The pains of walking without a dog

 There is nothing worse than walking alone, especially without your best friends.  I have barely taken any walks since Chance, Blaze and Fiona died.  And while I walk with Zappa, when he could walk, the walks were very short and slow.  Just the facts of walking with an elderly dog.  

Every day I'd wake up and say I was going to take myself for a walk and almost every day I failed.  I just couldn't bare the thought of going alone without my protectors.  It started to become unbearable when my body would revolt against me.  All of this pent up anxiety and energy I had gave me torturing leg cramps to the point I was standing up while watching our evening show.  I couldn't relax and the only other thing that made it tolerable was laying down.  Most of the time all this tension was at night, but there were times during the day when my legs would act up.  

And I still couldn't walk myself.  I made due with the times I was able to walk Zappa and that helped some, but I really needed to burn off some steam.  Every day asking for this to be the day and 99% of the time, I still couldn't do it.  Even with all the physical and mental anguish, I didn't want to go for that lonely walk.  I wanted one of dogs to go with me.  I needed them for my self-confidence.  I needed them for the distraction.  I needed them for the communication and connection.  How was I going to give myself what the dogs had always gave me?  How could I do that??

I didn't know.  But this past month the pain was so intolerable,  I had my coat on and was out the door before I could stop myself or even realize what I was doing.  I walked to the corner and back.  I had finally done it...walked without a physical dog.  Down the road, out in the open for anyone to see me.  Walking alone, with my self consciousness flaring like a beacon and still I walked on.  All the way to the corner, where I did a 180° turn and came back with my breathing starting to slow as the fear and stress released from my body one step at a time.

Now I'm walking on a regular basis.  All I have to do is remember how bad my legs get at night and I am pushing myself to do it.  It is a good feeling.  I don't like walking without a dog, I never will, but for now that is what I must do.  I know the dogs are there in spirit, but for the most part this is my own personal battle between me and myself.  Maybe I will never get over my insecurities, but I will be stronger for the next dog, because I had the blessings of walking with Chance, Blaze, Fiona, Brut and Silver who all gave me something to grasp to...themselves. 

I just look better and feel better with a dog next to me.  :)  

Brut Magic

I had one of the best walks ever with Brut today!  We were both so calm and lucid we just flowed together.  With a little bit of treats and a short leash we passed by a gentleman on a bike, two older children playing, and the grand daddy of them all, my neighbor down the road going up to her house with her dog! 

It was fantastic!  Brut didn't even try to lunge and make any inklings to do so!  No dirty glares.  No lowering of the head and getting in attack stance.   HUGE progress!!

He was being such a sweetheart.  He was being the dog that he is when we are alone.  Which proves he has it in him to do it. 

I'm so proud of my boy!  He made my whole day.  ☺

 I'm just full of surprises!

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!  

How I know when my world is alright.

I don't know about anyone else, but the winter blues having been getting me down.  When my world feels off  each dog shares something with me that makes it feel alright again.  With Silver it playing tag or fetch with her, just watching her play is a joy.  Special kisses from Zappa because Daddy's dog.  With Fiona it is her laying on my feet at night for that sense of security.  Blaze will plop down in front of me waiting for kisses on the forehead and Chance makes everything better by letting me snuggle and hold him when I'm feeling down.  And while everyone played their part today it was my walk with Brut that settled my soul and brought peace to my little world.  

We went around my favorite time, just before dusk.  I hooked Brut up to pull a small log (maybe 10 pounds) because in the winter this snow dog has too much energy for me to handle.  :)  And we headed off.  And I felt the weight of my sorrows and troubles begin to just melt away as we jogged along.  I let him decide most of the path and I just followed.  It will always blow my mind how deeply in sync we can be.  There have been more than enough walks that we push and pull against each other, even if it is in fun, it can be exhausting.  With Brut pulling he had to think about what he was doing, plus he was using different muscles and pulling weight was wearing himself out.  I felt like we were in our own little world.  It was so perfect.  And as my depression worked itself out with each footprint and the cold put a freeze on all of the bad and worthless thoughts, I felt the rippling between us of two being one.

