Hemlock Hollow Dog Training with Chris Danker CPDT-KA KPA-CTP

Holiday Safety Tips

2011-12-21T14:32:00.004-05:00

Keeping the Holidays Fun and Safe for our Dogs

It’s here! The snow, the cold, and the festive time of year we’ve been waiting for. We attend parties, go shopping, have friends and family to our homes, and travel. It seems like we never have enough time to get everything done. But wait….our dogs are in the midst of all this!

To keep both humans and dogs happy and stress free, here are a few tips that you might find helpful.

1) Guests arriving mean open doors. Keep your dog safe by placing him in a crate, keeping him on leash, or make use of baby gates to prevent access to the front door.

2) Wrapping gifts equals scissors, tape, bows and ribbons, and paper. All can be enticing to a dog. Please keep all of these items out of reach. Plan on using one room for gifts and wrapping, the door can be closed and your dog will not be tempted.

3) Christmas trees with ornaments and lights are also very tempting for your dog. Consider the use of baby gates to prevent your dog’s access to the room.

4) Holidays mean an abundance of food. We humans might be able to handle the fancy appetizers, the eggnog, candy and desserts, but our dog’s digestive system is not made to handle such items. Although pleading eyes may tell you otherwise. Keep to your dog’s regular diet as much as possible; his digestive system will appreciate it.

5) Last year the grandchild may not have been walking. This year she is moving around and heading towards your dog! Not all dogs appreciate a toddler around their face or bothering them if they are lying down. Always supervise children and dogs.

6) Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, as are Poinsettias. If at any time that you suspect your dog has ingested a toxic item please call the ASPCA National Poison Hotline 888 426 4435.

7) Time is short this time of year; there is so much to do! Our dogs do not understand what all the commotion is about. Make time in your busy day for your dog, an extra walk, a longer grooming session, or a game of fetch, an extra special stuffed Kong. Anything your dog enjoys doing with you; make time for in your busy schedule. Your dog will appreciate the time spent with you…and the old saying is still true ‘A tired dog is a good dog’.

Have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season

A Puppy's Journey!

2011-10-30T16:47:00.006-04:00

It's been awhile since I have posted. I've been busy training my own dogs, student's dogs and putting the final touches on A Puppy's Journey

Soon to be released:

A companion to Being Borzoi & Forever Borzoi. 200 pages, hardcover, color photos

$39.95+$5 s/h USA

To order: http://www.beingborzoi.com/journey.php
OR: a check to ZOISTORY
2255 Strasburg Rd.
Coatesville, PA 19320

All profits benefit Borzoi Rescue.

Puppy Java goes to 4H camp

2011-07-12T14:30:00.026-04:00

This morning a group of us helped at the annual 4H camp held on the grounds of Albany Obedience Club. The children rotate thru training sessions on agility and rally, and have different educational programs to learn more about dogs. I was there specifically to help teach the children on the needs of puppies, how we train them, how to approach them etc. It was also a wonderful opportunity to socialize our puppies with children. The puppies also had time to play with each other, another socialization opportunity.

We set up crates or x-pens for the pups to rest in between training sessions. It was a good opportunity for each puppy to practicing being confined in a different environment. We all had toys and chews to keep our pups occupied.

There were all sizes and shapes of puppies.

Each child had a puppy to work with . We practiced the name game...where the puppy learns how to respond to his name. Java thought it lots of fun, 'Java' and he got a treat, 'Java' and he got a treat. A wonderful venue for our pups to learn how to respond to someone else other then their owners. After many repetitions the pups were able to turn away from mild distraction and look immediately to their handlers when they heard their name.

We also practiced how our pups should greet politely. Puppies want to be near our face, think of how many times we pick them up and hold them close to us. The rules change when they get too big and we no longer pick them up. So we need to teach them that keeping four feet on the ground, with the final goal of sitting, is how to get attention from us.

The pups had lots of breaks to walk outdoors to for potty breaks and to cool off in the wading pools.

The children each took a puppy and practiced handling a dog different then there own. It made me smile to see these young handlers talking in soft voices, helping the puppies out with a cookie to move them thru the club grounds, and encouraging them to try the pools. Best of all was the laughing and giggling along with the puppies playing. Kids having fun with puppies, and puppies learning many new and different sights. A perfect day!

Java and Bryce, always seemed to find each other, they are becoming the best of friends.

Puppy Java learning to 'Target'

2011-07-11T12:59:00.018-04:00

Targeting is a skill where Java will learn to touch a part of his body to an object, known as the 'target'. Usually we teach dogs to touch their nose or paw to an object. Targeting is helpful in teaching our dogs to go to a mat, lying on it and remaining in place; for service dogs to open and close doors; to move our animals from one place to another; to teach them to go on or under obstacles; or to facilitate teaching tricks. It also helps dogs to learn about their bodies, for Java I wanted him to begin learning about turning his body to the left and right in a circle. This helps with strengthening his hind end and learning about hind end awareness.

I started to teach Java how to target a bit differently then I have in the past with my other dogs. Instead of teaching Java to first touch his nose to the center of my palm, I started with a target stick. Target sticks can simply be a spatula, a spoon, a stick with taped wrapped around the edge for visibility. Or you could opt for a more formal click stick which has a clicker built in. http://www.things4yourdog.com/clik%20stick%20by%20karen%20pryor or a target stick that has a red rubber end and also comes with a stand for distance work. Both can telescope to over 20 inches.

I wanted to give a target stick a try to see if it would facilitate his understanding of moving towards an object to touch his nose. I had already used my hands to do a lot of touching him all over his body, especially around his feet to accustom him to having his nails trimmed. Just for my own curiosity I wanted to see if teaching him with a target other then my hand would make a difference to the learning process.

I paced the target stick very close to his nose, he was interested in something different, he moved closer to take a sniff. The instant his nose touched the rubber ball, I clicked and gave him a treat.

Gradually I moved the target stick inches further from Java, he had to make the effort to move towards the target. I continued to click and treat each correct response.

I was late on clicking a few times, and clicked as Java was attempting to mouth the ball, no need to yell at him. He was just learning what this new game was all about. This is the beauty of clicker training, the only 'correction' the dog receives is the lost opportunity of receiving a reinforcement...his treat. Our relationship was intact, he still trusted me. I just withheld a click when his mouth touched the ball. The next rep I clicked a tiny bit early, just as his nose was about to touch the target, but before he opened his mouth. He quickly understood that it was his nose that needed to touch the red ball on the target stick in order to get a reinforcement

It wasn't long before Java was following the target stick.

I began moving it ever so slightly to the right, to get him to turn in that direction.

Java's first two lessons in targeting gave him a good foundation towards his first trick: 'spin'. Stay tuned.

Dogs just having fun .....in the mud!

2011-07-03T18:59:00.021-04:00

We have had a huge amount of rain the past two months. Last night the rains came again, and we had downpours thru out the day. Weather radar shows more rain coming, so I took advantage of a break in the rain to let the dogs get some exercise running thru the fenced wooded acre behind our barn. The ground is saturated and in some place we have a bit of standing water.

Java was the first to notice the puddle.

An invitation to play.

Lucy drops a toy in the water to entice Melissa and Java to play with her.

But Java finds the water more interesting, and the digging begins.

I am not sure if it was the texture of mud, the sound of the splashing water that gave Java the sillies or lack of exercise due to the rain earlier in the day.

But the muddy water went flying.

I could have stopped the dogs from playing in the mud, but they were having fun. It is an area of the yard that is theirs to play and run, it is not landscaped, grass will grow back. The water has already seeped into the ground and I filled the hole while the dogs were eating their dinner in another area of our yard. Cleaning their coats is a bit time consuming, but it is well worth it in exchange for having tired dogs as we get ready for another round of thunderstorms and rain. And I will let you in on a little secret.....a little bit of kid came out in me and I had fun watching them get the sillies.

"Sit" Does your puppy really know what it means?

2011-06-25T22:24:00.005-04:00

Somehow we all seem to teach our dogs to sit for their food bowls. Whether by luring: placing a morsel of food close to their nose and moving it a tiny bit so their nose goes up, their hind end goes down; or by capturing it: We see the dog moving into a sit and we mark the behavior and then reward with their dinner bowl. Every day, sometimes twice a day, our dogs are fed, we practice sitting, we add the word 'sit' and we assume they understand sit.

But do our dogs really know what sit means? What is their cue to sit? Positioning themselves in front of us? Seeing a food bowl in our hands? In the kitchen? Next to the counter? Dogs are very visual and may learn that sitting occurs only in these contexts. So do they really understand the verbal cue to 'sit'?

I have been focusing on teaching 15 wk old Java early on that correct responses to all cues should occur in all scenarios. I did help Java out by luring a few times. I also captured the action of sitting when he would randomly sit thru out the day. Click and treat each time he did and rather quickly he began to move into the sit position. I waited until Java was offering to sit for a click and treat before I added the verbal cue to 'sit'. The hand signal to sit comes built in if you lure the position. We practiced outside, we practiced inside in several different rooms. We practiced with the food bowl in my hand, and with my hands empty. We practiced with the lead on and the lead off. We even practiced at a farmers market this past weekend!

Every time I changed the place I was training at I lowered my expectations a bit. Sometimes I did lure him to help him out especially in a distracting situation . But I quickly moved away from the treat in my hand, to an empty hand, and then just the hand motion. When adding the verbal cue I would say the cue, pause, and follow it with the same movement of my hand that I had used to lure him into position. Sometimes I would see Java lowering himself into a sit, and I would add the word 'sit' as he was performing that action. Click and treat when he was in a sit. Using the clicker helped speed the learning process. Java has begun to offer behaviors in order to get a click which is then followed immediately with a treat.

Sitting at my side, instead of in front of me seemed to be challenging for Java. So I broke the behavior into tiny increments until he got the idea. When he knew the verbal cue to sit from in front, I moved slightly (think inches) to the right and asked him to sit, click and treat when he did. He was now sitting slightly crooked in front of me, think of it like a slice of pie...one slice over from center. Several reps were repeated at this angle until he was fluent in his movement to a sitting position when cued to do so. I then moved a bit more to the right each successive training session until he was sitting at my left side. I repeated this sequence for him sitting at my right side. Things moved more quickly once he understood that sit happened in places other then in front of me.

We practice each step of this on different surfaces: grass, carpeting, asphalt etc. We practice in different rooms of the house and different venues. For instance, at the farmers market I lowered my expectations. So much was going on, so many things to look at. I helped him out by asking for a few sits with him in front of me. That was a skill he knew fairly well in several different venues. Click and treat for each sit. I then turned my body ever so slightly and cued him to 'sit'. He did and got a jackpot, several treats in a row. Java was taking tiny steps towards learning how to respond to the cue to 'sit' no matter where he was in relation to my body.

Can Java sit with my sitting in a chair, sitting on the ground? The first few times I helped him by luring him into a sit. When he was beginning to offer to sit with me in this new position, without me luring him, I added the verbal 'sit' as he was moving into position to sit. I gradually moved the verbal cue to slightly before he began to sit. He now can sit on verbal cue with me sitting on the ground, in a lawn chair and to my left and right sides.

Does he know the verbal cue to 'sit' in all contexts? Not yet, but we are building a solid foundation to our final goal. I will also repeat all these tiny steps with the cue to 'down'. As Java learns to respond to various cues in different scenarios the learning will go faster. He will learn to generalize much more quickly. Until then, I will take each step slowly, always making sure he enjoys the training process.

Appropriate Puppy Playmates

2011-06-10T15:01:00.036-04:00

Java has been with us for almost a month, he is 12 weeks old. He has more then doubled in weight.

Who are appropriate playmates for puppy Java besides his best buddy Melissa?

First, I keep everyone safe. A dog park is not a place to bring a puppy. We never know who the players are at the dog park, I prefer to choose Java's playmates during this critical stage of his mental and physical development. I never force the issue. If your older dog prefers to move away from your new puppy the first few days, let him. Give him a place to get away from those needle sharp teeth. Lab Lucy did not appreciate Java's jaws when he first arrived, in fact she didn't care for him following her all over. She kept moving away. Before things escalated, we made sure Lucy was never cornered and had a place to get away from Java. In the past week, Lucy has made overtures to play with Java. Her first gesture was to bring her toys over to him. Lucy is now playing very gently with Java. They mouth each other, they run together. So far they have not gotten on the ground to wrestle, but I can see that coming very soon.

The opposite can also be true. Don't let another puppy or adult corner your puppy. Different play styles, size and age are important to consider. An out of state friend of mine attended a play social this week with her 3 month old puppy. He was knocked over by a 6 month old puppy. My friend's puppy didn't want to play any more and moved away. But an 18 month old adult with good play skills quickly engaged him in play and he quickly forgot about the boisterous 6 month old who was put in another area to play. If left unattended I am sure my friend's dog could have been seriously affected by the episode, but an observant instructor quickly remedied the situation.

Just yesterday at water's edge I picked Java up into my arms. I saw a medium size dog off lead trotting down the beach towards us. It was an unknown dog, I didn't know his play style or if he he liked puppies. The owner put the dog on lead, we then let the dogs walk near each other for a few steps.

The adult dog did a slow and easy play bow....Java returned the gesture and within a few seconds both were running and playing off lead. I may be a bit cautious but I do not want my puppy to have a bad experience at this age. Even the nicest dog with a pushy play style could frighten your young puppy and set him up for a lifetime of disliking other dogs. For more on puppy play see my blog on when Melissa was this age: http://hemlockhollowdogtraining.blogspot.com/2009/11/puppy-playgroups.html

Other then our dogs at home, Java has met dogs of various sizes and shapes. He has played with some of his classmates at his weekly group training session. He has met not only other puppies but also adult dogs. A stable adult with appropriate communication skills can teach our puppies much about when they use their mouths too hard, or when a body slam is too rough. An appropriate adult will also invite a puppy to begin to play again after a reprimand. A puppy will also offer a play bow after he got to rough, as if to say 'sorry let's play again'.

Java jumped roughly on this 7 year old dog while playing on the beach. She gently told him that was not acceptable, she did not want to engage in body slamming games. It may look serious, but she never touched Java. He got the message and was much more gentle with her afterward.

On the other hand some dogs like to play rough and tumble games. If evenly matched and each dog comes back for more wrestling then the play is appropriate. Java met Maddox, a newly adopted dog my friend Barbara recently acquired.

Maddox is confident and outgoing, it took a few minutes for Java to figure out his play style. We watched carefully in case we needed to intervene.

Java lifting his front paw and did a few play barks, an indication he was getting ready to play. Maddox did the same, playbows followed and they were off and running.

Here are a few photos of their play session. Evenly matched they took turns chasing and mouthing each other. Those teeth look serious, but it was all appropriate play.

If you are unsure if certain dogs are appropriate for your puppy contact a certified professional trainer, one who believes in using only humane methods and who has studied canine body language. Beware the trainer who says 'let dogs work it out'. Your puppy during his critical early months could be frightened or injured. No dog or puppy should have to 'work it out'. Keep it safe, keep it fun.

Two of my favorites on the subject are 1) Play With Your Dog by Pat Miller CPDT-KA, CDBC and 2) Dog Play- Understanding Play Between Dogs and Between Dogs and People DVD by Patricia McConnell PhD.

New Puppy!!

2011-05-29T11:05:00.018-04:00

17 days ago, I brought home a Borzoi puppy. Java is now nearly 11 weeks old, has nearly doubled in size and weighs 23 pounds. He has settled in nicely and even though our dogs accepted him I am still cautious when exercising him. Melissa at 83# can easily knock him over especially if she should play in the same manner as she plays with Lab Lucy. But I was pleasantly surprised that Melissa toned down her play style and gets on the ground to play with Java. She tugs ever so gently and goes for long walks thru the woods with Java, both dogs running off lead in the fenced area. The first few times I worried as she went speeding thru the paths, but she quickly put the brakes on when approaching Java. She has a sense of where her feet are at all times. This is not something I taught Melissa this is just part of her personality.

