SOMEONE HELP ME WALK MY DOGS!!

After what I thought was a good walk with Brut, I woke up the next day with the right side of my neck, shoulder blade, all the way to my lower back and hips screaming in pain. And it wasn't just because of Brut, it was an accumulation of all the dogs.  I'd had enough.  It took several days to heal from what felt all my back muscles being pulled through my arm and I decided to invest in my resting time from walking the dogs wisely.  Training them to put on and use the E-Z Walk Harness that my wonderful friend Pamela suggested.  She had mentioned it before but I wasn't sure a harness would work for the dogs because they pull sleds.  But I was willing to do about anything at this point.  As much as it was hurting my body to walk the dogs it was nothing compared to the mental torture I was going through being pulled by them.

So far it is working great.  

I've tried it with Fiona, Zappa and Chance.  My easy pullers.  I have yet to try it on Brut and Blaze uses a Halti-like head halter already and is pretty skittish about the harness right now, so I'm waiting with her.  And Silver doesn't need one.  

I've always used a clicker method that you stop when the dog pulls, wait until the dog looks at you and then continue on, repeating as you go.  Well I've done this, though not so greatly, with Brut since he was young.  Six years of trying the same thing and getting same results.  See I always hated stopping and stopping and stopping that I would just give up and give in.  It drove me crazy.  And I was trying this method on Fiona with the harness and she finally sat down, looking exasperated.  She sat for about five to ten minutes before we heading home.  Somewhere in the pause, I realized to let the harness work for me.  It is suppose to turn your dog and many of you have told me to keep turning your dog and they will learn to follow you, so that's what I did.  And it's working.  I'd much rather walk in circles and back and forth than constantly stop every two steps.  And I think the dogs like it too.  On that same walk I took Fiona back out on the road after her long stop turning this way and that and she was walking next to me in minutes!  

My biggest problem is that I'm so used to having tension on the leash I don't realize it soon enough.  But I am trying my best to be more aware of the strained leash and more importantly I remember how sore I was after that last walk with Brut and how I don't want to be there again.  

So for now Brut is getting his walks from Daddy as with the rest of the dogs where they can walk any which way they want.  But when they come with me, we get to use the harness.  And so far, we're having a pretty good time.

This post is dedicate to Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes, who suggested I try this and it had helped her with her dog Shadow.  Thanks so much Pamela.  Maybe this time will be the time!  

Self teaching dogs?

Now just do as I tell you Zappa!

So do you have dogs that do this?  Fiona and Zappa are the only two that have figured out how to practice their own training AND get extra treats.  

So lets say Fiona goes over to the door to bark at Blaze from behind the door, I catch her and tell her "leave it," she turns, gives me eye contact and walks away from door towards me.  Click and a treat.  Then she turns around and goes back to the door, so that I have to tell her "leave it" again.  And we run through the same scenario   This also happens when there is food I want her to leave alone. 

 Shhh...just play innocent!

And I don't know if Zappa figured it out before Fiona or learned from watching Fiona, but he will do the exact same thing.  And they are the only two that do that.  When I have treats out, the rest of the dogs won't walk away to get another one, they sit right there without moving.  Now who's the smarter ones out the two groups?  :)     

It's comical and frustrating at the same time.  Because here I am after one "leave it" and having success, I look up and Fiona or Zappa is going back for more.  Guess I'd better work on my focus and getting their attention for a little longer.  BOL!  Yes, they are always teaching me and keeping me on my toes.  And I love them for that!

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On another note:

I'm starting to get bummed.  This was our third weekend of no dog sledding.  Just when we were starting to get in the groove!  The roads are too icy and I know March weather makes it ify to sled with all the freezing and thawing, I was just hoping with the snow and the cold it would hold off just a little longer.

So we took extra walks this weekend to make up for it.  I can tell Silver's back legs are starting to get a little stiff from not being able to sled.  But all hope is not lost, we live in Michigan and as we say "Don't like the weather?  Wait 5 minutes and it will change."

I hope we can get out just one more time...

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And on the cat blog we're asking...

How does your cat handle going to the vet?

go HERE to read and comment

False Alarm! It IS my husband!

You can hide behind Zappa and Boxer but I know where you live!

So after yesterday's post and how I thought I had to start all over with teaching the dogs to walk on their leashes; I gathered all my wits, took the advice of Houndstooth from Tales and Tails and Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes, took a deep breath and walked the Back Dogs one at a time to the corner and back.  For some strange reason I didn't have much problem at all.  Imagine that!  It really IS my husband who turns the dogs into psycho walkers.

Of course there still needs to be some work on pulling and consistency, but overall they did great!  And using Houndstooth's suggestion about doing some commands before the walk as well as stopping during the walk and doing them was a gem.  All the dogs loved it, including Brut, which is a miracle because he doesn't like to stop.  Of course a pocket full of goodies helped to keep his attention.  I've been practicing with Brut wearing a no pull head halter, (like a Gentle Leader) which I'd still like to try with him because it works good for Brut around people and other dogs.  So he had a full dose of mental stimulation before I even decided to walk everybody.