And it was just that simple.  Just Brut and I and the perfect walk.  The need to be alone in our solitude together.  Understanding each other's need and the equality that this was our walk.  For both of us, hidden in our fortress of the waning sky where we can just be.  

What does your dog give you for that peace of mind when your world feels astray?    

Walking Brut Style!

I uploaded the beginning of this video a while back not knowing that the whole thing didn't load.  So if you remember the beginning, keep watching there is more of Walking, Brut Style.  :)

on YouTube

And he seems to never run out of fluid.  

BOL!!

Anyone else have a heavy marking dog?

The simple power of a fence

I don't know about where you live, but around these parts people don't believe in fences or tie outs for their dogs.  Instead they would rather leave them loose in their yard so that they can charge us when I'm walking the dogs.  It is beyond ridiculous.

But there is one house on the corner that has one of those invisible fences with three dogs.  Now I don't care for the invisible fences, too many chances and risks, but so far these dogs have proven themselves again and again to stay behind the line.  So what I treat it was when I walked Brut down past their house, all three dogs barking and such and Brut is just strutting like a peacock past them.  He didn't fight or lunge or pull.  As soon as he realized he wasn't going to be charged he paraded himself in front of them like King Tut!!  What a joy!!  He actually walked in the heel position without an qualms.  It was so great!!

Far too many times and for far too long dogs have been charging Brut.  He is so well rehearsed that he will just sit there and let them come as close as possible, getting them in striking range.  I have been so blessed that there hasn't been any physical contact with any of the dogs we have encounter, but there have been some close calls.  And that just isn't a fairness my dogs and I should have to live with.  Maybe Brut wouldn't be as dog aggressive if he didn't always feel like he was under attack when walking.  Would it change the his nature.  I doubt it, but it might have helped to take the edge off.

Sometimes I get so tired of accommodating for such asinine human behavior or beliefs.  What do you think? Have you struggle with walking your dogs because of loose dogs?  Do you think there would be less aggressive dogs if they felt protected from other dogs on your walk?

Meshing the Front and Back Dogs: Phase 1

We had a very exciting Sunday that we wanted to share with you.  We paired the Front Dogs with the Back Dogs for a walk.  It is something we haven't done in a long time and now we are hoping to make it a weekly thing.

The pairs were:  Brut and Silver, Zappa and Blaze, & Fiona and Chance.

Each of these pairs have walked together a few times the past few years.  

I used to walk Brut and Silver together until Brut started copping an attitude and we had dogs charging at us from other houses.  So hubby took Brut and I took Silver.  Brut can be so territorial and since Silver is his girl, he acts like he owns the neighborhood.  So Daddy and him took the lead, while Silver and I followed behind, keeping them just enough apart that they couldn't touch.  No problems there.

Then Daddy took Zappa while I took Blaze.  These two dogs have had the most contact out of the two packs.  Zappa was the only one who got along with Blaze when she first came back with us, but it has been a while since they have been together again. We did the same walk pattern, Zappa in front, Blaze and I in back.   Zappa was a little more aggressive, don't know if it is leash reactivity, but I do believe he didn't care for Blaze being part of his daddy time.  He is such a spoiled brat who almost always gets his way.  And I think he felt protective of Daddy.  About halfway through the walk he calmed down, but stayed on his toes.  Which later made me realize how much I need to work with him on some manners and commands.  And Blaze...she didn't hardly pay any attention to Zappa or his threats.  She did what she always does on a walk, she hunts for ground rodents.  :)  Zappa didn't phase her a bit.

So that left Daddy to walk Fiona and I took Chance.  These two have walked before really well before, but this time it was Chance that was being more reactive.  Thank God for all of the leash training I did with him last year.  I had to stop him a few different times to get his attention back on me.  I did my best to nip any signs of his reactivity in the bud and by the first turn, he was calmer.  Fiona paid no attention to Chance and walked quite nicely for Daddy.

