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Posts Tagged multiple

On Demand: Offering Manners vs. a Militant Nothing-in-Life-is-Free Program (NILIF)

I recently had a misguided person try to post a comment to one of my blogs that was not actually about the blog’s subject so I chose not to approve it. But aside from not responding to the subject matter at hand, the comment was urging some old fashioned training advice. In the commenter’s words, she was urging a “militant Nothing in Life is Free” approach, in order to keep peace among multiple males.

Jennifer Bird of Furkid Rescue enjoys a partnership with her crew. Photo by Caleb Green.

For those of you who are not familiar with this “program”, it used to be used by lots of dog trainers, positive and balanced alike. It involves commanding dogs to provide some behavior before receiving any kind of resource, be it dinner or affection. The initial goal was to convey the human’s higher status. These days, when the program is suggested by most modern trainers, it is used much differently than in the past.

Why? Because we now know more about dogs and hierarchy and dog behavior in general, especially how they learn best. Commanding has evolved into cueing and among the best trainers and dog parents, much behavior is taught to be offered rather than demanded. Teaching dogs to make better choices and offer the appropriate behavior in many situations not only makes for less work on the owner’s part, it makes for a more polite dog overall.

Rather than demand a sit for dinner, dogs learn to offer it as a matter of routine. The same applies to other high value resources such as passing through doorways, when receiving treats and chew bones, etc. Raised surfaces are another area where manners may need apply but unless a dog is guarding surfaces on a regular basis, my dogs need not ask permission before climbing onto the couch. Militant NILIF users believe differently. The same applies to affection. Now that is not something I am going to expect a sit or something else in order to offer. I share my life dogs because I love dogs and I want to show affection to them and have them do the same without some self entitled gratuitous offering of them bowing down in some way to have that happen.

Of course if a dog is overwhelming in the way that they offer affection to their humans, impulse control gets trained in every situation, including this. But there is no demanding going on. It’s all about teaching a dog to self moderate his or her behavior in order to get what he or she wants.

This person was very focused on an extremely structured approach that bordered on military style, including the wording used. Dogs are social creatures. They thrive in a family atmosphere. Teach them what the boundaries are in a benevolent manner and most will gladly aim to please when rewarded for doing so. Sentient behavior 101. There is no need to run your canine crew like a bunch of military recruits. That is not how you build trust; that is actually a good way to erode it!

Make no mistake, I expect manners in my home and that is what I teach my clients to expect, as well, from their own crews. But as previously noted, there is no need to demand anything. Reward what you want and you get more of it. This is not the place to explain in depth how capturing, shaping and other positive reinforcement methods are done properly. There are other excellent sources for such information. My goal here is to dispel the myth that one needs to be worried about petting one’s dog without demanding said dog perform feats first.

I have fostered many dogs and the first thing I teach them is impulse control. This is taught with a combination of capturing and management. I don’t issue orders. As another trainer recently stated in a well written article about commands versus cues, my dogs don’t have to sit, they get to sit. They LOVE to sit and I rarely have to ask and when I do, it’s with body language and hand signals, not demands. Benevolence is your word for the day, dear readers. Lead by example, not with an iron fist.

For more on this subject, I suggest Kathy Sdao’s wonderful book, Plenty in Life is Free.

Tags: affection, behavior, canine, command, cue, dog, dominance, force, higher status, household, impulse, learn, many, militant, multiple, NILIF, non-force, peace, puppy, rescue, training

Posted in: Projects

Tales from the Dark Side: When a Multiple Dog Caregiver Gets Sick

I recently awoke from the dead. Okay, I am being a touch dramatic but quite frankly, that is what it feels like some days. What actually happened is that I was very very sick. Like hospital stay sick, though I refused admission and lived to tell about it. Briefly, because this is not meant to be about me, I ended up with pancreatitis. Yeah, I had/have a dog disease. Go figure. Anyway, there is evidently no magic pill for this condition and it is seriously slow going back to normalcy. Setbacks did not help at all. The pancreas is a very fickle organ. I have, quite frankly, never felt this bad and I have had all of my extraneous organs already removed so that is saying quite a bit.

This whole ordeal scared me silly because I am a single multiple dog mom. There is no other immediately handy human caregiver to fall back on. So if things had been much worse, I would have or rather my dogs would have, been in a bind.

