conformation show

A couple weeks ago my dog and I drove 7 hours down south to the ABQ dog show. A few friends with the same breed, actually relatives of my dog, were driving and flying in from all over. I had done a few fun matches with my dog and a conformation show as practice where we hadn't groomed up much prior to attending. This was a big show and we were there to go big. The first conformation show of the weekend I placed 3rd of 3 dogs in the ring and then the guy that has been in my breed for like 40 years said " you did pretty well, I didn't like your dog though, he looks immature" well thank you... I guess? It is because I lost my pin brush a while back and had used a shedding comb which striped him of his undercoat and left him looking very un fluffed. I watched my breeder groom that afternoon and repeated those techniques when we got to the hotel. The next day he came in 2nd to his brother and more importantly beat out a dog who had placed 1st the first day of the show. I was so proud. I guess I have no idea what I am doing in the ring and how to make my dog show well but, my spirits were up and we were having fun and not letting the fact we didn't get points slow us down. We are a wonderful team and that is what matters. Someone actually stopped their car the final day of the show to tell me how beautiful my dog was. That is a compliment I can agree with. He looks just like his brothers mostly I just have to figure out what the heck I am doing and I can finish him.
Next stop Longmont,CO show next weekend!

dog walk event

Today my dog and I participated in a fundraising dog walk. We did it last year for the first time and met this nice woman and her collie. We walked the entire way with our 2 shy dogs shoulder to shoulder with eachother keeping one another secure. This year we took a while to find a dog who we could walk with and finally found a nice springer spaniel named oliver who kept with my dog and they behaved nicely. I had fitted my dog with his gentle leader simply because he never gets snippy with dogs he doesn't like while wearing it and I knew today he would be exposed to a lot of untrained dogs with owners who weren't able to read signals and may not even be watching their dogs interact and I wanted a good shot at my dog behaving the best he could. I hate "tools" and like to rely on our relationship for good behavior but, sometimes you need a guarantee.
He had a blast. He played and sniffed many many dogs. He was nipped by a 6 inch chiuaua who was understandably nervous and almost bitten by 2 other dogs but, I read the vertical tail of one well enough to back off and the other had the big "back off" eyes and of course he was like "calm down,I mean no harm" and pushed her too much so she snapped at him luckily out of range. I love reading signals now that I know most of them. It is a great affirmation to my knowledge to be able to know how a dog is thinking. Timing is so important with dogs reactions and when you read the signals it helps your reaction speed to respond before anything gets elevated.
I love my dog most when we are out doing something and he looks at me as if to say "I am doing good right now, right mom?" or "thank you for this, I love you mom" that little look lets me know I am a good human/dog mom. It actually makes me proud of me, that makes me happy.
We were home by like 1030 am and he napped most of the day except a short stint outback when I had him hang out in the yard while I pulled weeds. now he is crashed out again. You know what they say: a tired dog is a good dog.

time not toys

It is the same story that we have with busy people and their kids. You spend so much time working hard to bring home the money to provide for the family that, you are too exhausted to enjoy the family. To replace your mental of physical absence, you buy bribes to get your family to forgive you, to love you and honestly, to release yourself from te guilt of being devoted to your work.Same thing with pets, really, people don't seem to realize what your pets want is you. They want to snuggle and walk and hang out with you. So buy more toys on sale and take time to enjoy the pet you have. teach a new trick,play a game, get on the floor and play bow, hide treats in the yard and go explore together to find them,sing and dance and be silly because pets don't care about your pride they just want to see you smile. Make a list of 5 or 10 things that your dog absolutely loves (hint: these are things you have trouble competing with) my dogs list:
1. other neutral dogs especially certain breeds and females
2. smelly grounds at the park
3. his people
4. squirrels taunting him
5. the stretchy dog toy
I have trouble prying his attention from any of these things even with super high value treats like the bread bag and roast beef. I try to keep him set up for success but, sometimes these temptations hinder efforts a bit. I try to remember what my dog values above all and if I can gather myself to be most interesting I am wonderfully proud not only of him but, of me being able to have a forward thinking relationship with my dog. He is not my child, my spouse, or a replacement for something missing in my life, he is my dog and letting him be my dog is what makes me smile.

strides: from puppy to adult

When my pup was small I thought I would go out of my mind. Honestly, I was kind of on my own with the training and time with him and all. My roommate would come home and let him potty but, really that was about all she did. I was ragged. I would walk and train and close him in our kitchen in the morning after breakfast and come home tired from work to a puppy who was wound up and wanted more. I would push myself on for months and months. I took him to classes and even a behaviorist to try to get a balanced dog. I had minor victories as he learned and retained the knowledge, I watched as he figured out how to get what I wanted or what he wanted. I remained strong and found the methods to train him as he needed and give him what he needed.
I went through all of this. I am now comfortable with my dog in everything except leaving the toilet paper out or off leash. This morning I said " why don't you go in the kitchen and finish your foo-foo" he walked by me into the kitchen and started eating again. I have a smart dog. I am really proud of him but, he still has brain farts. Last week, we were at a show and he completely bailed on me. We were showing in rally which is kind of like obedience only with stations. sit here, walk around your dog, down there, etc. Anyway he was checking out this cute great dane and that was it for him. "let me go sniff her mom, come-on I want to play with her" I was disqualified when I know he knows the stuff because not 2 weeks earlier he scored 98 out of 100 points in the same stuff. The point here is know your limits, know your dog, and know what makes the most sense for your team. It is super important to have that mutual respect too because dogs can be taught in fear and will react to your commands out of fear but, they won't respect you and that makes the relationship strained and weak. When you train out of choice and respect your dog will know what you offer is based there and trust the outcome will be good if they choose to honor your requests.
I am so glad I don't come home to a chew fest anymore. That is quite nice. indeed.

Dog is my teacher- What I learned from failure

Today my lovely wonderful dog and I competed in rally. This was not our first time nor our 6th but, he loves it and I enjoy doing things with him he likes so we continue to compete at beginner level knowing we aren't ready to go off-leash in the advanced competition just yet.
Well today we show up get set up and potty break prior to our warm up. We do a few tricks and run back and forth like normal then we stand by the ring until our turn. Meanwhile my dog is awful, he normally is at ring-side he pulls and sniffs and wants to visit with strange dogs and then when he gets in the ring he is fine, ready to focus and loves the tasks. not,today. He got in the ring and immediately turned to look at a dog "of interest" outside the ring. I asked him to do a few tasks and he could not keep interest on what I was asking, he kept being bad, nose to the ground sniffing and pulling to go out of the ring. Until, indeed he exited the ring at one station and we were disqualified. The judge invited us to finish and I should have known to just say no thank you he isn't into it today. But, I am shy and not very brave so I said ok let's go and we kept trying to do the course. He was horrible. I was embarrassed and angry because I know he isn't to do that normally. I left the ring after it all and just wanted to go home. But I worked him a little and sat in my chair for a minute. I was so sad for us, team Macon failed.
Then a little spark came to me once in the car on the way home. He was tired today and wasn't in the mood and I dismissed it and pushed him. I let him down. I couldn't get his interest and had trouble focusing on us instead of people watching us fail. I realized that it isn't about anyone but us. It is our time, our teamwork and I always focus on that and am always ready to make him my shining star. I lost that today and was angry with him but, it was my fault. When our dogs are bad it is always our fault because we don't lead correctly.
Anyway what I learned from my failure was dogs get the ribbons and we get the "air ribbons" thebadges of failure shining brightly in our face as if to say..."challenge" and how we accept such a challenge is what shows how we are as leaders. I know it does no good to get angry or yell or scold my dog he doesn't know what to do with that. I know I have to amp myself up to be worthy of following in order to get what I am looking for.
Someone suggested I dab a cottonball with vanilla oil and just before ring time dab his nose with it to void the interesting smells and allow him to focus. Someone else once told me not to over warm up because the dog loses interest in what you want after a while or tires out. Others have told me that if you break out the great treats right before and have a good interesting smell around you you will do better. Some dogs have trouble on dirt or grass and compete well on mats only. I heard one time if you let your dog sniff outside the ring they think it is ok inside.
I guess it all comes back to training, focus on the 3d's duration, distance and distraction. My dog is fine with the crowds but, not so good with the smelly distractions and working close to them while I am perhaps a little farther away could be a good stage.
I was too comfortable and took it for granted. He was tired and distracted and had to wait for the show time too long. He did wonderfully yesterday and is amazing. I need to trust that this fluke will have good come out of it. I will learn to prepare myself and do what I need to do first and foremost. That is what is best to captain team Macon.

