I think my days as a celebrity may be over. I did what could have been my last library event yesterday. My mom and I have been thinking about retiring from our therapy group when our certification expires in March because we just don't enjoy it like we used to. I'm getting a little older, I have arthritis, and I'm much less patient with children that are too pushy or won't listen when Mom tells them not to poke me in the eye.
I used to really enjoy therapy work, but at a library event in Manhattan Beach recently, something happened to me that has never happened. I was scared by a child. I didn't like her. She liked me, but all I wanted to do was hide behind Mom. Mom has always said that once I don't like doing this anymore that she would stop doing it since making her dogs happy is more important than her training. So we've been wrestling with what to do in March for several months now.
And yesterday seemed like a good way to go out on top (ala Michael Jordan ... the first time). I am a celebrity at the Lawndale Library. I'm always the first dog to have full signups and kids yell out as I'm coming "It's Chubbs! It's Chubbs!" The whole time, kids want to come sit by me, pet me, show me their books and shake my hand. The librarian always thanks us for coming and gives us treats. She's says I'm everyone's favorite.
I was a hit again this time, and I behaved really well. I even looked at the books sometimes, which I don't always do. I didn't whine when the other dogs came in, and there were some really nice kids this time who kept petting me politely and telling me that I was cute. Which I am. Have I mentioned that yet today?
We may get recertified just so I can go back there. However, it's pretty expensive... Maybe they would let me come visit sometimes anyway. Oh well, we have another three months to decide. In the meantime, I have lots of other work to do, helping my mom teach puppies how to be polite. It's a tough life.
Love, Chubbs
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Stuck with a Needle
Well, I'm well into my human-allergy treatment, and I have to tell you fellow dogs and dog lovers, it's no fun. I have to get vaccinated every week right now, but up until this week, it was every two days. I have to tell you, I didn't like it one bit.
On the third day, I decided to outsmart my parents by running into a crate where they couldn't get me. So they pretended to do other things and left a bunch of treats on the ground. When I came out, bam! They caught me. I tried to bite my daddy out of frustration, but that didn't really solve anything either.
Luckily, my mommy doesn't believe that I'm biting her to be dominant. She knows that I'm doing it out of fear and that forceful methods will make me more scared. So she has tried to make vaccinations more fun for me. Even though I'm not really supposed to eat within an hour of vaccination, she gives me a giant treat, and while I eat it, I get vaccinated. Believe me, I still notice. And I even pause when the needle goes in, but I love treats, and the vaccination is pretty quick if I don't try to bite.
So I guess, if I have to be vaccinated, at least I get a big yummy treat. Thanks, Mom!
Love, Fenway
On the third day, I decided to outsmart my parents by running into a crate where they couldn't get me. So they pretended to do other things and left a bunch of treats on the ground. When I came out, bam! They caught me. I tried to bite my daddy out of frustration, but that didn't really solve anything either.
Luckily, my mommy doesn't believe that I'm biting her to be dominant. She knows that I'm doing it out of fear and that forceful methods will make me more scared. So she has tried to make vaccinations more fun for me. Even though I'm not really supposed to eat within an hour of vaccination, she gives me a giant treat, and while I eat it, I get vaccinated. Believe me, I still notice. And I even pause when the needle goes in, but I love treats, and the vaccination is pretty quick if I don't try to bite.
So I guess, if I have to be vaccinated, at least I get a big yummy treat. Thanks, Mom!
Love, Fenway
Monday, November 16, 2009
Allergic to Humans
Those of you in rescue groups have heard it before, right? "I love my dog, but I'm allergic. I have to give him up." Well, next time, tell them about me. I'm allergic to humans! A couple of thousands of dollars of allergy tests and treatments have revealed that I'm allergic to cats, birds, dandelions, a couple other types of weeds, three types of molds and humans. My allergy test was described by the specialist as "one of the more severe I've seen."
So, now what do I do? If I try to rehome my humans and find hypoallergenic ones, I would have to say good-bye to the ones I really love. Think of it. They feed me a raw meat diet, they take me on walks every day, they play with me, they let me sleep on the furniture (even though that is making my allergies worse) and they spend lots of money to make sure I'm healthy. What if the hypoallergenic humans aren't as fun or nice? What if they have tempers, like my first human, and beat me?
Of course, I have decided to keep my humans. How do we make this work? Well, according to the information sheet, I can't be allowed on any furniture or carpet that they are on. Since our whole house is carpet and furniture, that doesn't make sense. The compromise is that they must dust and vaccuum two or three times a week, and I can't be in the house for an hour afterward (long walks, yea!). They have to wash all my bedding and toys and their bedding once a week in hot water. They have to cover all the furniture with hypoallergenic covers. I have to have shots every two weeks for the rest of my life.
But isn't it all worth it when you find the humans that you love? I can't imagine giving them up.
Love, Fenway
So, now what do I do? If I try to rehome my humans and find hypoallergenic ones, I would have to say good-bye to the ones I really love. Think of it. They feed me a raw meat diet, they take me on walks every day, they play with me, they let me sleep on the furniture (even though that is making my allergies worse) and they spend lots of money to make sure I'm healthy. What if the hypoallergenic humans aren't as fun or nice? What if they have tempers, like my first human, and beat me?
Of course, I have decided to keep my humans. How do we make this work? Well, according to the information sheet, I can't be allowed on any furniture or carpet that they are on. Since our whole house is carpet and furniture, that doesn't make sense. The compromise is that they must dust and vaccuum two or three times a week, and I can't be in the house for an hour afterward (long walks, yea!). They have to wash all my bedding and toys and their bedding once a week in hot water. They have to cover all the furniture with hypoallergenic covers. I have to have shots every two weeks for the rest of my life.
But isn't it all worth it when you find the humans that you love? I can't imagine giving them up.
Love, Fenway
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Still Touching
Well, we hit a little snag in our touch training this week. I don't like it. I'm a little nervous touching with my nose since I'm bringing my mouth close to something I can't bite. But I'm very happy to touch with my paw.
My mom says that training is about being flexible to the way each individual dog learns best. She also says that a part of her development as a trainer -- and a person -- is learning to accept me for who I am and accept my limitations. I'm very grateful to her for this. We are best friends, and sometimes friendship means embracing imperfections.
Thus, my mom has changed her training around. She said if nose touch is too scary with her, it will be to scary to transfer to the person she wants me to like. So she is letting me touch with my foot. That is my instinct and I like it. Every time my mom says touch and puts out her flat hand, I now touch her with my foot. I'm so good at it that I don't even get a treat every time anymore. (This is a bad tactic, fellow dogs. Stay bad at things so you get more treats!)
Remember, everyone, sometimes dog training involves flexibility -- and accepting your friend for who is, not who you hoped he would be. Have fun training!
Love, Muggsy
My mom says that training is about being flexible to the way each individual dog learns best. She also says that a part of her development as a trainer -- and a person -- is learning to accept me for who I am and accept my limitations. I'm very grateful to her for this. We are best friends, and sometimes friendship means embracing imperfections.
Thus, my mom has changed her training around. She said if nose touch is too scary with her, it will be to scary to transfer to the person she wants me to like. So she is letting me touch with my foot. That is my instinct and I like it. Every time my mom says touch and puts out her flat hand, I now touch her with my foot. I'm so good at it that I don't even get a treat every time anymore. (This is a bad tactic, fellow dogs. Stay bad at things so you get more treats!)
Remember, everyone, sometimes dog training involves flexibility -- and accepting your friend for who is, not who you hoped he would be. Have fun training!
Love, Muggsy
Friday, October 30, 2009
Just One Touch
As we have said before, when our mom attends a dog training seminar, she always comes back with lots of new ideas that she wants to try on us. Any good trainer should do this, and when looking for a dog trainer, you should ask about their continuing education. However, as a dog trainer's dog, it's pretty annoying.
Mom just got back from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers annual dog conference (and received a new certification, yea!) with lots of new ideas for her classes and working with reactive dogs, which was the focus of this year's conference. Guess who's reactive in this house -- yup, me.
Kathy Sdao gave a talk about teaching dogs with a fear of people to become more comfortable approaching strangers. It begins with teaching "touch." This is a really good skill for reactive dogs because it gives us something to do instead of stare at the thing we are afraid of. My mom loves to teach focus, which means look at me instead of the scary thing, but touch is a more active reaction, and some dogs respond to it much better.