Zappa is so cute.  We played 'find' it by throwing a treat just ahead of him and just short of the leash length.  It kept his attention on me without pulling and because he's too wiggly to sit down for long.  I thought of Pamela's post: Know your limits and Zappa has always had a hard time doing commands that involve him in one spot for too long.  So 'find it' really worked for us, as with Fiona as it is sometimes hard for her to sit on the ice with her bad hips.

So all in all we had a great time and it was fun for me too.  Talk about having to engage my brain as well.  I was wiped out by the fourth dog, which was why Chance and Blaze will have to wait until today for their turn.  And just that little added bonus of stopping and making them sit, lay down, roll over, turn around, find it and give me five all made for 4 tired dogs and one tired owner.

Can't believe I actually thought I had to start all over....damn husband!!  :)

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Don't miss the first lesson of Boxer's new human apprentice...in Lesson One-the Perfect Lap

   Be one with your catness!

http://www.36clawsofattitude.blogspot.com

PLEASE HELP ME BLOGGERS!!!

We've missed out on a couple of weeks of dog sledding.  The weekend before last we took a break from it and then this weekend the snow was too heavy and thick to run through even with two dogs.  So instead I came up with the "brilliant" idea to pair up a Front Dog and a Back Dog for a walk and see how things go.

It was a complete disaster!  The dogs were fine, no fights, scraps or contact, but walking them with my husband was a whole different story.  See my husband lets the dogs walk any way they see fit.  And for the last year I haven't been able to walk the dogs very much due to some physical problems.  Which means most of my training, especially with Chance and Blaze has went right off the leash.  Even walking a dog while walking with my husband, the dogs feel they have the right to walk how ever they please.  And when Chance wouldn't stop hauling me down the road, I thought I was going scream or cry.  He's never done that to me before regardless that we were walking him with Fiona.  It was beyond ridiculous.  It was down right miserable.  

So I had to cut my husband off from walking any dogs with him.  I will have to start all the way at step one and try to train the dogs all over again.  It isn't all my husband's fault, but they are definitely worse when he is around.  I really struggle with consistency and flexing back and forth with what is acceptable walk, tension and speed.  Some of you may remember that I've been in this same spot before.  I don't know why this issue is so difficult and daunting for me, but I will try, try again.  If anyone has ANY tips, I would love to hear them.  

Here are some of my obstacles:

-want some tension, but not to pull (is this possible) and not knowing where to draw line.  Tolerance level is different some days than others.  PLUS, I tend to not pay attention when there is tension on line because I'm so used to it.

-Consistency (see above)

-have no pull head halters, use for a while then feel guilty for using, or don't train right the first time and dogs still pull using it.

-Dogs know I will eventually give up.  A week, a month, a season, a year, I eventually go back to old ways

-Pulling dogs.  I taught them to pull almost at the same time they were learning to walk on leash, there's not much a difference between the two.

-Strong willed dogs.  I've given them every reason because I will eventually cave so they push it to the limit.  Especially Brut, he definitely knows my weak points.

-My biggest setback is that I want to go for a walk.  Not train.  I really want to walk with dogs and training takes too long.  This is when I start slipping and giving in.

-My method has been when dogs pull, I stop and wait for them to sit and give eye contact.  Then I give walk command.  They will still pull and I may or may not stop them again.  

-I feel guilty for having to train the dogs at all.  I never had to train Silver, she just did it.  So I really don't have a lot of practice.  We both want to go for a walk and if training we may be stuck in the driveway or on the road in front of the house.  

-I mentally and physically can't take it anymore.  I've doing it this way for so long when I was handed my first dog leash that I don't know any other way.  

So I am asking you please, any suggestions, advice, ideas, ANYTHING you can give me would be much greatly appreciated.  Lay it on me.  I need a fresh approach.

 THANK YOU!

    

   

Winter blahs

I don't know about anybody else in the Northern Hemisphere, but I'm hitting my breaking point with winter.  We're just starting to hit the mid-way point (fingers crossed) and I've really been struggling with the winter blahs.  It sucks being inside too long as well as outside.  I don't know what happened in the last few years as winter used to be my favorite season and it was summer that I dreaded, now it's the exact opposite.

So were doing the best we can to survive.  Dog sledding and walks help, but it can be so limiting.  So to try and pass the time, I've been working with Fiona and Zappa on some behavior training.  Especially "Leave It."  Seeing as the last time we worked on it was when they were like five months old and Daddy has "trained" Fiona to steal his food anytime he leaves the couch, I figured it was a good place to start.

 

So every night after dinner when it is just the two of them in the living room we practice.  I place a treat in front of them, tell them "leave it" and then when they give me eye contact they get a different treat than the one I placed down.  Zappa is so adorable to watch.  He works so hard not to look at the treat and get his eyes up to mine that he bobbles his head up and down as if physically trying to lift his eye up to meet my gaze.  It is hilarious.