Grooming....

So up until this week I have only used water to groom my double coated dog. His fur is longer on top and very thick underneath. My breeder recommends only using water and I was going with that until I was reading in our breeds newsletter about product and how in shows you just can't really expect to be as good as those who use product.
I thought well, maybe I will give it a try. I have a very light leave in conditioner I developed at work (I am a bit of a chemist) I realized there was nothing in there which would harm my boy if he decided to lick himself. I used to water first then put the conditioner on my hands to lightly touch over the coat then, I started my line brushing and I was delighted at how easy the tabgles removed without any painful pulling on my dogs skin. I was happy with the quick work it made without any real residue left behind. I was overall very please by how the coat didn't break or give difficulty when separating. I feel it is a gentle product and though I still can't get rid of his bed head scraggles without brushing the next monring it is nice to feel like the coat is in better healthier condition. I feel like with my own hair you can take supplements to better your hair from inside out but if you don't use the conditioner in the shower you will have raggedy hair. I wish I had found this long ago. That and the dremel. Oh gosh
The dremel makes such short work of the nail care just zip zip a couple seconds at most on the nail and a minute or 2 later you have a nice looking paw to keep good shape. The first time I used it my dog wagged his tail and ripped out a tiny bit of tail fur and the next time he decided to put his nose on it which freaked him out but did no physical damage. I feel like if I can get a little more relaxed with it the better his nails will be. lots of treats I guess, praise too.

Injury to work around

The other day I went out for a run/walk with my dog. It was to be our long journey of the week. Every 5-6 days we go quite far as a way of relaxing and freeing ourselves of added energy and stress. We were about 30 minutes in and I was running a little when I strayed from the pavement and misjudged the depth of the grass. I toppled onto the ground twisting my ankle and landing on the thumb which holds my leash securely. I immediately thought "can we continue?" I knew the answer was no and then I thought about what I would do to get my dog to receive exercise that week. It would have to be mental with me out of commission he will get amped up too much to handle. I am glad I at least have a fenced yard so he may go potty without my walking him.
What do we do for our dogs when we can't exercise them? There are some options for us. There is no replacement to our one on one bonding fun time such as walking and playing. what is the next best thing? We can bring someone in to walk our dog for us when we can't or bring her to a doggie daycare to spend the day with others.We can also call a friend with a dog and have a play date or even a car ride can help them. We can try to explain to them we are hurt and can't do what we would like but, there is no controlling the injuries we suffer from time to time or being sick with the flu we just have to get through it.
We can try to help our pets adjust for such things. We can play games in the house. "find it" is my favorite and doesn't take too much. drop several treats around and then release the dog from his "place" and tell him to "find it" using the nose is a great challenge,switch where you hide things,what he is looking for and even place under things like under couch pillows or a toy. We also do "doggie dance party" this is hard with and injury but as long as you move the healthy body parts he won't care, this incorporates several tricks to music, some to use are: heel,back,front,spin,down,tunnel(or thru the legs), down (you step over dog), paw, or whatever else you want to throw in. Your dog will love the combo of mental tricks and music. Try to do lots of down or sit stays and praise like crazy, have your dog follow you wherver you do move (bathroom,kitchen,laundry etc) this keeps them working and by using the mental tricks as much as possible you keep them relaxed and even tired. You can also try simple things to relax your dog, you can groom if you are able or as best you are and you can give a simple massage or rub/scratch, even brush her teeth because anything you do to mentally stimulate the better. Don't just put your dog in his crate because you are sick, you will have a perky pup later when you are still sick.
I find it best if you have a yard and can sit out in it at the garden furniture or hammock and rest out there while your dog takes in the day, maybe hide some treats out there and let her explore for them. If you can bring out a new toy, I buy toys in multiples if I know my dog likes them and I stash them in a bag in my front closet. This way I can bring out a new toy when I feel the time is right.
Today I was lucky enough to wake up with a better feeling in my injuries and since nothing is broken I will be improving daily. I was glad too because we had a show today and an appointment to have his eyes checked. We hopped (or hobbled) to the car and icepack in hand I iced at the show, got his eyes checked and were home for his nap (in the dark ) because of his eyes being dilated. We even had a good score on our rally run. I hope I feel better still tommorrow but, if not, I have plenty of mental challenges for him to tire him out. I am a little disappointed I will miss out on my gym ruitine this week while I recover as it is nice to have my own time.
I remember back when he got his own injury last summer and i had to limit his exercise. I hear these stories of people who have dogs with torn ligaments they must put on exercise restriction and I realize at least I know because it is my body, what my own limits are. When you have a dog their brain goes into neutral and they don't let on they have pain and you have to learn to read them like a book. I am just feeling lucky I got hurt, not him. Of course, in the future I will watch a little more closely when the pavement turns to grass on my running path and hope you do the same.

