Goodbye Old Friend

 

The end came with shocking suddenness.  Cassie had refused food for the first time in her life about a month earlier.  We put it down to a reaction to some medication she was on, and concentrated on finding something she would eat.  After several weeks, with only middling success, we took her back to the vet for more tests.  This time, they decided to do some x-rays, and found the problem.  Cassie had cancer - everywhere.  It probably started in her pancreas, but had spread to her lungs, stomach, spine, and other spots.  Our vet told us to take her home, let her eat whatever she would tolerate, and call when she got worse.

Amazingly, she started eating and showing some life again.  We managed to convince ourselves that the cancer was slow growing, and that we'd have a few months left with her.  A week later, the truth was obvious - in the space of one night, she went from outwardly healthy to barely breathing, and unable to walk.  We didn't want her to suffer, so we went to the vet and had her put to sleep. 

Losing a dog is very upsetting, and I've been terribly sad each time it has happened.  In many ways, losing Cassie is the worst of the bunch - but this isn't a post to make you sad.  When you bring home that puppy, you know this day is coming.  About the only thing that makes it worth while are the memories you're left with, after they're gone.  Here's my "Top Ten Cassie Memories":


Here's Cassie, locked in a deadly battle with a stuffed toy at the lake!



10.  Cassie was skinny.  When we first got Cassie, she was about a year old and weighed 47 pounds - on the same frame that would scale out at a lean 93 pounds about 5 years later.  She was the skinniest dog you can imagine - her ribs were prominent, her hips stuck out, and her head looked enormous.  She looked deformed.  To make matters worse, she lost 7 pounds over the next two months while I tried in vain to find a food that would agree with her.  Even with all her health problems, she was a sweet dog - walking nicely beside me, stopping to throw up, then continuing the walk as though nothing was wrong.  When we finally got her to hold food down, she packed on weight and was as healthy as a horse.  For the rest of her life, she was lean and healthy, her weight staying between 90 and 93 pounds.

 

 

9.  Cassie almost wasn't our dog.   I had gone alone and looked for another dog at the Humane Society, and liked Cassie.  Since Theresa wasn't completely on board, I wanted her to see her before making a final decision.  They agreed to put a hold on her while we were deciding.  After seeing her, Theresa was OK with her, so we went to the office to complete the paperwork.  When we got there, another couple was at the counter, saying they had decided to take her.  They were disappointed to miss out on her, but quickly walked back to find a different dog.  Had we not gotten her, I doubt if she would have survived - she was to be an outside dog for these folks, and I doubt if they'd have been willing to spend the money I did to get her healthy.  For the first month or so, I sometimes wished I'd have let her go with them.  I never felt that way after that, though.

 

8.  Cassie pees and poops on command.  We often traveled with the dogs, and it's pretty easy to get frustrated if they won't do their business quickly when you make a stop.  I got in the habit of saying, "Go Potty" when I was waiting for them.  Soon, both dogs would squat and pee when I said this.  Cassie would also poop on command - an ability I've never seen in other dogs (or humans).  On her last day, deathly sick and barely able to walk, I took her outside so she wouldn't get sick in the house.  She walked out, looked at me, and squatted to pee - even though she didn't have to go.  She believed that's what I took her out for, and she still knew what to do.

 

7.  Cassie is an obedience class star.  Soon after I got her, I enrolled Cassie in an obedience class.  I've found it's a good way to socialize dogs, bond with them, and give them some basic skills that are useful.  As the first class started, Cassie was terrified of the other dogs, tried to attack several, and was generally about as bad as you can imagine a dog to be.  Embarrassed, I took her to a corner of the room and worked with her alone.  Much to my surprise, she almost immediately learned sit and heel, and by the end of the first session she could heel right by the other dogs without a bad reaction.  By the end of her first course, she performed better than the instructor's dog!  I ended up taking her through a number of advanced classes, and she was amazing - her eyes would be riveted on me, and she would follow my lead without error.  I never worked with her more than about 15 minutes per day, and never entered her in any competition, but she was always the best dog in every class.  After a couple of courses, I even had her take the Canine Good Citizen test, which she passed.

 

6.  Cassie lets the bunnies live.  A few years ago, I was mowing the lawn, and I noticed a nest of rabbits under a bench in the corner of the yard.  They were very tiny, about the size of mice.  Cassie saw them too, and was just about to go - as dogs will - and kill them.  Now, I don't really care all that much about rabbits - there's no shortage in Nebraska - but I really didn't want to see the carnage.  I was also less than enthusiastic about her eating them and getting sick.  I yelled at her, and said, "Cassie, NO!  Leave It!".  She sat down about twenty feet from the nest, and looked at me.  I repeated my words, and she just sat there, staring at the nest.  I assumed they'd be safe until the moment I turned my back.  To my surprise, she didn't bother them the rest of the day, even when I went to mow in the front yard.  Amazingly, she never went and cleaned out the nest - when I'd let her out in the yard, I'd say "Leave It", and she'd go sit about twenty feet away, watching.  Over the next several weeks, the bunnies got bigger, until they were gone, and she never touched them.

 

5.  Cassie dodges the water spray.  When she was young, Cassie used to "go off" at times in the car - barking at cars, drivers, other dogs, cows, or whatever she decided bothered her.  We got the bright idea to cure her of this habit by spraying her with a water bottle each time she acted up.  She quickly learned the proper reaction - bark your head off, then duck!  Needless to say, the only thing we accomplished was to end up with a wet lab - unfortunately, it was Charlie, not Cassie, who took the spray.  I guess we did teach her to duck after barking!

 

4.  Cassie owns the paddle boat.  When we bought our lake home, we decided to get a paddle boat.  It was virtually impossible to get on that thing without Cassie.  We had to keep a leash on her, because if she saw someone on the other side of the lake, she'd just jump in and swim to them.  With the leash, she'd sometimes pull the boat backwards, trying to go see  kids.

