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Puzzle Pieces: Choosing The Right Dog To Fit Your Lifestyle

A Westminster breed win causes the winning breed’s lovers to cringe for their breed. So can movies made about a particular breed. Dalmatians, Siberian Huskies and Chihuahuas to name a few, have already suffered through this fate. Backyard breeders pop up like weeds and rescues will be overflowing in the not too distant future. The same thing can happen when a particular breed is featured on the cover of a popular non-dog related national magazine. This recently happened with the Belgian Malinois.

It is especially harmful to a breed when the reputation is what can be seen as “bad ass” for lack of a better term. I imagine that the millions of Pit Bull type dogs that have lost their lives for varying reasons because of what has been done to them via public perception would have preferred to avoid the “bad ass” persona. Unlike the majority of dogs that perform a job for humans, Pit Bull type dogs actually do make great family dogs in most cases.

The same cannot be said of many Malinois. Or a working line Border Collie. Or a working line Australian Cattle Dog. Or so many other dogs that need a job in order to remain sane. Think of them as Type A dogs. Type A dogs are very much like your Type A friends who cannot sit still and relax unless exhausted. And even then, they struggle with this thing called the off switch. I know this. I am a Type A person.

Type A dogs need a job. Seriously, we are not talking just part of the day. We are talking most of the time. Dogs like this need almost constant mental stimulation or they will make their own and you may not agree with their interpretation of said mental stimulation.

So when a Type A dog breed suddenly becomes popular, people who are not planning on working their dog many hours a day decide to get the latest “cool” dog breed. While in a few cases, this will create a new fanatic of said breed, dedicated to their dog’s emotional stability, in most cases this ends up on the opposite end of that spectrum.

Typical of happens when Siberian Huskies — or other Type A breeds — aren’t kept busy.

The best way to prevent this scenario is to research, research and then research again when you plan on adding to your current crew. Areas of consideration include your lifestyle and your available time, your current crew’s tolerance level and likes and dislikes among other canines, your available finances and what a new addition would require, your available space and what your considered breed requires and even your plans for the future and whether an addition fits with them.

I am sure that I am preaching to the choir with my readers, but dogs are not fads nor are the meant to be disposable. They should be a lifetime (of the dog) commitment. Careful consideration that you have the right situation for the breed that you lust after is important to future happiness for everyone involved in the decision. Adopting or purchasing a puppy, especially a backyard bred version, of a Type A dog without having all the puzzle pieces in place will be a disaster in the making. Save yourself some angst and spend quality time matching your lifestyle and your current crew to what fits best, rather than basing your decision on the cool factor or an attractive face. That doesn’t work well for human pairings, it doesn’t work any better for choosing the canines in your life!

Tags: behavior, breed, choose, choosing, crate, dog, dogs, dominance, exercise, how, impulse control, job, Malinois, many, multiple, popular, positive, puppy, pure bred, relax, sit, stability, stimulation, train, working

Posted in: Projects

Balancing Acts: Work, Play, Dogs, How Do You Fit It All In?

Recently it was made clear to me that I had been neglecting my dog’s playtime. I had a friend come over to put my window air conditioners in and we had to go upstairs to my finished attic to get one of them. This also happens to be the location of my dog’s playroom. When that door opened, they were all up there in a flash. Even Siri, who often had to be persuaded and cajoled when we made this a daily event. I was chagrined.

It had been weeks, if not a month, since we had made the trip up there. Don’t misunderstand, we had most definitely played, but in the yard and in the living room. Those venues don’t generally invite the same intensity of play. And of course, we walk on a daily basis. But the attic playroom is where they are permitted to wrestle like idiots. They had clearly missed this time and I felt like a horrible dog mom.

I made sure that we headed up to that room two days later for a good hour or so of no holds barred play. Even Siri joined in and it had been a couple of months since she had shown an interest in joining in. She usually chose to lay on a dog bed next to me while watching. We stayed up there so long, that eventually Kenzo ran downstairs to get a drink. That was a rarity! I chose that as our cue to call it a day. I vowed then to not let life get in the way of play again. My dogs are only here a finite amount of time. I want to make that time memorable.