Lucy on the other hand is another story. She has no concept of where her feet are when she is outdoors. She is always on the move looking for something to do. It is not a bad thing, it is just part of Lucy's personality. She moves fast, is a solid mass of hard muscle at 50#s...she could do some damage if she ran into Java. When outside, Lucy is in one fenced area and Java in another. Java enjoys chasing Lucy back and forth from side of the fence while Lucy retrieves her toy on the other. After Lucy has had enough exercise and begins to move more slowly, I walk Java on lead around the property, Lucy, off lead is more then willing to walk with us. She just side steps when Java goes to jump up on her. In the last week I have noticed he is jumping on Lucy less. Just a simple principle of learning. His jumping did not get Lucy engaged in a game with him. In fact she moved away. Jumping on Lucy was not reinforced, so that behavior of his has diminished.

Looking at my notes from when Melissa was a very young puppy, it took Lucy several weeks before she felt comfortable to be around Melissa during this phase. Whether it is the sharp puppy teeth that Lucy feels uncomfortable with, not sure how to reprimand appropriately, or just not wanting to play young puppy games I do not know. We are not pushing the issue. Lucy does not have to engage in playing with the puppy. We do give Lucy the opportunity to move out of reach and behind a baby gate while in the house....or I should say it is Java who is behind the baby gate while Lucy has the run of the house. She does not have to put up with silly puppy games until Java is older.

I had been worried about Katie our senior dog who moved in with us in March. Having lost both her owners due to their deaths, her home of 7 years, and her housemates which consisted of 3 Borzoi and a Cavalier, she just seemed a bit subdued.

Katie has blossomed since Java arrived. She picks up toys and offers them to him. She gets the sillies with him. She is eating better and no longer seems to be searching the yard, the house, the barn, or my van for 'something'.

So what has Java been up to? As in my previous blogs which began the Fall of 2009 when I wrote about raising Melissa, we have been busy socializing. Java has been to a Freestyle seminar, an obedience/rally trial, he has been to class at Tails U Win, he has been to the lake.

He has met several pups to play with, and several adults who enjoy having puppies around.

He is learning how to touch his nose to an object, to wait politely when doors and gates open and to respond to his name,. It is never too early to learn the name game, the foundation skill for a solid recall.

I am doing a few things different with Java then I did with Melissa and Lucy as pups. Follow along as I share some new ideas I have learned at various workshops and seminars I have attended since Melissa was a puppy. Just because I am a dog trainer, doesn't mean my learning ever ends. There are always new ideas, and new skills to try and new ways to get to the final goal. As long as I can use gentle and humane methods, I am ready and willing.

Take one look at Java, why would any one want to do anything that causes him harm in the disguise of training. Using the most up to date gentle methods based on scientific learning is the way Java and all my dogs will be trained.

Kong Aqua...new toy for the lake

2011-05-06T19:11:00.035-04:00

We took the dogs swimming at the lake today, the first for the year. They got to try out their new toy....the Kong Aqua. I was rather skeptical when I was told directly from the company that this Kong would float. But float it did!!

The rope attached to it is long enough to be able to throw it far. The rope material is made of a soft nylon that was gentle on the dogs' mouths.

The shape of the Kong makes it easy to hold in many different ways, whether by the Kong itself or by the rope.

They ran with it.

They tugged with it.

Melissa entertained herself by dropping it into the water
...and getting splashed.

She then would retrieve it from the bottom of the lake and start all over again.

She and Glory took turns dunking it and watching it resurface.

Glory had fun rolling on it.

After a morning at the lake with 3 dogs playing with the Kong Aqua there were no marks on the rubber, no fraying of the rope. So far this new toy gets an A+

Kong Wobbler and the Pyramid

2011-03-24T20:30:00.010-04:00

Two new interactive toys for our dogs! My thanks to Pam Green at Clean Run for suggesting them. http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm

The Kong Wobbler has a heavy base that makes it a bit challenging for some dogs to move onto its side to allow for dispensing of the food. But the opening is a tiny bit larger then the Pyramid so the dry food comes out easier.

The Kong Wobbler can be twisted apart into two pieces for easy cleaning.

The Pyramid, developed by Nina Ottosson, looks similar to the Wobbler. It does not twist apart for cleaning, so it does take a longer time to air dry. I have not yet tried it in the dishwasher. It is slightly lighter weight then the Wobbler but the opening is smaller, making the dispensing of the contents a bit more challenging.

The dogs have used two new toys for about a month now, and both toys seem to be holding up to lots of rolling and bouncing. As with other toys, I rotate these with their other interactive toys.....keeping it novel and interesting for our dogs. The use of interactive toys can be mentally tiring. This past weekend, while we were away at a 3-day training seminar with Kay Laurence and spending evenings in a hotel room, Melissa was kept busy with the Kong Wobbler.

Rotating Dog Toys

2011-03-07T18:09:00.017-05:00

I believe dogs, just like people, get bored with the same old same old..... I remember as a young girl when a toy that I had completely forgotten about appeared out of the closet...it was new again to me and my brother. It became novel again and we played for hours with our 'new' toy'. And so, I rotate my dogs' toys. The old toys that have been put away for weeks or longer become 'new toys. Today with the freshly fallen snow, I took out two 'new' old toys. Lab Lucy and Borzoi Melissa have not seen the Holee Roller Ball in about a month.

They have not seen their green football in over two months. Others toys were forgotten today as they played with their 'new' toys.

They got an extra long workout running in the snow. They played with a new intensity with their 'new' toys which only adds to my belief that rotating their toys keeps it more interesting for them.

Lucy and Melissa had mock battles where they jumped on each other, they growled, they showed teeth. All of which is totally normal during play. They chased each other until tired.

And when Melissa couldn't quite reach the toy she'd reach for Lucy's tail.

Stay tuned for their new indoor toys. Really new, just recently purchased.

'Catch'

2011-02-23T09:32:00.011-05:00

The treat goes flying across the room towards Lab Lucy. It quickly disappears into her mouth. She learned to catch easily, but not all dogs grab the concept of how to catch something. I am not sure if there is a genetic tendency to be a good 'catcher', but some dogs just seem to know how to coordinate catching better then other dogs.

The first time I tossed a treat in Melissa's direction it landed on the top of her head and rolled off. Her eyes remained fixed on me. She had no inclination to even move her head to attempt to catch it. So I proceeded to teach her how to 'catch'.

I like to start with a treat that is light in color and light weight. A treat that will just about float thru the air, almost in slow motion. Popcorn is my choice...light and airy, a trick I learned from a friend who is also a trainer. I chose white cheddar cheese popcorn, I wanted the taste to be very rewarding to Melissa. I wanted there to be some incentive for her to try and 'catch'. Before we had our first training session, I gave Melissa a piece to see if she liked the taste and consistency. Years ago I had tried plain popcorn with another one of our Borzoi. He took it gently from my hand and promptly lowered his head placed it on the ground. Plain popcorn was not appetizing enough for him. That is when I changed to the white cheddar popcorn, he enjoyed the cheese flavor and quickly learned how to 'catch'. The popcorn is used just until the dog understands the concept of 'catching', and are able to have the eye to mouth coordination. Corn really has no nutritional value for dogs....but a small amount during this training should be fine for most dogs. I then switch to string cheese, and other light colored treats until they can 'catch' like Lab Lucy at which time any treat or toy can be used.

The steps I used to teach Melissa to 'catch':
1) Melissa sat in front of me and I brought a piece of popcorn close to her mouth luring her muzzle slightly upwards. I then said 'get it' which is her cue to get food I toss on the ground for her or to take toys/treats from my hand. Since Melissa has learned not to grab food or toys from my hand unless invited to take them gently it was important that I communicate to her that she could open her mouth when my fingers were close to her mouth. She did indeed open her mouth in anticipation of the treat when I said 'get it'. I released it from my fingers as her mouth opened. She swallowed and looked for more. We repeated this step a few more times while gradually increasing the distance my fingers were from her mouth....we increased by inches. When she could easily open her mouth upon hearing 'get it' with my fingers about 8 to 10 inches from her mouth we moved to the next step.

2) Melissa was once again in a sit, but now I moved back a step and tossed the treat underhand. In order for her to focus on the popcorn in my hand, I moved my hand back and forth: towards her back to me, towards her back to me. When she was watching intently I tossed the treat in her direction, just slightly above her muzzle.

The first few times she missed, it rolled off her muzzle. She began to move her mouth towards the treat instead of just sitting still.
Notice the popcorn on Melissa's muzzle, she missed but she was getting the idea to open her mouth. We just needed to work on a bit of coordination.

3) We had two training sessions. The first one ended with Melissa moving towards the treat but still missing. That's was ok, we didn't need to get the final behavior perfect in one session. Melissa was trying and focusing on the popcorn moving in her direction. Her eye to mouth coordination seemed to be on the right track. During the first session after a few misses and the popcorn falling to the floor I did go back to the beginning steps of standing in front of Melissa with my fingers close to her mouth, her muzzle pointed upwards. I wanted my new game to be fun and rewarding for her, so like all training I broke the final behavior down into smaller increments to help her be successful.

4) Our second training session was just as successful. Melissa quickly got the concept of 'catching' and was rewarded by eating the cheddar popcorn. My friend Lessa, who took these photos, captured it perfectly...popcorn floating directing into Melissa's mouth. Thanks Lessa!

I gradually increased the distance and can now stand about 4 steps away and have Melissa catch the majority of the treats coming in her direction. My cue is my hand moving towards her then back to me three times on the 3rd and final time towards Melissa I say 'catch'. I may be able to fade out my hand movement but while she is still new to the skill of 'catching' I will help her out by priming her with my hand motion. I will begin changing Melissa's position from a sit to a stand and eventually a down. The first few times she is in a position other then a sit, I will move in closer for several repetitions to help her be successful; then will gradually increase the distance once again. We have graduated to string cheese, but on occasional she still enjoys cheese popcorn.

Shaping A Paw Touch

2011-01-17T16:07:00.022-05:00

Before I begin any training session, I have a set goal in mind. I plan what I am going to and how I am going to break down the final behavior into tiny increments. I mark/click and reward those tiny increments as we move towards that final goal. Notice I said we. Melissa and I are a team. We are working together to get towards a final goal behavior. I communicate to her that she is moving towards that goal in tiny increments by clicking and treating. This is the shaping game. Clicking/treating tiny increments of the goal behavior is a way for me to communicate to Melissa what I want her to do. Shaping keeps Melissa motivated to work, she is excited, she becomes an active member of the team that she and I have developed.

The goal for our new trick is for Melissa to depress the lever on a gumball machine with her paw.

Before I bring Melissa into the room where we will have our training session, I gather my clicker, my treats and the gumball machine which is filled with dry kibble. Melissa rarely gets dry kibble, it is a novelty to her, it is very rewarding. For Melissa it is a good choice to use as a reinforcement. If she did not like dry kibble I would use another treat to put inside the gumball machine that would be rewarding to Melissa once she learned how to depress the lever. The first steps of my shaping plan is for Melissa to interact with the gumball machine by looking at it, by moving towards it etc. I will use tiny pieces of cheese to reward Melissa for these first steps, and in the event that she does use her paw and it hits the lever, the machine is filled and ready to dispense the novel and very rewarding treats.

I bring Melissa into the training area. She does a few nose touches to the palm of my hand, a sit and perhaps a down. Melissa is now in 'working mode'. She is focused on me and ready to engage in an activity with me.

I place the gumball machine on the ground and I wait. Melissa understands the shaping game, she immediately moves towards this new object. I click and toss the treat about a foot away from the machine, by doing so I am resetting her for the next try. She moves away from the machine to get the treat, and then she moves back towards it. Click/treat, repeat.

Next I wait for her to move closer, click treat, repeat another rep or two. Then I wait for her to touch the machine. I want her to interact with it, at this point I don't care if she touches with her nose or her paw. What I am doing is giving her information each time I click....yes, that is what I want, interact with that object. Perhaps some people will say that only paw touches should be marked right from the beginning. And for some dogs I may agree with this way of thinking. Melissa is only 16 months old and is still rather new to the shaping game. I want to give her as much information as possible, I want to keep her motivated and interacting with the machine, so I will click the first few touches with her nose. But I will then modify my criteria and click for only paw touches and ignore nose touches. Either way, we are not forcing our dogs to do anything. They are willing team members playing the shaping game with us!! The first few times Melissa does indeed pokes at the machine with her nose, she got clicked and treated. I have now switched to feeding her on the dispensing tray of the machine. She understands after only a few reps that it is this machine sitting on the floor that we are playing with so I have now changed to where I am placing my treats. Again it depends on the dog, where they are in their level of training, and what your plan is for getting to that final goal behavior.

Next I wait for her to interact with a paw. I click the slightest paw movement.

I gradually shaped for a higher paw raise. At this point I did not care which paw, right or left, that Melissa used. Again, perhaps my training criteria could be a bit clearer, but I wanted Melissa to stay in the game. For her to stay motivated at this point, I needed to reward frequently and for the tiniest of increments closer to the final goal. Higher paw touches is what I chose to click/treat.

You can see in these photos that Melissa has silly Borzoi ears, they are flopping every which way.....a sign she is alert and excited. I so enjoy watching her play the shaping game!!

One time Melissa poked at the machine with her paw so hard that it fell over. No big deal, I just set it upright. It isn't the behavior I wanted, but there is no need to reprimand, I just wait for her to lift her paw again and clicked for a bit more of a gentler touch.

I then began to click and treat for paw touches closer to the lever.

Melissa hit the lever and she got a jackpot, the kibble came tumbling out!!

It took two 2 minute training sessions, for Melissa to get to our final goal behavior: depressing the lever with her paw. Next I will put this behavior on a verbal cue which will be 'time to eat'. I will add this cue as I am placing the gumball machine on the ground and eventually will have her sit a distance away and then give the cue.

I keep training sessions short, perhaps 8 to 10 treats are in my hand, and I stop when those are gone. I let Melissa know that each training session is over with a 'we're done' as I move my hands over each other. I will then review what progress we made in that session. Did Melissa move a tiny towards the final goal? If not, how can I break the behaviors into even tiny segments so she is successful. Shaping is fun, it makes us better observers of our dog's every movement and is a good game to play indoors on snowy days.

In combination with outdoor exercise and interactive toys adolescent Melissa is ready to settle on the couch for a nap...while I have a chance to develop another shaping plan for our next trick! Thanks to Lessa Shear for taking the photos!

Snowy Days, What's A Dog To Do?

2011-01-12T08:24:00.015-05:00

We are having a snow storm. About 10 inches has fallen, another 5 to 10 coming our way. What to do with a young dog on days like today? Borzoi Melissa is 16 months old, she is not content to lie on the couch for most of the day. She needs to be monitored around the house as she is still curious and learning what are appropriate play objects and what are not. She needs to be kept well exercised, both physically and mentally.

Melissa gets lots of physical exercise. She has lots of opportunities to run in fenced areas and play with other dogs.

We play come when called games.

We play fetch.

She searches for food I have hidden under the snow.

She encourages Puff to play in her games.

She runs until she is tired, she is continuing to build muscle and stamina.

It is a mere 18 degrees out there. I bundle up but do get cold, I have yet to find the perfect pair of gloves to keep my fingers from getting cold after an hour in the snow. A few hours outdoors with me, so what is Melissa to do with the rest of her winter days? She could stay outdoors, I could put a heater in the cottage for her. But I prefer her to be indoors with the family and the other dogs. To me, the reason to have a dog is to interact with them, to have them close by, to enjoy their company.

So what about activities to keep Melissa occupied while she is indoors? I already rotate interactive toys. Some of Melissa's favorites: http://hemlockhollowdogtraining.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html I have a list of tricks I would like to teach Melissa. I will engage her mind; mental exercise. She will learn how to use her nose, her paws, and learn body awareness to perform specific skills. I will discover new ways to keep her motivated to stay in the game with me. Follow along in the weeks and months to come as Melissa and I learn together.