 

3.  Cassie the fisherman.   Once we started fishing, we learned that Cassie liked nothing better than to go on the boat and "help".  We used a large cooler as a live well, and Cassie would try to grab the fish as they swam in the cooler.  We sometimes fished for catfish using floats made from "fun noodles" - foam swim aids.  Each float would have a line attached, and we'd throw around 30 of them in the lake and wait for the catfish to bite.  When they'd hit it, one end would go under water, while the other popped up.  With Cassie along, we didn't have to worry about missing one - she'd see it and get very excited.  If you didn't watch out, she'd jump in to fetch it.

 

2.  Cassie the lifeguard.  Cassie loved to swim.  She also loved to jump in and fetch your fun noodle - sometimes almost drowning you in the process.  If you managed to hold on, she'd tow you back to shore.  Sometimes, I'd jump off one side of the dock.  Cassie would jump off her side, and be there when I came up for air.  If I went to the other side and didn't jump right away, she'd bark at me until I jumped.

 

As I'm writing this, my mind is filling up with great Cassie memories.  I could easily go on with this - talking about my big, brave dog who was deathly afraid of flys, or how she'd trick Kodak into giving up his side of the couch, or even how she could fly - jumping off the deck to the yard 13 feet below, but I decided to make  this a top 10 list, so I'll stick to that, for now.  So, with no more fanfare, here's my number one memory of Cassie:

 

It's a tough life, but somebody's got to do it......

 

 

1.  Cassie the lap dog.  As a general rule, we don't allow the dogs on the furniture.  The exceptions were:  the downstairs couch (when we had a downstairs), our bed (only when it was unmade), and my recliner.  Amazingly, Cassie understood each of these restrictions - she'd often stand at the foot of our bed and loudly demand it to be unmade, so she could go to sleep.  After we moved to Arizona, I'd often find her lounging in my recliner when I came home.  The best part, however, was when she'd crawl up in my lap.  There she'd lay, gazing up at me with those eyes that said, "I think you're wonderful".  That's the image in my mind when I think of Cassie, and what I  think I miss the most about her.   



That's my Girl!

How Smart is Your Dog?

When I was a kid, I read somewhere that a typical dog was about as intelligent as a 4 year old child.  Although it made sense to me at the time, I now see that it's clearly nonsense.  After having kids, I can tell you that a child of 4 is far ahead of even the smartest dog in reasoning ability and problem solving (not to mention the obvious difference in communication skills).  Today, some research indicates a canine intelligence level closer to that of a two year old child - that's better, but it really doesn't tell the whole story.

Before we can agree on how smart dogs are, we have to agree on how we define intelligence.  If being smart means you can memorize things, and learn new tasks, then many dogs are quite intelligent.  I tend to view intelligence more in terms of abstract learning - how well are they able to figure out new situations, or solve complex puzzles.

Almost all dogs can learn basic obedience commands, and most can learn even fairly complex tasks - and they're really good at picking up non-verbal cues and knowing what's going on.  No question about it, our canine friends can be very clever.  In other ways, however, dogs aren't so smart.  My all-time favorite dog may be Charlie.  She was a wonderful dog, very well-behaved, and mild-mannered.  She already knew most basic obedience commands when we got her, and quickly learned the others.  She could also be clever, at times - she knew how to open certain kinds of refrigerators, and could even get the cupboard open, if she was sufficiently motivated.  Some things, however, she just couldn't figure out.  Sometimes I'd come home with her in the car and let her out in the garage.  If the other car was pulled too far ahead so you couldn't get through in front, she NEVER could figure out that all she had to do was walk around the other way!   Others figure this out easily - Cassie (who still struggles to understand that every other dog on the street isn't a danger to her) just turns around and goes around the car.

Cassie is, in my opinion, one of the smarter dogs I've owned.  She caught on very quickly to obedience training, and understands more words than most dogs I've owned.  Virtually every night, she demonstrates how smart she is - when she wants to take Kodak's spot on the couch, she'll go to the door as though she wants out.  Kodak will immediately get up (he loves to go outside with her), so she'll just walk over and take the prize couch position.  Every night, same thing - he falls for it every time.  There's no question in my mind she knows what she's doing, and he never seems to figure it out.  Of the two, Cassie is clearly the more intelligent.

My daughter's dog, Jada, can be amazing at times.  Jada knows about presents (she unwraps her own Christmas gifts), and understands a lot of what you say.  She understands much of what you say, so you have to watch it when you're talking about Petsmart, the lake, or anything else she really likes.

I've never seen a correlation between dog intelligence and how much I like the dog.  Kodak is definitely no genius, but it would be hard to find a more pleasant dog to have around.  Cassie's really smart, and I think she's a great dog.  Patrick, a really dense Irish Setter I adopted when we were first married, was a wonderful dog.  I really liked our beagle Lucy, but she was a giant pain - probably because she was so smart.

The bottom line is this:  how intelligent your dog may be is difficult to determine, and makes very little difference anyway.   In this manner, it's very similar to kids.  I have little faith in the ability of standard tests to accurately measure intelligence, and don't view I.Q. levels as a valid prediction of personal worth or earning potential.  Loyalty, honesty, and integrity mean much more than numbers on a piece of paper, and I've certainly liked and respected plenty of people who wouldn't score highly in a test. 

Chances are, your dog is pretty smart.  Equivalent to a 4 year old child?  I doubt it.  Most likely, he's got a unique blend if instinct, brains, and training that allows him to function very well in his environment.  Dogs are not short, hairy, slow-witted kids - they are unique creatures with their own set of abilities. 

Walking Multiple Dogs

In a previous post (here), I talked about the importance of regular walks for your dogs.  As I said then, few things will do more to make both your life and your dog's more enjoyable than a nice walk every morning.  But what do you do if you have more than one dog?

