Training Tuesday: Crate Work with Coco

15 week old Coco is learning to go to her crate when asked. 🐕 (Please excuse my super clumsy treat delivery!) #dogtraining #puppy #puppytraining #frenchbulldog

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on Sep 26, 2017 at 5:52am PDT

In Which Being A Dog-less Dog Lover Has Its Perks

I'll be honest. Being a dog-less dog lover -- much less dog trainer -- sucks.

But sometimes, it provides unique opportunities.

Last night, I went to obedience club, even though I wasn't rostered to teach. The other instructors often bring their own dogs to train when they aren't teaching. But, of course, I don't have a dog of my own. No matter. I could just watch a class -- there's always something to learn about teaching [humans], and training [dogs], by watching others.

But then my colleague Ryan, who was teaching last night, offered to lend me his dog, Barney, so I could participate in a class.

I felt a bit of a thrill as I took Barney and joined the line of students waiting for our instructor. (Not Ryan -- we run many different classes.) Now, I have taken Miss Ava in class before. But this felt different -- probably because I've never worked with Barney before! So I imagine the feeling was one part 'I hope I don't embarrass myself' and two parts 'hey, this is cool'.

What are we waiting for?

It turned out to be a bunch of fun! Barney is a wonderful dog. Very, very laid-back for a young labrador, and he was very responsive to me, despite the fact that, well, he doesn't know me! Even more impressive was the fact that Ryan was about 10m away, walking around and calling instructions to his class. I've seen dogs in class ignore the 50-60 other strange dogs and their handlers working around them, but lose all focus because their other human, fur-sibling or doggy friend are elsewhere on the field.

But Barney, absolutely cool dog that he is, was content just to glance over at Ryan when we took breaks. Loyal, but composed.

I may be lanky, but I'm cooler than James Dean.

It was a great night. I'm grateful to Ryan for lending him to me, to the instructors at club who trust us with crazy shenanigans, and to my classmate who always gives me great training (and teaching) advice every time we see each other.

And of course this dude, who made my night! I'm still grinning.

That's cool, you can pay me in treats.

Being dog-less in the dog industry is a weird place to be. But sometimes, cool things happen.

A Happy Update: In Which Melon and Darcy Work Together

So you guys know that 8-month-old Darcy has a problem with walking on the lead*. Meaning, all he wants to do is rush over to anything and everything, be it animal (human, canine or avian), plant, rock or... plain air, as far as I can tell!

Your point?

And all I, Melon, want to do, is walk down the street without the pup running onto the road, leaping after birds or scrambling into the bush... is that too much to ask?

Hey, what's over there?

I was really beginning to think it was. So much that I suggested his humans buy some equipment to reduce his pulling (like a head halter -- not that I've ever seen a cavalier in one!).

But I also didn't want to let this defeat me. Call myself a dog trainer, and can't even teach a ~5kg puppy to walk on a lead? (Size doesn't directly affect trainability, but it does affect ability to hold onto a pulling dog!) So for the past fortnight or so I've tried to take Darcy for at least a ten to fifteen minute walk every time I visited. Why such a short walk? Because my patience for stopping and starting wears off after about ten minutes!

Seriously. Why are we stopping again?

But it turns out that patience in the form of a little each day has made a difference -- I think. I don't want to speak too soon, but I feel Darcy is finally showing some improvement in the skill of what we trainers call 'loose lead walking'. As in, he can sometimes walk down the road like a 'normal' dog...

Here's a tiny snippet of our walk today.

In the middle you see a glimpse of what our 'walks' have looked like for the past 6 months, but you can see that he can also walk much, much better too!

Walking near people, dogs or his sister are still out of the question, but hey, I'm just thrilled to see progress!

I'm proud of myself as well as this kid and can't wait to see where else we can go -- figuratively and literally!

---
* lead = Australian for leash, guys. Or "the string", as Darcy called it.

Guest Post: The Trouble With Walking Humans

Hi guys. Darcy here!

It's nice to be back on the blog.

But the thing is -- I have this problem.

See, my sister said that training humans can be hard. But then, she said that I could do a good job if I was con...sistent? Basically, I have to be responsible and keep doing the same thing over and over until they work out what they're meant to do. That doesn't sound too hard.

But no one told me how hard it is to walk a human!

First, you have to have them on a string, because otherwise they don't follow you.