Dogs and Snow

2010-12-29T18:15:00.028-05:00

Watching dogs in freshly fallen snow is pure pleasure. Enjoy.

Dog Shows: more than just showing.....

2010-11-30T20:51:00.006-05:00

Melissa and I have been busy this month, we were at dog shows for 3 of the November weekends. This was Melissa's first time to be at indoor all-breed shows. Her last show was the Borzoi National last May in Kentucky.....indoors but it was a show just for Borzoi. These 3 weekends exposed her to many different breeds she had never seen along with loudspeakers, crowds, LOTS of children, LOTS of strollers and dogs running agility.

I always check the surroundings of a new venue and try to imagine what my dogs will take in: sights, sounds and the surface they will be walking on. I arrived early at each show so Melissa had time to look around. I want Melissa to feel comfortable in every venue she is exposed to in her lifetime. Shows with 2000 plus dogs entered and with just as many people walking around is a lot for a young dog to absorb. I allowed her to look, and sniff. At first I didn't cue her to do anything, but I did have my clicker and a pocket full of treats. When she began to offer 'check-ins', just looking in my direction, I began to click and treat. As Melissa became more focused on me and less interested in the environment, I asked her for some behaviors she had on verbal cue. Take a bow, sit, shake, and target to my hand. We stayed a distance from the crowds at first. When she was eagerly following each cue at a distance from the crowds, we moved closer to the distractions. Melissa was learning how to focus on me in some very distracting situations.

We took time for walks with friends and their dogs during show hours. She got reacquainted with her litter brother who now lives in Canada. At first she was a bit cautious, I let her slowly get acquainted, and before long Melissa was leaping, spinning and rolling on the grass with him. Inside the building where agility was being judged, she met an 11 month old Collie named Artemis. His owner Martha was also exposing him to the sounds and sights of the agility venue. Each of us gave our dogs permission to play. Artemis and Melissa rolled on the ground engrossed in each other and oblivious to what was going on in the building. This is part of Melissa's training. She was making a nice association of being in a building that echoed each time the loudspeaker came on, dogs barking while they ran the agility course, and dogs tugging off to the side. If she can be relaxed in that environment, she will be ready to focus on me.

This past Sunday about an hour before Melissa had to go into the breed ring to be shown, she saw her best hiking buddy Tate from across the parking field. I cued Melissa to first target her nose to the palm of my hand and then released her to go play with Tate. They rolled and played. Our two young dogs were able to associate a new venue with some good feelings.

I didn't worry that Melissa got dust on her coat from the agility building which had dirt rings, I didn't care that she might get grass stains from rolling in the grass. To me, dog shows are more then showing my dogs in competition. I want my dogs to enjoy being at each and every venue. It can be overwhelming for a dog new to the show scene, no need to be serious and make it stressful for Melissa. I cleaned Melissa's coat and no one was the wiser that she had been rolling on dirt flooring and on the grass, and had had some dog saliva on her. She needed to be comfortable in her surroundings, inside and outside the ring. Playing and visiting with two and four footed friends got her in a relaxed and happy state of mind.

I will admit that at one of the shows while she was being judged, the herding group was being held in the ring adjacent to ours. I let Melissa look over to see what all the commotion was about. She didn't move exactly in a straight line and it may have caused her movement to be off a bit...but she had never heard such clapping and cheering....she needed to see what all the noise was about. In time she will take no notice, it will be just part of the show scene and she will be mentally relaxed and ready to compete. But for now, I will continue to let her look at anything new and different. Focus in distracting situations will come. I was pleased that Melissa was able to hand target ringside and also in the ring.

It was an extra bonus to have my friends Sue and Debi ringside on Sunday. I let Melissa hang her head over the ring gates to visit. Melissa was able to bring her focus back onto me when cued to do so. She was in a relaxed state of mind, she was ready to be my teammate.

More Outdoor Fun!

2010-11-21T15:37:00.021-05:00

The sun may be setting earlier, but we have had some gorgeous fall days. The dogs played outdoors all afternoon. I rotated toys every hour or so to keep their peak interest.

They tugged......and tugged.....

...and tugged so hard on the Wubba that it's head fell out

Buster, our weekend guest, was quick to grab the Wubba's 'head', a large white ball.

They played 3 way tug with the pink snake

The blue octopus was a favorite

Time for a new Frisbee

And finally they were tired.........

Except for Lucy who has boundless energy and needed a few more laps around the woods.

Dogs Having Fun

2010-11-19T18:55:00.029-05:00

Just their mere presence makes us smile

Sad days......

2010-11-09T06:42:00.014-05:00

We returned home after a Long Island wedding followed by a two week vacation in Egypt. The dogs were home from the Animal Inn at Sky Run, everyone was settling into their routines, I had a few days to catch up on phone calls and e-mails for the business. An e-mail from Sergey who owns Melissa's brother Rimfrost caught my eye. Lure coursing about 40 minutes from home! I quickly downloaded the information, Melissa and I were going lure coursing. She had never been, but it didn't matter if she chased the lure, it would be fun to spend a day with friends watching hounds run. Life was good!!

And it was great, a bit chilly, but perfect weather for the hounds. I was in my element being outdoors on a gorgeous fall day surrounded by hounds and watching them do what they were bred to do. I called home to let Paul know how Melissa did and that I would be staying a bit longer, I couldn't just leave, I was captivated by each and every run. Paul said Catera, our 13 yr old Borzoi was not doing well. From the sound of his voice I could tell something was very wrong. He ended the conversation saying 'I think this may be the end'. I was on my way home.

How could this be? She had eaten two big meals the day before, had frolicked around the yard. She did seem a bit slow that morning before I left, but that was not unusual at her age. She had fast days, she had slow days, she ate some days better then others. When I left the house early in the morning she had been lying contently on her dog bed in the dining room.

I called my good friend Lessa to help, and let our vet know we would be coming in. My happy elated feelings had taken a 180 degree turn, I was now filled with a strange feeling that Catera was in trouble. Paul had sounded very worried, and ....sad. And I to was filled with sadness, I was crying as I drove home. The inevitable day that we all put in the back of your minds for our elderly dogs or our friends and family dealing with a long-term sickness might be here for Catera. But she hadn't been sick. Elderly and slowing down, but not sick, maybe she was just having an off day. But she was indeed in trouble. It happened quickly. I won't go into the details, those will remain with Paul, Lessa and myself. Suffice to say, she began to bleed, perhaps a clot or tumor burst from within. I held her, stroked her, and talked to her as she took her final breath. I felt her heart beat those last few beats....she died in my van as we reached the vets.

We are all sort of dazed. Puff our 7 yr old Borzoi is having a tough time. He and Catera were close, they always seemed to look out for each other. Lying next to each other, taking walks around the barn and through the woods together. He didn't eat for a day. Lessa and I took him for a walk around a lake on Sunday, just to give him something different to do. He is wandering the yard, he keeps walking around my car, he is sleeping a lot.

Last winter while playing my new camera I took this photo of Puff and Catera...together as they always were. Catera has snow on the tip of her nose, she loved burrowing her muzzle under the snow.

I will write about lure coursing at another time, right now I'm going to take the dogs out for a walk. We'll sit in the woods on the newly fallen snow and just enjoy the moments of being together.

MBISS Ch. Sky Run Catera CDX RE AX AXJ AXP OAP NAC NJC NGC

June 23 1997 -- November 6 2010 My favorite photo of Catera taken by Tom Kosawski

Halloween Safety Tips

2010-10-20T10:36:00.003-04:00

Witches, Ghosts and Goblins can be scary looking to a dog. Consider leaving him home while you take the children out trick or treating. If your dog spends much time outdoors, consider bringing him inside to keep him safe. He may bolt over or through the fence should he get frightened.

Chocolate is toxic to dogs.

Xylitol, the artificial sweetener found in many candies, is poisonous to dogs.

Ingesting any candy, cake, or wrappers can cause intestinal upset.

Open Doors: mean more chance of your dog slipping out. Place him in a crate with a stuffed Kong or bone to work on. If he is not crated trained or has not learned enough manners to remain behind a closed door of a bedroom either tether him or keep him on lead with you in attendance.

Jack-O-Lanterns: While fun to carve and have burning brightly, keep all knives safely out of reach of your dog. If you are using a candle, be cautious; your dog could easily knock it over.

Costumes: You may enjoy dressing up, but your dog may not appreciate it. A festive bandana around his neck, an interactive toy, a quiet place to relax and your pet will be safe for the night.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Old Dogs, Young Dogs

2010-10-14T21:01:00.022-04:00

A year ago, our Borzoi Catera at age 12 was a perfect match for 8 week old puppy Melissa. Catera is gentle, she is very careful where she puts her feet, she has always been very much aware of where she places her body. I could let Catera run with Melissa and knew that Melissa would be safe.

Safe from what? From being stepped on, from being body slammed, or from a harsh reprimand. Reprimands are not bad, but some dogs are not comfortable being around other dogs, especially puppies, and may reprimand a bit too harshly. A young puppy may not heed a well deserved growl if he uses his puppy teeth too hard while playing and the reprimand may escalate. Puppies learn by interacting with appropriate playmates whether they are pups of the same size and age, or a stable adult who has good skills interacting with young pups. I certainly did not want Melissa playing with an adult dog who may have a rough style in playing when she was just a tiny pup. I protected her from being physically hurt. I chose her playmates accordingly.

Dogs have different play styles. Some play rough and body slam. Some like to play chase but have little body contact, some like to roll on the ground and mouth each other for hours. Melissa and Lucy continue to play for hours, gently mouthing each other. Lucy always comes back for more if Melissa stops, a sure sign the dog at the bottom is having fun.

Catera allowed a few nibbles from puppy Melissa but moved away to stop the game when Melissa mouthed too hard. Melissa lost her playmate. The game stopped, she learned to use her mouth softly on Catera.

Fast forward a year. Catera is now a teenager, although still maintaining her weight at 72 pounds she is not as strong as she was when Melissa first arrived. Catera no longer goes on long hikes. Melissa is 85# she is strong and powerful and still developing muscle. Melissa no longer runs with Catera, she could easily knock Catera over, purely by accident. Catera still frolics in the yard, but her pace is slower. She is not as quick to turn, she prefers to walk the property boundaries rather then run long distances. Catera prefers to play with little body contact, where as Melissa enjoys body contact. Some senior dogs continue playing rough and tumble games as if they were youngsters but it is up to us to keep active puppies and strong adolescents from doing any physical damage to our older dogs. Senior dogs still enjoy socializing with pups, we just need to monitor that the pup does not overdo things.

Sara, a black Labrador had wonderful manners with all dogs, she was a good choice for Melissa to socialize with. But we watched carefully that puppy Melissa did not walk on teenager Sara, or that she did not overstay her welcome.

* Senior dogs may tire more easily.
* Seniors may be frail and may not be steady on their feet. Protect them from injury from a boisterous active puppy.
* A lifting of a lip and a show of teeth from the older dog may be necessary to tell the pup that the game has gone too far with those needle sharp puppy teeth. This is all part of canine body language. Of course if bodily harm is going to happen to either senior or pup, you must intervene. If you are not sure what your dog is saying, have a professional dog trainer who uses humane methods help you learn how to read your dog.
* Some adult dogs prefer not to play with very young puppies, but enjoy playing with adult dogs and older pups. Maybe a few weeks of management is necessary before your senior is comfortable with your new pup.
* Make sure to spend quality time with your senior, they may walk slower, and need to sleep more, but they still enjoy our company.

* Give your senior a play that is off limits from an active pup/adolescent, they will appreciate the time alone to rest. Catera certainly enjoys her quiet time.

First Therapy Visit

2010-10-07T17:01:00.010-04:00

Melissa made her debut as a pet therapy dog yesterday. About a month ago she passed the requirements to become a certified therapy dog. The paper work arrived and Melissa was ready to visit.

When I start a new dog doing therapy work, I take it slow. I watch the dog for any signs of stress, any avoidance, or shutting down. Even though we expose our dogs to LOTS in preparation for the certification test, real life situations can be different.

Here is what was new to Melissa:

1) She has walked on linoleum floors in the past....but never such a long stretch of them. She handled them fine.
2) She has been touched, hugged, kissed, by one, two and sometimes 3 people at a time. What I forgot about was the ID tags that many employees wear around their necks. As they bent to hug or kiss Melissa, their tags touched Melissa around her head. The first few times I praised Melissa and acted like it was the best thing since sliced bread. I wanted her to associated the tags with my verbal praise, to let her know it was ok. I have paired treats with verbal praise in the past...Melissa did fine.
3) Melissa had never seen IV tubing, or a patient with an IV in their arm. I made sure she did not touch, lick or get tangled. Again my verbal praise helped, and targeting of her nose to the palm of my hand helped guide her to the other side of the patient.
4) She has seen wheelchairs, but had never seen a stretcher. She looked and gently moved in that direction, towards the hand reaching out from under the blanket.
5) The beep beep of the blood pressure machine was new...she moved her ears forward and tilted her head. I think would have liked to investigate it further, but I cued her to sit and stay while the patient finished having vital signs taken. Melissa then watched the BP machine be wheeled to another room.
6) The smells of antibiotics, wounds, medications and blood products was also new to her. She didn't outwardly seem to notice, but I know a dog takes in everything. Melissa was very well aware of her new surroundings, it was registering in her brain.
7) She visited with staff, patients and visitors, she enjoys being petted.
8) She showed off her 'take a bow', and 'shake' with each paw.

And before she showed any signs of being tired we left the hospital. I did not want to overwhelm her senses too much. Our visit lasted less then one hour. In the future I will visit longer with Melissa. But for the first few times, I will leave the building while she is still perky and upbeat. The dog who slows and is sluggish after being in a new environment may not be tired, he may be stressed. He is shutting down. New and different can be stressful, to us and to our animals. Best to have her become accustomed to all the new sights and sounds a little bit at a time. I want Melissa to enjoy every moment of being a therapy dog. I am hoping that visiting hospitals and nursing homes will be a large part of her future.

The recall revisited.......

2010-10-02T12:40:00.036-04:00

It is a gorgeous October day. My friend Lessa and I took the dogs for a hike early this morning. I had the confidence to let Melissa off her long line for part of the time.

Thanks to Lessa who caught the dogs' pure joy in photos. The dogs ran in the fields and meadows, going one way then the other enjoying the brisk air.

They ran until their tongues hung long.

They sniffed the air, their heads held high.

They sniffed the ground, their muzzles deep in alfalfa.

The pond was a perfect setting, dozens of geese against the fall background.

The dogs took notice of the geese, and in the water they went.....swimming to join the gaggle!!

Luckily both Melissa and Lucy have a fairly good recalls. They heard their names, and turned to look at us...and came swimming back to shore.

The Really Reliable Recall REALLY does work!!

2010-09-30T10:42:00.004-04:00

Early this morning, I let the dogs out to run in a fenced area behind the agility field. Behind this section of the yard is two acres fenced. Melissa took of running. Her intent was clear, she was chasing something. Through the leaves on the far side of the fence I saw a buck. Melissa was in hot pursuit. My heart skipped a beat as I realized I had not checked the fence line after we had some heavy rain and wind. I was stumbling over fallen limbs to get to Melissa. Was the fence down? Would she run into it? Obviously the perimeter fence was down to permit the deer to enter the back two acres.

Without thinking I called out 'Lissa'. She had been trained to come when she hears her name, but not with this level of distraction. I didn't want her crashing into the fence, nor did I want her to get into the back area with the buck if the fence was down where Melissa was running. Upon hearing her name, 13 month old Melissa turned instantly ....and came running back to me!! Melissa got lots of praise and all the treats in my pocket! The many months of practicing Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall with Melissa worked!

