Safety First

I've realized lately that lots of our training, and lots of our equipment, has to do with safety.

Elka is on a collar and leash when we go outside, to make sure she's safe. She can't decide to run into the road, or chase something and get off our property, anything like that. On our walks, she's on a harness and collar, with liberty's attachment to make sure more than one thing will have to fail to put her in danger; not that I'm sure she'd just hare off somewhere the instant she had a chance, but better safe than sorry. See, there it is again.

In the car, she has a harness which hooks to the built-in child seat anchor vehicles have. In the case of an accident, it will hopefully protect her, and also the humans in the car, preventing the 75 pound dog in the back seat from becoming a missile within the vehicle. It also keeps her from just jumping out when a door is opened, so her exit can be controlled to a safe place and situation.

Wordless Wednesday November 19 2014

Stray Comments while Walking

"That's a beautiful Doberman. I used to love those dogs in the 90's."

"What kind of a dog is that?"

"Sure, she's friendly, as long as I don't come near you."



"Is that a Great Dane?"

"Oh, a Doberman! You don't see too many of them anymore."









"Awww, she's such a cutie!"

"She's so well behaved."

"Is that a Greyhound?"

Wordless Wednesday July 2 2014

We went for a walk in the park....you'll never guess what happened next!

Went for the clickbait title! I wasn't actually sure how I might cleverly title my relation of these events. I debated whether I'd write about this at all, actually, but here we are. In a way it's embarrassing, and it's certainly a cautionary tale. You see, about two weeks ago I sprained my ankle while walking Elka.

This lovely picture? I took it about half an hour before the Fateful Moment. (Though it really is my new "good" picture of her; it's the shot I wanted, and I actually got it for once.)

Wordless Wednesday May 14 2014

Wordless Wednesday April 23 2014

Springtime? Is that you? Come closer so I can see.

We had two (!) days in a row that were sunny and warm. Maybe we're over the hump?

Of course, I was at work for one of these days. But the next, Elka and I went on a nice long jaunt to soak in the sun.

Wordless Wednesday March 5 2014

Playing Games

Elka and I have little games we play throughout the day. She doesn't really do "solo play", as she seems to think she needs to be in contact with one of us at all (or most) times. She also frequently doesn't play with only one toy at once, though that occasionally happens. With squeaky toys, we tend to tell her "I don't want that, it's yours" and then she'll go and play. Maybe Elka's just a really good sharer?

Wordless Wednesday April 24 2013

Dreams of Summer (Happy New Year)

I confess, in December and January and February, I think of June and July and August an awful lot.

Maybe it's because, back in high school, we had a February break, and on that break, we took a trip to warmer climes a couple of times? Key West one year, Cancun another.

There are times when it's icy and cold and winter seems like it's going to last a million more years. I don't have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I do get bluesy and irritable in the winter. I do think about green grass and blue skies and fireflies.

Elka gets cold, certainly. She rarely, if ever, seems to mind the summer heat. It can be ninety degrees out, with heat shimmers hanging over the pavement, and she wants me to throw a tennis ball, wants to go for a walk, wants a squeaky toy. She doesn't ask for walks in the winter; she asks for her hoodie. She asks to be under the blanket. 

But, wintry grousing aside, Happy New Year to my readers and bloggy friends. May your toes be warm enough and your houses draft free, and dreams of summer sun-kiss your face until it's again a reality.

Wordless Wednesday December 19 2012

December in the park

On our most recent walk, Elka and I pretty much had the park to ourselves.

We kind of nodded and smiled "hello" at a couple of passers by, and saw one guy who looked like he was doing a snail's pace circuit of the park while doing some kind of martial arts kata (we gave him a wide berth). I can't say that I minded, really.

Doberman....or reindeer?

At the park today, we had what was one of the most adorable child-encounters ever.

There was a four year old and a two year old, something along those lines, both boys. They were playing with sticks, their parents watching nearby, and the older one noticed Elka and I and waved. I waved back. He just stood and watched. The littler guy, though, started to make a beeline, so the mother got up to intercept. They were still somewhat at a distance, and I'd more or less kept walking.

The smaller boy said something, pointed, and then clearly yelled "Reindeer!" The mother laughed, and the older boy yelled "yeah, Reindeer!"


I said "She kind of looks like a reindeer." The mother shrugged, still laughing.

The older boy said "Thank you for showing us that!"

I said "You're welcome! Merry Christmas?"

Both little boys were all "Yeah! Merry Christmas!"

Smiling Blue Skies Walk to End Canine Cancer ~ Toronto

On September 29, in Toronto, there is a sponsored walk for donations to end canine cancer!

Not being in Canada, I won't be walking, but a member of Doberman Talk is, with her handsome red boy Chase.

(photo credit: Kerry, Chase's "mom")

There are a lot of statistics out there, cited and otherwise, about how many dogs are affected by varying types of canine cancer every year. There is a "Rainbow Bridge" section on the Doberman Talk message board, and cancer is what many of those fine and loving dogs succumbed to. It's also what the Doberman Lexie unfortunately developed, very suddenly, and what K of Romping and Rolling in the Rockies had.  These dogs were not my dog, but their loss was felt. Their time with us is so short; things like cancer only make it shorter. 

The proceeds from the Smiling Blue Skies Walk to End Canine Cancer will go to research at OVC Guelph (Ontario Veterinary College at Guelph), which from accounts I've heard, has an excellent facility for owners whose dogs have cancer.

Kerry, whose donation page is here, has spent time walking around with Chase, raising awareness. Her goal is $300; she's currently at $175. Chase "carries all of [the] paperwork and guards the donations [they] collect on [their] walks.....He loves his job because it consists of petting and cookies." Sounds like a great job to me!

So, if you're in the area and have September 29 free, maybe you'd like to walk to end Canine Cancer! If not, perhaps you want to donate to the noble cause? Can you imagine a day when cancer, all cancer, is finally beaten? It's a far horizon, I know, but what a bright future that would be!

If you like it, name it

I've heard a lot of good advice when it comes to shaping behaviors, and eradicating behaviors. Interestingly, there is some overlap in the Venn diagram of the two.

If you are shaping a behavior, you reward it when you see it, and put a name to the cue.

If you are eradicating a behavior, you can treat it as though you're shaping it. Name it when it happens, and put it on cue. Eventually, said behavior will be offered, or performed on cue, and not at other times.

It might sound kind of weird. I thought so. But it can work!

Want to learn how?

Rocks in the baseball field?

Our park has a somewhat lame baseball field.

Essentially, it would otherwise be a big open field, but for a big huge tree, and a chain link backstop. I've never seen anybody play baseball on it, there are no bases, and it really just seems to be there for the municipality to mow with huge riding mowers.

Even with all that, it's still perplexing to me that a couple of rocks have appeared in it. They're not spaced properly to be makeshift bases. They're not close enough to other rocky areas to have rolled there. They're sure to irritate the guys mowing, if not outright damage the equipment. There are no craters, so they aren't from space (or at least not recently). So why, rocks? Why?

Elka doesn't know either.

She has opinions on rocks in strange places as well.

I guess somebody tossed it out of the woods?

It's not a bad looking rock. Just lost.

Wordless Wednesday August 8 2012

Would you like some cheese?

Sigh.

So, after I wrote A small rant the other day, I didn't anticipate having another such story to share with y'all.

This story is a bit more uplifting, anyway.