If it weren't for the string, who knows where the human would end up!

But then once you're outside, they don't seem to know what to do. You know how it is, right? There are people to get pats from, birdies to chase, all kinds of tasty things to grab and sooo many smells to sniff!

Must. Catch. Birdies.

Hmm.

Mmmm.

But the human just can't keep up. Like, whenever I leap for a birdie, she always stops before I can catch it! (I guess humans tire easily.) Sometimes she even turns around to go in the other direction... even though I'm all ready to meet the people coming towards us! Sigh.

And that's not all. Whenever there's the good smells, the ones that need a whole minute to appreciate (you know the ones), she can't seem to wait, and tries to hurry me along! Can you believe it? I guess patience is hard for humans.

My sister did tell me humans can be kind of slow, but I dunno how she managed to train them because we pups never go walking together anymore. I dunno why. Maybe because the humans are too clumsy to keep the strings from tangling up when I jump on Ava? They seem to get all flustered every time I tackle her!

Don't get me wrong, humans are fun and I know I have a big responsibility to teach them right. But man, it's hard work!

Help a pup out -- do you have any tips on walking humans?

Woof,
Darcy xx

A Year Later: In Which Melon Is Getting Crazier and Crazier

A year ago I posted about sitting by the side of the road in the name of puppy socialisation. Who cares what people think? 🐶 Today, Darcy and I took a break on the footpath as he was a little overexcited. So I sat on the ground with the puppy. And since I was there, I might as well take a photo for Instagram, right? See the black? That's my pant leg. Leaning back, looking at my screen and making kissy noises, I forgot I was lying by the side of the road... until a lady pulled over to ask if I was all right. 😳 🐾 What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in the name of dog training? #trainersgonnatrain #butsometimeswescarepeople #oops #dogtraining #6monthsold

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on May 16, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

Conflict Arises: In Which Scruffy Finds Himself in Bootcamp and Melon Thinks the Universe Knows More Than It Tells

Why do things never turn out like we expect?

I had Scruffy and Charlie booked in to stay with me for a couple of weeks around Easter. They last had a very smooth stay in January, so we assumed it would be pretty routine.

Charlie (L) and Scruffy (R)

This was not to be. Just before their owner went away, I was told that I would be left with only Scruffy, as a trainer had advised that the dogs sleep separately. I was puzzled, but confirmed the boarding.

I've mentioned the issues between these two dogs before, and my hopes for some professional intervention. Due to personal reasons, I had made the decision last year to give their owner some referrals rather than take the job myself.

Then, less than a week before Scruffy and Charlie were to be dropped off, the dogs were at a different groomer from usual. While there, Scruffy attacked Charlie and left him with puncture wounds. The vet who treated Charlie referred their owner to a professional dog trainer.

Here's the cool part. The professional trainer, through a stroke of luck, turned out to be one of my teachers from technical college. So while I was thrilled to have Scruffy and Charlie in such good hands, he seemed pleased to hear that I was the dog-sitter who would be watching Scruffy while their human is away.

So while Charlie is resting up at home with a family member, I've got this dude with me.

Scruffy doing a Sit-Stay at the shops

As instructed by my teacher, Scruffy and I are working on basic obedience, crate training and treating some mild separation anxiety. He whines when left alone, presumably because he's never been truly alone before -- he and Charlie were always kept together.

Howzat for enthusiasm? #dattail #fooddriven #breakfast #dogtraining #wirefoxterrier

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on Apr 19, 2017 at 9:56pm PDT

It's not 'my job' to train Scruffy, but I am taking this opportunity to learn from my mentor. I'd also like to help out this owner, as long as she is dedicated to putting in the work to keep Scruffy. (If he is not safe around Charlie after this training, I believe Scruffy will be re-homed.)

Fingers crossed for good results!

Sadness and a Success Story: In Which You Win Some, You Lose Some

That's what I'm strongly feeling right now: In life... you win some, you lose some.

I've been keeping busy, which is satisfyingly productive. I'm improving my skills, I'm helping people, and just generally getting on with life.

But I still live with depression.

I suspect anyone with chronic illness who has been fortunate enough to experience recovery has discovered the same thing: 'recovery' presents its own challenges. You start having expectations (other people's and your own), you start having dreams (your own mostly - others probably never had to give theirs up), and it hurts when you realise your illness hasn't gone anywhere. You're allowed to dream, but you know that most of those are still just -- a dream.

