The Smart Dog U Blog

Talos Doesn't Like Sharing the Bed

I was never allowed to sleep with a specific stuffed animal when I was a kid, which probably explains why I now sleep with Puppy every night. No matter what.

Puppy is 26 years old. He travels with me whether I'm working, going camping, or traveling to Europe.

Puppy has survived eight real-life puppies. He's very important to me. Curiously, I've been finding Puppy on the floor a lot lately. Thinking I was just being sloppy, I took the blame for poor Puppy's position on the floor.

Until, that is, I walked into the bedroom one evening and saw Talos rooting and digging. And throwing Puppy over the edge.

I couldn't believe it. It just couldn't be. Talos was giving Puppy the boot! I've now seen Talos perform this maneuver several times.

Last night I got it on video.

The Year According to Talos

One year ago today, a little Great Dane appeared. He was but a wee thing. He could actually fit on my lap quite comfortably.

One year later, that itty bitty Dane is a giant. He's 150 pounds of goofy. And he still likes to sit in my lap. 

He's come a long way in one year. Three weeks after coming to live with us, he attended his first public event: a social media conference at the Frederick Chamber of Commerce. A little wee pup then, he slept through most of it (thankfully). As he grew, it became clear he was fond of public events so we attended another conference together. We were also brave enough to actually present at a social media conference. He was the ultimate professional - he laid quietly while I gave my part of the presentation.

I'd always wanted a Dane so when the service dog agency mentioned trying a couple out, I signed on immediately. I knew I'd love a Dane, but it's one thing to love a breed of dog and whole other thing to actually live with a dog that large.

He's messy - his mouth leaks when he drinks. And drool flies when he shakes his head. He's a furniture hog: he takes up 3/4 of the couch and an entire half of the bed (sometimes more). He's big, he's clumsy. He's absolutely goofy. He's a leaner and will knock you over if you're not careful.

And oh how I love him. I love his big-ness. I love his blue eyes. I love his crazy brown spots. I love when he lays his gigantic head on my hand when I'm scratching his chin. I love the one tail thump when he hears me come into the room. (Danes, unlike Labs, dole out tail wags much more judiciously, as if they're very expensive.)

And as I celebrate Talos' one year anniversary, I must also acknowledge that every day we get closer to the date when I must take him back into the service dog agency. It's a bittersweet job. One one hand, there's thrill of seeing a pup grow into a well-behaved dog. There's also the absolute joy of being able to enjoy taking him everywhere I go: to the doctor, grocery store, conferences, everywhere.

But on the other hand, well, that's where I fall apart. I won't dwell on that side of things here. This is a celebration of Talos' one year anniversary with us.

Exercise + Fewer Calories = Healthier

I had Tango at the vet last week and his weight has gone up to a staggering 75 pounds. He's fat.

All of us put a few pounds on over the winter, but the numbers on the scale really surprised me. Tango should weigh about 65 pounds - definitely not 75 pounds.

The picture of him tugging on the hose shows him at a really good weight - that's about 62 pounds I believe. He was younger there - and clearly more fit than he is now.

I, too, am growing older. And, ahem, wider. So Tango and I are going on a diet together. We're going to get more exercise together. It's easier when you have a partner, they say.

I've cut the snacks for us both waaay down. Gone are the days of four rawhides a day. And sharing my lunch with him. True confession time: every Wednesday after our R.E.A.D. sessions, Tango and I would share a hamburger and small fries from McDonald's. Looks like we'll be switching to one of those delicious oatmeals for lunch (they're surprisingly good!).

I'm going to bump the exercise up for us both, as well. We've got a nice big yard, but clearly that's not enough. For either of us. So we'll start walking each morning. Tango's got a bum shoulder so we can only do about three miles before it starts bothering him. But at this point, any exercise is good, even if it's only a mile!

I'll post updates here about our progress. Hopefully in a few months, there'll be less of us both!

Opposites Attract

We had the misfortune opportunity to dogsit my parent's monster dog, Copper earlier this week. She's been with them for a couple years now, rescued from the local shelter in Virginia.

She and Talos adore each other. They wreck run through the house, barking and playing, until they collapse. They're enamored, truly.

I can't say the same for the other dogs in the house - they're not particularly fond of Copper. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say Copper's not too keen on them.

She's a pain in the neck lot of dog. She's definitely not a dog for a novice dog owner. If she were human, you'd call her, well, I don't really use that kind of language here on the blog. Let's just say this: if she were a human, she'd be the boss of everyone.

