Your Report Card

Have you ever thought about how your dog might grade your work as their caretaker? Would you receive that coveted A+ for being the owner that remembers all of the big and little things?  Or are you more of a solid C+, remembering the basics like mealtimes and walks, but not always thinking much beyond that? While I believe most dog owners would give themselves high marks, their canine companions might be a little less likely to hand out those easy A's. Just for fun, let's take a look at the subjects on which our dogs might rate our efforts:

 First Period: Cooking & Food Service

Your dog would like to know why you feel the need to measure their food with an actual measuring cup rather than simply measuring with your heart?  They also want to know how you thought they wouldn't see you dividing treats in half and eating cheese without sharing.

In all seriousness:  While food should be measured to accurately assess the daily calories your dog is consuming, how they receive those calories should vary.  Don't just feed your dog in a bowl.  Instead, choose slow feeder bowls, lick mats, puzzle balls, snuffle mats, and food puzzles, rotating them regularly. And remember, dogs have been joining us for our meals for over 30,000 years, so go ahead and reward that steadfast devotion with a small token of your appreciation, meaning a small bite of that cheese.

Second Period: Language Arts

Your dog would like you to know he's not barking incessantly, nor without reason.  There is a squirrel on the fence, a cat in the yard, a neighbor kid going by on a bike, and an Amazon delivery truck across the street.  You need to know about these things and since you clearly aren't getting it at one bark, several are needed to make the point.  Things are happening, people.  Keep up!

In all seriousness:  Most dogs bark for a reason.  Whether that reason is important to you or not, acknowledge them.  Tell them you saw it (or heard it) and then ask them to be quiet and redirect them to another task.  

Third Period:  History

Your dog would like you to know that while it is true that you've always come back every time you've left the house, SOMETIMES you are gone longer than expected and that can be quite upsetting. 

In all seriousness:  Dogs live in the here and now and celebrating the return of a pack member is a joyous occasion.  Relish in the fact that you were missed, you are loved, and your absence was truly noted. Just because you only went to the mailbox doesn't matter to your dog.  They love that you are back and want to make sure you know.

Fourth Period:  Science

Your dog would like you to know that while they enjoy the sound of your voice, a good belly rub or butt scratch, and a game of fetch or tug-of-war, science shows that the real way to their heart is through a good snack.  Don't skimp on the treats!

In all seriousness:  It really has been studied.  If you are teaching your dog a new behavior, or reinforcing an existing behavior, giving them a treat increases learning.  Sure, they love being told they did a good job and receiving a physical reward from you (a pat on the head, for example), but the real, tangible reward for them is that food/treat.  Keep treats on you at all times!

Fifth Period:  P.E.

Your dog would like you to know that you've been hurrying them along on their walks, skipping all the good sniffs.  In addition, you've cut their walks short more than once, and rarely changed the route or destination.  This is the area where they feel you need the most work.

In all seriousness:  Don't yank your dog along on their walks; they need to sniff. Sniffing reduces anxiety, helps them to blow off steam, allows them to assess what's happening in their neighborhood, and serves as a form of mental stimulation.  You know that phrase, "Take the time to stop and smell the roses?"  Your dog considers that their credo.  So, while you are stopping and letting them sniff, change up your walking routes, or add in a fun hike or new destination.  This will help to keep you, the person on the end of the leash, more entertained, and ultimately provide your dog with a plethora of new smells to explore.

Sixth Period:  Social Studies

Your dog would like you to know that while some dogs enjoy frolicking with other dogs off leash, such activities are not for *every* dog.  

In all seriousness:  Sociability is on a continuum from social butterfly to total introvert.  While most puppies enjoy socializing with other dogs, particularly other puppies, even some puppies prefer the company of humans to other dogs and that's absolutely okay.  Most adult dogs prefer to play with their humans than other dogs, and those that do enjoy playtime with other dogs, do so for much shorter bursts of time, preferring to just "hang out together" without an agenda.  Dog parks are for young, healthy, social butterfly dogs.  Leave the older dogs, the introverts, and the impressionable puppies at home.

