Pandora is four years old and we are still working on her anxiety of walking near cars. However, it’s not always easy to see the progress so I rely on the tiniest of cues to show me the teeniest crumbs of progress. One of the newest cues is paying attention to her tail. The dog’s tail, it’s a great gauge to let us know how they feel.
For another method to gauge tiny pockets of success, check out this post and scroll to There’s Always Progress.
One Caveat
Please refer to the title of this blog, specifically the “Novice” part of the title. All I can do is give hints at what we do, I cannot confirm these are the best cues or options for everyone. So please check with your vet and or a trainer who specializes in nervous dogs.
And one other caveat, if your dog has a stumpy tail, I am not sure that this will be a helpful post. My apologies.
The Full Tail Tuck and Wrap
When Pandora is in an area where she can hear, and especially when she can see moving vehicles, her tail wraps down her bottom and tucks up against her underside.
The image above is what Pandora does with her tail when she’s unsure of the situation. In this case, we had walked a few paces beyond our last stopping point to turn around and head home. When she’s in the stroller, we’ll go to a certain point (like a telephone pole, a fence, something to gauge how far we are progressing) for about a week and then we venture a few steps beyond that point.
Pandora was ready to get out of the stroller and she hopped out. But this was new territory, so her tail is fully tucked. I also let her sniff until she’s ready to begin walking.
Partial Tail Tuck – Sign of Progress
In this picture (above) we see Pandora release the end of her tail. We’ve moved a few paces back toward home and she knows the area, but she’s still not fully comfortable yet. Again, lots of sniffing. That’s okay, once we get to the point of her being comfortable we can then work on a steady pace.
Here’s another partial tail tuck picture (below). The tail has come up just a smidge more. Again, we’ve moved into even more familiar territory.
The Dog’s Tail is Lifting
At this point, Pandora is beginning to loosen up quite a bit more (picture below). She knows we’re most definitely on the right path toward home, she’s smelled this area frequently enough that she’s feeling better, she’s feeling safer.
Again, she gets to stop and sniff whenever she wants. Sometimes she’ll sniff something that she doesn’t like, I know because her tail will get closer to her rear again.
The High and Happy Tail
Pandora is happiest at home or on a desolate trail. Someday, I hope to reach this level of happiness on one of our stroller walks.
When she’s this happy, it’s hard to capture her still. LOL. This is Pandora on a trail in all her bounding happiness.
Dog’s Tail Cue Recap
~Remember to look for these cues that the dog is getting comfortable with a situation or to see if the dog is getting more fearful of a situation.
~The Full Tail Tuck and Wrap
~The Partial Tuck
~The Slightly Looser Tail Tuck
~The Half-Happy Tail or The Half Not-so-Happy Tail (depends on how you see it)
~The High and Happy Tail.
What are the cues you look for in your dog to see tiny progress reports?
Even a dog that likes to be on the go, knows the importance of stopping to sniff the flowers.
Pandora’s summer has had a few firsts and some good growth. Let’s recap how her summer has been, training wise and adventure wise.
Pandora’s Summer – June
Pandora took time to stop and sniff the flowers. Little Miss can hike five miles, swim for twenty minutes, and play frisbee for another 20 minutes and STILL have energy left over (it’s no joke when people say Cattle Dogs need a lot of exercise). So, it was a special moment when Pandora noticed my Tiger Lily had bloomed and she went to check it out.
Yes, Lilies are toxic to dogs. She did not eat, she was supervised, she’s fine.
Picture by: PNW Mobile Grooming Services
Pandora also had her very first professional grooming session. She’s been having her nails trimmed by the lovely ladies at PNW Mobile Grooming Services for almost two years now. But when it came to bathes, we took of that. She’s not a large dog and she doesn’t shed as much as a Husky, so our bathtub suffices just fine. However, we decided to get her the full spa treatment. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but she came out looking awesome.
Pandora had her longest stretch away from me. I was gone for five days. Pandora usually puts the whole time I am away from home, but apparently, by the third day she would willing go outside. My understanding is that usually, my husband and sons have to coerce her to go outside. She still moped, but it was a tad less by the fifth day.
Shortly after I had returned home, Pandora had her first (minor) injury. We were playing frisbee and after one of her show-off high leaps, she landed and started limping. I focused on her leg and couldn’t see anything odd or feel anything odd. Pandora didn’t flinch when I touched all over her leg. And her leg didn’t swell. I made a note to call the vet the next morning.
The next morning, I discovered what the issue was. She’d broken a toenail. It was a vertical split, from the tip down to the quick. She had bled, how I missed it I don’t know. So, I set up a vet appointment for a week later (they’re booked, and I didn’t think she needed and emergency visit). We didn’t play frisbee or do anything strenuous for a few days and eventually, half fell off and the nail was fine.
LESSON LEARNED: Keep on the toenail trims. I usually do, but this time I forgot to book it and her nails got longer than usual.