I see so many clients who confess to me that they rarely walk their dogs. But they make a point in telling me that they play with their dogs for hours in the yard. That’s great. But it’s not a substitute for getting their dogs out of their element. I wrote a blog about the importance of that, that you can read here in this website. My point here is about balance. Spend some of that playtime walking your crew outside of your own property. One method of stimulation isn’t enough. Playtime is aerobic exercise depending on how you are playing. Walking may be physical but it’s the mental factor of it that is important to your dog.

The crew in their playroom.

The playing portion is engagement with you as well as physical. I can see on my dog’s faces how happy they are when they get to really engage with one another and play unfettered. My mistake was trying to force that interaction daily. I was deluded into thinking they were no longer interested because I tried to enforce play daily. The true story was that they didn’t need it daily, Maybe your dogs do, maybe they don’t. I am certain that my dogs need a daily outing, away from our element. I need this as well. But they don’t need to wrestle like idiots daily. Younger dogs probably do. When Merlin and Kera were alive and younger, the crew played almost daily. But Kenzo is a low activity two year old. And Trent is nine going on ten and Siri is twelve and a half.

The message here is look for what your own individual crew needs. Look for balance. Make time for what they need. The time they have with us is limited. It’s not nearly as much as with the humans in your life. Before you know it, it’s gone. Life is hectic for most humans in this day and age. But I cannot think of a better way to slow it down than to force yourself to live in the moment for your dogs for some portion of every day. Take a realistic look at them and what their needs are. Carve that time out on a daily basis, some days more, some days less. You will be happier and so will they.

Feel free to share how you balance your dog’s lives. We all need fresh ideas.

Tags: balance, behavior, dogs, exercise, happy, hectic, household, how, intensity, many, multiple, needs, physical, play, positive, social, training, walk

Posted in: Projects

Graduation Day: Kenzo Transitions Out of the Crate

Today we folded up the crate and put it away. This was by no means an overnight decision. It has been on my mind but I had not taken any steps to start the process until a month or so ago. That was when Kenzo put his big boy pants on in a manner of speaking. He turned two years old. Coincidently he chose this same time frame to start protesting being crated when I left the house long enough for clients.

The routine up until this time had always been that Siri and Trent were loose in my bedroom and Kenzo was crated in the same room with that door closed. I have long since considered my bedroom the quietest and calmest seeming room in my house. Living in the city with guarding and guardian breeds meant that I tried very hard to reduce their need to feel that they had to guard the homestead while I was out. The bedroom has always been the logical choice to avoid the majority of the sounds of activity in my neighborhood.

Before Kenzo, Merlin, Kera Siri and Trent were loose together in that room for most of their life together when home alone. When Trent initially joined us, he was crated in that room until I was comfortable with their interactions.

For about the past year when I only planned on being gone an hour or two locally, I often left them all loose with the run of the entire house. I initially started that process with quick trips to the store down the street and progressed from there. That set up always went well, but my thoughts on that were that because they had the entire house to move around in, they were less likely to have any bad interactions between them. Kenzo would never harm Siri and vice versa but Trent is insecure and I wasn’t sure whether I was comfortable with them in less space when alone yet.

Trent likes to hang out upstairs a lot and Siri and Kenzo hang out in the kitchen unless we are all in the living room or bedroom. But when Kenzo initially refused to go into the crate after smacking himself in the bum with the crate door accidentally as I was leaving for a client, I was unsure how to handle it. He spooks easily about things like that and I knew he wasn’t going back in without some work on my part that I did not have time for at that very moment. So I settled on the whole house set up for the first couple of days. On day three, he again went into the crate but day four he said no again.

Day four gave me a new set up to try that I had been mulling over for several months. I left them all loose with access to both upstairs bedrooms and baby gated the top of the stairs. This solved the problem of the too close of quarters in the one bedroom for three dogs, with one male being twice the size of the other. And it also solved the problem of potential activity on my back porch where the mail and packages would be delivered, causing a need to guard the castle.

