Author Mom with Dogs

If you’re sick of hearing ccchhhhhtttttt, you’ll be happy to know that Dogwise is offering this DVD by Ian Dunbar and Jean Donaldson. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth viewing.

Here’s the blurb and link from Dogwise:

Many trainers today find themselves facing questions and comments from clients like “Why don’t you do it the way that guy on TV does it? I think my dog is being dominant and he needs to be shown who is boss.” While it is probably a good thing that so many people are interested in dog behavior that TV programs on the subject are increasingly popular, it is not such a good thing when the information presented is not based on sound methods or attempt to over-simplify what are often very complex behavioral problems.

So with this in mind, our friends at dogTec have teamed up with Jean Donaldson and Ian Dunbar to produce a 4 hours seminar DVD entitled Fighting Dominance in a Dog Whispering World to address just this very issue. So how do you respond to clients who ask the above question? How do you deal with the dominance issue which is often used to explain everything about dogs when in fact from a scientific perspective researchers know very little about it. Must viewing for any dog trainer or behaviorist who is wrestling with such issues in their business.

I remember how, as soon as the phone rang, as soon as I heard my brother’s voice, I knew my father had had a heart attack. Don’t ask me how I knew (because the call was in the middle of the day), but I knew. I woke my then 2 year old daughter from her nap, threw her in the car and started the race to my parents’ house.

And I knew when I got the call in the car before I picked it up that my father had died. I wasn’t going to get a chance to say goodbye. Or to tell him I loved him one last time.

There was a time when The Call and I were on all-too-familiar terms. Too many calls in way too short a span. Life’s like that, how it bunches up in places… Thankfully, the phone has been quiet for a few years now.

So when I had to call my daughter at school today, I could immediately hear the worry in her voice. “Mom, is everything okay?” I knew that in that short instant she had calculated all the possibilities.

She’s had to deal with more death at her young age than most people in their thirties, and any unexpected call immediately plugs into that place where her throat closes because all the air’s been sucked out of her lungs. And her reaction immediately plugged me into that place.

“Everything’s fine,” I quickly reassured her and went on to relay the reason for my call. (Nothing exciting, just a change in dentist appointments and I needed to pick her up sooner than originally planned.)

As I heard her finally exhale a deep breath, I knew she was reeling herself back from the black precipice.

“So, you feel like you dodged a bullet?” I teased.

She giggled a nervous giggle.

No, Death is never on holiday, but my daughter and I had a moment to remember and be thankful that he’s not ringing our phone today.

Goblins, witches, ghosts take flight
In the shadows of the night.
Children flock from house to house
Greeted by a pumpkin mouse.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

To continue on the Bus Stop theme, I thought I’d share how I got my dogs to stop barking like maniacs every time the bus rounded the corner. But first a little background on how I came upon the solution:

I have a friend who I aspire to be when I grow up. She is a retired Ph.D. psychologist and is well into her second career as a dog trainer. In my opinion, she ranks as one of the top trainers in the country. But she’s a private person, so if any of you live in western NC and need a good trainer, please contact me and I’ll put you in touch with her.

We were talking on the phone the other day, when a UPS truck drove up to her place. Naturally, her six dogs started barking. Instead of yelling at them to stop (which is what most people would do), she went outside and said to them, “So guys, something interesting out here? I see it’s the UPS truck. Thank you. Now let’s go inside.”

I could hear all the dogs scurry inside. Instead of continue to bark (which is what most dogs would do), I could hear them make a quiet round of muffled “mawoof” sounds. It was hysterical. They still needed to “talk” about the truck being outside, but Heide had taught them to use “inside voices.”

This stuck with me for days. Heide had helped her dogs take their natural urge and instinct to alert and protect, addressed it, and then redirected it. Instead of her standing outside yelling (from a dog’s perspective — joining in on the alert) at the dogs to be quiet, she checked out what the dogs were barking at, thanked the dogs for doing their jobs, and then let them know she would handle it from there — they could now step down, so to speak. And they did.

Which brings me back to the point of this post. Previously, when my two dogs, also very good alerters and protectors, would hear Cait’s school bus from half a mile down the road, they’d begin their race to the windows, accompanied by non-stop rat-a-tat-tat barking. My heart rate would instantly soar right along with their adrenalin rush.

Nothing I’d tried had realistically done anything to prevent this natural dog behavior. Oh, sure, I’d tried the “get them by the window and as soon as they start to bark, make them sit. And as soon as they’re quiet, treat them.” And I’d tried putting barking and being quiet on cue. With neither of those working, I tried temporarily shutting the dogs away. This wouldn’t stop the barking but rather just remove it somewhere deeper into the background noises of the house.