To teach "touch," you just put out your hand in front of your dog's nose. If your dog touches it, say "good" and give a treat. Repeat this til your dog is seeking out your hand all the time. This should be taught in a quiet environment that isn't stressful for your dog.
When he's doing that well, you start doing it in more distracting environments. Then, when your dog sees something scary and you say "touch," he knows to turn away from the scary thing and touch your hand. He gets rewarded and is happy. This begins to create a positive association. (You should never have your dog touch someone else. That will just increase his fright. The touch should always be you.)
My mom has never taught me this because she has taught me lots of other things instead, but since learning about this new "transfer touch" technique, she has decided to renew her interest in touch. So I'm practicing that now. I'm really smart so I learn new behaviors fast. When she starts teaching me the "transfer touch" stuff, I will tell you what it's like.
I hope it's not too scary! Love, Muggsy
Mom just got back from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers annual dog conference (and received a new certification, yea!) with lots of new ideas for her classes and working with reactive dogs, which was the focus of this year's conference. Guess who's reactive in this house -- yup, me.
Kathy Sdao gave a talk about teaching dogs with a fear of people to become more comfortable approaching strangers. It begins with teaching "touch." This is a really good skill for reactive dogs because it gives us something to do instead of stare at the thing we are afraid of. My mom loves to teach focus, which means look at me instead of the scary thing, but touch is a more active reaction, and some dogs respond to it much better.
To teach "touch," you just put out your hand in front of your dog's nose. If your dog touches it, say "good" and give a treat. Repeat this til your dog is seeking out your hand all the time. This should be taught in a quiet environment that isn't stressful for your dog.
When he's doing that well, you start doing it in more distracting environments. Then, when your dog sees something scary and you say "touch," he knows to turn away from the scary thing and touch your hand. He gets rewarded and is happy. This begins to create a positive association. (You should never have your dog touch someone else. That will just increase his fright. The touch should always be you.)
My mom has never taught me this because she has taught me lots of other things instead, but since learning about this new "transfer touch" technique, she has decided to renew her interest in touch. So I'm practicing that now. I'm really smart so I learn new behaviors fast. When she starts teaching me the "transfer touch" stuff, I will tell you what it's like.
I hope it's not too scary! Love, Muggsy
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Greatest Recall
Today, I thought I would write about my own dog training adventure since none of my dogs were there to witness it: the most enthusiastic recall I've ever seen.
I was training a pit bull named Marley, who is featured on this week's facebook note as October Dog of the Month. His story is amazing, but that's all detailed elsewhere, so I will just say that he was found on the street by his new mom, Gennifer, and definitely found the match he wanted. He is so attached to her (and nervous to boot) that it has caused a little aggression around other dogs as well as some separation anxiety.
In teaching him some rules that he needs to follow to put Gennifer a little more in control, we began teaching recall (to learn how visit my facebook page). In order to teach recall, you have to start small using a 6-foot leash and then build up to a 30-foot line and eventually off-leash. Since most of my lessons are at people's houses or in parks, I am generally teaching with a long line. One of the things I do to build up distance and distraction is start walking the dog down the street until he is sniffing or searching for something interesting and then have the owner call them.
Marley gave the kind of performance for which all dogs should strive (just without the drama). I took him around the corner so Gennifer was out of site. This made him very unhappy, and I had trouble getting him to focus on anything but her. I gave him a treat and let her call him from the top of the stairs at her apartment complex. He was so excited to get to her that he tried to leap onto a three-foot ledge rather than take the stairs. In his excitement, he missed the ledge, did a flip in the air and cut his lip and leg in the landing. All the while, he did not stop moving!! He hit the stairs in the same stride and made to his mother in under 5 seconds. We had to take him upstairs after that to clean him up, so recall practice was over, but I was very impressed at his dedication to the recall!
If you aren't sure you could call your dog from around a corner like that, keep practicing your recall! All of your dogs have a little bit of Marley in them (but without the stage dive)!
Love, Melinda
I was training a pit bull named Marley, who is featured on this week's facebook note as October Dog of the Month. His story is amazing, but that's all detailed elsewhere, so I will just say that he was found on the street by his new mom, Gennifer, and definitely found the match he wanted. He is so attached to her (and nervous to boot) that it has caused a little aggression around other dogs as well as some separation anxiety.
In teaching him some rules that he needs to follow to put Gennifer a little more in control, we began teaching recall (to learn how visit my facebook page). In order to teach recall, you have to start small using a 6-foot leash and then build up to a 30-foot line and eventually off-leash. Since most of my lessons are at people's houses or in parks, I am generally teaching with a long line. One of the things I do to build up distance and distraction is start walking the dog down the street until he is sniffing or searching for something interesting and then have the owner call them.
Marley gave the kind of performance for which all dogs should strive (just without the drama). I took him around the corner so Gennifer was out of site. This made him very unhappy, and I had trouble getting him to focus on anything but her. I gave him a treat and let her call him from the top of the stairs at her apartment complex. He was so excited to get to her that he tried to leap onto a three-foot ledge rather than take the stairs. In his excitement, he missed the ledge, did a flip in the air and cut his lip and leg in the landing. All the while, he did not stop moving!! He hit the stairs in the same stride and made to his mother in under 5 seconds. We had to take him upstairs after that to clean him up, so recall practice was over, but I was very impressed at his dedication to the recall!
If you aren't sure you could call your dog from around a corner like that, keep practicing your recall! All of your dogs have a little bit of Marley in them (but without the stage dive)!
Love, Melinda
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Fearful Golden
Remember me? The forgotten dog, Chubbs. I used to be featured in all these posts, and now I can't get a word in edgewise between Fenway complaining about her ears and Muggsy talking about how he used to be bad and is now good. Blah, blah. Who does Mom turn to when she needs help with training? Me.
So last weekend, I went with her to evaluate a golden retriever who was showing aggression to other dogs in his foster home. My mom likes to help dogs find new homes. If you know of one, she'll post it on her facebook page.
Anyway, my role is to walk with Mom, politely as possible, and look at her instead of staring at the other dog to antagonize him. I have to stop walking when she says, and sometimes I even have to lie down so the other dog will calm down.
The prognosis for this dog was really good because he was showing lots of avoidance signals and checking in with his foster mom a lot. He was looking at her for guidance, but she didn't know how to communicate with him. Lots of times, barking behaviors begin because we look to humans for advice, and they don't have any, so we do something that feels natural -- bark!
This dog looked at his mom, turned his back to me and tried to jump in her arms before he finally started barking. Avoidance is good! If your dog is scared of something and showing avoidance instead of aggression, award that! Don't force them to do said scary thing. Just be happy they are deferring to you. If you then force them to do something that scares them, aggression will develop, even in puppies. My mom then advised the foster mom on what to do in those windows where the dog was looking to her for help and she thinks that dog will find a good home!
I hope so! Every dog deserves a good, loving home. I was abandoned, too, and I'm so happy where I ended up.
Love, Chubbs
So last weekend, I went with her to evaluate a golden retriever who was showing aggression to other dogs in his foster home. My mom likes to help dogs find new homes. If you know of one, she'll post it on her facebook page.
Anyway, my role is to walk with Mom, politely as possible, and look at her instead of staring at the other dog to antagonize him. I have to stop walking when she says, and sometimes I even have to lie down so the other dog will calm down.
The prognosis for this dog was really good because he was showing lots of avoidance signals and checking in with his foster mom a lot. He was looking at her for guidance, but she didn't know how to communicate with him. Lots of times, barking behaviors begin because we look to humans for advice, and they don't have any, so we do something that feels natural -- bark!
This dog looked at his mom, turned his back to me and tried to jump in her arms before he finally started barking. Avoidance is good! If your dog is scared of something and showing avoidance instead of aggression, award that! Don't force them to do said scary thing. Just be happy they are deferring to you. If you then force them to do something that scares them, aggression will develop, even in puppies. My mom then advised the foster mom on what to do in those windows where the dog was looking to her for help and she thinks that dog will find a good home!
I hope so! Every dog deserves a good, loving home. I was abandoned, too, and I'm so happy where I ended up.
