dog training Archives - Page 10 of 15

How Dogs Beat the Record Heat (Labradors Love Water!)

July 2, 2012

This was a pretty special weekend for us: Caysun turned 1 (June 30), it was my husband’s birthday (June 30), and we had a fantastic time beating the record heat wave that came through the mid-Atlantic region. And, as regular blog readers know, it was Caysun’s swan song weekend: she’ll be leaving us in exactly one week to continue her training at Service Dogs of Virginia. But we won’t bring this post down by talking about that dreadful day. That post’ll come, though, believe me.

Sure, the temps were over 100 degrees. But a with a lake, a boat, and swimming, those Labradors ate that heat wave up and spit it back out! Ain’t no heat gonna stop the Labradors from enjoying the lake!

Caysun also learned to really swim this weekend. She’s waded before, and she’s had to swim to shore after falling off the dock, but she learned to swim voluntarily. Once she had a little taste of it, we couldn’t keep her out of the lake. (We did have her in a doggie life vest when we took her out in the boat — better safe than sorry…)

Caysun, black Labrador pup, learning to swim. She's a service dog in training.

The first step is the hardest, Caysun!

Caysun and Tango

Tango LOVES the water and his bumper!

Caysun’s visiting the neighbor.

Labs, Labrador retriever, yellow Lab, black Lab,

Caysun loves to mess with Tango’s stuff.

Caysun, ready to swim off the boat!

Swimming is so tiring for Baby Caysun!

Tango and his trusty bumper.

Nemo is supervising the lake activities

Caysun’s a tired pup.

Service Dog Ike Has A Partner

May 31, 2012

Our sweet boy Ikey now has a partner! In Ike’s own words, as told to Hero Dogs:

I knew something was up, ’cause it started with a BATH. Then there was the new collar, the new harness, the new vest. I have never been fussed over so much in my life. Quite frankly, I was not sure if this was going to be a good thing, or a bad thing. Humans will sometimes try to sneak a trip to the vet or nail cutting in between all the loving and petting. Then I had a lot of special visitors – I got to see my mom and dad from my very first home, and my puppy raisers Laurie and Dana too! Another visitor came to the kennel. I got to come out of my kennel to greet him, but curiously none of the other dogs got to come out. I brought him a toy, which is really the only polite thing for a Labrador to do when he has a guest. Then I climbed in his lap and licked his face, which perhaps you might not consider to be polite, but he seemed to enjoy it and I know I did.

Then my new friend, whose name is Luke, took me outside to play for a while. Luke is an Army veteran and I think he’s used to standing up kind of straight, but I showed him the proper way to wag your entire body at once. Then we went over to the training room and practiced some easy stuff like “sit” and “down.” It was a little weird since Luke was not my usual trainer, but heck, he had a clicker and some snacks and seemed to know what to do with them, so I was happy to comply. We said goodbye and I went back to my kennel, but curiously, Luke came back the next day and we trained some more. Then the next day, and the next – it got to be so I was pretty excited to see Luke every morning. Especially since no one else seemed to be paying much attention to me anymore. Let me tell you though, we worked hard. Every day, four hours a day, for three weeks! We worked on all my obedience and my special skills; we drove in the car; we went to the vet (I KNEW it!!!); we went grocery shopping, to a couple of restaurants, even downtown Baltimore. I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard before! I will admit that I slept through most of the lectures and videos, though. And I think I caught Luke napping during one or two of them too.

Here are some of the things that Luke and I do together. He tries to trick me by accidentally dropping something when he is walking. I have to grab it and return it to him. I like to play “wake up” – that’s where I am allowed to put my paws on the bed and lick him silly when the alarm goes off. We also play the timer game. It’s kind of like hide-and-seek. When the timer goes off, I have to go find Luke and poke him with my nose until he pays attention. Then he says “What?” and I run back to the timer (that’s where they keep the snacks!) to remind Luke that it’s time for him to do something important. Same thing when someone knocks on the door – I have to run and get Luke and poke him with my nose until he will follow me to the door. If Luke’s wife, Cat, calls him, I get to bring Luke to her and then I get love from TWO people at once. Or sometimes Luke asks me to find her and I have to go bring Cat to Luke. Either way, that is paws-down my favorite game!

I can do other things for Luke too. Sometimes he may get dizzy and I will help steady him to sit or stand. I turn on the lights on the stairway so he can keep his hand on the railing. Being out in busy and noisy places can be pretty stressful for humans as well as dogs, apparently, but Luke and I have a secret sign. If he has had enough, he gives me the secret sign and I know it’s time to turn on the high-jumpin’, tail-waggin’, full-throttle Labrador charm. I don’t give up until he gives in and pets and plays with me. Then we usually just go find a quiet place to sit down and snuggle. Did I mention that I’m good with laps?

After our three weeks of hard work, I went home with Luke. I live there now with Luke and his wife Cat and two cats (don’t ask me to explain that) and my new girlfriend Maggie who is some kind of poodle-thing and it’s a good thing I have a nose or I couldn’t tell her front end from her back end, but she is cute and sure loves to play. Luke and I still work hard every day and we come back to Hero Dogs once a week for more practice. I guess there is going to be some kind of big test in a couple of months, but I’m not worried. Luke and I are tight. We’re in this together.

~Ike

We’re very proud of our Boggy Doggy and hope Luke and Ike have a fantastic new life together!

Dog Birthdays and Milestones

May 18, 2012

Exciting times in our household this week. Tango C Mango, the love of my life Labrador, turns 9 years old today! We’ll be having a little party to mark this fabulous day. We’ll party, take pictures, and pretty much overdo something that a dog doesn’t even know he should celebrate. I don’t actually buy presents for the dogs, but I do put a little something special in the birthday dog’s dinner bowl. And, of course, give them a little extra lovin’ all day long.

Tango came to us as a service pup in training. He (thankfully — shhh, don’t tell the service dog agency I said that) tested poorly for structure (bad shoulder), so after about a year with us, the agency released him and gave us the option of keeping him. I did a dance when I heard he could stay with us. Sorry, Service Dogs of Virginia, but I knew as soon as this dog came into my house that I would fall deeply in love and I wasn’t even a little bit disappointed that he wouldn’t be a service dog.

Tango so enjoys being in public and going places with us, that after he was released from service work, he had a tough time adjusting to life as a pet dog. Pet dogs don’t have access to stores, restaurants, doctor offices, etc. like the service dogs in training do, and poor Tango just couldn’t understand why suddenly he couldn’t come with me when I left for work. It didn’t take me long to get involved in therapy work with Tango and we’re still visiting elementary schools as a therapy team. Happy birthday to my most favorite dog in the whole wide world! Here’s to many, many more, Diggity Dig!

On the same service dog subject, our lovely little Baby Caysun will be leaving us in June. Oh, the heartbreak of service work! Why do they have to leave? [Of course, I know why they have to leave, but I still ask why because it’s so tough to give them up…]

Baby Caysun (or Caysun Louise, as I like to call her) has fit in here so well. Just the other day I Facebooked my dismay that I used the “L” word with her! And at the same time, she was snuggled firmly into my husband’s lap in the recliner. We remark almost every day at how well this little girl fits into our household and our existing family of dogs. It’s like she’s always been here. All the dogs like her, she’s not over-the-top even though she’s an adolescent Labrador, and she’s really very sweet and lovey.

Such is the life of service dog raisers. You know when you bring them home, little fluff balls of cuteness, that in a year or so you’ll be forced to give them back. And for the first two weeks, you’re so exhausted with the duties that an 8-week old puppy brings, that you don’t have time to think about the letting go part. It’s in the quiet moments, when they’re snuggled into your lap, chasing a butterfly, or watching the birds fly, that you start to realize just how much you like this little dog. That’s also when you start to push down the idea of giving them up. It’s almost like: if I don’t think about it, it won’t really happen. In 11 years, that’s happened only twice (two dogs were released before from the program before turn-in — Tango and Nemo).

We’ll definitely keep raising, so a new puppy is on the horizon. We’re hoping for another Dane. I’ll keep you posted!

I Am A Reactive Dog

April 27, 2012

I’m at K9 Nose Work Camp in Cleveland, GA. It’s in the foothills of the mountains, a beautiful place, really. But along with the beauty comes wildlife. I’m not a city-girl (not that there’s anything wrong with that), so I’m used to critters. Heck, I pick up bumblebees, save spiders, and move toads out of the dogs’ reach. I’m pro-wildlife.

Just as I’d moved everything into my cabin, this big old snake comes slithering by. I’m ok with snakes and other slithering creatures as long as they stay outside, especially if I’m inside.

After my snake encounter, I found myself jumping at slightest noise in the leaves. I investigated every room I entered, checking for a snake or lizard or salamander.

I now have a small idea of what reactive dogs go through. I know my reactivity isn’t logical. I know snakes don’t want to get close to me. However: I’m now hyper-vigilant whenever I hear something move in the leaves. I jump at the slightest movement or sound. It could be a bird hopping among the leaves, it doesn’t matter. I’m getting the heck away from there — and quick!

This morning, on my way to breakfast, yet again, something moved in the leaves. It’s been two days since my snake run-in (with no other snake spottings), but I yelped and jumped. Run first, investigate later.

My heart was racing and I felt almost angry. When further inspection revealed the creature that made the noise — a toad, for goodness sake! — I was rattled. A toad? I pick these things up all the time. I am definitely not afraid of a toad. But that one experience — and it wasn’t a terrible one, nothing awful happened to me (except I was scared) — has now molded my entire camp experience. If I had to live the rest of my life like this, I would be a very unhappy person. Thankfully, I know this reactivity will naturally fade.

If I were a dog, I think I would probably have bitten the closest thing to me. Just out of frustration, adrenaline, and anxiety. And if my owner hired a trainer who would correct me for my reaction to the noises in the leaves, I know I would bite! My reaction is reflexive – I’m not thinking before I yelp and jump. And lastly, being reactive is exhausting; it’s frustrating!

If you have a reactive dog, know that they aren’t being reactive just to annoy you. They aren’t reactive because they want to be. They’re reactive because they can’t help it.