Kenzo in the spare bedroom with his Kong

Kenzo automatically went into the spare bedroom to get his Kong as this is where he usually laid down while I showered. I gave the other two their Kongs in their usual spots. I had already set up another water bowl in the spare bedroom. I sprayed calming lavender essential oils and left many of Kenzo’s favorite toys and antlers out. The only thing that I worried about was Kenzo knocking the baby gate down to go downstairs. I needn’t have worried about that. Kenzo respects barriers. He also spooks easily about things such as that and if he had knocked the gate over, he would have steered clear of it and stayed upstairs.

So now we have a new routine and Kenzo no longer heads upstairs with reluctance when it’s clear I am heading out for a bit. They are calm and happy and this makes me happy. So the message here is integrating can happen easily if you take it step by step. Trust is earned. Good interactions between your crew members are crucial for such a step. Your crew must have some manners between one another before even considering something like this. Impulse control is key. As is trusting your instincts. Some households may never have the dogs loose together when home alone and that is okay. Do what is right for your own situation and you cannot go wrong.

Take a moment below to share how you handle your crew’s home alone set up.

Tags: access, behavior, calm. harm, canine, crate, dogs, dominance, door, exercise, force, household, how, many, multiple, positive, quiet, rescue, routine, social, three, training, trust

Posted in: Projects

A Day in the Life: Enrichments for Sanity — Theirs and Mine

The life of a professional dog trainer can be hectic. Oh, no complaints here. I make my own schedule and I am living my dream. But my dream is not my dog’s dream. So while some days are seriously fun for my dogs, some are less than thrilling.

All in all, I strive for as much mental stimulation as I can practically supply and an appropriate amount of physical activity on a daily basis. The physical activity is equally important for me. If I don’t get out into nature daily, regardless of the weather, I feel varying degrees of anxiety. I NEED to be outside and reasonably active on a daily basis to comfortably exist. My dogs are soul connections on this count.

Happily tired dogs are a sign of success.

So daily walks are the norm, whether 0 degrees or 90 degrees. It’s the length and time of day and location that vary. This winter we have used a vat of Musher’s Secret to achieve our goals. Daily fun most days also includes a romp in their indoor playroom. They may play actively for long or short periods or we may just hang out and exist as one. As often as my brain can participate, we have both one-on-one and group training sessions. My goal is a minimum of three times a week. My heart leaps at how much my dog’s enjoy this time. Some days include mental stimulation treat dispensing puzzle toys and others include high value chew time. If I have done my job correctly, I can see clients and safely spend computer time without protest and disappointed looks directed my way. This is my picture of success.

Tags: activity, behavior, daily, dog, dogs, dream, force, hectic, household, how, many, multiple, nature, physical, puppy, rescue, respect, session, stimulation, train, training, weather

Posted in: Projects

Half the Man He Used to Be: Kenzo After the Neutering

It’s been almost two months since Kenzo was stripped of his manhood, just two short days after his first birthday. I am nothing but delighted with the results! I admit that I had normal dog parent fears of anesthesia and surgery and “oh my god, am I doing the right thing” ideas rolling around my head. I have a personal completely unwarranted terror of anesthesia so the phone call telling me that Kenzo came through surgery successfully was extremely welcome and relieving. But aside from those thoughts that were quickly displaced, the outcome of such a surgery has been very pleasing all around.

Why, you ask? I shall tell you, dear reader. The crew’s interactions are so much calmer and there is less consternation on my part than before surgery. Kenzo spends far less time obsessing about Siri’s lady parts than before (and she has been spayed for more than ten years!) and for that, she is also eternally grateful to be sure.

Trent appears to be far less threatened by Kenzo, despite the fact that Kenzo has grown quite a bit. Trent now initiates play on a regular basis and is less likely to be worried about Kenzo’s approach towards him on any surface than he was prior to the surgery. He is also far more likely now to appropriately let Kenzo know when he is either being too forward or he wants to be left alone. Trent’s typical response to such a scenario pre-surgery was overkill. Having him be more relaxed about normal daily interactions is enough of a reason to be grateful.

Rest time on the hike — with a recently neutered Kenzo

Interestingly, although Kenzo is certainly far more likely to obsess about smells than most dogs I have come across, he is easier to redirect now that his more primal instinct has had the edge taken off of him.