I walk - or run - with both my dogs almost every day.  They're both large dogs, but they are fairly well-behaved most of the time.  I've had people ask me how I manage with two big dogs on lead at the same time.  I hadn't given it much thought before, but it occurs to me there are a few tips that help to make a success of walking two dogs at the same time:

• Every problem you have with your dog isn't doubled with two dogs - it's squared, so your dogs have to have at least a little bit of leash training.  My dogs, Kodak and Cassie, are very good on a leash individually, but do have a couple of  issues.  Cassie has a bad reaction to strange dogs on a leash - she'll bark and growl like crazy at times, but she stays pretty reliably on my left side, and will sit or "place" really well on commnad.  Kodak whines when Cassie gets wound up, but doesn't pull at the other dog too badly.  His big problem on a leash is, when he gets nervous, he'll want to get right behind me - often running into the back of my leg and tripping me up.  It's not a big problem, but you have to be aware of it.  Cassie doesn't pull badly, except when she gets excited.  When she does pull, she's incredibly strong.  Kodak doesn't pull at all, but he can be hard to move when he decides it is time to pee!  Combine all these minor issues when walking two dogs at once, and you've got a handful - so it's really important to work hard at overcoming your dog's issues before you start combining them.
• Don't use a retractable leash with multiple dogs.  I'm not a big fan of these leashes anyway, for normal walks - especially with large dogs.  I don't feel you have enough control of your dog, and a large, strong dog can get up too much momentum if they get a running start.  Save the long retractable leashes for the beach or park, and use a standard, 6' leather or nylon leash for walks.  Once your dog gets used to it, they'll be fine.
• When you teach your dog to walk on a leash, teach him to walk on one side of you.   It doesn't really matter WHICH side you prefer, as long as you're consistent.  I prefer the dog on my left, so I have my right free to carry something, open doors, or - in a pinch - grab a dog to make her behave.  Teach all your dogs to walk on the same side - it will be much easier when you get them together.
• When you walk two dogs, hold the leash with the same hand.  They may tangle themselves a bit, but usually they won't be too bad.  I don't walk with a leash in each hand - I think it's dangerous,since you don't have a free hand to catch yourself if you fall, and if the dogs cross over and tangle themselves, you can be literally tied in knots!
• I don't make the dogs walk in "heel" position, but they shouldn't pull, and you should be the one who decides where you are going.  If they start to pull, just stop - they'll jerk at the end of the leash, then most likely turn around to see what you're doing. 
• Be prepared for at least a little hassle.  Unless your dogs are exceptionally well trained, there will be times when they pull, get tangled, or misbehave in some way.  Relax!  Get it straightened out, and continue your walk.  Remember, problems with multiple dogs grow exponentially - 4 times the trouble with 2 dogs, 9 times the trouble with 3!  Walking your dog isn't about perfection - it's about all of you getting some fresh air, excercise, and stress relief.
• Consider having a person per dog.  If you have a spouse or exercise partner, you should at least think about having that person walk one of the dogs.  It'll be easier for you and might be more fun for the dogs.  Who knows, it might even be great fun for  your dog-less partner! 
• At some point, you may have to just muscle your dogs into compliance.  I know, we shouldn't have to do it - all of our dogs should be so well trained that they behave properly in every situation.  Welcome to reality - our dogs, kids, computers, and cars sometimes let us down.  So what?  Set your heels in the ground, hold the dogs back, and get control of the situation.  If your dogs are too much for you to handle physically, you need to be absolutely positive they won't break free, or you shouldn't walk them together.  In some cases, you may have to use a prong collar, or a similar training aid, to get the results you need.

Most of the above applies if you're handling more than two dogs.  Be aware, however, than 3 or 4 dogs, unless they're very small, are usually going to be more than one person can handle.  At one time, I would occasionally walk my two dogs along with my daughter's dog.  It was OK, but one of the dogs was Charlie, who was almost perfect on a leash.  I would be much more cautious about trying it with 3 normal dogs, except under fairly controlled circumstances.

Walking two dogs at the same time isn't impossible, and it's a lot better than keeping them separate.  While it's a bit more hassle than a single dog, it can be very rewarding, once you've prepared yourself.

"He Bites!"

There he was, huddled in the corner of his kennel, tail between his legs, shaking uncontrollably.  He was, I thought, the most thoroughly unatractive dog I had ever seen.  Theresa had seen his picture in the paper before we headed down to Missouri, and asked me to go take a look at him.

Kodak was in a "No Kill" shelter in Osage Beach, Mo.  According to the folks at Dogwood Animal Shelter, he had been there about 6 months.  He had received some kind of abuse in his previous home (one of the shelter workers said they had "bad kids" there).  They told me he wasn't housebroken, and "they told us he bites".  Wonderful!  He was, according to the vet records, a "Husky Mix" - most likely mixed with some labrador.

After seeing him from a distance - and hearing about his issues - I was pretty sure I wasn't interested.  We already had two dogs, and a third would be a major headache, even if the dog was extremely well-behaved.  Bringing home a dog with issues would be impossible.  Since I had gone to look at him at Theresa's request, I figured I might as well take him in  a room and see what he was like.

They brought us in a large, empty room, and left me alone with Kodak.  He immediately went to the extreme opposite corner and sat there, shaking.  I was smart enough not to chase him, so I just sat on the floor with my hand held out.  Every time I looked up, he was a little closer, but would jump away when he saw me move my head.  I turned my head and sat very still with my hand held out.  After about 15 minutes, I felt a cold nose touch my finger.

At that point, Kodak would let me pet him, very gently, under his neck.  Any fast movement on my part sent him packing.  After a few minutes of that, I sat in a chair, sending him back to his corner.  He came back soon, and from that point on, he'd run over to me every time I called him.  He still wouldn't get close to me if I was standing.

I petted him for a while, and we became reasonably friendly (as long as our idea of friendship is to stand at extreme arm's length from one another, with just your fingertips touching his fur).  The kennel worker came back in and I let them take Kodak back to his cage.  I visited for a few minutes with the staff, and decided to leave.  As I was going, one woman said to a middle aged man, "He's thinking of taking Kodak!"  The man looked to be near tears, and said, "Are you really going to take him?"

By that point, I knew I had absolutely no interest in that ugly, terrified dog, but I didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings.  I said something like, "I have to talk to my wife", and got out of there.

