all things must pass

It's been a weird few days for me. About a week ago, Nimitz a 10 year old, essentially orphaned, 10 year old Ridgeback came to Sweet Spot Farm for a little reprieve. He spent the last few years living with his owner, who had declined significantly health wise. When she died, there were four dogs and two cats in the home- the cats were more or less feral, while 3:4 dogs were beyond aggressive and not placed for adoption. Ironically, Nimitz was the owners dog that she had since puppy hood. When she died, he had no place to go and a neighbor kindly reached out to try to find a place for him.

So he went to a kennel for a few days- the kennel had indoor/outdoor runs, icy cold concrete and no bedding for a bag of bones that was emaciated. His stress was off the charts and when I met him he was wild eyed, panting and actively pulling away from me.

While we were seeing what the next move was - we thought moving him to the farm was our best shot at stress relief and something close to a normal life. We worked through anxiety howling and a little redecorating, GI blow outs, tape worms and maybe his first ever rib bone.

After 11 days at the Farm, I watched him stretch in the country sun, sniff the air and get as many butt scratches in as possible. However, with increasing medical complications and no place to go, his interim owner decided that the most humane thing to do was to euthanize him. I agreed.

Knowing the impending "doom", I was reminded of the heaviness of decisions like this. He spent the last of his days, snoozing on a dog bed, trotting around the pasture, even running a little agility.

He left he farm around 4pm today.

As the hours wore on I kept thinking, "is it NOW? this minute? Did "it" just happen? I wondered if the little ping of awareness I felt was somehow his way of letting me know he was at peace? Or if it was just the story I was telling myself.

Who knows.

That guy left his mark on my heart.

times are a changin'

You can always tell when there is a little jockeying going on between dogs. It may seem subtle at first, but last night and again today, it was beyond noticeable.

Here's the deal. Sweets will guard items from dogs- she'll growl and stiffen which is usually effective in getting dogs to back off and that's that. That has almost always worked with her little brother Tater.

However, last night, Tater brazenly walked within striking distance of his bitchy, bone chewing sister. I was sitting between the dogs on the couch when Tater stepped over my lap and began to sniff her face/bone. I noticed his ballsy attempt to, push the envelope so to say. I asked him to "off", be backed away and that was that.

Today, the rawhides are distributed. Tater not only is eying up his sister's rawhide in addition to his. I also watched him chew near his sister and growl/warn when she looked at him. Quite a role reversal, as Tater is usually deferring. For the time being I'm playing the role of regulator and manager...Stay tuned.

well, that's a new one

I saw a streak of "something" running down the road. It just started to rain in this neck of the woods and the two free range beagles were hi-tailing it home. They ran past the house, and made a hard right down their driveway (and apparently to some dry place). This explains how things worked when nobody had fences (well, and a lot more litters, I'm sure)

big day

It's funny how nature reveals itself, especially when the leaves fall and old branches die off. The fence line of the pasture is thick with honeysuckle, weeds and birds now and again. When I took a closer look, I discovered some beautiful bird nests, one made with horse hair from the neighbor's barn (how cool is that?).

Last week a mouse went bounding in the pasture when I turned on the flood light. For a moment I thought it was a frog. It jumped four times, then stopped. I could see it in plain view and watched it's ears twitch at the sound of the dogs barking as they played, then poof! Under the barn stall door. I tried to get Sweets to get "hot" on his trail, but she had no interest. Bullying her brother and eating rabbit poop seem to be top priority these days.

Then today on a hike, their noses went right past a dead mouse, smack in the middle of the trail. So, as part of their "home schooling", I called them back to have a sniff, then tossed the mouse off the trail. He seemed to be all "intact", perhaps a death from "natural" causes? Why not?

So, on we go, over wet leaves, marking here, there, sniffing tall branches and spots where leaves have been visibly moved by what we don't know. Sweets stops to full on snarf, snort, smell a small branch.

"She's on to something", I think.

So, I pull up the short branch she snorts again and I hear a high pitched shriek!

A grey mole pops up and scurries under the leaves. That's a live squeakie toy (and a big moment in Sweets and Tater-dom).

I watch as the little guy blindly wobbles over wet, fallen leaves and branches to find another hole to climb into. He finds refuge under a larger branch and Sweets and Tater in their excitement seem to have missed the big get away. I watch to see if they will track the little guy and they get close, begin to dig and I end the party. I had no intention of letting them kill him or her. Though I may employ their services in the barn this winter.

the Obama dog

BBC reporter Laura Smith-Spark gave us a call asking with the Obama's should be looking for in a new dog. What a great question. There are many important aspects in choosing a dog, we boiled them down to our top three!