The strangest development has been in his eating habits. As many of you who follow my blog on a regular basis know, I feed a raw diet. Kenzo had started to be what I can only describe as suspicious, of some meals, in the last few weeks prior to neutering. Once neutered, that trait completely disappeared and he once again embraced his meals with his prior gusto. To say that this made me happy is a vast understatement! Worrying about what to feed a growing giant breed dog is not something you want on your plate, so to speak!

The final test of things that changed, that I had been eagerly awaiting, was his venture to the dog social that I had taken him too since he was much younger. The closer that he got to his one year birthday, the more likely he was to be harassed at the gate by neutered males who felt threatened by his intact status. He had started obsessing over their dislike of him and I would have to follow him all over the room, preventing him from “asking the dog why he disliked him”. That was the best way I could figure out to describe his obsession with them AFTER they greeting him with excessive snarking. He wanted to play with them and ONLY them then. It was exhausting and the primary reason I stopped taking him until his surgery. I did not want him to start reacting to their snarking. In addition to that response, he had started to also develop an obsession with humping the Golden he usually played best with.

I am thrilled to report that only one neutered male felt threatened this time and to a much lesser extent than previously experienced. Kenzo was very easily redirected from this rejection than in the past. As for this past humping behavior, it disappeared. He and Jimmer, his Golden playmate, played well and happily, taking turns with growly spithead. A grand time was had by all. Kenzo played so hard and well that he took the opportunity to rest before social was over. That was unheard of in the past.

I am sure that the naysayers are still going to tsk-tsk at what I chose to do, but as is the old saying, what is done is done. It cannot be undone thankfully. Being a professional dog trainer/behavior consultant doesn’t mean that I have the desire to be “on” all the time in my own household. Aside from standard manners and impulse control training, having altered males in a multiple male household makes a huge difference in greatly reducing the stress on all parties. I will happily continue to recommend it to clients.

Feel free to comment on both sides of the issue in the spaces below but keep your comments polite if you want others to see them! Thanks for playing nicely.

Tags: appropriate, calm, dog, dogs, force, grown, how, Kenzo, many, McMullen, neuter, neutering, obsession, play, positive, smell, snark, social, spay, surgery, threat, train, worried

Posted in: Projects

Happily Ever After? Sometimes, It’s Not an Easy Feat.

I get a lot of inquiries through my training business for help with multiple dog issues. Most are fixable; some with an easy tweak, some with more effort, some would be easy if people would use simple common sense. Some are sadly not fixable, but not fixable is thankfully rare, at least in my experiences.

My most frustrating cases involve people who have good intentions but don’t think things through and expect a magic solution. Unfortunately, there are no magic solutions.

The basic facts are this….if your current dog has not been exposed to or doesn’t like other dogs, getting a puppy (with or without training said puppy) will not go over well with your current dog. There is no magic wand that will fix this situation. Only solid behavior modification for the adult dog and training for the puppy, will “fix” the situation. Benevolent leadership and taking a parental role in the situation will go a long way towards a remedy.

I wish that I had an easier solution, I really do. Part of the problem that I run into is that I cannot change a person’s basic personality. You either are comfortable being a leader or you aren’t. Some aspects of this position can be taught and some can’t. I find myself in the position of seeing very workable scenarios with people who are not comfortable taking the lead.

A dog who has had his or her life spent in a certain comfortable routine won’t easily be happy changing said routine without feeling safe with the household leadership. This plays a key role in whether your dog rolls with the changes easily or not. Dogs need to know that you “got this covered”. In particular, an adult dog who either has already shown a dislike for other dogs or has never been exposed to other dogs, will rest far easier knowing that you will keep them safe from puppy stupidity.

I have had both successes and failures with this particular scenario. It so very much depends on the determination of the owner to make things work and above all, the ability of the owners to “step up” and take the reins of benevolent leadership. This does not in any way, shape or form, involve using force or being “dominant”. What is does involve is being the human that keeps the peace. It involves being the human who will keep everyone in the home safe. That includes teaching the new puppy manners so that the resident dog feels safer exploring the new dog. It involves spending time acclimating said resident dog to the new puppy in a positive manner. This usually doesn’t happen overnight.

