Stubborn Dog, Novice Owner

Training Stalled? Step Back and Refresh

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022Diane J.

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.
Can Dogs Sense Feelings? – Wag! (wagwalking.com)

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.

Dog Training Frustration

March 21, 2022March 29, 2022Diane J.

Training your dog is not always as easy as whipping up peaches and cream. It’s also not full of sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Honestly, it can be downright frustrating.

Please bear with me on the dog-training frustrations front, it gets a little brighter at the end of this piece.

Reality Means Frustration and Elation

One thing I promised myself, and that I am now sharing with you, is that I would keep this site as realistic as possible. I didn’t want to set high expectations and promise that life would be easy if you were a novice owner of a particularly stubborn breed of dog. Nothing is gained by people who claim you can train your dog, and all will be rosy. It just makes us feel like failures. And we’re not, and neither are our dogs.

Before we brought Pandora home, I started watching dog training videos. I knew I was a novice, and I knew Australian Cattle Dogs are not recommended for novice owners. So, I watched video after video. One thing that stood out, was that professional dog trainers made it look somewhat easy.

Each episode began with a problem that was the video’s focus and, in a half-hour, we got the final results. We know, realistically, these trainers didn’t get those results in a half an hour. Yet, we don’t know how long it took to get those results. We don’t know how many hours a day they worked with the dog; we don’t know how many days they worked with the dog.

I wanted to avoid that. I want people to have a real sense of how long training can take. Some things Pandora picks up quick, and some things…well, that’s today’s focus.

Complete, Utter Frustration

Last week was a low point. I hit rock bottom. Frustration punched my gut and stomped on my heart.

Each time my husband and I take our evening walk, I see dogs with their people, walking happily around the lake. Last week, every time I saw a person with their dog, I started to cry.

The Melt Down

I can’t get Pandora to walk with us near vehicles. After yet, another regression in the training, my heart broke. I went into full-on self-pity mode:
She’s never going to walk with us. She’s never going to get over this fear. I can’t train her anymore. I’ve hit a wall and there’s nothing left I can do.

I was so gut-wrenchingly destroyed, that when I went out to work with Pandora, I had no feelings. Complete numbness. I knew nothing was going to change. If this were a movie, this is where I would say, “But she did it! This was the day she walked up to the top of the driveway.” Alas, this is not a movie, she didn’t go to the top of the driveway. It was the same thing as the previous two and a half weeks.

The only difference is that Pandora knew something was off with me. Pandora’s cure all is Frisbee, so she’d bring the disc and I’d half-heartedly play with her. I truly felt I failed her.

Each evening I spent a good hour tossing and turning: is it me? Am I that inept at training? Is it Pandora’s stubbornness? Could it be her fear of cars? Is it that her hearing is so sensitive that the cars sound 40x louder than we hear them?

The Moment of Clarity

I felt defeated. It was time I saved up and paid for a professional dog trainer. But, at $150 per hour (some are the same price but only 30-minutes), I realized a professional is not in our immediate future. I’m sure Pandora would need many lessons.

I started journaling about my frustration. We’ve been working on this walking issue since we brought her home. She’s two now. A month and a half ago, I made it a Priority Training Exercise. Meaning, that was the main task we would work on every day.

The first week went well. I got her to the telephone pole. Joy of all joys! Then we went backwards. She stopped walking tentatively with me and started pulling the leash for the back yard. She started turning her back to me and crouching down. I had to walk backwards and offer endless treats to get her to go back to the telephone pole.

It was then I realized. I was using regular dog treats.

We Are Making Progress – Frustration is Waning

Regular dog treats. This may not seem like a big deal, but one year ago, I couldn’t even get her past the front end of our vehicle. And I was using the “big guns” of dog treats. Bacon. A full slice of real bacon. She wouldn’t even walk with me for that.

Now, even though we struggle, even though it seems like endless setbacks, she will follow me for a regular dog treat.

If you look at the picture above, you’ll see where the front of the car is. That was as far as I could get her a year ago. Now, we can get to the telephone pole. By this time next year, we should be able to get to the top of the driveway.

Don’t give up. You will get some wins and some frustrations, don’t quit. We’ll get there. I don’t know when, but I believe we will. You will, too.

How to Care for Pup After You have surgery

How to Care for Your Pup After You Have Surgery

March 14, 2022March 8, 2022Diane J.

Preparation Before Surgery

I recently had major surgery. Thankfully, I had the chance to plan ahead. Which meant getting ahead on household chores, work tasks, and Pandora’s training, some of it anyway.