They are both catching on quickly, but I am still working on being able to walk away from treat while in front of them.  That one is a little too tempting.  So I scaled it back to just standing up and sitting back down again.  It's hard to catch them sometimes before they eat the treat, the little buggers are quick!

But I'm already seeing results, especially with Fiona and Daddy's snack time.  Which is quite a bonus for just a little bit of work.  And Zappa who likes to try and steal my juice cups.  I've been saying it when I leave the room whether they know there is anything or not and if they are in the same spots, I reward them.

I never had enough time to really work with Zappa and Fiona when Chance and Blaze were returned.  Between Brut, Chance and Blaze the three took up almost all my time.  So it is always a treat and sweet reward for me to be able to really work with them as we continue on this journey of getting to know each other a little better.   And the more the household settles down and gets in routine the more Zappa and Fiona  are enjoying the extra and well deserved attention they are getting.

So how do you and your dog get through the winter blahs?  

Boxer update

 OBNOXIOUS??  Like she's got a lot of room to talk!!

You may remember THIS POST about Boxer, my obnoxious cat that I built up resentments towards because his behavior and temperament is the complete opposite of my previous mellow, laid back cat Sparky that I found myself still grieving for.

 A QUICK RECAP:
About the time Boxer became more than I could bear, was about the time I realized I was harboring such feelings toward him and we began a process of healing.  Pamela’s Challenge came along about the same time and I began by focusing on our evening lap time with simple ’reward and ignore’ techniques to calm him down.  It worked beautifully and we began to bond again. 

I claimed that if all I ever had with Boxer was gentle lap time, I had conquered everything and I did, but Boxer, being who he is, didn't stop being his pushy, demanding self the rest of the time.  We weren't through yet. 

AND THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES…

SAY WHAT??

Boxer’s overbearing attitude and presence made me realize I had to start building some boundaries between us.  Using my hand as a gentle block, like I use with the dogs, didn’t phase him in the least, he just kept pushing himself towards me.  Then out of a reflex, a threw up my foot to block in front of his face and he instantly stopped.  Finally, I was on to something.  He had to think for a few minutes and when he went to swerve around, bam!  foot in face.  It took a little reinforcement until he got the message, but it worked!!

An amazing thing happened out this action, we began to understand each other and learn how to read each other better.  Since I am so hypersensitive and Boxer being so strong willed and determined, we are finding how to work together and ease into our lap time.  When he comes at me with such force, I tell him “NO” with my foot.  I continue this until I see his attitude soften.  Which only takes a couple of times if that.  Then I use my hands which say “wait” or “not yet.”  We will continue this dance of coming closer and like minded, one step at a time until I will invite him on my lap or he has snuck in close enough to make the initiative himself.

I can not tell you how many times I have cringed when I would see him rallying towards me like a heavy weight boxer gearing for a fight and I never knew what to do.  Boxer is one powerful cat, not just in size but in willpower and I always felt plowed over by these combined strengths.

This simple body language has changed our relationship even further.  There is more respect between us and we are enjoying each others company with the bonding that has ensued because of a foot that means “NO” and a hand that says “not yet.”

OK, how about now?

Now if I can figure out a way to keep him off my chair every time I get up, I think I would be in heaven.  MOL!!         

Daddy ideas

If there were such a thing as "The Dog Training Police," my husband would be busted over and over.   He would probably end up on a lifetime parole and have weekly visits where the dog training police would decide if he needed to be hauled into "Spoiling the Dogs Rotten Rehab." 

"Another 30 days Mr. Daddy and then maybe you'll get it right." 

"But officer look at those sad, hungry faces, can't you see they need another treat!"

And the beat goes on...(SIGH)

But for all that Daddy lacks in dog training, he makes up for in love and occasionally, a brilliant idea or two, like these:

 Look Blaze, how's this for a snack?

Daddy left it on the counter for us!!

Snack Time:  Daddy likes chips and dip while watching evening shows, so wouldn't it stand to reason that the dogs would like a nighttime snack as well?  So instead of staring at drooling dogs, every night is treat night.  Sometimes it is something as simple as a biscuit while other times it can be as elaborate as soup bones or six saved up used peanut butter jars.  Another tradition that started with Silver and Alex and that has carried on with the new generation.

Score 1 point for Daddy

Treats Before Leaving House:  This one is a favorite of mine that Daddy started when we got Silver as a puppy.  He always felt so bad about leaving her and wanted to make our time away on as happy as possible.  Now mind you, Daddy has never read any dog training books, it was just out of pure love and compassion (and lots of guilt) that he wanted to make the dogs feel better.  He would try to use the treat as a good distraction to run out the door and hope they hadn't noticed we had left.  A feat he still tries to accomplish to this day.  Regardless it was rather ingenious, considering we didn't hear about this until a few years after we had already been doing it. 

2 points for Daddy

 Did they say there were refills after the first bowl?