So, what's your grade point average now that you know what classes you've been taking?  Are you still an A+ or are you relieved to have earned a solid B? Did you figure out where you have room for improvement?  Maybe you can ask your dog for some extra credit points by taking them on a hike this weekend with friends, allowing a lot of time to sniff and explore, with a bag of treats in your pocket, just because?  Hey, it could work!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

This is one of my favorite old photographs.  This is my daughter with Westley back in 2019 right after she adopted him. They were headed out on a hike, an easy trail walk that was new to her and new to him.  The road was wide open and the possibilities seemed endless.

The Importance of Good Balance & Core Strength in Dogs

So, how many of you have done the SRT test (the Sitting-Rising Test) for yourself?  You begin with ten points and your overall score decreases with each assist you need to sit down on the floor or get back up once seated. It's a test that doctors, physical therapists, etc. use to assess mobility and longevity in people, particularly older people.  While there isn't the exact same test for older dogs, most veterinarians do some similar measures on senior dogs during their wellness exams to assess balance and core strength and get ahead of any mobility challenges.  There's so much more we can do for our dogs beyond daily walks to help them build and maintain their core strength and continue to have good balance as they get older. If you start with these exercises for your young adult dog, that is a dog who is out of puppyhood with full bone development, it means you will have measurements of their mobility to compare to as they age.  A lot of these exercises can be done using things you find in nature or at the park, but you can also use your own gym equipment at home for many of them.  Here are some examples:

For Good Balance and Core Strength:  Begin by having your dog walk along a curb on leash. You can use a treat to keep your dog walking in a straight line, eyes on the treat at nose level, not looking down at their feet.  If they can do this easily, repeat the exercise having them walk on a plank on the ground.  If this is easy, lift the plank up off the ground, supported by cement blocks and have them walk across again, keeping their head up, following the treat.  We aren't looking for speed here but a steady, confident pace, no jumping off the plank.  You can also observe them walking across one of those moving bridges on a kids' playground or jumping from rock to rock as they move along on a hike. Next, position your dog at the start of a hallway.  Standing in front of your dog, step toward them slowly so that they take a step backwards.  Use a treat so that they stay focused on you as they back up, versus turning away from you and moving away facing forward. Do they back up in a straight line or do they veer to one side or the other?  If you have a BOSU balance trainer in your home gym, that works really well too.  Place the BOSU trainer with the flat base down and have your dog step up onto it with their front feet and stay in place.  Use a treat as a lure and hold onto the treat until you let them back off the dome.  Work up to all four feet on the dome, and then have them back up so that just their rear feet are on the dome.  Once they can do this with the flat side down, flip the BOSU over so it wobbles and try the exercises again.  If you have yoga blocks, you can also do balance exercises using those, you just won't be able to do the wobble version. 

Stretching and Mobility Assessment: Have your dog sit in front of you on a non-slippery surface. Step away from your dog backwards and lure them into a standing position, noting how difficult it is for them to rise from a sit to a stand.  Many senior dogs have difficulty with this exercise and it takes a couple of tries, and a bit of scooting, before they can get enough momentum going to rise up from the sit.  You can also have them lay in the down position and measure the effort needed to come up to a sit and then to a standing position.  With your dog standing at your side, use a treat to slowly have them stretch their neck to reach the treat, not moving their feet.  Next, slowly move the treat downward, encouraging them to follow the treat down, again stretching their neck, without laying down. Move the treat slowly toward one side so your dog keeps their neck level and brings their head around following that treat.  Move the treat back to center and then around to the other side slowly.  You are measuring how much flexibility they have in their neck with this exercise. Use a treat to lure your dog to turn in a circle, first one direction and then the other way. It's perfectly normal for an adult dog to only be able to easily turn one direction, but they should be able to turn a tight circle without tipping, tripping over their feet, or flopping into a down.

Finally, if you have access to a pool, you can help your dog gain mobility and core strength with swimming.  Be sure to use a dog life vest on them regardless of their swimming abilities.  That vest will help you to guide your dog along using the handle on their back.  You will want to hold them in place so that they are paddling but not moving anywhere, helping to create resistance. Next, hold that handle and let them paddle forward and then guide them to paddle in a circular motion.  If you have long enough stairs in your pool, you can have your dog walk back and forth, slowly, following a treat, so that they are moving through the water, creating resistance and building their muscle tone.