But I had a different motivation (Andrew) and inspiration (Heide) this time to get me to rethink this dilemma. As I mentioned, this year Cait’s bus arrival time changed from 8:50 am to an ungodly 6:40 am. Whereas, last year, Andrew would be sitting at the morning table with us, this year he hoped to still be sleeping soundly. (Since I’m an early riser anyway, I’m happy to let Andrew sleep in, for which he’s grateful.) But that meant I had to find a way to get the dogs to stop barking at the bus. Because nobody could sleep through that!

I started by naming the bus for them just before they could hear it coming down the road. “Hey guys, Cait’s bus is coming, let’s go look.”

They’d run to the window and start to bark, as expected.

Then I’d calmly say, “Yeah, I see Cait getting on the bus. Thanks. Now, it’s breakfast time. Come eat.” Since they already knew what that meant, they’d immediately shift from an alerting/barking reaction to a yay/food reaction and come running into the kitchen to eat.

I started each morning with us all going to the window and me telling them the bus was coming. Then, before they had a chance to bark, I’d immediately tell them to go to the kitchen for breakfast.

It only took a couple of mornings for them to make the connection on their own that the bus coming meant their breakfast was ready.Within a week, there was no more barking.

Now, I don’t even mention the bus coming or that breakfast’s ready. On their own, when they hear the bus, they run into the kitchen looking for their food.

In a nutshell, what I did was instead of trying to get them to stop barking at the bus (extinguish a behavior), I used the bus to cue them that something good was about to happen (teach an incompatible replacement behavior, meaning they can’t bark and eat at the same time).

And we all lived happily after.

For those of you who don’t have kids in middle school or high school yet, and are wondering why we need Daylight Savings Time — this is the reason. This picture was taken with a flash. Without, you’d see nothing but pitch black.

Which is why I wait with Cait with a flashlight until I see the lights of the bus coming around the bend. She’s not afraid of the dark. It’s what’s in the dark… It’s the bats still swooping overhead. The fox who screams. And the family of coyotes whose nightly path takes them across the road just down a couple of hundred yards from where she stands. Life in the country…

On another note, does anybody know what these weird lights are in the photo below? I checked the lens; that’s not it. And the spots and lights show up on different places in other pics I took this morning — but not on all shots. There was no rain or fog to refract light either. Curious…

Here’s a close-up. (All photos are unretouched — straight out of the camera.)

Whales-online.org offers this podcast with Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado and Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society. The interviewer and Marc discuss his new book Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect. Marc’s book considers the full spectrum of topics relating to animals in the human world including animal sentience and animal emotions.

From the Whales-online.org site: “Marc explains that the difference between humans and non-humans animals are differences in degree, rather than difference in kind, and that it is good science to say that animals experience emotions. He shares some important insights about the need for human society to learn to co-exist with animals, and how we should learn to adapt our lives to theirs rather than always asking them to adapt their lives to ours.”

I have to give Cait credit for finding Whales-online.org through her interest in dolphins. The site has a great kids section and they offer weekly podcasts featuring news and inside interviews with experts in the field of whale, dolphin and porpoise protection. The interviews range from kid-friendly (informal and conversational) to in-depth discussions.

This is the view from the top of Owl’s Head, one of Lake Placid’s shorter hikes — just over 2 miles up and back.

Cait and I were heading back after a long weekend at my mother’s (Andrew stayed home to get in the last of some golfing, while watching the dogs). Just as we were about to pass the road that led to the trail head, we looked at each other.

“Mom?” Cait nodded to the entrance.

“Sure,” I said, “why not?” And I swung down the road.

This, despite the fact that we had nothing but street shoes with us, and Cait’s comfy travel clothes would hardly qualify for haute hiking fashion.

It was such a spectacular day, we didn’t care. We started scrambling up like a couple of mountain goats.

We couldn’t believe our luck! We hit it just right–we had the whole trail to ourselves. Because, ironically, sometimes these wilderness trails can get as busy as Grand Central Station.

Only two things were missing to make it a perfect hike — Andrew, and a picnic lunch.

I hate how hard it is to upgrade! Grrr…. After two miserably failed attempts which have messed up my RSS feeds among causing other problems (if you read through an RSS feed, you may need to resubscribe to automatically get the current posts), I’m giving up! For now anyway.

Yes, for a few hours, I’d lost the whole kit and kaboodle into cyberspace! I’m happy to have recovered my old version for your viewing pleasure.

