Gingerbread Time!

I'm taking the week off to spend with my kids who are home for the holidays.  So for this week's blog, I just wanted to share with you my favorite recipe for gingerbread cookies that are safe for dogs, super yummy, and definitely collie-approved.  So break out the holiday cookie cutters and whip up a batch that will last your dogs through the New Year!

Gingerbread Cookies (yields about 60 mini-gingerbread men)

• 2 cups oat flour (plus more for rolling surface)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin
• 2 tbsp molasses 

Directions:  Mix together your dry ingredients (oat flour through ginger) using a wire whisk.  Add in the eggs, pumpkin, and molasses, stirring with a large spoon to form the dough.  Let the dough sit for about 20 minutes in your refrigerator before rolling it out on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out your shapes. Place gingerbread cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness and size of your cookies.  Be sure to flip the cookies halfway through for evenness and to prevent overcooking. 

Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Waiting patiently to lick the spoon!

Home for the Holidays

I know a lot of you are having family and friends in your homes over the holidays. Some of you will have these folks staying with you, while others will be hosting parties, gatherings, and general festivities.  All of this is lovely to think about and definitely something to look forward to.  It can be, however, an incredibly stressful time of year for pet owners. There are a lot of pets who do not enjoy this time of year at all, finding the scented candles, forbidden foods, dangerous plants, trees in the house, shiny ribbons, glass ornaments, and constantly ringing doorbells very anxiety provoking indeed.  And it isn't just puppies and kittens having a hard time; adult animals and senior pets can also be easily overwhelmed by all of this disruption and chaos.  So, what can you do to help your pets survive and thrive during the holidays?

First and foremost, know your pets. If your pets are social butterflies, then maybe they can be part of the festivities.  If, however, they are a bit too social, charging out the front door, jumping on guests, sniffing crotches, and nosing packages, then they might not be able to handle all of the holiday experiences.  It may be the case that they can enjoy the quieter activities such as movie or game nights, or be allowed to socialize but on leash and under someone's watchful eye.  Remind your guests not to give tidbits of what they are eating to your pets.  While it is certainly true that one little bite of cheese or a nibble of cookie might not hurt your pet, 20 little nibbles from a roomful of friendly guests is likely to upset their stomachs. And if your guests have brought you poinsettia plants, mistletoe or holly, keep those plants well away from your curious pets.  It goes without saying that you'll want to keep an eye on lit candles and forego tinsel on your tree, particularly if you have cats. 

For those pets who are more introverted or those who have anxiety-based issues such as fear or aggression, it will be safest for all involved if you just keep them in another room (safely tucked away in their crate if they are crate-trained) and let your guests know to keep that door closed.  This is not cruel in the slightest.  Your anxious pets will be relieved not to have to deal with people that they don't know trying to engage them, or worse yet, trying to decide if that person reaching for them is a threat!  Don't think of this as punishing your pet, rather think of this as the kindest thing you can do for them.  Give them fun things to do in that room and check on them regularly.  Use fans, white noise machines, or a TV to provide background white noise in the space.  Use food puzzles, bones, etc. to keep them occupied.  And don't hesitate to use those CBD drops, Thundershirts, or DAP collars as well. If your pet needs more than these holistic remedies, consider speaking with your veterinarian about other options for treating situational anxiety.

Finally, for those of you whose pets are fine with guests, don't surf tables or sniff crotches, and can be trusted not to drink the spiked eggnog or nose the burning candle, it's still a good idea to build in breaks away from the festivities for them that you enforce.  Don't wait for them to tell you that they're tired, just assume after an hour or so of visiting, they'll want some down time.  Make sure they have access to their crate or their favorite bed or perch and remind guests to leave them be if they are there, particularly children.  

Last but not least, keep to your pet's regular schedule as much as possible.  Those morning walks, evening strolls, or both are good for everyone.  Invite your guests to join you, if you like, but I often find that walks alone with my dogs are the perfect quiet time I need before I begin socializing for the day.  Feed your pets at their usual feeding times, and don't forget to use those interactive puzzles and games for stress relief and boredom busting. 

I wish you and your pets nothing but success as you move through the holiday season.  And, as always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Despite what the pillow says, Desi was always the perfect

 gentleman at holiday gatherings. 

We'll miss his calm presence this year!

Keeping the Faith

Recently, I was interviewed regarding my thoughts on grief and loss from a pet's perspective and a pet owner's.  Losing a family member is incredibly difficult and for most of us, that loss and grief is the same even if the family member is a pet. Platitudes like "it was just a dog/cat" or "you'll get over it" or "just get a new dog/cat" aren't helpful.  What is helpful is surrounding yourself with people who understand your grief.  And if you don't have anyone to fill that role, reaching out to one of the pet loss support groups in your community can help. For the humans, here is a resource for you to keep handy. It's the phone number for the National Pet Loss Hotline, 855-352-LOVE. And for your grieving pets, speak to your veterinarian or reach out to me as we can help them with their grieving process.  

There isn't any one "right" way to approach grief; it looks different for each person and is closely tied to the relationship you had with the person or pet who has passed away.  You may even feel some guilt about your relief that they've passed away and that's normal too.  No one wants our families, friends, or pets to suffer, so often their passing is associated with a sense of relief, which then brings on enormous guilt. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to have conversations about your feelings, and about the loved one you've lost.  Share stories, both the funny ones and the painful ones.  Sharing those stories helps keep that loved one you've lost alive in your memories and reminds you of the times when they were free of pain, disease, etc. Let out your emotions, share your anger, despair, and pain with those you trust the most.  And if you don't have people in your life who give you the space to safely do that, find a mental health professional who will listen and guide you through the grief process.  No one should have to grieve alone.

For your pets who are grieving, keep them on their favored schedules.  Keep feeding times, walks, play time, etc. on the usual, predictable schedule.  Changes to that schedule create anxiety for our pets.  Those walks and playtime provide much needed exercise and fresh air for you both.  Remember that petting your animals helps lower your blood pressure and calm your breathing rate while doing the same for your pets. That symbiotic relationship between you and your surviving pet is worth celebrating with a walk, with a pat, or with a cookie. 

Yes, it's true, things do get better.  We do get to the point where we don't burst into tears every time we talk about our loved ones who've passed, but it's still not easy. It's just different living in a world where they are no longer residing. I still miss my heart dog, Shadow, who passed away in 1999.  She may have been gone for almost 25 years, but her memory lives on in my mind (and in the many photos of her on my walls), and I have shared stories of her with my children so that they, too, will know how special she was to me.  I am a true believer that I will see her again someday, waiting at the Rainbow Bridge, with my other beloved dogs and family members who passed before me.  I'm pretty sure she'll let me know that she was taking care of everyone til I got there, something she did when she was alive as well.  She was a Border Collie after all and we know what good managers they are.

The holiday season can be rough for a lot of people and the world is a confusing place right now.  My hope for you is that you will find peace and joy in the smallest of things, those purrs from your cats, those licks and cuddles from your dogs, those nuzzles from your horses, and the hugs from your friends and family. Take care of yourselves.

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

Christmas 1993. My beloved grandmother and Shadow are both gone now, but that apron she made me lives on.  I think I even have those ridiculous red hoop earring somewhere too, in case you were wondering!

Hark the Herald Angels Sing!

Well, the angels might be singing, but I sure know a lot of puppies who aren't listening to them...LOL.  For many dog owners living with puppies between 4-6 months of age, this not listening phase is quite frustrating.  I'm here to tell you the phase is short (usually a couple of weeks or so), BUT whether your puppy responds to you going forward depends a lot on how you deal with your frustration during this normal phase of their development. 

First, let's start with why this "not listening" thing can be seen as a good thing.  Your puppy is feeling confident, brave enough to explore beyond the usual boundaries, including the boundaries of your voice and directions for them. Developmentally, this age in wild canids like wolves, coyotes, wild dogs, etc. is associated with the beginning of independent exploration, away from the den and the watchful eye of the dam. For your puppies, it's quite similar; they are looking to explore their world with a bit more freedom and independence than they've previously shown. Those 8 week old puppies that didn't want to let you out of their sight, are now hardly looking back as they explore the far reaches of your yard, or the full length of their leash. So what are you supposed to do when your puppy ignores you?  Well, you most certainly don't want to let them get away with that! If you do, that just sets you up for future issues with attentiveness to your directives and overall responsiveness.

When that puppy ignores you, you have to step up your game AND you need to anticipate this behavior before it happens.  So, while you might be tempted to let that 4-6 month old puppy roam leash-less in your yard, don't.  Put a long line on them instead; this gives them some freedom to explore, but a tether for you to gently tug on if they don't respond when you call them back. You don't want to yank on the line as they'll just resist. Instead, put a small amount of pressure on it and call them.  Don't say "come," necessarily, as you don't want to make coming to you seem negative to your puppy. Instead, whistle, clap your hands, bend down and make kissy sounds, etc. all while tugging gently on the line. I like to wiggle my fingers too as that seems irresistible to a lot of the puppies I meet.  Even if they are slow to get to you, throw them a tickertape parade with lots of love and some high value rewards as well when they get to you. Now, and this is important, let them wander off again.  You see, you want them to understand that coming to you doesn't necessarily mean the end of fun exploration away from you, it just means that they have to check in periodically.  If you practice this long line recall every time you take your puppy outside, you can work up to doing the same thing at the park, during a little league game, etc. What this reinforces is that coming to you and checking in is always a good idea. And, yes, sometimes you'll be reeling them in and taking them home, but not every time.  Your puppy learns that check-ins are smart, that they don't mean the end of fun, AND that they will always be rewarded for doing so.

I'll just go ahead and say it.  Some breeds are better listeners than others.  If you have a hound, for example, and they are hot on the trail of a rabbit they just chased into the bushes, no amount of calling or tugging is going to get them out of there.  Just go collect your puppy at the end of that line and start again. Some dogs, regardless of age, never can be trusted to be off leash safely.  They just don't have reliable recall.  Whether that's because they got in the habit of ignoring their owners as puppies and their owners allowed that behavior, or because they are a breed bred for independent thinking, either way, they stay on leash (or a long line) forever, for their safety and your peace of mind.  There is no hard and fast rule that every dog has to have off leash time to be a well-adjusted member of canine society. Some dogs, in fact, are just safer kept on leash.

Henley is a good listener. We've worked on the long line and off leash in my own yard.  He knows there will be rewards even if he's slow and he's certainly tested that theory more than once. It does help that he has Ozzie who comes every single time I call him as his guide in life.  Ozzie can be off leash and out of my sight and if I whistle, he comes running.  Every single time.  And that's why he's earned off leash time on forest hikes; he's a reliable hiking companion. Whether Henley gets to that level of reliability remains to be seen. He's only 8 months old and he's got a lot of maturation left to do.  Ozzie and I are ever hopeful.

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

Here's Desi, off leash, at our neighborhood park when he was about 4 years old. He had great recall, always coming back when called. He was never speedy about it, but he always came back, even if there were squirrels, wild turkeys, or people he wanted to greet. 

A Preponderance of Fear Aggression

I used to see just a couple of cases of fear aggression every few months.  Now, post-COVID, I see a couple of cases every week. The number of fear aggressive dogs has increased worldwide, seeming to indicate that those dogs born and raised during COVID lockdown and experiencing a lack of socialization with groups of people and other dogs during that time period, are having trouble adapting to this post-COVID world where they are now walked in busy public spaces and taken out of their homes and their comfort zones.  It's also the case that these COVID dogs are now old enough to breed, so we are now seeing puppies born to under-socialized COVID-raised mothers having (inherited) issues in fear and fear aggression.

Fear aggression is typically a defensive behavior by design, meant to move people or other dogs away from the fearful dog. Those growls, lip curls, and whale-eyes, while backing away, are meant to communicate "Stay Away!"  Unfortunately, however,  these signals often go unheeded, putting these dogs on the offensive and making aggression (and potentially a bite) imminent. Fear aggression is about a dog perceiving a threat; the threat does not have to be real, just perceived to be so. For these dogs, it is very difficult to teach them that their fears are unfounded. And for some dogs, their fears are real, meaning they don't want you to touch their feet/nails because someone grabbed their feet and cut their nails so short they bled, for example. 

Fear aggressive dogs look very different than, say, dogs with status aggression or resource guarding aggression. They are often so scared that they freeze, defecate, urinate, or express their anal glands while trying to escape. Their heads are low, bodies low, tails tucked, etc.  While you may see a low tail or a frozen body posture with other forms of aggression, you certainly won't see that unloading of the bowels! The big difference and the one that often gets people into trouble is recognizing the difference between a fearful dog and a fearfully aggressive dog until it is too late.  So, a dog who is afraid will back up, cower, and tuck their tail to avoid confrontation, but if you reach for them, they will not vocalize aggressively or snap/bite you.  Reaching for a dog who is afraid is never a good idea; reaching for a dog who is a fear aggressor is an even worse idea.  So what can you do?

First and foremost, you have to avoid putting the dog into those situations that trigger the fear and aggression.  If it's the groomer, skip the groomer.  Your vet?  You'll obviously need to work on that, but not taking them to the vet until you can work on the fear and aggression is key. For dogs afraid of strangers and/or other dogs, don't walk them where there are other people or dogs!  You can exercise them at home and it's less risky. Basically, all situations where the dog might be fearfully aggressive must be avoided until you can slowly desensitize your dog to those scenarios. Fearfully aggressive dogs must be counter-conditioned to view previously provocative situations as non-threatening.  You do this by starting at a distance from their triggers and teaching them to exhibit or engage in a behavior that runs counter to their fear.  So, instead of backing away or cowering, you teach them to sit close to you, for example.  The process will be slow, but worth it, as you watch your dog gain confidence and overcome their fears in a safe, predictable environment that you control for them. 

For safety reasons, never corner a fear aggressor, instead call or lure them out. Give them a safe space, however, and let them go there whenever they feel overwhelmed. It goes without saying that fearfully aggressive dogs should not be physically punished as that will just reinforce their fears. Never tell them that it's okay or that they are alright; they aren't okay and doing so just reinforces the fear. Instead, provide a safe haven for them, ask for that counter-conditioned behavior, and reward them for doing that. It's also true that many fearfully aggressive dogs require anti-anxiety medication to fully achieve counter-conditioning long term. 

While your friends and family may be "dog people" and want to help you with your fearfully aggressive dog, it's in everyone's best interest if you protect your dog from these well-meaning folks. Remember, fearfully aggressive dogs are behaving abnormally; they are just as afraid of gentle approaches as they are of unfriendly approaches. Instead, keep your dog in their crate or in another room with something fun to do. They won't see this as punishment but as a reprieve from a situation that will trigger them to behave fearfully.  And if you must have your dog with you in a provocative situation, muzzle train them so that you keep them and others safe.  Remember, though, your fearfully aggressive dog is still afraid while muzzled, they simply can't bite anyone.  You still need to work with them to keep them under threshold. 

My hope is that I will see fewer and fewer fearfully aggressive puppies and dogs as we move further away from the short term effects of the pandemic.  If there's one thing I learned from the pandemic it's that people and dogs need to see and engage other people and dogs, even if it's just exchanging pleasantries as you pass them on the street.  Avoidance fuels anxiety and fear in all of us.

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

Does this dog look scared to you? Rather than finding out the hard way by walking over there, hovering over him or reaching for him, just call him.  Crouch at a distance, body facing away from him, and call him in a friendly manner. If he isn't afraid AND if he WANTS to interact, he'll get up and come to you.  Reward that with some gentle pets and a tasty treat, thus reminding this dog, afraid or not, that you represent safety and all things that are good and predictable in this world.

Tis The Season

Well, the holidays are upon us whether we're ready or not and that means lots of pressure for pet owners. Pressure to make sure our dogs don't jump on anyone uninvited. Pressure to make sure they aren't table surfing, or worse yet, sampling off of plates on laps.  Pressure to make sure our cats aren't walking on the kitchen counter prep area and that the litter boxes are clean. While we hope our family and friends will understand that this is our house and that the pets live here year round, we do want those people visiting us to feel comfortable.  At the same time, however, we don't want our pets to feel left out and more importantly we don't want to feel judged.  There's nothing that takes the holiday spirit out of a pet owner faster than being judged.

My wish for you this holiday season is that your family and friends will see the hard work you've put into helping your pet companions thrive.  That they will see you working on your dog's barking, or your cat's furniture scratching behavior and complement you on your progress rather than criticize you for not having it "fixed." They need to embrace the fact that you are a pet owner and dogs do bark and cats do scratch and that's normal behavior for their species.  You would not have chosen a dog companion if you didn't expect them to bark, nor would you have chosen a cat if you didn't expect to have to teach them where to scratch. These are hard concepts for non-pet owners to understand.  The rest of us totally get it. So if no one tells you this holiday season, you know what? You're doing great! I see you making headway with your dogs and cats and I appreciate your efforts.

Look, I have an 8 month old puppy right now.  He's made huge progress but he's not perfect. Yet.  Hey, I've still got a month before Christmas so a girl can dream.  Just kidding. He won't be perfect then either, whatever perfect really means.  You see, he's perfect to me and he's becoming such a delightful companion, walking nicely on leash, only occasionally trying to chase the neighbor's cats now.  He rarely barks and when he does it's because he genuinely heard or saw something important.  He still eats the fruit and veggies in my garden, but at least he doesn't eat the furniture or my shoes.  He would like to sit at the table when people are eating, but he will go lay on his bed if asked.  Twice.  You need to ask him twice.  Still, that's progress.  He does try to jump on people, so he'll be wearing his collar and leash when guests arrive, but that's okay.  My friends and family accept that he's still a puppy.  An over 50 lb. puppy, but a puppy nonetheless.

It's also a good time to remember that letting your dog chill out in another room with something fun to chew on, or letting them hang out in their crate with a bone, are perfectly acceptable solutions to some common holiday woes.  If your dog hasn't mastered not bolting out an open doorway as guests enter, jumping up, table surfing, etc., then placing them in another room or in their crate is fine. It's safer for them and less stressful for you.  And if it's possible to keep them on leash, tethered to you, that's a viable option as well.  Now, if your dog is afraid of new people or aggressive, then you simply must put them somewhere else when you have guests.  It's your job to keep them under threshold for unwanted behaviors that put them (and you!) at risk.  Rather than having those out-of-town guests stay with you and your fearful or aggressive dog, instead suggest a local hotel or an Airbnb for their safety and comfort.  You can still get together at your house, confining your dog when they do, but the guests staying elsewhere means your dog won't have to be confined the entire length of their visit, thus making guests a big negative for them.  If you haven't already done so with your aggressive dog, now is the time to muzzle train them.  Muzzle training them means that they can be on leash and muzzled anytime they aren't confined. This makes it easier and safer for guests who are staying in your home. Muzzle training doesn't make you a bad dog owner or them a bad dog; it's a tool that can be used to increase safety and provide a reactive dog with an obvious on/off switch.

It goes without saying that your well-mannered, social butterfly cats and dogs will need to be watched as well.  You see, they are going to be the ones receiving often unnecessary or unsafe handouts from well-meaning friends and family as a reward for their "good behavior."  While one little piece of skinless turkey won't hurt a dog or cat, several pieces will definitely upset their stomach and it's not like guests will be tracking who gave your pet a tidbit and who didn't.  And your dog/cat sure as heck isn't going to tell, right up until the point they feel ill and begin experiencing vomiting or diarrhea!

Finally, I hope you take the time to enjoy the holiday season.  We all get so rushed trying to get everything done and make it all perfect that we forget to to enjoy the moment.  Pets are good at reminding us to relax, take a break, and play.  So, walk the dog, cuddle your kitty, and play with all of your pets. It's good for you and it's good for them.  Stress relief in the form of a nice boost of serotonin and a bit of dopamine for good measure.  Tell those judgy friends and relatives that your pets are good for your mental health, I'll back you up on that.

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

Henley is ready to party!

When Labels Do More Harm Than Good

I taught a class last weekend for new pet assisted therapy animals and their humans.  After class, one of the new volunteers commented on how much she appreciated it when I said "it isn't that jumping up is bad, it's just that it isn't appropriate for pet therapy animals on visits." She said she'd been told numerous times that her dog was "badly behaved," had "poor impulse control," and "needed to be taught who's in charge."  These comments had come from friends and family, as well as a couple of dog trainers.  I was saddened by this, but I can't say that I was shocked.  I've worked with many clients who've been told similar things (or worse) by those they've approached for help, guidance, and support.  

But see, here's the thing.  What I said is true. Whether you're talking about a dog who jumps up, a dog who surfs counters, a dog who barks a the mailman, a dog who chases squirrels, or a dog who pulls on the leash, all of those behaviors are normal dog behaviors.  Dogs jump up in joy or to get a better vantage point. Dogs surf counters because there is food there.  Dogs bark at the mailman because he's invading their territory.  Same goes for those pesky squirrels.  And we know already that dogs pull on the leash to get to the next sniff because we've talked about that many times.  Now, I understand that YOU may not want your dog jumping up or counter surfing, and that's okay. I can help you with that.  But don't succumb to labeling your dog as bad or poorly behaved, lacking impulse control, for doing those things.  He's just being a dog. It's our job as their guardians to teach them boundaries and limits as defined by us and our living situation.  You've all heard the phrase "my house, my rules." Well, that applies to dogs too.  Just because I don't allow my dogs on the couch doesn't mean your dog is bad if he gets up on yours. It simply means that the rules at your house are different than mine.  And guests to your home need to understand that they will be sharing the sofa with your canine companion and that doesn't make the dog bad or poorly behaved.  He's just following your rules.

In pet therapy class, I let the new volunteers know what behaviors are unacceptable in terms of being successful pet therapists.  I don't just tell them "don't let your dog jump on people," I also tell them how they can get a handle on that behavior now so that it won't keep them from being able to participate.  All of our pets are leashed for therapy visits, so simply standing on the leash of a bouncy dog helps them to understand that jumping up doesn't work there.  Same goes for dogs who paw for attention; that may be something you are okay with at home and that you reinforce by petting your dog whenever he paws you, but we can't allow pawing for attention on therapy visits. So, I ask owners of the pawing dogs to simply place their forearm across their dog's front legs during petting to keep those legs from coming up and pawing a patient for attention. Dogs who paw for attention aren't bad dogs; they are just dogs who are allowed to do that behavior and while you may hate it, their owner clearly doesn't as the dog has been allowed to do it all the time!

So, my friends, be careful labeling dogs (or their owners) when you are out and about.  Just because that dog is jumping up on someone for an ear ruffle and love doesn't make him a bad dog. It simply means that he and that human he's jumping up on are enjoying their interaction.  And for those of us who don't like being jumped on, we can simply ask our friends with the bouncy dogs to stand on those leashes so that we may greet their dogs with four feet solidly planted on the floor.  

And all of this is really important as the holidays are rapidly approaching and you'll have family and friends visiting your home and your dogs.  Make sure your guests know the house rules with regard to your dogs.  If they don't want to share the couch with the dog, then maybe they should sit in a chair instead!  And if they don't want the dog sleeping with them in your guest room, then they can shut their door.  It's as simple as that.  

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

Here's my granddog, Westley, at my daughter's house where he's allowed on all of the furniture.  At my house, I have a "no dogs on the couch" rule as my new couch is small and there's not enough room for the people AND all of the dogs.  Westley knows that it's "grandma's house, grandma's rules" and he doesn't even try to get up there anymore.  He's not a "bad dog" for trying to get up there the first couple of times he visited me with the new couch.  He simply needed to learn the new rule.