When I got back to our place, Theresa asked what I thought.  I told her, very definitely, that he was too much of a project for us to tackle.  We already had two dogs - Charlie was old and lame, and Cassie was still a handful at times.  The only way a third dog would make any sense at all is if he was already trained and had no bad habits.  We didn't need to take a dog that might bite, wasn't housebroken, and had who-knows how many other bad habits.  She agreed.

Unfortunately, I have a soft spot in my heart (head?) for strays.  I kept telling myself we were better off without that dog, but I couldn't get him out of my mind.  I also couldn't forget the reaction by a couple of the staff members at the shelter - why were they so excited for Kodak to find a home?  I went all day, getting more and more bugged about it.  My wife - who is usually smarter than me - really did not want to go look at him.  Finally, I told her it was going to drive me crazy until I took her over to see the dog.  I was really hoping she'd just put her foot down and say no, but she didn't.

We drove over to check out Kodak.  When you walk in the front door at this place, you're up to your elbows in dogs - 30 or so dogs are just running around in the lobby.  They're jumping on you, playing with each other, and generally looking very adorable.  There were several in the lobby that were much more appealing than Kodak (he didn't ever get to come up there, since he was so afraid).

Theresa and I went to the meeting room, and they brought Kodak in.  I was surprised that he "kind of" remembered me - it only took him a minute or so to come to me when I sat on the floor.  Even more of a surprise, he went to Theresa much quicker than he had to me - it only took him a few minutes to go over to her.  He was very sweet - he really liked her to pet him.  When she'd stop, he'd nudge her hand with his nose to get her to pay attention to him again.  Of course we decided, regardless of what made sense, that we'd adopt him.

After we filled out the paperwork and paid the fee, we took him to the car.  Here came my first concern - he wouldn't jump up, so I had to lift this strange, biting dog up into the car.  I was a little surprised when he let me lift him up - as afraid as he was, there was no sign of biting or growling.

We were a half mile down the road when we discovered the next problem - he smelled bad!  Every dog I've adopted from a shelter has been really stinky, and he was no exception.  We decided to stop at Petco to see if they could bath home before we took him home.  They were able to get him in, so we left him there and went to get a bite to eat.

When we came back, we were pleased to find out that Kodak had been good for grooming - no biting or acting up.  He was pretty scared, but that was it.  We bought him a leash and a collar, and headed home.  He seemed to enjoy the ride, and let Theresa pet him as we drove.

Kodak, on the ride home the day we adopted him.

My next concern was introducing him to the other dogs.  Charlie wasn't a problem - she knew how to act around other dogs - my only concern was protecting her from a potentially aggressive dog.  Cassie, on the other hand, can be touchy with strange dogs.  I've found the best way to introduce her to a dog is to let her see Theresa or I interact with the dog, then to walk the two dogs, letting them get progressively closer.  Once she's used the a strange dog, she's fine.

To my surprise, Cassie's response to Kodak was muted.  After a couple of minutes, I was able to take both of them for a walk without incident.  Five minutes after that, Kodak was in the house, sitting between my two black dogs, waiting for a treat!

Cassie (L), Kodak (C), and Charlie - Minutes after coming in the house for the first time.

My two most serious questions about Kodak - did he bite, and would he get along with my other dogs - had been answered more positively than I could have hoped!  Charlie was, as expected, fine.  Cassie and Kodak took a great shine to each other - there was no issue whatsoever between them.

I still had the housebreaking concern, but I was confident that I could get that done with minimal effort.  Towards that end, I kept Kodak on the leash in the house at all times.  If I couldn't watch him, he'd go to his kennel.  Of course, being at our lake home was a bonus, since I had time to work with him.  Much to my astonishment, he never had a single accident in the home.  It probably helped that he has a bladder the size of a basketball - he can hold it forever!  It took him a little time to understand he had to go as soon as you took him outside, but he understood immediately that he wasn't allowed to go in the house.  It looked like our "problem" dog was going to be OK.

Kodak adjusted quickly to living in our home.  It took him a couple of days before he'd eat (but then he quickly made up for it), and he soon quit running from Theresa and I.  Initially, he followed me around wherever I went - probably because I fed him - but eventually became extremely attached to Theresa.  Now, after almost 2 years, he follows her around and sits in her lap or beside her most of the time.

He's still really afraid of strangers, although he's much better now than when we first got him.  He'll bark at guests when they first arrive, then sneak up and try to get petted once they sit down.  When we have overnight guests, he'll make friends with people, only to forget them by morning (we joke that he has short-term memory loss, like Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates).  Sometimes he'll bark at Theresa or I, if he's not expecting us.

Kodak has very few bad habits.  He likes to play with toys or balls, but throws up when he does, so those are definitely outside activities.  He likes to chase squirrels, and he'll chase our cat if she comes out of her room in front of him.  He howls when you're fixing his dinner, and eats his food very fast.  We've had to work with him to get him to take treats nicely.  Kodak took basic obedience, and did OK, but he's a little nervous about being in the strange place with strange people and dogs.  He's pretty good with strange dogs, but gets wound up if Cassie does.

Kodak has a curly tail - the happier and more excited he is, the more it curls.  A few months after we got him, we took him to a farmer's market down in Missouri.  He was afraid, but did OK.  When we stopped at one booth, a woman said, "Oh my God, is that Kodak?"  It turns out she worked at the shelter, and remembered him from when he was there.  We decided to take him over to the shelter to show him off.  At the shelter, they were amazed - they said they'd never seen Kodak with his tail up!  He was afraid of most of the staff, until they called the woman from the back who had taken care of him - he was very excited to see her, and went right over to her.


As I've said before, Cassie can be touchy around other dogs, but she and Kodak are great buddies - they never snap or even growl at each other (Kodak is the only dog that can get away with stepping on Cassie while she's sleeping).  If you take only one dog, the other is very upset while you're gone. 