I do believe that Chance was a bit hurt and feeling protective with another dog walking with us, same as with Zappa.  This was a huge change for everybody after not doing it for over a year.  So we are going to take it slowly and keep all the pairs in this order for a while and see how we can build from there.  We really wanted to work on this last summer but with Daddy's schedule it wasn't possible, but this summer is looking good for it.  It will be good practice for everyone.  We will still be doing our one-on-one walks and do these pairs once or twice a week and see how it goes.

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!!     

Winter so far...

 How could she say such a thing?  Spoiled?  I'm so hurt!

It's been one of those weeks when I could really use an extra pair of hands for each dog.  I haven't felt well and while all of the dogs are good about that sort of thing,  Brut's patience level are starting to plummet.  He's starting to get a bit touchy about not having his Mommy and me time.  Like the boy needs a reason to start something.  :)  Spoiled brat!

This winter has pretty much sucked, unless we figure out a way to dog sled on ice.  Two winters in row now with hardly any snow.  Our new sled has been in the living room for 2 months, getting it ready, haven't been able to try it out except to walk it back out to the shed.

On the plus side, the warmer temps have kept me more outdoors than normal, working on leash walking with the Back Dogs.  Some of you may remember I started working with Chance and then Blaze this past year and without being able to sled, I've decided to tackle Brut, Fiona and Zappa with leash walking.  Nothing keeps my non-pulling tactics sharp like an icy road.  :) 

Which brings me to one of the greatest investments I made for my husband and I.  Slip on ice studs for our boots.  These babies are fantastic!!  I have always wanted to get some and finally remembered at Christmas time to pick up a few for us.  They are great for walking the dogs and actually having some grip or even playing in the backyard.   Considering we could rent out ice skates out there.  I don't even know the brand name of these slip-on studs or a website to give you, which means that this isn't any promotion or endorsement, we were just really happy this product and not falling on our a** all winter.  :)

And if this winter hasn't been crappy enough, the skunks are out in full swing, in FEBRUARY!!  Considering we are lucky if spring gets rolling by May in these parts, we usually don't have to worry about these little stinkers until June or so.  It is one of those, if it isn't one thing, it's another type deals.  The dogs have been going bananas as the little bugger who lives under my neighbor's shed taunts them just past the fence, not to mention the way the little stink bombs are announcing their presence all over the neighborhood.  I'd better stock up on lots of  vinegar.  :(  Lord help me it's going to be a long spring...  And summer...  And fall...

Nothing like a good walk...

I don't know...

what it is about digging in the dirt,

But it sure makes me feel funny afterwards!

******************************************

Thanks to Life with Dogs, The Two Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume.

Brut Therapy

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!

For those of you who don't already think I'm a bit on the crazy side when it comes to my observance of my dogs and their relationship to me, this next story will seal any doubts you might have had  :)

I was walking Brut, it was practically dark and we came up on the main road that runs to town.  There are a few businesses that were closed and a couple of restaurants that were just getting ready to close up, when Brut and I started down the road.

I tend to get nervous around people in general, so when I saw that the street was busier than normal, I began to stiffen up.  There was a guy on bike coming down our side of the road, before he was close, Brut stopped and began sniffing around.  Now if I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes, I would have balked at what I'm about to tell you.  He was looking at me out of the corner of his eye!  I kept this sideways gaze while thinking, What is Brut doing?  He looks like he's pretending to sniff.  Brut would be the first to tell you when he stops to sniff, all of his focus and concentration is on that scent.  He doesn't pay any attention to me, so something about this was different.  As the cyclist neared into sight, Brut nonchalantly started walking very casually forward without one inclination towards this cyclist, which in itself was amazing and we carried on.

Taking care of humans all day is exhausting!