Love, Chubbs
Friday, September 25, 2009
Always Watching
I guess when a lot of stuff scares you, training is always important. I am really good now, for the most part. I go to my room or crate when I am upset, and I don't bark that much, and I never attack Chubbs. But I am still scared of new places and things.
So even though I am 8 years old, my mom still trains me. Last weekend, she took me to a new park to practice "watch." My mom has always taught me watch and would reward me for prolonged eye contact. But she just went to a seminar recently that suggested something new about the timing -- that you should reward as soon as the dog turns his head from whatever he is starting at. It makes sense because what you really want is just for the dog to look away from the scary thing. So my mom decided to practice this new method with me.
At first, the park was really quiet, so my only nerves were why I was in a strange place. But then, the unthinkable happened. An ice cream truck pulled up. Kids started appearing from everywhere, running and yelling for the truck. It was like they were materializing from thin air. I started to bark to try to calm them down, but it didn't work. So my mom got a really good chance to practice "watch." And I did really well after the first few seconds.
After that happened, it took me a couple of minutes to calm down and relax. Once I did, and I was doing my commands really well, we left because my mom knows to keep sessions short and always end on a good note. We were only at the park for 10 minutes. But we ended with me doing really well, so everyone was happy.
Then, Monday, I had to go to another park to see the girl who is going to watch us while Mommy is gone. I was really good then, too. I even laid down next to her. She gave me a couple of treats, but she hasn't tried to pet me yet because I don't like that, and Mommy knows to make her take it slow.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I am so much calmer and happier now. This stuff really works!
Love, Muggsy
So even though I am 8 years old, my mom still trains me. Last weekend, she took me to a new park to practice "watch." My mom has always taught me watch and would reward me for prolonged eye contact. But she just went to a seminar recently that suggested something new about the timing -- that you should reward as soon as the dog turns his head from whatever he is starting at. It makes sense because what you really want is just for the dog to look away from the scary thing. So my mom decided to practice this new method with me.
At first, the park was really quiet, so my only nerves were why I was in a strange place. But then, the unthinkable happened. An ice cream truck pulled up. Kids started appearing from everywhere, running and yelling for the truck. It was like they were materializing from thin air. I started to bark to try to calm them down, but it didn't work. So my mom got a really good chance to practice "watch." And I did really well after the first few seconds.
After that happened, it took me a couple of minutes to calm down and relax. Once I did, and I was doing my commands really well, we left because my mom knows to keep sessions short and always end on a good note. We were only at the park for 10 minutes. But we ended with me doing really well, so everyone was happy.
Then, Monday, I had to go to another park to see the girl who is going to watch us while Mommy is gone. I was really good then, too. I even laid down next to her. She gave me a couple of treats, but she hasn't tried to pet me yet because I don't like that, and Mommy knows to make her take it slow.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I am so much calmer and happier now. This stuff really works!
Love, Muggsy
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Ears Have It -- Again!
The tests from my ear samples came back, and while I have a lot of bacteria in my ear, the doctor does not think I have a middle ear infection, which would require minor surgery. However, it does mean that we have to aggressively treat my ear infection with an ear saline and ear drops twice a day.
I hate having my ears touched. I will hide in my crate or under the bed. I used to try to bite my dad when he tried to put them in my ears. But now, he closes my crate and the bedroom door before he pulls out the drops, so I have no escape. And I have decided to stop biting because after he's done, I get a treat and Mom and Dad tell me how great I am.
I love this positive-reinforcement training that my mom keeps talking about on all her web sites. I respect her and do what I say and then something good happens. If I don't, I go in timeout and don't get to be with the family, but I never get hurt.
I'm glad she's getting her PhD in animal behavior and realizes that "dominance theories" are out of date. You know, in a dog pack, the "alpha" is not the one that's growling at everyone and correcting everyone. If you lose your temper and do corrections, that actually shows that you are insecure and not in control of your pack. And it makes you scary! You can be positive and still strict. Just set rules and be consistent. That's the whole secret. Try it and see.
Love, Fenway
I hate having my ears touched. I will hide in my crate or under the bed. I used to try to bite my dad when he tried to put them in my ears. But now, he closes my crate and the bedroom door before he pulls out the drops, so I have no escape. And I have decided to stop biting because after he's done, I get a treat and Mom and Dad tell me how great I am.
I love this positive-reinforcement training that my mom keeps talking about on all her web sites. I respect her and do what I say and then something good happens. If I don't, I go in timeout and don't get to be with the family, but I never get hurt.
I'm glad she's getting her PhD in animal behavior and realizes that "dominance theories" are out of date. You know, in a dog pack, the "alpha" is not the one that's growling at everyone and correcting everyone. If you lose your temper and do corrections, that actually shows that you are insecure and not in control of your pack. And it makes you scary! You can be positive and still strict. Just set rules and be consistent. That's the whole secret. Try it and see.
Love, Fenway
Friday, September 4, 2009
Anger Management
Last night, I almost lost my temper with Chubbs. It's been more than a year, almost two, since I've attacked him, and I used to attack him once or twice a week, so you can see what a big accomplishment that is. Last night, I was getting pets from Mom, Chubbs pushed past me. I turned to growl at him, and Mom sent us both to our crates and made us stay there for a half hour. That's our cooling down time. It worked. I've been fine ever since.
I've been attacking Chubbs since he hit adolescence, and before my mom was a dog trainer, she didn't understand what to do. It got much worse when we moved to California and lived in a much smaller house. Then, I went from attacking him once a month to once a week. But then my mom was becoming a dog trainer, and the woman training her figured out what was going on: Chubbs was instigating and I was losing my temper.
Many people don't know that there dogs are instigating fights. Did you know that staring is considered very offensive in the dog world? It is. Chubbs would lie in the floor and stare at me until I snapped. And since he's "soo cute" (Mom's words, NOT mine), he would get away with it. My mom's trainer gave her a several things to do: punish Chubbs when he got attacked, teach me to go to a "calm down" place where Chubbs can't go, train both of us a little better so we listened better and try abandonment training.
My mom gave me several places where I could go to be away from Chubbs. I have a room in the garage, I have a crate hidden behind a bookcase so I can be alone, and she sometimes puts me in the bedroom with the door closed when I'm stressed. She started sending Chubbs to his crate every time he stared at me. And every time I got upset, I went to my crate. She handfed me my meals for a month while teaching me commands so I had to look to her for all my food. Then, once she had done all of that, she started abandonment training. Since the attacks were only happening around her, when I would attack Chubbs, she would start yelling, storm out the door, slam it behind her and drive away. This taught us that fighting got us the opposite of what we wanted. Instead of getting Mom to ourselves, she left both of us!
Combining all these things really worked. Now, when I get upset, I go to my crate or bedroom on my own. Sometimes, I still have a bad week, but we both know how to handle it. Chubbs is still the same ole jerk, but I'm better, and that's what counts!
Love, Muggsy
I've been attacking Chubbs since he hit adolescence, and before my mom was a dog trainer, she didn't understand what to do. It got much worse when we moved to California and lived in a much smaller house. Then, I went from attacking him once a month to once a week. But then my mom was becoming a dog trainer, and the woman training her figured out what was going on: Chubbs was instigating and I was losing my temper.
Many people don't know that there dogs are instigating fights. Did you know that staring is considered very offensive in the dog world? It is. Chubbs would lie in the floor and stare at me until I snapped. And since he's "soo cute" (Mom's words, NOT mine), he would get away with it. My mom's trainer gave her a several things to do: punish Chubbs when he got attacked, teach me to go to a "calm down" place where Chubbs can't go, train both of us a little better so we listened better and try abandonment training.
My mom gave me several places where I could go to be away from Chubbs. I have a room in the garage, I have a crate hidden behind a bookcase so I can be alone, and she sometimes puts me in the bedroom with the door closed when I'm stressed. She started sending Chubbs to his crate every time he stared at me. And every time I got upset, I went to my crate. She handfed me my meals for a month while teaching me commands so I had to look to her for all my food. Then, once she had done all of that, she started abandonment training. Since the attacks were only happening around her, when I would attack Chubbs, she would start yelling, storm out the door, slam it behind her and drive away. This taught us that fighting got us the opposite of what we wanted. Instead of getting Mom to ourselves, she left both of us!