time away from home

This past week I was able to take my first vacation in about... well 3 years. I have gone on plenty of weekends in state and to shows but, always was able to bring my fur kid along. This time was the first time since he came to me at 10 weeks old that we slept apart and for 3 nights, and 4 nights at that.
It got me to thinking I should have done it much sooner. It was hard to leave when he was a pup because of potty training and other training. Who would watch him etc. etc. Well plus him being so cute and growing inches while I was at work. It was hard to make myself miss any of that. That was afterall why I got a purebred puppy, so I could watch and see all the growth and development. Well the time had come and I felt like a limb had been lost or something. I tried to prepare him.
I took him to daycare at the boarding facility a few times. He is shy so he needed to warm up to them so he would eat. I brought his nighttime bed and a toy and a bone for him to have while he was there. The first day of daycare he stood shaking, gave one girl kisses and visited with the neighbor dog occassionally. The days passed and he adjusted to liking the place and its people. Then the first night without me at home he howled for me when my sister put him to bed. She caved and let him sleep on the top of the stairs "waiting for me" then my Dad took him to be boarded the next morning and he did fine. He adjusted fine, a little stress from sleeping in a weird place but, he did great.
Me on the otherhand. I could not enjoy my vacation because I wanted to be on a hike with him or thought how much he would like the pool at the hotel. I was cold at night without the dog butt near my feet (keeping them warm)
I have done so much research on how things should work, what you are supposed to do and how to act appropriately with this or that; I never realized it affects me too. I remember when I lost my last dog, the dog that was really mine. I was completely devastated. How I had loved that dog instantly and my new dog, he had to grow on me. Sure I thought he was cute but, I didn't really understand him and click instantly. I realize now after 2 years that I have that. Of course I knew I loved him before and all but, this vacation made it click in my brain "what if I lost him" I guess it is a question we never want to ask or face, we hope it holds off for a long time if not forever. I push the question away because the answer I know. It would be like the last dog, I would suffer and sob and then get stronger, the only thing that is ever the same in each relationship I am ever to have and different for each of us to feel as we do.
I came back to my door and after a few minutes of rubbing the stress off his head and torso, we were us again. He is not really my kid, he is not my husband, he is not a person but, he is my friend and he is a great dog. I never expect him to make up the gaps in my life but, he adds so much to it.
I guess my point is sometimes we know what we are supposed to do and while we do it we know we will survive even when it is a challenge. When we face those obstacles we realize something else unexpected. It isn't about collars or how to get him to want to respond to my wants or even what food to feed, there is a zen moment of an answer to a question we weren't even asking. It brings us closer to ourselves and eachother. That is what made my vacation worth it. Knowing I can do no wrong when I do my best and knowing I always have my dogs love to bring me through tough times (all my dogs' love past and present) It is nice to know.

I think I will bring him with me on the next few trips though.

The best in dog supplies

Well we know that retrievers love balls and greyhounds need jackets to keep warm but, if I were to sell dog supplies what would I just have to have?
I guess I can start with the top 10 that have changed my life with my dog. In random order.
1. Tag silencer. In this day and age we have license, rabies, id tag, microchip tag, akc tag, and voice sight (offleash) tag all jangling around on our dogs neck tangling in fur and making a racket when he runs around. Did you know that the tags can actually cause hearing damage? I decided on a tag pocket but, there are many to choose from. The pocket is soft and velcros around the jumble of tags adding minimal weight and can be found in several colors to match or stand out from the collar and coat.
2. Leather leash line. I have tried long leads, hand loops, retractable leashes, fabric show leads and what have you but, I got a 6 foot leather leash line when I got my newest dog and once it was broken in it was great. The leather is gentle on the hands and pliable enough to walk with ease. If my dog sees a bunny and bolts; it has the strength to hold up and a little give so as not to tear my rotator cuff or harm his neck. He can't chew threw it either which when he was a puppy, could have been a problem.
3.treat toy. Again there are countless shapes and mechinisms for these but, the ideas are the same: give the dog a way to eat through working for it like a game. They use their brains and noses and teeth to work the food out of the ball,bottle,etc. When my dog was young he would have the "blue ball" at lunchtime after his potty break which allowed my sister (who would rush over on her lunchbreak) time to eat her own lunch or do what she needed without being present watching him eat every kernel of food. now I use it after a long hike as a snack or on a day when I leave for work early for his breakfast. I use kibble mostly but you can use biscuits or soft food as well depending on the toys structure.
4. bones. I like to mix up my chew toys because my dog is super intelligent and will tire of one type of bone after a week or 2. My favorite is the simple double knotted rawhide about 6 inches is good for his breed and mouth spacing. He is quite systematic with it but, after a while he needs something else to keep him mouth busy. We typically will switch to bully sticks which if you don't know what they are, you don't want to. If these aren't around there are rawhide braids or twists and cattle knee caps. There is debate on if you should or should not use soup bones aka raw bones and some people fear bacteria or if you sterilize them the fear is the bone chips being brittle and harming the dogs digestive tract. I honestly have tried the raw and I see no problem as long as they are from a reputable source and are kept frozen. I let him chew it for an hour or so them I put it back in the freezer. They last a good week this way and run about 5 dollars each.
5.dietary supplements. I use a few of these. I really believe in a good strong diet and pay for it knowing the extra dollars spent will get me a longer life on my pets who will live happier and healthier with less injury and health issues ($ at vet). That said I switch my food around from about a half dozen quality foods being sure to mix the last few days of each bag with the new food, thus not upsetting the stomach and digestive system much. I keep my dog on a few supplements regularly but, never freak out if you skip a day or two. I give a broad spectrum probiotic which keeps stool firm and because 70% of immune function happens in the gut, it should be keeping him healthy. I also give this to my cat who has feline leukemia. For strong joints I give my very active dog a joint supplement called cosamine ds (this is a human supplement because it is cheaper than cosaquin and double strength) I open these caps and give about half at a time. My dog also takes a chewable multi but probably just a few times a week since his food is so high quality. My dog does not like fish or I would give fish oil. I give him flax powder mixed into his food bag and some brown rice or oatmeal mixed in with the food helps keep skin problems and stomach issues at bay. the last supplement has been a God's send. I use a homeopathic remedy called argentum nitricum diluted in his water. This remedy is designed to help with agitation and apprehension which manifests itself with alarm barking. be it the neighbor putting out the trash and rumbling the barrels or the neighbor dog walking by the front of the house. He has calmed considerably since going on it.I also noticed he is more social on walks and while out on the town.
6. treat bag. This keeps treats out of pockets while holding them in hand range for fast dispensing. I like this best because sometimes I dole out treats like roast beef or crilled chicken, which I obviously do not want on my clothes. I have one that has a draw string and a belt clip but there are others that are designed for center waist (both hand distribution) and ones that have a pocket for a tennis ball.
7. glow in the dark rubber ball. Don't get me wrong tennis balls are great they bounce and are soft enough to grip and durable but, in the winter I get home and it is dark out back. I like to turn on my back light and toss my dog his glowing ball a few times instead of walking in the dark. It is a good option to have. There are also ones which are made with flashing lights which go on when they bounce but,electricity and my dog... not a good mixture to introduce.
8. soft flight frisbee. I have seen cloth and soft rubber as well as ones with center holes for the dogs nose. I have a soft rubber one which we love. It is soft enough if he goes to catch it he won't lose teeth(hopefully) and the rubber is still thick enough if he chews on it, it won't be ruined. I am using this toy to teach the "away" command which should be useful in herding.
9. soft crate. This is easier to see as not a cage or some sort of prison for your dog and more like a den, a place to curl up out of the way and relax safely. I used this in the past for when I needed to run to the store but, the house wasn't puppy proof. We do a lot of construction at my house and it keeps him out from underfoot and away from dangers. I like that it is collapsible and I can bring it with me to friends and families homes and leave him in it while we go to dinner or at dog shows when I have to run to the car or let him rest from the active environment. The one I have is big enough he fits comfortably while standing, turning or laying down. It has a comfy and durable mat inside too!
10. treats. I have tried different methods of training and with or without treats and decided a while back that I do like to train with treats. I don't give a treat everytime and resolve to give randomly, however I do see the attention is better when a treat is given, not as a bribe but, a reward. Rewards can be a chest scratch or a bit of a meatball, a biscuit or an enthusiastic "good dog" but, having treats in the mix lets the dog know they have done well without any doubt. The treats I like are in levels. The level one is everyday use for those I use the traditional dog biscuit snapped into many pieces and given in ones or up to five or six as "parties." Then we have to better treats like soft treats or fancy treats these are level two and are given out for excellent work or doing something difficult such as running inside from the yard or leaving the squirrel to come to me. The best treats are those which are reserved for very difficult tasks. These treats include hotdogs,bacon, roastbeef, chicken, lamb lung and duck. I give these out in high distraction situations such as while doing agility or when the judge is examining at a show. My dog is shy so I also give these out when we are great with strangers. I try to keep the level one and two treats in my treat bag always but, the randomness is a guarantee that success will be attempted each time we go out.
Well that is the list of the top 10 items and other items are of course needed but, I won't go into so much detail.
Shampoo is a must have, be sure it is designed for dogs coats and that you use it somewhere between every 2 weeks and every month and a half. I do a double rinse to be sure it is all out.
Dog bed or mat is great to keep dogs in their own area while keeping them comfy.
hiking collapsible bowl is great to have in car just in case. Ideally paired with a bottle of water.
sound cd or dvd to help relax a lonesome dog is a nice thing to have.
Dog brush or brushes depending on coat and breed are needed to keep a great coat and skin condition. Try to brush on a schedule a little bit everyday. My dog can use a line brush weekly but, I keep him brushed 10 minutes a day with different body parts focusing in on areas daily.
nail trimmer, Well I just quicked my dog last cut and now I decided I must get that dremmel tool to grind down the nails easily.
Plush toys encourage self play. Find ones your dog likes, stretchy or puffy, materials or shapes.
for puppies: something to teeth on frozen toy or frozen facecloth
for storm scared dogs: humidifier or shock absorbing booties
Well those are my essentials for dog supplies. Many dogs have individual needs and that is why we have them.

