Smart Dog

Nemo's Karma

Back when Nemo was but just a pup, I wrote an article about stress within the pack. You see, Nemo was the stress! He wasn't mean, he was just a pain! Lily and Tango wouldn't play with him, they wouldn't even play with each other because it attracted Nemo's attention. Every time Nemo came their way, they hunkered down and hoped he didn't notice them.

Of course he noticed them. He noticed when they breathed. He noticed when they blinked. He noticed everything either of them did. He bugged them and bugged them. It got to the point where we actually considered finding Nemie a new home. I sent a special edition of the Your Smart Dog, the Smart Dog University monthly newsletter, trying to find a great new home.

Clearly, we didn't find a new home. (Could it have been that our ridiculously high standards excluded just about everyone? Probably.)  In any event, we're very happy today that we still have Nemie.

Especially because now Talos is the pest and Nemie is the victim! It's wonderful to watch Nemie get a little bit of his own medicine. Talos isn't nearly as annoying at Nemo was, but he's annoying enough, according to Nemo. 

Enjoy this video, which shows Talos being only minimally annoying to Nemo. 

Bumblebee Ouchie

Talos had a run in with a bee yesterday. He came in limping, laid down and immediately began chewing his paw. Uh-oh. So I watched it and it got bigger and redder. And bigger. And then a little bit bigger. But at least he was breathing normally and he wasn't swelling anywhere else. So at least I knew we didn't have to worry about anaphylactic shock. But that toe, it kept getting bigger.

So off we went to teach Canine Building Blocks, Talos and I. He needed some help getting to the car, his little paw was hurting something fierce. We got to class and his paw looked even bigger, a full 90 minutes after the incident happened. The picture of his paw was taken a full five hours after the sting. It was still pretty darn big!

I asked Dr. Geof Ruppert of Yellow Springs Veterinary Clinic if he could just look at it to make sure Talos wouldn't lose a leg.It was clearly painful for Talos and Dr. Ruppert said a shot of diphenhydramine (Benadryl) certainly wouldn't hurt him. So we got Talos on the scale, the kind doctor figured the dose and we got both Benadryl and a pain reliever into Talos.

My demo dog was out like a light for the rest of Canine Building Blocks and for the Orientation class, too.

He's right as rain this morning, but I kept him home from daycare just the same. I wasn't sure if his paw was sore or not and I didn't want him to be grumpy when another pup stepped on it.

Talos Tries Lure Coursing (Puppy-Style)

Here's the video to go with the previous post. This is Talos's first foray into lure coursing. Danes don't excel at coursing. This is a sport where sight hounds reign supreme. Talos is no sight hound. A sleep hound, yes? A singing hound, definitely. But not a sight hound. 

The Rhodesian Ridgebacks can really turn it on for lure coursing, but I didn't get any video of them. It would have only made Talos's attempt look even worse. 

This is a puppy fun-run: it's a straight, short course, without any turns. A long, twisting course could cause damage to a puppy's still-developing body. 

Odd Dog(s) Out

A local Rhodesian Ridgeback club was having a fun practice day and we were invited to bring our dogs to a lure-coursing practice in the beautiful town of Lovettsville, VA. Always excited to see and try a new dog-related activity, off we went at 7:00a this morning. 

There were about 20 Rhodesian Ridgebacks and every one of them knew exactly why they were there. Charged up and ready to run, they were excited to get the morning started. I wish I would have gotten some of them on video so you could see just how graceful and powerful these dogs are when they run at full-speed, chasing the little plastic bag (lure) as it zips around the field on a small piece of rope. 

Dogs under a year shouldn't do a full course. It's too jarring on their still-developing joints. This club has a special course for puppies. It's a short, straight course without turns. They pull the lure slowly (thank goodness - Talos isn't what you'd call fast. Or graceful.) to keep the pups at a reasonable speed. 

Alas, all I have is video of Talos taking a "puppy fun run." While it's cute to watch a puppy do just about anything, it's not even close to what lure coursing looks like. I'll post the video shortly. 

I do have some footage of Nemo, too, but it's almost as bad as Talos' run! Toward the end of the morning, though, Nemo was getting that the point of lure coursing was to chase the lure. He liked to run out a bit, then would look over his shoulder to see where we were. If he'd run too far away, he'd leave the traveling lure and make a bee-line back to us. With Dana running the course with him (what a great husband I have!), Nemo finally made a successful run! And Dana got his cardio in for the day!

Despite being the only people without a Ridgeback (or two), everyone made us feel very welcome. We feel like we made many new dog friends, as well as people friends today.  

Make Yourself Matter

There's a big difference between a dog who is with you and a dog who wants to be with you. As I wrote in my previous post, I run across dogs who just wish they were anywhere than with their people. If you want a better relationship with your dog, if you want to matter to your dog, there are some things you can do.

I asked my husband to get a picture of Talos and I. As you can see from this outtake shot, it was hard to get just Talos in the shot. That's Lily and Nemo trying their best to get in on the action.