Toenail healed and happy to be heading back to the trails
Pandora’s Summer August
Mid-July is when Pandora discovered she could actually swim, swim. Like go out and paddle all the way in.
August has been the month of swimming. And swimming. And more swimming. It’s gotten to the point that she will ditch me about an 1/8th of a mile before her new swimming spot. She makes a beeline for that and all I get is dust.
Shake, Shake
Pandora hopes all the dogs have had a wonderful summer. And so do I.
Pandora happily retrieving sticks just for a reason to swim.
Pandora has always loved the water. Her first summer with us we bought her a kiddie pool, and she splashed around in it endlessly. She loves chomping at the water as it flows out of the hose, and she loves jumping and running into water on trails. The size of the water body doesn’t deter her, whether that water is a large puddle, a stream cutting through a groove, or a bigger body of water like a retention pond, creek, or lake, Pandora will run right in.
About a year ago I had taken Pandora to a larger lake and she, of course, loved running and splashing around the water’s edge. I threw a stick just beyond where she could walk out to it, and she leaped after the stick only to discover she couldn’t touch. She turned around and ditched the stick.
Enter this year and Pandora has discovered swimming is the greatest thing ever. She might even rank it right up there with frisbee time. And that’s, like, the ultimate rating.
Dogs and Swimming – What Do We Need to Know?
Since Pandora has been swimming, my question list has grown beyond worry of the water temperature:
How long can a dog safely swim?
What are the warning signs that a dog is too tired to swim?
Does swimming wear dogs out quicker than running the trails?
When should I use a life vest on my dog?
What are the best water toys and water gear for dogs?
So, let’s jump in and answer those questions about dogs and swimming.
How long can a dog safely swim?
Apparently, water breeds can swim for upwards of an hour. Some can swim for more than a mile. But all, need to take it slow when they first begin swimming. It’s obvious you wouldn’t take your 10-month-old lab out for an hour-long swim as their first introduction to water, but what would be a good starting point?
Quite a few sites recommend slow starts. Let the dog splash around in water that’s not deep. When they do start venturing out to deeper depths, keep an eye on them. Make sure they come in and rest after a few minutes.
With each trek to the water, you can let the dog swim longer and longer.
Pandora knew what she was comfortable with when she first started swimming. We didn’t push her. Now, however, I have to pull the plug on her fun and she’s not happy when I say we’re done. The first day that Pandora discovered she loved swimming, she was quite snotty when I told her we done. Apparently, she felt she could swim the English Channel if she wanted. But she started snorting a bit louder with each swim back to shore, so I said we were done. And she stood at the water’s edge trying to stare me down. Then she stomped her paw. And finally, came to me but grumbled as she passed by. Little Miss Attitude.
But Watch Out for Over-Confidence
Pandora thinks she’s a star swimmer now. And she’s good. But she hasn’t been in any water with a good current. She’s been through a creek, but she can still touch ground there. Unfortunately, she almost jumped into a swift flowing creek. She now thinks all water is fabulous. So, when I took her on a different trail one day, we came out to a creek that was pretty high and moving fast, and Pandora made a beeline for it. Thankfully, she still listens when I tell her to wait or sit and I was able to get the leash on her before she leaped.
Once your pup loves water, watch them. Little buggers go for anything with water, with no care in the world.
Dogs and Swimming: What are the warning signs that a dog is too tired to swim?
According to Paw Leaks, these are the signs your dog is probably too tired to continue water play:
“You also have to constantly look out for signs of exhaustion such as:
Excessive thirst
Purple or bluish gums
Rapid pulse
Easily distracted by sniffing
Losing interest
Yawning
Lying down
Hiding
Bad posture”
For Pandora, I noticed she was snorting more with each stick fetching swim. She was definitely breathing harder. When Pandora is having fun, she won’t stop, I have to end the moment of fun. We’ve just gotten to a point when she’s playing frisbee that she will take a breather in the shade every second or third throw. But that’s only if we are at home. Otherwise, she won’t stop.
Does swimming wear dogs out quicker than running the trails?
According to the K9 Aquatic Center (who knew there were swimming places just for dogs?):
It may surprise you to know that for a dog, 1 minute’s swimming is equivalent to about 4 minutes of running, according to Dr. Arleigh Reynolds, a Veterinary Surgeon and Canine Physiologist.
The K9 Aquatic Center also lists a bunch of other positives of dogs swimming. Mostly the same reasons it’s good for humans; easier on the joints, helps build muscle, good cardiovascular exercise, etc….
Swimming is definitely a great idea for dogs like Pandora that are athletic. Her joints take a beating when she’s leaping for her frisbee. What a great idea to help her joints heal.
Dogs and Swimming: When should I use a life vest on my dog?
A lot of sites cover this. Obviously, if you are in lake water with a lot of wake from watercraft or rivers and creeks with swift currents, it would be wise to use a life vest.
However, I was surprised to learn about some breeds that cannot swim. I knew, not all dogs could swim, one of my sister’s German Shepherds sank when he fell in the water. They were right there and saved him, don’t worry. I guess that was when I learned not all dogs can swim.