Even if you don’t have an upcoming surgery, it’s probably a good idea to make sure your dog is trained in a few commands. These are mostly the basics. The stuff they tell us to train our dogs on immediately. The commands that can help us keep our dogs safe, and us too. There is a bonus to having these commands down well. If you have emergency surgery, with no time to pre-train your pup, your home recovery will be easier.

If you are lucky enough to prepare in advance, here are the areas you should focus on:

Training commands, such as “off,” “down,” “gentle,” “wait.”
Changing behaviors such as not jumping on you when you get home, going ahead of you when going up or down stairs.
Investing in some dog puzzles or a dog walker – things that will burn your pup’s energy, calmly.

Training Commands

When my doctor said surgery, this was the training area that I cracked down on for Pandora. She loves to jump on me, my husband, our neighbors, other people, you know, everyone. We couldn’t have that for when I got home so she had to learn not to do it.

The reason Pandora jumped on us so often is because my husband loves that she barrels out the door and jumps to greet him. We’re undecided if she’s trying to jump into his arms or if she’s leaping that high to lick his nose. Since my husband wouldn’t work on the “off” command before, he finally realized we had to now.

The best response we got was semi-ignoring Pandora when she greeted us. We’d say hello to her, and then when she’d jump, we’d say “off” while turning sideways. If she was launching into the jump, we’d put a knee up that prevented her from getting close. She’d bounce off the knee.

Pandora understands “sit,” and “wait,” well enough.

The one thing I wish I had taught her, was “gentle.” She’s not insanely rough, but it would have come in handy when she’d curl up with me if she understood to be a little gentle. You know, don’t walk over the surgery site three times to find where you want to lie down. Here’s a link on how to train “gentle.”

Changing Behavior

The biggest behavior changes you’ll want are for your dog are, jumping on you and not being underfoot on stairs. After surgery, you may be weaker, you may have balance issues, you may be dizzy. The last thing you need is your dog to knock you over and possibly reinjure or cause more injuries to your situation.

I already addressed the training of “Off,” above.

Not having your dog underfoot on stairs, is really nice. I never spent time training Pandora to go ahead of me on the stairs, but she learned it fairly quick. When she was a few months old, she’d bite at my feet when I was near the stairs. One day, I stopped moving and pointed down the stairs. Pandora ran down. From then on all I had to do was gesture (which is the equivalent of a one-handed “you first” gesture) and Pandora goes up or down ahead of me.

I watch a friend’s pup a few days a week and she walks down the stairs with me. Sometimes, she’s in a hurry and shoves by me. Usually, she’s pretty good about staying to the side of me, but every once in a while, she’s tried to shove by me or stopped in front of me.

Invest in Energy Burners

Pandora’s favorite activity is frisbee. Since I knew that I wouldn’t be able to give her that energy outlet for a few weeks, I had to do some planning. Thankfully, I have my husband and a son who can take her out, but she doesn’t play long with them. So, I started preparing by stocking up on items that could be used to entertain her brain and nose. While she doesn’t spend a bunch of physical energy, she tires herself out thinking.

I stocked up on toilet paper rolls, the cardboard piece. I cut them in half and put a tiny treat in each piece, then wrap it up around the treat. A little pocket if you will. I would put Pandora in a room and then hide the packets around the house. Each time I did this, I tried to find new places. I would do about 12 packets, six rolls. If you use treats like Dingos, you can save on the extra calories, by breaking them in half or thirds.

Another thing I did was to take an old blanket and scatter a few treats in it, then roll it up, tie it in a loose knot, and toss it on the floor. She spent a good while trying to get her treats out from the fuzzy depths.

And, I bought a dog puzzle off of Amazon. I was able to sit on the couch and play with her.

A Few Other Suggestions

If you don’t have someone at home, maybe hire a local teen to come play with your dog or to walk your dog. When friends or family come by you can ask them to spend some time playing tug or throwing a ball for your dog.

Lick Mats keep them busy, but calm for a while, so those are handy to have on hand.

Snuffle Mats, are great for nose work that encourages them to work those sniffers to find their food.

Get Pandora’s favorite indoor energy burners (just check with your doctor before anything that requires your physical movement – like throwing a ball).

The prep work takes time

…but it will make your home healing process smoother.

Curb the Barking

March 7, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

Ears Ringing from Barking?

Pandora only had one event where her incessant barking put us on our neighbors’ “most hated” list. That was when Pandora decided no more night crate. And she was done. Period.

