My New Goal

Was chatting with one of the ladies in puppy class last night. She was telling me,
"My husband read me this ad in the paper 'Jack Russell puppies for sale' And I thought he was just sharing something interesting. I didn't know he was planning his own birthday present."
Little Nipper came to live with them not long after that.
The man had bought his own 86th birthday present.
I asked, "have you had JRT's before?"
No, they had always had big dogs, but hadn't had a terrier and hadn't had a dog for - oh, say, (conference) about twenty or so years. Maybe longer.
They are enjoying this little dog so very much.

Couple of minor problems - one, energy level.
He has more than both of them combined. Running rings around them is just a problem! Literally and figuratively. They can not give this dog enough jobs or exercise him enough to control what might be destructive behavior when he turns teenager.
The other problem - they have a very very extremely smart dog. One of those 'too smart for his own good' kind of dogs. and every time both of them look at him they dissolve in huge silly grins and let him get away with everything. Including what he was named for - nipping.
Well, these are things we can change if they are willing - teach the puppy new behaviors, give him jobs to do, teach him nipping people is a no-no but there are many fun things to chew on.

And I now have a new goal for my life.
I plan to be 86 years old and make myself a fifteen year commitment to someone/thing.

Rain, thunder and all things fun!

Most dogs don't mind the rain.
Well, MY dogs mind the rain.

They look out the back door, look up at me and say "We were Teasing! No reason to go out in That!" And being the mean mommy I am - I open the garage door and take them out under the overhang so they don't have to get their delicate little sensibilities all wet. I am such a softie. And I don't like pee in my house........

But dogs in class don't mind the rain - they come in all excited - all soaked! Happy to jump all over me and dry off! Shake shake shake! Water thrown everywhere!

What they DO mind is thunder. Now some dogs are very nervous when it thunders. Some don't notice. Some go insane.
And its Contagious. Last night was a week two class and thunder. NOT a good combination. Dogs are still a bit nervous anyway on a week two class.
Most dogs don't get upset by thunder - they will hear it, look around and if no one reassures them (which when you coo "oh, baby, its okay, mommy is here, won't let nasty thunder get you!" what they Hear is "oh, baby, what a good dog you are! Mommy wants you to act Just Like That!") they get over it.


But I often get One dog in class who hears thunder and announces to the other dogs "Did you hear that?? Its the end of the world as we know it!!"
And the other dogs look at him and say "Really?? We didn't KNOW that was what that meant! Thank you for telling us!"
and then they all go nuts.......so much fun for the person trying to run the class.
What makes it More fun is when a Grown person ALSO joins in! "THUNDER! Lets all run and hide!!"
Sometimes the only solution is to walk around and shoot calming spray in the air and hope it lands on someone in need. Or dismiss class Early!

Big dogs n' money

Saint Bernards are Big dogs.
Saint Bernards cost a lot to raise.

The bigger the dog, the more it will cost you over the course of its life.
Really.
Some people don't realize this.
Sure there are some costs that a tiny yorkie
or shih tzu or rat terrier will have that a huge big dog won't. Clothes. Hair cuts (though many get their big dogs shaved or at least washed. Carriers.
But a big dog is going to cost you money.
They will cost you more in everything - from collars to bowls to time spent exercising.

So when you bring your brand new Saint Bernard puppy into the store and tell me
"I need the cheapest dog food you have because he's going to be big and I can't afford to feed him"
The look I just gave you means 'did you not KNOW that before you got him????"
It also means "I wonder who will have this dog this time next year because you can't afford to keep him?"
There are lots of dogs out there that need homes. Look at your budget before you fall in love. Dogs are not throw away items. They need care. From food to grooming to training to vet bills - it all costs money and your craving for a puppy does not negate the fact that they, like kids, do not live only on love.
And, by the way, the cheap food isn't always the cheapest. Do your research.

kids and dogs

Very often I hear 'its the kids' dog' or 'we got a puppy to grow up with the kids'.
Kids and dogs can make a great combination. In one of my recent posts I discussed giving the dog a job, a challenge and more exercise. A kid will very often fill all those needs.


However. (You knew there was a however, didn't you?)
A dog is a living, breathing animal. Your dog will have needs that children under either a certain age or with the mind set of entitlement, simply can not handle. That is not the dog's problem or issue. That belongs to the adult members of the family to make sure puppy is well taken care of past the first few days when it gets more attention that it needs and everyone fights to take him out. I always tell people 'this too shall pass' when they tell me what a great caretaker the seven year old is.