Many people continue to believe that the best way to fix a conflict is to allow the dogs to “work it out”. That could not be further from the truth. Someone needs to make the decisions about what is and isn’t allowable with all canines involved. That same someone is expected to set guidelines and limits and kindly enforce both as well as teaching everyone to make better decisions. Dogs thrive with routine and structure. Show them what is expected of them and that YOU, the HUMAN, will keep them safe from harm and take care of all basic needs and it all flows more smoothly from there.

When the human “in charge” is uncertain or anxious about the situation at hand, it’s evident to all the canines in the household. Safety is a primary need of all living creatures. Uncertainty and anxiety create stress and stress creates conflict when the dynamics are unstable.

My own situation with Trent and Kenzo would be disastrous in a less skilled household. There would have already been bloodshed. But things go well because *I* set the rules. Trent knows I am keeping him safe. Kenzo has been taught what is and isn’t acceptable. Supervise, supervise, supervise is the name of the game here with a gradual increase in privileges.

For those of you reading this before getting a new addition to your family; if you have a dog that already has issues with other dogs, then fix that first. Don’t just assume things will fall into place because you get a puppy rather than an adult dog. It just doesn’t work that way. It might but again, it might not. It’s frustrating to see situations that could be fixed easily by changing the humans, not the dogs.

The bottom line for success with a potential conflict between new canine housemates is to feel comfortable taking the lead. I can show you what to do, tell you what to do, guide you along the process but I cannot do it for you. I don’t live with your dogs, you do.

Those who have successfully worked through this process, please share your experiences in the spaces below. Failure stories are welcome as well.

Tags: behavior, bully, change, dogs, dominant, exposed, fixable, force, frustrating, how, leadership, many, multiple, peace, personality, puppy, safe, stupidity

Posted in: Projects

Dominance Redux: Words and Consequences Again

Dominance is such a dirty word in the dog behavior world, primarily because it has been misused so badly. Misunderstandings about its true meaning abound. Long held beliefs about dominance are clung to in some circles, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. The old school world of force-based dog training relied heavily on misunderstandings of perfectly innocent behavior that is typically just a lack of training.

The concept of dominance in dogs has swung from commonly accepted in the old school world of professional dog trainers to discounted or dismissed outright by modern scientifically based dog friendly dog trainers. As of late, however, the newer progressive school of thought seems to be to freely admit that dominance in dogs does indeed exist. However, each of these three groups views the meaning differently. Herein lies the problem.

Fully defining the word dominance as it relates to dogs is far more complicated than I want this article to be. Suffice it to say that the real problem occurs when the general dog owning public hears that the word has come into favor again. Upon seeing what they perceive as dominant behavior in their own dog, many feel that they are justified in taking some force-based action to correct that so called dominant behavior.

The old school definition is still going strong in some sectors; most modern rewards based positive reinforcement trainers understand the ( IMO, outdated) scientific definition but don’t see a need for the word as a label and the third group are purists for true definitions. I am in the middle group.

Let’s consider the sad fact that some TV trainers would have their viewers believe that their dogs are on an all-out mission to take over the world by exerting their dominance in multitudes of situations, when in fact they have simply climbed on the couch because it’s comfortable, for one example. The typical dog parent doesn’t have the time or the interest in understanding the nuances in the differing schools of thought on so called dominant behavior. Among the behaviors that have been called dominant that aren’t: rushing out the door first, walking in front of an owner on a walk, jumping up on people as a greeting, the afore mentioned climbing on the couch, and even chasing a laser pointer. Some are a simple lack of training, some are comfort seeking and some are just plain stupid. None are truly dominance in dogs as defined by science.

So I’d like to suggest here that we just stop using the word dominance. It may improve the physical well-being of dogs of the typical dog parent. Let’s rename the behavior. Science progresses, dictionaries evolve. So should word meanings. I propose we start using the word rude instead. It fits much better. It has far less sinister connotations. In any given multiple dog situation, dominance can rear its ugly head five times in five minutes or no times in twenty four hours, within the same crew of dogs. Let’s give an example of the true definition of dominance that can literally take just seconds of viewing time and has little to do with the often promoted examples.