Kodak is very easy to take care of.  He's kennel trained, but we almost never lock him up anymore.  We used to leave the dogs in the office downstairs when we left, but lately we've just left them out.  Kodak doesn't mess up the house, chew, or cause any problems when left alone (or with Cassie).  He's quite a watchdog - especially when the doorbell rings on TV!  Far from being a biter, it's almost impossible to imagine him biting someone.  He keeps himself very clean, and loves to be petted and fussed over.  When you get tired of petting him, just say, "Go lay down" and he'll go to his spot and lie down.

Cassie and Kodak Today

Take a Hike (or at least a walk)!

My dogs get a walk or a run 6 days a week, almost regardless of the weather conditions - snow and cold aren't a problem, but I do draw the line at hard rain and/or thunderstorms.  When I'm getting ready to go each morning, I'm always amazed at what a big deal it is to the dogs.  You'd think, since they go so often, that it would be just their normal routine, eliciting no great response.  Not so!  If I put on my shoes and sweatshirt, and head for the door, the tails are wagging uncontrollably, and both dogs are prancing around the room like I just offered them a pound of hamburger.

Every dog I've ever had has loved going for a walk.  If you don't do anything else with your dog, teach him to sit, and take him for a walk every day.  If you do those two things, you'll likely have a happy dog that is a pleasure to be around.  Most of the common complaints about dogs can be solved - or at least minimized - by regular walks:

• Hyper-activity.  Many dogs end up in the shelter because they "just won't settle down".  They're always "in your face", begging for attention, licking or mouthing you, pacing, etc.  I have big dogs that could tend to be very active (a lab and a lab/husky mix).  Even a short walk (1/2 to 3/4 mile) in the morning is enough to settle them down.  A long 2 to 3 mile walk will have them napping most of the day.
• Chewing.  No, a walk won't completely stop a puppy from chewing.  Many dogs, however, are destructive because they're bored.  A walk, unlike time in the back yard, exposes your dog to many stimuli.  This mental activity works for the brain just like the physical activity of the walk to keep your dog satisfied most of the day.
• Barking.  All dogs will bark from time to time.  For me, I can handle a dog who barks at the mailman, or when someone comes to the door.  My dogs will sometimes bark at me if I come in the wrong door.  The thing that's hard to take is when a dog just stands in the yard and barks non-stop, at nothing in particular.  Like chewing, many dogs bark from boredom.  
• Fear or aggression.  These are often the same thing, and while a daily walk won't cure a dog of fearful or aggressive behavior, it will very likely help.  Exposure over time will tend to desensitize your dog to the triggers.  Our lab, Cassie, still reacts poorly at times to seeing strange dogs on a leash, but her behavior is much less extreme than in the past, and at times she will not react at all.  Even more important, a pup that is taken for a daily walk from a young age will not tend to have an adverse reaction to new or strange situations.
• Health issues.  If you feed your dog enough, he'll be fat (kind of like people).  Daily exercise will, however, make him - and you - more fit.  Not only will your dog live longer, he'll likelier have a happier, healthier life if you give him a walk every day.

Before you ask, playing fetch or hanging out in the back yard is not a substitute for a walk. To get all the benefits, you need to actually get off the couch, put your walking shoes on, and hit the bricks.

OK, so now you're convinced your dog should get a walk every day, right?  Now you just need to know how to do it.  Keep in mind that walking nicely on a leash is a different skill than walking at Heel.  Heel is an obedience command, and requires the dog to be in precisely the correct spot throughout the exercise.  When you're out walking with your dog, you don't need precision - you need your dog to be under control, not pulling, and not underfoot.

Small dogs need very little training to walk on a leash.  They should walk to your side, and not be underfoot.  Since they're not strong, pulling isn't a big problem, but pulling may lead them to trip you up.  Many people don't bother to train a small dog, and few even take them for a walk.  Both of those are mistakes, in my opinion.  An ill-mannered small dog is obnoxious.

It is vitally important to train large dogs, of course.  When walking, it is physically painful to be pulled constantly by a big, strong dog.  I don't feel it's necessary for a dog to walk at heel at all times, but he should recognize that you are in charge of the walk, and walk at your pace. 

Teaching your dog to walk nicely isn't hard, but you have to be more stubborn than your dog.  You also need to use an appropriate collar and leash.  I don't believe in "Flexi" leads (a long, retractable leash) for training large dogs to walk.  You may be able to safely use one after he's trained, but they're dangerous with an untrained dog.  I prefer a simple 6' lead, with a good, heavy duty snap.

For a collar, you should choose something appropriate for your dog's strength and temperment.  For many dogs, a pinch collar (also called a prong collar) is a great tool.  The pinch collar looks like some kind of midieval torture device, but it does not cause pain for the dog when used correctly.  With many dogs, the pinch collar is not needed.  You can use a snug-fitting leather or nylon collar, a choke collar, or a Martingale Collar (kind of a hybrid between a standard buckle collar and a choke collar.  The Martingale is a limited-slip collar, so it's a little safer for your dog.  Of course, the biggest safety factor for your dog is between your ears.  You've got a brain - it is your job to make sure you don't choke your dog or damage his neck using excessive force.

I'm not a fan of the "Gentle Leader" harnesses.  They are uncomfortable, and I'm concerned about the torque that can be applied to the dog's neck.  I'd rather use a pinch collar, and make sure I'm not going to injure my dog.  If you've used these and like them, that's fine.

Regardless of the type of collar you use, when you're teaching your dog to walk nicely, you need to show him that he needs to pay attention to you.  To accomplish this, just walk along and, if your dog is ignoring you, pulling, or dragging back, switch directions.  Don't tell him, just do it.  If he's pulling really hard, just stop.  You don't need to jerk the leash - the dog will provide all the force.  When he realizes you're not moving, he'll stop and look back at you.  He'll probably take a couple of steps back toward you.  As soon as he learns to pay attention to you, he won't jerk the leash.  Sometimes, when my dog is distracted, I'll walk in circles.  She has learned that when I do that, she has to keep an eye on me to avoid reaching the end of the leash.  My attitude is, "Oh, too bad you got jerked!  Too bad you weren't paying attention!"