Anyway, dogs with short snouts are not great swimmers: Pugs, bulldogs, boxers, etc…, the water goes right up their nose and then you can run into the issue of dry drowning. Apparently, Pugs like water, so they would benefit to have a life vest.
And when your dog is hanging out on the boat or at the lake for the whole day, a life vest might be a good idea, especially if they are like Pandora and will keep going no matter how tired they are.
What are the best water toys and water gear for dogs?
Well, I can’t speak from experience, but here are the ones I am looking at for Pandora. These are all Amazon links (some of the links may be affiliate links):
This week, we’re delving into the needs of high energy dogs like the Australian Cattle Dog. Particularly what novice owners can expect from this breed. And how to wear them out if you don’t have lot of space.
Yes, Cattle Dogs Have High Energy Needs
This is not to be confused with an ADHD-type dog. Cattle dogs need a tremendous amount of exercise. They have a ton of energy to burn. However, it is not unfocused, Tasmanian Devil, whirlish behavior. These dogs can focus. When they are interested or working, they are laser focused.
Cattle Dogs Are Not Recommended for Apartments
If you read about Blue Heelers, Red Heelers (the colors refer to their coat colors), Queensland Heelers, Australian Cattle Dogs (we still don’t know why they have so many names) you’ll find a lot of people say they are not meant for small, confined spaces. And that’s true.
However, we don’t have an enormous yard. We have nothing close to farmland. Our lot is a third of an acre. Which is pretty much nothing when it comes to Pandora’s needs. And yet, we make it work and Pandora thrives. Except for walking near cars, we are still stuck. It’s not easy, but we’ve found ways to cope.
High Energy Dogs + Small Yards = A Lot of Time Exercising the Pooch
I’m not going to lie and say you can have a cattle dog in a small space and not worry about it. These dogs have high energy needs and you have to put in the effort to release that energy. That effort is every single day, multiple times a day.
Here’s an example of what a good exercise day looks like for Pandora:
After I wake up and shower, Pandora goes outside. She does her business and trots back in waiting while I empty the dishwasher and reload. (5 minutes)
Load Pandora in car and head out to the trails. We do anywhere from 3 to 5 miles. (1+ hours)
After lunch, it’s playtime for Pandora (30 min. Frisbee)
On sunny days, I leave the slider open so Pandora can go in and out. She’ll mill around the yard, try to herd my husband while he works in the yard. Get a little more frisbee time when he’s trying to break her of herding him. (10 to 45 minutes)
Early evening, I take Pandora back outside and play more frisbee. We mix up the throws, mostly low to the ground with a few higher ones mixed in. (30 to 40 minutes).
By 8:00pm, we’re pooped. Pandora is not. So, we pull out the tennis ball and take turns tossing it around the house (semi-open concept). We’ve learned to utilize doors and walls to launch the ball further around corners. (30 min)
Total time on a good day of exercise is anywhere from 2 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours.
When Pandora gets that much exercise, she is a happy pup.
What a “Just Enough” Exercise Day Looks Like
Obviously, we don’t always have a good exercise day for Pandora. Some days we do just enough. Just enough, means we do the bare minimum to give her the energy burners she needs. Sometimes these days are due to a heavy workload that prevents us from giving her the time she needs. And sometimes these days are due to non-stop torrential rains and/or high winds. Here’s what that kind of day looks like:
Wake, shower, shove Pandora out the door to do her business.
After unloading and loading dishwasher I bundle up in boots and raincoat and toss the frisbee a few times with Pandora. If it’s windy, the throws suck. Pandora doesn’t care, so long as she’s chasing the disc, she’s happy.
If I’m working from home, I’ll take a lot of five-minute breaks. During which time, I toss toys up the stairs. Pandora brings them back and we repeat. This does wear her out. The stairs will have her panting hard after five minutes. I do little training things while I go between rooms, like make her walk “with me,” or if I’m on the phone, I’ll practice using hand commands. I’ll get her to sit, look at me, drop down and reward.
For lunch if the weather is really crappy, we’ll do a good 15 minutes on the stairs. And some brain work. I’ll either do a puzzle toy with her or I’ll hide high scent dog treats around the house. That keeps her busy. Plus, the nose work or brain work utilizes energy.
In the early evening, I train her. We’ll take a few breaks as I throw toys up the stairs, and then back to training. I make sure this is at least 30 minutes.
Then, come 8:00 we play ball or tug. Pandora is not usually satisfied. So, she’ll go have unhealthy relations with her dog bed. She’ll grumble. She’ll let us know that we sucked at getting her energy used up for the day.
These days we get approximately, 1 hour and 45 minutes of exercise.
Won’t the Dog Get Used to Not Getting as Much Exercise?
To be fair, I’ve only heard one person express this comment. I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but she’s not a dog owner. Sarcasm aside, no. High energy dogs will not get used to not having as much exercise.