So, why am I suggesting you do this now with your young, spry, healthy dogs?  Because some day, they will be senior dogs and you want them to have the best chance at a comfortable and safe life as they navigate the aging process. Helping them with their mobility strength now means a stronger core and better mobility later in life.  

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

While mental exercise is important too for all ages of dogs, none more so than our senior dogs.  Here's Ozzie resting on his puzzle after solving it.  At 11.5 years old, Ozzie has slowed down quite a bit.  He has arthritis and spondylosis, two conditions that have led me to use a PEMF mat for him three times a day, helping reduce inflammation in his body. He also completes the exercises outlined above to the best of his abilities, though we don't have a pool, so no swimming for this sweet, old guy.

Big Dogs, Small Dogs & Every Dog In Between

Last week, a client asked me if I would write a reference letter for her dog.  At first, I thought she was teasing me, but then I realized how serious she was.  She was moving into a new condominium and the HOA required reference letters from two "pet professionals" for each pet belonging to a new, prospective resident.  Wow!  She'd gotten a letter from her veterinarian and was hoping I'd write one for her sweet dog too.  I had interacted with her dog on numerous occasions in classes and seminars over the years, so I didn't hesitate to write a glowing recommendation for her pup.  He's house-trained, sociable with people and other animals, doesn't bark excessively, and he walks nicely on a leash.  I told her she should include a copy of his CGC, Canine Good Citizen certificate, with the reference letters as well.  As she and I talked more about this reference request, some other interesting, and a bit disturbing, pet-related policies came to light that I thought I'd share with you. 

She told me that she'd been turned away from several upscale apartment homes, townhomes, and another condominium complex because her dog weighed over 20 pounds.  This one really irritated me.  First of all, do you want to know how many under 20 pound dogs I know whose owners have never completely house-trained them?  Meaning, they still have regular accidents in the house.  If you are concerned about property damage and that's why you are discriminating against big dogs, you really need to examine the amount of damage urine and feces can do to flooring!  Plus, some of the barkiest, least sociable dogs I know are the under 20 pounds set.  Many of us jokingly refer to this as the dogs having a "Napoleon complex," but it's true. In my opinion, apartment managers, property managers, and landlords should consider each pet on an individual basis.  Meet with the pet owner and the pet and then decide based on the behavior you see, not on some preconceived notion about them.  If it's a dog, go ahead and require a CGC certificate be submitted, or proof of obedience class attendance.  Definitely ask for references, but meet the pets yourself.  Sure, it takes a bit more time, but just have the pet come with the prospective tenant to the walk through interview.  

Now, I'm sure, I'm going to get a message from someone who reads my blog and actually is a property manager or landlord telling me that they aren't qualified to judge a pet's behavior and frankly, that's a cop-out.  Sure, you may not be a pet professional, but you know what a well-mannered dog looks like.  Well-behaved dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds.  Not all Rottweilers are menaces, not all German Shepherds are barky, and not all Terriers are destructive.  Sure, some of them are, but you can figure this out when you meet them. And you should definitely meet those under 20 pounds dogs in person before having their human sign on the dotted line.  Just watch your ankles!

In all seriousness:  Dogs of any size can have behavior problems.  Whether a dog (or cat) has a behavior problem will depend much more on their genetics and upbringing than on their physical size or shape.  I would think the most important factors for property managers should be the sociability of the pet, whether they are house-trained, whether they are destructive, how loud are they, and can they be walked in common areas without issue.  I also think it's wise to have the new resident sign off that they will pick up behind their dogs when toileting outside in common areas, and have a consequence such as a fine for those dog owners who don't do it.  It's only fair!

We all know (or should know) that property managers cannot discriminate against a pet owner who has a legitimate service animal or emotional support animal seeking housing, regardless of the size of the animal.  And it is absolutely okay to ask what service the animal provides the owner and ask for proof of training and certification for those with emotional support animals. 