New Year

I am not one for resolutions. I believe if you would like to make a change you record your goal either mentally or literally and you seek to achieve it. I feel a lot of people feel let down by themselves when they make a unprepared spur of moment decision to do something without thought of what this goal will take.
I fear some people do this with pet ownership as well. I hate that phrase actually. "pet ownership" yes, we buy a living thing and promise to look after it but, to own a living thing is not respectful. Perhaps that is my native american nature speaking out. We are more rightfully the animals caretaker. My point here, and I should get to that directly, is that some people haven't a clue as to how to care for or what to do with a pet they bought because it was cute or they wanted it. They will end up resenting or thinking the pet is stupid or crazy or something because they take no time to prepare for what they undertake. much like those resolutions which end up coming back around the next year after hope was lost on about January 25th or so if they make it that long.
We should all plan a little better. here is how. Dogs need basics like us: food, water, shelter from the elements and their bodies demand physical and mental exercise but, a puppy has moving bones until (depending on size of breed) 14 months to 2 years of age and can not run (except in play) before then. They need to learn games and tricks learn good and bad behaviors and how to stay away from bad behaviors will get them good things. They need to learn from reponsible respectful leaders who value their worth and see the choice to accept leadership is always rewarded and understanding that dog brains work very differently from human brains is important. Dog brains will filter and get almost tunnel vision which once set is hard to break to focus on you, they can shut down the other senses almost to fully focus in on the one at hand. They need structure. They never need physical reprimands of any sort only refocus/distraction which guide them to appropriate behavior. Most of all they need patience almost exceeding their need for love.
I encountered a dog this weekend who reminded me of my own dog but, who had gone another way. My dog was very shy, he would hide and cower timidly sometimes barking and bouncing at strangers. He would shake his back, lift paw and yawn in his anxious state. I worked with him almost daily to face and work through his fears. I would push him a tiny bit beyond his comfort level but never so much he would ever need to lash out. He slowly got over crowds, started to be able to walk by people without much care and then we practiced him sitting not facing the strangers, lying down then sitting facing at distance etc. I gave treats most every time we encountered a stranger, encouraged him to sniff near them, I tried to engage in simple conversation, asked them to give treats while they didn't look at him etc. I took him all sorts of new places, eventually we walked around a school as kids were dropped off ( I needed high reward treats for that) After all this work I was able to see him begin to face fears on his own. I met another dog though who was receiving no encouragement and no value on her feelings as she was feeling them. No distraction was being given, no encoragement and she was very afraid. I felt badly that dogs continue to be afraid without any help. When I become a trainer that will be one of my main classes. body language communication and shy/reactive dogs how to help them. I actually went from my breeder asking to buy back my dog to her extendng great praise the following summer at how far we had come. Dogs need to know they matter or they can work through anything.

what dogs are made for

I have a herding breed dog. This breed is meant to look like coyotes and be fast and nip at the sheep if needed to keep the flock together and going in the right direction, that which the shepherd is wanting. Recently, I took my dog to herd and it was like he was a different dog. He looks to me for clues typically and looks to me for guidance and I was watching him do his thing with the shepherd. The shepherd was looking for his tendancies, his instincts (which were great) and guiding him to use his self control. The next day my dog was so relaxed and listened the first time every time I asked of him.
I think these dogs were bred for these tasks. Some dogs for retreiving game, some for burrowing out rodents, or chasing fox,wolves,elk. They were bred to use their noses to sniff out things needing finding or protect carriages while they ran along side, to warn humans of dangers, blend into a flock of sheep to protect them from predators. Our dogs have purpose other than sitting in the backyard or begging at the dinner table. When we let them be who they were born to be, it makes them just be, it lets them find themselves in such a natural way that we may never understand. It is beautiful. I was so proud of him that day, so proud of myself for driving the hour and a half up to let him see himself. I drove home that day wondering when I could make it so again. It was another milestone in watching my dog develop. I have watched him since his birth on my breeders puppy cam and watched him figure out things, saw his little brain working out problems, watched it overload him so he would collapse for a nap and this day was a grown up moment. You see I will probably never have kids. Partly because I am getting older and partly because my dog is shy around kids, but I will always remember his steps because they have taught me so much about myself.
This was what he was made for in a way too, and I owe him to let him shine in his own glory.

