Archive for the ‘dog ownership’ Category
Taking responsibility for our pets
I have been thinking a lot lately about what I have learned by my dogs and then, while surfing, I see that Cesar Millan is also thinking these thoughts. I like what he’s written here about how living with dogs teaches us how to have a healthy and mutual relationship. So often people view their problems with their dogs as their dog’s problems! My number one goal in working with these people is helping them see their dog’s needs as valid and necessary to attend to.
We decide to take on a dog as a pet and companion and therefore we (whether consciously or not) also take on the responsibility for meeting all their needs – for exercise, stimulation, work, friendship, play, food, shelter, all of it. And it doesn’t matter whether you work full time or don’t have the money – this is irrelevant to the responsibility of stewardship. Just as we are responsible for taking care of the people we bring into this world, we are also responsible to the animals we bring into our homes. And, yes, those of us who take this seriously are often ridiculed by those who don’t have pets or who don’t take this responsibility seriously. I have actually said these words, “No, I can’t ____ because I have to get home and take care of the dogs/puppies/bird.” We have to prioritize our responsibilities to the animals in our care. And when we do, suddenly their behavior improves and our connection with them deepens. Amazing, huh?
What Our Dogs Can Teach Us – Cesar Millan
When humans bring a dog into their lives, they are most often looking for a companion; what they may not realize is that they are getting a teacher as well.
One of the most valuable lessons my dogs have taught me is how to have a healthy relationship. In any relationship – human-canine, human-human, human-pachyderm you cannot have the bond you are looking for unless you fulfill the others’ needs. If you’re not giving your dog what he requires, he’ll let you know by chewing your shoes, jumping up on your guests, pulling on the walk, or one of many other behavior problems. It’s not malicious. He’s just finding another way to meet the needs programmed in him by Mother Nature. In order to fulfill one another, we need to look outside ourselves and really understand what the other needs and how their psychology works. That’s the foundation for a balanced, healthy relationship with any species.
But that’s not all dogs have to teach us. They educate us about the value of consistency. If you apply Exercise, Discipline, then Affection every day without fail, your dog will reward you with loyal companionship. And they show us how to live life to the fullest by being ba lanced and celebrating every moment.
Through my pack, I have experience birth, life, and death, and they have shared fundamental lessons about going through this natural life cycle. How do they pass from one phase to the next? How do they stay together all their lives as a family? They have taught me to value the simplicity of life itself. They intensify every moment that I am with them. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Stay calm and assertive!
Cesar Millan
Update on puppy Koda
Here is a note received from Koda‘s family (from Chloe‘s group)…
Koda had also received the last of his vaccinations. He weighed in at 32lbs.! He is shedding his soft fuzzy fur 🙁 and is growing a longer coarse hair down his back and tail.
We enjoyed the pics of Angel. She is so cute! We hope to come to another playtime soon. We also are getting in the back to school routine.
I still would love to know the dominate breed of these pups….foxhound may be a possibility….some are white with beige also. People think Koda is a golden retriever and I just tell them its a going to be a “surprise” what he will grow up to be. He’s got the look of collie, chow, lab, retriever….you name it! I love that they all have the white tip on the tail and white paws like Chloe.
Koda is just a sweetheart. We have settled into a nice routine. He is no longer in his crate at night and we block him off in the kitchen when we leave during the day. So far he has done well. He has eight of his adult teeth and looks so cute with his big boy teeth!
However, he has developed a problem with “submissive urinating”. When one of us comes home or someone comes over or he sees another dog he gets so excited that he pees. The doctor said he will grow out of it. He said not to make a big deal about coming home, have people bend down to him, and build up his confidence with other dogs. It seems to me he is pretty well adjusted and confident, so it may be he’s just too happy…??
So, Kristin any suggestions …….? Your last post had to do with urinating…so I just had to ask : )
Hope you are enjoying some time to yourself and your family.
Advice on problem dog behavior
I got a request for “advice’ recently that I wanted to post. It is important to always remember that this sort of advice can not be as thorough as that given by someone directly involved with the family or the dog. This advice should also not be used in place of veterinary care or professional dog training.
Hi Kristin,
We adopted Jessa three months ago…she was a stray wandering the streets of Aurora. We don’t think she was a stray for very long, as she didn’t really have any physical or emotional scars. She’s incredibly friendly to all people and other dogs. She loves kids. She’s a very happy and lovely dog. The vet says she’s about a year old, give or take a month or two.
10 Tips For Your New Puppy
Willow‘s puppies all went home today with their new forever families. Here are tips for all families that bring home a new puppy:
Limit the number of rooms the puppy/dog has access to for the first week or so.- Limit the amount of “attention” you give the new member of your family for the first few days…let them get acclimated a bit.
- Place the crate in a bedroom for the first few nights or sleep next to the crate. Remember, all the puppies slept lumped together, spending the night alone will really be scary and having you nearby will greatly help.