A dog that doesn’t get her exercise needs met will be miserable. And dogs rank high in the Misery Loves Company, game of life. They own that area. If they’re miserable, you will be just as miserable or even more so. This is when furniture gets chewed into an unrecognizable state. When shoes get shredded into tiny bits that resemble yard mulch. When dogs consume plastic toys that mean a trip to the, very expensive, emergency vet. And, when then the police show up due to complaints of non-stop barking.
Don’t be that dog owner.
Summation
Yes, Australian Cattle Dogs are high energy dogs. You don’t have to have massive acreage or livestock to give your dog a good home. If you are willing to attend to their needs, every day, multiple times a day, you’ll have a pal for life.
But you have to be honest with yourself and whether or not you can put in the time needed.
For more information about cattle dogs, check out these posts:
Last spring (2021) my husband was out doing yard work when he riled up a hornets’ nest. He got stung seven times and he’s allergic. So, we raced inside to deal with him ASAP. Later, when all was calming down, I noticed Pandora was acting funny. She looked like she had downed a pot brownie glazed with hallucinogenic magic mushroom sauce. She was whipping her head around looking for something we couldn’t see. And she’d lick her side and one of her back legs.
Dogs and Spring: Bees, Wasps, Hornets, and Yellow Jackets
Pandora had been stung, too. I called my older sister who has not only had many dogs, but cats, gerbils, lizards, ferrets, and more over her lifetime. Some of them have been very needy in the medical department. What to do? She recommended I give Pandora a Benedryl. The antihistamine is beneficial for pups, too. The tablets we had are 25 mg., which worked well since Pandora was 27 pounds and the recommended dose for dogs is 1 mg per pound.
Dog-on-it-parks.comhas a great recommendation for pups under 25 pounds: “Most Benadryl comes in 25 mg tablets, which is easier to dose for larger dogs but for small dogs, try children’s Benadryl in a 12.5 mg dose (the liquid option makes it easy!).”
Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the site of the sting
Apply an ice pack to relieve swelling and pain.
Ask your vet about giving your dog a dose of oral antihistamine.
Give your dog fresh water and watch them carefully.
Allergic reactions usually occur within 20 minutes, but can be delayed for hours.
The UK Kennel Club offers some tips of what to watch for if you think your dog was stung:
Whining
Agitation
Swelling
Lumpy looking skin
Biting, nibbling or pawing at the place stung
Drooling
Keep an eye on your pooch, shoo them away from the venomous flying raisins and invest in some Benedryl. Store brand versions are cheaper and just as good. And for those whose pups are under 25 pounds, Children’s Benedryl:
Dogs and Spring: Water Temperatures
If you live in an area where the temperature doesn’t drop below 50 degrees, you don’t have to worry about your pooch and the water. I mean, maybe you have to worry about what resides in the water, but the temperature may not be a concern.
But for northern states and other areas, we need to think about the water temperature. Particularly, when you have a water dog. Pandora is a water dog. Her new thing is adding frisbee play with water time, she’s over-the-moon about that.
A few weeks ago, we had a gorgeous spring day with temps in the mid-60’s. I took Pandora out for a walk at one of her favorite trails where there is a fabulous creek that she loves. She splashed and leaped and had her usual awesome time. But the next weekend, the weather was hovering around 39 degrees. And as we passed her favorite water hole, Pandora went in. She didn’t act phased by the temperature, but I worried about her getting wet especially when we still had another 30-minutes before we made it back to the car.
Yes, I should have put her leash on. Clearly, I let my mind wander. I know Pandora will always go for the water. The day after Christmas we were staying with friends when a big blustery snow came in. With windchill it was frigid and the snowdrifts around the water’s edge were building with each gust. At one point, Pandora went out potty, and the next she made a break for the water. We’re talking freezing temps here. Thankfully, she came back after my initial shriek of panic.
What are the recommended swimming temperature?
The Swim Guide recommends: “Temperatures above 7 °C (45 °F) are safe for the majority of dogs, but temperatures below -6 °C (20 °F) may lead to frostbite or hypothermia after a while.”
And Rover.com reminds us: “However, length of time swimming is also a major factor. A quick dip or splash in a cold body of water isn’t likely to cause a problem for an otherwise healthy dog, especially if you dry them off afterward.“
Thankfully, Pandora was only in the water for about 5 minutes, and she didn’t get her whole-body in. The water came up to the underside of her belly.
The first link for The Swim Guide also gives symptoms of hypothermia in dogs and more water tips to consider.
Finally, Lawn Equipment and Dogs
Dogs and spring are a great combination. They are excited to be outdoors and chasing all the fun flying insects, sprinting across the yard after toys, and enjoying time with you outside. However, despite how happy it makes them, it’s best to leave the pups inside while mowing or weed-eating your lawn. Or using any other machinery that makes yard work easy. If you have a large yard and your dog hates the sound of the equipment, you may be fine, but if your pup is young and wants to be near you, best to let them indoors. Even mulching-mowers can spit rock chunks.