leading is not mean, at least it should not be

It is hard to explain what I have found but, basically, it is all about doing what your dogs need. This is not the easy way out. It is not a quick fix or diet pill to get you success, bonding and finding your leadership voice. To succeed you have to trust and believe in both yourself and your dog. I had heard of methods where trainers are to try to channel into their leader idols like oprah or whom ever they thought would help. This isn't realistic and long term is set up for failure. I get the idea that they use it as a tool to find their way short term and save a dangerous dog from a early end but, come on. This won't help the gentle person or timid person find how they can lead. It puts insult to their personality saying only people who are like oprah can lead. This isn't true. Not only that but, when you undermind the personality of someone saying they aren't good enough then it robs them of their own tools and makes them second guess.I believe if you don't use what you have then you won't be honest in earning your dogs trust. Some people will feel they have to be louder and stern and use aggression of their own to "control" their dogs. People think a small woman can't lead her rottweiller because he is too dominant or whatever. They think that if you talk sweetly to your dogs they will push you around.
Well... this is not so much true.
Dogs are very keen on reading you like an open book. If you are caring and gentle and know what makes your dog get motivated you can use it to your advantage. Follow the rules nothing is free. Which simply means whatever your dog loves most:play, treats, meal time, running in the yard, these must be earned by performing acts of respect such as waiting at the door until they are released, sitting and watching before the food is placed, working some commands inbetween fetching the ball etc. Whenever your dog is driving you crazy... My dog was just running amock in my room, digging the carpet, tapping my guitar strings with his nose, batting the cord to the blinds. When that craziness seeps into your world remember your patience. He probably is just bored and look for something which will appease him. I let it go a few minutes then he lay down on the rug and pawed at the under the bed looking for a bone that had gone out of reach. I told him to go to his bed(which he did) then I reached and retreived the bone scoring points of my own. (If you can ever know what your dog is saying in his communications, treat that with great respect and deliver on the request, it builds a tighter bond) If you respect your dogs requests then it will be returned to you as well. I am not saying spoil your dog. You don't have to be a vigilanty, you can loosen up and play sometimes.
I encourage my softer side. My dog is shy and it takes him a little bit to trust himself. I try to encourage him when he is doing well and if he is using poor judgement or is getting upset about something not so scary I try to diffuse the situation by distracting. He gets terribly worked up for some reason when the neighbor dog plays in the park behind our houses. I have found I can work him with treats in the kitchen and it distracts him enough but if we were outside he would be beyond his own control. We work in the kitchen every chance we get trying to allow him to see that I trust him and he can trust that we will have good things during that frustrating time. I believe that my compassion reaches him far better than any fear based training. I push him into his uncomfortable zones with encouragement and it helps. I also check him for burrs and debris after our walks which shows I look out for him. I don't coddle him, watching him like he is some superstar, I live my life and lead with strong, caring ways that are right for me.
That said I don't take any crap. I am very tough that way. I don't take it from anyone really. I accept my responsibilities and I call out those who do me wrong. You need to remember this, for an honest strong leadership relationship with your dog, you needn't go over the top, practice your look, incorporate the showing of teeth, low eyebrows, tense stance, and low growl if needed. If my dog doesn't follow my lead, I understand that my commands are requests and I must show them to be followed through my belief in their value. It sounds odd but, if you say something expecting it to be done it will be done far more than if you say something expecting to say it again. Try is, without yelling, just really mean it and expect it to be done. Give praise for the respect that was given to you. If I am having some trouble getting my dog to follow direction be it from distractions, my delivery, or having a bad day I give him my serious look and a little growl if I deem it mandated (like if he runs out of my closet with my sneaker and looks at me to play) then I do a few commands and then ask him to play. once he give respect he gets rewards. It is hard to be strict sometimes but, by being strict and gentle in nature your dog sees a straightforward leader who they don't have to fear because of harsh treatments or inconsistencies. They don't need to show up in your relationship with your dog. You do.
Find and work to include your strengths, such as patience, agility, calmness, sensitivity, ability to read signals, and let those shine true and earn respect from your dog and yourself.

different techniques for different dogs

Some trainers push some cookie cutter approach for all dogs either negative or positive types of training for all their dogs. I wanted to use treat based training with my dog last year but, he was shy and too nervous to accept treats which made training in class difficult. I saw another trainer who encouraged flooding and making him deal with his anxiety head on but, he was too stern and forceful and my dog needed encouragement and a pleasing gentle tone to stay calm. To this day if I am gentle and calm with him he responds way better than if I nearly shout and sometimes he will get frustrated with what I expect and gives me frustration bark or even a nip. The second I turn off any aggressive type techniques he is back to happy go lucky. So what do you do when one size does not fit all? How do you balance training to tailor fit each of your dogs?
Well that is tricky. What do I do? I read a ton of books to find what fit my dog. I went to a bahaviorist for advice when he couldn't seem to shake the shyness at all. I saw many trainers more so he would see that people are there to help him. When I got him he was shy and got worse. He would hide behind me, cowar in stance and jump away or bark and growl at people who looked at him "too long" He remains shy. The first trainer I saw had me give him so many treats he didn't like even the best treats, he refused to take them from others and sometimes would be so nervous he didn't take them from me either. I couldn't move ahead on the shyness at all because of this, even with verbal praise baby talk voices or anything else. I switched to a much rougher trainer. I thought it was great at the time. He had me try a wedge pinch collar supposedly to encourage him like his mom would. I don't know why I fell for it probably part exhaustion part desparation. It was paired with flooding of walking in crowds, walking by people, sitting while others passed. We went to a conformation class to help with strangers touching him but, since it was the same instructor each week that lost its "stranger" quality fast. He is a smart dog and once he warms up he isn't really bothered much. We still have the problem with people leaning over and trying to pat the top of his head.... dogs see both of those actions as a threat and it is hard to explain to people in a way they actually listen. It comes down to doing what you think your dog can handle and trying to push the limits a little as tolerance grows. I liken it to lifting weights. You can't start with a heavy weight on your bicep, you start with a small amount and when you find you have little or no pain after lifting as usual you increase weight. Same thing, you have to get used to and tolerate the difficult emotions without going into overload or shock. I find encouraging him in a gentle tone helps greatly.
Some friends just got a puppy and I try to tag along when they take him out to socialize. He is a cute fuzzy golden retreiver and people rush to say hi to him. He wags and gets excited. Then my dog who is standing near looks to me, I tell him it is ok to "sniff" and he reaches out to the people more. He did bark at a little girl today who was looking at him while he was in a small spot but then some little boy was walking by and reached out and touched his back and he was fine. I know the support helps him out a great deal because he doesn't have someone at him staring at him and reaching out, he has time to sniff and reach out to them first which is way less pressure.
I did have apoint originally... Just as we humans are different from one to another, our dogs need help finding what works best for them individually as well. It can be a hard road to go if you don't really know your dog well but, with love respect and a bit of patience you can find what works for your dogs needs. oh an my dog no longer wears that collar he uses a gentle leader if he is in a situation with need for better control or he is on his buckle collar only. and now he takes most treats from people and will even do his sit when they ask. What strides... now if I can just get him used to people touching and staring at him so I could get his conformation title, then we would be just in great shape, he would be moments away from accepting all people then. I am patient enough to know he will get there eventually. He is improving and not getting worse and that is the best sign.