If you know anyone looking for a new puppy or dog, we offer FREE phone consultations to help them find the best fit, to know what to look for and to make an informed decision- pass it along!

1. Sociability: We recommend that anyone looking for a dog, choose a dog that is HIGHLY social towards people. Social dogs are naturally drawn to people, as a function of their temperament and experiences.

2. Temperament Testing: Whether you work with a breeder or a animal shelter/rescue, temperament testing is a must. This helps make a a good dog-owner match and serves as way to gauge and screen for aggression.

3. Contract/Support? We have had many a client with the magic, disappearing breeder! When you have questions or hit a rough spot, it's nice to know that the breeder or rescue will pick up the phone! How 'bout it? Read any and all contracts for detail and ask what happens if you as an adopter has an issue? Do they have resources? Can they help? This is often what separates the good from the great.

Read the BBC article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7714480.stm

why I love "story people"

why aren't people dogs? he said & I said because we can pick up newspapers with our hands & that made sense to him.

everyday I get a "story" from story people in my inbox, well it gets sorted to junk, but occasionally I retrieve it. Today it struck a chord, as it often does. Then I get distracted and a few keystrokes later I'm attempting early holiday shopping (well not really), but start digging around the site. I'm just so inspired by what artist, Brian and his "peeps" are all about. Read it and weep.

http://www.storypeople.com/storypeople/WebStory.do?storyID=1380&action=whoweare

fall sun

I think this is Sweet's favorite time of year. She basks in the sun, and opens her eyes when a fly or bee flies too close. Then a heavy chested sign and back to her nap in the sun. Tater meanwhile in his pumpkin colored glory looks a bit more red than usual, but it could just be the leaves. His newest terms of endearment- "pumpkin lips" or "bologna ears". Trust me, his ears are kind of bologna like ;)

big problem in Tater town

So trainers usually joke amongst ourselves that we always end up with screwed up dogs. And it seems like the dice have rolled my way...I don't tend to think that I live in denial-ville, and in fact was patting myself on the back for making proactive moves on my part. A phone consult with a great trainer, management, teaching some skills here and there. And sadly, the trainer has failed. I've failed to protect my dog and to take his issue seriously.

This morning on a hike, a man with a old chow on a flexi lead was walking towards us.
"Wait", I told Sweets and Tater (both off leash)
The obliged, stayed put while I leashed them.

The man with his dog showed no signs of slowing down...

We pulled off the path and this guy just let his dog come into their space.

Sweets is alarm barking...

"She's friendly."

"Well, they're not, pull her away."

By this point, Tater is in full on meltdown mode.

He pulls his panting dog past, I let my dogs go off leash and then start to cry.

Mourning that I have no bomb proof dog. Mourning that I have work to do.
I don't have dog park hopes, and never had. I do have attachment to how things "should" be.
And I can see that he was always uncertain even from a young age, this is not "new". It's intense as
he has gotten holder...

Off to work we go.

coolest FedEx guy...ever

Tires crunch the gravel and the dogs are going ape to alert me to the inevitable- "mom, there's someone in the driveway".
Yep, I see those old purple and green letters on the side of the truck. "Wait", I tell them as I slip out the door to prevent the knocking, door bell ringing and what have you mayhem.

"How many are in there?" the driver asks.
"Just two, why does it sound like more?"
"Let 'em out", he says...

My ears do a double take...um, sure!

Sweets and Tater stroll out the front door.

"One for you and one for you". He hands them two gigantic bisuits, which, Sweets in her picky taste, happily put in her mouth.

"They're probably going to jump in the truck", I said as the rock and roll kept blaring out of the open door.

"That's happened before. I have lots of dogs that will jump on my truck before I can even get the package to the door."

"Because you've given them treats before?"

"Yep!"

Now that's the power of positive reinforcement.

They both headed back towards the door, so I opened it, and they ran to the rug to devour their treat from the happy stranger.

one eyed and bra less

Did you ever notice that when dog hi jinks happen, they seem to happen when you are most unprepared? Which of course, points to why training is great, because you seemingly train for more responsiveness, even if you yourself are handicapped. For instance, last week, I'm walking the dogs out to the pasture, off leash, as per usual. Half way down the back yard, I blink my left eye- ow! Pause, take out my contact lens, that is ripped in two and promptly toss it in the grass. I'm blinking and watching them, pseudo enjoying the now half fuzzy morning view. So it goes. They chase a few sparrows, do the usual sniffing/marking routine and we're on our way back up to the house.