- Unless you want a dog that whines in her crate, do not let her out when she is crying/whining/pawing or barking. Wait until she quiets and then let her out. To avoid this, set an alarm for every 3 or 4 hours that first night and wake her up to take her potty. Soon you will be able to cut out those middle of the night potty breaks but if you do this for that first few nights (first week?) it will really pay off. The alternative, letting the dog wake you up can lead to reinforcing whining and barking in the crate. We don’t want that!
Take your new family member to the same spot in the yard every time he transitions to a new activity (or every hour or two) and tell him “go potty” or some such command. If nothing happens in a few minutes, come back inside.- Watch for nervous behavior, circling and sniffing the ground, whining – these are cues that your puppy needs to poop.
- You have 3 seconds to reward or correct a behavior! That’s it! So, unless you catch the puppy in the act of peeing, scolding him will only make him afraid of you. If you miss it, let it go and commit to being more attentive in the future.
- Your puppy won’t need a real walk until they are about 4 months of age but do get them used to their leash and collar by putting them on and walking around the yard and house.
- Remember: these guys (Willow included) are like blank slates…they will learn what you teach them or let them do regularly. Be mindful not to condition them to expect behavior that you won’t want a full grown dog to do. A good example, letting them pull you to the door. As anxious as you are to get the out to potty, try to keep good leash manners in front of your mind. Walk to the door with the dog/pup at you side or behind you. Go out the door first, then the pup/dog. Once outside, give a command word as you walk to your potty spot and then let them have full reign of the leash. Otherwise, you are teaching a dog to pull on leash while you are house training it!
Remember to love them up good but don’t “cut them slack” – keep in mind the behavior you want and reinforce it (with cuddles, praise and treats) and ignore or correct (NOT PUNISH – just make a disapproving sound – I like AH!) behavior you don’t want. They will appreciate the clarity.
Cherish your new family member!
Puppy Ash goes home
Ash goes home
Well, we just said goodbye to our first puppy…Ash is driving home as I write this. I decided to let them take him early (sorry to all you other puppy families – it was an impulse decision on my part and does NOT mean anything personal!!) Anyway, he was sweetly wagging his tail as I saw the door shut, surrounded by three of his four soon to be life long playmates. It made me so happy to see, and I think I even saw his new mama tear up a bit.
I just love how grateful my adoptive families are…it really means the world to me. It makes up for all the poopy puppy papers and hours of bleaching floors and cleaning out water bottles, and food bowls, and toys, and laundering bedding…sigh.
It is so strange – it is the hardest right now, the pups are HUGE (this group especially – they’ve got to be close to 20 pounds!) and take a lot of time and make a lot of mess. But then, in one four hour period they are all gone. Forever, I hope. Strange to be SO SUPER busy and then boom – nothing. I usually wander around aimlessly for a few days, unable to bear going into the puppy room to clean it but unsure what else to do with myself. It takes so much of me to do this work that I forget what I did before the puppies came. Especially this summer when we’ve had back to back litters (something I do NOT recommend to anyone!) I’ve been fostering puppies for three solid months. What DID I do before??
Chloe is ready for adoption
Chloe is a sweet, gentle dog we had while she nursed her puppies. She is a small dog, about 45 pounds with a beautiful reddish coat. She looks like a Golden mix, maybe with some Sheltie or Border Collie..She was adopted out but her adoptive family did not meet her needs and she was very unhappy. Fortunately they released her to my house again and in just two days she is back to her sweet self.
Chloe is a dog who is very smart and she is used to getting what she wants. Therefore, an experienced dog owner would be best. She would really benefit from obedience training as a way for her to learn to use her smarts in productive ways. She has climbed my 5 foot chain link fence (once) and regularly jumps the 3 foot chicken wire fence we use to separate the yard. However, she usually just stays in the fenced yard with our other foster dog and her puppies. She is not difficult to handle and responds well to mild verbal corrections. She walks well on a leash and used to only need a buckle collar, now a prong is helpful in the beginning. She needs a daily walk of at least a half an hour, more would be best. She is fine with other dogs but sometimes shows some fear at first.
Chloe is not fond of her crate and will protest with barking and clawing at it. I have found that if I ignore this and use an electric no-bark collar she settles within five minutes of my crating her and is fine on my return. I have left her no more than 3 hours at a time during the day and crate her the entire night (8+ hours). She is crated in a room with another dog and that may help her. Her adoptive family claimed she had “severe separation anxiety” but I don’t see that. She spends most of the day with other dogs in my yard and very little one on one time with me. I do think she would like more people time but she isn’t the most cuddly dog. Likely she will be more cuddly when she trusts you. She has been through a lot.
She would do best in a home with another dog and a home where people are around most of the time. She would not do well with someone who works full or even part time regularly. A stay at home parent would be best. She loves my son (6 years old) and his friends but they tend to say hello and ignore her. When she was at my home previously I categorized her as the easiest and sweetest dog I have ever had. I felt then that she could go to any sort of home and she’d be fine. Now, however, she has some baggage so trust will have to be earned by her next owner. But do not get me wrong, this dog has a ton of potential and is very sweet.
If you are interested in giving Chole a forever home, apply through H.E.L.P.
