protection after the accident as it keeps the dog safely restrained from running or threatening emergency workers. Airline or heavy duty wire crates (preferably drop pin) provide the highest level of protection during a crash. Lightweight crates are more likely to come apart or for the door to pop open upon impact. In a serious accident, a wire crate may be distorted making it more difficult to get the door open and the dog out in a hurry. Many people who travel regularly with their dogs will print out any pertinent information (including medical information and who to contact in an emergency) and attach it to the front of the crate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Crates provide the additional benefit that they will contain any pet accidents made in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This protects your vehicle and provides an additional level of driver protection from distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People have had accidents while distracted their dog vomiting or eliminating in the vehicle.<br />
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Good heavy crates can be cumbersome but lightweight or collapsible fabric crates provide little to no protection in the event of an accident. I like the heavy duty folding wire crates personally. Crates work well for people who travel with their dogs regularly and keep the crates set up in the vehicle. Crates take up a lot more room in the vehicle than seatbelts do but you can also stack other things on top of or around the crates if necessary as long as you ensure that your dog has adequate airflow. <br />
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Crates also provide an excellent means of restraint if you need to leave your dog unattended in the vehicle. I can leave my dogs crated in the car and safely leave the windows down and the hatch open for good airflow. Remember to remove your dog’s collar before putting him in the crate since collar tags can get caught in the crate and pose a suffocation hazard.<br />
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Good crates can be costly. The Premier Ultima Three-door folding crate that I like lists at $129 for a 36" crate but you can find it online for about $80. Costs are higher for larger crates.<br />
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<strong>Seatbelts: </strong><br />
When choosing a dog seatbelt, make sure you select a crash-tested model. Just like children, dogs should be secured in the back seat to protect them from the force of the airbags. Seatbelts will also keep your dog restrained after an accident. If you have a fearful or reactive dog, you want to seatbelt him far enough to the back of the vehicle that he will not threaten an emergency worker trying to help you or other human passengers in the event of an accident.<br />
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Some of the newer seatbelts double as walking harnesses making potty stops on the road quick and easy. Some dogs will need a slight adjustment period when getting used to the seatbelt harness. Dogs that chew will need to be supervised closely or use an alternate form of restraint.<br />
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Likewise, seatbelts should not be used when a dog is not being supervised. If you need to leave your dog unattended for any period of time, you will need an alternate form of restraint.<br />
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Good seatbelts aren’t cheap but they are a good investment. Crash tested seat belts start in the $30-40 range and go up from there.<br />
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<strong>Barriers: </strong><br />
Barriers can efficiently confine dogs in the passenger compartment but provide limited protection in the event of an accident. Many barriers are compression mounted and may pop loose during an accident. Also, if a window is broken during an accident, the dog may jump or be thrown out the window. Barriers will provide efficient restraint after an accident only if they stay securely in place during the accident.<br />
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Barriers can be easy and convenient to use once they are installed. You will need to select a barrier that is sized for your specific vehicle make and model. If you have multiple vehicles, you may need to buy separate barriers for each one.<br />
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Barriers can be used to restrain your dog while you are away from the vehicle but are not as secure as crate. Remember that a dog’s collar tags can get caught in a barrier just like they can in a crate and pose a suffocation hazard.<br />
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Good barriers aren’t cheap and cheap barriers generally are not very secure. Inexpensive barriers cost about $50 and the price goes up from there. <br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Tethering:</strong><br />
Sometimes I will tether dogs in a pinch. This technique – tying a dog in one place using a leash on his regular collar or harness – allows me to fit extra dogs in the car during a transport or other tight situation. However, tethering provides little to no protection in the event of an accident and may actually put the dog at risk due to the force being put on his neck. If you must tether a dog, try to tether him to a chest harness rather than a collar for this reason. Tethering to a harness is frequently not an option with rescue dogs since they may chew through the harness. Some dogs will also chew through their leash. Tethering will usually keep a dog restrained after an accident unless a dog has slipped his collar or the tether is secured in a door that has popped open.<br />
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Tethering is easy and convenient which is why people use it despite the lack of protection provided to the dog.<br />
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Tethering may be used to restrain your dog while you are away from the vehicle but you need to be extremely careful. Dogs can hang themselves by jumping over a seat or out a window. I know of one woman who tethered her dog thinking he was safely out of reach of the windows in the car. Somehow he managed to squeeze over a seat and go out the window hind end first which left him hanging outside the car. Luckily, people nearby saw him and released him before he injured himself but he could have easily suffocated without help. If you must tether for restraint while your dog is unattended, make sure your dog can’t get tangled up with another dog or object, or make it out a window or over a seat and hang himself. I prefer to tether my dogs outside the car (to the bumper or undercarriage so they can get out of the sun) if I have no other option.<br />
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Tethering is cheap – it just requires the dog’s collar or harness and leash. If your dog chews, tether with a chain leash.<br />
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<strong>Tethering in Pickups:</strong><br />