Wait a minute...they walk back to the front of the barn.

Hey, it looks like Sweets is behind the fence? How did that happen???

Crap! The wire fence popped off the split rail...that's how that happened.

Tater circles with great intention- as if to say, "Hey mom, pretty cool, eh? Hey where you going?...."

I walk back into the barn, cucumber cool and grab a roll of Natural Balance dog food. Ha! Dog hi jinks, I'm all covered!

I watch as Sweets sniffs intensely in hind brain mode in the woods- probably rabbit scenting, who knows.
What I do know is it is fruitless for me to call her to me when she's glazed over and "gone".

So we keep our eye on her, Tater munches on food for sitting, lying down, staying near. And a few minutes later, she returns to us- major reward time and we're FINALLY on our way back to the house.

Then...I spot a wandering beagle in the back yard, peeing on the landscaping...my brain goes....
ok, strange dog...they will chase...off leash...road...
Here guys! And I escort them into the fenced pasture.

Then I have my bone to pick with the beagle. In classic Paul Morgan fashion (my dad), spine aligned, front facing, I walk toward the beagle, doing my best to communicate "get the hell out of here and stop peeing on my bushes". With no more than a wayward glance over his shoulder, his lifted leg hits the ground and he's off and running.

Back to the pasture.

But, there I am, half blind, bra less, the taste of doggie trainer/management victory in my mouth. And there is another damn beagle in the yard. Sweets sees him, stops and pauses, I order her into the house. Tater rushes up to him, postures and the disappear into the front yard.

All rationale out the window now...

TATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I can imagine is my unidentified dog chasing a beagle for miles and miles and miles away from home.

They run to the far edge of the front yard, right by the tall pines the boarder the road. Magically he runs off the beagle and stops. He turns back towards me and is still.

I crouch down and he hauls buns back to me. Followed by jackpot celebration a la Natural Balance.

And I got it, sometimes it is lack of training. Sometimes you train for moments just like this. One thing over rides all of it- dogs will be dogs.

Look, if a strange car pulled up in your driveway, you are likely to peek through the blinds or get out on the porch, posturing and thinking, "who the hell are you?".

In the dog world, my young, intact male does his best everyday to leave his calling card around town, advertising his eligible status and come hell or high water, no goofy free ranging beagle is going to mark his territory or compete for the ladies. I found it amazing that his hard wiring did just that- the minimal amount of "force"/chasing to get the dog off the property line. And let me tell you we hardly spend ANY time in the front yard, because I don't want my dogs dancing near the road.

As a trainer, we often pass along what we know and how we learned to our clients. And it's usually all about the mechanics and skills. Forget the skills. I can see now what is necessary is to have people understand the species first. Because it so explains many things that we would call "bad", simply as dogs being engineered to do what dogs do, and after all, they are a different species.

mourning dove

Thursday night we were bringing the dogs back from a run at the lake when I saw a rustle of feathers on the road...
"injured bird, we gotta go back"
My husband says, "you know what you should do..."
I'm thinking...what?
"run it over"
Kind of a surprise coming from my husband who is as much a critter lover as me. When his gerbil, Rocky was on his way out, his parents took him to the vet. The vet prescribed some "medicine" (asprin) and Scott was told later in life by his parents, "the Vet pulled us aside and said, 'look there was no way I could tell that kid the gerbil was going to die'" So a few asprin and a few days later and Rocky was peacefully buried in the back yard.

I pull in a random driveway, the neighbor's dogs come out barking me away and the neighbors are eyeing me up like a terrorist.
Oy- welcome to the country!

Anyway, it was an adolescent mourning dove with what appeared to be an injured wing, lameness in the back legs and missing tail feathers. No matter what the outcome, I couldn't bear the thought of that bird flapping around to be run over by a Chevy with Sammity Sam mudd flaps- double oy.

Meanwhile the "bird" dogs are in the car, I drive with the bird in one hand and the other on the wheel and we promptly find a box, some towels and a google search to find out what doves eat. We blend dog food and water, whole grain crackers and serve it on a plate about 1/4 the size of the box- no dice. So I move the food into an empty tin mint box (much smaller and bird friendlier) and but him/her in the barn for the night.

