Oh Behave!

The other day a young boy asked me if I believe in miracles. After I said yes, he asked if I’d ever witnessed one. I told him I’d think about it and get back to him.

I have thought about it and yes, miracles surround me every day – they’re called dogs! Dogs help people in a myriad of ways and have done so for eons. Service dogs help the blind, deaf and disabled navigate the world more safely and confidently. Dogs alert people with epilepsy of imminent seizures. Search and rescue dogs can mean the difference between life and death for disaster survivors. Dogs in law enforcement locate bombs and drugs, routinely putting their lives on the line for humans. Dogs work as sentries, guards, herders of livestock, hunters, retrievers and sled pullers.

That’s not all. Like other pets, dogs bring healing to people in all sorts of animal assisted activities and therapy programs. Dogs help trauma victims open up and begin the recovery process. Dogs help people regain motor control and cognitive functioning. Dogs brighten the days of the elderly, the sick and the infirm. Dogs comfort kids with autism and help them relax. There are even dogs that serve as courtroom buddies for kids who must testify; having a dog on the witness stand with them helps the children feel more comfortable as they attest to their (often disturbing) stories.

Pet dogs are our companions and friends, playmates and keepers of secrets. They give their lucky guardians love, comfort, affection and joy. Whether you’re young or old, sick or depressed, exhausted or feeling fine, the love of a dog makes most of us feel better.

Dogs give so much and ask so very little of us in return. Sadly, humans fail dogs and other animals again and again. Humans abuse animals, send them to battle fronts and throw them into fighting rings. Wild animals are imprisoned and displayed in cages and circuses. Their habitats are destroyed or the animals are killed so tusks, paws and teeth can be turned into trophies. Dogs and other animals are used as test subjects for chemicals and drugs. Many people give more thought to caring for their cars than they do for their pets.

And yet, dogs don’t give up on us. How do creatures who’ve been so mistreated by humans still manage to love, play and shower us with affection? How do they manage to trust any human ever again? It’s a miracle when you stop and think about it. Equally miraculous is the joy and love pet dogs bring to their people every single day. If dogs and other animals are capable of extending such generosity towards us, what compassion and kindness might we be capable of showing them if we all set our minds to it?

This year I honor and thank all animals everywhere for all they do and have done for us. I send deep gratitude and appreciation to animal welfare advocates, shelter workers, rescuers, caretakers, foster givers, defenders of wildlife, and people everywhere who love their pets and are kind to animals.

Ghandi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” With that in mind I send out my fervent wish and hope that one day ours will be the greatest of worlds – one in which no creature is enslaved or abused or unwanted, and all creatures are loved, respected and cherished.

Every time you’re kind to another creature, you change the world for the better. Big woofs to all you wonderful critter lovers and best wishes for safe and happy holidays to you and your furry friends!!

Brrrr! We’ve been having a cold snap here in the San Francisco Bay Area and rain’s expected for the next several days. At times like this, exercising my dog Vinnie outdoors can be a pill. Vinnie is a wet weather wimp. He hates going out in the rain. He’d rather hold it for hours than venture out into a drizzle. We’ve tried putting him in a raincoat and enticing him with meatballs to no avail. I haven’t worked to resolve this as hard as I could have because I haven’t been very motivated. I can’t stand cold wet weather either.

Given our aversion to bad weather, trips to the dog park and hikes on rainy days aren’t an option. Vinnie very reluctantly steps out for a walk just long enough for him to relieve himself, than turns and drags me back home. In the moment I’m glad to head indoors. But unless I find ways to get him some indoor exercise – mental and physical – I know it won’t be long before I have a bundle of over-the-top doggy energy to deal with.

Vinnie can be extremely creative in finding ways to amuse himself. He’s been known to turn the living room into his own agility course, leaping over the couch, racing around the coffee table, and bounding from couch to chair and back again. He might suddenly find Ted our cat, irresistible and will try his darnedest to get Ted to run, sheep style, so Vinnie can give chase. Every passerby or noise outside might be cause for a bark fest, especially when I’m on the phone or deep in a piece of writing.

Making his own rainy day fun

Vin’s creativity on rainy days sparked my own. We now have a list of tried and true indoor activities to keep him busy when the weather isn’t cooperating. These are no substitute for outdoor walks or off-leash exercise but they do serve to burn some of his energy any day, rain or shine. That’s always a good thing!

Tug. No, tug won’t make your dog “aggressive,” and it won’t make him want to control you. There’s zero scientific evidence to support these myths. Tug is a great doggy energy burner, a wonderful opportunity to get in a little impulse control training, and best of all, tug is lots of fun. To build impulse control training into tug games, ask your dog to sit or do any other behavior for the reward of you offering the tug toy. (Watch for a longer post on safe smart tug play soon.)

Hide and seek. If your dog has learned to stay while you’re out of sight, and if he comes when you call him, combine the two behaviors into hide and seek games. Ask your dog to stay as you hide in another room or behind a large piece of furniture. Then call him to come. Reward him with lots of praise and a yummy treat when he finds you.