It's easy to get lazy after you've got your dog trained.  I frequently find myself putting up with Cassie pulling a little more than she should.  Sometimes, you just need to go back and give them a little refresher course.  Once they've learned, it's easy to reinforce it again.  You'll know you've succeeded when you can't change directions and catch your dog. 

Years ago, when Charlie was new to us, I stopped home at noon to take her for a walk.  We had worked really hard at walking nice, and Charlie was doing well.  I had on my work clothes, so we were strolling slowly around the block when we passed a woman working in her yard.  As we went by, she looked at my dog walking sedately by my side and said, "Wow, that's an old dog!"  Charlie was young and healthy at the time - we had gone for a 4 or 5 mile run that morning, and she had handled that fine.  I explained to the woman that she wasn't old, just well-behaved.  I'm sure she didn't believe me.

One more thing - keep your dog on a leash!  If your dog will ALWAYS come when you call, and you're in an area away from traffic, people, and other dogs, I don't see a problem with taking your dog off the leash.  In any other circumstances, it's extremely irresponsible, not to mention illegal, to walk without a leash.  I always look at it this way:  If your dog won't stay constantly by your side during your walk, he needs to be on a leash.  If he does stay right by you the whole time, he might as well be on the leash.  It's not fair to put your dog's life in peril just so you can show off how well-trained your dog is.

I can't stress it enough.  Your dog will do almost anything for you - don't you think you can do this for him?  Put on his leash, and take a walk.  If you're not in shape, just go around the block.  He won't care, and you'll find that both of you will look forward to the next walk tomorrow.

Why Choose a Shelter Dog?

When I was young, I couldn't understand why anyone would adopt an older, mixed breed dog.  I empathized with all the dogs put down every year, but I was positive that if you wanted a great dog, you should buy a purebred puppy from a breeder.  I was wrong.  More about that later - first, let's take a look at some facts about pet shelters (statistics from ASPCA):

• 5 to 7 million pets enter animal shelters every year.  
• 60% of dogs and 70% of cats  (a total of 3 to 4 million) that are brought to shelters are euthanized. 
• About half the animals in shelters are surrendered by owners.
• About 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred.
• Few pets that enter shelters are returned to their owners - 15-20% of dogs, and less than 2% of cats.
• Most pets are euthanized because there's no room in shelters.  Even "No-Kill" shelters are unable to take all the pets that are brought to them, so they do little to reduce the total number of animals put down.

Clearly, the problem here is there are too many dogs and cats. Although even responsible breeders contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, "Backyard Breeders" and "Puppy Mills" are the real concern.  Puppy mills produce hundreds of thousands of dogs per year, most of them sold through pet stores (if you buy a dog at a pet store, just go ahead and assume you're paying top dollar for a puppy mill dog).  Since they're producing dogs for profit, their focus is on maximizing sales and reducing costs.  Dogs are often kept in unsafe and inhumane conditions, and no attempt is made to assure the health and fitness of puppies.  Puppies are separated from their litters at too young an age, often leading to behavior problems.  Although the dogs are frequently sold as purebred, they may not be - and even if they are, they're likely to be a poor example of the breed.

A Backyard Breeder is exactly what it sounds like - it's an amateur who decides to have their dog produce a litter of puppies.  Often, they think it's good for the dog to have pups.  Many of these are people who bought a purebred dog from a pet store or another backyard breeder, and think they're doing a good thing by breeding their dog to a friend or neighbor's purebred dog.  These dogs, while not raised in the horrific conditions typical of puppy mills, will not tend to be great examples of the breed (although they may very well turn out to be wonderful pets). 

A special catagory of breeder is the seller of "Designer Dogs".  Chances are you know someone who has a "Labradoodle", "Goldendoodle", or some other type of doodle.  These dogs are a mixed breed, of Poodle mixed with a Labrador, Golden Retriever, or some similar breed.  There are other designer dogs, mixing virtually any two breeds - each purporting to have all the best traits of each breed.  These dogs - especially the puppies - are very cute.  Many of them are great dogs - of course, many purebred or mutts are great dogs, too.  The thing to keep in mind is, these are not a breed, but a hybrid (nothing wrong with that - I'm a hybrid myself).   Most of the time, these designer dogs sell for more than a purebred dog, so there's a big financial incentive for the breeders to produce more of them.  Here are some pictures of Labradoodles - note that they don't look like a breed - each of the four has a distinctive appearance.  Again, that doesn't mean they're not great dogs- it just means they're a mixed breed.

Looks like a Poodle!

Looks like a Sheepdog?

Looks like a Lab!

Looks like "Who Knows"!

A real breeder will tend to specialize in a particular breed.  They'll show their dogs, and should have some titles in both conformance and obedience.  Don't expect to buy one of their dogs without answering some questions - they will tend to be pretty selective about who gets their pups, and they'll keep the litters together longer than the backyard breeders.  If you ever decide you don't want the pup, they'll want you to contact them first.  Pups that don't meet their standards will most likely be neutered and sold as pets, although dogs with serious problems may be destroyed.

At the beginning of this post, I said I had once been convinced the only way to get a great dog was to buy a purebred pup.  I now understand that is not true - there are tons of great adult dogs in shelters (there are plenty of nice pups in there, too).  Far from being somebody's problem, many of these dogs are well-adjusted, trained, and ready to join the family.  When you adopt an older dog, you miss the puppy stage - chewing, potty training, etc.

Although I'll probably never buy another puppy, there are certainly times when it's a good choice:

• If you want to compete in conformance, obedience, or field trials.
• If you are in law enforcement, ranching, or some other business that uses specific breeds of dogs for the purpose for which they are bred.
• If you have specific needs or desires for a dog - size, usage, etc. that may not be met by a mixed breed dog.

If you feel like you'd like a purebred dog, by all means get one, but first consider an older dog from a shelter.  There are plenty of purebred dogs in shelters - take a look at PetFinder, and you'll see a tremendous variety.  If an older dog is not for you, and you can't find a rescue pup, contact a breeder and get your puppy.  Don't support puppy mills by buying a pet store puppy.

In a future post, I'll describe how I pick out the right dog in a shelter.  I'll also continue talking about some of the dogs I've owned.

Sit!

I'm always amazed when I see people with dogs who have absolutely no training.  Even when we were testing dogs for the Angel Dogs Program at Madonna, I'd see otherwise well-behaved, pleasant dogs, who didn't know to sit and stay on command, wouldn't walk nicely on a leash, or obey other basic commands.

First, let me say that many dogs will behave perfectly, until faced with distractions.  In a previous post, I talked about Cassie's issues with strange dogs on a leash, so I'm the last person who should look down on someone regarding their dog's behavior.  Often, however, the lack of manners is just simply the result of not providing proper training.  One of the first, and most important things to teach your dog is to sit.

I prefer to teach a dog to sit before I work too much on a recall ("Come").  One reason for this is simply because it's much easier to teach - most dogs will sit easily, and they're already close to you and paying at least some attention to you.  Plus, you can teach "Sit" with the dog on a lead, and you'll be able to correct poor behavior much easier.  If your dog will sit and pay attention to you on command, you'll be able to teach him a bunch of other things.

In most cases, you can train a dog without use of punishment.  You may, however, have to use a mild leash correction from time to time.  That means a sharp tug on the leash.  It's important when you do this to realize this tug is to get the dog's attention - it's not to cause pain, or to pull them into position.  Done correctly, there's no pain to the dog.  The leash, in this case, is simply the instrument of connection between you and the dog - it's use, purpose, and intention is entirely different than when you're on the street going for a walk, when you may have to physically drag your dog away from danger or some other distraction.  During training, our goal is to teach the dog that it's a great idea to do what my trainer is telling me to do.

To get the proper attitude of both dog and owner, it's important to begin training in an environment conducive to learning - few distractions, and you and Fido are relaxed and having fun.  Your dog should thing practicing his training is the most fun thing ever!  If you find yourself getting frustrated, or if your dog is bored, frustrated, or confused, it's time to quit.

So, how do you make a dog think learning is great fun?  With my dogs, it's FOOD!  All of my dogs, as well as most dogs I've been around, have been motivated by food - if your dog isn't , you'll still be able to teach them.  They may do what you want for a toy, or even just some attention - It just takes a little modification to your methods.

The easiest way to get a dog to sit is to let him see a treat in your hand - he'll probably stare at it (and drool).  Hold it over his nose, and move it towards his tail, so he has to tilt his head back.  If you do it properly, he'll probably sit as his head goes up.  Say "Sit" as his butt goes down.  If your dog wants to jump up and get the treat, hold his collar so he can't jump up.  I don't recommend pushing the dogs back end down - in my experience it often just makes them brace it more.  If your dog already knows "Sit", it will sometimes help to just put you hand on his tail end to remind him it's there (dogs sometimes seem to forget they have a back side).  If your dog isn't crazy over food, you can do the same thing with a toy.  If neither of these are the ticket, try kneeling in front of him, and taking his head in your hands and petting him.  Gently guide his nose up, and he'll most likely sit - then you can love him up like crazy.  Don't be afraid to use lots of praise when he sits - do it almost to the point of feeling silly.  Your dog will love it.

Once your dog knows the command, start making him sit for everything -  before you open the door to get him to go outside, before you put his leash on, before you put his food down, etc.  He'll soon learn how great it is to do as you ask.  If he doesn't obey immediately, just wait a few seconds and stare at him - he'll most likely look sheepish and sit down.  It's usually counter-productive to keep repeating the command over and over - once or twice (assuming he heard the command) should be enough.  If it's not, you've likely not succeeded in convincing him it's important for him to obey.

If you take formal obedience classes - and especially if you plan on entering him in obedience trials - you'll want to start him off sitting straight, and in the exact proper position.  Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about his posture - many dogs sit on one hip.  In any case, have fun, and make it fun for your dog - both you and Rover will have fun!

Cassie

I posted earlier about Charlie, our older lab that we lost last winter.  As I said in that post, Charlie was almost too good to be true - very well behaved - and everybody loved her.  Probably because of that, we decided to get another lab.

 Cassie (L) and Charlie, about 3 Months after we got her

Cassie,Theresa, Gregg, and Charlie about 3 years ago

Cassie, jumping in to rescue my daughter, Kari

 Here she's towing Kari back to the dock

We talked about getting a yellow lab, and I found a good candidate at a shelter in Iowa.  Karma was a pretty lab, a little over a year old, who was destined to be put down.  She had a bad knee joint in a hind leg, but was very active (a little wild, I suspect).  I went back and forth over it, then called and told them I'd take her if no one else did, so she wouldn't be euthanized.  The day we were going to pick her up, I got a call from the shelter saying someone wanted her, so I told them to go ahead.

A couple of months later, I made the mistake of going to the Capitol Humane Society, "just to look".  Of course, I fell in love.  Cassie was very calm and quiet - unlike most of the dogs, she didn't jump on the fence and bark like crazy.  Since that was very similar to Charlie's reaction when I first saw her, I assumed she'd be the same.  Not exactly!

I didn't pay too much attention in the shelter, but Cassie was skinny - in fact, although she was taller than Charlie, she weighed over 40 pounds less.  Her hips looked deformed, because they stuck out so much, and you could count all her ribs from across the street!  We weren't even sure she was a lab, because her head looked gigantic.  Also, her coat was very thin - unlike the typical heavy, slightly oily, lab coat.  Her demeanor in the shelter was almost certainly due to her being so thin and weak.  In addition, we discovered she had kennel cough, ear mites, an ear infection, worms, and some other kind of intestinal bug.

Cassie weighed 46 pounds when we got her, and I soon learned she was unable to keep food down.  After eating, she'd either throw it all up, or have explosive diarrhea.  As soon as she was done, she'd just happily go about her business.  I kenneled her when we were gone, but there were a number of times she had an accident in her kennel and I had to give her - and her kennel - a bath.  Of course, she was also completely clueless about housetraining, but that only took a week or so to teach her.