When I lived in Virginia, I stopped at least 4 times to help a turtle cross the road (as the pace of life isn't likely to slow down, or the BMW's to break, well, not when there are black berry messages to send). Once on 95 I saw a bird flapping against the jersey wall as hundreds of cars whizzed by, and more and more that's what life seems like- busi-ness with thing "getting in the way" or the unfortunate getting run over and left to flap.

Thursday morning I peeked in on the box and there he was, blinking and looking up at me. The woman at the Schuykill Wildlife Rehab facility said he had a 20% chance, apparently doves get dehydrated easily, go in to shock and lose feathers as a result of stress. But, better to have a second chance then to have not at all.

agility for confidence and lessons learned...the hard way

When I took my first agility class, I was casually referring to my dog, Sweets as "sensitive" and I wasn't quite sure how she'd do in classes. Sweets usually is startled by loud noises, will avoid the baby gate like the plague (as it's fallen a few too many times).

This is also a dog that I've seen running off leash with wild abandon, hiking and climbing boulders and jumping fallen trees like a deer.

Flash forward- Sweets is now participating in Agility without the slightest bit of stress. Is taking jumps with glee, and climbing the A frame and dog walk for fun. What gives? Read below for lessons learned (the hard way) by the trainer herself.


1. Know your dog's Sensitivities

Look, nobody knows your dog like you. Here's what I "knew"- Sweets was sensitive to things falling and to some noises, so she would startle if the bar fell on the jump. She was also space sensitive- going between the uprights of the jump was a big deal for her.

So, I took an agility class with her as a pup. On one occassion we were late to class (it happens). Anyway, she had no time to acclimate and the instructor immediately had her get to jumping. She was reluctant. Then a bar fell and she was in stressville.

Lesson Learned:
Don't begin working with your dog until they have a few minutes to sniff around and get comfortable.


2. Read and Respect your Dog’s Body Language No Matter What Someone else Tells You


Though we may all have different thresholds of what we consider acceptable play behavior, remember, body language seldom lies. If you know what to look for, then you know stress often looks like this- tail dropping, panting, whining, scratching, head dropping and refusing food, eyes “bugging out” and generally a dog that appears shut down and is not a willing particpant.

There we were in class ready to try the weave poles. Remember our space sensitive issues? The weave poles are set up, using an accordian gate to guide the dog (think a cattle chute). The instructor promptly drags her on leash into the gaunlet, she puts on the brakes, refuses to go while her eyes are bugging out of her head.

Lesson Learned:
It is okay to say “nope, not doing this”. In any future classes we took, she was NEVER forced onto a piece of equipment.


3. Interpretations, Stories and other Disempowering Stuff

So we’re about to try the teeter now, you know, the big see saw for dogs. Given her near heart attack with the weave poles, I was praying for a miracle. In fact, I never thought I'd ever get her on the teeter, period. While the teeter is set low, and we are attempting to lure her with hot dogs- Sweets refuses to follow the food.

The instructor says, “is she the only dog at home?”
“Yes”
“Well if she had other dogs to compete for a resource with, she’d probably wouldn't refuse food"

Huh?

"Sees how she gets stressed and you help her out and she doesn’t have to figure things out on her own? It's learned helplessness.”

Huh again?

Apparently the “story” was hotdogs should motivate to get her on a moving 12 inch board. And because she refused to walk the plank or eat the food, she had learned to act helpless and I had reinforced this?

Lesson Learned:
Good story, but a little thin on plot. This kind of thinking about our dogs does NOTHING to empower having a good relationship with them. Going with the “Keep it Simple Stupid” Principle, perhaps she was not motivated or stressed? Sounds much more believable to me.


Three years after our first and only agility class, I began to think of her as incapable of excelling at this sport. So, I gave up.
I bought into the “she’s too sensitive” and figured that Rally-O was her thing. I also happened to begin working with a great trainer and colleague, Ali Brown of Great Companions. I think it’s much due to Ali’s commitment to not having limitations on our dogs, that had me get her back in the game. And she looks now to be much more of a prospect in Agility then I’d ever thought possible.

Lesson Learned:
Sometimes the limitations we impose on our dogs, simply are our own!

charpei or pointer? sweets gets buzzed!