 
Now if that had been the only incident, I would have called a fluke, but it happened two more times with a skateboarder and some people coming out of the restaurant. I kept my focus on Brut "sniffing" as these people approached and he kept me in his eye sight, and when I began to relax, he started moving forward.  I was enjoying this game while completely trusting in this big lug, as he lead me down the road.   

When we turned the corner to head home, I wanted to scream with joy!  Brut silently took the lead and was teaching me how to relax around strangers.  To someone else it looked like a girl walking her dog, little did they know it was that my furry friend that was leading the way.  I haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face every time I think about it.  I was so proud of both of us.  He actually helped me to face my fears, in a way I couldn't have done without him helping me.  It was just that simple.  It had been a really bad day, I was in no mood to walk, but he kept insisting that it would be good for us and it was.  It was one of the best walk ever.

So what do you think?   Active imagination?  Or the will of dog who knows her owner all too well and was carrying out his angelic mission?  And you can't hurt my feelings, I already know I'm crazy, dog crazy that is!!  :)    

Where Do You Want to Go?

I accomplished a feat I have never tried before:  I walked all six dogs in one afternoon!!  (Individually, of course.)  Lord knows we are no where near The Thundering Herd's level.  BOL!!  But we keep working on it one dog at a time.  We were having one of those all day rainy days that no one but this crazy dog lady would be out and about in the neighborhood.  So I took on the challenge.

Chance was my ice breaker, just in case any loonies did happen to be out.  We sailed through perfectly.  Blaze was doing so good, I almost didn't want the walk to end.  When I got to Silver, I really began to relax.  Next was Fiona.  Fiona was fun.  At this point I was letting the dogs chose where they wanted to go. I told her she could where ever she wanted as long as we were on a path.   The wooded area near our house has all kinds of deer runs and with Fiona's nose she found every single one of them. 

When I took Zappa I became aware of a difference I hadn't noticed before.  He barely put his nose to the ground and he either he didn't want to follow the same paths or he was after something else.  I think he is more of a sight dog.  Unless he just didn't want to get his pretty little nose wet.  We traveled up, down and around the woods just as Zappa pleased.

I was lucid by the time I got to Brut and he took me on one of wild and crazy adventures.  Brut is fun because I can just let him drag me along and since he was in the drivers seat, he did just that.  I don't know what he was after but we circled the woods twice.  Brut has a way of get me giggling because he is so serious and comical at the same time.  I had such a great time "letting go of the leash" so to speak and letting the dogs take me on their explorations.  So loose and free, it was intoxicating.  Have you ever tried doing that?

 Follow the lead dog, HA!

She just needs me to drag her along!!

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.  :) 

A Day at the Park

We had a break from the heat and blaring sun, early morning thunderstorms, then heavy clouds and rain on and off through the day.  It was heaven!  I took the opportunity to take a couple of the dogs to the park in the afternoon and it was a nice break in the action, as we usually wait until sunset for our walks.

I took Brut first.  We were in dire need of some alone time together.  The park is hardly used except for baseball and soccer games and on a day like today we were alone.  Brut and I had our own agendas for our walk.  I became lost in my thoughts as he sniff every ounce of information that lay on the trail.  We jogged most of the way and fell into an easy motion with each other.  Natural and comfortable we enjoyed the pace and place and being alone together.  Sometimes it is nice just to be together and appreciate the other's company without feeling the need for a deep sense of connection.  To just be.  Together.  We both had a hard time leaving.  Not five minutes after we got home, it down poured.  Our timing couldn't have been better.

After a bite and a little rest, I took Blaze to the park.  Do you ever feel that there is one dog that you are still getting to know?  Blaze is one of those dogs for me. Blaze likes to move quickly so I jogged/walked through the trails with her, as I was a little wore from jogging with Brut.  She fell right in sync with me and I think she appreciated the extra pace.  She probably would have liked to sniff around a little more, but she kept right up with me.  I haven't tried to jog with her before since I have just really started working with her on leash training, but she did fantastic.  Since I am in an experimental phase with Blaze and trying to find that little niche that is just her, I keep trying different things.  Jogging through the park trails seemed to work for her and she did fantastic.  She never tried to pull or zip in another direction she stayed right with me.  Maybe jogging together will be part of the key, that is if my weary knees will hold out!!
   