Story time!  Years ago, I was looking for a small house to move into near the beach in San Diego.  I had a medium-sized dog at that time (Shadow weighed 43 pounds), as well as my completely indoor cat, Katmandu.  None of the places I'd seen listed allowed dogs, or if they did, once again, the dogs had to be small in size.  So, what did I do?  I scheduled a walk through at a house I was really interested in and I brought my dog and my cat with me.  As I approached the house, the landlord was standing on the porch.  I came up the walkway, dog on a leash at my side, cat on a leash and draped around my neck.  I asked Shadow to sit and stay and asked if we could take a look inside?  He said sure, though he was clearly still trying to figure out if the cat was real!  As we entered the house, Shadow remained calmly on the porch in her sit/stay.  By the time we'd gotten to the kitchen, the landlord indicated that he thought that she should come inside too.  I called her and she calmly walked into the house and sat next to me, tail wagging. He asked if he could pet her and I told her to go say hi, which she happily did. No jumping up, no exuberance, no problem.  He then asked if he could meet the cat!  I put Katmandu on the ground and he sat there on leash, waiting to be called over.  When the landlord bent down, Katmandu approached him, rubbing against his legs and trying to bump his head on the guy's hand.  He'd never seen such well-behaved animals, he told me. He also told me I put his own pets to shame!  Needless to say, we got the place AND when we moved out two years later, he offered to write me a tenant reference letter if I ever needed one in the future. I'm pretty sure that going forward with that rental property, he knew to judge the pets and their owners by their behavior, not by the size of the animals on paper.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Of course, my daughter had heard that story about Shadow and Katmandu, so she planned accordingly when she went to meet the landlord of a house in Los Angeles that she was very interested in renting. It was in a great neighborhood, close to the UCLA campus where she was in law school, with a nice backyard for Westley.  There would be lots of competition, so she was going to need Westley to not just show off what a great dog he was, but how his mom should be the one chosen for this place. He showed up in a bow tie and the deal was sealed. How could anyone resist?

The 4th of July: A Postscript

I used to really enjoy the 4th of July.  As a kid, it meant swim parties, hot dogs, and staying up late to watch fireworks.  Our family dog, Tosh, didn't care about fireworks at all, so we could be home or gone, he was always just fine either way.  As a grad student, I had Shadow, my border collie mix.  She, like Tosh, wasn't fazed by fireworks. In fact, she seemed to be fascinated by them!  I took her with me to the big, town fireworks display provided every year at a city park by the Davis Fire Department.  She would sit or lay on my picnic blanket, surrounded by college kids and snacks, and watch the proceedings.  It seemed I was on a roll as the next few dogs also didn't care about fireworks.  All of that changed, however, when Desi became a senior dog.

While Desi was unfazed by fireworks for the first several years we had him, he became agitated with the fireworks, pacing and panting the year he turned ten.  From then on, he'd need to be inside with fans going, the A/C on, the TV on, and people there to comfort him when needed. Ozzie seemed more worried about Desi than he did about the fireworks, so I figured he was okay.  Funny thing though...Ozzie was fine until he turned ten, and lo and behold, the fireworks bothered him as well.  As his hearing diminished, it seemed his agitation grew with the booming feelings he felt inside of his body, more than the sounds or lights. While he'd watch with interest the lights from the fireworks you can see from my yard, the booming vibrations that seemed to fill the air after some of the stronger ones, really upset him, causing him to pace and pant, just like Desi.  Henley who had never been bothered by them was suddenly hyper-vigilant about them too, coming to get me as soon as my neighbors started setting them off in mid-June, and becoming fixated on looking and listening for them every evening as the 4th of July became imminent. 

The year Ozzie turned ten, I researched ear protection for dogs as his behavior after the fireworks on New Year's Eve was enough to make me want to do something preemptively before July rolled around.  Why ear protection if his hearing was going?  Because I knew he heard some things and I knew I could control what he saw by keeping him indoors with the blinds closed.  All that would be left was waiting to see if removing what he saw and heard was enough to overcome what he felt if there were visceral level "booms."  I figured getting Henley used to wearing ear protection now was a good idea as well since it seems my run of "my dogs don't care one way or the other about fireworks" was over.