How long is it going to be till we get our walk?
Photo courtesy Heather Long.

I now realize that I need be better prepared for such a situation in the future. It occurred to me that there are probably other single heads of multiple dog households that should be as well. So I wanted to brainstorm some on how that could be done better.

Asking on the How Many Dogs Facebook page resulted in the usual suggestions: pet sitters, extra chews for extra crate time, fenced in yards, etc. All good info but expanding on this is important. It’s just not enough in the face of a real emergency if one is not at least somewhat prepared.

Make no mistake, I have several friends who would come at a moment’s notice to let my dogs out, who are very skilled with my crew. My dearest friend Jackie is who let my dogs out and fed them dinner, when it became clear that I was not leaving the ER with antibiotics for an infection. But she has her own multiple dog household so she cannot spend the night at a moment’s notice. Few people can offer that kind of a favor.

Now with my former crew, pre-Kenzo, I would have felt comfortable leaving them overnight having been fed, pottied and loved, with someone coming again in the morning. They would have been worried about where I was, but they were all trustworthy enough that I would not be worried for their safety or the safety of my house. But Kenzo is only 15 months old and 135#. I never leave him alone with the others outside of his crate for more than an hour or so, to run to the store. They all do wonderfully in those instances but an overnight stay with him loose even in the bedroom would have me worried about their stress levels. Trent would be stressed and he would be less apt to handle Kenzo’s pushing for play. Siri would manage them both well, but as I preach to my clients, we are not at this stage yet for the long term. So I could not leave him crated all night for that long. Hence my release “against medical advice”. It worked out.

So planning is now in progress. I have petsitter friends who do overnights. I will have them meet my dogs so if such an emergency occurs again and any one of them are free then, I have that option. I plan to start increasing the time they are alone for some outings and see how that plays out. I feel better about them having the whole house for this rather than just the bedroom, as they do when I leave for more than a store visit. Siri and Trent are trustworthy in the house, Kenzo is 95% trustworthy now and I am careful about what is out. Kenzo and Siri typically hang in the kitchen and wait my return. Trent tends to hang out in the bedroom. They have access to toys and bones in almost every room and they are wonderful with sharing. Extra space gives them less time in each other’s face should stress set in.

My dear friend Jackie knows how to feed my dogs but I will write up instructions just in case, so others can do it without worry. I have at least seven friends close enough by who can come into my house safely without fear of my dog’s wrath, and let them out and care for them. One has a key. I will now make and dispense other keys just in case!

In addition to my HMD Facebook page, I also asked on my HMD Yahoo group. I got some good suggestions on there as well, that prompted some of the above ideas.

Tara in Texas has a hubby and family close by but she is the back up caregiver for a friend in a similar position to myself. It was she who suggested the feeding instructions.

Kati in Maryland has a huge crew due to rescue work so she has an arranged back up plan of several friends who will do what is needed until she is well again.

So how did I manage without a plan? Well, I am very lucky. I have really wonderful dogs. We have a very good relationship and they clearly knew something was very wrong. They did their best to comfort me and keep me close. I have a fenced in yard with a privacy fence so pottying needs are easily tended to. I do feed raw so while that is not as easy as filling a bowl with kibble, I have it down to a routine so I managed. Pancreatitis and the subsequent inability to eat at all at first and then really lightly for a very long time, make for a huge amount of fatigue. I did use the aforementioned extra chew things and bones pretty much nightly at first.

Before I got worse, I sat on the floor with them and played easy training games. My finished attic that I use as a doggy playroom is priceless to me and them. Last but not least, some of you may be surprised to learn that even on the worst days, I still walked them. It was definitely a risky proposition for me but as I said, I have wonderful dogs and we have a great relationship. We walked far slower than usual and far shorter routes. My foremost thought was simply getting them out of their element every day. All this enabled me to sleep almost non-stop, aside from these activities, in the first week or so of my illness. For that I am grateful. It helped me start healing.

So now you have some ideas to start planning if you don’t have one now. If you do have a plan, especially if you have used your plan, feel free to add your ideas and experiences in the spaces below.