I’m fairly stubborn myself, and figured it was just a phase. I kept telling my husband if we give in, she’s never going back in the crate again. We have to ride out the phase. For two weeks, I’d put her in the crate and the barking would start and it wouldn’t stop until I opened the crate in the morning. She’d take a few twenty second breathers here and there, but she never stopped. All night long. Fourteen nights. I’m no stranger to sleepless nights, I raised twins. However, I will admit that once the twins slept through the night, I thoroughly enjoyed the sleep. So much so, that it’s really hard to go back to sleepless nights, or maybe it’s age.

I’m a firm believer that you need to pick your training method and see it through. I learned this through parenting a horde of boys. You can’t read a tip and try it for two days, then give up and try another. Your child needs to know the consequences will be the same and you will stick to it. When I implemented a punishment for my kids, I gave it a solid two weeks. Usually, it only took a week so long as I was consistent.

So that ideology stuck with me during this phase with Pandora. And Pandora usually reacts like the kids. At first there is an increase in rebellion. Then there’s a little give, then reluctant acceptance followed quickly by another round of resistance, and finally full acceptance.

However, this time, there was no give. No change in the barking, no weakening in intensity. She gave me nothing. After two solid weeks, I had to admit, she’s not a crate dog. She’s not having it. I didn’t change anything, and she didn’t give one darn micromillimeter.

So, she no longer sleeps in the crate. We don’t even use the crate anymore.

Bad Barking Habits

Even though we solved the worst barking, if you consider ceding a solution, Pandora still has a few barking issues we need to work on.

Anytime I’m in my office and anyone wants to talk to me, she barks. She sees people walking up the road and she barks. A delivery driver comes down the driveway, she barks. My husband moves, she barks. People come to visit, and she barks for their attention.

Clearly, some of these, I want her to bark at. Others, not so much.

I want her to bark and let me know if someone is near the house. However, I want her to stop barking when I give a command. For a while, I would look out the window, take note of what she was barking at, and say “Okay, thank you.” It still works, but we seem to be in a regression period.

As for the other barking, I don’t want it at all. I don’t want my family shushed by my dog. My husband needs to do things and we don’t want to deal with my dog trying to give me a play-by-play of my husband’s actions.

Which has led us to…

Operation: Curb the Barking

Pandora doesn’t go on barking tirades when we’re not home. So far, the only things that have suffered during our absences have been toilet paper and tissue boxes. Which kind of sucked back in 2020 when people were hoarding toilet paper.

We decided to continue with our plan to acknowledge + “thank you” when people are near the house. I’m pretty sure it’s just a phase…(rereads paragraph two and prays).

I searched around the internet and came across two sites that share the same basic training idea:

WebMDs’ – Understanding why dogs bark and,

AKC’s – How to stop nuisance dog barking

Then I told my husband the plan, we will tell her “Quiet” and as soon as she pauses, we say, “Yes” and give her a treat. We also put our finger up to our mouth to show her a nonverbal command.

We’ve been doing this consistently for the past four days. And it’s working. It’s not perfect yet, but we are making a lot of progress. Last night, Pandora started to bark when my husband called to me from downstairs. I put my finger to my mouth, and she stopped. I didn’t even say “Quiet”.

Consistency and having us all on the same training method has made this process go well so far. Everyone in the house needs to be on board or Pandora will only listen to me, and then I get grumbly because I have to stop what I’m doing to go deal with the barking.

I’ll keep you posted, but for now, it’s working.

Always Account for Setbacks

There will always be a setback, a small rebellion. Whether it comes a few days after or a few months, the dog (kids do this too) will test you to make sure you are still enforcing the behavior. That’s okay. Don’t get discouraged. Usually, a couple days of constant training is the reassurance the dog needs to get back on the behavior track.

Unless it’s getting Pandora to walk on any path where vehicles can be seen and heard, then it can be discouraging. But that’s another blog post. We are making strides, but they are incredibly slow, and we have constant setbacks. So, yeah, that’s for another blog post.

For honest information on dog training check out: Behind the Game on Dog Training

When to Spay Your Dog

February 28, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

This isn’t a long post, so bear with me. Near the end I include a link to a chart from a study that helps you make a much more informed decision of when to spay your dog. My best recommendation is to read the chart.

When I was younger, I remember our puppy got spayed fairly young. That was the in the 1980s. At a third or fourth round of puppy shots I asked the vet if we should schedule Pandora’s spay. She was approximately 3- or 4-months old and I was under the impression that it was best to spay your dog sometime between 4- and 6-months of age.