And of you don’t have a mulching mower with a bag on it, beware. Our old mower shattered a long, thin window at our old house. The window was easily 8 feet from the ground and about four feet long and one foot high.
When we moved to our new house, that darn mower shot a rock through an upper window.
Be safe. Know your dog, know your equipment, make an informed decision.
Pandora and her friend Bo, playing with the same stick.
We had a happy moment in Pandora’s training this past week.
For those who are new here, Pandora is a two-year-old Australian Cattle Dog. We have been training her since we brought her home and, well, we’ll always be training her. Right now, our training still focuses on skills that are useful to keep her safe and to help her behave. Later on, we’ll need to keep training her to keep her mind busy. Mental activity tires a dog out. Some mental activities that are harder and worked on longer can poop a pup out almost as much as some physical exercise.
Our Training Struggle
We struggle to get Pandora to walk near roads. The thought of getting her to walk ON a road with vehicles, well, that’s all that is, a thought.
Another struggle we have in training is that Pandora still likes to jump on the cats when they come in from outside. She doesn’t try to attack them, she’s just aggressive in play. Very aggressive. And, since she’s a cattle dog, she doesn’t back down when they swipe her with their claws fully extended.
The last struggle in training is the barking. We’ve been working on this, and I have to admit, this is the first training area where she will act up solely to get a treat. We were doing well, telling her, “Quiet” and then giving a treat the instant, she stopped barking. Well, she took that the next level. And began barking more and then looking at us for the treat.
So, I switched gears and instead of giving her a treat, I now use a firm voice to tell her “Stop it.” And she does. But she only does so for me. For whatever reason (probably my husband being considered a playmate in her eyes), she has been worse at barking at my husband. She’ll just go down to him and bark incessantly. She won’t stop until I intervene. Which is not okay.
The Fun Side of Training
Now, let’s get to the good stuff. The stuff that makes all the training worth it. And that is when the training pays off.
I’ll start with the cats. While this is still a struggle, Pandora has made some tiny progress. She isn’t doing this consistently, but it’s becoming more frequent. when the cats come inside, they usually go for their food bowl. Which have set up on a hutch in our dining room. Pandora always rushes the hutch and nips at the cats’ tails or paws. Recently, however, as I tell her to “Leave It” she turns and grabs one of her stuffed toys. We didn’t train her to do that, I think she just discovered that she would prefer to have something to chew on to calm her down.
The Happy Moment
Actually, it’s two moments that make me really happy. One is that she is calming down on her jumping. She does fairly well, but there are still two people she feels the need to jump on. One is my husband. And I know why she does that to him, because he allows it. It makes him happy when he comes home from work. And the other is a friend of ours who also loves the greeting.
Last week on one of our trail visits she came across a few guys talking and she went up to them, but she didn’t charge, more of a trot, and she didn’t jump on them. She stuck her nose out to sniff and I called her back and she came back. This was near the end of our walk and Pandora was calmer. Just by her demeanor, I could tell this was not a big deal.
Yes, I usually put her on a leash when I see other people, however, we had just come into a clearing and the guys were right there. The majority of the time I see or hear people and get Pandora on a leash before we get near them.
BUT, we had an even BIGGER training success yesterday on the trail.
Pandora spotted a backpacker behind us. I redirected her attention because he was a about a good 1/3 of a mile back. We on the trail with my friend who has a little Chihuahua. This dog will happily out-hike many small breed dogs. She goes 3 to 5 miles without an issue. However, she is tiny and so we walk slower for her. Sweetest little pooch.
Anyway, the hiker started gaining on us pretty quick. And Pandora started to trot back to check the situation out. I called her and she slowed down, then I told her to “Sit” and she did. I had her “Wait” while I walked to her and then put the leash on.
Was it Perfect?
No. A superbly trained dog would have come to a full stop and recall. Pandora is not superbly trained. Clearly, I’m not a certified trainer or even someone with a ton of experience in the training department.
What it was though, was a huge success for us. And that made my day.
Keep training, the successes no matter how small are so worth it.
Pandora at a new trail. Wishing Mom, would put the camera away.
Our training stalled. Or we hit a wall. Whatever you want to call it, we weren’t moving forward. Last week’s post outlined the lowest point yet in our training journey.
(Links may be affiliates. They do not add to the cost of the product, but we receive a miniscule amount from your purchase. Which goes to funding Pandora’s frisbee addiction – we go through those discs like crazy.)
What Happens: Stalled Training
When I hit the wall with training Pandora, I hit the lowest of low – mood wise. And I felt nothing when I went out to train her. That’s the worst position to be in. I don’t want her to think she’s the reason for that attitude. As far as I know, dogs can sense our feelings and I don’t want to put my disappointment on her shoulders.
They are not sensing specific feelings but instead the positivity or negativity of the feeling. Once dogs sense the way you are feeling, the way in which they act will often reflect that same feeling. They will then start acting and even vocalizing in a certain way based on your feelings, body language, and tone.