When we're around, the dogs want to be with us. Sure, they like to sniff the ground and chase the birds, but they want to do it with us. They aren't straining at the leash, oblivious to our presence.

How did we manage to do that?

1. We are always safe. The dogs know we're always a safe place to be. No matter what. Even if they have a dead squirrel, a chewed up shoe, or the remote. We're never to be feared. Ever. We also teach them that we'll keep them safe. If there's something scary, we'll protect them. They know that we've got their back.
2. We make the fun even better. If the dogs are playing nicely together, sometimes I'll join them. I'll run around the yard with them, chasing them, being chased, feinting left and right. Sometimes I'm crazy and unpredictable, other times I run straight ahead - an easy mark. Sure, they have fun playing together, but it's always more fun when I decide to join in the mayhem.
3. We engage the dogs in activities that require us, the people. Fetch, tug, chase. It's hard to play any of these games by yourself if you're a dog. We make those games come alive!
4. We engage in those activities often. Not just on weekends. Not just when we have time. We make time every day to partner with our dogs and enjoy something fun together.
5. We are the gatekeepers to all things good. We are the ones that put the leash on, open the door to go outside, throw the ball, put food in their bowl, rub their bellies. Make good use of the access you afford the dog: ask for a simple behavior, sit for example, before doing any of these things for your dog, and you've automatically made yourself a rock star in your dog's eyes. Wow, they think - you are SO cool! YOU let me go outside. YOU let me sniff that bush. YOU put my leash on. YOU put food in my bowl. YOU play with me. 
6. We are consistent in our behavior and our rules. We act the same every day. The rules never change. Predictability is a good thing to a dog. We don't let a dog jump sometimes, and then other times reprimand him for jumping. We don't sometimes let them bolt through the door and other times correct them for running out. Our expectations are clear, unchanging, and known to the dog. 
7. Every now and then, we just sit together. That's it, that's all. Nothing fancy. Just sit and watch the world go by. I like to sit on the grass with my dogs and watch all the different ways their noses move. Or their ears. When we were at Lake Anna last weekend, I doggie paddled next to Tango out to a floating dock, maybe 100 yards away. Just him and I, swimming in tandem. He'd occasionally look over at me as we swam, checking me out. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done with him. And I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it, too.

What Does Your Dog Think of You?

I look at the dog, straining against the leash. I can read his mind: "Oh, if this leash weren't clipped, I'd be gone. Free. On my own!"

Another dog stands quietly, tethered to his humans, staring silently out the window. He responds to their cues, mostly, but doesn't have fun doing it. He looks away from them or - when they put their face in his - he politely looks right through them, as if he doesn't even see them.

Neither dog thinks very much of his person. Their worlds do not intersect, save for the fact that they happen to occupy the same house.

It's hard for me to see dogs this detached from their people. Because I know how rich a dog-person friendship can be. I know how fulfilling each can be for the other.

The dogs I described above have no connection with their people. They're not on the same page. They don't find their people exciting, interesting, or even likable. 

Take a look at the picture: that's Nemo, sans leash, enjoying a quiet moment at Lake Anna with my husband. They're just hanging out together, enjoying the sunshine, taking in a moment. Both are enjoying the day - and each other's company.

Stop for a moment and think: what would your dog do if he slipped his collar and were free to go wherever he wanted? Would he take off without a glance over his shoulder at you? Would he take a few steps, then wait for you to catch up? Maybe he'd dart out 100 yards, then rush back to you, excited to begin exploring his new found freedom with you?

You want your dog to care about you: where you are and what you're doing. You want them to want to be with you, not count the seconds until you walk out the door.

How do you create a relationship, a connection, with your dog? Just like you would with a person. Find out what interests them, what their idea of fun is. Spend time just watching your dog...at rest, at play, all the time. Do you know if your dog likes his ears rubbed or his tummy rubbed? Which one does he prefer? Did you know that some dogs don't like being petted. Is your dog one of those? Have you ever stopped to watch your dog when you pet him to see if he's really enjoying it or merely tolerating it?

Spend some time with your dog, just hanging out together. I don't mean multi-task and pet your dog while you're watching tv. Nope, that's not nearly good enough. I want you to take 15 minutes and just be with your dog. Watch him, pet him, interact.

I'll write more about this topic in my next post. I've got to go outside and hang out with the dogs.

Six Hours

 Talos is in training to be a service dog for Service Dogs of Virginia (SDV) in Charlottesville, VA. While I do a lot of Talos's training here in MD, we need to visit with the folks from SDV from time to time to show them Talos's progress. 

Today was one of the days where I show off what Talos has learned since the last time we saw each other, take notes on the new things he should learn, and then have fun and experiment with new things. 

It's a three-hour drive one way to Charlottesville, VA, which means I'm up at a ridiculous hour. We got on the road at 6:00a. Talos, the ever-sleepy student, slept the entire ride down. I'm a morning person, though, so it's not so bad, really. 