Combining all these things really worked. Now, when I get upset, I go to my crate or bedroom on my own. Sometimes, I still have a bad week, but we both know how to handle it. Chubbs is still the same ole jerk, but I'm better, and that's what counts!
Love, Muggsy
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friend or Foe?
I hate meeting new people. It's stressful. I really only want to be with my mom. I don't understand why she needs me to meet anyone else when we have each other. But she recently explained to me that she needs people to be able to stay with me if she ever needs to go out of town. And that means liking someone enough to be polite while they are in the house for a few days. I have to let them in, let them feed me (easy) and let them put a leash on me (not so easy).
At the end of October, Mom and Dad are leaving for a few days for the annual dog training conference. Mom gets lots of good ideas, and it's important to her, so I try to understand. Grandma was supposed to come stay with me, but she got a new job, which I should be happy about, so I try to understand.
So last week, Mom and I went to the park so I could hang out with a new person. My mom understands that we have to move at my pace, and she's really patient with me. I have met this person once before. She wasn't allowed to pet me this time or last time. I only get pets when I say that I'm ready for them. The last time we met, we went out for coffee, and I didn't interact with her at all. This is my process. This time, I sniffed her a couple of times as we were on a walk. After one more meeting, Mom will let her in the house. Since I am more territorial in my own house, this is the worst place to meet me. So if Mom wants me to like you, I meet you a few times for short interactions at places I like or feel comfortable, like my favorite park in Torrance.
Sometimes, when you have a dog that requires a little extra effort, you just have to remember to move at a comfortable pace. Even though it may not feel comfortable to you, not all dogs can be like Lassie. Losing her temper with me is the worst way for Mom to deal with me because, as new studies are showing, aggression begets aggression. My mom has to use treats and praise and patience with me, and when she does, the rewards are huge because I want to work really hard for her and do the best I can.
So eventually, I will let Stephanie in the house. Because I know it's important to my mommy.
Love, Muggsy
At the end of October, Mom and Dad are leaving for a few days for the annual dog training conference. Mom gets lots of good ideas, and it's important to her, so I try to understand. Grandma was supposed to come stay with me, but she got a new job, which I should be happy about, so I try to understand.
So last week, Mom and I went to the park so I could hang out with a new person. My mom understands that we have to move at my pace, and she's really patient with me. I have met this person once before. She wasn't allowed to pet me this time or last time. I only get pets when I say that I'm ready for them. The last time we met, we went out for coffee, and I didn't interact with her at all. This is my process. This time, I sniffed her a couple of times as we were on a walk. After one more meeting, Mom will let her in the house. Since I am more territorial in my own house, this is the worst place to meet me. So if Mom wants me to like you, I meet you a few times for short interactions at places I like or feel comfortable, like my favorite park in Torrance.
Sometimes, when you have a dog that requires a little extra effort, you just have to remember to move at a comfortable pace. Even though it may not feel comfortable to you, not all dogs can be like Lassie. Losing her temper with me is the worst way for Mom to deal with me because, as new studies are showing, aggression begets aggression. My mom has to use treats and praise and patience with me, and when she does, the rewards are huge because I want to work really hard for her and do the best I can.
So eventually, I will let Stephanie in the house. Because I know it's important to my mommy.
Love, Muggsy
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ear Aches and Allergies and Fleas, Oh My!
I'm sure you're wondering where Muggsy and I have been lately. Well, our allergies have been particularly bad this week, and Mom found fleas in the house. She uses an alternative flea treatment because she doesn't like dumping all those toxins in our back, but fleas have been pretty bad this year, so she's had to go back to the preventative.
And I had to go to a dermatologist this week because my itching is so bad that our regular veterinarian doesn't think he can help me anymore. My persistent ear infections are probably caused by a middle ear infection, and she thinks I'm allergic to fleas. So even if I don't have any on me, one bite can cause me to itch for weeks. Yuck. I also might have food or environmental allergies.
The worst part of the visit was when she told my mom she wasn't a fan of the raw diet. My mom feeds us a raw meat diet, which has raw meat and bone and veggies ground up in it. She adds eggs, yogurt, Omega 3s, coconut oil and green beans, depending on the day. It's soo yummy. She originally switched to it because lots of people told me it would help my skin problems. It did, but really, we all just love it because it rules. It's way tastier than kibble, and we look forward to dinner every night.
Many people who feed raw diets are huge advocates of it. My mom isn't. She loves it because we love it. Yes, we are very healthy, but we still have allergies, and she doesn't believe it is a cure-all for all illnesses. But she does buy into the idea that animals should have food that is natural for their system, not baked food with extra preservatives or fillers that we don't need. There are lots of high quality kibbles out there that she is happy to recommend to clients.
I'm afraid the vet is going to make her take me off of it, but it's not as bad as vets think. We never get bacteria or sickness from it because our stomachs are good at digesting it. I used to skip a lot of meals when I was fed kibble but now I never do! I hope I can convince her that my health will be best with the best possible food! If you see her, make sure to tell her that for me. Thanks!
Love, Fenway
And I had to go to a dermatologist this week because my itching is so bad that our regular veterinarian doesn't think he can help me anymore. My persistent ear infections are probably caused by a middle ear infection, and she thinks I'm allergic to fleas. So even if I don't have any on me, one bite can cause me to itch for weeks. Yuck. I also might have food or environmental allergies.
The worst part of the visit was when she told my mom she wasn't a fan of the raw diet. My mom feeds us a raw meat diet, which has raw meat and bone and veggies ground up in it. She adds eggs, yogurt, Omega 3s, coconut oil and green beans, depending on the day. It's soo yummy. She originally switched to it because lots of people told me it would help my skin problems. It did, but really, we all just love it because it rules. It's way tastier than kibble, and we look forward to dinner every night.
Many people who feed raw diets are huge advocates of it. My mom isn't. She loves it because we love it. Yes, we are very healthy, but we still have allergies, and she doesn't believe it is a cure-all for all illnesses. But she does buy into the idea that animals should have food that is natural for their system, not baked food with extra preservatives or fillers that we don't need. There are lots of high quality kibbles out there that she is happy to recommend to clients.
I'm afraid the vet is going to make her take me off of it, but it's not as bad as vets think. We never get bacteria or sickness from it because our stomachs are good at digesting it. I used to skip a lot of meals when I was fed kibble but now I never do! I hope I can convince her that my health will be best with the best possible food! If you see her, make sure to tell her that for me. Thanks!
Love, Fenway
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Desensitization Works for People Too!
Hi again, everyone! I'm sure you're tired of hearing from me and wondering what Muggsy and Fenway are doing, but trust me, I'm way more interesting. And I love to talk about myself, so having this blog works out very nicely for me.
Today, I was back at the group home, and the biggest news is not from one of the students, but one of the employees. He has always been afraid of dogs! The first time that I visited, his eyes got huge and he hid from me in another room. I have never had someone be afraid of me like that. I didn't understand.
So a few months ago, he asked my mom how he could put his fears to rest. She said, "Pick a dog like Chubbs who you can trust and then move at your own pace. Only do what you're ready to do." Then we both did what we do best. I sat nicely and patiently, waiting for him to decide what he wanted to do, and she encouraged him and gave him lots of praise. He didn't want any of her liver treats, like I do, but he responded very well to these methods, just like dogs do. Kindness and patience works with every species!
Finally, he was able to pet me and sit next to me. Now, when I walk in, he is happy to see me. In fact, he saw my picture in the paper, clipped it out and hung it on the wall in his office. We are all so proud of him! Today, he wanted to get his picture taken with me and my mom. He was so happy! It was a great moment.
Today, I was back at the group home, and the biggest news is not from one of the students, but one of the employees. He has always been afraid of dogs! The first time that I visited, his eyes got huge and he hid from me in another room. I have never had someone be afraid of me like that. I didn't understand.
So a few months ago, he asked my mom how he could put his fears to rest. She said, "Pick a dog like Chubbs who you can trust and then move at your own pace. Only do what you're ready to do." Then we both did what we do best. I sat nicely and patiently, waiting for him to decide what he wanted to do, and she encouraged him and gave him lots of praise. He didn't want any of her liver treats, like I do, but he responded very well to these methods, just like dogs do. Kindness and patience works with every species!