For us, we hit a wall. I went through the motions of training, but my heart wasn’t in it. And I don’t think Pandora’s was either. We both were looking at each other with the “What the hell?” look. Me, at her, for not getting past the fear of the road and her, at me, for not understanding her fear of the road.
We Stepped Back
Then I went back to just taking her outside for frisbee. Mostly because I was bummed, but also because I felt she needed something to let her know I wouldn’t keep trying to drag her up the driveway every single time we stepped outside.
And that put a spring in her step. Or rather an extra spring in her leaps for the frisbee. I hate taking a step back. It makes me feel like we are going to lose every shred of ground we gained, even though sometimes it helps us move forward. I know that it could help us, but I’m so terrified, I keep pushing.
So, I did what I do best. I whined, to every dog person I came across in hopes someone had a suggestion I haven’t tried. Low and behold, Pandora’s groomer (we pay for nail trims – she has the dark nails) gave me a suggestion. She told me to try the Happy Hoodie. Apparently, she uses it for some of the dogs when blow -drying them. The blower is loud, and it helps diminish the noise and makes it more bearable. She also said I could try some cotton first before investing in the Happy Hoodie. I’ve linked to the hood on Amazon. It’s basically like a gator that goes over the dogs’ ears and neck. Pretty sure Pandora is going to look like a surprised seal when we get ours.
We Refreshed
Finally, we refreshed. Instead of trying to coerce her up the driveway, I took her to a trail that the groomer recommended. She said it had a lot of trails and was away from vehicles. I’m sure for most dogs it would be great, but the road was still too close for Pandora’s liking. However, Pandora did get out of the car and start checking out the new area. I can’t say how many miles of trails there are since Pandora only did about a third of a mile. She got nervous after hearing a car and tried to veer back to our vehicle.
I still think the trip was worth it. I put no expectations on Pandora. I let her sniff everything she wanted to and let her choose the direction she wanted to go. Did you see the picture of her at top? That was on the trail. There was a tree that had a long sloping trunk, that I had her hop on to get a picture. I tried to reward her with a piece of steak, she wouldn’t take it. She was still on edge.
And both Saturday and Sunday, I took her to meet my friend who was puppy sitting a super hyper dog and we took them to some trails away from all vehicles. Pandora and Bo ran and leaped and played for a few hours each day. Pandora even went swimming.
And now, Pandora is feeling happier and so am I.
So, when the training stalls, don’t get discouraged (I should follow my own advice), just do something different and bring the joy back into your pup and you with whatever makes your dog happiest.
Prior to bringing Pandora home, I’d heard, “You’ve got to socialize your dog.” Then I researched Australian Cattle Dogs. I learned they really need socialization as soon as possible. We had picked out Pandora a week before the nation went into the Covid lockdown. She arrived at our home amidst the lockdown.
All the pet stores had stopped their puppy play days. People avoided each other at dog parks. And I fretted that Pandora was going to turn into a mean, snarling beast around people and animals she didn’t know.
I panicked. How was I going to get her socialized? Does she really need socialization?
Do You Need to Socialize Your Dog?
It depends. If you live on a farm, you will train your dog to do a particular job. As a working dog, she’ll be pooped and ready to chill at the end of the day. You may train her to not jump on people arriving to your house. You may want to help her know it’s not okay to race up in attack mode. But for the most part, a dog that works that hard, will crash hard when off duty. She will know how or learn how to interact with the other dogs that live there and the animals on the farm. It’s rare to see a hard-working dog like this at a dog park. They get plenty of exercise at home.
For dogs you plan on bringing to your dog park, or walking your neighborhood, or bringing with you to places where other people and pets may be, it’s a good idea to socialize them. They need to know they don’t own every area they visit. You don’t want them terrorizing the other dogs at the park and you don’t want them terrorizing little kids.
And when it comes to parents and kids, I don’t care how happy your 140 lb. Boerboel dog is, you can’t let him charge up to a forty-pound child. If someone three times your size barrels up to you, you’re going to jump back. A kid may jump back, scream, cry, and or run.
That’s when problems ensue.
Once a person starts running, especially a smaller person, the dog is all “PLAY TIME! ALRIGHT!” The kid has no clue the dog might be harmless, the parents don’t know the dog is harmless. And even as the owner, you can’t guarantee your dog won’t bite the child willfully or accidentally. The worst dog bite I ever received was from a good dog that I knew. It was one of my friend’s dogs. A bunch of us kids were wrestling around, and the dog was playing with us and bit my knee. Broke the skin. The dog didn’t do it willfully. It was an accident.
That’s why it’s incredibly important to socialize your dog.
You want them to know how to play with other dogs, how to play with kids, how to be gentle.
How Do You Socialize When You’re in Lockdown (or When You’re an Introvert)?