Tags: admission, behavior, caregiver, disease, dog, dogsitter, emergency, friend, hospital, household, instructions, many, multiple, plan, scare, sick, worry

Posted in: Projects

Altered States: How Important is Intact Status to Social Skills?

A recent interaction on a social networking site clued me into the fact that not all dog geeks know about things they may not have personal experience with. I believe this subject to be important enough to repeat some information from past blogs. So while this particular blog isn’t specifically about multiple dog households, it is about multiple dog interactions and therefore applies to multiple dog households as well.

Those of you who have followed my blog have seen mention of this topic before; especially, if you have been tracking the saga of Kenzo’s neutering. Mixing intact males and neutered males is a social setting can be tricky when the goal is interactive play.

While there are no scientific studies to support this subject, I expect that many behavior professionals have come across this particular quirk in their careers. Many a client has commented to me that their own neutered male “doesn’t like intact males”. Science, while wonderful, isn’t studying every subject so it behooves is as behavior junkies, to learn from other sources as well, such as observation and repetition of occurrences.

Now those of you who have never had the opportunity or the right circumstances to see such an issue for yourself may wonder what this consists of. The manifestation can vary according to the dog. I have a former class student who’s neutered male screams and stands on his back feet when he gets the close by scent of an intact male. This happened once with a dog in class owned by a friend, who I knew had just been neutered so we assumed that the surgery was simply too fresh. I later learned that said dog had a cryptorchid testicle so the hormones had not fully been removed. The reacting dog had been right!

I have been witness and a hearsay recipient to such occurrences for the entire length of my dog behavior career so it surprised me that not every behavior savvy individual had been exposed to this. But when pondering how frequently the occurrence actually happens, it makes sense to me.

You see, not all neutered males are threatened emotionally by an intact male. My sweet Merlin had no issues at all with any dogs he interacted with unless they were rude to him. Even then, until he reached his senior years, his fuse was long. Intact or altered, it was all the same to him. We had literally dozens of males come through my house as foster dogs, mostly arriving needing snipped. Interactions were pleasant all around. But Merlin was a confident dog for his entire life, sure of his place in the world, even as a puppy.

However, Trent, my Pit Bull is a different story altogether. He is very insecure, despite being very loved and cared for and having a secure life. He is on anxiety meds and has come very far with his issues but will likely always be insecure of his place in the world. Yet until Kenzo started reaching sexual maturity, I never noticed that he was among the neutered males affected by intact males. He never reacted any differently when out and about or having intact foster dogs in the house. But Kenzo stayed and was raised here and grew bigger and bigger in front of his very eyes. It became very clear that Trent felt increasingly threatened by him, although nothing that Kenzo did was at fault.

I have already chronicled what transpired with Kenzo’s social group visits with increasing frequency as Kenzo matured more. So I won’t repeat myself. But what I will do now is describe it further. The moment we entered the room with the other dogs, a dog or two, who would turn out with questioning of the owner, to be a neutered male, would rush over and snark at Kenzo’s face, trying to nip at him both in his face and around his face. The owner and I would interrupt and send the dog elsewhere and he (or they) would come back targeting just Kenzo again. The owner(s) and I would have to be continually on top of this for the entire hour long social. It was exhausting. So I stopped attending until Kenzo was neutered.

Other clients have told similar tales from either an off leash walk in the park or a visit to the dog park. Intact dogs are typically not permitted at dog parks but many people don’t abide by rules and most dog parks are not supervised by an authority figure. Anyone can bring their dog, well behaved or not, intact or not, to most dog parks. There is an assumed risk there. So while there is almost always some sort of a disagreement between dogs at a dog park, most people don’t ask questions to determine why. In many cases, it is the intact/neutered male equation at play.

What does this all mean in the whole scheme of things in the dog world? Well, as previously mentioned in many blogs, I am very pro-altering for the majority of the American dog owning world. Disagreements about the health pros and cons of either point of view aside, the behavioral aspects of having an intact male in a world of neutered males is an important consideration. If you have no plans on having your dog be social with other dogs up close and personal ever, then you have no worries. If you are a behavior professional and qualified to deal with the potential aggression directed towards your intact male, then go for it.