My Old Dog

April 16, 2012

After our R.E.A.D. programs at the local elementary schools every week, Tango exits the schools then takes me on a short sniff walk.

He’s almost nine years old now. Our walks are a little different now than they were even two or three years ago. They’re more…aimless now. When he was younger, he’d follow my lead, keep up with my pace changes, look to me for where we were going and what we’d do.

Today, though, I noticed that Tango definitely led the walk. We went at his pace, he sniffed where he wanted, and he was much less open to my suggestions.

I’m not particularly keen on watching my boy age. There’s no alternative — no acceptable one, that is — to seeing him get old, I know that. But on today’s sniff walks, he seemed more “old man” than usual.

His face is getting gray, yes it’s true. You can see the old man face coming in. For a long time, I was so proud of his “puppy face.” Wherever we’d go, people would ask his age and be surprised when I’d say 5 or 6 — even 7 years old. “But he looks like just a pup!” they’d exclaim. I’d smile and say “yes, he’ll be forever a pup.”

Now, though, he’s growing into his old and wise face that comes only with age. I never thought about Tango aging. Why would I? He’d never be anywhere but by my side for the rest of my life, right? I don’t even need to think about life after Tango, do I?

Oh, he’s still spry and frisky and ready to roll — he’s not done living yet! (Regarless of my melancholy post…) He’ll still chase the tennis ball enthusiastically, he’ll still jump in and play with the others when the ruckus is just right. And as much as I love the face of an old dog, it does give me pause, makes my heart stop for just a beat, for I simply can’t bear to think about how quickly dogs live their lives.

Tango’s only nine — he’s got quite a few years left. And my melancholy mood will be fleeting, I’m sure. It just feels odd to enter another phase of Tango’s life — his mature years. It’ll take some getting used to on my part.

Part 2: Dog Body Language: How to Tell if a Dog is Happy, Frustrated, Scared, Annoyed

March 22, 2012

Imagine that from the minute you wake in the morning until you lay your head down at night, that someone is bugging you. You’ve got someone tugging on you, someone talking to you, you can’t get a moment to yourself. Not one second to yourself.

Now imagine that’s what happens every day. You’ve tried to hide from the person, you’ve tried giving them the slip, you’ve tried ignoring the person. Nothing. They’re still there, still bugging you. Every minute of every day.

Finally, you’ve had enough of it. You can’t take it anymore. You’ve got to do something about it. That person missed all your subtle signals, so you politely ask him (her?) to leave you alone. They don’t listen. And worse, you get chastized for even asking. How do you feel? Probably hopeless. Maybe frustrated. Possibly sad.

Do you think the person that politely asks for a little space, a little peace, a little quiet deserves to be chastized?

So why do we hold dogs to higher standards than we do people? Humans can at least talk the same language. We’re actually able to speak our minds and get some space. Dogs don’t have that ability – they must rely solely on body signals to communicate their needs, their state of mind.

When we ignore those signals, we’re setting the dog up for failure. That was my point in writing the blog post about Mr. Gibbs, the service dog for the three year old girl. I see a lot of “please give me a break” signals from Mr. Gibbs. And no one is either seeing those signals or doing anything to help the dog.

Remember the Denver news anchor, Kyle Dyer, who was bitten on live tv by a big white dog who had been rescued from a frozen river? That dog was screaming “Please back off!” but no one paid attention to his signals. I’ve embedded the video below along with my notes about all the communication signals the dog is offering to get a little bit of space.

0:01 – The dog is already licking his lips and flicking his tongue. These are both recognized dog stress signals. There are 8 tongue flicks in seven seconds. This dog is screaming “I’m uncomfortable!”

0:08 – Pause here. Look at how tight the collar and leash are on the dog. You’ll also see another tongue flick here. Also notice how the news anchor’s hands never leave the dog’s head. She’s all over him, never giving him any space.

0:16 – Now we’re getting a tongue-flick marathon. There are seven flicks in rapid succession, right before she leans into his face.

0:21 – With no means of escaping the woman in his face (he’s backed up into his owner’s legs and the leash and collar are too tight for him to move away), he bites the anchor.

Both Mr. Gibbs and the dog above were trying to communicate, trying to get people to give them some space. Both of their signals were either missed or ignored. I’m not drawing parallels between the Mr. Gibbs and the dog that bit Kyle Dyer — other than both of them had their stress signals ignored.

What I do know for certain, however, is that if Mr. Gibbs signals are ignored (or not understood), at best he’s in for a pretty miserable life. At worst, he’ll get tired of being laid on, pinched on a prong collar, and hit in the head with a swing. He may start to ignore the 3-year old even more than he’s already ignoring her — and for that he may get labeled stubborn and then forced to interact. And when his signals are again ignored, he may escalate his signaling to something he hopes the humans can understand: a growl. Unfortunately, many growling dogs are punished, effectively taking the very form of communication away from them that worked.

Ignoring a dog’s signals puts the dog in an unacceptable position. They either resign themselves to their fate or they speak up about it. Both are unfortunate options for a dog.

And both positions are entirely preventable.

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