Well, you make the best of what you can. I have a friend that I walked with who had just adopted an elderly one-eyed Chihuahua. We would meet up to go for walks. Sophie (the Chihuahua) didn’t take to Pandora’s puppy antics. Which was okay. Pandora learned that Sophie was fine with her walking near her, but she couldn’t wrestle with Sophie. When to leave another dog alone is an important social lesson for puppies.
When Pandora and I were out walking alone and came across another person, if the person seemed interested in Pandora, I’d asked them (if they were comfortable with it first – because it was during the height of the pandemic) if Pandora could come up to them. I never asked anyone to stop. Only people who happened to stop or show interest in her.
I did the same when we came across people who were out with the dog(s). Pandora met a lot of dogs on our walks. Some were not social. One snapped at her as they passed by us. It was okay. We had reached a tight spot on the trail and the lady mentioned her dog was crabby so we both held our dogs in close. The other dog didn’t touch Pandora. But Pandora learned that not all dogs want to play. She still makes an attempt to meet all dogs, but she knows when to leave the other dog alone.
Once Pandora had all her shots, we would go to dog park so she could meet other dogs and learn the social process. Most times, Pandora doesn’t like being on unfamiliar turf. So, she’s extra cautious meeting dogs in parks. She’s definitely not the aggressor type.
These small meetings with dogs here and there, were very helpful toward her socialization.
Socialize Your Dog with Other People
Once our area let up on pandemic restrictions, I started taking Pandora to the pet stores. This has helped her in more than one way. First, she gets to meet people in the store, and they all give her love. Two, she hates being anywhere near roads with vehicles. Knowing she can get out and go inside a place has helped her a wee bit.
Plus, she’s taken it upon herself to greet all customers as they come in. She’s definitely nervous as she does the wag and drag. That’s what I call the dropping low and scooching up to people with her belly just clearing the floor, her ears half back, and her tail wagging so hard, it’s basically Swiffering the floor behind her.
I would act excited when we met people she knew but hadn’t seen a while. This worked well. However, now we are working on not jumping to shoulder height in excitement when she sees them.
As for little kids, we haven’t had much of a chance to socialize her there. I met one child on a trail that wanted to pet Pandora. Other than that, Pandora has only been around two other sets of kids. One set were my friend’s kids. They were elementary aged at the time.
The other two kids were at the park. And they were hyper and loud. I knew Pandora was not having it and even though she didn’t show any aggression, we left. It was best for her to know that I wouldn’t force her to deal with them.
A Few Other Tips for Socialization
Go slow. Don’t take your dog to the dog park during the peak hours. Slow introductions to a lot of the typical fear areas can be beneficial.
Pandora hates the loud sound of the garbage trucks, so I attempted to desensitize her by playing an hour-long YouTube video of garbage trucks on repeat. In stereo. If your dog is terrified of fireworks, maybe look for videos of fireworks and start at low volume and each day increase the volume a little more.
A few other sites that give great tips on socialization of your dog:
Dog play seems simple enough to know what’s good and what’s not. Your dog meets another dog, and they take turns chasing each other. No barking, no growling, and no rough housing. They back off and give each other space, all is well. Clearly, it’s good dog play.
When your dog meets another dog and their hackles raise and they viciously lunge toward each other with jaws snapping and spittle flying, you know it’s bad dog play. I mean at that point, it’s not play.
But what about the other stuff that’s not so obvious? The snarl without raised hackles. The air mouthing and non-verbal teeth-baring. The body slamming. The grunts and huffs. At what point is it not okay?
We’re lucky that I get to puppy sit a friend’s dog a few times a week. Roxie is an Australian Shephard and she’s a few months younger than Pandora. Up until Roxie, the dogs Pandora got to play with were tiny, elderly dogs that had no tolerance for puppy antics and younger, bigger dogs whose size Pandora was unsure about.
Pandora met Roxie once when Roxie was a teeny pup. The first time Roxie came to the house after she’d grown to the same size as Pandora was the best event to witness. Pandora finally had someone her own size that she could rough house with. And rough house they did. They body-slammed each other so hard, I was sure Pandora had taken lessons on throwing hard blocks from the NFL. Then they tore around the yard. They jumped on each other, rolled each other, snarled at each other and then stood in front of me with the biggest, happiest grins of contentment.
Since then, Pandora and Roxie have gone through various stages of acceptable and not-so-acceptable play.
Signs of Good Dog Play
Pandora and Roxie have some of the sweetest moments when they are in calm play. I’m not even sure if they are playing or just politely taking things away from each other. Whatever it is, there is no animosity or anger. They dig out toys from the toy bin and then they decide which is the cool toy. Roxie will go lie down with whatever the cool toy is, and Pandora will walk over and gently pull it away from Roxie. Pandora then goes and lies down with the toy and Roxie goes over and gently takes it away. That’s good play.
Some other signs of dog play that are good:
If your dog is smiling, it’s good. You know your dog’s happy look. If they look happy, chances are good, the play is fine.
The dogs keep going back to each other.
They switch roles: the one that was being chased is now the chaser.