Filling Food Bowls after Meals:  6 dogs in a frenzy while filling bowls before mealtime began to turn into quite a raucous when Daddy came up with fantastic idea of filling their food bowls as soon as they were done eating and before they came out of their rooms.  This not only saves time but cuts down on the frantic commotion that was causing all kinds of crazy when getting their meals ready before eating.  This along with keeping Brut in his room before and after meals, also eliminated added friction of his food possessiveness.  Keeping everyone a little bit calmer when it is time to eat.

This one has been huge in changing the dynamics of mealtime and scores big in my book.  So were going to give Daddy 5 points for this one!

So while Daddy will probably always have a lifetime membership at Doggie Training Rehab, he's been racking up enough points for a "Get Out of Jail Free" card when they come to take him away again and again and again.... 

 Thanks for all the love Daddy and letting us get away with everything!!

We love you Daddy!!

There's Just Something About That Boy

Whether I call him my heart dog or just say his name, I still can not get over the deep connection that exist between Brut and I.  I find myself just flabbergasted that Brut is mine to be mine.  I mentioned in yesterday's post that Brut was getting a bit testy because we've been missing out on our alone time.  Well, it goes both ways.  While I can spend every minute with all the rest of the dogs, being with Brut gets me at the deepest core of my being.  And as much as I can understand, I can never really understand it.

One of my hesitation for trying to leash train Brut better (heel and loose leash) is that I don't want to give up those times when he needs to lead me.  I also have wavered because there are times that Brut and I need to just walk, regardless of how.  It hit me while we were doing our first training session, that I could give him a command that lets him walk like we always have.  I use this as a reward after training and it has worked out great.  It takes the pressure off my conscious of trying to change everything at once and also allows me the wiggle room that I need.  It is so great to have such a freedom.

Today we had a rather short training time, because I was tired and it was about all I could handle.  My goal was to walk a set length in the "heel" position so we could take off on a "free" walk.  Well, I have no doubt Brut knew just as much that I wasn't so much into the training aspect of our time together and did what he could to push my buttons.  He was like a little kid trying to get out his chores, hoping I would give in.  This boy knows me so well.  But I stuck with it, my goal was accomplished and we had a great "free" walk afterwards.  It was worth it.

One of the mental blocks I've had about leash training Brut is the constraint of never being able to go for a regular walk until we are through training.  The thought of walking up and down the road over and over until he learns was almost mind numbing.  If I can't do it, Brut can't do it.  This "free" walk has opened countless doors of possibilities because it isn't just a reward for Brut, but for me as well.  

And that my friends is a blessing for both of us!!

          Ready whenever you are Mom!!     

Something Wagging Challenge-Boxer

I could write out a long in depth post about what lead to taking on this challenge with my competitor in question, but simply put; I've had resentments towards Boxer because he isn't my former cat, Sparky and Boxer has resentments, well, because he is a cat!

THIS IS NOT A 'NORMAL' CAT
I was completely disillusioned by Sparky and two previous cats (all whom have passed on) who were mellow, affectionate, and cool as cucumbers and I thought all cats were that way.  Then I got Boxer and suddenly I was dealing with this wild, obnoxious cat who demanded my attention and didn't care how he got it.  And while I would like to blame his behavior on the dogs, he has always been this way.  More dogs just gives him more reasons to be ruthless.

Just let her try to sit down!!

MY LAP WAS OUR BATTLEGROUND
Every night the war would begin with this 16 pound cat, who according to the vet was not overweight, where we would have our battle of wills.  He would stand on my lap, I mean just stand there on my tired-end-of-the-day-legs like dead weight.    Then he would slowly turn around, doing his 'claw dance,' butt in my face all the while jerking and knocking me with head butts that had the force of a miniature ram.  I in turn would hide my arms behind my back, or try to get him to lay down, until my sensitive nerves couldn't take it anymore and I would push him off my lap.  Or I would try to pet him, hoping to calm him and it would only rile him up more.  I almost dreaded our nightly visit and these battles only fueled my angry feelings towards him more.

SPARKY NEVER ACTED LIKE THIS
And there was my struggle.  I'd missed my heart cat so much, I just couldn't accept that Boxer was nothing like him.  I hadn't even realized that I'd had built up these resentments towards Boxer because he wasn't Sparky.  A few months ago I became aware of how much these thoughts and feelings were hurting our relationship and that I needed to change the course we were taking. 

Look deep inside...or else

THE HEALING PROCESS BEGAN
I began by letting go of Sparky and focusing on Boxer.  I started practicing more patience and kindness with Boxer, but we were still struggling with his demands for affection. So when Pamela's Challenge came along, I seized the opportunity to improve our lap time by using simple "ignore and reward" technique.  When he was quiet on my lap and/or being gentle, I would pet him.  When he got too pushy, I hid my hands.  It was simple. And it worked.  Not only did our lap time improve, but our over all relationship took a dramatic turn. We are not having those large uproars on my lap every night.  Now, we are enjoying each others company and I am beginning to see Boxer for more of who he is, rather than who he is not.