So just enjoy the fighting over puppy while it lasts, and realize this time next week it will be up to you to make sure puppy gets well cared for. Either by demanding the kids do it, or doing it yourself.


One other issue I get all the time is 'the two year old and the puppy'. Nothing is harder than a two year old and a puppy. They both run wild, they both squeal, they both jump on the other one unexpectedly, they both cry, they both have long term memory issues and you simply can't reason with either one of them. Separation and/or close supervision is about the only answer to this problem, till one of them matures a bit.

Yes, there are steps to help that. Come to puppy class! Let me help! And yes, you may bring your two year old child also - just make sure there is an adult who is not handling the dog be in charge of the child. I will thank you and every other person in class will thank you also.

Thinking caps

While usually I am of the strong opinion that most people do the best thing they can do, given the information they have, at any given time, sometimes I have to wonder.
I had two phone calls yesterday that raised my frustration level to new heights. Both from women at the end of their ropes. Both involved lab puppies.


Now, labs are fantastic dogs. They are smart,easy to train, not hard to housebreak, fun to play with, great with kids, energetic - OH, did I mention energetic? These dogs are big dogs that need exercise. Need. As in Need to Breath. Need to Eat. Need to Exercise.

No, More exercise than you are thinking.
Much more.


One lady lived in a small apartment, with no yard, and has a six month old lab puppy. She also has medical issues that means that dog is lucky if he gets to go out to pee. He gets little to no exercise and is destroying her apartment.

The other lady has an eight month old lab puppy that everyone ignores. She took him to two classes - not two sessions, but two classes - and they didn't help! The dog is still insane. No one is home, ever, it sounded like - they left puppy in the crate Christmas eve and when they came back Christmas AFTERNOON - he had gotten out, somehow, and pooped all over the house, destroyed all kinds of things.

Oh - they have had him since he was four weeks old, which is a whole 'nother issue.

Dogs are not toys to be set aside once played with for a week. Dogs have Needs. Do your research before you fall in love with that cute puppy.

Realize what you can and can not do. Dog will act like dogs.
If you go quoting Cesar to me - then I will quote back that Cesar takes his dogs on daily hours long runs.
Daily.
For Hours.
Runs.
Even little dogs need exercise. Big ones need it also - if you don't give it to them, they will create their own. By eating your walls. Or something else equally as fun for you

And - quite honestly, I'm going to be on the other end of the phone Not Saying out loud 'serves you right!' because my mommy raised me better than that.

Tiny Tyrants

A couple was in the aisle yesterday with a very very spoiled little chihuahua baby - and honestly you just can't spoil a dog more than you can that kind.
They just lap it all up and think they rule the entire world. Chihuahua's will turn into tiny tyrants quite easily. They have attitude far beyond that of many other dogs. We like attitude!
So they were buying clothes for their baby,looking at new food for her eating pleasure, tempting her with toys,
asking me this, asking me that - then said can we get her nails trimmed? I said yes, took them back to the grooming salon, left them there in capable hands, wandered back that way a bit later and saw them come out.
I said That didn't take long.......
She said, "Oh, we couldn't get them done - baby wouldn't let us."
I said - let me try....I love a challenge.
We go back, I get the head groomer - said "You cut, I'll hold."

So I get baby in a grip - and she SCREAMS like I'm KILLING her - and you just haven't heard much till you hear a chihuahua scream. I kept reassuring Mommy and Daddy, "she's fine! I'm not hurting her, I'm just holding her!!! Honest!" Baby is furious! She screaming - trying to bite - so mad she pees all down my leg, into my bait pouch and ALL over the work phone clipped to my belt. (My boss tells me later, "if you were carrying a manager phone, you're going to be in deep trouble!")
Groomer gets her clipped - she's clipped screaming dogs before - no problem.
The couple is SO SORRY I got peed on, they apologize up and down, over and again. I do what I usually do. I say, "Oh, that's never happened to me before, I don't know HOW to deal!" while laughing. They go on and on about how great I am - and give me a ten dollar tip.........whoa baby - I'm thinking I'll be a groomer when I grow up!
However, later on - I was looking at my arm, 'dang my arm hurts' and I have several lovely sets of deep claw marks from wrist to elbow.
The Queen has spoken!

Old dogs Again

I see puppies and newly adopted dogs coming through all the time - everyone is always dewy eyed and excited. Rightly so - new addition to the house, much fun, years of happiness.
Yesterday I saw a newly formed family that almost made me cry.
A younger couple came in with their new addition. She was a thirteen year old border collie mix. The woman said 'We went in looking for a puppy. But then we saw her - her mommy died. No one could keep her. We took one look at her, just knew - she's fat and happy just like us. We were made to be together.'

Merry Christmas!!!

A Week Away

Time is getting close! Everyone is making their lists and checking them twice. Thrice. Over and again. Stressing out over how much money they have left to spend, how much work they have left to do, how much paper they will need to wrap, how many relatives they have to be nice to! Stress stress stress!

And so - what do many people do?? Throw a new puppy into the stress mix! I'm always amazed at how many people show up with Christmas puppies. I guess I shouldn't be. Puppies are a GREAT gift. I want one too!!
However.

Now is a very hard time to get a new family member. Everyone is super busy - and that is saying a lot because it seems people are always busy. I tease people in class 'I want one of those life things everyone else seems to have!'
And new puppies are a lot of work. Believe me. I 'do dog' forty hours a week and I hear it every single day. Time intensive!
Babies! They need your attention. You need time to give to them. You know - that time thing you have such a short supply of right now? A new puppy is not the old dog you remember from your youth. New puppy will not settle down contentedly at your feet for more than a minute and a half. He will be eating your shoes instead. Peeing on the Christmas presents. Pooping where you step in your bare feet. Needing to go out three times a night. Played with. Brushed, fed and cuddled. Trained!
A new puppy is a GREAT gift. Just think it through before making a fifteen year investment.

Dedication

We had minor ice yesterday - it was thick on the cars, roads were bad, and the wind was horrible. If I had my druthers, I would have stayed home and baked cookies all day. But. Off to work I went.
Shoppers were still out and about - dogs still run out of food.

Snippets from my day.

Phone call: "what kind of dog house do you suggest in this weather?" I suggested strongly she bring her dogs INSIDE in this weather. Well, seems that was not an option. She had 7 of them and they fight.
She never showed up to buy a dog house and I have to hope someone calls animal control on her unprotected animals.

Lady at the cash register: "Husband thinks I'm out buying for the kids. He's going to have a fit when he hears all I've spent is money on the animals." Her bill came to right at $400.


Boss pulling out her hair: "If I have One More Phone call asking if you are still having class tonight I'll be bald!" She'd look.....interesting bald.........


All but two people in each class showed up. Dedication!

The name game

I've been 'fostering' a dog for the last few days. She's an adorable pup - part Jack Russel, part some kind of sight hound. Not too big, pretty smart. No real issues that I've seen yet, though she has to have some. How do I know this?? She's six months old and gone through a whole slew of names.

The first people who had her called her Sheba. Now, for some reason, that I've not discovered, Sheba's folks brought her to our vet after a short time, and said "here you go!" and left her.
The vet's office kept her a while and gave her to someone who named her MullHollow??? I've never quite figured out that name - must be movie person or singer person?? Not sure. Okay - I just googled it and the first thing that popped up was a bistro in Ft. Walton Beach Florida. Mullhollow's Bistro 2-1-5
But MullHollow's folks didn't keep her long and brought her back to the vet.
After a while, they gave her to a woman who named her Rosie. Now Rosie's mom signed up for puppy class, took her to two, and then had knee surgery and gave Rosie to her kids. (She also wanted her money back for the class which comes right out of my paycheck, and my bosses have a cow when returns happen
- not that I'm upset about THAT!! Hmpph.) Kids had her about two weeks and here she trots back to the vet.
They, by the way, started calling her MullHollow again. WHY? I have no clue.
So. Puppy lives at the vets office a while. Poor thing. Probably not as bad as a shelter, but still.
Then my boss decides he feels badly for her and takes her home with him for a week. His wife names her Winnie (yes, as in The Pooh) and since I think that's a better name than any of the rest of them, I've been calling her that. He says he works a hundred hours a week and has a baby and the last thing he needs is another dog and brings her back. She recently went to his next door neighbor for a week and came back. Not sure what they called her - Bungee???