The Unexpected Answer

The vet ever-so-casually says, “We spay a few months after her first heat.”

I vaguely remember her say, “Hello?” Followed by a long pause and then “Are you there?”

I was completely unprepared for that news. I had a plan and getting Pandora through her first heat was not in that plan. As far as I was concerned, we were not doing the first heat thing. We have a friend who breeds bulldogs and French bulldogs. I’ve seen the dogs when they’re in heat. A lady we met on our walk was telling me about her mixed-breed’s first heat. This was not good.

All I could muster was “I’m going to have to process that.”

The vet gave me a whole host of reasons about research and discovering it’s better for the dogs. I thanked her and hung up. I haven’t been so speechless since I got to talk to Tommy Lee from Motley Crew on the phone when I was a teen. And that was the 80’s, when Motley Crew was big.

After a few days of recovering from this news, I hit Google. It was a rough journey. There are sites that say to spay by 6 months, after the first heat (or season), and even some that say it’s best not to spay or neuter your dog at all.

Is it Best to Wait to Spay Your Dog?

Frontiersin.org published the results of a study of when to spay your dog.

The simplest answer is if you have a small pup, lapdog size, the study doesn’t show much of a difference of waiting to spay your dog. I’ve read that small dogs mature quicker, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not, but something to think about.

And some larger breeds did okay with an earlier spay. But there are some breeds where it appears it’s better to wait. For Australian Cattle Dogs (Pandora’s predominant breed) it was best to wait because there is a 15% increase of joint disorders. Pandora is not full bred ACD, she also has a bit of Border Collie in her. For Border Collies, there were more benefits of waiting to spay until after her first heat. For us, it made sense to wait through her first heat.

The study encompassed 33 dogs and they have those breeds listed in more detail. If your dog is not in the list, make sure you check with your vet. Maybe, look at the possible breeds that your dog is a mix of and decide based on that.

Frontiersin.org made a handy-dandy chart to peruse when it comes to deciding whether or not to spay or neuter your dog. CLICK HERE – to go directly to the chart. In the chart, there are 35 dog breeds and for each there is a check mark for the best option for your dog. The categories are Intact, Choice (meaning it’s up to you), Beyond 6 months, Beyond 11 months, and Beyond 23 months.

I hope that chart makes it easier for you to make an informed decision. It made it much easier for us.

Coming Next Week: Tips for Dealing with a Nervous Dog

Basic Dog Grooming Tips

February 21, 2022December 16, 2021Diane J.

When we brought Pandora home, I had the basic dog grooming essentials. By that I mean, we had a slicker brush and baby shampoo to wash her with. I forgot about nail trims, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing. I’d never heard of expressing anal glands. Today, we’ll touch on the bare basics of dog grooming. However, we will not touch on anal glands. My knowledge in that department is limited.

I’ll share the basic tips but remember that each breed is different. How often your dog will need basic grooming will depend on her breed.

Brushing

I’ll include a few links to items we use on Pandora. I do recommend you double check which items will work best for you dog’s breed. And don’t feel the need to buy a whole slew of specialty items right off the bat. Try the most basic tools first. After a few grooming sessions you’ll have a better idea of whether or not you really need to buy the more expensive dog grooming items.

Pandora has a double coat. Which means she has both an under- and outer coat. Her undercoat is thick, her outer coat is coarse and lies flat. She’s also waterproof. We have one brush and I’ve recently ordered two others.

The Slicker Brush – This is the style of brush we have, and it’s worked well for us. I use this once a week on Pandora. (The link is to a similar style, the one we have we bought years ago for the cats).
The Rubber Brush – I just ordered this one, because I’ve heard it’s good for bathing as well. The first link is the one we just bought, it’s cheaper okay. But the Kong has a pretty impressive 80% five-star rating.
The Stripper/Dematting/Deshedding Brush – We just ordered this brush. Pandora is getting ready for her second shed of the year and being able to get all the loose undercoat fur would really help.

Bathing

We don’t have to bathe Pandora very often. She rarely stinks. She can run through mud puddles and roll in stinky finds on hikes and by the time we get to the car, she doesn’t stink. And the only dirt left on her is on her paws. The only time that Pandora got insanely stinky was when she went for a swim in a lake that was akin to a peat bog.