I will not slack off training after this one perfectly wonderful response. I will maintain name response by practicing and rewarding generously, I will continue to make deposits into the 'come when called' bank account. There may be another time in Melissa's future that I need to call her away from something very enticing, I want the same response as I had early this morning. Good girl Melissa, you did well!!

Tug of War

2010-09-22T18:05:00.017-04:00

I really like to play tug with my dogs. It is a wonderful game to burn off energy. It is a way to play with our dogs indoors and out. But, as with all games, it comes with some rules. You may have heard that tug of war can make our dogs be out of control, show some aggressive behaviors and horrors, be dominant! Not so, if played by the rules, and honestly dogs are not trying to take over our world. If we did not have rules to follow when driving our cars we would have chaos on the road. We follow rules, we stop at red lights, go on green, stop at stop signs, drive on the correct side of the road. Our dogs learn to follow rules when the come to live with us, the learn to sit, wait, and be polite when greeting visitors etc. They must also follow the rules for tug of war.

1) Melissa must wait for an invitation from me to engage with the toy. Never is she allowed to just grab the toy from my hand. This is a self control skill. In the beginning I allowed her to stand before releasing her to the toy, but once sit was on cue, she was asked to sit.

2) She is allowed to move forward to get the toy when she hears 'get it'. As I say this, I also begin moving the toy around. The movement makes it more exciting and Melissa leaps out of a sit to get it.

3) Since I have multiple dogs, I release them to play with their name first then 'get it'. One dog at a time gets to play tug with me. Here Lucy patiently waits patiently for her turn to play.

4) Any time teeth are felt on my skin, the game is over. I let go of the toy and walk away. Melissa has a soft mouth, but even the tiniest feel of teeth on my hand, was enough for me to release the toy and move away. Game over. It took Melissa two repetitions to learn that her teeth were not to touch my skin. Lab Lucy took more reps., she tugs harder and for a longer period of time. I used a lower value toy to begin with, and followed the protocol of stopping the game as just described. Once she understood the rule of no teeth on skin, I increased the value of the toy.

5) Ending the game of tug. Dogs must learn a 'give or drop it cue'. Tug takes two to play. If I stop tugging and hold the toy close to my body, it is not as much fun. I taught this to Melissa by ceasing to tug as I held the toy close to my body. At the same time I offered Melissa a tasty piece of food close to her nose as I said give. Melissa would release the toy and eat the food. I quickly engaged her in another game of tug. Soon Melissa was releasing the toy when she heard the cue to give. I am now beginning to use another game of tug as a reward...she gets to play tug again after she releases the toy. This is an example of how food can be faded out of the picture. Melissa does what I asked, to give the toy to me, and as a reward she gets to play again.

6) Sometimes I let Melissa 'win'. I let go of the toy as I say 'it's yours' and off she goes running with the toy in her mouth. Sometimes I 'win' and end the game and put the toy away. This keeps the game fun for both of us, we both get a chance to have possession at the end of the game. Melissa remains eager to play the game of tug whenever I engage her to do so.

Walking on Lead

2010-09-16T17:23:00.008-04:00

Several owners of new pups have asked me how to teach their pups to walk on lead. Two people in particular are having to pick up their dogs, as they simply stop moving.

If a dog does not want to walk I first look around the environment. Is something out there that is causing the puppy to be afraid, to shut down? It could be something very subtle. A neighbor coming out of their house, a trash can that is at roadside that was not there previously. Perhaps the last time the puppy was out for a walk, an automatic garage door opened and closed and scared the pup. Skateboards, planes over head, cars, cyclists, over head air balloons, all can be a source of something your puppy is unsure of. Did a neighbor's dog give your pup a threatening look, again it could be very subtle. If your pup is not accustomed to reading dog language or the other dog is too assertive, your pup has good reason to be unsure. It could be a combination of some of these things.

I let the pup drag a ribbon or very light line, on a flat buckle collar attached to a front clip harness. The harness prevents any tightening around the collar, many dogs get scared, they feel the pressure and they freeze. Others back off, making it tighter. It can be a scary situation during a critical time in their life.

If you have another dog that the pup will follow, pick up the ribbon or line and follow along. If you have no access to another dog, try having the pup follow a person. The person should be someone the pup knows and is comfortable with. Have them play with the pup and then walk away, chances are the pup will want to follow. You will pick up the ribbon or light lead and follow along.

This is your pup's first lesson in lead training. On a separate topic: put on your to do list: find another pup or appropriate adult for your puppy to play with, it is a critical part of his socialization.

Let the pup lead you the first few times. No need to put pressure on his collar/harness. I train before meals...when Melissa is most hungry. Ok, she is always hungry...I am blessed with yet another Borzoi who is a really good eater. But in the beginning she didn't know what to make of the lead. I let her drag it, when she followed a dog or person, she did feel some pressure on her harness if she got too far in front of me and I couldn't keep up. Life is not totally free of aversives......this is one of those cases that life happens. I never pulled on her collar/harness intentionally. In a separate session I taught her to accept hands touching her all over her body, along with mild pressure on her collar.

When she was comfortable dragging the light line, I began to hold it in my hand.....placing items on the ground that she wanted to investigate toy or a treat, she went in a straight line doing just that....and with me holding the light line. That was training session number two.

When Melissa first arrived I fed the first few meals from my hand, she learned that good things come from me. She focused up at me, we practiced walking on lead, a loose lead, while she followed her food bowl. At this point I began to click and treat when she was close to my left side.

If a puppy won't eat while out on the road, chances are something is bothering him, he has shut down. Practice on the side or back yard of your home, in a quiet parking lot or park where there is minimal distractions to worry him. My favorite place for dogs working thru challenges like this, is a mall parking lot before the stores open. Place toys, plates of food around one parking space before you take your pup out of the car. When you have arranged all the items on the ground, take him out and let him investigate while you hold onto the lead. Verbally praise when he is moving forward. Don't cheer lead when he is stationary. Reward for movement. Keep training sessions short....two to three minutes at most.

Attach a light line or ribbon on your pups collar/harness. Put a fuzzy on a string and let him chase it and catch it. Let him play with it, we want him to get excited about it. Then repeat, but this time you hold the fuzzy off the ground a bit. With you holding his lead, and him following the fuzzy, for a feet feet before you allow him to have it, he has yet another training session for walking on lead.

Buckles on leads....get them as small as you can. Melissa had a buckle made for a toy dog the first week of lead training. No need to weight the pup down with a heavy buckle or heavy lead.

Let them have fun on walks. Formal heeling and walking at your side will come in time. Take things in small increments. Melissa is a year old, I have yet to introduce her to the word 'heel'. Instead I am shaping her to being close to my left side, my left hand at my waist is becoming the cue. She looks forward to moving close to my side, it means lots of clicks and treats are coming her way.

Take all training in tiny increments, the final goal will come. As friend and instructor Patty Ruzzo used to say 'enjoy the journey'. And so it should be with all we do with our dogs, from puppy hood to adult hood. Happy training!

Grooming Table Update: CLICK!! For Success

2010-09-09T21:03:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago Melissa was hesitant about going onto the 24 inch grooming table. I lowered the table and began to shape any movement towards the table, clicking for appropriate responses. Melissa was quickly running to the table that was a mere few inches off the ground.

Over the last few weeks I had two additional training sessions with Melissa and the grooming table. I increased the height gradually as I continued to shape Melissa's behavior. The final goal was for her jump onto the table and be totally relaxed.

At each new height, Melissa's enthusiasm for running onto the table grew.

I worked from different angles, to make sure she understood what was expected of her. The leash was held loose at all times.

Melissa is now running to the table and jumping onto it. She is relaxed and eagerly looking to me to do more. What better way to prepare her for future shows: starting with a stress free dog, from the ground up.

Success using the clicker!!

Dogs Digging

2010-08-30T14:03:00.014-04:00

I've written a little bit about Melissa digging in a previous blog: http://hemlockhollowdogtraining.blogspot.com/2010/04/bad-dog-or-bored-dog.html At that time she was digging due to being bored, my schedule was hectic, I didn't give her enough to do.

Dogs dig for various reasons: 1) They are bored as already mentioned. Dirt is fun. Dogs dig, the dirt goes flying. They dig faster, more dirt goes flying. The fresh soil smells good to a dog. They roll in it, they taste it. They are burning off energy. It is our job as their owners to give them lots to do to engage their minds such as interactive toys, games of search, or increase the amount of training sessions per day. Bored dogs are usually under-exercised. Go out in the yard and play fetch, invite a 4 footed friend over so your dog can play, rotate his toys or go on a hike with him.

2) Dogs also dig if they are chasing prey such as moles, chipmunks or bugs...yes they get entertained by bugs. Terriers seem more apt to dig for critters but any dog can.

Dogs will dig in snow to follow moles that for some reason decided to venture out on a warm day.

3) Dogs will dig if they are looking for a means to escape. Their digging is usually around gates and fence lines. If your dog is whining, pacing, panting, and/or digging around these areas he could be stressed about something. He may never have learned to be left alone, he may be suffering from separation distress. Consult a reward-based trainer who uses only humane methods to help you help your dog.

4) Dogs dig to hide items for later use. This is a trait hard wired in some dogs, it is a survival behavior retained from their ancestors. It can be a bone, or it can be a toy, or several toys. Freshly cleaned toys are quickly rolled in the dirt, it seems the more dirt on the toys the better. That is why we have inside toys, and toys that are just for outside.

5) Dogs also dig to keep cool!! Our dogs are inside in AC in the very hot weather. They are in shaded areas when outside.

They are given hammocks to lay on.

A cottage to go into, a kiddy pool to play in, and access to a wooded area ....to dig in.

Dogs that are now gone, began to dig near the roots of a tree that was uprooted during a wind storm over 20 years ago. I am not sure if it was the freshly exposed roots, which were a novel item in the yard, is the reason why they began to dig in this area. Perhaps it was because is was an area that was slightly higher then the rest of the yard and provides a good view of their yard. No matter the reason, many dogs who have lived with us decided that this is a great place to dig and built what I call their 'fort. There are holes behind the fort, in front of it and around it. It is off the side of the dog's area in the yard, it doesn't bother anyone and gives them much pleasure.

Melissa has decided to join in.

She gathers her toys and places them in and around the 'fort'. Sometimes she lies in the hole with the toys. The soil is cooler then the air temp, it must feel good to her. It is her spot to dig, we have never had a dog dig in our lawn or gardens. She is not digging due to boredom, looking for little animals or looking for an escape route. She will dig after a long hike and hours of splashing and swimming. I believe she is digging to keep cool and have a place to watch all that goes on around her. She digs to hide her toys.

And best of all, despite the many dog hammocks in the yard, a hole is a good place to take a nap........my silly muddy nose girl.

Canine Good Citizen and Pet Therapy

2010-08-29T17:16:00.003-04:00

Melissa PASSED!! She passed the Canine Good Citizenship and pet therapy dog test today.

What does this mean? She will be able to visit at local hospitals and nursing homes as a pet therapy dog just like our other dogs do on a weekly basis. She will be able to participate in school and library educational programs. Passing the test demonstrates that we work together as a team and Melissa is able to follow my cues to sit, down, stay, come, being left alone with a stranger, being around medical equipment, people walking with crutches and walkers, along with being able to be in close proximity of distracting items. The distracting items: very close to other dogs, people leaning over her with floppy hats and dangling things from their neck, and several choice pieces of treats on the floor. For a more detailed overview of what the test consists of please see the Therapy Dog International website: http://www.tdi-dog.org/HowToJoin.aspx?Page=Testing+Requirements

The American Kennel Club's CGC program is a certification program that rewards dogs for good manners at home and in the community. For more information: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

We will need to mail the necessary paperwork, but in a few weeks Melissa will be visiting as a pet therapy dog. For now she is cooling off in her kiddie pool........

Melissa's First Birthday!!!

2010-08-26T15:42:00.017-04:00

Melissa is one year old today. She is loosing her puppy curls, she started shedding about 3 weeks ago. This is a normal occurrence. In a month or so her adult coat will begin coming in.

Most of her growth has occurred, but she will put on muscle and weight over the next two years.

She could grow another inch or so.

When we first brought her home 10 months ago she could sit in my lap.

Today she is nearly 70 pounds heavier.

Her body says she is still 'puppy', she runs like a puppy, she stands like a puppy, she does silly things like a puppy. So when is a dog no longer a puppy?

Can she can be expected to act like our older dogs because she is now a year old? No.....today is just another day, a special day since she was born a year ago, but it does not make her suddenly begin an adult and trustworthy in all situations. She is beginning to settle more: taking naps on the couch, taking a dog toy to quietly play with on a dog bed, or just lying at my feet. Of course she gets a bit more freedom after she has had LOTS of exercise and mental stimulation. Setting up good habits while she is young has given her a good foundation for the behaviors we want to see repeated.

Dogs turning a year old are still puppies to me. They are young, they are silly, they are active. They need lots to do. Their socialization and training is still important. They need to continue seeing and doing things outside of their home environment.

So when does puppy hood end and adulthood begin? It depends on the breed, the individual dog, their personality. They mature differently. For now I will continue to enjoy the last of the puppy sillies that Melissa has to offer. We will continue to train and socialize.

We took her hiking this evening with her buddy Buster. Happy Birthday Melissa, it's been a fun year.

Summer Vacation: From A Dog's Point of View

2010-08-25T16:41:00.008-04:00

I knew something was happening. My two humans were packing things. Making piles of items that were coming with us. 'Us' ...that was the magic word. I knew I was going to be included. Lots of things went into the van as we all watched. This was going to be more then a day trip. When the kayak was lifted into the van, I just knew it meant that I would be swimming!

Monday morning arrived, we were fed a light breakfast, the coolers were packed and Lab Lucy and I were put into our crates in the van. Paul and Chris were both coming, things were getting more exciting. I settled in for a nap. Less then two hours we arrived at our destination. The lake, the lake we had spent 3 days playing at last month! There it was....I could smell it. But first, Lucy and I waited patiently as my two humans unloaded the van. We had learned to stay in our crates when the car stopped. Sometimes we get out, sometimes we don't. Chris has always given us lots of things to do, like a Kong or the Buster Cube to keep us occupied, but lately she been saying we are now old enough that we don't always need something to play with while we wait. She is right, I settled in for another short nap. I've learned to be patient.

The van is unloaded and Lucy and I are led thru the cabin and into the fenced backyard. But wait......Chris is not opening the door right away. Lucy defaults into a sit.....oh, I forgot. We have new rules. I no longer just give my human eye contact and stand nicely, I am now expected to sit and give eye contact. Something about learning to look to humans for direction rather then taking it upon myself to do things. I guess the rules that changed at the house this past week are the same for other places. I sit, look up, and instantly I hear 'yes' and the screen door opens and out we both go.

We run, we leap, we twist and turn, not only in the yard but thru the water. Paul starts the grill for dinner, which means we can't run around any more. My long tail might get too close to the fire. We have our ex-pens set up in the screened porch and another outdoors close to the action. Chris feeds us dinner in our ex-pens and we settle until after she and Paul finish their dinner.

Then more swimming! But wait.....the rules are really being enforced. I have to sit in my ex-pen.....with it open and I am not to move until I am released. I hear 'go play' and off and running I go. I am no longer getting treats every time I do something right. Sometimes I get to do something like play in the yard, or go get a ball....I think I heard them say something about life rewards. Doesn't matter to me what it is called, all I know is that if I do something humans like I usually get rewarded one way or another. Petting, treats or playing outdoors....it's all good to me!

I slept soundly that night, I guess it must have been all the running around and swimming. The next day we went for a walk around the lake. I practiced walking nicely without pulling. I was released to go the end of the lead to sniff the oh so many good smells.!

Of course being on vacation there were opportunities to take photos.

Then more swimming. Chris went out in the kayak. At first I watched from the dock
but swimming along side was more fun!

