Wordless Wednesday March 26 2013

Remmy, looking for love in Bangor Pennsylvania

Meet Remmy!

He was picked up as a stray on city streets; Dreaming of Better Endings Rescue (DOBER, inc) thinks that he's about 3. He may or may not be a Rottweiler mix, or just a "big solid" Euro Doberman. He has a weakness for socks (Elka can sympathize) but otherwise doesn't chew inappropriately, according to his foster family.

He's very sweet and eager to please, and is very much a people dog. He would probably do best as an only dog, but a home with a laid back resident dog may work well for him. He is untested on cats. He is crate trained, but if his adoptive family wanted to leave him uncrated, his housebreaking may or may not need a little bit of work.

(picture from Dober, inc web site)

He loves belly rubs, and sitting to give a paw is one of his best tricks. He isn't a barker, even when dogs walk past in the neighborhood. 

If you're interested in adopting Remmy (and if you aren't, but know somebody who is looking for a good boy, please please share his info!), you can view the adoption fees and process and fill out the adoptions application on the Dober, inc web site.

Command Clinic: Heel (with a bonus Front)

The other day, Elka and I were playing with Gumby. Maybe we'd just come in from a potty trip, and it was celebratory tug? I don't remember. Regardless. When we play tug, I like getting Elka all riled up and snarling like she really means it, and then having her "drop it" and then either Down, or Heel. My fiancé hadn't seen this mystical "heel" happen, and had us repeat it several times.

Elka will go from facing me into a heel pretty well at this point, off leash in the house, and also in the yard. If she's a bit crooked, I say "Excuse me, straight" and she straightens herself out in relation to my heel, and sits. I can also say "Front", and she'll swing her hindquarters around and sit in front of me. But how did we do it?

(Front, if slightly crooked)

Doggie-Vous Francais?

One day last week, I saw on some news site or other, that there was a proposal to make sure all dogs in Montreal understood cues in both English and French. The notion would be that since in that part of Canada, lots of folks speak French, there shouldn't be linguistic barriers if you were interacting with stranger-dogs and stranger-people. Yearly testing to make sure owners were complying, etc. The thought of legislated language requirements in dog training makes me suffer ennui.

Of course, it was evidently a spoof. But that doesn't stop it from being an interesting thought. Does your dog understand more than one spoken human language? How is your dog doing with just English?

Wordless Wednesday August 15 2012

Monday Mischief: Doberman imposter?

At the park yesterday, a lady looked as us walking past and said "Greyhound mix?"

I paused, and said "Purebred Doberman."

She frowned and walked closer. "Are you sure?"

I said "Five generations sure."

"Oh. Well, I used to have a Doberman. He just wasn't that skinny. Well, I don't mean skinny."

"No, you mean the tuckup. It's all right."

Then we stood for awhile, and we had Elka sit so that she and her very tiny daughter could give her treats. I'm still not sure if she believed me, but there you  have it. 

When Strangers Call

Last week, I posted 5 Things For Your Dog To Do When You Have Visitors. In the comments, the issue of accidentally rewarding behaviors I didn't want, or aggressive behaviors came up, and while they weren't what I was addressing, it was a good point!

Much as I try to talk the talk, I am not a dog training professional. If your dog is truly displaying aggression, be it human aggression or dog aggression, you should seek help from a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, who will have studied extensively in areas such as those to meet your needs. The Internet, while a magical place of information and  fun, won't necessarily be tailored to your dog and your dog's needs, or adequately explain how you yourself can "fix" things, or even give an accurate and appropriate diagnosis.

That said, I covered briefly what your dog can do when you have friends over. I've posted a picture (that I'll post again here in a few words) of Elka waiting for a delivery person. But, what do you do when a stranger comes to your house? Jehova's Witness, repo man, delivery personnel, door to door sales? What is appropriate for your dog to do, and what do you want your dog to do?

Something Waggin' Train Your Dog Month Challenge

So, on January 3, Pamela at Something Wagging posted the Something Waggin' Train Your Dog Month Challenge. I immediately jumped on the bandwagon (could you imagine me not?) and stated

Oh, this is a great idea!
I’d like to teach Elka how to close a door. I’d also like to teach her the every so cute “say your prayers”. We’ll see if I make headway on both, or either!