Finally, he was able to pet me and sit next to me. Now, when I walk in, he is happy to see me. In fact, he saw my picture in the paper, clipped it out and hung it on the wall in his office. We are all so proud of him! Today, he wanted to get his picture taken with me and my mom. He was so happy! It was a great moment.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Camp Escapades Gone to the Dogs!
Well, I had a very interesting experience this week. I went to a camp for autistic children, and there was this pug sitting next to me who got all the attention! Everyone wanted to pet him when clearly...what, Mom? This isn't what you wanted me to write about? Oh, sorry.
Let me start again. Did you see my picture in the paper this week? I was in the Beach Reporter, but they misspelled my name. I mean, how hard is Chubbs? It's written on my vest. What, Mom? OK, fine...
I went to a camp in Torrance for autistic children called Camp Escapades. There were all these fun stations for the children to visit, and one of them was our Paws 4 Healing station. I was there with two other dogs and was clearly the cutest dog there. I'm just saying. The kids were of all different levels. Some could clearly see that I was the cutest and spent the whole 15 minutes with me, and some just wanted to pet this pug. I mean, some had dogs and knew a lot about them, and others weren't even sure how to pet a dog. It was very interesting for me, and it's a very difficult environment. Not everyone was allowed to go.
I found it really rewarding, but I also realized that I had to communicate with my mom when I had had too much stimulation, so I would turn my head away if anyone was bothering me. Since I usually don't do that, my mom knew that I was telling her to intervene and help the child interact with me differently.
The thing about dogs is that we don't talk like you humans do. So we find ways to tell you we are unhappy. If you don't want that to be barking and growling, then you have to recognize our subtle signals early on. If you have a reactive dog, like Muggsy, one of the first things to learn is how to recognize the subtle signals that preceed the really awful ones (like when he attacks me for staring at him too long!) Sometimes, a turn of the head, repeatedly looking at you or walking behind you is the signal that too much is going on. It doesn't mean that we can't do it. Maybe we just need a little break.
Remember this when socializing your puppy, too. Sometimes, we ignore scared puppy signals because we want them to get used to something, like children, but if we ignore the signals, they learn that we adults can't be trusted, and that's when the aggressive stuff starts. So watch your dog for their subtle signals this week and see what you can learn!
Love, Chubbs
Let me start again. Did you see my picture in the paper this week? I was in the Beach Reporter, but they misspelled my name. I mean, how hard is Chubbs? It's written on my vest. What, Mom? OK, fine...
I went to a camp in Torrance for autistic children called Camp Escapades. There were all these fun stations for the children to visit, and one of them was our Paws 4 Healing station. I was there with two other dogs and was clearly the cutest dog there. I'm just saying. The kids were of all different levels. Some could clearly see that I was the cutest and spent the whole 15 minutes with me, and some just wanted to pet this pug. I mean, some had dogs and knew a lot about them, and others weren't even sure how to pet a dog. It was very interesting for me, and it's a very difficult environment. Not everyone was allowed to go.
I found it really rewarding, but I also realized that I had to communicate with my mom when I had had too much stimulation, so I would turn my head away if anyone was bothering me. Since I usually don't do that, my mom knew that I was telling her to intervene and help the child interact with me differently.
The thing about dogs is that we don't talk like you humans do. So we find ways to tell you we are unhappy. If you don't want that to be barking and growling, then you have to recognize our subtle signals early on. If you have a reactive dog, like Muggsy, one of the first things to learn is how to recognize the subtle signals that preceed the really awful ones (like when he attacks me for staring at him too long!) Sometimes, a turn of the head, repeatedly looking at you or walking behind you is the signal that too much is going on. It doesn't mean that we can't do it. Maybe we just need a little break.
Remember this when socializing your puppy, too. Sometimes, we ignore scared puppy signals because we want them to get used to something, like children, but if we ignore the signals, they learn that we adults can't be trusted, and that's when the aggressive stuff starts. So watch your dog for their subtle signals this week and see what you can learn!
Love, Chubbs
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Fun with Books
My mom loves to read. Her mom is an actual librarian. So that love has been passed along to me, a dog who will never be able to read. Thus, I sit at a library about one Saturday a month, especially in the summer, to let children read to me. This requires a unique set of skills. The first of those is that you're not really the center of attention. The children are staring at and touching a bunch of paper instead of me. Sure, there's the greeting part, but then the attention isn't on me anymore. What's that about?
The next is that I have to be able to pose for a picture almost every time. I'm excellent at that. The camera loves me.
I also have to be able to calm down and look like I'm paying attention. Since dogs don't see in two-dimension, this is a little harder. I'm much more interested in the sibling who is petting me or the little boys running around or the other dogs sitting nearby. It is a definite challenge to settle down and pay attention. The training book that my mom had to read to qualify me for this program suggests that when you teach your dogs how to do this, you should read to him and hide treats in the book so that he is always looking at the book. But I drool all over everything when treats are involved. Kids don't like that. I'm not sure why. So my mom taught me to lie my head down flat in the direction of the child. She also taught me, go say hi, which she says to me when I'm not social enough. That means, you'd better walk closer to that kid.
Sometimes, it's hard. Kids like to get right in your face, and I don't like that. Mom usually recognizes that and tells me to lie down. Sometimes, when I'm upset, I go lie behind her to let her know I need a break. Muggsy would bark. I'm so much cooler than him.
But sometimes kids are really funny. Like today, this little boy ran to get all the books about trains and then didn't read me any of them, just looked through the pictures as fast as he could. He didn't look at me or pet me once. There was one little girl who asked, "Can he really understand me?" My mom didn't want to lie, so she said, "I think he understands books about dogs," so she read me all the ones about dogs.
My mom can train you to do this if you are interested. It's a lot of fun, and it gets kids excited about the library. Definitely check your library's calendar and bring your child down to check us out. I'm in Manhattan Beach, Lawndale and RPV, but lots of libraries have similar groups. It's really fun! Check us out!
The next is that I have to be able to pose for a picture almost every time. I'm excellent at that. The camera loves me.
I also have to be able to calm down and look like I'm paying attention. Since dogs don't see in two-dimension, this is a little harder. I'm much more interested in the sibling who is petting me or the little boys running around or the other dogs sitting nearby. It is a definite challenge to settle down and pay attention. The training book that my mom had to read to qualify me for this program suggests that when you teach your dogs how to do this, you should read to him and hide treats in the book so that he is always looking at the book. But I drool all over everything when treats are involved. Kids don't like that. I'm not sure why. So my mom taught me to lie my head down flat in the direction of the child. She also taught me, go say hi, which she says to me when I'm not social enough. That means, you'd better walk closer to that kid.
Sometimes, it's hard. Kids like to get right in your face, and I don't like that. Mom usually recognizes that and tells me to lie down. Sometimes, when I'm upset, I go lie behind her to let her know I need a break. Muggsy would bark. I'm so much cooler than him.
But sometimes kids are really funny. Like today, this little boy ran to get all the books about trains and then didn't read me any of them, just looked through the pictures as fast as he could. He didn't look at me or pet me once. There was one little girl who asked, "Can he really understand me?" My mom didn't want to lie, so she said, "I think he understands books about dogs," so she read me all the ones about dogs.
My mom can train you to do this if you are interested. It's a lot of fun, and it gets kids excited about the library. Definitely check your library's calendar and bring your child down to check us out. I'm in Manhattan Beach, Lawndale and RPV, but lots of libraries have similar groups. It's really fun! Check us out!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Torture Chamber (aka The Bath Tub)
It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I hate baths. I have since I was a puppy. When Mom brought me home from the shelter, I had ticks, so he gave me a bath in the sink, and I screamed the whole time! I was six weeks old. Dogs aren't even supposed to have a fear period til nine weeks. I'm very mature.
I have tried everything to keep my mom from giving me a bath. I can be very scary -- lunging at her barking with my teeth bared. But she never gives up on me. That's what happens when you're best friends.
It had been about a few months since my last bath, so I knew I had it coming. Chubbs, of course, is perfect in the bath. I think he does it on purpose just to piss me off. Fenway is too little to protest, so they just pick her up and toss her in. But what about me? How do they handle me?