I spent a bit of time every day for several weeks, putting the noise canceling headphones on Ozzie and Henley, pairing wearing them with high value treats and praise.  It didn't take long for them to acclimate to the headphones, with both dogs just falling asleep while wearing them.  I knew that the headphones really worked when I opened up food containers in the kitchen nearby and neither dog came to investigate!  What they couldn't see (they were in the other room) and couldn't hear, wasn't happening.  Success!  By the time the 4th of July rolled around that year, both dogs had been wearing their headphones in the evening for a couple of weeks.  If I kept the boys inside with the blinds closed and their headphones on, they were fine, sleeping the festivities away on their beds.  That was until this year's 250th celebration.

This year, the fireworks were of the sonic-boom variety, going off for several hours from before it got dark until well past 2 a.m.  While I can appreciate that my community wanted to celebrate, the air was filled with smoke and many dogs in my neighborhood were clearly agitated based on the barking and howling, not to mention my neighbor who is a veteran of the Iraq war. He told me the next day that his PTSD was off the charts and I felt awful for him.  When he bent down to hug Ozzie and tell him he knew how he felt, my heart broke into a million pieces.  I know my dogs and my neighbor aren't the only ones who suffer and that makes this a big deal.  We need community education beyond the obvious "fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County" signs and messages.  A move on a bigger level to drone displays would go a long way to change people's minds about fireworks.  A move to drones would also mean less haze and air pollution and reduce fire risk in our already compromised state where fire season never really ends.  I've seen drone shows and think they are spectacular.  Let's all hope that they are the wave of the future.

As always, if you questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's Henley on the 4th of July relaxing on a dog bed while fireworks are going off outside.  He kept them on all night, even when he hunkered down in his crate in my bedroom to sleep. It's sad that he has to wear them, but a relief that it works for him nonetheless.

Hello My Name Is...

Did you start singing when you read the title of this week's blog post?  When I was thinking about this week's blog topic, that song popped into my head and then it just stuck there!

When you are naming your dog, there are a couple of good rules to keep in mind.  Two syllable names are often the best choice as they allow you, the human, to change the pitch of your voice when addressing your dog, which can help grab your dog's attention and let them know your intent.  What type of inflection you use lets your dog know if you are happy with them, displeased, etc.  While a lot of dog owners will opt for one syllable names, these often become two syllable nicknames in the long run because, again, two syllable names allow for those pitch changes that one syllable names do not. So, what are one syllable names good for? They are good for grabbing attention in situations where there are a lot of distractions.  And for those folks choosing longer, multi-syllable names for their dogs, you just need to know that you will likely be shortening said name or going with a nickname anyway.  And you know what?  Dogs are good with that too!  Most of us use nicknames for our dogs and it doesn't confuse them or keep them from responding. It's just one more amazing attribute of dogs.

Last week, I heard from a new puppy owner who was concerned that perhaps his name choice for the new dog would be confusing given how the name sounded like the word, "no."  I once had a client whose dog came with the name "Jess" and she had similar concerns since Jess sounds like "yes."  The bottom line?  It really doesn't matter as dogs use context with our verbal cues; they use our body language, including facial expressions, as much as, if not more than, the actual words we say.  So, while the name "Beau" sounds like "no," for example, your dog isn't going to get confused if you give them a stern "NO!"  I will say, however, that if you want to avoid sounding like Dr. Seuss when talking to your dog, you might want to steer clear of the one syllable names that sound a lot like commands you might give your dog. "Hey! Kit Sit," being a good example! 