I am sure I am not alone when grieving for another animal to misplace those hopes onto a new one.  Boxer was never going to be Sparky and I still missed Sparky more because of it.  Their personalities are almost bipolar to each other and it has been difficult letting go of that, not to mention that these differences created a situation with a type of cat, I'd never dealt with before.  It was frustrating because I have discovered I don't know cats like I do dogs and I didn't know what to do.

Pamela's challenge gave me a way to acknowledge what I started with Boxer and our healing process and helped me to focus on one aspect of our relationship-the time on my lap.  If I accomplish nothing else with Boxer except this, I have conquered everything.  Our evenings together are almost like heaven now and I'm finding myself falling in love with that little booger all over again.      

   

Yep!  I got her back.

I mean seriously, who can resist all this mancat savvy!!

A special thanks to Pamela and her Something Wagging Challenge that gave Boxer and I what we had been missing.  Our relationship.

 It's a DOUBLE BLOG HOP!!  JOIN US!!



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And the Saturday Blog Hop!!  Hosted by Life with Dogs, The Two Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume.

ONE wish

 Ready?  Set? LUNGE!!

If you were granted ONE wish that would eliminate ONE training problem that you and your dog have been struggling with, what would it be?  Something that you and your dog have been working on that has caused so much frustration between the two of you that you've just about given up hope, only to wake up the next day and find your dog executing your command perfectly.

If you could have ONE training problem completely solved, what would it be?

Mine would be leash walking.  I wish I never had to train my dogs to leash walk ever again.  I wish I could just hook them up and they would walk like it was bred into them.  So that every walk was a peaceful, smooth walk and I didn't have to worry about those occasional or not so occasional arm jerks. No lunges into the ditch.  No special collars or commands, just a great loose leash and heel, so that maybe I could walk more than one dog at a time!  Could you imagine??  That would be a dream come true!

So tell me, what is yours? 

Millions of Thanks

Interesting!!  Your comments from yesterday post regarding how to stop a fight in progress were great! My husband and I love the collection of ideas and a different perspective.

To find out what we are talking about, you can check yesterday's post HERE.    

I was thinking along the lines of noise.  I'd forgotten about the pennies in the can!  Thanks Jen from My Brown Newfies and Five Sibes Mom.  Hubby was excited about that one.  Using a spray bottle was also mentioned by Houndstooth, White Dog Army and Cooking with Dogs.  I was equally impressed with those that talk about options to help with Brut guarding hubby and better ways to handle those peak times.   Thanks, Jen from The Elka Almanac and Kooetenai's Summit Post. We will be pondering them over for the next few days and give you an update.  I think for starters, we will get a the shake can ready and make sure Brut has undisturbed first dibs with Daddy when he comes home.

Thank you for giving us hope and for not having to do this alone.  I don't know if we will find the trainer we need, but just having all of you jump in and sharing has made more of a difference than we can ever write on our little blog.  Thank you taking the time and and your help.  We have never been close to giving up, but it so much more easier and fun when others are there lifting you up.  We can never thank you enough.

Love,

The 24 Paws of Love 

I would personally like to thank everyone. 
As long as no one suggested that I had to get off the couch!!
Stayed tuned for progress updates!!

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Our Secret Dog Language

 We all know the basic command words, sit, stay, down, etc., but do you have any of your own words, phrases or signals that you've developed just for your dog?  Something you won't find in any training book, but is part of your every day lingo?

Here are a few of ours:

"ALL GONE"-  Waving both hands with palm facing dog, like a double hand good-bye.
I started this when Brut was young to tone down that crazed food monster in him.  Any time there are treats or food that are being given to dogs, when it is gone we use this phrase along with the hand signal to stop resource guarding.  Works great!

"BE NICE"-I started using this with Silver when she was a puppy for bite inhibition.  I would keep my hand still and say the phrase and she would let up on her bite pressure.  I've used it with all the dogs when they were puppies and it also works when the dogs get a little crazy with the Boxer the cat.  Though not always as well.  :)

"1, 2, 3"-This is an interesting one.  Brut was driving me crazy one day on a walk when every time he  stopped to sniff something it seemed like I was waiting for all eternity for him to move on.  I was getting so frustrated with him, I started counting to three and on "three," he started walking.  I was so surprised, I kept using it throughout the walk and it worked.

Now the funny thing about this is that I was walking Silver separately as she was quite pregnant at the time and while I've never really had a problem with Silver taking too long, she responded the same way.  And that's not even the best part, when I started walking Fiona and Zappa, without any training before hand, they too also started moving on the count of three.  Chance and Blaze picked up on it just as easy when they came back to live with us.  Pretty cool, huh?  Wonder if those pups were listening from the inside??  bol!

So tell me, what are some of the words, phrases or hand signals that is part of your secret dog language??

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If you haven't already, make sure you sign up to win a bag of Terra Paws Freeze Dried Treats for Brut's Birthday Bash Give Away HERE!