HillsPet recommends, at the least, “…to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.” Unless you have dogs with longer hair, then they recommend every 4- to 6-weeks. And if you have a hairless dog, once a week. Who knew hairless would have the highest maintenance?

If you have a miniature dog like a Chihuahua or a Yorkie, you can probably get away with bathing your pup in the kitchen sink. With a medium size dog like an Australian Cattle Dog, the bathtub will suffice. For a rather large breed of dog, you might be able to use a large shower area or find a pet-washing station near you.

During the heat of summer, you may even be able to bathe your dog outside in a kiddie pool, or forgo the tublike structure, and use the hose.

NOTE: If you are bathing your dog in the sink or the bathtub you will want a hair strainer. I have a little silicone mat that catches hair, but I’ve heard pretty good things about the Tubshroom. The last thing you want to do is clog up your pipes.

We haven’t bought dog shampoo yet. We have a small bottle of baby shampoo that we’ve been using. Some people say this is fine, others say you shouldn’t use it because dogs need a ph-balanced dog shampoo. In either case, the biggest concern with baby shampoo is that it will irritate the skin. We’ll be buying a regular dog shampoo soon, but so far Pandora has done well with the baby shampoo. If you have concerns, check with your vet or a local grooming place.

Toenail Trims

Pandora gets her nails trimmed once a month. She has black toenails. It’s difficult to see the quick. I haven’t felt confident in my abilities to clip her nails, so we found a locale mobile dog groomer. She’s reasonably priced and comes by once a month to take care of Pandora’s nails.

However, I have started rubbing Pandora’s nails when she’s lying next to me. Once in a while, I tap them with my own nails. Basically, I’m trying to desensitize her to me messing with her nails. And I bought some lick mats. My intention is to slather the lick mat in peanut butter and trim her nails while she licks away.

Since I’m just venturing into this side of the grooming – here’s a link to Canine to Five’s Nail trimming Guide. It lists all the essentials and links to videos.

Other Dog Grooming Tips – Ears and Eyes and Teeth

Pandora’s eyes are pretty clear. Every once in a while, she’ll get a little string of something. Nothing concerning. And I use a damp paper towel to wipe it away. A gentle swipe down. I know there are dogs who need more eye care. And if your dog has a light-colored fur, there may be staining. There are some eye cleansers on the market, but I’d ask your vet about them first. Mainly, to rule out any concerns with your dog’s eye health and also to make sure the cleaner is a good choice.

Pandora is almost 2, so her teeth are still young and looking well. But we know it’s important to keep up on her teeth. We use a variety of things for her teeth.

Treats that claim to help clean teeth.
Teeth Brushing
Bones that Pandora gnaws on

As for how often to brush, I’ve heard everything from twice daily to once a week. However, PetMD recommends two to three times a week, at least.

Finally, it’s time to take a peek at the ears. As with all grooming tips, how often, will depend on your dog’s breed. Apparently, once a month is a good rule of thumb.

This is the other area that I haven’t even considered for Pandora. It’s also the reason for this post. I heard someone mention cleaning her dog’s ears and I felt like the crappy mom at a doggie play-date.

Here’s a link to VCA’s post on Ear Cleaning Tips for Dogs.

Thankfully, Pandora’s ears don’t stink. And I’m feeling like I haven’t prepared her for me messing with her ears. So, just like I’ve been slowly messing with her toenails, I’m now starting to touch her ears each day, as often as she’ll let me.

Are there any grooming tips you’ve discovered that make tending your pup easier? I’d love to hear your tips if you’re willing to share.

Socialize Your Dog

February 14, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

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:

DrMartyPets.com – socialize dogs

Rover.com – Socializing your pup

What were some of the best tips you heard or that you used to help your dog feel comfortable in different situations?

Coming Next week: Basic Dog Health/ Grooming Tips

Dog Play – The Good, The Eh, The Bad

February 7, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

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:

K9OfMine – Appropriate Dog Play

Hill’s Pet – Dog Aggression or Play

Remember if you have any concerns, remove your dog from the situation.

Coming Next Week: Socialization and Dogs

Other Questions about Dogs and People Food

Do you have insight on something we should all be aware of with our dogs? Let us know in the comments. Sharing is how we learn.

Next Week: We’ll talk about dog play.

The good, the bad, and the in-between.

Beverages Dogs Can and Cannot Drink

January 24, 2022March 6, 2022Diane J.

You know there are people foods your dog can and cannot safely eat. But were you aware that there are beverages dogs can and cannot drink?