Chance Therapy 101

 Have you ever let your dog take the reins and let him guide you?

I had a  unique experience with Chance and an anxiety attack that had occurred just before I was ready to take him for a walk.  I had almost talked myself out of it because a walk meant facing a few extra fears and I hadn't begun to calm down from my previous one.  A post written by the House of Carnivores has been ringing through my head ever since I read it about her experience with horses and that no matter how weak or scared you feel when thrown, you get back on that horse.  So I bit the bullet and took Chance.

So as Chance and I headed through the wooded trail, my anxiety was growing more with every fast pace step we took.  When we reached the end of the trail at the opening of the field, Chance pulled and I stopped.  He sat quietly while I held my fluttering stomach and tried to concentrate on my breathing, the wind and sky.  Chance looked at me every so often and then would turn his head.  The roles had suddenly reversed.  He was patiently waiting for me to calm down and was helping me to do it before moving on.  As I gained some composure our gaze met and held and with my own words Chance asked, "Are you ready?"

I was OK, but still shaky as we headed out onto the field.  Chance was pulling in every crazy direction possible and that's when I realized this wasn't my show anymore and I surrendered to him.  We started jogging around the outside of the track, then the pace picked up until we were both running.  I mean RUNNING!  Ya know so fast your feet feel like they are going to fly out from under you.  After the first stretch I had to slow him down, I was laughing so hard and his game had worked. Speed burnt off that extra anxiety!  It was great!

We did a couple more short burst, then cruised up the hill and back down all at top speed and all the while laughing so hard I could barely catch my breath.  This was the Chance I had started running with before we started leash training and he was in his glory, but it was more than that, he knew what we needed and he flourished in the trust I gave him.

When the scent of a rabbit was more than he could handle it was time to take the reins back and at that point he was willing to give up the control.  What an awesome experience to be able to share!  My anxiety was long gone and I had let go to experience the trust in this relationship that had been built.  I couldn't believe when that little stinker was waiting for ME to calm down, something  I have done for him many times before.  How do you even begin to explain the depths of a relationship like that?  Talk about being touched.  Tears and a smile come to my face when I think of that moment.  And when we ran...he lead, I followed.  It was that simple and miraculous at the same time. 

And the only way to sum it up...that's my boy, Chance.  :)   

"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?      

Have You Ever Noticed This?

The wind!  The smells!  It's too just too much!

I don't know if this happenes to anyone else, but on really windy days, I can't compete for Chance's attention during our walks.  He is all over the place, pulling and tugging with his nose every which way.  When I make him sit for pulling, it is like he is in this dreamy trance and we actually sit there for 10 minutes at a time.  We must have stopped 10 times more than usual due to his pulling.  Whatever the breeze was stirring up was filling his nostrils like cocaine.  He looked higher than a kite.  And anxious.  Bouncing off of ever tree and blade of grass to be found.   It was like an alien came and took over his body and brain.

I didn't see any other way out gaining his attention, unless I was to constantly feed him treats for the rest of our walk, so I turn around, cutting our walk rather short and followed this intoxicated dog back home.  It was just a little more than I could handle today.

Come to think of it all of the dogs were quite restless today with the wind blowing all day.  More than normal.  Wonder what the heck was in the air.

Has anyone else ever noticed this drunken affair with the wind?  Do you have a hard time getting your dog's attention when this happens?

Simple

There is something about walking a dog that unclenches the brain.  Falling into the ease of step, finding a rhythm that suits both of you that it becomes more natural to walk with a dog than without.  There is something that is just simple about striding along with our furry friends that somehow melts the entire world away.  And I wish they never had to end.



Sorry we missed everybody the last couple of days as we had two power outages and hopefully it will be the last for a while.  :)