She's especially rough on Tango and Lily. If I don't put her in solitary confinement watch her, she'll try to control every move they make. They're (unfortunately) nice enough to take it from her. When she's commandeering visiting our house, Tango can't retrieve the tennis ball if she's around. She'll go after him immediately - and not in a nice way. She's an idiot "up" and "on her toes" kinda dog. 

Talos seems to be immune to her bossiness. I know I'm anthropomorphizing here, but I'd venture to say that he laughs at her antics. It looks as if he's saying "That's all you've got?" As much as she tries to boss him around, he'll have none of it. Not because he's bullying back, just because he doesn't take her seriously.

Thankfully, her stay with us was only an overnight one and she's now back with my parents. It was quite sad to see Talos' face, though, when my parents put her in their car and left our driveway. She, too, looked longingly at Talos from the backseat, her eyes never leaving him as the car went up the street.

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that some of our dogs are clearly uncomfortable when she visits, while another dog finds her completely irresistible. I mean, how many times have you said about a friend "I don't know what he sees in her!" I guess opposites attract in the dog world as often as they do in our own world.

Puppy Knowledge

Puppies are wonderful little creatures. They've got fat little bellies and everything they do is cute.

Puppies are blank slates. They don't have any bad habits. They need to learn everything. Take some time when your pup is still a pup and teach them good habits instead of letting them develop bad ones.

We had three pups at a recent Puppy Social. Two of them were terrier mixes and one was a sporting dog. They were all babies and all of them had different personalities.

The youngest, the sporting dog, had the least experience of course. He was tentative, but curious. He wanted to explore at his own pace and not be bothered by the other two (quite rambunctious and friendly) pups.

At Puppy Social, we let pups explore their surroundings on their own schedule. I like to look at each pup and get a feel for them. This little sporting dog was definitely feeling out of his element. He has another dog at home, an adolescent sporting dog. He gets along great with his big brother, but when meeting new friends, he's a bit on the shy side.

There's nothing wrong with that. But it does mean that the owner will have to do a little more work getting the little guy out and about, allowing him to experience the world as pleasant and fun.

The socialization window closes between 16 and 20 weeks of age - you don't have long to get your pup out to explore the world. So don't wait - get your really good treats, get your pup and go out and take lots of walks where you can show your pup how wonderful the world can be. Let your pup explore at his own pace - never force your pup to go meet another dog, person, or object. If your pup looks scared, create a safe-zone where the pup can look, but can't be reached by whatever he finds scary.

Just getting your pup out and having fun with him will go a long way to developing your pup into a well-adjusted dog.

As Talos' time with us comes to an end, it's dawning on us that we'll be bringing a new pup into our home soon. I'm already thinking of socialization opportunities for the new pup. It's never too early to start planning!

Birthday Boy!

Eight years ago today, a little yellow Labrador was born. I didn't know then that the best dog ever had been born. I wouldn't meet him for nine weeks and I thought he'd be just one of another service dog we'd raise. Little did I know deeply in love I'd fall for Tango. Or how happy I'd be when he didn't make it to his final destination as a service dog due to shoulder trouble. Happy 8th Birthday Tango! Here's hoping for many more years and fun adventures together!

Let Them Look

I talk a lot about socialization on this blog. Talos is over a year now and I'm still socializing him. You've heard the mantra: the critical period for socialization is up to age 20 weeks. Here's the important part: socialization never stops!

This morning was filled with errands. I took Talos with me, of course, and he learned a lot today. Our first stop was a networking meeting at 7:00a. He doesn't normally get out of bed until 9:00a, so he was quite the sleepy-head (which means he was quiet and well-behaved). 

As the morning wore on, the activity ramped up: Walmart, the bank, and Costco, he livened up a bit as his brain got used to being awake.

We were in Walmart when a loud, wobbly cart came through the aisle. It was one of those huge carts - the big plastic ones where the kid sits inside like it's a train car (or something like that). Talos noticed the noise before I did and peeked out into the main aisle to investigate. I know his body language - this wasn't an "I wanna go see that," it was more of "What the heck is that noise? And will it hurt me?"

Ah, perfect teaching moment for a dog. I quietly reassured him (put my hand on his back) and allowed him enough leash so he could get a good view of the source of the noise. He backed up a few paces as it got closer to us, but as it passed he stretched his neck to see if he could get any more information from it's scent. He didn't try to bolt, he didn't growl or bark, he just wanted to gather more information.

From my perspective, that's a really good thing. Talos is with a puppy raiser to learn all about the world. The scary noises, the funny looking carts, the weird smells in the parking lots, and the list goes on.