* * * 

But this is a dog blog, so let's share a "win" from the dog side of things.

Tiger

I was asked to visit Tiger, the 6 year old Pomeranian, twice a week for a month while his owners were away. He was being fed and visited by his neighbours, who are extended family, but they felt he needed more attention and weren't sure how to give it to him.

I was told he doesn't like strangers -- which was true. Although I was let in by a family member, Tiger continued to bark at me inside the house. I had arrived prepared and immediately started counterconditioning his view of me. I tossed treats away from me when he approached me, always letting him move away from me to get them. Soon he was coming toward me of his own accord. I never reached toward him, as it was obvious it would startle him.

It wasn't long before we got along much better. Tiger turned out to be a very alert, responsive little dog.

Can you see me?

While toys were number one on his list, I used his love of food to teach him a few new tricks, too.

My dogsitting job is over as his family is home. I never walked him as part of the house visits as I was told he was both human and dog reactive, but the owners might contact me in future if they want to do a behavioural modification program.

Tiger proved to be very bright and extremely trainable, so I have high hopes for him if they choose to go down that path. In the meantime, this cute dude has a few new tricks to show his friends!

An Exposition: In Which Melon Waxes Lyrical on Multi-Dog Management

Hello blogfriends.

Scruffy and Charlie, my most recent boarders, have gone home. I'm pretty sure they enjoyed their holiday and I refined my skills at multi-dog management.

Scruffy and Charlie: a rare snapshot with both boys

I owe a lot of this to another little guide: P. McConnell and K. London's Feeling Outnumbered: How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household. I loved its advice on body blocking, and its general approach of 'teaching every dog good manners is the key to peaceful coexistence'. Makes perfect sense to me.

Most of all, though, I think this sudden foray into multi-dog management -- with Scruffy and Charlie at home, and Ava and Darcy at work -- has made me feel like the key here is management. Don't get me wrong -- dogs do need to be trained and you can almost always teach something new to improve situations. That's why I'm a dog trainer.

But I've also realised that management can be enough.

Ava: You call this management?

With multiple dogs, your time is split between them. Add to that normal life commitments -- for example, a homework assignment to finish, another dog job, and trying to fit in driving practice -- sometimes it's just about getting the dogs fed, walked, and getting in a little mental stimulation, whether that be with toys or training.

And I feel like part of understanding management is understanding that you won't be able to treat both dogs the same. Little Darcy, being only a few months old, spends half the day in his pen, while Ava can be trusted free in the house. Scruffy has to eat outside by himself while Charlie is inside with the humans, because Charlie needs to be coaxed to eat and Scruffy will steal his food.

Dog days of summer: I shut Scruffy in so Charlie could enjoy his iceblock

You won't even be able to treat your dogs equally all of the time. Some days only Darcy gets walked, because I can only take one dog with me to the cafe, and some days only Ava gets walked, because I'm out of time. And you know what? I'm realising that's okay.

Don't get me wrong, I wish Ava and Darcy could loose-lead walk nicely right now so that I could just walk them both together, and I really, really wish Scruffy and Charlie's owner could implement some more strategies so Charlie doesn't have to live timidly in the shadow of his brother. But I'm hoping that the more dogs I work with the more skilled I will become, so that I can achieve more in the same finite amount of time. Until then, though, I'm only human, they're only dogs, and we do the best we can.

Training Video: In Which Darcy Learns Important Skills, and Melon Manages Two Pups At Once

Yesterday Ava and Darcy's parents were amazed to see the puppies totally pooped (exhausted!) after I'd been in for only a short time. We joked that I must come in and hit the pups with a brick to make my job easy...

Too hot to walk your dog? ☀️ Not to worry - training time! It's the perfect excuse for you ALL to stay indoors. 🍹Tired brains make tired dogs too! #trainingdone #naptime #summer #dogtrainingtips #trainyourdog #dogtrainerslife

A photo posted by Melon (@melondious) on Jan 17, 2017 at 4:10pm PST

So, Chris and Tim, this is for you. Watch carefully to see if there are any bricks!

A Milestone: In Which The Finish Line Is In Sight

Guess what? I've completed the attendance component of my dog training course!

C'mon, human! We're nearly there!