By the second day we were falling into a nice routine. And...we got a surprise...a new toy!! We had one that was the same but this was a bigger version. Oh did Lucy and I have fun tugging with it. Paul throws very far so Lucy swam a great distance to get it. Sometimes I watched from the dock. I didn't learn how to jump off the dock, maybe next summer I will try it, but honestly I think Lucy does belly flops. I walk into the water at the side of the dock, it's seems much easier.

Sometimes I would swim out to meet Lucy.

We would play tug in the water while swimming back to shore.

This new toy had a long rope attached, so sometimes I would just sink low in the water and let Lucy pull me in.

And we had training sessions. I can now sit still in one place and Chris can move about 6 feet away. I quickly learned to stay still. If I moved I got nothing other then an 'oops try again', but if I remained sitting she clicked and brought me treats...how easy is that? I also practiced my spin....that trick still needs some work. I am still following the target stick.

We got to stay out late at night. Swimming at dusk was fun.We stayed behind on the dock while Chris went for night time kayak rides.

We watched the moon rise.

Our training skills are becoming more solid, working in different places helps me understand that a cue means the same no matter what is around me. Vacations are fun, I like the water the best, I was wet all day long!

The Grooming Table

2010-08-22T15:32:00.013-04:00

Teaching new skills and socializing Melissa to the many things she will be (and has already been) exposed to in her life has gone smoothly for the past 10 months. Until now. We have hit a little stumbling block with the grooming table.

I didn't expect Melissa to immediately jump up onto the grooming table, it is 24 inches high. My plan was to have her walk up a two step platform onto the table. She does stairs, I figured this would be easy. She stopped after putting two feet on the platform. We walked away and tried again, she balked once more.

Ok, plan B. I removed the two step platform and lifted her two front feet onto the table, she was relaxed. I then went to lift her two back feet onto the table. Nope, no way. She just moved her front feet back onto the ground. We tried again, same scenario. I tried approaching the table from a different angle, same result. Melissa was beginning to get a bit tense, her body was no longer relaxed.

My puppy who was willing to try just about anything was bothered by the grooming table. Was it the table itself? The feel of the rubber matting on the table? Was it the two step platform that put her off in the beginning? What was she unsure about? She has gone on wobbly metal docks at the lake, she has been introduced to the dogwalk, the A-frame, and the seesaw in agility with no problems. These pieces of agility equipment were introduced at a low height, and gradually raised. She jumps onto a 20 inch agility table. She sits and downs on it.

Was it the 4 inches in height different that was causing Melissa to hesitate to go onto the grooming table?

Was it the fact that the agility (pause) table was square and the grooming table rectangular? Was it so visibly different? Was it a combination of all these factors?

In Temple Grandin's book Animals in Translation she talks about how animals perceive things we may not necessarily see. A puddle of water may be something to fear, or a rafter over head may catch an animals eye and they balk at the task at hand. The old school of thinking was that a dog who refused to do something was 'blowing their owner off' or the dog was being 'spiteful' or 'dominant'. The newer scientific based way of thinking is not to force our animals but rather to break the skill down into tiny segments and reward for the behavior we want to see repeated. By using these humane, non-force methods in training, animals are willing to try new things. They are not afraid of being hurt or reprimanded. And best of all, by using reward based methods which are kind and humane, we continue to develop a trusting relationship with our animals.

My goal for Melissa was to be totally relaxed on the table for grooming, as my other dogs are. With a coat like Puff, who is pictured, being raised up a bit certainly makes it easier on my back!

So onto Plan C: Shaping Melissa to move onto the grooming table. The abbreviated definition of shaping is to break the skill into tiny increments, allowing the dog (or horse, or gorilla or elephant) to offer a movement towards the final goal. The animal is rewarded at each step of the way for offering a tiny approximation towards the final goal. The animal is motivated to offer behaviors in this relaxed type of training atmosphere.
1) I moved the grooming table to a different area so Melissa would not associate the training session with her previous refusal. What ever caused her the refusal is still unknown, I wanted to start fresh. Onto the center of the lawn the table went.
2) I did not use the two step platform. The grooming table was lowered, the legs which folded under allowed the table to be a mere 3 inches from the ground. I put a towel near the legs to prevent any movement of the table. Melissa is used to movement from a low seesaw in agility, but I still wanted to take this factor out of the equation.
3) I then gathered my container of treats, my clicker and a hungry Melissa (we usually train before meals). We approached the table, Melissa just looked at it, and I clicked and treated...the first tiny segment towards the final goal. She looked again, click/treat. She took a step closer to the table c/t.

Melissa understood the shaping game. It is how she is learning to stay in 'heel position' at my left side, it is how she learned to stand still in the breed ring for an exam. I have shaped her to pick up an object from my hand, go to a mat and give paw.

Our first session with the grooming table progressed quickly. Melissa soon was putting two feet on, then 3 feet. She was clicked and treated for each tiny increment towards our final goal. The lead always stayed slack. Melissa was motivated to offer behaviors....specifically playing a game that had something to do with the table. She was attentive and relaxed.

After two 60 second training sessions Melissa was eagerly moving onto the table with all 4 feet.

The next session will be to raise the table in height a few inches. I'll keep you posted as to our progress. In the meantime Melissa is being groomed while standing on the ground, or lying on her side, and nails are being trimmed while she lies on the couch. For more information on how to shape behaviors: http://www.clickertraining.tv/product.html?item=KPDLVD11ZR-02

More Summer Fun!

2010-08-12T10:26:00.018-04:00

Our friend Corrina is visiting from Texas, with her two dogs. We are having a blast catching up and having fun with the dogs. The Wire Hair Pointing Griffons Emelie and Hunter used to live in this area. We wonder what they must be thinking being back in their ol' hiking and swimming areas. They never missed a beat, it was like they had never been gone for a year.

Emelie stood on the rocky bank waiting for a stick to be thrown. Texas has a different terrain!

Hunter resumed his favorite past time 'hunting'.

Emelie looked like an alien emerging from the water!

Glory and Melissa enjoyed their usual swimming and retrieving.

Lab Lucy joined us this morning when we took the dogs for a very early swim. She and Hunter played tug. Hunter held onto just the tiny bit of rope attached to the bumper....neither wanted to let go!

Melissa had never met Emelie and Hunter, but in her usual style she welcomed them both. She and Hunter kicked up a lot of sand along the beach.

Lucy and Melissa played tug.

Hunter did his usual 'hunting'.

Melissa did one of her furthest retrieves.

Lab Lucy swims the fastest. For those times that Melissa cannot reach the bumper first....the next best thing is to take a hold of a tail!

Out and about in Saratoga

2010-08-08T16:21:00.066-04:00

A busy and fun day! The temps were a bit cooler and the humidity was down.
9 dogs and 9 owners met at Saratoga State Park this morning. We walked through the tall pines, and past the winding creek.

We practiced skills we have taught our dogs: walking nicely on a loose lead, sitting patiently, greeting people politely.

The dogs had to be on lead in the park but we had long lines so the dogs could go a distance and play in the water.

We walked among the gardens of Hall of Springs, we wandered past the Gideon Putnam. We passed by joggers and cyclists.

We crossed over wooden bridges. We sat in the shade and relaxed.

On the way back to cars we passed a parking lot with a row of balloons on the ground. Not sure why they were in the parking lot but it was another life experience for the dogs.

Then off to the center of town we went. It is racing season in Saratoga. The town was crowded. It was a pleasure to be with well behaved dogs while crossing busy streets and walking along crowded sidewalks.

The dogs enjoyed the attention from the many people who stopped to pet them.

They practiced sitting nicely to be petted.

They practiced moving off to the side and staying in one place on crowded sidewalks.

We held each others dogs while we each went into cafes to get take out lunches. The dogs got to practice being out of sight from their owners.

We then walked to Congress Park for a picnic.

This was Golden Retriever Lily's first time with this group of dogs, she settled in nicely. Each of the dogs remained in a down or sit while we ate and watched the ducks waddle near the pond.

Of course we rewarded them for remaining in position.

Melissa had a taste of Frappuccino.

Caedi Corgi was totally relaxed, no matter where she was!

Glory patiently waited for a little morsel of food to come her way.

Melissa and Tate played and wrestled on the grass.

Dylan waited patiently with Keith, while mom went out of sight.

Then back into the center of town we went...for ice cream.

Puppy Tate at the age of 7 months has already learned to relax and wait patiently in distracting situations.

Glory and Caedi are pros at waiting but had an added distraction of balloons!

We met Shelby, a 4 month old puppy Golden, she enjoyed her first taste of ice cream while socializing on the streets of Saratoga. Johnny's Italian Ices and Ice Cream, on Broadway, has some of the best choices of flavors for us humans. We had the option of small portions for our dogs.

Melissa enjoyed a taste of vanilla ice cream.

It was a fun day to train our dogs at the state park and in a busy town with lots of distractions. What a great way to spend a summer day with friends and our dogs. A big thank you for Debi for taking the majority of the photos. She and Keith are the owners of German Shepherd Dylan.

Come When Called

2010-08-03T13:01:00.042-04:00

A lot of things are going on when you call your dog to you. Usually you are calling him away from something he would rather be doing, a good sniff, something he saw in the distance, or just playing with another dog. After you call him and he is running (hopefully in your direction), he may see or get the scent of something on his way to you, he may get distracted and take a detour towards the source of something he perceives as more interesting. The cue to come (also known as a recall) does not have to be a complex skill. Let's take it in small segments.

I teach the cue to come based on Leslie Nelsons's Really Reliable Recall http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB810P. I have expanded the concepts into a 5 to 6 week class, teaching many different scenarios so dog owners gain the confidence that their dogs will come when called. Leslie has sighthounds, Afghans and Whippets, along with Standard Poodles and Mr. Bill, a Brussels Griffon. All breeds can be taught how to come when called, some breeds may be a bit more challenging then others, patience and consistency is a must.

The first skill I teach is the dog to respond to his name. When the dog hears his name, he should immediately turn towards you and wait for further information. For coming when called, it is "Fido, come" Dog's name first, followed by the cue to come.

I used Melissa's daily rations to teach her to respond to her name. 'Melissa', she got a treat, 'Melissa' another treat. And again and again, in rapid succession, about 15 reps in 30 seconds. Melissa did not have to be doing anything in particular when she heard her name. I was just conditioning her that her name meant great things happen...a yummy treat from me.

We practiced before meals when she was most hungry. Maybe 15 reps in the morning, 15 reps in the evening.....30 reps a day at minimum. We did this for hundreds of repetitions, incorporating the use of the marker word 'yes' or the sound of a click when she heard her name. Not only did we practice in the kitchen, but in several rooms of the house. We practiced outside, we practiced in quiet areas before moving to distracting areas. We practiced on different surfaces.

When Melissa was eagerly keeping her eye on me, I increased the challenge. I moved to an area with a tiny bit more distraction. In the beginning it was just in our yard, someplace familiar to her, but more interesting then the inside of the house. Perhaps it was just looking at the grass, or a bird in the distance. I would say her name, and the instant she looked in my direction, not necessarily at my face, I clicked and treated. If she did not respond, I helped her out only once by putting the treat by her nose, turning her to face me and then treated her. I then went back to an area of less distraction, and rebuilt our foundation...a foundation that needs to be solid at those beginning steps.

Gradually I increased the distance she was from me when I said her name. If I added more distractions, I moved in closer. Eventually Melissa was running to me when she heard her name. This is when I added the cue to come, as she was running full speed towards me.

There have been times Melissa has not responded immediately, usually when I 'tested' things to see if she would respond in a highly distracting situation. No need to reprimand her, we just went back to the beginning steps to build a stronger foundation by decreasing the distance I was from her, and decreasing distractions. I wanted the cue to become totally conditioned, I did not want Melissa to think twice, I want it to be an instant response. A solid foundation is a must.

Some guidelines for a reliable recall:

*Consistency and patience, and lots of repetitions. Put the time into training this skill and you will have a dog who can hike with you off lead. Think of it as a safety exercise...would your dog turn instantly if heading for a highway? No matter where your dog is he should respond immediately.

Here puppy Tate runs through a corn field, but instantly comes when his owner Sue calls his name.

*Use high value treats that your dog gets at no other training session. Keep the recall training special, reward with the best. Melissa eats a raw diet...chicken hearts are perfect size for a dog her size, each heart is a perfect food to use at home. When on the road I used either Bravo and Oma's Pride freeze dried treats. Melissa especially likes the dried trachea. Jarred baby food, all meat, is another good reinforcer to use.....the dog can lick right out of the jar.

Another of Melissa's favorites is to lick the remainder from a yogurt container! These treats she does not have during usual training sessions, I keep them just for training the recall. Try to avoid treats that have fillers such as corn and sugar, use good quality food, you will be using lots of it! Remember to deduct the amount of food you use in training from your dog's daily rations.

*Say your dog's name once. Do not repeat, do not beg, do not coax. Go back to the beginning steps. This skill does not happen quickly. It could take months, be patient, it is well worth the time training. You are looking for an immediate response.

*Never reprimand your dog for coming to you. Even if you are late for work, for picking up the children, or going out for an appointment. Think of it from your dog's point of view. He came close to you and he got yelled at. Why would he want to come close again??

*Always 'fine dine', a term Leslie Nelson coined. When your dog does come to you, be generous, reward one treat after another for a full 30 seconds. You want your dog to remember that coming to you was wonderful and more then just a quick drive-thru meal. When teaching Melissa this skill I let her lick from a jar of baby food for a full 30 seconds. It might seem like a very long time, but in reality the dog will remember how great it is to come to you. When I hike with Melissa, and I call her to me, she gets at least 5 to 7 treats one at a time......if other dogs in our group join us, they also are included in the fine dining. Melissa thinks it is great to share with her hiking buddies....more food comes her way!

Leslie teaches an emergency cue, to be used for just that...emergencies. If you want to get a glimpse of what Leslie's Really Reliable Recall is all about you may opt to buy the booklet for 6.95 http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB813

*Find a secure area for your dog to run off lead while you are in the process of teaching the recall. Dogs who have the opportunity to run off lead are less apt to bolt when they accidentally get loose. Dogs need to run. A walk around the block is what Pat Miller CPDT-KA CDBC of Peaceable Paws calls an hor d'œuvre. It is a morsel of what a young dog needs in the way of exercise.

Take the time to train a reliable recall.

All these dogs have a good response to their name, no matter what they are doing.

In return they have the freedom to run off lead in many different venues.

Melissa is still in the learning stage, we continue to practice every day, several times a day.

Her response is about 95% reliable, I want it to be 100% each and every time.
Maintenance will for a lifetime. I never want the response of coming when call to diminish. I will continue to reward well!

A few clicks and treats several times a week to maintain her responding to the cue to come is a small amount of time invested when compared to the freedom she already has and will continue to enjoy. It is just a morsel of the amount of daily exercise a dog, especially a young dog, really needs.

*Always acknowledge check-ins while out on a hike or around your yard. When your dog looks at you, comes close to you, he is checking in. Don't take check-ins for granted. Melissa was treated for every check-in, for months! Now when she checks in, I alternate between a treat if I am in a highly distracting area, or her favorite back scratch if I am just around the yard in a less distracting situation.

Every time Melissa and I are together is a training opportunity, I take advantage of these times.....I never leave home without treats! Happy training.

Long Lines In Dog Training

2010-07-30T17:37:00.021-04:00

When Melissa goes for a run in an unfenced area she is attached to a long line. The line is 20 feet long, made of nylon, and is machine washable. I obtained mine at Clean Run the super dog (and people) store I have mentioned before. The specific line I use can be viewed here: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=568&ParentCat=97 I have one in blue, in red and in black. I like the nylon material since it rarely seems to snag when the dogs are running in fields and meadows. Occasionally it will snag on rocks along the creek, so should always be used with supervision. But those times are rare. The hours of running loose in open meadows and fields with a long line attached outnumber the occasional snag.

Some guidelines for using a long line.

1) Attach the long line to a harness. Melissa wears a front clip harness, the lead is attached to the buckle on the harness and to her flat buckle collar. This prevents any pulling directly on her neck should she get snagged while running with the long line.
2) Long lines are not are a substitute for teaching your dog to come.
3) The line is not meant to be jerked to get your dog to come closer to you, this will only teach your dog to avoid coming near you.
4) Always supervise your dog while he is wearing a long line.
5) Always reward when your dog comes close and checks in with you.
6) Do not be in a hurry to drop the long line if you are starting this training with an adult dog. It's ok to hold onto it until your cue to come is nearly 100% and you have developed a relationship of trust with your dog. It may take months, it may take a year. No need to be in a hurry.

Melissa became accustomed to dragging a long line at the age of 9 weeks. We first practiced around our fenced yard while she learned how to respond to her name (more about that skill in a future blog) and eventually in different areas. She was rewarded each and every time she checked in. Each time she came over to me, I clicked and she got rewarded. Soon I became as rewarding as the great outdoors. In the beginning I used the very best of treats to reward her for check ins, but soon I was using her daily rations when she ran loose in the yard. I saved the extra yummy treats for those really highly distracting areas such as behind the barn, and in the woods.

Melissa had lots of opportunities to run in our fenced areas, and she was learning that if she came close to me, she got a treat and then was able to go run again. This was done with the long line always attached. There was no need to corner her or grab her by the collar in order to catch her when play time was over. Checking in with me became a habit for Melissa, great things happened when she checked in. The lone line gave me the confidence to let her run loose in unfenced areas. I could easily step on the end of the 20 ft line if she went too far. We practiced at the nearby lake, in meadows and fields. Melissa ran, she sniffed, she played with other dogs, and she checked in with me! Click/treat and off she was released to go run again. Gradually I began to move a distance away from her, she continued to check in. In a few weeks I was able to move more then 20 ft from her, longer then the distance of the long line, and she continued to check in. We continued to practice name responses in separate training sessions. I was not ready to call her to me in distracting situations, so did not use a cue to call her to me. Why call her if her recall (coming when called) was not 100%? I certainly did not want her to associate 'Melissa come' with ignoring me. Instead, she was getting to do what she wanted: to run free, and since she was being rewarded for checking in, she continued to do that also. In a few months she was reliably responding to her name with minimal distractions, recall training will be on-going for life...more about that soon.

I never used the line to pull her to me. I wanted her to be willing to come to me on her own....building that trusting relationship has been the ongoing theme since Melissa came to live with us. With the help of my friends, Melissa has had many repetitions of coming close to us, having her collar touched, getting a treat and then being released to go play again. If instead we touched her collar to stop her fun of running, rolling and swimming she would soon learn to not check in and begin to play the game of keep away. Many dogs don't want to be caught since each time they have in the past, their fun has ended. They have to go back in the house, in a car, or in a crate.

By playing the collar touch game for the past 9 months Melissa eagerly checks in. Checking in does not mean the end of play time for Melissa, it means leaning on us for petting and also some treats, then more time to play with her friends. We can walk up to her and she trusts us, she does not bolt and play keep away. The majority of the time we walk up to her to pet and/or give a treat and then allow her to run free again. Occasionally I will pick up the long line and allow her about 5 or 6 ft of line, walk for a few minutes with her close by, then will drop the line with and release her with 'go play'. By doing this Melissa doesn't associate the picking up the line and being close to me as a signal that play time is over.

At 11 months of age, Melissa has a fairly good recall, and she checks in frequently. I am now calling the long line my confidence line. Melissa still wears one when we go hiking/swimming, it gives me the confidence that should she alert to something in the distance I can easily step on the end of the line.

Today while hiking she had some fantastic responses to her name with distractions and came running directly to me, plus she was readily checking in with all of us. I mentioned to my friends that it may be time to take the line off. She has had 9 months of running loose while dragging the line, she checks in, and she is responding to her name. The time spent in training this has been well worth it. Melissa has the freedom to play, sniff, swim and run with her dog friends while hiking with us. The long line was used correctly in teaching Melissa to stay close by. She gets much needed exercise and our trusting relationship continues. As always it was fun watching our dogs run, leap, and swim today. It was very rewarding to all owners to have our young dogs running back to us when we called them.

Fun at the lake....

2010-07-28T15:00:00.031-04:00

....and at the cabin, and with other dogs! Last week Melissa and I spent some time with my friend Barbara and her two dogs at a cabin on a small lake. A fenced yard that led right down to the water was a bonus.

Early morns we hiked around the lake, part gravel, part dirt road. We met several other people walking with and without dogs. Melissa got to practice walking nicely on lead and also sitting politely, just because we had a few days of vacation did not mean her manners were forgotten.

The majority of the day was spent with the dogs being wet.

Water dogs they were!

On the dock, in the water, a run in the yard and back into the water.

They retrieved bumpers, they ran with bumpers, they shared bumpers.

They sniffed all the great smells in the yard.

They watched people in boats pass by the dock.

Melissa found a green ball from a previous visiting dog.

Melissa never did jump off the dock but she learned to use the steps that were on the side of the dock, or she accessed the water directly from the yard. And she swam and swam and swam. There were times that Barbara and I put the bumpers away to the dogs could take a rest. We lounged on the dock, the dogs waited patiently for their bumpers to re-appear. Melissa at times would enter the water, and just start swimming.

I am not sure if she would have gone across the lake, but she sure went way over her head. But luckily she has a fairly good recall and we could call her back to land.

In the evening while we ate dinner, the dogs waited in their x-pens which we had on the screen porch. Not one dog whined or barked to be let out, from being rewarded in the past for good behavior, the dogs easily adjusted to the new routine.

We did have two mishaps. Melissa did pick up my travel mug filled with ice and freshly poured Margarita and off she ran in the yard. I like to think it was because I have been teaching her to retrieve......

And we lost one of the floating noodles. And not in the water..... It was very enticing to Melissa....to her it probably looked like a very long bumper. Barbara and I were on the dock, our back to the yard. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something blue....it was Melissa with the noodle. The other dogs saw her and a little chase followed. I was able to trade Melissa a few treats for the blue noodle, but the noodle did lose a few inches......

And we had wet dogs...very wet dogs. Melissa has not yet shed her puppy curls, so has lots of coat. So we usually got the dogs in before dark, their last potty break before bedtime was on lead to prevent them from going back into the water. We dried them the best we could with towels and then had them lie in front of the woodstove . Yes, it was chilly at nights for a fire!

Glory was not the only one who could not keep her eyes open after a long day of playing outdoors.

The sunsets were gorgeous. It was a quiet time, the sky all aglow with color. What could be better then ending a perfect day with a friend and our dogs at our side?

Understanding Cues

2010-07-17T19:51:00.005-04:00

I taught Melissa how to sit (along with other cues) by capturing the action of sitting by clicking each time I saw her sit. She understood the clicker game, so fairly quickly began offering to sit in anticipation of getting a reinforcement. I quickly began only to click and reinforce the faster sits. I added the cue word 'sit' as she was in the action of sitting, clicked and treated.

When the sit was on a verbal cue I no longer clicked and treated each time I saw her sitting. There was no longer a need to capture a behavior that was on cue. Eventually she was clicked and treated only when I cued her to do so. This is an important concept of training and especially clicker training. Clicker trained animals (horses, goats, cats and giraffes can all be trained to do behaviors on cue...along with our dogs) begin to offer behavior in anticipation of getting a reinforcement. We need to put the behaviors we are capturing on cue fairly quickly, otherwise our dogs will be offering all sorts of behaviors in anticipation of reinforcement. What fun it is to see a dog focused intently on his owner; the path to learning has been opened. The possibilities are endless!

I practiced sit with Melissa every night before bedtime cookies, we practiced for each meal outdoors. Her sits were prompt. I no longer needed to click/treat for the sit as it was now a learned behavior...in those contexts. Those last 3 words in those contexts is a very important concept in training any animal.

Did Melissa really know what sit meant? We had practiced outside in the yard, we had practiced inside at bedtime. She was sitting the instant she heard the cue to sit. Surely she must know what sit means? But let's take closer look at in what context the behavior was happening. Melissa could sit at meal times, bedtime. She could sit in front of me. But part of dog training is teaching our animals to generalize the behavior. If Melissa truly understood the cue to sit she would be able to perform that behavior in many different places, on either side of me, with me holding packages in my hand, and in the presence of distractions. Once our dogs begin to generalize a few behaviors, generalization for subsequent behaviors comes much quicker. To help Melissa out, I broke our training sessions into tiny segments. Instead of standing directly in front of Melissa when I cued sit, I stood slightly with my body turned to the side (think inches) when she was able to sit promptly, I turned slightly more. Eventually Melissa was at my left side when I cued sit. We then repeated the same steps for the sit cue on my right. Then when I was sitting in a chair.

Could she sit with a toy in my hand? I went back to the beginning stages and helped the line of communication by clicking and treating each time she started to sit while I held a toy. Gradually the toy was over my head ready to be thrown, she sat when cued. The reward was the toy being thrown for her to retrieve, or a game of tug. We practiced with different toys, with me holding different objects such as a bag of groceries. In each of this situations I lowered my criteria by going back a few steps to help her and to keep her interest in the game of learning. If her sit was a bit slower due to her learning to generalize, I would once again go back to clicking and feeding. A slow response can be part of the learning process. As before, I was able to progress quickly to clicking and feeding only the prompt sits.

Melissa was now able to generalize that the cue to sit meant to sit in many different types of situations, and a sit was not dependent on where my body was or what I was holding when I cued her to sit. We practiced with other cues also. She was now getting the concept of generalizing the cue to down and to touch, target her nose to the palm of my hand. A few weeks ago she was standing in water at the lake, waiting for me to throw her bumper. I cued her to sit. And she sat in the water!!! Her reward was for me to throw the bumper.

Wow. I was feeling rather confident, my 10 month old puppy was really making progress in her training and really understood what the cue sit meant. A few days later, she met her dog friends for a hike. I release her from the car and asked her to sit. She was eagerly looking at the other dogs. I repeated 'sit' (yes, even trainers err sometimes and repeat cues....oops.....) thinking surely she must have not heard me. But she continued to look at the other dogs. In that context, Melissa did not know what the cue to sit meant. She was not 'blowing me off', she was not being dominant, she was not being stubborn. She simply was distracted by the presence of the other dogs. We had not trained the cue to sit in that context: after a car ride, arriving at the park, and in the presence of several other dogs. Lots of distractions plus the anticipation of a run in the 156 acre park. We moved a distance away from the distraction of the other dogs, and I then re-cued her to sit. She sat promptly and was then released to go play with her friends.

I wanted her to succeed, I realized that the sight of the other dogs was so exciting to her that she could not focus on me, nor had she totally generalized the cue to sit to every situation. So I helped her out by moving a distance away from the distractions so she could be successful. Our trusting relationship was intact, and she moved up another notch in the concept of generalizing behaviors. Does this mean Melissa will sit the next time she sees her dog friends at a distance? No, it will take several repetitions and consistency on my part for her to understand the concept of truly understanding each and every cue. Gradually we will move closer to distractions and even increase the amount and type of distractions. Think about the sensory overload at a dog show, it is no wonder our unseasoned dogs get unfocused. Help your dog be successful, lower your criteria in distracting situations. Melissa is learning a solid foundation for all future behaviors, she is young, she has lots to learn. I am helping her be successful while maintaining a great working relationship between the two of us.

Dog Days of Summer

2010-07-11T11:46:00.030-04:00

HOT HOT HOT. Melissa has not had any endurance running in over a week. This past week has been brutal with temps reaching mid-80s by 6 in the morning and nearly a 100 by mid day. Add in high humidity and it is no wonder that Melissa spent a good part of her days in her pool with only a few short runs thru our woods very early and very late in the day .

But finally we had a little break in the weather. Off for a hike with friends and their dogs early this morning.

The dogs ran in fields and meadows.

They fetched on land.

They fetched in the water.

They shared bumpers. Melissa puts her head totally under the water. Here she is emerging from under the water, after she retrieved the end of Dylan's bumper.

They played tug after cooling off in the water.

Running full out in a large meadow is the best for exercise, but with the high temps we had this past week that was not possible. Swimming is the way to go on hot summer days. At 10 weeks of age Melissa made her first little swim....following other dogs into chilly October water. Then winter was upon us, no swimming in the northeast until ice was out. This Spring she picked up where she left off last fall. I let her follow the other dogs and each time she went in deeper and deeper.
Now at 10 months of age sometimes she is the first in the water, beckoning her friends to join her.

Puppy Tate has not yet gone in over his head. His owner Sue is also letting him go at his own pace.

Each time he has been at the creek or pond it has been a fun time for him. No need to frighten him by using force to get him in the water. Each time he sees water he is going in further.

Today he went in past his elbows, and put his face in the water!

By 10:30 the sun was beginning to make an appearance and with it the temps started to increase. This week it will be another hot one with 90 and high humidity nearly every day.

Our adult dogs will make a few loops around the yard then they are content to lie around indoors in the AC. Even 13 year old Catera enjoys a good frolic every day. But puppy Melissa needs more then a few laps around the yard. Lots of interactive toys, lots of large butcher bones and more indoor training sessions are good mind games. But she is still developing, I want to keep her well muscled. So I juggle my schedule to take her swimming whenever possible in the hot weather. These hot summer days will pass, I am making the best of them with my Borzoi puppy and friends.

The heat continues.......

2010-07-08T12:39:00.010-04:00

We are entering the 6th day of high 90s. Temps today may be a degree cooler, but the humidity is higher making it once again unbearable to be directly in the sun. Nothing much to do on these hot summer days, can't run the dogs in the fields, can do any training outdoors, we just have to wait until this passes.

When outdoors, Melissa is spending most of her time in her pool in the shade. And no Liz, I am not having an in-ground pool installed just for Melissa.

She and Lucy play games.

Melissa has tried to entice our house guest Buster to put his feet in the water. I tried to entice Buster into the water by throwing a few pieces of treats that float into the water. But no, Buster really would prefer to eat on dry land, and lounge inside with the AC blowing on him. When I empty the pool later today, I will toss a bit of Buster's dry kibble into the pool. I am confident he will enter an empty pool. Tomorrow I will add an inch of water, then toss a few kibbles in. If that goes well, I will continue to add a little bit of water each day. I will even wait until the water warms up a bit before giving Buster a try at it. Some dogs detest cold water. Some don't care if they plunge into icy water. I will let Buster guide me as to what he prefers, I won't force him, we'll take it slowly and move forward inch by inch. Perhaps in a few days he will be enjoying it as much as Melissa, and if not....well, there is always our air conditioned bedroom to keep him cool.

Whether your dog prefers water or a dry place to lie, make sure he has plenty of fresh water to drink, and place to get cool off. It's hot out there!

Travel Precautions

2010-07-06T14:58:00.006-04:00

The car thermometer read 98 degrees for an exterior temp. I was on a major highway on my way to teach an evening class. I saw a car on the side of the road, no one was nearby. Less than a mile up the road I saw a couple waving to passing cars to slow down. They had a German Shepherd, they were trying to stay cool in the shade of an overpass. I saw the dog so immediately slowed down. I NEVER stop on the road to pick up anyone. I will stop for a loose dog. But these looked like nice people (ok, ok, if my mom was alive I can just hear her telling me to keep going, don't stop)...and they had a well groomed, well behaved Shepherd on a lead.

I stopped, they ran over to the car. I cautiously lowered the window a tiny bit. 'Do you need help?' I asked. 'Yes, thank you so much for stopping. Our car broke down, we didn't bring our cell phones, our dog is hot, we need to get her someplace cool.' Their plan had been to take their dog for a short trip to the Hudson river, they never made it. I was going to call Triple A for roadside service as she pulled out her AAA card., But that would mean they would have to stay with the car. Couldn't do that. So I opened my car and let them in. She came into the front passenger's seat, he went in the back with their dog. I was only a few miles from the Menand's shelter where I was teaching an evening class. The first thing out of the woman's mouth was, 'Can I have some of this water/" pointing to a water bottle in a cup holder, ' I am sure our dog is thirsty'. Whew! I was not going to be held up, robbed or hijacked. These people's first concern was their dog. They used my cell to call a friend to pick them up at the shelter. When we arrived, the shelter let them borrow a dog bowl since their dog preferred to drink from a bowl rather than from their hands or bottle. As I was going up to class their friend had arrived to pick them up. They thanked me again and were on their way.