They stop for a drink and go back to playing. Roxie will stop for a drink and Pandora stands next to her impatiently waiting for Roxie to finish so they can tear off together around the yard.
The bodies aren’t tense. The muscles are relaxed.
Signs of “Eh?” Play That Is Actually Okay
This is the stuff that I wasn’t sure was okay. I had to watch a lot of videos to make sure the girls weren’t getting too rough with each other. In case you’re wondering, most of these are actually fine. They get rough. But they are okay.
Blocking/ Body Slamming/ Bumper Bodies – whatever you want to call it. When they run and slam their shoulders into each other, it’s usually fine. Pandora and Roxie will do this and then get into crazed race mode. That’s when they tear around the full yard at warp speed. The only drawback is that Pandora can cut faster than Roxie. Roxie has run into the fence a couple times, when Pandora does a last-minute cut.
Teeth-baring
Air-mouthing
Snarl/snort and huff – this is usually displayed when they are baring teeth and air mouthing at each other.
Cheek/Jowl biting – this looks so painful, but Pandora doesn’t yelp. I haven’t seen Pandora do this to Roxie, only Roxie to Pandora. And apparently, it’s fine. Now, if Pandora were to yelp, that would be a sign Roxie went too far. However, since they are friends, I’m pretty sure Roxie would just take that as a learning lesson.
The Takedown – this is when the girls are on their hind legs and batting or holding each other with their front legs while air-mouthing. Pandora will then wrap her legs around Roxie and take Roxie down. I haven’t seen Roxie do this to Pandora. I guess they each have a signature move. But Roxie doesn’t yelp or run away. And I’m sure if she did, Pandora would back off right quick.
A Few Signs of “Eh?” Dog Play That Need to Be Watched
This is basically, the warning zone. One has done something to the other and it’s not okay. If the dogs are usually friendly with each other, you probably won’t have to intervene.
The “I’m Done” snap – Roxie has to do this to Pandora. Roxie gets tired quicker than Pandora. She needs to go in and rest. Pandora has no concept of rest, unless it’s bedtime. Roxie will lie down, and Pandora will give her roughly, 0.2 seconds before trying to engage her in play again. Roxie will do a high pitch snarl/snap thing to let Pandora know she doesn’t want to play.
If one dog keeps pushing the other too far – maybe the dog has bit the other a little too hard twice now, keep an eye on it. Dogs are pretty good at regulating teeth pressure in play. If one keeps biting too hard, it’s time to step in. The dog may be tired and need a break. Yes, even if the dog is still hyper. Sometimes they need to be brought into a calm situation to turn off the hyper and chill out.
The tail tuck while running – I’m not sure what made Pandora a little skittish, but one day while playing with Roxie, Pandora tucked her tail on a sprint away from her pal. Roxie seemed a little more aggressive, a little more not-so-happy to her snarl. I didn’t see what led to that. But I called the girls in and made them walk with me before giving them a treat and some rest. Pandora usually keeps her tail whipping around while running. The tail tuck was a sign that something wasn’t right.
Signs They aren’t Playing Anymore, or the Play has Turned Bad
Pandora and Roxie know each other too well. They haven’t had a situation that was completely horrible. However, Pandora and I have come across dogs that just aren’t as friendly, usually at the dog park.
I’m not blaming the people whose dog was a little more aggressive than normal. Who knows what set him off? Maybe he just didn’t like Pandora, maybe he was tired, maybe he was feeling a bit overwhelmed with so many dogs at the park. Whatever the reason, he took off after Pandora. He didn’t snar, but there was an edginess. I let Pandora run away from him, I didn’t give chase. Pandora sprinted around, which wore the old pup out. She didn’t come hide behind me. She wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t in a full tail tuck.
The other pooch’s human came and leashed him. Apologized and took him to a different section of the park. I think the situation was handled well. I didn’t jump right to Pandora’s rescue because she wasn’t in total fear, she was uncomfortable, but not terrified. The last thing I want to do is create more fear by running racing over to chase off the other dog.
The situation worked out pretty well. Pandora used her speed and fast cutting ability to wear the other dog down – it only took a minute. And then she maintained a half crouch. She could lie down if the other dog showed a little calm or she could bolt if he continued to approach. No one over-reacted and both dogs seemed okay.
The key sign that something was off, was the tenseness in the other dog’s muscles and the aggressive lurch toward Pandora.
A few other signs that the situation is heading in the wrong direction:
The raised hackles. That’s the scruff of hair that poofs up along mid-neck to the shoulder blade region. I’ve never seen a happy dog do that. It’s almost always a sign of anger, fear, or something not right.
A low growl accompanied with tense muscles. Dogs will growl in play, but there is a difference. The Metro East Humane Society has a post on telling the difference between play and fight postures. It’s a good resource.
Snapping aggressively
A change in the vibe – you know when two people hate each other and a relaxed room gets that edgy feeling? That same feeling accompanies dogs that don’t like each other.
These are things I have noticed. But I’m not an expert, so I’m including a few more links on the subject here:
