Ride Along

    The ice had all melted away, leaving muddy puddles and miniature streams covering the fields by my house.  The solid sheet of sleet that had frozen on my back stoop was twice as slick.  Grace and I slowly slid down the two steps as carefully as we could to the brick patio which had slightly more traction.   We made our way safely to the car, which was nice and toasty thanks to a sweet husband who started it a few minutes earlier.

     The roads were clear thankfully.  Sunlight glittered off of the millions of drops of dissolving icicles plopping merrily from the trees and power lines.  I actually think ice is prettier than snow, it makes things so shiny... until it melts!  I was glad I remembered my sunglasses, but took them off when we drove under the awning at the drive through.

     Grace had made herself comfortable for our trip.  The pups have two towels in the back that always begin the journey neatly spread to cover the back seat.  We pretend that this will protect the seats from getting covered with dog hair.  Brutus likes to use his front feet to flip the towels into a wad that he will circle, circle, circle on top of until it feels "right" for him to nestle down onto.  Grace just kind of flops gracelessly in a "whoomph".

     At each drive through window, she likes to pop her head up and put her nose just behind my left ear.  Perhaps she likes to get a whiff of the voices coming from the windows.  It could also be that she enjoys the varied reactions of the people who see her.  Places we stop by frequently know her and Brutus by name, and greet them more enthusiastically than they do me.  I am not offended- my dogs ARE pretty awesome!

     Finally, the errands are done.  We turn towards home.  I notice a business parking lot that is mostly empty.  That will do just fine for today.  I pull in cautiously, since it doesn't appear to have been salted.  It is important that there is no salt down as it could irritate puppy paws!  I park and pull out a collar and leash.

     Grace sits quietly while I fuss with the collar and leash, switching twice as I changed my mind.  I decided on the "string things"- my thinnest lead and collar.  They are so light they can simulate being off leash, without having to actually have her off lead (leash laws).  I call her out with me and we practice a few heeling patterns.  I tighten up my turns using the foot pattern that was shown to me by a seasoned exhibitor.   Grace plays a statue on command through three different positions of "stay".  Recalls are not perfect, but that is what practice is for!

     Nine minutes later, and we are back in the car.  The heat coming out of the vents is still nice and toasty.  A short while later we are home and cuddling by the fire.

     I try to bring my dogs with me whenever I can.  A training session does not have to be long to be beneficial, and any chance to bond more with my pups, I gladly take!

Resource Guarding

     One of the most common problems I am asked about is resource guarding.  I can not solve your dog's issues from a blog entry.  What I can do, is arm you with enough information to reduce risk to your self, others in your household, and your dog.  I can provide some tips that hopefully prevent further escalation until a professional can be contacted.

  Sometimes guarding is obvious.

     Guarding resources is a basic instinct.  That does not mean it should be permitted when your dog displays discomfort or aggression towards a human or another animal in the household, but understanding that it is a natural reaction is important to keep in mind.  It does not mean your dog is "Aggressive", "Dominant", or needs to be "put in it's place".  I find labels one of the most dangerous things in dealing safely and proactively with dogs who have issues.

     In a perfect world, we would call a behaviorist that we already know and trust, and quickly "solve" the problem behavior.  Reality often deals a different hand- we may have scheduling or funding restrictions, or not be willing to admit that professional help is needed.  Also, the fastest solution is often not a long term one.

     If you have seen behavior in your home that you suspect is resource guarding DO NOT attempt to re-create the situation. As humans, when we are uncertain or unwilling to accept information we ask again.  If you heard a growl when you walked by Fido's food bowl, walking up and sticking your hand in it is an invitation to get bitten.  Repeating something and expecting a different result is one of the definitions of insanity, and can cause escalation in a behavior.

     Call a behaviorist when you first notice the problem.  Asking people on the internet is not the same as consulting with a behaviorist.  Even a dog trainer is often not equipped with enough information for successful behavior modification.  If you do not have the money to invest in a solution immediately, you may be surprised how many professionals are willing to talk to you anyways, and help you stay safe until you can come in.

Body language can display a variety of ways on different dogs.      

     Until a professional has met your dog, the solutions may not be clear.  Every household and dog is different, so different techniques will have greater efficacy per dog, per household.  There is not an easy 1,2,3 step "fix" that I am aware of.

     Your goal is to change something to prevent the behavior from occurring again.  If your dog has already growled, lunged or bitten another dog, separating the dog unless supervised is the first step.  This does not mean total isolation!  Please do not simply put them in their crate or room and hide from them until a professional arrives.

     Remember what resource appears to be triggering the behavior, and ensure that it will not be available to them in the presence of other animals or people.  It is not always easy to identify- it can be a place or person.  If it is a toy, bone or treat,  that is very easy- simply put it away behind a closed door where the dog cannot access it.  If it is meals be sure to feed when you and the dog are the only ones around, and put small amounts of food down at a time, allowing the dog to finish before you add more.  If you have children, it is recommended that any interaction between them and the dog is minimized and closely supervised.  The key is to be SAFE, not sorry!

     If you think you may have a resource guarding issue in your home, please feel free to contact me, and I will help you.

Finding my Husband: A Tracking Tale

     The past few months have been a busy time at my house, as it is every year from late October to mid January.    It is deer hunting season! My husband and many of his friends and family participate zealously, so there are usually plenty of deer to be processed- yum!

     Sadly, sometimes even a perfect shot can go awry, leaving an injured deer that must be found.  This leaves the hunter with a long walk through the woods, putting their tracking skills to the ultimate test.  At times, even the most dedicated human cannot find the deer, who either survived and got out of range, or died without being found.

     One day this scenario happened, and Brutus and I happened to be close enough that we were called to help find the deer.  I had absolutely no tracking experience and neither did Brutus, but the general consensus was that we should have a better chance with a canine nose.  I always have an extra harness and long line with me when I travel with the dogs, so I dressed my dog up and went into the woods.

     Immediately, Brutus zeroed in on the spot where the deer was shot.  I had no idea- I was just hanging on to the line being dragged along!  The hunters were excited and more confident than I was.  There were a few drops of blood on the ground, and a spot where even I could tell the deer had fallen down.  After a few frantic seconds of sniffing and circling, we were off!

     Running through the woods may not sound too tough if you do not do it often.  IT IS.  As Brutus trotted determinedly with his nose to the ground he was completely nonplussed by the myriad of branches, spiderwebs and tree roots that seemed to reach out to slap me in the face and tangle my feet.  Instead of going around thick patches of briars, he plunged through or underneath them.  I was wearing short sleeves but luckily had donned jean pants, or my legs would have been just as scratched as my arms were.  My sweet cuddle-bug Brutus did not notice any of my discomfort however, he kept on trucking through those woods.

     After some time, maybe 10 minutes of so, he aruptly stopped and not only his nubby tail, but his whole body was vibrating at a high speed!  I caught up to him, and there were a few drops of blood on some leaves!  We cheered and petted him and Bru was so overwhelmed that he was hopping like a maniac... until a chipmunk startled by our noise darted about 20 yards away from us.  I was jerked off my feet as he took off after it, baying like the hound he is.  I can laugh now, but my posterior was sore for a few days!  We reeled him back in with the long line, and showed him the deer blood again after a few minutes, when he was calmer.

     Brutus was on the trail again!  Nose down, tracking like he was born for it!  I was tired but it seemed effortless for everyone else.  We went all over- unexpected turns, across a creek twice, over a large pile of rocks, and through spiderwebs that brought out the ninja in me (I waved my arms but still ended up with spider silk in my hair).  Gradually I realized we were gaining speed- I was almost at a flat out run trying to keep pace with Brutus!  We all got excited and began encouraging Brutus "Go on boy!"  "Good nose! Find 'im!"

     I ended up having to hand off the long line to someone who could keep up better with Brutus.  I fell a bit behind, but was keeping them in sight, when a loud chorus of shouts went up.  I sprinted as best I could to see what all the fuss was about.

    Brutus had found....... my husband.  Brutus danced! And pranced!  He gave kisses!  He hopped and wuffed and generally looked extremely pleased with himself.  He ran from my husband and back to me a few times.

     My husband had been the first person out to track the injured deer.  After a lengthy conversation, we were able to determine with a fair amount of certainty that we had taken the same path my husband had.  The path began at the place where the deer had been shot, so we all assumed the dog was following the deer track.

     We never did find that deer.  I had a good laugh though.

     We did find out that my stripey rescue dog has one great nose!  It has inspired me to do a lot more research to help learn more about how to teach Brutus to isolate a particular scent to follow.  Ignorant handling and lack of a tracking training foundation doomed us from the start on our first hunt, but now we are discovering a lot!  I just went yesterday to watch a tracking test in Huntersville.  Hopefully by next year we will be ready to help.  Wish us luck!  :)