Something I haven't yet made clear is that this course is not just a course on how to train dogs, but on how to become a dog trainer. It's offered through my city's technical college, so it's preparing us for a potential career as a dog trainer, and sharing with us all the professional aspects of the industry.

So you'll understand why my final practical exam consisted of teaching a pet obedience class (eg. puppy school). Of course, in the exam my fellow students played the part of the pet owners, but I did teach a real obedience class lesson.

I was a little apprehensive because while I feel I can teach one-on-one, I have little experience standing up in front of a class. And even less experience teaching practical skills out on a field!

But it went well! I think I actually impressed both my teacher (the assessor) and my fellow students (some of whom are quite skilled at speaking to audiences)!

So I'm quite pleased, and trying to keep in mind the idea of teaching puppy classes as a source of income. Honestly, I'm harbouring reservations. Reservations being; a combination of insecurity due to inexperience, which is natural and can be overcome, and... a genuine reluctance to deal with people. See, in obedience classes the real students are the pet owners, and thanks to my mental health challenges sometimes dealing with people is, well, a challenge.

But I do know that if I can teach and I can teach well, I shouldn't throw the option out.

Either way, having finished all my classes (and attended almost every single class) is a big achievement, and honestly more than I'd dreamed of. I've still got plenty of written assignments and a practical skill to complete, but I look forward to telling you when that is over -- hopefully before Christmas!

I think I smell freedom. Or is that Christmas cake?

A Surprise: In Which Melon Is Faced With A Challenge, But Not the One She's Expecting

It feels like yesterday I was telling you that I’m starting a dog training course taught by expert dog trainers, yet I’m already most of the way through it. It’s definitely a crash course, chock full of info and as much hands-on practice as we can fit into such a short time.

I’d love the course to be a bit longer, to be honest, as the class could discuss more dog training specifics as we encounter different things outside the classroom. I’d also like to soak up more of the gems of wisdom available just by being around Steve and Vicki Austin, my excellent and highly experienced instructors.

But although class will be over soon, I still have plenty of written assignments to complete, and frankly I’m just glad I’ve made it through class so far. Depression doesn’t make life easy, folks, so all successes need to be celebrated.

I've also been really glad for the opportunity to work with the different dogs at the boarding kennel. After the beagle incident, I've encountered a retriever mix who chomped like a crocodile, a gorgeous American staffy, a chubby cattle dog, a skinny border collie, a very nervous shepherd and more. It's like a roulette, not knowing which dog I'll have next!

It’s taught me that I’ll need a LOT more hands-on experience to become competent and confident in dog handling. My instructor has hinted that shelter work and similar will provide a lot of practical experience, and it’s definitely on my to-do list once I have a driver’s licence.

Bazyl and his humans kindly helped me with 'training practice'.

Last week was my first major practical assessment -- I was asked to assess a dog selected for me at random from the boarding kennel and more importantly, demonstrate how I would instruct it in a number of obedience exercises. I was on tenterhooks all week, wondering what kind of dog I would be assigned and how similar the experience would be to my first and most memorable kennel dog encounter, the beagle...

I got lucky -- I ended up with a calm but responsive dachshund!

dachshund, aka sausage dog
image: Ghislane, on Flickr

He was smooth coated, which made my job identifying him as an entire (undesexed) male easy. (I hate that question -- it sounds simple, but strange fluffers aren't too happy when you try to cop a feel just to tick a box on a form!)

His anatomy did create other complications, though. Do you know how hard it is to tell if a dachshund is sitting or standing, from the front?

Seriously.
image: CC0 Public Domain

Honestly though, he was probably the easiest dog I've had from the kennel so far.

My biggest fear had been getting another big, strong dog who I couldn't even keep by my side. This guy being so little, I had no such issues, even if he had tried to take off like some dogs I know.

And I took the time beforehand to check out what his Sit and Drop look like, when they sent me to get him. It wasn't hard to encourage him, since he liked food treats.
I guess someone out there finally thought I deserved a break from the crazies -- and I'm thankful it was given to me when it counts!

Anyway, I passed! My only major obstacle was (and continues to be) my attempts to train loose-lead walking. Anyone have any LLW tips? I could do with all the help I can get!

That's one down, just a few more to go!