Spot is chewing on his bone on the floor. Rover wanders in and walks up to Spot and gives him the hairy eyeball without getting physical. Spot really wants that bone but he wants even more to not tussle with Rover so he gets up and walks away, leaving Rover to the bone. All that took maybe ten seconds and no blood was shed. But an hour later, Rover has a tuggy and Spot rolls in and wants that tuggy, because tuggies are his thing. So the reverse happens with Spot giving Rover the hairy eyeball. Rover cares less about tuggies so he moseys along, leaving the tuggy to Spot. Are they both dominant? Yep, in their own particular situation. Would it be accurate to call either a dominant dog? Nope. Dominance is fluid and varies according to any given situation.

So back to my suggestion, why not rename social dominance in dogs? It has such a bad rap and all it really describes, after all, is a dog who is being a rude bully towards another dog in any given situation. We don’t call human bullies dominant. It gives them credence that no one wants a bully to have.

So why not give this whole dominance thing a kick to the curb and choose a word that brings a more realistic slant to the multiple dog situation. The world progresses with the times. Words take on new meanings because information evolves. I find it curious and unsettling that we hold on to a word that has such bad connotations and is truly unnecessary in helping dog parents modify the behavior of their beloved dogs.

Clarity is really what we all want anyway, isn’t it? The scientific explanation and the just plain English explanation both mean the same thing but are perceived in different ways by different groups, depending on their personal belief system. Let’s not cause confusion. All modern quality dog professionals who fully understand the scientific explanation want the same thing, regardless of their desire for word purity. We want dogs being accepted and understood properly as dogs, not as sly creatures waiting to take over the world locking their owners in the basement. How about you?

Tags: behavior, bully, clarity, complicate, definition, dog, dominance, force, how, many, meaning, owner, purists, too, train

Posted in: Projects

A Snip Decision: the Pros and Cons of Early Neutering Can Be Complicated

I have an intact dog. That comment will incense many people and a near equal amount will wonder why I am admitting it like a confession. It is a confession of sorts. I have been a rescuer for more than fourteen years. I have been involved in shelter work for longer than that. Having an intact dog goes against everything I believe in.

The majority of people I am close to would have made the appointment for neutering the second that their dog turned the magic age of six months. Kenzo is about to turn nine months old. I agreed to wait until he was a year old to alter him and it has been suggested that I wait until he is two years old. Some days, I want to chuck my agreement in the garbage and call the vet for a same day appointment. Other days, I am sure I can wait. Most days I waver between the two.

Kenzo, at 9 months of age.

The subject of neutering (early or at all!) is controversial in some circles and causes blood boiling on both sides. I asked about neutering large and giant breeds earlier than a year, on my personal Facebook page a few months ago. It turned into a war zone. I had to delete some comments and moderate others. I defended my desire to neuter now or at all, with those who insisted neutering was never a good idea while with others, I defended my reasons for not neutering yet. It was a thin line to walk, trying to stand my ground without making myself a target for either side.

Some readers will wonder what the big deal is, why wait you ask? Why ask for input at all, right? Well, for those who have not followed along closely, and for those who have and may not have realized, Kenzo is considered a giant breed. Giant breeds of dogs grow more slowly than even large breeds; which I have always had and neutered as early as possible. Growth plates are not closed until at minimum, eighteen months and in some cases, two years. How much difference can that make with regards to neutering? That remains to be seen. Hence my perfectly innocent and inquisitive Facebook question.

Questionable studies were thrown at me, anecdotal “evidence” was cited, veiled threats were made, insults were thrown and nothing was truly accomplished. When it all comes down to it, it’s still my decision to make. I just have not made it yet.

How does this relate to multiple dogs? Trent, my eight year old neutered male Pit Bull is an insecure dog. He always has been. But until a little over a year ago, he had the most confident male dog in the world keeping him safe from the revolving door of foster dogs that came through this house. Of course, I am the one who has really kept him safe, but Trent adored Merlin and viewed him as his personal protector. Merlin is no longer here to protect him and now Trent is the “big brother” to a dog who has already eclipsed ninety pound Siri in size. Trent is a bit overwhelmed. Add the intact factor with Kenzo hitting the magic testosterone age of not quite nine months of age and you have a potential dilemma.

Kenzo is just starting to test his boundaries. The marking outside over Siri and Trent’s urine has started, mostly in the yard but occasionally on walks as well. We have had two posturing/marking incidents in the house recently when Kenzo has felt the need to show that he had his big boy pants on; once with Siri and once with Trent. That got quickly redirected by yours truly, but the moment was still noted by Trent and that is what matters. And of course Siri just looks at Kenzo like he has lost his mind, so I’m not worried about her.

It has been obvious that Trent is more comfortable playing with Kenzo these days, which helps ease my mind. Siri is much more inclined to play with him that Trent though. She also feels more comfortable shutting him down immediately if he annoys her than Trent does. But I do my best to not place either of them in the position of having to do that. Many of these things are just puppy versus older dog issues but many more aren’t. The differences between having an intact dog in the house compared to a neutered dog are glaringly obvious, at least to me, a behavior expert.

Aside from the extreme interest in Siri’s urine that keeps his Jacobson Gland in overdrive, there is the instinct that drives him to pace their every pottying need. And of course, there is the wariness that all neutered males greet him with. He can’t help any of this but it’s still there. So my thoughts dwell on this test of time. Can I wait or should assured peace be claimed? The answer to that question remains to be seen. I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, feel free to add your POLITE thoughts on my quandary. Rudeness will not be tolerated, nor will name calling, etc. And keep in mind that Kenzo WILL be neutered. That is not up for discussion. The question is when. I have read everything I need to read on the subject, medically speaking. I am just looking for other’s experiences with multiple males in the household, both neutered and intact, preferably also with a female in the home. Thanks for being understanding.

Tags: behavior, boundaries, controversial, dilemma, dogs, force, growth plates, household, how, insecure, many, multiple, neuter, spay, wait

Posted in: Projects

How Many Is Too Many Dogs? Part 2: When Rescuers Need Rescuing

This subject has been my most popular blog subject ever. Google searches on this phrase find the original blog more frequently than the website itself. The question itself crosses the mind of all who have more dogs than is considered the norm by the general public. The general public’s opinion, however, is not who anyone should base their perfect canine number on. Not by a long shot.

The renewed interest in this subject was prompted by a recent story locally of a breed rescuer who is being forced by local law enforcement, to reduce her numbers from more than eighty dogs, to twenty five dogs. Neighbors complained and ordinances are now being enforced. She has very little time to perform such a feat, meaning if seized, more than fifty dogs are facing a death sentence. This disturbs me greatly, for a number of reasons. Hopefully, by the time you read this, these dogs will no longer be in danger. Follow up to be noted when available, never fear.

Photo from a recent hoarding case.

But back to the reasons this disturbs me: there are so many, let me count the ways. Having been a rescuer (currently resting emotionally from that task), I can say with passion that it is really hard to say no to dogs in need. But I can also say with passion that I learned the hard way that if you don’t take care of yourself and your own dogs, first, everyone suffers and no one is truly helped. It is important to know your limit: emotionally, physically, financially, etc. regardless of whether you are a rescuer or just a plain dog owner who wants more dogs in your life. Know your limits!

If you are sentencing dogs to hours upon endless hours in crates or kennels, with little to no exercise and human interaction; that is not rescuing. That is hell on earth. Don’t pull dogs from shelters if you are not bettering their situation. Don’t call yourself a rescuer or even just a normal multiple dog household when you are clearly in over your head. No one human can take proper care of eighty-something dogs. It’s just not possible. Even with a couple of volunteer hands, it’s not enough.

There is another new hoarding situation almost every day in the media. This person was found to have fifty cats. That person was found to have a hundred dogs. This is a sickness. It’s not well intentioned rescuing or a loving multiple dog household. It may have started that way but it did not end up that way. At heart, it’s about selfishness, not selflessness. Rescuers make themselves feel good about rescuing. There is nothing wrong with that if you are not also using that as the ends to justify the means. Rescuing a dog is more than simply keeping them alive. Being alive is not the same thing as living well.