Talos got to visit his brother, Gryphon, again, and they had fun playing and wrestling. Then it was down to business for Talos and I. 

We showed SDV Talos's skills so far: he's got a good sit, down, leave it, watch me, and settle. We worked on some new skills: a "go in," which is where Talos will need to go in under the table, for instance, so he can be out of the way. It's important for all service dogs to have this behavior, but because he will be such a big dog, it's particularly important that he find it easy to go into a smaller space (such as under a table or desk) without hesitation or fear. 

We also worked on body-awareness (and fun!) things like introducing him to the tunnel. We tossed a few pieces of food into the tunnel, when he stuck his head in I clicked and threw some more food in. Never would we force the dog into the tunnel - it's a fun, confidence-building exercise. Well, not to mention, we don't use force in clicker training anyway, no matter the purpose of the behavior. 

Ever the sleepy head, once he'd been through the tunnel a couple of times, he decided it made a good napping spot and took the opportunity to lay down about halfway through! What a slacker!

In addition to the tunnel, we laid a ladder flat on the ground and let him walk over it, stepping over each rung. He went over it as if he'd been doing it since birth, not even looking fazed. Just for fun, as he was walking over the rungs, I asked him to "sit." He looked down at the ladder, took a moment to decide his next action, walked to the end of the ladder and sat right down. What a good boy! It was if you could actually see the wheels turning... "Sit? Here?! On the ladder? I'll sit, lady, but I have to move off this ladder first!" 

It was a good time, but tiring (of course) for Talos. He slept the entire drive home. We have some new things to work on, which will keep us busy until our next training get-together with SDV. You can apply a lot of the things we work on with the service dogs to your own dogs. For some fun, get a flat ladder (not a step ladder) out of the garage and lay it flat on the ground. Encourage your dog to experiment and step over the rungs. Use treats and praise to keep it fun for the dogs. It's a fun change of pace!

Summer Fun With the Dogs

This is the best time of the year in my opinion. Especially if you're in the mid-atlantic where we've had the most pleasant July I can remember. No humidity, temperate days - it's a fantastic time to be outside with the dogs. We have Labradors (Lily, the black Lab and Tango, the yellow Lab) who love the water. 

When we're at Lake Anna in Virginia, it's not unusual for them to spend 8 - 10 hours in the water each day. No naps, no rest - just go, go, go! 

And  Nemo, our Great Dane/Hound mix is also a water lover. His favorite past-time is racing Tango to the retriever toy - he's taller than Tango, so he very often beats Tango to the object because he can run through the water much further than Tango before he has to actually swim. 

What fun things do you do with your dogs in the summer?

  

Create Good Habits Instead of Breaking Bad Ones

If you've got a new dog or a brand new puppy, don't wait for bad habits to begin. Start your dog (or pup) from Day 1 with a clear set of rules and teach him what those rules are. To do this, you might want to start by making a list with two columns: MUST NOT DO and WOULD LIKE TO DO. Fill those columns up and then take a look at what you've got. 

For example, in the MUST NOT DO column, maybe you've written:

1. get on furniture
2. bark at other dogs 
3. pull on the leash  

And in the WOULD LIKE TO DO column, you've got these:

1. come when called 
   
2. sit politely for petting 
3. sit before going outside 

It's a good idea to get input from everyone in the family and then finalize the list together. You want everyone on the same page when it comes to the rules for the dog. 

Next, figure out how you can prevent the dog from doing the things in the first column, and how you can help the dogs do the things in the second column. And by "preventing", I don't mean "yelling at." If you don't want the dog on the furniture, for instance, don't allow him access to that room if you're not in the room to supervise. If you want your dog to come when called, use a pleasant voice (no demanding your dog come to you), and always have a really tasty goodie when he does show up (not a crunchy, hard dog treat, either - something worth coming for!). 

Avoid the word "No," when teaching your dog what to do. "No" doesn't give your dog any information to help him figure out what you want. And "no" only happens when you're around. So instead of learning what to do and what not to do, the dog is really learning when he can do something (when you're gone!!).

It's much easier to teach your dog good habits than it is to break habits. A little planning, consistency, and training can make the difference between a dog that drives you crazy and a dog you love to have around.

(The picture above was taken at Bark in the Park at the Frederick Keys stadium in Frederick, MD. Both Nemo and Talos are being well-behaved companions, despite the distractions of a baseball game, curious children, and noisy dogs.)   

The Doggie Pool

Nemo and Tango love their doggie pool. We fill it up with nice, cold, clear water and the dogs take daily dips every day in the summer. Nemo is giving Talos lessons on just what the pool is good for. Talos isn't interested in the pool for cooling off, but thinks it'll make a fine water bowl. 

Nemo Loves His Pool from Laurie Luck on Vimeo.

Ah summertime! Nemo loves his pool. Talos, not so much!