A Comic Scene: In Which Melon Is Rudely Awakened To The Nature Of Hounds And Taken Down A Peg or Three

Last weekend was my first practical for the dog training course. Our theory classes take place in the classroom, but practicals take place at a large private boarding kennel, where we can use some of the boarding dogs in class.

We began with all the usual things -- safety checks, a tour of the grounds, and some chat about our assignments. Then we started our first lesson with the actual dogs. In future some students will bring their own dogs, but today everyone was free to pick a kennel dog.

The kennel owner explained to us that those who have quiet, well-trained dogs can usually convince a neighbour or friend to watch them when they are away. So the ones who are put in a boarding kennel are... less easy. Makes sense, I thought. I was keen to see what we could do, but also a bit nervous walking into the kennel area to a cacophony of barking.

I looked down the line, evaluating my options. 2 German shepherds -- oh no, they have the 'not for use' sign. A little fluffer -- well, I'd rather something different from my usual, but then, it's less intimidating than the bigger ones -- oh, my classmate's already approaching that one, never mind. A beagle and a lab were pawing hopefully at the kennel doors near the end of the line. I've worked with labs before, the beagle's pretty cute and they love food, right? - let's go with that.

Who woulda thunk it?
(photo: Daniel Flathagen on Flickr)

If any beagle people are reading this, I'm guessing you're laughing already. For those who are still picturing Snoopy sitting on his doghouse stoically writing novels, I'll continue the story.

Collaring and leashing up the excitable beagle was managable, and passed my instructor's assessment. We were to walk the dogs out to the field and wait with them out of reach of each other. Fair enough.

But the minute I left the kennel, my new friend almost yanked my arm out of its socket to get over to another dog, a staffy. Uh-oh. I desperately yelled for my classmate to retreat as I was dragged over.

I finally made it to the field after a firm talk from my instructor reminding me that as a grown adult I can keep the beagle under control and advising me on the safest way to hold a leash. (That said, he also told me what to do if I was pulled over...) I grasped the leash as firmly as I could, my hands already smarting from multiple rope burns, and tried to stay upright as my beagle dragged me onto the field.

I was the last to arrive, and everyone was standing around waiting for instructions, patting their dogs, one or two even giving their new friends belly rubs.

Meanwhile, I looked like this:

After I completely missed all the instructions and my classmates stoically tried to ignore the ruckus, I finally managed to plant my feet to stop him from dragging us over to the other dogs. Of course, my new friend had to express his disatisfaction with this situation. Loudly. If you're ever worried you're not yet the centre of attention, try restraining a baying hound.

Our first lesson topic was, surprise surprise, loose-leash walking. Before today I thought I had a pretty good idea of how to teach LLW, but I couldn't even stay in one spot without being dragged around by this beagle, much less teach him not to.

We ended up taking breaks for de-briefing a couple of times -- "Same dogs after lunch, folks" -- so by the end of the day I had gone in and collected this beagle 3 times, each time feeling more tired than the last but determined to salvage what I had of my pride by at least not giving up.

By the end of the day I had learnt three things: two different approaches to training loose leash walking, and not to take on a hound without a lot more practice.

A Notice: In Which There Is Some Exciting News, and A Request Made

Hey, friends.

A small part of the reason it's been quiet here lately is my practising Daniel Sieberg's Digital Diet, but the main reason is that I've just been trying to stay afloat!

Okay, things aren't that bad. Some weeks are pretty good! (But I won't be considering myself 'in recovery' from depression until most weeks are 'pretty good'.)

Reading paper newspapers is allowed during the digital diet.
But they do have other drawbacks.

A major takeaway from The Digital Diet is that it's okay to live your life without reporting on all of it, or comparing it to others. (I'm looking at you, Instagram.) So I'm not going to apologise for my absence.

But something major is happening -- I'm starting an 8-week intensive course on dog training through technical college! And not just any course, but a course run by two of Australia's leading dog trainers, Steve and Vicki Austin. It's only the beginning of my education in dog training, but I think it's a good start if ever I saw one.  I enrolled months ago, but thought I'd keep mum about it until it really happened.

Now, I don't exactly have a stellar track record of graduating classes (depression is a jerk).
So, yes, I'm terrified it might not work out (anxiety, that's your cue!).

But while I'm in, I'll keep you updated. I hope in turn you'll be here to follow along and keep me entertained with tales of your animal adventures. And knowing you're following will hopefully be one part of the raft keeping me afloat!