Her issues - she is only partly housebroken - which isn't bad considering she's never had a house of her own. She doesn't really care for new men a whole lot, though she seems to warm up pretty quickly. She has a LOT of energy. One person said she was cat aggressive, though my almost fifteen year old cat smacked her nose a few times and straightened out that issue. I've always said that, after me, my cat is alpha dog in my house. She is very clingy, but once away from you, mostly doesn't come when called - and doesn't know her 'name'. Odd. Not. She also barks some, not a lot, but enough to be annoying.
Pluses - she is very smart and will do about anything you ask. Wouldn't take long at all to housebreak. Affectionate without being overly licky. Cute cute cute. One ear up, the other all floppy.
And she just wants a forever home. Like thousands upon thousands of other dogs.

Inadaquate

Ever have one of those days where the more you learn, the less you seem to know?? Or is the saying the smarter you get, the dumber you are? I had one of those days.

An upset woman called - she has a foster pit/bull terrier X 10 months old - Severe separation anxiety - depression, destruction, defecation, vocalization -all the clinical signs and went to the vet to see if they could get some anti anxiety meds for him, just to take the edge off. The vet at this clinic told her she would not prescribe the meds until they brought the dog to me for a consult first. Well, I really appreciate the thought, but - she said vet said I was a behaviorist - I'm NOT!!! A behaviorist does much more in-depth things than I do. They delve deep, they figure out things. I basically 'go from here'. I take the dog 'as is' and work from that starting point. Dog jumps on people? I give them another way to behave. Dog runs away?
I teach them coming is the best choice they have ever made. Compared to others I've seen, others I read about, I'm pretty darn good, but certainly not great, too much more to learn! And I'm absolutly not a behaviorist! I gave her a start - told her how I'd begin, but.....

And THEN - last night a very hysterical woman calls -I'd had her in puppy class with another dog. She says her new dog got out -the pound picked him up, and her husband says he hates the stupid dog - who runs away, jumps on people and pees in the house (the MAIN three reasons dogs are returned to the shelter, in my unstatistical opinion) and he's done with it unless she does something. She says and I quote "I'll pay you ANYTHING to take this dog for a couple weeks and train it!" and she went on and on about my 'skill' and how great it was to have something like that to share with others.........

I'm feeling very........inadequate right now. sigh.

Cockapoo tears

A very nice lady came into work yesterday, in almost tears, looking at shock collars. As I'm prone to do, I wandered up, asked her if I could help.....what kind of dog she had, what her issues were, and about thirty minutes later, she came up for air.
Seems she has a two year old cockapoo. One of the 'new designer' breeds. Very cute little dogs. I've had several come through class and adored them all. This one was driving her insane. "He's already gone through several shock collars" a sign that says to me, she was neither using them right nor buying a new one from me (yeah, I have the power to say No, and Will if I think they will be misused).
The dog's - her - issues were basically "he doesn't get enough exercise and so drives us nuts with his energy, he barks all the time, especially when he's locked in the garage because we can't stand him anymore, and he won't ever ever leave us alone in the house, he's always herding or jumping or....and oh, was barking ALL the time mentioned?? On and on and on and on. And when he does get to run, he won't come back."
Not much of a good life for the dog, or much fun doggie time for lady, her husband - who loves the dog, won't allow her to give it away, and yet won't take over any amount of care for it, and the two kids who hear mommy yell at the dog and are almost afraid of him at this point.
I tried my hardest to steer her toward training - which Can cost less than a shock collar, just to get the basics! And will last a lifetime.
This is one of those occasions where in home training would be a very good idea.
Will keep you posted if she and her husband call me. Fingers crossed. I think this is one of those dogs and his family that could be turned around, happily, fairly quickly if a good trainer (me) got involved.

Web sites

I am having very much fun with my blog. I like finding the pictures - one day, I shall own my Own camera and take my OWN pictures - Imagine!!!! Till then its web surfing and generics however. They work, but its NOT THE SAME!
Right now, I'm web site host hunting.
I need a web site, to get myself, my business, up and running. As much as I shut my eyes, plug my ears and chant motivational thoughts to myself, I can still see the writing on the wall at work. Our business like many others is slowing down and I can feel the downsizing commence. Since I am one of only maybe three full time people there (i.e, been there a while, get more dollars and must pay benefits) - and one of those is leaving soon - I'm thinking I'm about to be replaced with someone else. Part time, less paycheck. He's already in training, so I've got to pro-act.
Its fun to plan - what do I want to do - in-home training, I think is the way to start. I will have to find a place to hold classes at some point - I mean, really, is life worth Living without puppy classes every week??

No. And I will want to get into board and train also.
But right now, the web site is the thing. And learning as much as I possible can, any possible way I can.
I love plans.