DNA testing has come a long way from the days when tests were exorbitantly expensive and results could take months to get. Today, you can order an inexpensive ($65) DNA test that can tell you what your mixed breed dog’s heritage is.

In an AP article, Nate Jenkins tells of how one woman did just that. She wanted to know the origins of her dog, Rascal.

I just love how this dog’s tail is wagging the whole time!

Thanks everyone for the well wishes; the writing is going well. I took a break from it this morning to finish putting my garden to bed, which gave me a chance to reflect on the past growing season.

Each year, I try a few new seeds. This year I planted Hokkaido Stella Blue squash and Dave Four-O-Seven quinoa. The squash has been a big hit –it’s sweet and buttery, and hardy. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best new seed I’ve tried in years. The quinoa was a bust; pretty much the whole crop developed rust.

Each year, I try a new experiment. This year I wanted to see how breaking vs. not breaking the scapes off my garlic plants affected the growth. Breaking scapes doubled the size and weight of the bulbs.

Each year, there is some aspect of the garden that makes that particular year distinctive. 2007 will go down as the Year of the Vines. They overran the whole place: pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, and grapes galore!

It’s been a memorable summer.

Because of these,

and these,

and these.

But most especially because of my beloved girl.

Kiera has not been well this summer. Her chronic Lyme is taking its toll. Any good thoughts and prayers you can send her way will be gratefully appreciated.

For the last few years, whenever Cait’s been in the car with me, I’ve looked for opportunities to teach her about safe driving. I figure if I can slide in little tips and warnings over time, they’ll stick better and become automatic for her when she’s driving. It’s my chance to start her driver’s education early.

On a recent night, it was foggy and raining, which gave me the chance to explain why low beams work better under these driving conditions than high beams.

Demonstrating, I flicked the high beams on. “See how the light refracts off the fog and actually makes it harder to see?” I said.

“Yeah, I see that,” Cait answered.

“Now look when I put the low beams back on,” I said, flicking the low beams on. “See how you can actually see further than with the high beams?”

“Yeah, I see, Mom,” Cait answered.

I continued my demonstration at different points along the road. Low beams. High beams. Low beams. High beams.

Cait finally put her hand on my arm, looked at me, and said,”Got it, Mom.”

Um, yeah. So, if you’re driving around these parts in a few years, and a car’s coming through the fog with its high beams on, I guess it’s safe to say it won’t be my daughter.

Actually, I don’t really know how old Graidy is. When we got him out of rescue, the vet guesstimated him at a year old, and since we’ve had him for three years as of today, that makes him fourish.

When I think about all the reasons why I love this dog, I guess this post from nearly a year ago would sum it up.

Angels Come in Many Forms

Early this morning, at 2 a.m., I was awoken by incessant barking coming from downstairs–not an altogether unheard of occurrence at our house, with so many wild animals engendering great interest as they traipse through our ten-acre kingdom.

I got up to check on where the missing Graidy was. Boy, was I never so happy to be roused from a sound sleep! As soon as I hit the upstairs hallway, I was bowled over by propane fumes. I got a towel to cover my nose and went downstairs to find Graidy standing there barking at the stove. One of the burners without a pilot light was turned on. It must have been on for several hours, the house stank so badly of propane fumes!

After opening all the windows and doors, and checking everyone’s breathing, I was very happy to still be alive with my family safe and quietly sleeping. Chalk one up for the Graidster!

That’s my boy.

You’re thinking about adding a loving addition to your family. No, not another kid; you either have enough of those or you’re not quite ready to start down that path. So what’s the perfect choice? Yep, dogs.

There are more than 400 breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC) and the National Kennel Club (NKC). That’s without including all the combinations of mixed breeds, which can push the selection options up into the thousands. So how do you go about narrowing down your choices as to which breed/mix would make the best fit?

First, it helps to understand that, for centuries, dogs have been selectively bred to perform specific jobs to help out their humans. That means that certain behaviors are hard-wired into certain breeds; it’s in the genes. Therefore, unlike humans, dogs can’t change jobs. That means, plain and simple, herding dogs are going to herd (read chase and possibly nip anything that moves, especially young kids), and retrievers are going to retrieve (read prefer to have something in their mouths, ideally some part of you), and terriers are going hunt and kill vermin (read tunnel under fencing and dig up your flowers), and so on, and so on, and so on.