Mischief Monday

I've been around Blogville enough to know that Mondays are for mischief.

So I'm going to be mischievous and share an Instagram post from last week.

Today Ava's mum (@an_atelier_for_ava) left me some instructions. I didn't know what would happen when I followed them but I had a hunch I ought to get it on video. It was the cutest thing I've seen in a long time. 😍 Well done Ava's humans! #shedeadedme #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #9monthsold #petsittinglife

A video posted by Melon (@melondious) on Sep 22, 2016 at 2:22am PDT

An Epiphany: Regarding the Magic of the Microwave

My house visits to Ava are when her humans are at work. We spend time both indoors and outdoors together, but she spends her alone time indoors. My challenge when leaving is to get her inside so I can shut the door without her following me.

I prefer not to call her to me just to step out again. (I'm sure she would wait inside the doorway while I shut the door if I asked her to, but I don't want to risk rebellion if she ever decides she doesn't like her alone time. It's the age old rule, don't call your dog to you for something bad.)

I don't make a fuss of her either -- in fact I don't even say goodbye. Instead, when it's time to leave I just walk out, shut the door and leave. All without saying a word. I'm sure it would look a bit strange if anyone were to see me, but I have been doing this since Ava was 2 months old, and she's never shown any sign of separation anxiety. So I can deal with feeling like I'm heartless (not to mention rude) for my abrupt disappearances.

It's not usually difficult, but I do employ a few different strategies to ensure I can efficiently shut dog in with human out. Thrown kibble, a tasty chewie to occupy pup or sometimes leaving through a different door, just to change it up. (Lately I've been hearing more about flexibility over routine to create a stable dog.)

Recently, though, I feel like she's onto me, just a little. Staying on the outside of the door when I want to shut her in. Today when I hovered by the door she actually disappeared around the side of the house to the other side of the yard, probably to wait by the outer gate or maybe just part of her important doggy business, I don't know. But don't worry - I had a plan. I went straight to the kitchen and opened and shut the microwave door.

I heard the rapid pitter-patter of paws before I saw her running in. As soon as she was in, I silently stepped out and shut the glass door behind me. Ava disappeared from view for a moment before returning to watch me leave. I think she really did check the microwave!

Flashback: even at 13 weeks old, ladies and gentlemen, Ava knew what's what.

After all, if there's one thing I've learnt as a 'dog owner', it's to use whatever works. So here's a thankyou to the microwave and puppy logic.

So close, yet so far.

Training Video: In Which Ava Shows What A Good Girl She Is

Hi guys. Been trying to find the balance between keeping busy living life and updating so I can share the story with you all. I'm also experimenting with cutting down computer time through Daniel Sieberg's The Digital Diet, so don't panic if I'm not around for a bit.

But onto what you came to hear about -- dogs!

I feel like I haven't talked enough about training lately, even though I love, love, love to train. So here's a video of me and Ava working on her place command.

I am trying to use "bed" (pointing to bed) to mean 'go to to your bed' + "settle" to mean lie on it and stay there comfortably. I've found she can learn chains of events (like walk to door, sit and wait for release) so I hope it will become routine to settle on it when asked to 'go to bed'.

You'll notice there's a pink blanket on Ava's bed. That's her blankie, which I take to the café with us and I encourage her to stay on it. Eventually I want the command to generalise to anywhere I bring her and put the blanket down. It'll take a while to go from this quiet environment to busy cafés, but she's a quick learner!

An Exposition: In Which Ava Absolutely, Definitely Does Not Like Rain

Did I ever mention that Ava doesn't like rain? Or, more specifically -- that she doesn't like getting wet?

You didn't tell me it would be wet out there.
(Ava, 11 weeks old)

Well, she doesn't. She's trained to potty on the lawn, so ever since she came home we've been carrying her to the lawn, so she likes to play in grass, lie in grass, and yes, she does her business on grass. But as the weather got cooler her owners mentioned to me that she doesn't like wet grass. Really? I wondered. I hadn't noticed.

Then she learnt Drop (lie down) as well as Sit, and one day I asked for a Drop in the grass. She started to lower herself in the direction of the ground so slowly she was barely moving. It was the first time I'd seen a dog know what I wanted but choose not to do it. She knew exactly what I was asking for but didn't want to get her undercarriage wet. Ha ha! I guess they were right.