Sweets was up to her usual morning routine- sniffing in the pasture, doing her "duties" and getting rowdy with our lab guest, Montana. Everything was okey dokey....Then we're on our way back up to the house and she spots a rabbit- game over!
I'm yelling her name, scooting Tater into the house...ahhh. All my brain is thinking is "DON'T CROSS THE STREET" to that little known land, where she risks driving cars and a buffet of other critters to chase I'm sure. I run to the front of the house, the rabbit darts in front of me and Sweets is nowhere to be seen. SWEETS!!!!!!!!! And just like that, I'm reassured by the sound of rustling bushes. There she is- Old Faithful sniffing the scent of her now long gone bunny.

So we get in the house, I go about by business and come downstairs and notice she's pawing her face. Double take.
HOLY SH&**T what happened? Her muzzle is swollen about 5 times it's size, she looks no longer like the friendly rabbit chasing pointer and more like a dog that got mugged on her way to the woods. All I can think is Spider bites, snake bites....turns out, yellow jackets. There were no visible insects, no immediate reaction and poof! swelling about 20 minutes after the incident.
Turns out the Vet is seeing lots of this lately. So buzz beware!

Houston we have a problem

If there is one thing you can count on with your companion, it's that their behavior is always changing. That dog that was happy and easy going 6 months ago, may not be the same dog that is walking beside you today.

As your dog gets older, things that have become well rehearsed or have become a part of their behavioral repertoire, are likely to stay in place or intensify. So, what to do when your notice a mole hill is becoming a mountain?

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt
Behavior is behavior is behavior. Stop making excuses for what you're seeing. If you've been saying...."he must be tired or crabby today", "that other dog started it", "it wasn't his fault", it's time to give it up!

What behavior is your dog exhibiting that concerns you?
It's now time to get clear about what your dog is doing that you don't "agree" with. With my dog Tater, it's "posturing and growling at other dogs when greeting".

Is the behavior appropriate in context?
For example, if Tater as growling when a dog approached him frontally, barking lunging, then his response would be appropriate, in the context. However, if the context is the other dogs is soliciting social contact and he is growling and posturing- then, in my opinion, then it is not an appropriate response in the context.

What now?
Well, now that we are over the Denial stage, we're gathering our collective history in my memory.
Here's what it looks like thus far....
1. Tater was always cautious and tentative around dogs- with his older sister, it took about 2 weeks for him to begin to play.
2. His appropriate response when conflicted is/was to sit down- appropriate.
3. Greeted at least 5 dogs prior to 10 months that were not socially savvy and he was scared in response
4. On hikes- rarely had the opportunity to greet dogs, and has barked at dogs in the past
5. When greeting dogs in the past month- stops about 10 feet short, gets stiff, still, hackles up and unsure of how to proceed. With puppies (males in particular) he will freeze, hackles up and growl- this has happened about 5 times.


Next Steps- the most important part!
1. Management-
Limited opportunities to practice this behavior with dogs and only controlled greeting with Ghandhi dogs.
2. Remedial Socialization-
For the next two months were going to intensely work on his reaction to greeting dogs on leash- only ghadhi dogs- dogs that will do everything RIGHT and not respond or get hooked by any posturing/growling:
Leeloo, Yumi, Jean's dog and Acacia (tons of butt sniffing) and Denise Bash's Peanut- a true Ghadhi.
3. Practiced greetings with our fake dog (facing away, then sideways, then front facing greetings)
4. Consider or schedule neutering- as with any intact males response- their reactivity will be more intense due to hormones (according to K. Overall).

Houston, we have a problem!
If you have concerns, jump the gun! Really, don't wait for something nuclear to happen to then determine that your dog is now in the danger zone. The earlier you can manage and modify behavior, increases your odds of success long term!

no magic wands

Even as a trainer I think it's easy to want to tell people what to do, or to expect them to do what you recommend based on your authority. But, everybody will choose to do what they want. And it's really okay. The more I've been "in the game" the more convoluted things seem to be. We're all looking for that call from a owner of a 4 month old puppy that nips and jumps. And it seems those calls are farther and few between. I've been seeing several clients whose dogs who have anxiety issues, which almost always require medication. And it got me thinking, what percent of our dogs have now joined the pill popping nation?