But if you are just a loving dog owner who doesn’t want to have to become a behavior expert just so that your intact male dog can safely interact with your neighbor’s neutered male dog, then just make the appointment for neutering. Why punish the intact dogs by neutering them when the true issue lies with the insecure neutered male dog? Well, I don’t see neutering as a punishment. Unless you are a responsible breeder or showing your dog (in which case you probably do have the skills needed to handle this correctly!), then I just don’t see the need to keep a dog intact. I expect that statement to anger many people. I am sorry if it does but that won’t make me change my mind on the subject.

In conclusion, the stakes are just too high to take the chance of leaving your dog intact, in MOST cases. So feel free to offer your opinions, POLITELY phrased, in the spaces below, on both sides of the issue. I especially want to hear from those who have experienced their own dog aggressing at intact males. Play nicely in the sandbox people!

Tags: behavior, dog, dominance, household, insecure, interaction, many, multiple, neutering, social, threaten, training

Posted in: Projects

Angels Among Us: Remembering My Sweet Angel Kera

The approaching anniversary of one year since I lost Kera is not a happy anniversary but we will approach it as we did with Merlin’s anniversary loss; by remembering the love and laughter that Kera brought to our lives. So with that in mind, I will honor Kera here as I did with Merlin, by honoring her life. I hope I can do her spirit justice.

To my sweet angel puppy: I called you that name, one of many nicknames, for your entire life because you not only looked like an angel, with your pure white coat but you acted like an angel as well.

The day that I first saw you, with Merlin in tow, was arriving at the shelter to pick up an overnight guest as a possible playmate for my baby boy Merlin. You were coming out of the back door with a dog walker, who happened to be a friend and you and Merlin immediately connected. I was told that was the first sign of engagement you had shown since you arrived at the shelter from a hoarding situation at just about three months of age. Our overnighter failed so I asked about adopting you instead. I was heartbroken to be told that I was third in line. Your beauty had a waiting list! I prayed and prayed that I would be chosen and the prayers were answered by those before me on the list, failing to follow through. Merlin and I rejoiced!

We brought you home full of joy, though Merlin was a bit rude initially, after he realized he would have to share his mom. But he was clearly smitten by you first and foremost, as was I and he quickly became your partner in crime, trashing anything that fell into the path of tandem puppies at play!

I felt like I had found my yin and yang, with my black puppy and my white puppy. Out world was sweet and special.

You were initially not thrilled when we started fostering Dobermans, after Ladybug, our first foster girl, tried hanging her head over your back as a greeting gesture! But you made your position as princess clear, without bloodshed, maintaining your regal stature that you presented so appropriately.

Then came a handful of puppies to foster and you avoided them deftly while your partner in crime reveled in their attention, without slightly you in the affection department. But as days went, you seemed to choose a puppy to bestow your grace on and the decision to keep Siri became clear. She was the first and only puppy that you ever showed an interest in.

Fast forward when Trent came as an emergency foster pup, just thirteen months old, with a sad history that spanned seven of those months. You welcomed him with open paws and taught him how to play. It was a joy to watch you chase him and him you and the way that he admired you.

Then came Damon and you were so gentle with his needs. You never asked more than he could give.

You charmed the Therapy Dog testers into urging me to certify you. Charm came so easily to you, making even a grumpy dog hater smile at how beautiful you were with such a happy grin you wore so often. You wore your yellow therapy dog tag so proudly and brought smiles to the faces of mom’s nursing home staff at the time.

You had such sweet traits that made us laugh and smile. The joy you viewed meals with was contagious. Asking you if you wanted to eat would result in the cutest dance from you, with a huge grin on your face. You spent your days smiling and making my life so much better for seeing that smile.

You took such good care of Siri and Trent, trusting Merlin to take good care of you. You were tolerant with Trent’s grooming you and Siri watching nervously over you as you started aging too much for us to ignore.

You were patient with my distress when Merlin was ill and fighting cancer. My distress was so great, that I failed to notice your increasing signs of doggy dementia right away. You were even more patient with the medical tests to diagnose your kidney issues. The ultimate test of your patience and love was your tolerance with my lack of skills and sheer terror of administering subcutaneous fluids. It was only my knowledge of how much better they made you feel that helped me forge ahead and learn to feel comfortable to make you more comfortable.