Seriously?
(Ava, 13 weeks old)

Now she's 7 months old, and is pretty well house trained. She pees on command, which I love. It's such an invaluable skill, as I can ask her to go before and after we go out. But she still doesn't like getting wet. So getting Ava to do her incredibly elaborate potty dance on the lawn after it's rained isn't always successful. We're still working on making sure she doesn't leave her owners any more presents in the house on rainy days.

It rained buckets yesterday, but this morning was fine so we played ball on the lawn. As it's cold and wet I've realised we humans have been avoiding the yard and soggy lawn ourselves, so I'm making an effort to play games with her there to try to desensitise her to it.

She's not sure about this ball. Other toys she pounces on - this one she chases but won't touch. I wonder why?

She didn't mind the wet ground on our bushy walk today, but we got caught in a sudden shower on the way home and we were both drenched. Boy, did she throw a tantrum the minute we were inside! She ran around frantically, throwing herself on anything soft and rolling as much as she can. She could hardly hold still for me to dry her. I reassured her as I towelled her down, but inside I was laughing. Dogs!

A Morning: Featuring Sunshine, A Success, and Pink Combat Boots

Scruffy: ere's to winter sunshine

It seems to be tradition that on the last morning of a dog's stay with me, we are out early enjoying the morning sunshine (and tolerating the cold!). I use my camera to get a few decent shots and to keep me from getting antsy, as I am wont to do when things are quiet. 

I had a lovely game of fetch with Scruffy this morning! It feels really satisfying to have found a way to play safely -- even if just for this time.

See, 7-year-old Charlie is nervous of his boisterous little brother. To be fair, Scruffy is clearly the dominant one and will sniff Charlie periodically to remind him who owns the toys, and even lunge at/hump his brother on occasion. But it has created a little fluffy fun police. Any time there is any kind of arousal level from a dog in the vicinity, be it Scruffy bouncily fetching a ball for a human, or Scruffy and Ava checking each other out -- Charlie reacts, barking and growling at the 'threat'.

I understand it, since his brother is known to redirect arousal onto him -- but it's still frustrating that I can't help 4-year-old wire fox terrier Scruffy work off his energy with tug or fetch because Charlie will react. Note that Charlie reacts when none of these high arousal levels are actually directed at him... if Scruffy happens to find a tennis ball and begins to bat it around with his paws, my eyes will be glued to Charlie!

Charlie: always by your side

Now, the shoes. I mentioned that Scruffy pulls off shoes -- this seems to be an excitement behaviour. If he is trying to hump or play fetch with a human, he may suddenly and very deliberately grab a shoe in his teeth and pull it with such force he pulls it off. (You can imagine my shock the first time he did it -- there I was, sitting on a chair, when out of the blue Scruffy came up and started humping my leg. I pried him off me and he grabbed my shoe and pulled with the unyielding grip and force of a terrier -- which instantly set off quiet Charlie, in the doorway of the house, barking and growling! Boy, was I wondering what had hit me...)

But I've learned a thing or two since then.

So this morning I put on my trusty combat boots and grabbed the toy. I then recruited my dad to help out. His job? Call Charlie over to him and sit with him while I threw the toy for Scruffy. And you know what? Scruffy fetched, Gave and Sat for me to throw again, and when he grabbed my boot in his teeth I planted my feet and yelled "NO!"

My boot didn't budge, of course, and Scruffy actually let go, so I firmly commanded him to Sit and turned my back on him for ten seconds. When he was calmer, game resumed.

This is basically the same method I used to teach puppy Ava bite inhibition  -- yelp and turn my back to stop the game when she used teeth. Only the Scruffy method requires you to a) steel yourself, figuratively and literally (okay, my boots are actually rubber-capped, but did I mention they're pastel pink? So nyeh!) and b) keep Charlie well enough away/occupied so as not to interrupt the training with his panic.

But this morning I managed it, so I am super happy.

Ava Stories: A Hobby For Ava

The day I met Ava was the day she turned 8 weeks old.

I've known very few puppies that young, so I couldn't say if it's the norm, but I sure was impressed that she could carry a standard-sized tennis ball around in her mouth. (I'm still not sure how.)