I could have demanded that he ignore the noise. I could have insisted that he pay attention to me. I could have assumed he was blowing me off or blocking me out. But that not only would have been wrong, it would have also been stupid. Instead of focusing on me, I focused on Talos - what's the best thing for him? Certainly giving him more information so he could determine the situation was safe was the right answer -- for both of us.

The same goes for you, too, if you're socializing your puppy (or continuing to socialize your dog). If your dog isn't paying attention to you or following your requests, it's your job to find out why. Is the situation overwhelming? Are the noises too loud? Is your dog surrounded by too many kids? Are too many hands reaching in to pet him? Are five different people talking to him? Does he need time to investigate and gather more information?

Your job, whether you're a puppy raiser for service dogs or you're raising your own pet dog, is to give your dog the tools and information he needs. Your job is to educate. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to give your dog more information. You'll have a well-adjusted, easy-going dog as a result. And here's the bonus: you'll be much better at noticing and and reading your dog's signals, too!

Horses and Hounds

I should have been born into the horse world. I was one of those girls who wished for a horse for every birthday and wound up crying every birthday because I never got one. I honestly think that's why I'm so in love with big dogs, especially the giant breeds like the Danes and the Mastiffs. They're almost like horses. When Talos gallops past me in the backyard, the ground vibrates. If I close my eyes, I can convince myself that I'm sharing the backyard with a horse.

A couple weeks ago, I found my calling in life. I should be a recklessly wealthy woman living on several hundred acres with both a stable full of horses and a kennel full of dogs. Well, not really a kennel - all my dogs would be house dogs. But that's just a minor detail. Back to my newfound calling...

I went to the Howard County Iron Bridge Hound Race a couple weeks ago. It wasn't a race for hounds, it was a horse race over rolling meadows, through the woods, and over some pretty impressive jumps. It was dog-friendly so Nemo accompanied us. 

Unfortunately, Nemo didn't share my love of horses. He was quite suspicious of the large, snorting, smelly things if we're being honest.

At the conclusion of the race, this really nice man (the keeper of the hounds) let us come out and get our picture taken with him and his horse. As you can see from the top picture, Nemo really didn't want a whole lot to do with the situation. The rider was patient and spoke softly and calmly to Nemo, who obliged us, but would not untuck his tail. He has his limit, I suppose, and we were just a tad over it.

The day was great fun for all of us. I am asking for a horse for my birthday. And a 300-acre farm. And 30 hounds.

Kids: Don't Do THIS

We're one of the few people in our neighborhood with a "real" fence. It's made of wood and wire. It's not invisible and it doesn't have electric current running through it. You can see it. You can't come in to our yard unless you really try.

I took this picture Sunday afternoon. Some of the neighbor kids came over to see the dogs - which is fine. The dogs usually have a good time, the kids love watching the dogs.

Except this time, I see the one of the kids climbing the fence and reaching into the yard. Parents listen up: THIS IS NEVER GOOD!

Parents:

1. ALWAYS supervise your kids, especially if dogs are involved. Yes, even if the dogs are friendly and nice.
   
2. TEACH your kids how to interact appropriately with dogs. That means
3. • Asking the owners if they can say hi to the dogs
   • NEVER reaching over a fence to pet any dog and
   • Not climbing on fences.

Our dogs are nice, well-mannered dogs. But they're dogs. They get excited. They have teeth. They get rambunctious. I'm not naive enough to think my dogs will never bite; that they're not capable of biting. They're dogs: they'll definitely bite if the circumstances are right.

And running up to a fence, climbing on the rails, and leaning into our yard is definitely not a good idea. It was a perfect teaching moment...if only the parents were around. My husband educated the kids as best he could without resorting to scolding (at which point the educational opportunity vanishes). He explained that walking to the fence, calling the dogs' by name, asking them to sit (the dogs have all learned to sit on cue if someone outside the fence asks), kneeling down, and then petting the dogs is the best way to say Hi.

In general, we've got great neighbor kids. And for the most part they've got great dog-skills. And our dogs really do like the visits. I don't want the kids to think that all dogs are friendly and tolerant like ours - a little bit of education might save these kids -- and their parents -- a lot of pain and plastic surgery by preventing a dog bite.

MINE! How to Deal With A Selfish Dog

It happened in a flash. Tango was trying to go from the kitchen into the dining room. I didn’t know it, but Talos was hiding a rawhide in there and he bit Tango before I knew what happened. All I heard was a big growl, a surprised yipe, and then I yelled “Hey!” (That’s my standard interrupter for disagreements.)

I could tell there was damage, I just didn’t know how much or how severe. A quick check revealed a big hole in Tango’s ear. And lots of blood. All’s well now, Tango’s ear will have a notch missing, but he’ll be fine. This month’s newsletter will look at resource guarding (RG): what it is, how to recognize it, and things you can do to help reduce it.

Talos’ behavior is classic example of RG. Talos guards things he classifies as “high value:” a rawhide or a meaty bone. RG is a normal behavior, but it’s rarely appropriate behavior. What’s the difference, you ask? Well, it’s normal because it’s what dogs had to do throughout the course of time to survive. If a dog came across a deer carcass, he had to guard it from other predators or else he’d go hungry. That’s normal and appropriate. If the dog didn’t guard the carcass, he’d lose it. RG is inappropriate when there’s no real threat of losing something or when the resource isn’t valuable to the other party (be it person or dog).

A guarder usually hunkers down over his object, gives a hard stare to anyone who looks at or comes toward the object, he’ll growl, he might bare his teeth, and he may lunge and/or bite. If the dog is guarding a location, say the couch or the bed, he may lower his head, stiffen, growl, and then, if those other warning signals are ignored, bite.

Most people do the wrong things when they notice a RG problem. While it may make sense to tell the dog “No!” when he growls, that’s the worst thing to do. By telling the dog not to growl, you’re merely eliminating a warning sign without addressing the real problem.

If you notice your dog developing a RG problem, the first thing to do is manage the problem. This means feeding the guarder separately if he’s guarding his food bowl. Or giving him a rawhide in his crate or in a different room (and blocking access to that room). Or by just eliminating rawhides or other high value items from your RG dog. You’re preventing the guarder from practicing his inappropriate guarding, and that keeps the behavior from becoming a habit.

If the dog guards space, don’t allow the dog into that space. If he guards the couch, then he’s no longer allowed on the couch. For safety, let the dog drag a leash when you’re home so you can remove the dog from the couch without putting your hands on the dog.

Avoid physical confrontation at all costs. Physical force or intimidation is never a good strategy when working with resource guarding (or any problem!) and this can make the problem worse.

Management is often the optimal tool for food, rawhide, and toy guarders - it’s usually much easier to simply separate the dogs when eating or enjoying a rawhide. If the dog is also aggressive toward people in the presence of food or rawhides, then feeding in the crate is the only safe way for the dog to eat or enjoy rawhides. A qualified positive reinforcement trainer or veterinary behaviorist is necessary in cases of aggressive RG.

If the dog guards space, simply teaching the dog a “touch” or targeting behavior can be enough to diffuse the situation. Teaching the dog to touch his nose to your hand is called targeting and comes in handy for space guarders: If the dog is on the couch, it’s very simple to give the “touch” cue and the dog will then jump off the sofa to touch your hand. A click and a treat is all that’s necessary, the dog is now safely on the floor, and you can enjoy the sofa.

Puppy owners can do a few things to ensure their dog doesn’t become a RG. First: don’t take the dog’s bowl away “just to show him you can.” That’s a great way for the pup to learn that when you approach, his food disappears - you can actually create a guarding dog this way. Instead, sit with the pup while he’s eating and drop a pea-sized piece of chicken into his bowl every few seconds. Make sure everyone in the house participates, even children. Be sure to supervise closely the interactions between the child and the dog during this training. They shouldn’t play in the food bowl or pet the dog. Simply drop the chicken in and wait a few seconds before dropping another piece in.

As the pup learns that good things happen when hands approach his food bowl, begin to walk up to the food bowl to drop the chicken in.  After you drop the chicken in, take a few steps past the bowl, turn around, approach again and drop another piece of chicken in. When the pup is wagging his tail expectantly every time you approach is food bowl, you can then pick up the food bowl, put the chicken in, and give the food bowl immediately back to the pup. Never tease the pup with the food bowl.

It’s important to teach your dog to nicely give up items he has in his mouth. Too often, resource guarding is created when owners only approach the dog to take away something the dog has. The dog learns very quickly to dread the owner’s approach, particularly if he has something in his mouth.

The same protocol can be used for this as was used for the food bowl. When your dog has a toy, approach him with happy voice and offer him a pea-sized piece of chicken. He’ll probably drop his toy to take the treat. Pick up the toy while he’s eating the chicken and offer it to him immediately. Continue to exchange chicken for toy randomly throughout the day. You can start to put a name on it like “thank you,” or “give.”

It’s much easier to prevent RG than it is to treat it, so even if your dog hasn’t shown any signs of trouble, it’s easy to teach your dog that your approach is a good thing. Have fun training!