Legitimately the medication IS what will make a difference for these dogs, so I don't question that as much as I wonder what would we have done with dogs that had these issues 20-50 years ago? Would they run off the farm not to be seen again?
Would we just accept that they'd rearrange our pillows and shred our garbage? I've heard several speakers say this and even a client the other day, "when I was a kid, all the dogs just ran and found a buddy in the neighborhood to run with, then they'd come home at night". Not with our fences- post and rail and underground. Our dogs stay within the confines of their rather boring back yards. Our leash laws have created a whole category of aggression too.

My friend Kevin came into town for a visit. When he's around, we make up corny songs, sign a lot, laugh while we rehash old times and eat too much. We did all that. And, he tells me about all the good music I've been missing. He's a funny character, and uprooted himself from Alexandria to move to Portland. With all of our assumed "busyness" we haven't seen each other since he moved. And that seems to be the "norm". For some it's kids to raise, geography or working. We're buried behind our laptops, blackberries and pda's- all "important" and unconnected.


When I was a kid the dogs would just roam the neighborhood and find their own dog friends. Somewhere along the way we are tethered to our own imaginary leashes.

Leave the yard.

dogs, foxes & insights

A few days ago, we heard a horrible, screeching noise in the woods- at the time I was looking for injured wildlife- but to no avail. Sweets has begun to go on her spring flings to the creek in the back, obsessing under a large rock across the creek and a newly dug burrow near a tree stump.

After a little googling, it seems that foxes seek habitats hear marshlands and wooded areas- near water- check.

They can make an array of sounds that can be mistook for birds or other wildlife- check.

And now a days, Sweets is leash walked (bummer) to the back pasture. This morning, I gave her a little leeway and she was off. Without a leash it's checkered flag for her to sprint to the back of the property and sniff around the burrow. So, plan to fence more of the back property and allow her life off leash, and the foxes, can do their thing.

On another note, I've been thinking about how this Serbian mudd puppy came into my life and how she's really become part of my identity and who I am (not to mention that there are lots of similarities between us lately), when she bulked up and I thought- I need to run her more, cut back on her food- guess who's pants were also feeling a little tight? When she wants to "eat" small puppies (how I affectionately refer to how she can over-correct and is less tolerant of young dogs), hum, I'd just have to say that I can feel her pain. Actually it was a major insight.

I introduced her to a young, obnoxious, balls to the wall, type puppy last week. With her usual lack of tolerance, she tried to eat him several times (lots of noise, snarling, NEVER any damage). By day 2, she was ignoring him. Day 3, she saddled up against me on the couch and here he comes.

I'm ready for the canine, nose wrinkling nuclear holocust....

She stiffens, growls and rah, rah, rah! Corrects him.

Then I notice something. She starts to stress yawn, whine and her teeth start to clatter as she looks at me (can you say anxiety?)


OK, so the insight.

No doubt, puppies grow on her and it takes time for her to solicit or even want to play. But here's the thing. The close proximity of annoying puppy increases the likelihood that she will "explode". Post explosion- what follows- the surley look from her mother (me) and sometimes yelling to interrupt whatever she's trying to communicate- that embarrasses me and has her look like a she's about to dine on young dogs.

In short, the proximity of annoying puppy = mom may yell. Thus- annoying puppy, stay away, to avoid the wrath.
And, there she is, anxious, conflicted- wanting to give the puppy the smack down, but afraid that her human (me) may become unpredictable.

Mind you, this is the same dog that is stress yawning when my husband is watching TV and yelling at the Eagles or the 76'ers.

She is SENSITIVE.

So, I read her cues, vowed to "let it roll" and for the past few days, sure, she's acclimated to the young male in the house AND there have been no over the top corrections.

maintaining dog-dog sociability

When is the last time your dog was able to greet a friendly dog on leash? When is the last time your dog played off leash with new/strange dogs?

Perhaps your pooch plays just fine with the dogs in your own home or near by, good enough, right? Well, “sociability” is defined by how your dog reacts when he or she meets and greets new or strange dogs. And maintaining sociability with other dogs can be tricky, especially if your interactions with dogs are far and few between. Whatever the case, her are some tips to maintain your dogs sociability and ways to identify things that may be problematic before they become chronic.

Step 1: There's a Dog, Now What?

Whether your dog is on leash or not, if you see a dog approaching, praise and reward your dog for looking at the dog and remaining quiet. If your dog has a habit of running the fence line and barking- don't let them. Leash 'em up or call them back to you to prevent this. If they bark a few times then happily sniff through the fence without further drama, then no biggie!