Well, they have tried everything, including a muzzle and leashes. But in the end, what works best is positive reinforcement. My mom took a bag of lamb lungs (yum) into the bathroom and waited for me to climb in the tub for them. It took a long time because I was scared. She kicked Dad out when he got too impatient. I let her put water on me, and then I jumped out. I was too scared. She was giving me lamb lungs the whole time.
I'm afraid of shampoo, anything coming out of a bottle really (don't ask me why), so she puts the shampoo on a washcloth before I even walk in, so I don't have to see her do it. When I was standing outside the tub, too afraid to get back in, she sneak attacked me with the wash cloth and gave me lamb lungs. After a few more minutes, I got back in, and she washed me off. I got more lamb lungs. Because of her kind approach and lamb lungs, I didn't try to attack her once. It's the first time in a long time. She said she was very proud of me, and I'm the best and smartest ever. She's right. I am.
Love, Muggsy
I have tried everything to keep my mom from giving me a bath. I can be very scary -- lunging at her barking with my teeth bared. But she never gives up on me. That's what happens when you're best friends.
It had been about a few months since my last bath, so I knew I had it coming. Chubbs, of course, is perfect in the bath. I think he does it on purpose just to piss me off. Fenway is too little to protest, so they just pick her up and toss her in. But what about me? How do they handle me?
Well, they have tried everything, including a muzzle and leashes. But in the end, what works best is positive reinforcement. My mom took a bag of lamb lungs (yum) into the bathroom and waited for me to climb in the tub for them. It took a long time because I was scared. She kicked Dad out when he got too impatient. I let her put water on me, and then I jumped out. I was too scared. She was giving me lamb lungs the whole time.
I'm afraid of shampoo, anything coming out of a bottle really (don't ask me why), so she puts the shampoo on a washcloth before I even walk in, so I don't have to see her do it. When I was standing outside the tub, too afraid to get back in, she sneak attacked me with the wash cloth and gave me lamb lungs. After a few more minutes, I got back in, and she washed me off. I got more lamb lungs. Because of her kind approach and lamb lungs, I didn't try to attack her once. It's the first time in a long time. She said she was very proud of me, and I'm the best and smartest ever. She's right. I am.
Love, Muggsy
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
In the Eyes of the Beholder
I have never been a big fan of toys. Treats, yes. Toys, not so much. Except one ... my friend, Polly. My favorite toy as a young pup was a stuffed parrot named Polly. He was such a popular toy that if Muggsy took him outside to hide him from me, Mom could say, "Muggsy, go get Polly," and he would know which one to bring back inside. And he hides a lot of toys outside.
I didn't even really enjoy playing with Polly. I just carried her in my mouth. I don't play a lot of games. When I first started going to therapy work, my mom would take a toy so the kids could interact with me. I would ignore it. She has since taught me to shake, and I think she has decided to teach me another. I'll keep you posted. As long as she doesn't make me balance a treat on my nose, that's fine.
Anyway, since Polly met her unfortunate end (I chewed off her face, what?), my mom always gets me a stuffed bird for my birthday. I always love them. Well, my birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but my mom was sick, so she surprised me today with a stuffed duck. I was so excited to get it that I didn't even drop it to take a treat. I ran into my crate to hide him and stayed in there for a whole hour protecting him from Muggsy and Fenway, professional toy destroyers. My mom laughed so hard that she told me I should tell the story of the toy that made me turn down a treat. And I do so love treats.
I guess the moral of this story is: You never know what is going to be valuable to your dog, so be sure to surprise them with a special treat from time to time!
I didn't even really enjoy playing with Polly. I just carried her in my mouth. I don't play a lot of games. When I first started going to therapy work, my mom would take a toy so the kids could interact with me. I would ignore it. She has since taught me to shake, and I think she has decided to teach me another. I'll keep you posted. As long as she doesn't make me balance a treat on my nose, that's fine.
Anyway, since Polly met her unfortunate end (I chewed off her face, what?), my mom always gets me a stuffed bird for my birthday. I always love them. Well, my birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but my mom was sick, so she surprised me today with a stuffed duck. I was so excited to get it that I didn't even drop it to take a treat. I ran into my crate to hide him and stayed in there for a whole hour protecting him from Muggsy and Fenway, professional toy destroyers. My mom laughed so hard that she told me I should tell the story of the toy that made me turn down a treat. And I do so love treats.
I guess the moral of this story is: You never know what is going to be valuable to your dog, so be sure to surprise them with a special treat from time to time!
Monday, August 3, 2009
A House Without Violence
This weekend, we had a visitor. It was my mom's birthday, and her best friend came. We all like Kelvie very much, but any sort of change stresses out my brother, Muggsy. And when he gets stressed out, he used to attack my other brother, Chubbs. That hasn't happened in a year, and it didn't happen this time either. We had a peaceful house!
When we first moved to California, Muggsy was attacking Chubbs once or twice a week. There was only bloodshed once, but it was still really scary. Now, it has been more than a year. That's because Mom did lots of work with them. The first thing she had to do was learn to read body language. Muggsy gives very clear signals when he is upset: freezing, whale eye, growl, bark and then finally bite. You never want to punish a dog when he or she is doing one of these signals because they don't realize what you are punishing for. So they stop growling, for example, but the feelings that make them want to growl don't go away and then they just go for biting with no warning! Scary! With Muggsy, we always know it's coming. She also had to notice what Chubbs was doing -- turns out, he was starting the whole thing by starting at Muggsy. Mom didn't notice it because it was so cute, but staring is a major confrontational move in the dog world.
She started recognizing the signals early and sending both dogs to their crates, not just Muggsy, when she noticed the confrontations coming. By preventing it before it started, she taught the boys what she wanted them to do instead of fight -- and she punished Chubbs, not just Muggsy, for being a jerk. That's important to stop his part in the mess. She is very careful to watch for things that upset the other and stop the problem before it's too late. Now, Muggsy goes to his crate when he starts to feel upset, way before he ever attacks Chubbs. Or he goes into the bedroom or his bedroom in the garage where he can get some space from Chubbs until he is calm. Today, he has spent most of the day outside calming down. And we know to leave him alone when that happens. He'll come inside when he feels better.
It's so great to see them getting along. It was a long road, but it has worked so well. If you have dogs that are fighting, it's best to consult a trainer sooner rather than later, so you can stop the problem before it gets even worse. I hope that all of you have a house without violence, just like I do!
Love, Fenway
When we first moved to California, Muggsy was attacking Chubbs once or twice a week. There was only bloodshed once, but it was still really scary. Now, it has been more than a year. That's because Mom did lots of work with them. The first thing she had to do was learn to read body language. Muggsy gives very clear signals when he is upset: freezing, whale eye, growl, bark and then finally bite. You never want to punish a dog when he or she is doing one of these signals because they don't realize what you are punishing for. So they stop growling, for example, but the feelings that make them want to growl don't go away and then they just go for biting with no warning! Scary! With Muggsy, we always know it's coming. She also had to notice what Chubbs was doing -- turns out, he was starting the whole thing by starting at Muggsy. Mom didn't notice it because it was so cute, but staring is a major confrontational move in the dog world.
She started recognizing the signals early and sending both dogs to their crates, not just Muggsy, when she noticed the confrontations coming. By preventing it before it started, she taught the boys what she wanted them to do instead of fight -- and she punished Chubbs, not just Muggsy, for being a jerk. That's important to stop his part in the mess. She is very careful to watch for things that upset the other and stop the problem before it's too late. Now, Muggsy goes to his crate when he starts to feel upset, way before he ever attacks Chubbs. Or he goes into the bedroom or his bedroom in the garage where he can get some space from Chubbs until he is calm. Today, he has spent most of the day outside calming down. And we know to leave him alone when that happens. He'll come inside when he feels better.
It's so great to see them getting along. It was a long road, but it has worked so well. If you have dogs that are fighting, it's best to consult a trainer sooner rather than later, so you can stop the problem before it gets even worse. I hope that all of you have a house without violence, just like I do!
Love, Fenway
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Snout-to-Tail Wellness Exams = No Fun!
My mom went to a Pet CPR certification class this weekend. It's not the first time, but she has to get recertified every two years. This class just served to remind her that she was been lacking on our "Snout-to-Tail" Wellness exams. It's suggested that she do them every week, but we'll see if she keeps to that schedule. I hope not.