I think the bigger take home message with this one is that you really want to think more about how you use "no" and "yes." Overuse of either can dilute the value.  Plus, you also run the risk of not giving your dog enough context to understand what they did that you liked or didn't like.  The word "no" in and of itself lacks information. Sure, if you yell it at your dog, they're likely to stop what they are doing momentarily, but truthfully? You could yell "Rot!" and they'd stop momentarily for that as well, because they'd be responding to the tone of your voice more so than the word itself.  So, rather than saying "No!" tell your dog what they should be doing instead.  For example, if your puppy has grabbed your new running shoe, don't just tell her "NO!"  Instead, tell her to "drop it!" and then trade her your shoe for a toy or bone instead.  Basically, don't chew my shoes, chew on your own stuff. I prefer "leave it!" and "drop it" to a generic "no" every time.  Now, if your dog bolts the front door and is heading for a busy street, then definitely yell "NO!"  If you don't overuse that word, they will absolutely stop dead in their tracks, just long enough for you to collect them before they head into harm's way.

I love the process of coming up with names for my dogs.  I like to think about their personality traits and about my goals or aspirations for them.  I always joke that people who name their pets after questionably behaved characters in literature or movies often end up with adult animals who live up to their names. Any of you remember the movie, "Gremlins?" The cute, little creature in that movie was named "Gizmo." Funny thing though: If you got him wet, exposed him to bright lights, or fed him after midnight, he changed into something less than cute and cuddly, wreaking havoc and leaving destruction in his wake.  I had a client who named her Shih Tzu puppy "Gizmo" because he looked just like the sweet movie character.  Funny thing though.  When he tore up her couch, managed to rip down the curtains, and took a chunk out of an antique table leg, he resembled a gremlin more than she would have liked!  

Share the story of how your dog got their name, and as always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here is sweet Westley, "Midnight's As You Wish," named after the iconic prince in the movie, "The Princess Bride," one of my daughter's favorites.  Westley absolutely lived up to his name with behavior and characteristics befitting his namesake: He was kind, chivalrous, and always a gentleman. He loved fiercely, was loyal to a fault, and was reliable and steady. Aptly named indeed.

Wedding Season!

Whether you are planning a wedding or getting ready for some other type of big celebration like a birthday party or graduation get-together, you may be trying to figure out if you should include your dog in the festivities or not. Whether that means as a participant wearing a bow tie or ribbon and walking down the aisle with a basket of flowers or carrying the rings at your wedding, or simply as a guest hanging out with the other invited guests, should be predicated on how well your dog does with following directions and with how much they like being included in potentially chaotic situations. There's nothing like a festive family gathering to potentially stress out your dog (and you!). Obviously, big parties and social events are not for every dog.  Many folks opt to leave their dogs with sitters or at boarding facilities when they have major family commitments, while others will want to include their dogs because they are viewed as truly important family members.  Either way, if you are considering having your dog join you for any major event, let's talk about how to prepare them so that they can be as successful as possible.  

First, be honest with yourself. If your main reason for including your dog in your big event is the cute photo op for Instagram, then you're likely going to be disappointed. Dogs, much like children, are best captured in photos where they are permitted to be themselves. The best wedding photos I've ever seen that included the dog were the ones where the dog fell asleep under a table at the reception, or was caught napping on the bride's train.  Those are 100% things dogs do! Posing, facing the camera, sitting up straight for a group picture is not something most dogs will do.  At least not repeatedly with a professional photographer staring in their face. If your dog doesn't really like loud noises like clapping and cheering, unfamiliar people staring at them or petting them, and isn't trustworthy not to lift a leg on a guest's chair, sample food from the buffet, or jump on a party guest, then they probably should sit out your big event.  You don't want the main thing folks remember about your big day to be "that crazy dog they insisted upon including!"

It's one thing to have your dog be an attendee at a big event and it's quite another to have them participate.  As a simple attendee, your dog has more freedom of movement than if they are actually expected to participate.  For example, if your dog will be walking with you down the aisle:  Will they be on leash or off leash?  Walking on your left or your right?  Will they be wearing something like a tie or ribbon?  Are they supposed to carry something in their mouth or around their neck?  Each of these behaviors requires training, repetition, and of course big rewards! Plus, you need to be prepared to improvise just in case they decide not to comply when the big day arrives.  And even if your dog loves wearing a bow tie and can easily walk with you leash or not down the aisle, what about after that?  Are they able to sit or lay quietly through the rest of the ceremony?  Will they also be attending the reception?  Because if they are, you'll need to work with them on appropriate party behavior: No table surfing, no begging for food, no running, no barking, and no rambunctious play.  And if your dog is sensitive to loud noises, again, they may need to sit out the dancing and music in favor of a quiet place away from the noise to rest.  You can certainly train a dog not to table surf or beg for snacks, but you can't really change the way they view loud music and rowdy dancing.