bonding to better understanding

recently I read this incredible book which talks about the trusting bond that can be established and maintained between owner and dog. The book talks about how you need to connect with your dog not yank them to and frow. I had read about sending out energy to your dog and even sending mental praise when the dog does good but, it wasn't until I read this particular book that I connected the calm, peaceful energies with that of a deep bond with my dog.
In order to connect deeply you must understand and believe your dog wants to do as you instruct. Believing this leads you to signal better and communicate in ways which your dog understands. Afterall if the dogs intentions are good, we must see that our signals or their interpretation of those signals is confused.
This process involves a lot of watching and studying your dogs behaviors and their own signals. My dog will get frustrated when he does what he thinks I want but, the signal is too similar to another one. I experienced this one time and was like why are you doing this when I am asking for that.... then my brain clicked...oh that signal is a fist with one finger pointing up and the other signal it a fist which is open making a kind of o shape. It must be hard to see the difference outside in the sun. My answer was to change the pointed finger to a arm pointing up (which he very quickly picked up) I think sometimes we don't understand that dogs are not verbal beings and respond better to hand gestures but, we can teach our dogs many verbal words simply by making an effort to use a simple vocabulary with them. Always saying the same words for the same units will reveal tremendous learning potential. Example of these words other than everday commands like sit and stay etc. are ride,car,in, side, relax,neighbor,gate,slow,careful, eat, close, and stairs. My dog knows all these words and many more simply by my repeating them through daily life. By teaching these words he understands my directions better and is more willing to trust what I say because I try to communicate with him. it puts him at ease better and I think it helps our bond immensely.
Better bonds can be built through sitting. When you share a space you use some trusting tools. If you practice this (I would suggest when you are both relaxed,before bed) Call your dog over to an area he likes to sit and have him sit or lie down so he can lean on your legs while you sit. The exercise can be as little as 3 minutes but, help your relationship greatly. simply sit together. If your dog enjoys petting or brushing or massage you can try a little bit gently but, don't feel you must be doing anything other than sharing space. Use this time to try to read and understand your dog not reading the paper or watching tv. Tune out the world and tune in your dog. at first you may sit a few feet apart and gradually over days or weeks get closer together. Don't push, we tend to push as a rule and why? We have plenty of time to work on this with our dog and the slower we go the more ease it puts them at.
Another thing I do to exercise my bond sounds silly and simple. When my dog goes to bed each night. I tell him I love him and he was such a good boy today he made me very proud. I try to state an example of his good behavior. This is visualizing good qualities of my dog to myself and helps me believe in my dog. I also wait for his relaxing/release sigh before I turn in. All dogs will do this when they give in and relax ready for sleep. You know it when you hear it. It is a deep breath and long exhale. I tell him he is good boy when he does the relax sigh, then I can turn out my light. This sigh is also the "Igive up" sigh which is when they are annoyed, the tv is too loud and they want to sleep or the assigned task is boring them, they finally give up and accept what is around them. It is up to us when they do this to be sure they are indeed comfortable. It is the job of the leader to watch out for the charges.
I find that making a concentrated effort to connect or try to understand my dog is beneficial and helps you understand yourself more allowing you to work on your own challenges. To have a friend who relies on you so much and doesn't speak the same language can show you yourself in ways you never saw. It is so interesting to see what is really there, what we are made of. When we do it helps our dogs trust and want to please us. Patience is essential. As it seems to be in a large part of life.

bedtime

Many people will have routines they follow when they get ready for bed. It is alarming to find out how many do not have any such routine for their dogs. Dogs are such creatures of habit, and to get the last 10 or 15 minutes of their day in a way that they completely understand they need to relax and start the resting patterns, well, this is important.
What I do will give you an idea, though may not be perfect for your dog. When I am ready for bed. I say to my dog"let's go outside and get ready for nigh-nights" (I am not usually so cute-sy with my commands but, I call his bed bed and don't want to confuse the two) Then We put on the leash go out into the yard and I stand by the same bush by the deck until he lifts his leg and then I give him a command that to us means he won't go out for a while, I also use this when he is to be alone at home for a long while, I call it the "empty the tank" command. He then knows he won't have any more chances that night and will pee for quite awhile.
Next we go in and I give him a small snack. It is abot 1/2 the size of his main dinner meal and this is something that since puppyhood he has had and I haven't seen to get rid of. He is not overweight and I don't want him to go to bed hungry or have a slow metabolism so I stick with. My last dog would have a large milk bone before bed to settle down with. I guess I always worry my dog is hungry and since he can't really tell me I make adjustments to make myself feel batter. During his snack I get my routine done brushing teeth etc.
Then I bring him bed into my room and point him to go "nigh-nights" and he trots in and plops down on his bed. I change and do a little brushing (about 2 or 3 minutes shifting areas each night) If he had extra exercise that day like a long hike or daycare I will exchange the brush for a light massage.
I play a calming cd to drown out any noise as we settle in. Then I read for a bit and after typically 20 minutes I shut the light off and sleep.
I believe it is good for a dog especially a stressed or insecure dog to have some minutes in the nighttime in which they bond and realx with their owner. I don't care if your dog sleeps in a crate comfy in the corner of the room or on your bed sleeping next to your feet. I have read if you choose to have pets on your bed though that you settle in first and should be able to tell them to move if they crowd you in anyway.
Sometimes my dog gets a little too into play when we are haing rest time, I tell him to get on his bed, I only allow for chew hides in the bedroom (no balls or plush) he must settle on his bed or I will put him in his crate (which he likes and is comfortable with its large cushion bed in it) then I will let him out some time later.
I give free water. Some people limit the times and will take water away after 6 or 8 at night. If your dog can go through the night why limit? I have a small bowl on the crate door and fill it both before work and before bed.
Whatever you choose to do with your dog to relax into restng time, be sure it fits your dog and can be done comfortably each evening. make it known that it is bedtime and much like with kids don't let up on the guidlines.

When to look and what to look for

I was reading a great training book a while back and was shocked to learn about eye energy. Many people can't pick up on the body language or read just what their dog is saying. Perhaps they are a bit nervous or don't completely trust the dog because they are new and a bond isn't set or they may not know the body signals or misread them or even not understand there is such a thing. What happens next? They will look at their dog, constantly during walks to see what they do next or try to guide them to appropriate behavior. They do this around the house and when out at pet stores. What is interesting, I find, they don't do this when the dog is at a dog park. You canlearn a lot about dogs from watching them but, if you stare or don't know what you are looking for it is doing more harm than good. Have you ever been sitting somewhere and felt eyes on you? This is energy that is given off when others watch you and dogs feel this very well, I think it might be stronger than their actual sight.
Well what can you do?
First when you are on a walk or out, always be aware of your dog. If they become aggressive, be sure you know triggers or why they do this. Are they protecting you or the other dog or child in their pack? Are they afraid of children or of men or hats? Protect all involved.
What do you look for?
If your dog stands with ears forward, base of tail raised, scruff hair pricked, possibly showing teeth, eyes dilated... he is trying to asert dominance and possibly could lead to aggression if the other dog doesn't conceed.
If your dog has a tail set against his back it is so high and flutters in a wag or keeps the tail even with the back line this means calling for play or reading the signals and not wanting to rush posture. A play bow always means that, if your dog remains on leash during play, rotate yourself to keep leash untangled, reaching over a dog to untangle leashes is inefficient and could be read as a dominant posturing. A dog who chirps or is sniffing and then suddenly jerks could be playing but, if unsure lean toward thinking aggression.
I make mental notes about stances. He sees a bunny... ears go from back to up, he freezes and then bounces, this is the same with a squirrel. He sees a person he lifts head and if we are stopped he freezes for a second then he looks at me to see what I want of him, perfect. He is scared of some flag or trash bag that seems out of place... he freezes, leans forward, ears up, reluctantly approaches the preceived threat when he feels it is not a threat and wants to know what it is. Someone walks by the house... he gets wide eyes, slightly tilts head, ears up, bark alarm then bounces at me to ask why I am not alarmed then I call him over to me, treat the "come" and we move on.
A dog in charge will care for the others in the pack but not study the every move visually, a bottom rung dog will watch others looking for guidance, approval etc. Humans should be in charge earning others respect and leading with confidence. Relax and walk with a confident relaxed leash, walk quickly unless you are with a small dog and stop at intersections or paths and let your dog sniff and mark those areas most. If your dog decides to stop other places too slow down a bit and show interest in the area too, tap the ground with your shoes or lean over to pretend to sniff then after a moment give a kind,firm "let's go" or "hurry up" and start on your way, if you get to the end of the leash a gentle tug or two should do and if not use "leave it" and be sure to treat the good behavior when there is success. You don't have to stare at your dog and wonder if he will behave. Enjoy your walk and if you lead it well your dog will be happy to follow the plan.
I do look at my dog, he is being cute and good so I try to send him loving, good boy vibes. I try to envision him walking loose leashed by my side 100% of our walks but, I try to ignore the relapses or wandering dog he sometimes is choosing to praise the good. I try to only give short glances at my dog and I watch shadows to praise him for looking at me.
When in crowds I don't trust my dog because he is shy and a stranger could overstep his comfort without realizing it. To protect all involved I will typically have a treat ready to distract him with or I will be sure to have his gentle leader on. I have learned that when greeting people he is quick to warm up to the stranger and needs a few moments of them not looking at him so he can approach and sniff a pant or a hand. He will sometimes even give strangers kisses. I will talk to the person and after a moment I say"sniff" and he knows he should sniff, once he reads the hormones and pheromones and everything he is good.
I kept going to classes and the students were constantly staring and watchng their dogs. You can feel the energy they are transmitting most of the time through the leash and using your eyes is not allowing you to truly connect with your dog. We must learn to use our other senses which we find weak. we must pay attention to the signals our dogs send. When we learn what our dog is saying we have such a greater connection.
Recently I was reading about connections and how dogs respect posession, giving the leader the most buffer space when they have an object. I read also that they will use a low warning growl to warn the space buffer has been invaded. Dogs also do this at mealtime. When a puppy was introduced to our pack recently I watched as my dog gave signals to the new pup. Since I knew what to look for I saw not aggression but, correction. It was enlightening to understand what he was saying. I kind a felt like I learned how to speak dog.