I hate to be handled. It's no fun for me. It totally freaks me out. And here's how the wellness exam works:
I hate to be handled. It's no fun for me. It totally freaks me out. And here's how the wellness exam works:
- First she examines my nose to make sure it's not too wet and not too dry. Like I'm the Goldilocks of noses or something.
- Then she has to look at my gums to make sure they are a healthy pink and my teeth to make sure they are all white with no odor. I do have some gum trouble, but she gives me apples and raw bones to help with this.
- Then, she has to run her hands along my muzzle up to my skull looking for bumps.
- She has to look in my eyes. There should be no discharge.
- Then she has to look at my ears. There should be no odor or discharge, and it shouldn't be painful when she touches them. Of course, every touch is painful to me. I do not enjoy this process. I don't even really enjoy massage, and most dogs think this is great.
- Then she rubbed down my neck, chest and spine looking for bumps. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under the fur. I hold my body really tight, so it's a little harder to feel my ribs, but my mom cut back my diet recently just to be sure.
- The worst part was when she had to check my front legs and feet. Most dogs hate that, and I do especially. She was looking for bumps on the legs (I have one, but it is benign), range of movements, any cracked or split toe nails and any cracks, pain or excess hair on the pads. I was very bad during this part. I tried to run and trick her into playing a game with me instead of doing what she was doing. No avail.
- Then, she pushed around my abdomen to make sure that wasn't painful.
- Then, she did the same thing with my back legs as she did with my front. This doesn't bother me as much, but she knows I have hip dysplasia, so she didn't test my range of motion.
- She examined my tail last. At this point, I was licking her all over, hoping that would make her stop.
The other things that are important for her to note are my normal pulse and breathing rate. She didn't get those this time because I was too upset. To test breathing rate, she would put her hand on my chest when I'm on my side and count the rise and fall for 30 seconds. Then, she would multiply that by two. A normal rate is 10-30 breaths per minute. But I was so nervous and breathing so fast that my rate would have been too high. To check my pulse, she has to find my femoral artery, which is underneath my back leg high on my thigh by my tummy. She couldn't find it, but she would have counted for six seconds and added a zero to that number. For a big dog, it should be 60-100 beats per minute, for medium 80-120 and for small 90-140. It's important to know what's normal so if there's something wrong with me, she will know.
The great thing about my mom is she's not dumb. She knows that unlike Chubbs, I don't like to be handled, so she tried to make it more fun with me. She gave me a treat after each step. And it has to be really good. Tonight, it was lamb lung. Sometimes, it's deli meat. She didn't try too hard on the stuff she knows I don't like because it will be easier the more she does it. If she upsets me too much during it, it will get harder. She wants me to enjoy it, just like your dogs should.
I know it's important for her to do this, so I will try to forgive her. I hope your dogs will forgive you too!
Love, Muggsy
Saturday, July 25, 2009
What's With All the Barking?
Wow, we haven't posted in almost a month! Our mom has had this sinus infection and has been so tired all the time, so she hasn't been much help with the computer. She's tired today, too. One of our neighbors started barking early in the morning, and it upset me very much, so I had to go lie in bed with her because I knew she couldn't sleep through it either.
I totally understand it. I'm a barker. But my mom is always getting requests, "how do I stop my dog from barking," so I thought I'd tell you how she stopped me. I used to bark at everything -- every time someone walked by, every time there was a loud noise, every time the neighbors barked. Now, I still sometimes bark, but I stop when Mom tells me to.
The first thing that she did was realize my limitations. How was she going to teach me not to bark if I spent all day in a front yard with a four-foot fence? I acted like I loved going out in that yard, but I didn't. I was just stressed out. Once she realized that, it was a big step forward in our relationship. She put up curtains in the living room and started playing the TV for white noise when she wasn't home. When I would bark too much, she would put me in the bedroom, where it was quiet and I could relax. We'll come back to this in a minute.
She made a command that means stop barking. For me, it's "let's go" because she mostly needs it to bring me in from the yard. To teach it, she had to have a leash on me in the yard. If I was barking, she'd say, "let's go." If I stopped barking, she would give me a treat and I would stay in the yard. If not, she grabbed the leash and led me back into my private room to calm down. This really helped me because it taught me how to calm down. I had a choice: I could either be quiet in the yard or go in and calm down. Sometimes, I couldn't calm down. But if I could, and I wanted to stay in the yard, I'd make the right choice. Now, I come in when she says "let's go" without a leash, and sometimes, when I'm stressed, I just go into the bedroom on my own. I know how to do it. It's nice to have those skills.
Love, Muggsy
I totally understand it. I'm a barker. But my mom is always getting requests, "how do I stop my dog from barking," so I thought I'd tell you how she stopped me. I used to bark at everything -- every time someone walked by, every time there was a loud noise, every time the neighbors barked. Now, I still sometimes bark, but I stop when Mom tells me to.
The first thing that she did was realize my limitations. How was she going to teach me not to bark if I spent all day in a front yard with a four-foot fence? I acted like I loved going out in that yard, but I didn't. I was just stressed out. Once she realized that, it was a big step forward in our relationship. She put up curtains in the living room and started playing the TV for white noise when she wasn't home. When I would bark too much, she would put me in the bedroom, where it was quiet and I could relax. We'll come back to this in a minute.
She made a command that means stop barking. For me, it's "let's go" because she mostly needs it to bring me in from the yard. To teach it, she had to have a leash on me in the yard. If I was barking, she'd say, "let's go." If I stopped barking, she would give me a treat and I would stay in the yard. If not, she grabbed the leash and led me back into my private room to calm down. This really helped me because it taught me how to calm down. I had a choice: I could either be quiet in the yard or go in and calm down. Sometimes, I couldn't calm down. But if I could, and I wanted to stay in the yard, I'd make the right choice. Now, I come in when she says "let's go" without a leash, and sometimes, when I'm stressed, I just go into the bedroom on my own. I know how to do it. It's nice to have those skills.
Love, Muggsy
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Scariest Day of the Year
Uh oh. It's that time of year again -- the most scariest day of the year -- the day when all the loud noises happen! I know it has something to do with the independence of the country we all live in, but to most of us dogs, it's just plain scary! It is to us at least. Chubbs seems pretty oblivious to everything.
We know that we are kinda scaredy dogs, but our mom has made life really good for us, and you can do the same thing for your dogs this year. First of all, don't get mad at us! We can't help it that we're scared. Mom always understands that when something is scary to us, she can't get mad. She just has to find a way to teach us how to be relaxed. To do that, she has made us a "safe" area where we can go when we are stressed out and no one can bother us.
We both have a crate, which we really like because dogs are den animals. Don't worry, we don't think of it as punishment. We really like it in there. It makes us feel safe. When we are really stressed out, she will also set us up in the bedroom. It is really comfy with the big bed, and it's in the back of the house, so when she closes the door, we can't even really hear sounds. It's very relaxing. I (Muggsy) also have a room in the garage where I like to go to hide out when I'm getting stressed by all the other dogs in the house, but we don't recommend that for July 4. If at all possible, you should keep your dogs inside because if a really scary noise happens, they might try to bolt out of your yard. Then they will be lose in the neighborhood, scared and disoriented. Who knows what will happen?
Our mom is going to stay home with us all day because she knows how upset we get. When the loud noise happens, she's going to say in a really happy voice, "Oh boy! Fireworks! Who are my good dogs" If we stop barking and run to her, we get treats. It helps us appreciate the scariness and helps us remember not to bark. We like to listen to Mom. We will sit in the bedroom with the door closed listening to relaxing music, eating treats when we are good.
For those moms and dads who can't be at home, set your dog up in the safest place in the house with a nice, warm bed, a couple of good bones and some music or TV for background noise. Use a DAP diffuser (which you can find at any pet store) to put calming pheremones in the air. If you know about flower essences, you can use those, too. The vet can also give you some to help them calm down, but that stuff doesn't work on us. It doesn't make us feel less stressed at all! Also, make sure to give extra exercise that day if you can. If we're tired, we are less likely to get too stressed!
Enjoy the worst day of the year!