See, January is what the Association of Pet Dog Trainers has designated as Train Your Dog month. On that site, they state "We selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted or purchased from breeders and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year right with their newest family member", which I think is great, and I definitely support!

Elka tends to be a big fan of training sessions, because she loves treats! When she hears the clicker rattle as I get it out, she comes running, and watches treat preparation with enthusiastic interest.

Command Clinic: Go to your Bed

Elka is allowed on the furniture.  I declared this early in our relationship.  There are, however, times it would be really useful for Elka to lay on her own bed.  When the couches and chairs are full of humans, for instance.

If all of the "comfy" spots are taken, Elka will frequently pace around for the entirety of the time, sometimes soliciting play or pets, sometimes not.  Judicious application of a Kong or Monster Mouth frequently helps.  But having her realize she can lay down on her bed would help a lot more! I mean, really, I can't blaming Elka for preferring the furniture; it's clearly warmer and more comfy. However, we've begun to work, in earnest, on "go to your bed!"

The Walk Before the Storm

On Friday, prior to the gloom and rain that Hurricane Irene drove before her, Elka and I took our usual walk.  It was a beautiful day, sunny and the right temperature.  It's becoming obvious that, want it or not, fall is coming.

Command Clinic: Vet Visit grab bag

As I discussed in a post earlier this week, Elka had her annual vet visit, and was very well behaved during it.  Much like dog photography (also posted about), there are a certain set of behaviors that make this sort of activity go much smoother for everybody involved.

Now I said Doctor, Mr. MD (well, DVM)

Today was Elka's annul trip the the vet!

It was raining, so we didn't go for our walk prior, as I had planned on doing. I thought perhaps blowing off some of her energy would help her be calm and focused at the vet's office. Not that she's bad at the vet; on the contrary, everybody loves her, and there's so much to look at, and the whole thing doesn't concern her much at all.

But first, we had to get there.

Insurance

It may or may not surprise you to learn that not all homeowner's insurance companies cover all dog breeds. Did you know that prior to reading my sentence?  I sure didn't know it prior to owning a house and subsequently purchasing a "dangerous breed".

Dobermans, among others I'll list below, are considered to be "dangerous dogs".  There's a varied amount of politics and a small amount of statistics that goes into what makes or breaks a breed's reputation.  Actual bites and attacks are one of these things, obviously, especially against children.  The fact that all dogs have a mouth full of big pointy teeth is another, with varying PSI of bite pressure ability is another, though I don't think most people think too hard about that.

It's an issue.  I'm not saying it isn't.  But can you guess who I think is to blame?  Poor dog owners, bad breeders, and people (yup, that includes kids) who don't know how to act around dogs.

Fun in the Sun!

It was bright and sunny this afternoon, so I told Elka "let's go out back and play!"

Well, I don't need to ask her twice. She grabbed a tennis ball, and away we went.

Tennis Balls: Contestant Number One

On Friday, Elka and I took our walk, and then hopped in the car and took a field trip to Tractor Supply.

She was the only dog in the store, and received an overall positive response.  She politely sniffed hands to meet people, and did no sled-dog like pulling, and did no jumping.  Elka no longer precisely jumps onto people; rather, she stands up on her hind legs so that she might smell their face.  It can be disconcerting.

Our primary reason for the trip was to take a trip.  Secondary, to get more dog food. And third, it was the prime opportunity to get a doggie tennis ball!

Command Clinic: Down

Hello and welcome to the second "Command Clinic" installment.  To continue with the "basic commands", if you've already mastered Sit, "Down" is the next logical progression.  If you have little carpeting in your house, and a lot of wood and tile like I do, your dog probably will already Down from a Sit very frequently.  More reliably than she will hold a sit, perhaps? I know we've certainly encountered that.

Command Clinic: Sit

I don't know if normal people dream about the first thing they want their dog to learn. Or if people have thoughts about it, and then those dreams fall by the wayside, when they learn that things like "Sit" are learned far more quickly than, say, bite inhibition.