Even if your dog’s stays and recalls aren’t yet solid, you can play this game with your dog and other people. As one person distracts the dog, the other person hides and then calls the dog’s name in a happy upbeat voice. As the dog scurries to find the hider, the other person hides. As soon as the dog finds the first hidden person and claims his reward, the second person calls the dog’s name. In no time, your dog will be racing around the house to seek out hidden humans.

Train new tricks. Pick a trick, any trick, get a bag of treats and start training your dog! Just five minutes at time, several times a day, are a fun easy way to get that doggy brain churning. Teach your dog to retrieve an old credit card to the cue, “Let’s go shopping.” Teach him to take a bow or to weave through your legs. The sky’s the limit.

Rocket recalls. Get some treats your dog loves and at least one more person to play this game. Stand about 10-15 feet apart and take turns calling your dog to come. Reward him when he does. Gradually increase the distance between the people and work up to positioning the people in different rooms of your home. How fast can you get that canine rocket to run those recalls?

Food puzzle toys. There are all sorts of food puzzle toys on the market in which you can stuff food treats. Your dog has to use his brains and sometimes his brawn to get the food out. Kong and Premier Pet Products make great food puzzle toys. Vin’s new favorite is the Tricky Treat Ball. He goes positively bananas when he sees that thing, so much so we have to keep it hidden when not in use.

For added fun, try tying a food stuffed Kong in an old sock, or hiding the toy in a room so your dog can have the pleasure of hunting it down.

Early Recycling Fun

Recycling helper. I need to think of a better name for this one. My husband came up with it shortly after we adopted puppy Vinnie, who made it known on Day 1 that he had a thing for shredding cardboard and paper. Use old egg cartons, cereal boxes or any cardboard box. Make sure no wires or staples are attached to the box. Put a few treats or a food stuffed Kong into the cardboard container. Use masking tape to tape the box shut, then let your dog have at it. He’ll have some dissection fun, burn some energy, and your recycling items will be broken down quite conveniently.

Do you have some favorite indoor canine games? Please share them with us in a comment.

The other day as Vinnie and I waited to cross the street, an out-of-breath woman caught up to us. She had an exasperated look on her face and no wonder. She’d been hauled to the corner by Mindy, her medium-sized doe-eyed retriever mix.

“She’s so strong and I just haven’t had time to teach her to heel,” the woman said. She was thinking of outfitting Mindy in a prong collar, hoping that would curb the leash-pulling.

I’m not in the habit of offering unsolicited advice but I couldn’t bear the thought of metal prongs digging into Mindy’s soft neck. Actually, I don’t like the idea of prong, choke or pinch collars on any dog. Those devices use pain and force to control dogs, can cause serious injuries to doggy tracheas, can create on-leash behavior problems, and aren’t necessary, as I’ll explain shortly.

I understand what a pain it is when a dog drags you down the street. Many an untrained dog has done the same to me. And no doubt about it, teaching a dog to walk politely on leash can take lots of time, consistent practice and patience. This is especially so if the dog has a long history of maniacal pulling.

Fortunately, there’s a far better, safer and kinder way to walk your dog without him behaving like an Iditarod contestant. As I told Mindy’s person that day on the sidewalk, an anti-pull front-clip harness stops most dogs from pulling on leash.

Traditional harnesses are designed so that the leash attaches to a ring on the dog’s back. Anti-pull harnesses are different. They’re designed for the leash to clip to a ring positioned in the middle of the dog’s chest, hence the name, “front-clip” harness.

Like many other species dogs have a built-in opposition reflex. Very simply, this means that dogs naturally and automatically pull/push in the opposite direction of anything that’s pulling/pushing them. Pulling back on a dog’s leash or walking him on a traditional harness activates the opposition reflex and causes the dog to pull or forge ahead sled-dgo style. Front-clip harnesses use the opposition reflex to everyone’s advantage. Leash pressure if any, comes from the dog’s front and so rather than pulling ahead, the dog automatically pulls/leans slightly backwards.

Front-clip harnesses are my favorite piece of doggy gear. I always suggest using them to students in dog training classes and to private clients. Even when people do have the time and interest in training their dogs to walk on a loose-leash, walking the dogs on front-clip harnesses is the wisest choice in the interim to prevent sled-dog style walking. When fitted properly front-clip (and other) harnesses are safer walking gear than a leash and collar. There’s little to no chance the dog can wriggle out of the harness, and if you accidentally yank on a leash attached to a harness, you don’t have to worry about hurting the dog or injuring her trachea.

I can’t tell you how many people have told me that front-clip harnesses solved their dogs’ pulling problems almost immediately. Walking their dogs ceased to be a pavement-pounding wrestling match and became fun and easy again. In fact, lots of folks decide not to bother training their dogs to heel or walk on a loose leash, and opt to walk them always in front-clip harnesses instead.

Anti-pull front-clip harnesses that I’ve used and like are listed below. Many local pet stores carry these brands and both are widely available on-line.

Happy Walking!

• SENSE-ible Harness and SENSE-ation Harness, both made by Softtouch Concepts.
• Easy Walk Harness, made by Premier Pet Products.