As a novice dog owner, I was not aware of this. Maybe it’s because I never considered giving my dog anything other than water. Which is a good thought process to have. Water is the best beverage for our dogs. The concern between filtered and tap and fresh water will be addressed in next week’s post.

The subject of what beverages dogs can and cannot drink came up while Pandora watched our alcoholic cat lap up the last dredges of my husband’s beer. Yes, you read that right. We have a cat that has an alcohol problem. He loves campfires, too, which is awesome. But I’m pretty sure if he were human he’d be in the tank after a night of drinking and carousing and barroom brawling. We spoke to the vet about Ollie’s love of beer. Ollie would hop on people’s laps and try to tug their beer away from them. The vet said he’d be okay. He asked if Ollie had a beer preference. And he does, Ollie likes ales, preferably Freemont Interurban.

My husband wondered if Pandora would like a sip. I did my typical, let me check Google. And surprisingly, the answer was “no.” Dogs should not drink beer. So, of course, I went down the rabbit hole to find what other beverages dogs can and cannot drink.

Disclaimer

I’m not a veterinarian. Always consult with your vet first. Likewise, know your dog, know your dog’s health, and if something doesn’t seem like a good idea, don’t do it.

Beverages Dogs Can Drink

Yes, these beverages are okay for dogs to drink. HOWEVER, the safest option when giving any of these beverages to your dog is to do no more than a couple tablespoons. Water is always the best option. Dogs are completely fine without other beverage choices.

Milk – Cow or Goat
Lactose Free Milk
Soy, Coconut, Almond, Oat – Oat milk is supposedly, the safest of all the milk options (double check with your vet, always just a little bit)
Gatorade/Powerade – yes, but not the best, these drinks usually have sugar. Double check the ingredients for added dyes and any sweetener additions that may be toxic to dogs.
Pedialyte – Just a bit, check with your vet.
Sparkling and or Mineral water – Completely unnecessary for your pet, plain water is best. But in a pinch a few tablespoons should be fine.
Decaffeinated Teas – Surprisingly these are okay. Some may offer antioxidants
Along the lines of the above – Herbal Teas, like Rooibos and Camomile
Fruit Juices – Most are okay, if they are fresh. Store bought usually has dyes and extra sugars. NO GRAPE.
Vegetable Juices – Again, fresh juiced. V-8 has way too much sodium. Always read the labels for ingredients that are harmful for dogs.

Oat milk is derived from whole oat grains soaked and mixed in water, sometimes with an added sweetener such as sugar. Oat milk is highly digestible and has practically no toxic components, making it very safe to give to dogs. It also contains higher nutritional components such as vitamin B-complex, calcium, and Vitamin D compared to other plant-based milk products.
The only risk associated with oat milk in dogs is its relatively high fiber content. While fiber is essential in keeping a healthy GI tract, too much of it can lead to various symptoms like constipation and diarrhea.
Can my dog drink almond, soy, or oat milk? | FirstVet

Beverages Dogs Cannot Drink – some they can, but shouldn’t

I want to point out that for the most part, all the yesses and nos are consistent across the board. However, there are times I see some sites say yes and other sites say no. My thoughts when it comes to differences is to err on the side of caution and go with the No.

Grape juice – just as the regular fruit is highly toxic, so is the juice.
Coconut Water – this is one that I find people saying yes and no about. However, I did hear a vet say “no,” so I’m erring on the side of caution.
Anything with caffeine – coffee, soda, tea
Wine – no, it’s made from grapes
Beer – Varying opinions but see the quote from the AKC at the end of this list (BONUS: They have an Ethanol Concentration Chart at that link.
Hard Alcohol/ Liquor – No.
Egg Nog – Raw Eggs, sugar, and alcohol.

Alcohol toxicity is not as common as you may think, because dogs are not innately drawn to alcoholic beverages.
Dogs may tend to be more attracted to fruit-based drinks, cocktails, punches, ciders, seltzers, and foods with alcohol as a key ingredient. Another serious consideration is diet alcoholic beverages or other mixers that may contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener which is highly dangerous, and even fatal, if consumed by a dog.
How Harmful Is Alcohol To Dogs? What To Do if Your Dog Drinks Alcohol (akc.org)

Bottom Line on the Beverages Dogs Can and Cannot Drink

Err on the side of caution. Talk to your veterinarian. Most of the front-end staff can answer your questions, but if they can’t they’ll ask the doctor and get back to you. Don’t be afraid to call and check.

Keep your veterinarian’s number in your phone as well as the number to your local animal hospital.