Love, Muggsy and Fenway
We know that we are kinda scaredy dogs, but our mom has made life really good for us, and you can do the same thing for your dogs this year. First of all, don't get mad at us! We can't help it that we're scared. Mom always understands that when something is scary to us, she can't get mad. She just has to find a way to teach us how to be relaxed. To do that, she has made us a "safe" area where we can go when we are stressed out and no one can bother us.
We both have a crate, which we really like because dogs are den animals. Don't worry, we don't think of it as punishment. We really like it in there. It makes us feel safe. When we are really stressed out, she will also set us up in the bedroom. It is really comfy with the big bed, and it's in the back of the house, so when she closes the door, we can't even really hear sounds. It's very relaxing. I (Muggsy) also have a room in the garage where I like to go to hide out when I'm getting stressed by all the other dogs in the house, but we don't recommend that for July 4. If at all possible, you should keep your dogs inside because if a really scary noise happens, they might try to bolt out of your yard. Then they will be lose in the neighborhood, scared and disoriented. Who knows what will happen?
Our mom is going to stay home with us all day because she knows how upset we get. When the loud noise happens, she's going to say in a really happy voice, "Oh boy! Fireworks! Who are my good dogs" If we stop barking and run to her, we get treats. It helps us appreciate the scariness and helps us remember not to bark. We like to listen to Mom. We will sit in the bedroom with the door closed listening to relaxing music, eating treats when we are good.
For those moms and dads who can't be at home, set your dog up in the safest place in the house with a nice, warm bed, a couple of good bones and some music or TV for background noise. Use a DAP diffuser (which you can find at any pet store) to put calming pheremones in the air. If you know about flower essences, you can use those, too. The vet can also give you some to help them calm down, but that stuff doesn't work on us. It doesn't make us feel less stressed at all! Also, make sure to give extra exercise that day if you can. If we're tired, we are less likely to get too stressed!
Enjoy the worst day of the year!
Love, Muggsy and Fenway
Sunday, June 28, 2009
An Afternoon at the Group Home
Boy, have I been busy today. Mom is always complaining about how hard it is to own your own business, but I have to work, too. I'm in the business of being cute. It's true. Look at my picture. I am a therapy dog, which means that I go to hospitals, group homes, senior centers and libraries to make people happy.
Every dog approaches this task a little differently. Some do cute tricks. Some are very energetic. Some just lie in your lap. I'm cute. I don't do tricks (except shake). I'm just well-behaved, soft and cute. And people love me. I have a knack for knowing who needs to be cheered up, and I sit by that person the most.
We all got to this job the same way -- a lot of training! You have to pass a lot of tests that show you listen well and have the right temperament. I had to do a 30-second stay, walk nicely on a leash (my kryptonite!), be nice to another dog and be cheery while a bunch of people pet me and grab my tail and stuff. This is easy for me because I love to be the center of attention. Not every dog can do it. My brother Muggsy and sister Fenway would hate it!
Today, I went to a group home that will remain nameless just to hang out and cheer everyone up by shaking their hands and giving them kisses. One girl was afraid so I left her alone. Most kids want to give me treats, and I'm a big fan of that. I'll do whatever they want, even if they want me to do something dumb, like try to catch or balance the treat on my nose (whoever thought that up needs to balance their dinner on their nose and catch it in the air, if you ask me.) One girl and one boy really liked me a lot. We watched TV and talked about their dogs. I liked meeting them a lot. They were watching a show that scared the girl, and I ran to her side to make sure she was OK. She said I was cute. But we all knew that!
I have been a therapy dog for three years, and I really like it. My mom can train you how to do it if you are interested too. She offers classes and private lessons, and she's a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. That's one of the tests. She can tell you if you pass. I will be there too, just to see if you are nice to dogs! If you are interested, call her at 866-PWSTIV1 or email her at melinda@pawspartners.com.
See you guys later! Love, Chubbs
Every dog approaches this task a little differently. Some do cute tricks. Some are very energetic. Some just lie in your lap. I'm cute. I don't do tricks (except shake). I'm just well-behaved, soft and cute. And people love me. I have a knack for knowing who needs to be cheered up, and I sit by that person the most.
We all got to this job the same way -- a lot of training! You have to pass a lot of tests that show you listen well and have the right temperament. I had to do a 30-second stay, walk nicely on a leash (my kryptonite!), be nice to another dog and be cheery while a bunch of people pet me and grab my tail and stuff. This is easy for me because I love to be the center of attention. Not every dog can do it. My brother Muggsy and sister Fenway would hate it!
Today, I went to a group home that will remain nameless just to hang out and cheer everyone up by shaking their hands and giving them kisses. One girl was afraid so I left her alone. Most kids want to give me treats, and I'm a big fan of that. I'll do whatever they want, even if they want me to do something dumb, like try to catch or balance the treat on my nose (whoever thought that up needs to balance their dinner on their nose and catch it in the air, if you ask me.) One girl and one boy really liked me a lot. We watched TV and talked about their dogs. I liked meeting them a lot. They were watching a show that scared the girl, and I ran to her side to make sure she was OK. She said I was cute. But we all knew that!
I have been a therapy dog for three years, and I really like it. My mom can train you how to do it if you are interested too. She offers classes and private lessons, and she's a Canine Good Citizen evaluator. That's one of the tests. She can tell you if you pass. I will be there too, just to see if you are nice to dogs! If you are interested, call her at 866-PWSTIV1 or email her at melinda@pawspartners.com.
See you guys later! Love, Chubbs
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Introductions
Hi, we're Muggsy(I'm the black and white one with the cool ears), Chubbs (I'm the one who looks like a Rottweiler with too much hair) and Fenway (I'm the cute, little yellow one), and we live with Melinda Weaver, owner of Pawsitive Partners. She's had her business for two years, but before that she worked for another trainer who had decades of experience doing positive training. What's that? Well, it means that she teaches us what her expectations are before we get in trouble for anything, which is really good for us because it's easy to understand.
For example, if she wanted to teach us to sit, she wouldn't yell "sit" at us before we even knew what it meant! We don't speak English (this is a fancy blog translator tool we're using). She wouldn't jerk us into position, which hurts our neck. She would use a treat to lure us into the position, then say the word and then reward us. In no time, we are doing sits everywhere because it earns us praise and pets and sometimes a treatie (that's our favorite English word!).
You might notice that we're on the furniture in our picture. We're allowed there. Our mom doesn't believe that she has to make us sleep on the floor, go out the doors after her and eat after she has eaten. She just believes that we have to follow the rules she sets. It doesn't matter what the rules are around your house as long as you're consistent. Don't let your dogs on the furniture when you're alone and expect them to understand they aren't supposed to be there when company comes. Teach them to get down when they're told. That's our rule. We also walk nicely on leash and go to our crates when we feel too rowdy. We respect those rules and listen to Mom without her turning us on our back and staring at us, which really doesn't teach us anything at all.
We hope you will continue to read our blog and find out why this works for us -- and how it will work for you! If you have any questions, be sure to ask us. We're nothing if not knowledgable! Happy reading.
Love, Muggsy, Chubbs and Fenway
For example, if she wanted to teach us to sit, she wouldn't yell "sit" at us before we even knew what it meant! We don't speak English (this is a fancy blog translator tool we're using). She wouldn't jerk us into position, which hurts our neck. She would use a treat to lure us into the position, then say the word and then reward us. In no time, we are doing sits everywhere because it earns us praise and pets and sometimes a treatie (that's our favorite English word!).
You might notice that we're on the furniture in our picture. We're allowed there. Our mom doesn't believe that she has to make us sleep on the floor, go out the doors after her and eat after she has eaten. She just believes that we have to follow the rules she sets. It doesn't matter what the rules are around your house as long as you're consistent. Don't let your dogs on the furniture when you're alone and expect them to understand they aren't supposed to be there when company comes. Teach them to get down when they're told. That's our rule. We also walk nicely on leash and go to our crates when we feel too rowdy. We respect those rules and listen to Mom without her turning us on our back and staring at us, which really doesn't teach us anything at all.
We hope you will continue to read our blog and find out why this works for us -- and how it will work for you! If you have any questions, be sure to ask us. We're nothing if not knowledgable! Happy reading.
Love, Muggsy, Chubbs and Fenway
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