sensing a difference

There have been studies which have exposed that the canine species has trouble registering one sense when another is actively engaged. this leads us to believe that the brain either cannot focus and interpret complex sensory multitasking or it becomes so engaged that the brain shuts off the others in order to gather indepth information. I compare this to that of a blind person expanding their other senses or a deaf person who may develop a more intricate sense of touch to feel the vibrations as energy moves off one object onto another. Is it that the body is hindered from lack of one sense or given a gift of such indepth intensities of other senses? That being said, imagine you are on all fours and hungry and you smell this awesome, mouthwatering scent down amongst the leaves and it is close to the ground, if you were a bird you would open ears to the sound of underground bugs, if you allowed yourself you would feel the wet grass cold underfoot but, you allow yourself to open your nose to smuggle in the scent with your ears which dangle close by, you shut off the world and focus on that one scent, weed out the others and soon it carries you to the delicious piece of cheese someone dropped in the park. I would believe this to be a gift, such focus. Most of us humans try to tug the leash or yell at our dog, "what is with you, let's go, heel" these commands truely fall on deaf ears. What we work on with focus is getting our dog to not get to that intense "shutting out" senses and pull his interest in on what we want. That is why focus is such an essential command. When we start to read signs of our dog spotting a dog accross the park, we will see first the acknowledgement of the dog... then the brain processes what that could mean reading body language, then the action of how to proceed. The mind will do this for all sorts of things, prey,play, aggression, fear, etc. It is up to us to difuse the situation as close to the acknowledgement stage as possible, if we wait until the action it is near impossible to get those focus senses back on us. Practice focus exercises and whenever you see a distraction assume your dog is about to as well. Work that focus and call your dogs eyes onto you. Be confident, proud and interesting. Some people need help on the interesting part and may use treats or praise or may help the situation by placing distance or easing pressure by turning away from the distraction or blocking the line of sight with their own body. Whatever is used the timing is crucial. Some dogs are so sensitive to a certain sense that they may need a diffuser of sorts to help them through the situations with intense distraction, most dogs will be good with a smelly treat or something she really loves. You should take time to find out what your dog really loves. The smell will diffuse the distraction, you can also use aromatherapy oils to calm, relax or mask smells for you dog. Someone suggested to me recently that you can use a calming scent such as vanilla or lavender and place a diluted oil on a cotton ball and dab the snout above the nose to mask any scent which could disrupt . In this case it was for walking amongst other intact testosterone emitting male dogs so the dog would not get defensive and aggressive. There are also veil type products which will mask an insecure dog from staring onlookers (though I would imagine onlookers may look a bit more at a dog wearing a veil) these and many other ideas to help block or diminish senses intensities. Leading me to believe it is once it gets to the intense stage, this is when the senses are shut off and the brain is able to heighten a single one.
In our relationships with our dogs the respect for their ways is so important because it will tighten our bond and lead to better understanding. Understanding how the brain works is so complicated often the signals can be misread. What is important is that indeed the signals are attempted to be read because in the end this will indeed guide us to understanding our dogs. Don't be afraid to misread, do be afraid of not trying to read because then the connection will fade away.

the dark is still bothering with "our time"

I refuse to let my dog down and last year my schedule was super early for work so we had a 40 minute walk in the morning partially by street light. I had no choice but, to get up and walk in the dark. It was disciplined by my job and because I don't really have my own discipline I am having trouble adjusting this year. My schedule changed at work and I have trouble getting up in the dark to push myself into a walk with my dog in the dark before I hit the gym. I either will skimp on the gym or not go at all and thet is not good for me. I need the confidence it brings me and like how healthy I feel when I push myself.
How do we adjust to the winter months? It is hard. It is important not to compromise on your time with your dog. You can bring some training into the system. My current solution is I force myself to get up by 7am and that way I can walk about 40 minutes before I go to the gym for an hour class and return home for a half hour or so of play before getting ready to go to work. The night time is difficult. After being alone for hours my dog really wants to get out of the house but, I return when it is dark and we only have so many routes around the neighborhood which make it boring. The answer. When I get home put the leash on and hop back in the car driving a few minutes into another neighborhood like I do when the neighbor dog is in heat. We can walk 30 minutes or so and get a ride mixed in for added interest. The downfall of this plan is more eating on the go with less time at home to relax. Since my schedule has changed I miss the evening classes I used to attend with my dog and he misses his daycare which I can't pick him up from anymore. It makes things difficult. I wish my work would justify my schedule returning to as it was but, we are not busy enough and with the economy it makes me feel lucky to have a job at all.
The winter brings with it the cold and the cabin fever on those cold windy snowy or wet days when we can't play ball in the yard because then we would have not yard. So we play indoor games more. We use commands to dance. My dog knows "spin,through the legs, come, around, back, stretch" and when combined to music it makes a fun little work out. sometimes I add other commands and treats to mix it up. He loves it.
We also play a game called find it. My dog uses his nose to sniff out treats I hide one by one around the house while he is in a stay command. I walk up to him and let him sniff my hand with part of the treat and say find it he starts sniffing. If your dog doesn't sniff start with several pieces of large smelly treats and keep them close to the starting position. let him/her sniff your treat and point to the treat saying find it" they pick up quickly. You can branch out to article "find" like setting a treat in a piece of cloth and keep a small section with you then let sniff, etc. eventually they will only get the treat when they carry the item back to you. We also do a variation on this game with "find me" where he is on a stay and I hide behind a door or next to a bed and yell find me, and he comes running following my scent, and he gets a treat and praise when he finds me successfully.
We play tug and ball some but, mostly after dinner he has a chew toy and lies down to work on that while I relax with some tv or a book until bed. My dog is very high energy and sometimes that makes it tough but, I also really like that he is ready for doing things when it comes time. I really like the long walks because they are almost meditative for me and we get our connection time then too. My dog had an injury late this summer and was on exercise restriction for 3 weeks and he was like an insane dog. I realized why people get rid of their dogs due to lack of exercise because they blame it on the dog when really the dog just needs to run, run, run and then run some more. Really don't we all need a good little run now and again too!