Sign up ends on Brut's Birthday at midnight, Oct. 11, 2011.

Hey, What About My Progress??

I'm always sharing about the progress that the dogs have made which got me thinking, what about the progress I have made over the last couple of years with six dogs and unique circumstances?  So I thought I would take a minute and share some of profound ideas that have been developing over time that is making my life easier for me and the dogs.

I used to think that I had to have a set time and space in order to train.  I don't do well with schedules and deadlines and since the dogs are quite used my randomness, I have begun to use it to work for us.  I've been learning to weave our training through the day.  Like in this recent post.   

I also never could fully grasp how to utilize taught commands to bypass bad behavior.  For some reason it took a while for this one to sink in.  Like it just didn't occur to me when any of the dogs were getting out of hand to tell them to sit.  It was like a new awakening.

I have focus quite heavily on the Brut, Chance and Blaze for the last few years as they were the highest priority that I spent little time training Zappa, Fiona and Silver.  Man, does it show!  I have begun with small training exercises with them on some of our problem areas.

I began a list for each dog noting each of their issues that need to be addressed, making it easier for me to remember.  I never thought about writing it down until I read a post by Married with Dawgs.  (slaps forehead)  Since I'm usually in a constant shuffle with dogs, I can just take any opportunity as it presents itself. Eliminating X amount of pressure that I am notorious for putting myself under.

I refuse to have a time table in which to accomplish these goals, only that I keep working on them.  There are just too many animals in this home to tend to and I need to give all of us as much wiggle room as possible to help in the success.  I have their entire lives to work with them and if I have learned nothing else, time will take care of everything.

I will probably be doing all of things for some time without worrying about a finish line and I think that's awesome!  It has taken me quite some time to break my own chains of how our dogs should be trained and give myself the freedom to do what works best for them and myself.  And that my friends is a beautiful gift.  :)

So what work's for you?   What you have you changed in your thinking or style to accommodate you and dog's lifestyle?  I'd love to hear about it!

Theory Evolution-My Personal Thoughts

Many of us grew up with the dominance theories for training dogs.  That was all there was and it was all about controlling the animal to behave.  For some reason while taking care of the duck today (of all animals), I began to take in account the impact these practices would have had on my dogs if I had continued it.  Like many, I started using the same techniques with my first dog and carried them on to Silver.  It was when I got Brut, my problematic dog when I began searching for something different and was introduced to clicker training and the entire theory of positive reinforcement.  For some reason, it struck me suddenly how these evolving  theories have changed everything I do with my dogs.  From the way I think, to the way I react and I found myself being washed over with gratitude. Not only did I believe and understand them, but they coincided with my own beliefs and love for animals.  They gave me the freedom to explore further the emotional bonding to have a deeper relationship and a level of equality and a sense of well being with my dogs.  Something I always found conflicting with the "old school" ways.

While I use a wide variety of techniques and training skills, they are based on positive reinforcement to some degree or another.  I have even adapted some of those "old school" techniques for use with positive reinforcement under special circumstances and have had great results.

I have found that it isn't just a theory or an idea, but more of a way of life that not only pertains to my dogs, but myself as well.  It is more than just giving your dog a treat when they do a good or the right thing, but a sense of respect, communication, and bonding between two living beings.  It isn't just a set time that they have your undivided attention, but how we learn to respond to each other throughout the day that adds quality to both of our lives.  Being able to co-exist in a harmony and balance that I think many would agree was lacking some before if we look at how far dog training and theories have come.

I would personally like to thank the founders and believers who made those astonishing breakthroughs, that continue to challenge our lives today to have a better relationship with our dogs and to be the fantastic owners that our dogs are worthy of.   They simply deserve it!

Does anyone else feel this way about the changes that have happen to dog theories for the better?  Or do you think we still have a ways to go?

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Go Away World!!

You know those days when you wish the whole world would go away and leave you alone with your dog?  Well, I was having one of those days when I took Chance for a walk.  I was in no mood to "train," I just wanted to walk out my frustrations of the day.  Our walks are usually pretty quiet, but tonight we started out an hour earlier than normal as daylight is getting shorter now.  So I was completely caught off guard when the rest of the neighborhood was out and about disrupting my entire vision of running away from the world with  Chance by my side.     

Here's was our "adventure.":

A turkey on the edge of the woods that drove Chance crazy and we weren't even to the corner of the road.  As the turkey flew off, he had to sit for some time trying to settle down from the thoughts of a giant drumstick dinner.  While I was patiently waiting, two small girls on bikes with their mom went by, which Chance surprising paid no attention to, probably because he had his eyes on the two tiny dogs walking toward him with their owner.  He couldn't tear his eyes away no matter what I did.  My choices:  It was the little dogs or the fresh turkey smells.  So in order to salvage what little control I had, I turned him into the woods, where he focused back on the turkey's lingering scent.  We sat in the woods for what seemed an endless amount of time, before I could get him to walk without dragging me through the woods.  Ah, but dear friends our adventures weren't over yet.  Out of the woods and back down the road, right where the turkey took flight, Chance got pretty crazy in that spot, and so back and forth we walk past the spot, then we headed in the opposite direction.  Only to come across the two little girls and their mom on bikes...which actually turned out to be the highlight of the whole crazy night.  Chance was relaxed and walked right by them, I gave him some treats to emphasize how great he was doing and he passed without looking like a crazy lunatic dog as their wheels spun by.  On top of that, we had missed the tiny dogs coming back.  Wow!  Now we are getting somewhere! So I decided to take him through his favorite field to end the night before going home.  Ah, but our walk wasn't quite over yet, a loose six month old puppy with his owner and no recall.  Really?  At that point I gave up, turned around and headed back down the road, where we experience the turkey essence once again and finally turned the corner down our road to go home.

I sat with Chance who hung his head in my lap.  I don't think that was the walk he was looking for either.  After a long pause and signs of twilight began to cascade the sky, I laced up Blaze and we jogged up and down the streets without a soul in sight.  FINALLY, the world melted away and I had a walk alone with the dogs!       

Monday Memories-Shy Fiona

Fiona is the shyest out of all the dogs.  When she was about 5 months old, Daddy started taking her on his work adventures.  She was great in the car, but when he would stop at the gas station for a pit stop, Fiona would be so nervous she would tuck her tail under and hang her head low.  So to help her get over her fear, Daddy would start running around the gas station with her and her head and tail would perk up.

Each time Daddy took Fiona he keep doing this until she was able to walk with confidence.  Now believe me, Daddy has never read a book on dog training, watched any dog behavioral shows, nor does he listen to me most of the time.  Somehow he just knew what to help overcome this shy little girl's fears.  Fiona is still shy in certain areas, like meeting new people, but she shows none of when she is walking in public.  Daddy's smart thinking, patience and consistency  is why Fiona can confidently walk anywhere with her tail held high.

I'm just a little jealous I didn't think of it first.  :) 

"Training" Blaze

Teaching Blaze to leash walk has presented many challenges for me and has been completely different than training Chance.  Being that she was one of our pups that was returned abused, I find that working with her, I am extremely sensitive to this fact.   I find myself flowing with a sense of guilt about what has happened to her and find I am easy on her in our training.  While I don't let things slide, pulling for example, but I finding myself compromising training so that we can just walk.

I have never forgotten those days when she came back home.  I will never be able to shake those images and feelings from my mind, nor the guilt I still feel about letting her go.  While she has come along way since those first days, I have always had an extra soft spot for her, regardless of how much she may aggravate me when she is in hyper drive.  I suppose that this sensitivity to her could be seen as letting her get her way, but I found that I was asking too much of myself to expect to "train" her like I did with Chance and realized if I can't do it, I can't expect her to.  So I had to let go and let us find our way together.  We have been too far out of sync with each other when it comes to our walks that we needed to find a simple answer that works for both of us.   

So we are learning to walk together with a few basic training steps.  Any other advancements will come in time.  I have went far too long not being able to walk her at all and so this is an actual relief.  While I am still a little uncomfortable using the no pull head halter, (another part of my guilt) it is letting us walk together and have that bonding time we have been missing without the added frustration.  It took several months of working with her for me to I realized that not only did she need to learn in her own way but I still have my own guilt to settle within me.

This revelation has been a blessing in disguise.  I can not tell you how nervous I have been trying to leash train her, finding it so hard to relax and be comfortable with her.  I have been so frustrated before walking Blaze as we have done a lot of head butting in past, but as I take these simple steps of walking, we are beginning to come together to a higher level of respect and understanding between us.  Blaze is helping me by letting me follow her lead and in return she is following mine.  Simple trust for the joy of a walk.  

No Treats???

Chance at his watch post

What do you do when you don't have any treats for training and such?  I am trying an experiment with the Chance and teaching him to be less reactive when my husband is walking the Back Dogs.  I have Chance in his fenced area while my husband walks each Back Dog by us one by one. 

I have been playing with different ideas with this scenario and I never have treats on me nor do I really think about it. Then one time when my husband was coming back with one of the dogs and Chance sat watching, I knelt down and began to pet him which lead into massaging his back.  Up and down his spine, gently working my fingers in, when I noticed he was turning his attention towards me.  All the while talking calmly with him while he communicated back to me what he was witnessing and feeling.  I have found through our walk training that sitting is very productive for him, not just for calming down, but where he can safely witnesses and express what he is seeing, thinking and feeling and I listen.  This helps him ground himself when he is over excited, yet he can still take in what is going on around him.  Having Chance sit has been a valuable tool when we come across dogs, people and wildlife on our walks and since he was already sitting I utilize his position.

Most of the time I don't use treats, not for any other reason than I usually don't have them on me.  And if I do have them I use them sparely because I usually don't have many.  I don't use toys or other objects because they have very little value to the dogs, so I am left with just me and my dog.  What do I do?  The massage seem to work.  Out of the four Back Dogs, Chance only has a slight reaction with three of them and when I began massaging him with one of the less threatening dogs, I had great results.  Not only did it work, but we did it together.  By feeling him we were able to speak to each other as well as listen to each other.  Something I have found so pertinent with my dogs and being able to acknowledge how they are feeling.  Sometimes all it takes is that little extra understanding of where they are coming from that they can turn around and give what I am asking of them.

It was an awesome moment with Chance and we were able to do it again with the last Back Dog, Silver, another easy practice, and once Chance was confident all was safe and sound, we had a round of play for reward.  It was simply beautiful watching this fascinating dog feel so validated and secure and I was simply amazed to be a part of this wonderful dance we have together, never knowing where the next note will take us.

So how about you?  What do you use when you don't have treats?  And if you don't use treats, what do you find works for you and your dog?      

The Returning Gift

I grew up learning dominance training for dogs.  I could never stand the constrain of it, even though I used it in my adult life.  Silver got the brunt of it and it wasn't until getting Brut that I felt even more constricted by conventional training and the need to be free.  I have read maybe three books on dog training and never read any of them in full.  I found positive reinforcement and that helped to loosen up the grip but I still found it lacking in creativity.  I began experimenting with several methods, a mixed bag of things I'd picked up along the way and my own intuition.  I constantly changed and used what I needed at the time or what worked taking things to the next level.  I learned to work within my own pace and the dogs, letting them guide me to where they wanted to go.  I made mental notes along the way for my brain to process and when situations presented themselves, the idea was suddenly there.  I followed the dogs lead many times (oops! that's not the right way) and found I had a better outcome than I when I tried to take the reins.  I thrive on creativity and began to shape and mold the tidbits of information I discovered along the to work for me.  I found that for me something will only work if it is built for both the dogs and I.  If I'm not comfortable with it, then I can not expect my dogs to be.  Over the past several years our lives have been sculpting into this beautiful bond that exist between our dogs and us and we have realized along the way that the journey is almost as good as the results.

Like any parent who wants different for their children, I wanted different for my dogs than how I grew up.  I wanted them to have the freedom to express and think for themselves (gee, how did we end up with Huskies??) and I wanted their personalities to shine, not be stuffed in a box or made to conform.  I wanted them to live and experience life to it's fullest and not be tied down to rules and regulation.  Has it been easy?  No, and sometimes it is harder than hell. And as much as I believe in it, I still struggle within myself the acceptance of being able to do that.  I have beat myself up because my dogs aren't like the other dogs or can't do the same things.  They don't always have the best manners and they have special circumstances that make them outcast compared to other dogs and people I know. Sometimes I am embarrassed and ashamed and will go through periods where I try to "fix them," only to find myself swallowed in guilt, begging their forgiveness, and looking in those soulful eyes asking myself, "what am I doing?"  Then I take a deep breath and bow again to these souls that lift me higher than I should be, reminding me of the reason I started this road.  For these are my own inner struggles to be myself.  I recently discovered that the gift I have been giving them is being returned to me ten fold.  My dogs are teaching me how to have the freedom and beauty to be myself. 

For far too long I have wanted the perfect dog, but my belief in letting them be themselves overrides that want and holds a richness that inspires me to hold myself to the same principles.  A feat still in progress and a journey that we are taking together.      

Can Your Relationship Stand?

Writing about my dogs is my passion, but lately I've been having some difficulties being able to express myself.  What if I came to point where I couldn't write anymore and had one last chance to write for a post for 24 Paws of Love?  If I had one last message of what I value most during this journey with my dogs, what would I say that would make the biggest impact for another dog lover who happened to stumble on that forever post?  What has been impressed upon me the most if I had one last word to say that I could share about my experience, strength and hope of my lives adventure of living with dogs?

Relationship.

Everything from the time I was born has been about the beautiful woven relationship I have had with all of the dogs I have been blessed with in my life.  Take away all the training, behavior modification and all the things a dog can do and the foundation is this incredible friendship is deep and rich with a love matched in heaven.

One of the most beautiful gifts I have been given over and over is this inter-connection between these loving creatures and the two way street that exist.  I have known and received the gifts of love that dogs give, but it was when I realized what they received from me that open channels of energy that were beyond my comprehension.  They needed me, not for food, water and shelter, but they needed me to be me.  A concept that is beyond measure and still sends shivers of love through my soul.  How can there be anything more beautiful?  Our exchanges of communication are so pure they have pierced my heart in places I never knew existed.  When I look into the eyes of the beast, I see they are staring back at me just as deeply and as intently as we become enveloped with each other.

What if everything you ever taught your dog was striped away, do you believe you would still have a relationship with your dog that would stand the test of time?  If your dog was never able to do anything right ever again, would you still have the friendship between the two of you as a solid foundation?  Is your relationship strong enough to withstand the raw and wild?  When all you have is each other is it enough to hold you together?  

In my humble experience, if you have a relationship, you have everything you need with your dog and what more could you ask for?