What if I had not stopped? What if no one stopped for an hour, or longer? It was beastly hot yesterday...and is again today. The heat coming off the asphalt must have made the temps over a hundred degrees, their only source of shade was the overpass.

My friends sometime joke that they could survive in my car for a week. But I am prepared for just about everything. Items I carry in my car 24/7, 365 days a year:

1) A car phone, fully charged before I leave the house each day, along with a car charger for the phone.
2) A cooler. Snacks for me, snacks for the dog...cause you just never know what a short or long trip will bring your way.
3) Water, lots of it. Each dog crate has a water bucket attached to the inside of the crate with a double sided snap. The water is changed each time we go on a trip, short or long. In the summer ice cubes fill the buckets. I also carry water in my cooler and also in a big water jug and also some bottled water. LOTS of water!
4) All weather space blanket. I have 3, they attach to the outside of my car with big metal clips. They keep the car cooler then outside temps in the summer. For winter use they can be placed with the silver side against your or your dog's body to retain heat. They cost $12. A good investment, they fold up and take very little space in even the tiniest of cars. http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=218&ParentCat=313
5) First Aid Kit. Everything from bandages to antibiotics; diarrhea meds to rescue remedy. Since I own Borzoi, a breed that can bloat, I also carry a bloat tube...which reminds me I have to replenish the lubricant, the present tube has dried out. I hope to never use it, but it is one of those 'good to have for just in case' items.
6) Bug spray
7) ID on all my dogs in the form on a microchip and also a collar that has their name and my phone number. If I am traveling a distance I have collars that have my cell phone number. ID on their crate includes their name, age, sex, last rabies vaccination, emergency contact, vet's contact, and a statement from me that I will pay all veterinarian expenses should any arise. If you do not crate your dog, put this information in a safe water proof place in your car. Include a copy or your dog's rabies certificate. I have all the dogs information in a zip-lock freezer bag. If I am caring for another person's dog and traveling with that dog I will include all their info in the same packet as my own dogs' info.
8) Extra collar and lead.
9) Winter months I always have a gallon of windshield defroster ...that blue stuff that cleans your windows on nice weather and is a necessity in the Northeast when the salt starts hitting your windshield.
10) Well trained dogs. Dogs that can be handled by others. Dogs that are also comfortable being transported in vehicles other then your own. What if you are injured in an accident and a stranger has to remove your dog from the car or crate? The 14 month old German Shepherd who entered my car yesterday immediately laid down and relaxed. It was apparent that her owners had spent quality time training her. After yesterday escapade, I am sure they will be better prepared the next time they travel with their 4 footed friend and carry water and a cell phone.

Even with a well stocked car, my own travel plans for this afternoon and evening has been changed due to the high temps. Late morning and afternoon private consultations with students have been canceled. All but my first appointment of the day, consisted of helping private students with outdoor skills. Training outside is not something that would be fair to owners or dogs in nearly 100 degrees.

Melissa's agility class this evening has been canceled. Melissa is presently enjoying herself in her new pool. The last time I looked she was lying down with her head resting on the edge of the pool. I discovered since yesterday that Melissa likes the pool filled to nearly the top...then she will lie in it. Lab Lucy is using the smaller of the pools. Yes, two pools. The smaller and the new larger are both out in the shade in the gravel part of the dog area. When the two girls are not lounging in the water, they are hopping from one pool to another splashing and wrestling. Time for me to change the pool water......

Melissa's Pool

2010-07-05T15:56:00.007-04:00

Melissa had a kiddie pool. She tried it out back in June when we had a run of hot days.
She carried her sticks into it. She moved her ball around, but it really was really too small for her. So last week I bought her a bigger pool. This one holds a lot more water, and she can lie down in it if she chooses to.

Today it is 97 degrees. I couldn't keep her indoors the entire day. She needed some time to play outdoors. I had 3 hours between morning and evening classes to play with her. I didn't have time to take her swimming at the lake, the pond or the creek. Too hot to run, too hot to play tug, too hot to do much of anything outdoors except play in water. Perfect time to introduce her to the new pool. It has a different sound to it when her feet it the plastic. It is not at all like swimming in the lake. Melissa enjoys floating and swimming in the lake, sometimes she is in the lake before her Retriever friends. She likes water. But I still took the introduction to the new pool slowly.

I let her step into it before I filled it with water.

I let her watch as the water from the hose filled the pool.

She licked the water in the pool, she licked the water as it came out of the hose.

She even tried to carry the hose around.

She sat in the water. She blew bubbles.
She shared the pool with her friend Lucy.

As Melissa becomes accustoms to her new pool I will fill it with more water, but for now half full is all they need...and it makes it easier for me to tip over and clean out at the end of the day.

Melissa's new pool is keeping her and Lab Lucy cool on a hot summer day.

4th of July

2010-06-29T18:26:00.007-04:00

Independence Day. A day for picnics, getting together with friends, parades and FIREWORKS!!

Fireworks are great to look at, the colors are spectacular. They can also be loud! Very LOUD!! They can scare your dog!!! Many dogs bolt thru screens, crash thru windows, and jump fences to get away from the noise.

This will be Melissa's first July 4th, we really do not know how she will react to the fireworks. She has not reacted at all to thunderstorms. I think she will be ok with the fireworks. But to be on the safe side here is our plan: 1) She will be in the house during the evening hours this entire weekend, as will our adult dogs. Fireworks will begin early, most likely tonight, Friday. With the 4th on Sunday and the Holiday on Monday...a 3 day weekend, people will party early. We have nearly 4 acres, but just in case a neighbor shoots off a big one, I'd rather have her in the house then in the yard. 2) We will monitor her to see if she should get a bit anxious. We will watch for her pacing, breathing faster, or startling at any distant sounds of celebration. If she does we will party it up, the bestest of treats will come out. Our other dogs, who have never been bothered by fireworks, will join in. We will close the windows, play relaxing music and have a party of our own indoors. We will make a pleasant association with the loud noises to wonderful treats: dried tripe, salmon, the stinky stuff that dogs really like. We have done this with our previous puppies to prevent them from becoming fearful of thunderstorms. It works! We must have made an extra nice association of lightning and thunder with our 7 yr old dog. He runs to the window during a storm, wags his tail at the biggest bolt of lightening and comes running to us for a treat, totally relaxed with a Borzoi grin on his face. 3) We will make sure Melissa has LOTS of exercise during the day so she will be tired and ready to settle in the evening. I just picked up some huge meaty bones from the butcher. Melissa will have one in her ex-pen to keep her busy.

Does this mean Paul and I won't be partying this 4th? Going to see fireworks? We have a puppy, this is her first 4th of July, we will stay home to make sure she is ok. We are pretty sure she will be, she has not reacted to any thunder or lightning, trucks back-firing, loud noises etc, but we'd rather stay home and party and keep an eye on her. Missing out on some parties and giving our time to Melissa this 4th is part of being a puppy owner. Puppies take time, they are our responsibility. My goal is to have Melissa totally comfortable with whatever her future holds. A little prevention now while she is young, is well worth the time and effort.

Melissa is 10 months old!

2010-06-27T11:26:00.024-04:00

Yesterday marked Melissa's 10 month birthday. She spent the day at the Crossings in Colonie. Paws in the Park, a fund raiser for the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society, had over 200 dogs and people walking the paths at the park! Melissa walked with my friend Lessa, they were in the top ten for raising money. Thank you to everyone who donated not only to team Lessa/Melissa but to all the dogs and people who walked to help the shelter.

You can see just Melissa's and Tate's hind ends in this photo, they were about in the middle of the group and having a grand time sniffing as they made their way thru the park. Seeing the large number of people walking their dogs and having fun was awsome!

I was busy evaluating dogs for Therapy Dogs International. A HUGE thank you to 15 year old Alisha who not only handled check-ins but organized all the paper work thru-out the day. Thank you goes to Barbara and her Golden Retriever Glory, who was the greeter dog for one section of the test. Thank you to Barbara Tran PMCT who drove from Vermont to help for the day and to watch several of her students take, and pass, the evaluation. To all the many children who played Frisbee, softball and soccer on the sidelines during a section of the test, I thank you. The test could not have been held without your help. Thank you to Ed, Keith and Eleanor, and many other people who stepped in to help. People came as far as North Andover Massachusetts and the Syracuse area to have their dogs evaluated. Mickey, a Golden Retriever, rescued from the MHRHS several years ago was one of the 15 dogs who passed the evaluation to become a pet therapy dog. Kudos to his owner Rose for adopting and training him. For more information on Therapy Dog International please check their website: www.tdi-dog.org

Lessa said Melissa met many many people and all sizes and shapes of dogs. Year old children in strollers, some held in parent's arms, some walking along. She met tall people, short people. She met people wearing hats, sunglasses and carrying balloons.

Melissa also met big dogs.....

...and little dogs......

She also met Southpaw, the Valley Cats Mascot. Lessa said Melissa took a polite sniff and moved on.

Therapy dog Tasha, a black Chow adopted from MHRHS, made an appearance with owners Peter and Sharon and made Melissa's acquaintance.

Melissa had a good day. Thanks Lessa!

We're home!

2010-06-25T08:11:00.007-04:00

Paul and I just got home from a 10 day trip to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon and Zion. The dogs stayed at The Animal Inn at Sky Run, it was the longest time for Melissa to be boarded. When I was leaving the kennel area, I watched Melissa from a distance to see how she settled in. This was her 5th visit to Sky Run. She didn't bother to look up to see where I was going.......she was relaxed and totally engrossed in sniffing her surroundings. Upon my arrival to pick the dogs up yesterday, I once again watched from a distance to see how Melissa was acting. She was calm and relaxed. So how exactly did she get to this stage in her life? Being away from home, being away from Paul and myself. Traveling nearly 200 miles one way to get to Sky Run. Being away from everything familiar...and then switching her mind set to settle into a different environment.

1) As a young pup, Melissa learned to be alone in her crate or ex-pen in familiar surroundings i.e. the house or my van. I then began leaving her with a person Melissa was familiar with for short periods of time in an unfamiliar venue while I moved out of sight. Just a few seconds at first, then for longer periods of time. Gradually I increased the time she was away from me and chose many different places to practice. I use the word practice, because from my way of thinking we are always practicing for whatever life will bring Melissa's way.

2) She has learned that traveling in the car is fun. She has her crate, a thick double sided sheepskin to lie on, something good to chew on. During her last 8 months with us, we have gradually increased the amount of time she travels. She looks forward to going into the car, it means fun times, so there is no stress driving to Sky Run.

3) Melissa is fed her usual rations at Sky Run. I package food in individual bags for each meal. Keeping her on her usual food will prevent her from having any digestive upset which, knock on wood, she has yet to have. She seems to have a cast iron stomach.

4) Having a 4 legged friend stay with her at Sky Run also helps Melissa settle into different environments and get the much needed exercise a young Borzoi needs. She has Lab Lucy, but she has found a new friend at Sky Run, Elvis, a Blue Tick Coonhound. He is only 4 months old, but Melissa and he have quickly bonded. They run the huge field together. Melissa is comfortable being without her housemate due to her earlier practice of being alone and doing activities solo. Elvis is owned by the owners of Sky Run, so Melissa will have a long time dog friend to play with during her future stays.

5) And lastly I chose a boarding facility that offers everything I wanted: big indoor areas for the dogs, large outdoor kennel runs (this visit Lucy and Melissa had an outdoor area that was about 30 ft by 20 ft), and a huge field for them to really get some hard core exercise. Chain link fencing is a minimum of 6 ft, double and triple gates/doors to get to the outside of the kennel area and a staff that is knowledgeable and caring. The last is clearly evident on how my dogs interact with all staff members, leaning against them and getting more pets. The dogs are focused and relaxed. All the dogs maintain weight, in fact, I think Melissa gained weight this visit! No missed meals due to stress for this young girl! It makes our vacation time stress free knowing our dogs are relaxed, comfortable and safe.

Paws In The Park

2010-06-14T05:00:00.001-04:00

Melissa goes lots of places with me. But this time it will be a little different. I will be driving her to the Crossings in Colonie, then handing her leash over to my friend Lessa. Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society is having their first annual Paws in the Park fund raising event on June 26th. Check the shelter's website for more information.....my computer skills are lacking and this program is not letting me post any website addresses...help! I will be busy evaluated dogs for the Canine Good Citizenship and Therapy Dogs International certification, so Lessa offered to walk Melissa.

It will be another new experience for Melissa. Sure she has gone to different places, seen different people and dogs; but this time I will not be with her. It will be a different experience, but all in preparation for Melissa taking her pet therapy test later this year. One of the sections on the test is a being separated from the owner and being with a friendly stranger for 3 minutes. She knows Lessa and turns herself inside out when she hears Lessa's voice. The big difference will be my absence.

But Melissa will have other familiar faces to walk with her. Sue and GSD puppy Tate as well as Debi, Keith and adult GSD Dylan will be joining her as they make their way around the mile and a half loop. I think Melissa will not even miss me. I'll keep you posted!

Water Dance

2010-06-13T18:08:00.035-04:00

Different breeds of dogs have different play styles. Melissa loves hanging around with her retriever friends. She wrestles with them. She swims with them. She runs with them.

But her ultimate pleasure is leaping and splashing She has met a friend who has asked her to dance. Kodi is a Standard Poodle, he and Melissa make up the steps as they go along. It is a dance known only to them, for that moment of time.

They meet politely at water's edge.

Melissa makes the first gesture to begin.

The dance begins.

They run and splash.

They leap high in the air.

Twisting and turning, it is a dance of their own.

Sometimes it can look serious!

They take turns dunking each other. First Melissa. Look close, Melissa's head is barely showing!

Then Kodi goes under! Yes that is Melissa pushing him under the water with her paw.!

Kodi stays under, as Melissa makes her get-a-way.

Twisting back, she looks to see if Kodi is resurfacing.

When he does, she runs away.

She swims in to begin yet another dance.

She leaps straight out of the water.

Then directly at Kodi.

Another dance begins.

Some of the steps are different.

Sometimes they synchronize their movement.

And the dance goes on......

Continuing To Share

2010-06-10T14:26:00.013-04:00

In April of this year I wrote about Leaning To Share. I explained how we showed Melissa to look forward to people approaching her when she has a valued object. The learning and practicing has continued. Several times a week when Melissa has something of value I trade for something of higher value. I let her eat the higher value item out of my hand or I toss it on the ground as I remove the object she had. It's easy to practice...she eats twice a day, so I can incorporate these short training exercises around meal times. We also practice when she is in the crate and has a chewy. We also trade or exchange for a higher value toy when she is in the yard. We also practice in different locations. For the times I approach empty handed, Melissa is willing to give....she has practiced sharing many times in her 7 months living with us.

Last week we got to use this skill in a real life situation when Melissa found the dead bat. There was no way I practiced with a bat!! But Melissa had so many repetitions of people approaching when she does have a valued object, that all I had to say is 'what do you have?' in a soft sing-song-y kind of a voice. No need to threaten, we are a team, we communicate. My approach was a signal for her to look up, relinquish the dead animal. I had a handful of treats that I let her eat while I bagged the bat.

Buster had a baited hook in the back of his mouth. His family had accustomed him to having his mouth looked at. How did they do that? It's easy and takes only 30 seconds each training session. Let your dog lick butter or cream cheese off of your finger....gradually allow your finger touch his gums, teeth etc. This also comes in handy as your dog ages and perhaps develops a bit of tartar on their teeth. A dog who is comfortable with you handling their mouth will let you scale their teeth, look for sore gums, or pull fishing line from their mouth.