I made mistakes during my attempts to keep you around as long as possible and I can only hope that they did not cause you too much distress. I tried to do all the right things. I finally had to face that it was perhaps time to allow you to rejoin Merlin.

It was one of the hardest days of my life. You made it easier by allowing me to find the single red rose (from Merlin?) and the single red carnation (from you?) in the oddest spot possible when walking Siri and Trent the day after saying goodbye to you on this earth. I still have them and I cherish them always. I love you Kera, my munchkinland, my pretty princess, my angel puppy, my pumpkin pie, my Miss-Kera-who’s-pretty, I will love you forever. Thank you for being such a part of my life and I look forward to the day that our paths cross again. Until then, I carry your memory in my heart and celebrate your life with us.

Tags: angel, dementia, distress, dogs, honor, household, kidney, life, many, medical, multiple, playmate, shelter, Siri, spirit, training, white

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

The Final Countdown: Kenzo’s Neutering is Scheduled

It has been a long and challenging wait for this upcoming moment. The big day cannot come soon enough for me. I am guessing Trent will also be relieved when Kenzo comes home that day sans testosterone creating equipment. I know the few neutered males who view him warily at his bi-weekly social will be happier. As will the friendly male Golden who Kenzo normally plays well with, that he unexpectedly and obsessively tried to hump at the last social I took him too.

The last time I broached this subject on here, the tone of the comments was much more pleasant than the tone on my Facebook page when I asked for input on the pros and cons. But because this subject is such a hot button with many, I expect that now that I have the surgery scheduled, this may heat things up a bit again. I only ask that all those who comment remain polite. Censorship is alive and well here for those who choose not to censor themselves from rudeness!

Trent can’t wait for Kenzo to be neutered.

Make no mistake, the surgery itself is not up for discussion; it is happening no matter how much some may disagree with it. For others, it is late in coming, I am sure. Kenzo will be one year and two days of age when he goes under the knife, so to speak. I have waited longer than I ever would have with a smaller dog. He is about 7/8th of full size, I am guessing, at a weight of approximately one hundred and twenty pounds. He has another month to develop further though that is only by the grace of surgery scheduling for his size, not my own timeline choosing.

This road has been challenging, with an increasing interest in indoor marking on Siri’s favorite spots, Trent’s bed and anything in his path on the way to the door to the yard in the morning. He wore a belly band for a couple of weeks so that I could allow him to walk out of site without worrying about having to launder everything in my house. He got the message quickly, thankfully so that is no longer an issue. He did, however, feel the need to mark the water bowl at the dog social after drinking from it at the last attendance, the same day that included the humping issue. Clearly, that was a trying day.

His interactions with Trent have improved thanks to constant vigilance on my part and Trent now feels comfortable initiating play. They play together most days, now that I am placing a premium on setting aside playtime as often as possible in their playroom. Even without pre-arranged playtime, they often interact playfully in the living room during family time or while I am working on the computer. The decrease in the friction makes me happier than I can possibly express. But it’s still there and it’s still the testosterone that triggers it.

The progress may have you wondering why I am not waiting longer. Well, Kenzo still thinks he has big boy pants on far too much for my tastes, though that has admittedly decreased. Trent is still more nervous than I want him to feel in his own home. But the biggest concern is how some neutered males treat him at the socials. With a dog as large as Kenzo, well developed social skills with other dogs are crucial. I don’t want him to get to the point that he starts viewing arriving at socials warily, wondering who will be too rude next. I want him to remain viewing these gatherings as some of his most fun days. Avoiding having a reactive dog of this size is a worthy goal!

Kenzo is actually progressing very nicely but quite frankly, I fail to see how waiting for further physical development would be worthwhile. Kenzo is very large already. He is healthy, both mentally and physically and quite frankly, I am more concerned with the mentally healthy part than the physically though obviously both matter.

My goal as both a dog parent and a dog professional, is to minimize the chances that Kenzo will view other dogs as a threat. Right now, with his “equipment” intact, that is a very real worry as some neutered male dogs view HIM as a threat. As anyone schooled in dog behavior knows, this is normal though not desirable.

Most dogs today in the US are altered. I am on that boat completely. There are sadly too few dog parents who can responsibly house an intact animal. I am one who can but that doesn’t mean that I want to be “on call” 24/7. I want to raise a dog who views other dogs as potential friends. I have put a lot of effort into socializing Kenzo with other dogs. Keeping this even keeled is super important to me.