Puppy in motion

It wasn't the only time I saw her carry things; she liked to find leaves or sticks and would carry them to the right spot before lying down to chew them. If something interesting happened while she was chewing, such as the human leaving, Ava would get up and follow with the object in her mouth.

Chasing moving things, 'killing' objects and sniffing seemed to be Ava's favourite pastimes.

So I decided she's a natural retriever. At about 10 weeks she had gotten the hang of Sit and Come, so it was time for Fetch!

She easily had the 'chase moving thing' * and 'pick up thing' down pat, so with a bit of experimentation and consulting YouTube I managed to teach 'carry the object and run'. Giving up the object is always the tricky part, but we got better at that too, as I'd been working on swapping objects for treats since almost since day 1.

Ava's people and I all loved playing fetch with her -- but it didn't last. Her interest in fetch has petered out, but her delight in sniffing things has not.

Which leads us to my house.

One night I took puppy out for 'last call' and she was doing the particular brand of zoomies which only seem to happen when it's getting late, I'm tired and the mosquitoes are particularly thirsty.

I leaned against the wall and sighed. Suddenly Ava stopped mid-zoom and ran into some dense bush. She emerged back out immediately, and I peered into the darkness - what was she carrying? It with her plush raccoon, a flat fabric toy with no less than 5 squeakers and a particular appeal to Ava. I had no idea it had even left the house!

I cracked up. In a few seconds, what had been yet-another frustrating evening with a young puppy was suddenly hilarious.

Fast forward a week or so...

I was sitting in the yard with a book and Ava had followed me out, only to wander aimlessly as the human wasn't giving her any attention.

It was a good time for her pickle, I thought, looking around.

Her pickle is a spiky green rubber toy which rolls and bounces in unpredictable directions. It's excellent for occupying puppy when you don't want to throw the toy for her. But it was nowhere to be seen. I checked the corners of the house, inside the crate and the lawn. I shrugged and decided I'd make some "LOST: pickle" posters after I read my book.

About 5 minutes later I looked up, frowning. It was eerily quiet. All dog owners know the immediate feeling of trepidation when you hear silence. I looked around the yard. Where was Ava? Nowhere to be seen.

"Ava?" I called tentatively.

Out she burst from the nearest bush, pickle in mouth.

Perhaps nosework might be more a more suitable hobby for Ava.


* Next time I would start with "take it" a la the Volhard Motivational Retrieve, as that's definitely a missing step. Anyone know if I can re-train the steps from the beginning if she already knows some of them?

A Wonderful Day, Part I: In Which Ava Meets Penne

As you know, Ava’s development and training are going well. The other day her owner expressed concern about Ava’s socialisation to dogs as the only dogs she’d met were the ones who bowl her over at puppy school. So I set up a playdate with Miss Penne.

See this good little puppy lying calmly in her crate? Well, it wasn't like that at all.

The morning did NOT get off to a good start as Ava, normally very calm in the car, kicked up a fuss which would make any sugared-up toddler proud. Thinking it was the “unmistakable” ‘I need to go’ signal her people had told me of, I decided to let her out when I stopped at my friend’s house. Of course at that moment my friend called to cancel her assistance with dog introductions, but luckily we were still welcome to use her yard as a potty. Ava, however, was only interested in jumping and following scents, so back in the car we went.

Ava was, thankfully, quiet and well-behaved for the rest of the morning (including the remaining car trip, naturally!), so I plucked up my courage to fetch Penne from the neighbours'. Penne’s people had driven off with her leash, so I carried her back to my house in my arms. (Had she gotten bigger?) Dad once again rigged up a makeshift leash with cord and carabiner, and we were good to go.

Everything went picture perfect from there.

This photo might look like trouble, but it wasn't. Just goes to show you can't judge an interaction by one 'still' capture!

I expect most of you can see that this is a very polite, well-mannered introduction between dogs: circling, reciprocal butt-sniffing, no hesitancy to lie down. What the photos don't show is a confirmation of what I'd read just the other day in a book called Dog Speak by Christiane Blenski: dog introductions are completely silent. These two had absolutely no problem with each other so they did the ritual canine meet and greet in complete silence. Preparing myself for any possible issues or altercations, I hadn't expected the meeting and establishment of peace to strike me as so beautiful -- I think because it all happened in complete silence.

Stay tuned for Part 2: where I have video which reveals the rather interesting dynamic between Ava and Penne!