What about dogs sharing with each other? I recently had a student ask about multiple dogs taking toys and chews from each other. First I do not allow any dog to bully another. But if you see that the dogs are comfortable and no one is threatening another by giving hard stares let the dogs continue to play, but keep a careful watch in the beginning. The dogs usually develop play groups... with the toys at the center of the play! They pull, they chase, they tug, they wrestle, they even growl when playing. But watch for the dog who walks away cringing or staying a distance away and afraid to come close. Chances are there is a dog in the group that is sending out some vibes. Removing the toy and/or chews usually resolves the situation and the dogs continue playing with each other. Remember that guarding objects is a left over survival trait in our dogs,. they are not bad dogs. Just because we brought them into our lives does not mean all that hard wired trait for guarding is gone. We need to teach them humanely how to share so they can live peacefully and safely in our homes. Sharing with humans is a must. Sharing with other dogs sometimes happens peacefully, sometimes we need to help them learn. Sometimes we need to prevent problems by carefully choosing your dog's playmates.

I do not believe in letting dogs live in a stressed environment. If you are not sure how your dog will act with a chew around another dog, separate the dogs with a baby gate or put them in a crate while they chew on their bones. If the dogs are comfortable being in close proximity with highly valued objects I will put out extra toys and chews. Two dogs? Put down 4 or more bones. One may end up with 3 and the other only one, but that's ok, they each get to chew. When in doubt, please get some help from a certified trainer whose teaches using the most up to date training methods.

Melissa and Lucy are always swapping toys....usually Lucy takes from Melissa and Melissa gives chase. But recently we noticed that Melissa is not so quick to give up the toy. She seems to enjoy keeping it away from Lucy. She spins in place as Lucy tries to take the toy. We all laugh because we know how quick Lucy is...she could easily take the toy from Melissa! But it has become a new game. In the last few weeks we have noticed that when a chase begins it is not always Lucy with a toy in her mouth. It is Melissa in the lead some the time. Lucy eventually takes the toy and then Melissa tries to get it back. They are playing, they are sharing, no one is bullying.

Just the other day I was lax in where I left my training bag. It was open, with lots of good things to chose from. And so Melissa chose the tug-n-treat pouch. I approached, she wagged his tail. I bent over to pick it up. I certainly was not about to reprimand her for taking something out of my training bag. I should have prevented her from cruising by closing the zipper...plus I should have been watching Melissa a bit more closely. The pouch smelled good, it was filled with freeze dried liver, it was tempting, so she took it. After all it is something I toss for her to get, we play tug with it and I then open the pouch and let her eat some treats from it.

I want her always to relinquish objects to me. I want her to feel comfortable bringing me objects.. To her they are all of value, otherwise she would have no interest in them! Whether it is a toy we are both playing with, or something she found on her own: a tug-n-treat pouch or a dead animal or a baited fish hook. Or just an ordinary stick found floating in the water! They are all valued objects to your dog. Teach them to share. Continue to practice during their lifetime.

Danger At The Lake

2010-06-04T11:56:00.008-04:00

We thought we were safe at the lake. The dogs run and chase, swim and retrieve, and sniff in the bushes surrounding the lake. Occasionally they find things. Buster found parts of a dear the day the lake open. Barely thawed from winter the dogs had a blast chasing him up and down the beach while Buster kept the lead, and deer leg in his mouth. Last week Melissa found a snake skin. Today she found a dead bat...it was way past dead, it wasn't even stinky but dried and falling apart. We disposed of it in the trash can.

But today something very scary happened. Buster had just returned from sniffing in the bushes. He was ready to leap into the water when Lessa said 'is that a fish hook?' We looked at Buster and he had a 'thread', or so it seemed, hanging from his mouth. It was one of those snaps that attach to the leader, the leader I believe attaches to the hook. Any fisherman out there to describe this better? I began to pull fishing line out of his mouth....a good amount of that nylon filament, about 15 to 18 inches worth. Attached to the end was a gooey piece of bait. Under the bait was a fish hook!!

It was a warning to us. We had become complacent. The dogs run and play on the beach. We throw bumpers in the water and the retrieve. And we keep an eye on them as they sniff surrounding areas, but apparently not enough of a watchful eye. We thought they were safe.

What this brought to mind is teaching your dog to be comfortable with you and others opening his mouth and taking objects from him. You never know when you may have to remove something from their mouth. Melissa readily gave up the dried bat to me, but was ready to play keep away from the other dogs. Buster was relaxed as I pulled the fishing line and hook from his mouth. Is your dog comfortable giving up an object? When it is on the ground? When it is already in his mouth?

Next time I will describe how I taught Melissa to relinquish an object she has possession of. Until then, keep your dogs safe, keep an watchful eye over them. When you travel know the number and directions to the nearest vet should you need their services.

Many Firsts In Kentucky

2010-05-31T11:14:00.006-04:00

Melissa had many firsts in Kentucky...not first place ribbons, but first time experiences.

1) First time to spend a week in a hotel.......previously our longest stay was 3 days. I took along favorite toys to keep her interest and surprised her with a few new ones. Along with walking many many miles during the week, meeting new people and seeing new sights, Melissa was kept well occupied.

2) First time to hear music radiating through ballroom speakers as Borzoi Club of America Regional Director Ron Williams sang the National Anthem each morning. She lay at my feet as we all stood, I tossed treats between her elbows to help her stay in the down position...and in hopes of keeping her from joining in with Ron.

3) First time to ride an elevator..... well sort of. She did ride in an elevator when she was 10 weeks old, but she was in my arms. At 80 plus pounds that was not going to be repeated this time. We had the option of stairs, but if you have been reading about Melissa's adventures for the past 7 months you now know that I take every opportunity to expose Melissa to something new and different. All in preparation for her future work as a pet therapy dog as well as being a life long family companion who will be comfortable everyplace she goes. I wonder what dogs must think....enter a small room from one large room and exit into a totally different room. Plus elevators can make your stomach flip-flop. I made sure I had lots of treats.....I fed one treat after another as the elevator ascended, making a pleasant association to the possible flip-flop of her stomach. Melissa never took notice of the elevator moving. She just kept eating the treats. She exited onto a different floor and resumed life as usual.

4) First time to show on ballroom carpeting. I practiced the day before so Melissa would be accustomed to the feel and the visual pattern. Some dogs like to jump over the geometric designs. I liked running on it, smoother then some grassy rings. Melissa didn't seem to notice, she showed very well and placed second in both of her classes.

5) First time sharing ice cream. On our last night in Kentucky, my friend Margie and I walked to the ice cream store close to the hotel. The dogs, of course, accompanied us. A sundae for Margie, a sundae for me and a dish of vanilla for the dogs. We found a place in the shade and ate. Lab Lucy ate in Lab fashion, she took chunks of ice cream from the dish. Melissa is a good eater, I like watching her eat. She enjoys all food. Ice cream was added to her list. She licked daintily, never gulping. And if I may do a little anthropomorphizing, the look on her face was of pure enjoyment. More ice cream is in her future!

Melissa's First Dog Shows

2010-05-29T07:54:00.021-04:00

The drive was about 4 hours, near Trenton New Jersey. The site was acres and acres of freshly cut grass in Mercer County Park. My friend Barbara and I, Melissa and Caedi Barbara's Pembroke Corgi left home at 6 in the morning. I felt Melissa was prepared. She was well socialized, she had met countless people and dogs, sights and sounds in her first 8 months of life. We had practiced standing still while people touched her head, her body, her tail, and looked into her mouth.

She handled the day fairly well. She stood still for exam. The first time she moved around the ring she did not have her usual up beat attitude. The one thing she was a bit hesitant about were the other Borzoi! She lives with Borzoi but the sight of others was new to her. She saw a Golden on the show grounds...and eagerly wanted to go greet. She saw a Beagle and a Terrier. Same response. Play bow from a distance, an invitation to greet. But she was hesitant to walk past other Borzoi.

Barbara assisted by walking with Caedi Corgi along side of Melissa and myself. That helped tremendously. Caedi and Melissa hike and swim together. Caedi was a source of familiarity for Melissa. Un-scientifically I would say Caedi was a source of comfort for Melissa. Where Caedi went, Melissa followed. By the end of the day Melissa was walking past other Borzoi with no hesitancy. Playing with Fionn, a large male Borzoi seemed the turning point: other Borzoi would play and were no cause for worry. Melissa's last time in the ring for that day found her totally focused on me and able to do a few skills such as targeting to my hand while in the ring.

The second show, two days later, the same show site found Melissa greeting other Borzoi. Caedi was not with us this trip but my friend Dave walked with me and Melissa up to the ring just to give us a barrier so no dog unintentionally would overwhelm Melissa. As much as she plays rough and tumble games with dogs she is familiar with, she is a soft dog. She is appropriate when meeting other dogs, doing all the right canine moves to show she means no harm. Some dogs greet more openly, they come closer, don't wait for an invitation to play, they just assume everyone wants to play with them now. I know those personalities, I live with one and it is not Melissa! Melissa now understands that one dog's play style, but is still learning that other dogs and breeds can play in similar fashion. Some of the Borzoi at the show paid absolutely no attention to Melissa, but still she wanted to give them space until she had more experience being close by.

Life is not perfect and our dogs sometimes have to face some unfamiliar circumstances that may cause hesitancy. I did not force Melissa to do anything, no need to pull on her lead. I let her proceed at her comfort level. I made sure she walked a comfortable distance from other Borzoi until she showed me she was ready to walk closer. Melissa had time in her crate away from the show scene so she could rest during the long days. She is used to the car and her crate, so they are both comfortable for her, she could relax. I also found ways for Melissa to associate the show scene with fun. We played games a distance away from the show rings. We found an empty ring to play near. We gradually got closer to the crowd, Melissa continued to play and be relaxed.

And I found Borzoi who played with Melissa and helped her be comfortable in the show setting. She met her first Irish Wolfhound, Jack.

Did she end up with grass stains on her hocks from leaping and jumping with Fionn, Doro and Jack? Grass stains I did not notice until another appearance in the ring? Oops....
Not sure if the judge noticed, but a little grass stain was worth the fun time Melissa had playing with some new dog friends. I set the tone not only for future shows, but for new scenarios during her lifetime. Whether it be different dogs, different looking people, slippery floors, wobbling agility equipment, or uneven surfaces while hiking I want a dog who is willing to explore and try new things.

By the time we spent a week in Kentucky for the Borzoi National, Melissa was well seasoned around other Borzoi. We walked with other Borzoi nearly every morning and evening. Melissa lay ringside and watched the other dogs show. She was comfortable with dogs in front of her and behind her while she stood or moved around the show ring.

The month of May has been full of learning opportunities in Melissa's life long chapter on new experiences. This summer we will be taking some rally classes, and preparing to take the pet therapy certification test this Fall. And of course, lots of time for hiking and swimming!

Back home......

2010-05-24T07:52:00.021-04:00

We've had a few busy weekends of traveling for Melissa's first dog shows. Sunday was a long day of travel, 778 miles to be exact, from Fort Mitchell Kentucky back home. We were away for the Borzoi National Specialty which is a week long event. I scheduled a 'light' work schedule for a day or two after we returned home so I could take Melissa for some hard core exercise.

I am a fanatic about getting my dogs exercised, and although we powered walked miles every day in Kentucky we still had two days of travel on either end of the trip, along with hotel time. During our stay we did a bit of training, we played some mental games, socialized with other dogs and people, and showed twice in the ring, but Melissa did not have any opportunity to run off lead.

Due to the excessive heat upon arriving home, temps in the 90s, we opted to go to the lake for a long awaited opportunity to run and swim...aerobic exercise!

My friend Lessa had camera in hand and took photos of all the dogs playing in the great outdoors. Buster enjoyed rolling in the sand. Melissa found a dead snake. Melissa discovered the art of blowing bubbles in the water. They ran, swam, leaped and carried bumpers. I hope you enjoy the photos of dogs just being dogs.

Mud Puppy

2010-05-15T20:03:00.021-04:00

Life for Melissa has not been all about preparing for shows. Melissa still has had lots of opportunity to be a dog...sometimes a very muddy dog.

She started an affinity for mud when she was just a little puppy, about 3 months of age. She first watched while her friend Kodi put his feet in muddy water.

She moved quickly to getting her feet muddy and then her entire body.

Winter came and with it snow, no mud for Melissa for a few months. But as soon as the ground thawed she resumed her love affair with mud. Sometimes she combines it with green slime.

Sometimes it is fun to share with a friend.

Then play in the old corn field to dry off.

Making her way up and over piles of dirt is another 'must do' event while out hiking.

I am not sure what it is about the mud. But lately it seems that Melissa is covered in lots of it. No need to worry, a bath in coconut shampoo and all will be clean......

How Much Exercise?

2010-05-13T15:43:00.012-04:00

In order for our dogs to develop properly, they must be able to run full out, twist and turn until they are tired. Running free in a fenced area is best for puppies. See my Vacation blog written in February.

Now that Melissa is preparing for shows, just how much exercise should she have? I think of our dogs as athletes, we should prepare them for a performance event with conditioning of muscling in mind. Melissa has had months of running in fields, thru snow, thru meadows, and most recently swimming. No forced exercise for a young dog, there is time to road work her in another year or so. Getting a dog into good hard muscle does not happen overnight, nor in a few days. It is developed gradually, preferably starting when they are a pup.

Melissa has had plenty to chase and be chased and be pushed just that little extra by playing with appropriate dog friends. Those friends who race thru the fields with her, playing 'tag' until they come back with their tongues hanging out. It is good for our dogs to push that extra bit....they get tired, it builds and maintains muscle. They stop when they get tired. It is important the dogs are well matched as to size and stamina. The idea is to push that little extra during play to get a good work out while keeping it fun for all dogs involved.

A day or two before any future performance event, whether it be the show ring, obedience or agility, I will let Melissa have moderate exercise. She will go on a hike with some more of her sedate friends. For slow romps, brisk walks, and some swimming. Along with some games of tug and fetch with me in the woods behind the barn, she will maintain condition. I tend to be conservative, and don't want to take the chance of a pulled muscle by having Melissa play extra hard thru the fields a day or two before an event. Granted anything can happen, but like an athlete, the day or two before an event will be more for maintenance then a full work-out.

About a half hour before she enters the show ring I will give her a massage and allow her to move around on lead to loosen up. May is a busy month....details about the shows will be posted soon.

Trimming those fuzzy ears.....

2010-05-05T19:29:00.027-04:00

Borzoi are a breed that requires little trimming for the show ring. A little stray hair around each foot, a few hairs around the tuck-up, and....those fuzzy ears. It's not necessary to trim anything for the show ring, but it does make for an prettier outline on head and body.

Melissa has LOTS of puppy curls, so many curls that her ears were hidden. I figured those fuzzy ears would look better if I trimmed a bit with thinning shears. For months Melissa has been learning how to stay still while I, and others, touch her body, looking inside her mouth,at her teeth, touching her ears, her neck her rib cage and her tail.

The actually trimming of the hair around her ears took several two to three minute training sessions.

I first reviewed holding her muzzle. She got to chew on yummy treats as I held her muzzle gently.

She sniffed the scissors and looked them over. Then, holding them away from her, I made a few snips in the air while she nibbled a treat from my other hand. At each of these steps Melissa got a yummy treat in order to make a pleasant association with the sight and sound of the scissors.

Then....the first snip, and another and another. Melissa chewed on more yummy treats as I took tiny amounts of stray hair from around her ears.

With a toss of her head, Melissa basks in the sun showing off her new look.

Looking less fuzzy around the ears and so mature! A bath and blow dry the day before the show and she will be ready to enter the ring. A big thank you to my husband Paul for the grooming photos, and to Lessa Shear for the other photos. It takes patience to photograph a puppy who stays still for only short periods of time.