Dogs are sentient beings. They have thoughts and feelings and emotional needs, in addition to the physical needs of food, water, physical care and warm housing. No one would think it appropriate to expect people to live in a small space with no interaction or exercise day after endless day. It is equally unreasonable to expect the same of a dog, if the expectation is that the dog in question should remain mentally stable, that is! Placing unstable dogs is not appropriate without behavior modification and then we come back to lack of resources again.

The moral of this story is that as a multiple dog owner and/or rescuer, you dear reader, need to be fully aware of your limitations; physically, emotionally, financially, etc. Take into account your own basic needs, the needs of the dogs you currently have and calculate it all together in a PRACTICAL way. Then make a decision on whether to add another dog, foster or permadog, to your life. There are plenty of people on this earth who can care for a dog just as well as you can, I promise you this. If your urge to help a particular dog is strong but your limitations are stronger, sponsor the dog, promote the dog, do things other than adding the dog to your household to get him or her a good home. Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. And above all, be there for your current crew as a responsible multiple dog owner and/or rescuer.

Tags: breed, canine, crate, dogs, emotion, enforcement, foster, hell, hoarding, how, human, interaction, law, many, more, multi, multiple, needs, rescue, sickness, small, suffer, too

Posted in: Projects

Command Performance: Do Words Have Consequences?

I think “yes” would be the accurate answer to this question. Words like “command” and “obedience” reek of control. They are included in the “hammer” style tools of dog training. I much prefer the use of “cue” and “manners”. Like the saying goes, “When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” While this statement is typically applied to actual training tools, this equally applies to the words used in training as well.

Many people assume that words, once spoken, disappear. While that can be true but what can also happen is this; quite often, the words that are used can convey a specific feeling to the person who spoke the words. Words such as command and obedience are forceful. They imply those who they are directed to are inferior and in need of domination. This could not be further from the truth in relation to the dogs in our lives.

Photo of Dawn Goehring of Comedy Barn Canines. Photo Courtesy of Christine Romano, Rich Blessings Photography

Photo of Dawn Goehring of Comedy Barn Canines. www.comedycanines.com. Photo Courtesy of Christine Romano, Rich Blessings Photography

While our dogs certainly require structure and boundaries, they don’t need such words to provide said structure. What they need is kindness, empathy, understanding, and clear communication. They are not looking to take over our world. We have the opposable thumbs, after all.

“Breaking” is another word that is better off dispensed with in regards to housetraining. While the word is appropriately descriptive of the goal that is in mind – as in “breaking the habit” – it does speak to the notion that force can somehow resolve the problem.

According to Raymond Coppinger, dogs chose to join us; domesticating themselves by stationing themselves near human camps. The ensuing partnership was mutual. We provide for their needs. They know this. There is no need to lord it over them with force. They revere us already. They respect us when we work with them rather than on them.

Dogs are the most forgiving creatures I know of. We treat them badly and still they adore us. Using kind words goes a long way towards promoting partnership and trust far more than words that convey the need to wield control with an iron fist. Every step taken towards dismissing such a partnership makes an additional step easier. It becomes a slippery slope.

Forceful words can cause even bigger problems in the multiple dog household. As with a multiple human household, personalities will differ among the crew. A dog that is pushier than another dog can feel emboldened by harsh words spoken at such from the humans in the household. Harshness can create bullies out of humans as well as canines. It is up to the humans to set good examples to be followed. Think of it in terms of children who are emotionally abused by their parents. While they may grow up stronger because of what they endured, there is an equal if not greater chance that they will learn how to be angry more easily than how to be kind.

Compassion and respect should not be reserved solely for one’s fellow humans. All sentient beings are deserving of this. Choosing words that you would use with humans whom you love, with the canines in your lives, will go far towards building the trust that creates a wonderful bond. Words DO matter. Choose them with care.

Tags: bullies, canine, command, compassion, cue, dogs, emotional, empathy, force, harsh, household, how, kindness, manners, many, multiple, obedience, respect, training, word

Posted in: Projects