After multiple trips to the vet over the next 2 months - and about $2,000 in fees - she had lost 7 pounds!  One night she was so weak she couldn't even lift her head while she was vomiting.  When our vet didn't have an idea what to do (I've since changed veterinarians), I decided to try a different food.  Of course, we had tried a number of prescription foods from our vet, but nothing had worked.  I went to the pet store, and, after spending about an hour looking at labels, bought some "Nutro Natural Choice for Sensitive Stomachs", and tried it.  The result was amazing - she quit throwing up, and the diarrhea stopped after a few days.  She started putting on weight, and got dramatically stronger.  I was certain our troubles were over!

Of course, not all the problems were over - Cassie had some interesting behavioral quirks.  I quickly discovered that, although she walked nicely on a leash, she went nuts when she'd see a strange dog.  She'd bark, growl, snarl, and act up horribly when that would happen.  This was totally unexpected (and completely different than Charlie), as well as being embarrassing.  She would also act up at times in the car - consistently barking at people in cars next to us, and going off on anything strange (fork lifts, roller coasters, cows, animated signs, etc.) that we would drive by.

I put Cassie in obedience class at The Greater Lincoln Obedience Club, thinking that would help her behavioral issues.  It the first class, she went nuts, tried to attack other dogs, ripped my shirt, and generally was about as bad as you can imagine.  I pulled her away from the other dogs, and worked with her alone.  By the end of the first class, she could heel withing 10 feet of the other dogs.  By the time we were done with that class, she could do all the basic things better than any other dog in the class!  She didn't have any issue with dogs at the club, but that didn't help her behavior in other places.

I ended up taking her through intermediate and advanced obedience classes.  Cassie had a real knack for this - she picked things up very quickly, and seemed to enjoy the classes.  Unlike most dogs, she paid complete attention to me when we do the exercises - her eyes were just riveted to my face while heeling.  I never spent enough time working with her - never more than about 15 minutes per day - but she was still able to do everything well. 

When we got Charlie, I had put her through the Canine Good Citizen test.  This test verifies that the dog will follow basic obedience commands, socialize appropriately with people and other dogs, and is able to be left (on lead) with a stranger.  Charlie, of course, passed with flying colors.  I decided - even though I knew she couldn't possibly pass - to let Cassie take the test.  To my shock, Cassie passed easily!  Of course, she still had the same issues out on the street, but she could easily tolerate the dogs at the club, since she was used to it.  Later, Cassie even passed the test to be a therapy dog, but she really isn't suited for that task.

Cassie is very smart - she learns things quickly, and seems to retain it forever.  She's very obedient, except for her quirks with strange dogs (she gets along fine with our other dog, as well as our kids' dogs).  We tried professional trainers with only fair success, but we did make some progress using a bark collar.  This gives her a small shock when she barks at the dogs, and it didn't take much for Cassie to learn she couldn't go off on strange dogs while wearing it.  She doesn't normally wear the collar - we just put it on her if she acts up.  She's gotten much better even when she doesn't wear it - she can control herself pretty well in most cases.  Although she continues to improve, she'll never be a dog you can just ignore when other dogs are around.

Overall, Cassie's a great dog.  She's very affectionate, and likes most people.  She's learned - for the most part - that she can't jump up on people.  She's working on learning not to kiss everyone all the time, and she's very well behaved in the house.  She doesn't get sick, and never has an accident in the house.  She is allowed on the downstairs couch, my downstairs recliner, and our bed (but only when it's unmade).  She doesn't get on the other furniture, even when left alone.  I'm always amazed that she understands the rule for getting on our bed.  In the fall and winter, Cassie will get on my lap in my recliner (she never does this in the summer) - she's much warmer than a blanket!  She plays fetch and tug very nicely - she has kind of a quirky, pleasant personality, and is very affectionate.

Cassie weighs about 95 pounds now - she's still pretty lean, so I think she's about right.  She's very strong, and we don't have any real health issues with her at all (she can, and does, eat pretty much anything).  She has some allergies, but those are controlled pretty well with Benadryl.  She's pretty laid back around the house - she gets a walk or run in the morning, and will just hang out the rest of the day.  On Sunday, we usually don't walk - Cassie will stare at me and bark until I play tug for a few minutes - then she's OK.

We almost decided not to keep her in the first week we had her, but I'm glad we gave Cassie a chance.  Although she was a little -actually a lot - more work than Charlie, she's definitely been worth it.

Charlie

 We lost Charlie last January, but I still think of her often.  Every dog I've owned has been special, but Charlie stands out.

Cassie(L) & Charlie

We adopted her from the Lincoln Humane society about 8 years ago.  When we got her, they said she was between 3 and 7.  When she died, she was quite grey, and very lame (bad hips and elbows), so I'm guessing she was at least 5 or 6 when we got her, and possibly older.

Charlie was an amazing dog.  We brought her home on a Monday evening, then left her alone in the house the next day with our two cats - No Problem!  Charlie's only bad habit was she liked to open the refrigerator - didn't take anything, just browsing.  Of course, the day came when she helped herself, but that was a couple of years later.

Charlie jumped right into obedience classes, and did great.  It was hard for me to believe someone just dumped her at the humane society.  Charlie easily passed her Canine Good Citizen test, and later passed her Delta Dog test to become a pet-assisted therapy dog.  For several years she volunteered at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, visiting patients.   Charlie was a model, too - I used her in my marketing materials in my job as a Realtor at HOME Real Estate in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Charlie was retired from her Angel Dog duties a couple of years before she died.  About all she could do is be the "neutral dog" while testing new dogs for the program.  She struggled with walking and stairs, so we tried to limit her activity as much as possible.  She enjoyed life, right up until the end.

Charlie's real legacy is this - after being around her, my three adult kids have each adopted shelter or rescue dogs (and, of course, we've brought home two more).  In a very real sense, Charlie is responsible for 7 other dogs getting rescued!