By knowing a breed’s innate tendencies, you can begin to narrow down the kind of dog that would — and just as importantly, would not – fit your lifestyle. For example, if you’re an outdoor fanatic who loves to run, any of the sporting breeds could be a good match. Or, conversely, if you’re a couch potato who doesn’t want to worry about exercising your dog, one of the toy breeds might be perfect for you. Then again, if you have small children, it wouldn’t be a good idea to start off with a herding breed.

The AKC divides dog breeds into the following groups based on the uses for which the breeds were developed: Herding dogs, working dogs, sporting dogs, non-sporting dogs, hound dogs, terrier dogs, toy dogs, and a miscellaneous catch-all group for the rest of the dogs.

Herding dogs were bred to have the ability to control movement of other animals, even though most of them will never get to use that talent in the way it was intended, on a farm animal. These dogs are often extremely motion-sensitive, and will be chasers if not directed. They are intelligent dogs, easy to train, often bonding strongly with one person. These dogs need a job or they will make one for themselves.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Herding Group are Australian Shepherds and Cattle dogs, Collies, German Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Welsh Corgis.

Working dogs were bred to guard, pull sleds, and perform rescues (on both water and land). Their jobs often require that they think independently. Their considerable size and strength make many working dogs not suitable for average families. Training is key for these dogs.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Working Group are the AKita, Alaskan Malamute, Swiss Mountain Dog, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, and Siberian Husky.

Sporting dogs were bred for hunting and other field activities such as retrieving. Often dogs with some of the easiest temperaments for families to live with, these guys need regular, invigorating exercise.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Sporting Groups are Spaniels (Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, etc), Retrievers (Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, etc), Pointers (German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointer, etc), and Setters (Irish and English Setter, etc.).

Non-Sporting dogs are a diverse group originally placed together because they were developed for specific tasks (which are often no longer needed). Personality and traits vary significantly in this group, so more than any other group, it’s important to consult with breeders and vets to make sure the dog you’re thinking about would fit your lifestyle.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Non-Sporting Groups are the Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Dalmation, Lhasa Apso, Poodle, and Shar-pei.

Hound dogs were bred for hunting. There are scent hounds, sight hounds, and some with extraordinary stamina to keep on a track for hours. Of all of the breeds, this group has some of the lowest incidence of dog-dog aggression because they often have to work in packs.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Hound Group are the Afghan Hound, Basset Hound, Beagle, Coonhound, Dachshund, Foxhound, Greyhound, and Whippet.

Terriers were bred to hunt and kill vermin. They often possess feisty personalities with lots of energy, and may not tolerate other pets. Don’t be fooled by this group’s cute looks. These are tough dogs who require owners with a firm, guiding hand.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Terrier Group are The Airedale Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Fox Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Welsh Terrier, and Wheaton Terrier.

Toy Dogs are just what you’d expect, diminutive in size, though not necessarily in personality. These dogs are perfect for people who don’t have a lot of space, want a lap dog, and don’t have time for hours of exercise.

Some of the dogs you might be familiar with in the Toy Group are the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Havanese, Maltese, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle, Pug, Shih Tzu, and Yorkshire Terrier.

If you’re not sure what dog you want, you can start with this Dog Breed Selector. There, you’ll be prompted to fill out a questionnaire on such matters as size, coat, job description (what it is bred to do), exercise needs, intelligence, ease of training, age of children, yard size, time spent at home, and so on. Once completed, you’ll be given a list of dogs to investigate that fit your preferences.

From there you can move onto investigating the more specific qualities of each breed at the following two sites:

Breed FAQ Sheets.

Dog Breed Characteristics (scroll down).

Bringing home a dog or puppy is a huge committment of at least a decade. There are already far too many dogs killed daily in shelters across the country because their owners didn’t stop to think first. Don’t be one of them. Do your homework first. Educate yourself. Research thoroughly the breeds you’re considering; talk to breeders, vets, trainers, and people who own these dogs. And then LISTEN to what they say. If they say such-and-such breed needs extra socializing or fencing, or training, or exercise, etc., be prepared to do that or wind up with a problem dog.

And if you do your homework, listen, and learn, you can join the ranks of millions of people who are blessed with the love of a dog meant just for them. Because, when you’re matched with the right dog, it just doesn’t get any better.

Recommended Reading

• Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family
• The Perfect Match: A Dog Buyer\’s Guide (Howell Reference Books)
• The Complete Idiot\’s Guide to Getting and Owning a Dog
• Right Dog For You
• The Complete Dog Book: The Photograph, History and Official Standard of Every Breed Admitted to Akc Registration, and the Selection, Training, Breed
• The Chosen Puppy: How to Select and Raise a Great Puppy from an Animal Shelter