Step 2: On the Sidewalk and on Leash

Don’t assume all dogs want friendly interactions. In fact, asking, “is he friendly?” may be helpful, though there are many different interpretations of “friendly”. Rely on readying body language instead.

If a dog is inviting another dog to say hi, what you will see is loose, wiggly body language and the head will lower or look turn and look away. If the dog is stiff, still or at the end of the leash lunging and barking, even if the owner says, “ he wants to say hi”, the dog is very aroused. A dog that is really excited or worked up, may come on a little too strong for most dogs.

Look for dogs that appear to be easy going and loose. When in doubt, skip saying hi all together.


Trouble Shooting: My dog is barking or lunging at dogs!

Back away, don’t allow a greeting, and increase your distance and first work on rewarding calm behavior- look – good & treat – look back at you – good & treat. Then, work up to greeting known, friendly dogs.


Trouble Shooting: We had a Bad Interaction with another dog, now what?

Not to worry, you can’t avoid all bad interactions. This is damage control mode, remove your dog from the situation, good & treat- and hang loose. Work on reinforcing calm behavior at a distance and take a break for a few days.


Step 3: Where to go to Maintain Sociability?

Dog parks are great for SOCIAL dogs, but are not a place to “socialize a dog”. There is a major difference- one is like speaking French and moving to Paris- no big deal. The other is like speaking French and moving to Boise, Idaho. Big difference.

If your dog has regular off leash interaction with dogs, great, a dog park may be the place for you.

If your dog has taken to barking, lunging or you haven’t allowed them to greet dogs in a while, the dog park is not the place to start. Try highly controlled environments- training classes, play groups with dogs that are known to be friendly or even very controlled greetings at a pet store or on when out for walks.

Step 4: What to do, and do RIGHT!

When meeting and greeting- try to maintain a loose leash and walk with your dog. Use their name to try to call them away, vs pulling away and reward your dog for an appropriate, sniffing greeting, no matter how short. Don’t be afraid to get outta’ dodge if the dog doesn’t look friendly! And, don’t feel that your dog HAS to or SHOULD greet dog if they have recently seemed unpredictable around other dogs. Instead, call 888-opbarks and we can help!

dogs and door drama

In many homes, the door is a hub for a lot of activity-new smells, strangers, hugs, hellos,
mail slots and homecomings.

Here are a few tips to manage your dogs near the door, to discourage jumping or nipping or to warm up a dog that is a little reserved with new comers.

Step 1: Management

If your dog has a habit of running to the door and barking, the first thing to do is interrupt this fun routine. This power packed charge is full or excitement and arousal. Instead, tether them near the door (on a banister or in the next room) or perhaps block direct access to the front door
with a gate, if this is happening several times a day.

Step 2: Reward what YOU Want

One of the easiest things to do before you open the door
is to give your dog a job. Set up a clicker and a treat jar
near the door and play find it (toss treats). This sends the
dog away from the door and helps reward sniffing vs.
jumping. Be sure to use high value treats!

Step 3: Don't get Caught in the Obedience Trap!

Many times we make the mistake of asking the dog to
do a "basic" command like sit, down or stay when
people come to the house. Sounds simple enough.
but MANY dogs are not yet trained to be responsive to
the basics with that much stimulation. Work on
rewarding calm behavior first, then focus on Obedience.

Step 4: Luke warm and Unsure

If your dog is barking, growling or backing away from
the person that just came into your home. Do NOT have
anyone try to pet them. Instead, either remove your dog
from the situation or put them on leash, increase your
distance and reward tolerance (looking at the scary
person - good! - treat).


Play it safe and give your dogs alternative things to do at the door,
rather than be rowdy. If you have any questions, feel free
to shoot us an email at info@opbarks.com

when old clothes become dog toys

Wool sweater with a hole? Socks that have worn out? A scarf that you just shouldn't have left on the ground?
That's right, sometimes our clothes headed for the Goodwill pile (or trash) can become dog toys. I remember going to a friends house that had several dogs, there would be a sock or two in the back yard that the dogs would grab, chase, pull and toss. And I always thought, well, gross. Then as I invited another fur monster into my house, there would be the "dead" squeakie toys littered in the back yard (chickens mostly), now marrow bones like an archeological dig. A few weeks there was the oh so valuable frozen ski sock, and then most recently I found my other fleece glove as Tater ran around with it in his mouth. It's still lying on the ground somewhere near the briars, and will soon become a full fledged dog toy unless I get that baby in the laundry.