I could ramble on and on about the many reasons I am pro-neutering but it would get repetitive so I will let my already stated reasons speak for themselves. What I want to hear from others now is why they chose the altered path or why they didn’t and the downfalls or the happy endings of each decision. Be nice! We are all in this together!

Tags: altered, behavior, bully, dogs, force, humping, many, marking, multiple, neutering, physical development, reactive, skills, social, socialize, surgery, testosterone, training

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

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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

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Peace and Good Will? ‘tis the Season for Stress

It happens to all of us, both canine and human, during the holidays. The hubbub and pace of all that needs done affects the humans. What affects the humans, affects the animals in the household. Stress is infectious. Oh, not via the usual contraction methods. But infectious it is. It’s a pay it forward type of infectious. It can affect how you act and cause changes in the daily routine.

Dogs love routines. Routines convey security and comfort. Routines are often very upended during the holiday season, potentially causing confusion and uncertainty. The humans in the household often have shorter fuses and tighter schedules, leaving less time for fun and frolic. Fun and frolic with the canines is important to them.

On the other side of the coin, fun and frolic of the over-indulgent kind on the part of the humans, can cause even more stress on the canine household members. Hung-over pet parents are no fun! Your crew learns to lay low and wait for the storm to pass.

Then there are the added culinary temptations to deal with, many having dangers of their own. There are trees inside, another temptation, along with what lies beneath. Decorations around the house, adding to the ambience for the humans, are more temptations to resist. What is a canine to do!?

Even during the busy holiday season Bing and Tango take long walks everyday.

How can you help your crew at this time of year, to feel more normal and safe in their routine? Easy, with a few simple actions. Start with regular exercise and mental enrichment. Whatever your usual exercise routine is with your crew, do everything in your power to maintain it. I never miss a walk with my crew. I take them in the car somewhere every single day; rain, shine, sleet, snow, etc. They may only get out of the vehicle briefly in the worst weather, to sniff something different than they can sniff in their own yard, but they get out and that is the important part. A minimum outing is about a half an hour. This helps us all. Sanity returns.

Mealtimes are another important consideration. Try to stick with your usual routines for meals. Adding rich treats to their diet at this time may be what they want but minimize the unhealthy additions. Real food that is healthy for them is fine but do know what is and isn’t healthy for them before you indulge them.

The most important routine stabilizer is attention from the humans that they love. Be fully in the moment with them at least once a day. Don’t brush them off because you are short on time. Make a love connection. Notice when they need your attention even if you can only offer a moment or two. Truly connecting with your crew will help them handle the hustle and bustle of the holidays much easier than having to stay out of the way of grumpy humans. It can also change a grumpy human to a less grumpy human. Lower blood pressure is a happy result!

Feel free to share your dealing with the holidays with your crew. Please post your secrets below. And have a safe and happy holiday!

Tags: blood pressure, comfort, decorations, dog, exercise, grumpy, Holiday, multiple, routine, safe, season, too many, unhealthy

Posted in: Projects

Holiday Manners: Teaching a Wordless ‘Leave It’ to a Multiple Dog Crew

Originally posted December 8, 2011

‘Tis the season for food in abundance and celebration en masse. Platters are laden; counters and tables hold feasts not seen on a daily basis. Temptations are great for humans and “beasts” alike. It’s hard enough for humans to not partake in excess. Yet many people expect their dogs to ignore such culinary delights completely without giving a thought to training them for such a feat in advance.

Do you banish your crew from family gatherings that include easy access to tasty treats for fear of extreme counter surfing activities? Or do you include them, but live in fear of a guest dropping a morsel of food that isn’t dog friendly and having to move faster than you ever wanted to? Fear no more; train instead!

Teaching your dogs to leave things alone that you have not personally provided to your them is a behavior that should be a priority from day one, but it’s never too late to start. But train in advance of the need so that you and your pups are not frustrated. Until your crew’s training is perfected, practice good environmental management. This includes not leaving enticing things within reach on counters, tables, floors, etc.

Never reward your dogs in any way for jumping up on the same raised surfaces, such as with petting, verbal engagement, etc. If you drop something onto the floor that you want to give to your dogs, pick it up and hand deliver it to them rather than pointing it out to a dog or two to get. This is a good idea all around when you have multiple dogs anyway as a lone high value morsel on the floor is a recipe for a brawl in some households!

Teaching a wordless (auto) leave it takes time. How much time will vary with each dog. Some dogs have better natural impulse control than others and some dogs simply pick this up faster than others. It is imperative that you teach this behavior one-on-one with each dog prior to trying it in a group, especially if you have any guarding issues with any of your crew members!

Wordless leave it? Yes, indeed, wordless. Do you really want to have to endlessly tell your dogs to leave things alone, especially at this time of year, when the temptations are many? Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient to have them simply do it without being asked? Indeed it would. How you achieve this is in carefully trained steps. Here they are:

• Take a really high value treat in one hand and show it to your dog. Have more of the same treats in your other hand ready to offer as a reward. Put that hand behind your back.
• If your dog licks and paws at your offered hand to try and get the treat, don’t say anything. Simply wait for him to stop, however briefly that may be. It may take a bit and you may have to wear thin gloves to prevent your hand from getting scratched if your dog is super intent on getting the treat RIGHT NOW! Do not say anything to try to get your dog to stop, just be patient. The second your dog stops trying to get the treat or looks or backs away from the treat, even for a second, say “yes!” and offer a treat from your hidden hand. Be sure to be very enthusiastic in rewarding your dog verbally for a job well done. The timing of the marker word is important. That comes first, at the very moment that your dog makes that good decision. The treat comes after the verbal marker.
• Switch hands each time you repeat this procedure until your dogs starts looking at the hidden hand when you offer your hand. When this happens, you need to start “catching” your dog in the middle, when their attention briefly stops on you.
• Next you can place the treat inside your closed hand on a surface that is reachable by the dog. I usually start higher and then progress to a lower surface. Repeat the already described protocol, rewarding appropriately. The surface placement will make this procedure harder at first, regardless of how well your dog just did on the previous step. When your dog totally gets this step, it’s time to move on. You will likely have to practice this multiple times, in very short increments, on varying surfaces. Always take care that the reward is of equal or greater value than what you expect your dog to ignore.
• For the next step, you will place a treat inside of your closed hand on the floor. This placement is the hardest of all so be ready to move fast.You may be able to progress in one session to partially uncovering said treat while on the floor, to allow your dog to make conscious choices, being very careful that you can cover it before your dog can grasp it if he moves to take it. Remember, you will not be verbally correcting your dog at all. Your role is to mark and reward the behavior you want and only that. This needs done in very short increments to prevent frustration.
• Next you will uncover the treat even more, again taking care to be faster than your dog should you need to be. It is of vital importance that you move at the speed that your dog needs, in order to make this a solid behavior. This is not a competition. Your goal is to train this into a solidly understood behavior.
• Every success with several repetitions within an individual training session is a cue to move forward to the next step but do so only briefly. End each session on a positive successful note.
• It is important to practice this behavior in any room that it would be applicable in as well as outdoors if appropriate. It is also important to use such things that your dog might consider stealing, such as a sandwich, a piece of bread, even paper products such as paper towels, etc.
• Your goal is to progress to a point where you can toss something on the floor and have it ignored, though I would suggest that when you begin to practice with this step, you leash your dog. You will also play hockey goalie with this type of practice by placing your body between the treat and the dog, as needed. Never use the leash to separate the two, just the body language. You can also progress to simply moving your foot in front of the item or making a show of reaching for it. This will turn into a situational cue. Your guests would not know what to say to keep your dog from going after something that they dropped on the floor but they will automatically reach for it, cueing the dog that it is not theirs. You will, of course, again mark and reward your dog for the exact moment that he chooses to not go after the treat. (a hint for this particular step: use a higher value reward in your hand than the one that you are tossing)

The holidays should be a fun time for all. Training your crew to ignore yummy feasts by teaching them that they get paid well for good decisions is a win/win situation for all. Wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday season, regardless of what holiday you personally celebrate, from me and mine.

Tags: behavior, christmas, control, dogs, floor, food, frustrated, Holiday, household, impulse control, leave it, many, multiple, reward, success, training, treats

Posted in: Projects