My own dogs have attended many birthday parties and graduation celebrations over the years.  I allow them to participate as much or as little as they choose to, meaning they always have an exit if the party gets too loud or there are too many people for their comfort.  The last graduation party we had at our house, Westley and Desi were still alive. Westley chose to participate in the entire proceedings, following my daughter around, engaging with guests, and doing tricks for treats.  Ozzie participated for a short period of time, visiting with people he knew, checking to make sure the gate was closed, and noshing on ice cubes from the barrel filled with cool drinks, before retiring to a room inside away from the celebration.  Desi, although generally a social butterfly, chose to say hi when guests arrived, but then retreated indoors to nap away from the festivities and that was fine too.  I didn't push my dogs and they behaved as I expected them to.  They made it into quite a few candid photos, but I didn't ask them to pose for the less than candid pictures. By all accounts the event was a success.

As many of you know, my daughter is getting married next year and several of you have asked if her dog, Zelly, will be a flower girl or otherwise participate in the proceedings. Here's the answer:  Zelly will not be participating, nor will she be attending, and not because she isn't the sweetest girl, or because she doesn't love people and parties, because she does!  She isn't being included because having her there would be unnecessarily distracting for my daughter.  She would worry about Zelly's safety because their event space has streams, narrow bridges, and occasional wildlife nearby.  Zelly participated actively in the surprise proposal, but she will be sitting out the wedding with a trusted housesitter, in the company of Ozzie and Henley.  She won't feel like she's missing anything and I'll know my daughter isn't worrying about her safety.  That's a win for everybody.  In the meantime, I'm teaching Zelly to pick up and carry items, just for fun.  Who knows?  Maybe down the road she'll be picking up a child's dropped toys for my daughter.  A grandmother can dream, right?

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's sweet Desi at the graduation party, just hanging out, keeping an eye on the festivities and the food table!

To Serve and Protect

For some reason, the last week and a half has included several appointments for dogs who seem to be taking their job as "protector of the humans" very seriously.  There's the dog who won't let anyone near the baby (including the grandparents), the dog who body blocks anyone who approaches his mom on walks, and the dog who won't let his dad get into bed because he's laying next to mom there already.  While we were able to come up with workable solutions in all of these cases, there are a few big takeaways I'd like to share with all of you, whether your dog engages in this type of behavior or not.  Why?  Because all dogs are protective; it's simply in their DNA.  Some just express the behavior more readily, but all dogs are alert to changes in human behavior that might indicate that their humans require backup or support, either in the form of barking, body blocking, or outright aggressive behavior.  This inherently watchful behavior by dogs is very likely one of the reasons that early humans actively sought out relationships with them in the first place.

When people ask me how to teach their dog to protect them or to keep an eye on their kids, I'm always quick to respond that dogs do that naturally, no training required!  Sure, there are people out there who train dogs for protection work, police work, and military, and dogs used for those jobs are selected specifically for their inherent drive and overtly protective behavior.  Their natural behaviors are honed and rewarded, bringing them more to surface where they can be expressed and controlled appropriately by an experienced handler.  For the rest of us, we don't need a protection dog; we just need to know how to utilize and appropriately control the dog we already have.

First and foremost, it isn't cute if your dog blocks people you want hugging you or touching you from being able to do so safely.  It also isn't desirable that your dog protects your baby or kids to the point that the nanny, babysitter, or the grandparents don't feel safe approaching your kids.  You will need to step in and manage this behavior as soon as you see it; don't write it off as a "one off" as that first occurrence is just the tip of the iceberg.  If you ignore or excuse the behavior, you are opening yourself up to a lot of liability as the next instance of the behavior may include an escalation to a snap or bite. Let's look at a couple of specific examples:

You are having guests to your house to meet your new baby.  Your dog runs to the door and begins barking when the guests arrive.  When you tell him quiet, he doesn't stop, instead choosing to crowd folks at the doorway, standing between them and you holding the baby.  What should you do?  Well, you definitely shouldn't ignore him and you definitely don't want to reprimand him either.  Ignoring is an invitation to persist and reprimanding will just lead to a dog that doesn't give any warnings about their intentions. Instead, stop everything and attend to your dog.  Put your dog on a leash and lead him to his bed or mat away from the door and tell him to stay.  Return to your guests and your greetings.  If your dog remains there, reward him! If he gets up and comes back to block you from your guests or begins barking again, grab that leash and lead him to a time out in another room. Leave him in the time out for 3-5 minutes, only returning to let him out again, on leash, when he's quiet.  If he in any way tries to body block you or micromanage the guests holding the baby, again, remove him to his bed or mat and tell him to stay.  He can be watchful from that position just fine. Again, if he breaks the stay, off to a time out and so on until he can learn to settle down and follow directions given by you. In this example, the dog at no time was given unlimited power, nor was he rewarded for his overtly protective behaviors. Instead, he was rewarded for listening and compliance with directives aimed at calming him.  Even if you don't have a baby and your dog blocks you from your relatives, friends, or significant other, do these same exercises outlined above.  Your dog needs to know that you will be the one to tell him if you need his backup. 

One more example:  You and your dog have been a duo for quite some time, but now you are seeing someone new and talking about moving in together, but your dog isn't a fan.  She is constantly getting up on the couch between you and your girlfriend, walking between you, jumping up to block hugs and kisses, and growling when your girlfriend tries to climb in bed.  This isn't funny, nor will it get better with time and familiarity alone.  Your dog needs to realize that whether she likes it or not, you've chosen this new person.  First up, is changing the way your dog views your girlfriend. Have your girlfriend feed meals, including hand-feeding.  Only your girlfriend can give your dog treats and she should be the one holding your dog's leash on walks.  When your dog tries to body block on the furniture or invade your space during a hug, correct her, but don't punish her.  Tell her "nuh uh" or "nope" and take her to her bed or mat and give her something else to do (a bone, a toy, or a chew is fine) and tell her to stay.  Return to sitting together or to your hug.  If your dog gets up and approaches, stop her before she gets to you with a "nuh uh" or "nope" again and send her back to her place. If she goes there on her own, great. If she doesn't then it's out of the room for a time out of 3-5 minutes.  Repeat this until your dog can either sit quietly waiting for attention from both of you (big rewards!) or she can remain on her bed or mat in place with something else to do.  For bedtime, your dog should not be allowed to sleep on the bed anymore, regardless of whether your girlfriend is there or not.  If you continue to allow your dog on the bed when the two of you are home alone, she will view not being on the bed when your girlfriend is there as punishment and resent your girlfriend. If, instead, we just implement a new rule of "no dogs on the bed," your dog won't love the idea, but at least the loss of bed privileges won't be associated directly with your girlfriend's presence.  We might not be able to make your dog love your girlfriend, but at least we can get your dog to respect her and understand that she is a second source for treats, food, and attention.

I hope this helps any of you going through similar situations with your dogs.  Dogs who overtly or covertly protect their owners aren't bad dogs, misbehaved dogs, or aggressive dogs.  They are dogs who need to be taught boundaries and limits so that they can still do their job with those rules in place.

As always, if you have questions about your dog's behavior, you know where to find me.

Henley is my shadow he's always nearby and often at my feet which is fine most of the time as I live alone with two dogs.  When people come over, he will definitely try to insert himself for attention and needs to be reminded where he is supposed to be. He may try to lay at my feet between me and someone I'm visiting with, so if that happens, I have him move to a different spot and give him something else to do.  He's never behaved aggressively toward anyone, but he is a big male dog and he can be imposing. I don't doubt for a second that he'd protect me if I needed his help. It's my job to make sure that he understands when that's appropriate and when it's not.