It goes without saying that dogs riding loose in the back of pickup trucks have no protection whatsoever and pose a significant risk to themselves and other people on the road. There have been incidents of dogs jumping or falling out of the back of trucks and being lost or worse, hit by vehicles behind them. Also, they can cause an accident as other drivers try to avoid them. Tethering a dog in the center of the front of the bed reduces the chance that he will wind up in the road but provides him absolutely no protection in the case of an accident. Tethers must be carefully designed so a dog has no way to jump off the side of the truck and be dragged. Riding loose in a capped pickup provides only a little more protection for a dog. If your dog must ride in the back of the truck (capped or uncapped), your best bet is to secure crates so they can’t fly around during an accident and crate them.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A restraint system will only work if you, the owner, consistently use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you choose the restraint system that works best for your needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ideally, it will be either a heavy-duty crate or a crash-tested seatbelt to help keep you, your dog and everyone else on the road safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTNvbkgaFGS7dKulx6fCEWq1gIpEY_TPlwGxlRLnUcOvbpNSg8ezaKw0NjwiNSyrbqMPoQ8eMnjvrkZSGWsIxETMYE1LeVCKqWbunKkwnPK2jUC8wyvLLlfwjpiDqj1bnL_31eIDCvXg/s1600/P1011281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTNvbkgaFGS7dKulx6fCEWq1gIpEY_TPlwGxlRLnUcOvbpNSg8ezaKw0NjwiNSyrbqMPoQ8eMnjvrkZSGWsIxETMYE1LeVCKqWbunKkwnPK2jUC8wyvLLlfwjpiDqj1bnL_31eIDCvXg/s320/P1011281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ben and Pip are in their crates. All they need is for me to shut their doors and they are ready to roll. The blankets over top keep the sun off of them and help prevent them from barking at distractions. Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8571503999479030410.post-45782956375716890772010-12-22T07:22:00.000-05:002010-12-22T07:22:15.842-05:00My Not So Excellent Adventure<div><br />
<br />
Or<br />
This is Why “This is How We Roll”<br />
or<br />
Why Dogs Should Always Be Restrained in a Moving Vehicle<br />
<br />
For years now I have been toting my dogs in my vehicles in crates. And for almost as many years I have been requiring the adopters transport their dogs home for the first time somehow restrained, either in a crate (preferable) or in a seatbelt harness. On the occasion that an adopter comes without either, I teach them how to tie their dog into the seatbelt to keep them in their seat.<br />
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Now, I travel a lot with my dogs. In temperate weather, I have dogs with me everywhere I go, and I understand most folks don’t, so totally get that most people don’t want to own a vehicle that is always set up to carry dog(s). It matters not, I still advocate harnessing a dog in at the least. Especially after My Not So Excellent Adventure.<br />
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It was a beautiful day, the weather was clear, sun was shining and I had errands to run, and was headed to a local sheepdog trial for a couple of runs, and a visit. I loaded up my dogs as usual, but since one crate had all of its padding missing, I let Alec ride loose in his ‘spot’ between the crates and the passenger side of the truck.<br />
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All was well until our trip back to town to do errands. It was a really pretty day, one of those beautiful fall days that we cherish. I was not in a hurry, was enjoying the drive, listening to music when a woman in a hurry and not paying attention, turned into oncoming traffic, right in front of me, giving me no room to avoid her.<br />
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The crash seemed to take forever. Slow motion was in play, as even after we came to a stop, it was all surreal. My chest had hit the steering wheel and knocked the wind from me, but my first thought was Alec. I could see that all of the damage was in front of me (well, mostly, the driver’s door was also pushed in) so wasn’t worried about the crated dogs, but knew Alec was at risk.<br />
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Turning as best as I could, I could see he was ok, but terrified. I spoke to him and he softened, but was still obviously really afraid.<br />
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After what had to be less than a minute after the wreck, people were at my door asking me if I was ok and were trying to open the car doors. Of course, I told them I had dogs in the car, they heard me, but I know they didn’t understand the ramifications of what that meant…they continued to try and open cars doors until I emphatically told them to stop.<br />
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The next 40 minutes or so were tense for me. As a matter of course, the police called Animal Control to come get the dogs. I had to explain that wasn’t going to happen, and had them call a friend with an SUV who could come and take the crated dogs to safety.<br />
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I won’t bore you with all of the details of the event, but I will say, for the 40 minutes we waited for my friend to come, I was stressing over the dogs and their safety, most of all Alec, who was loose. I was extremely lucky that I was being cared for by two very tolerant paramedics and one very tolerant police officer. They understood my concern and allowed me to make things happen the way I needed them to for my dogs. In the end, I was able to assist with moving dogs to safety (I was super concerned that Alec was loose and that two of the dogs were so stressed they may have been bite risks) and the dogs went on their way with my friend, while I was toted to the hospital ER via wailing ambulance.<br />
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In the end, I have a totaled truck, banged up crates, lots of soft tissue damage on me, and Alec was fairly banged up as well (he was tossed around and hit something , his front chest wall was bruised and swollen). I still feel horribly guilty as he would have been ok had I taken the time to bed the crate and popped him in it rather than allowing him to ride loose. All of the crated dogs were fine, no injuries, even though their crates were bent, they were safe.<br />
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The upside here is that I was with-it enough to be certain my dogs were cared for as they needed to be. Reflection made me realise how bad it could have been had I been unable to be their advocate. Dogs loose on the road, humans bitten by frightened dogs…etc.<br />
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My little not so excellent adventure has caused me to do a few things:<br />
<ul><li>Always take the time to crate the dogs when traveling, even if it is only a few miles (my accident happened 10 miles from home)</li>
<li>Each crate has a canvas envelope containing emergency information and is labeled DO NOT OPEN CRATE (I hope this will at least make someone pause before opening)</li>
<li>Each envelope also contains an emergency letter</li>
<li>MABCR will no longer allow adopted dogs to travel home without a proper restraint, and we will do the education needed to try and convince people to not allow loose dogs in moving vehicles.</li>
</ul>I know it is easy to think it won’t happen to you. I also know it is too easy to skip things when you are in a hurry. You wouldn’t get into a vehicle without putting on your seatbelt. You wouldn’t allow anyone in your vehicle to not use a seatbelt. Please don’t let your dogs travel without being appropriately restrained.<br />
<br />
Sarah Ruckelshaus<br />
ED Mid-Atlantic Border Collie Rescue<br />
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</div>Lisa Rayburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01412037490625524539noreply@blogger.com0