Language and Communication

Most trainers speak about body language and how the postures and manners speak volumes when dogs meet and silently speak to one another. Why are they for the most part silent? what is spoke is important and the words are generally few. When I speak to my dogs I have always tried to use few words. I say things like relax, slow, close, cross, go----, and these words are understood not as commands but the clues of plans to come and readying for those plans. I try to also speak with a confident leadership posture, keeping greetings with others positive with my higher pitch friendly happy greetings and ignore his caution when it is unwaranted.
Why are postures important. Honestly I find dogs are very visual and learn better with hand signal commands than with actual verbal cues. I notice when my dog is confused and does the wrong command it is because my hand signal resembles the other signal very closely and I was lazy in signalling difinitively. There have been studies which have disclosed certain breeds are more visual than others and some dog breeds which are widely known as unintelligent actually are the strongest visual breeds and are not being taught correctly. Think about how differently we humans learn and how some developementally challenged students face difficulties due to their individual needs. All dogs are different and we need to do what is best for each individual but, if we know that they all learn better visually we should adjust our own verbal world to meet those needs accordingly. That being said, what is the best way to get your dog to follow visual cues, they don't always see you. They may be far across the yard or downstairs in your house but, if you are a good leader they will have one ear on you or have you in their periferal sights. They don't want to be left behind by the leader. They are ready to move with your slightest indication.... unless they find somethine else more interesting.
In puppy class I learned you must bond with your puppy and be more interesting than anything else. This starts with good socializing to ensure that what they see out of norm is no big deal. My dog grew up in a house under construction so he hears jack hammers or roofers and sleeps through it. The contrast there, because you can't expose them to everything no matter how you try, the other night we walked by a house decorated for halloween and they had 2 straw scarecrow decorations and he froze staring at them with a hint of low growl. He had no idea what to think. I did not make fun of him and call him silly. I simply stood there a moment told him "sniff" and walked in a non direct path toward them.(dogs approaching mysterious dogs or people, like to approach in a arc veer off to the side,keep moving and depending on the fear intensity give wide berth to greater fear and shallow to less fearful items, arc in towards item) He was cautious and slow but I touched the sleeve of one of the scarecrows and his ears softened. then he leaned far forward ready to bounce back if needed and gently sniffed the sleeve. Realizing it was nothing to fear he let go and sniffed the ground instead. His way of saying "oh, that was silly of me now I am embarrassed and will sniff this spot on the ground so you don't look at me" Dogs arte sensitive creatures and we may not know all that passes through their minds or fully understand what they mean to tell us but, we shouldn't be afraid to try to understand. Afterall do we understand the opposite sex? and we still speak the same language and live in the same social world.
I went to a trainer in the past who was teaching we are the providers and leaders and therefore the subordinates (animals) should get out of our way and do what we say the first time and if they block us they should be stepped on etc. I understand it was because the people coming there needed to see themselves as the leaders and had to take it to that extreme to get results but, I was outraged because without respect in the relationship, you can never get to the point where the leadership is given over to you. It is disrespectful to tell a dog something and expect them to do it when they don't know what you are saying. There is this game where people at training class are paired off dogless and one acts as the dog and the other gives commands using words totally unrelated such as fruit names. The leader is to get the person to obey using these words and gestures such as raising the treat hand overhead (sit) etc. It is to feel the confusion a dog must experience living with a new person and wanting to please them and not knowing what they mean. It starts off with just the words and people get louder as they yell "apple" the trainer shows them they are to show the dog with directions and then it sinks in. You must lead with respect if your dog is in the way don't yell at them to back off or move simply teach them the command for "side" and as they leap to the side they won't get stepped on. They want to have respect and with giving them what they need you will get what you want.
more on this later.

Grooming- static, undercoats and brushes

I feel it is important to properly groom dogs as determained for the breed. Some dogs have double coats, where the top coat covers up a shorter thick almost poly-fill esque base coat. Other breeds have thick wire or single coats with water resistance. Other breeds have hair which does not shed but, needs to be shaped and trimmed. Whatever the breed most dogs find a brushing very relaxing and will settle in for some comfortable grooming time. In order for this statement to be true we need to identify any difficult or sensitive areas, use proper brushes and follow proper techniques to support the type of coat each dog has.
If a dog doesn't enjoy their brushing time you can work them up to liking it. Be gentle and keep sessions short. Give treats and again be gentle. I have been at grooming places in stores where I actually wanted to storm in and unarm the harsh groomer who is riping out the poor dogs fur. I have also been at shows where dogs will jump up on their table and stand there happily while they are groomed. We can all do this.
What do I do. Well I don't have my own table so I let my little boy lay on his side as I work slowly over his body with my slicker brush. I have 3 tools a comb, a slicker brush and a pin brush which I use for each grooming session. Sometimes I will need a undercoat stripper brush which pulls the undercoat gently out during shedding seasons. My dog needs to be wet so I spray him with a mist bottle (you can use a tiny amount of leav in conditioner in the mist if your dog has tangles) I do about 10 sprays on each side.
Spray the side then use the slicker brush to work from the tail and the feet up and forward. I use one hand placed over the area where the fur meets skin then I use the other hand to work small areas until each area is brushed move forward and up on the body until you reach the neck and face/ears then switch to the comb. The comb will be gentle on those areas. The final step is to use the pin brush to go over the coat to shape it much like we use a round brush, guiding the cowlicks and stray hairs and making it all look even.
There are many books available to help find the right brushing for your dog. Remember to start slow, do a single body part gently and then treat and break. Maybe continue or you can wait until that evening and approach again. Most dogs can take a single session each week but , you may need to use the pin brush to "go over" the coat and minimize any tangles each day.
After each bath your dog will probably have some loose fur for a few days and it is a good time to refocus efforts since the tangles should be gone. I am certain we all buy the appropriate shampoo for our dogs bath and rinsing extra well will ensure that the dog is comfortable. Some dogs have sensitive skin and need conditioning lather or oatmeal, while some dogs need a clear coat rinse to take out over oily coat. There is also whitening for light dogs and flea for dogs with fleas. Don't just buy anything, take a moment and access your dogs needs. Once you find one that works well you can stick with it. You may want to write where you bought it in permanent marker on the side of the bottle.
My dog likes his water and will even jump in the tub after I showered so he can get the "raindrops" from the faucet. I let him do this because he then has no problem jumping in the tub when I want him to have a bath.