Stubborn Dog, Novice Owner

Items and Services for Dogs You Never Knew Existed

September 12, 2022August 30, 2022Diane J.

My age is showing, I have stumbled across items and services for dogs that I never knew were needed. Obviously, they are needed since these items and services exist.

This post came about as I did research on my post Dogs and Swimming. It’s when I stumbled across the K9 Aquatic Center. But this isn’t the only service I discovered for dogs that took me by surprise.

Please note, this post is supposed to be in fun humor. I’m not picking on anyone who uses a few of these items and services for dogs. However, I will say, if you are paying for services like these along with paying to have your dog groomed and walked, you might want to reconsider if you really needed the dog.

Services for Dogs You Never knew Existed

When I took Pandora to the vet, I mentioned that Pandora is still reluctant to walk near vehicles. The vet recommended Behavioral Therapy. That seemed a bit drastic since Pandora is pretty good with everything else, but I looked into the place that was recommended.

What I really mean, is that I opened the website, saw the $445 fee for a one-hour consultation, and promptly decided it was okay if Pandora never walked near the road.

Personally, if my dog was aggressively trying to kill everyone and everything, I would consider Behavioral Therapy. Because the alternative would probably be a drastically, upsetting option. But for something that doesn’t affect our life, that much. I can deal with driving out to trails and spending more time with Pandora in training.

Dog Exercise Coach

You can actually hire someone to come up with exercise plans for your dog. I’m a bit baffled on this one, but I’m sure there are reasons for its usefulness.

Dog Tv

Another service for dogs, you can pay for a subscription to DogTV. Now, I’m not fully knocking this service. I have put on videos of people herding cows and Pandora gets intensely interested. Now, I don’t pay for the service, I just find YouTube videos and run those. I have also put garbage trucks (yes, there are videos of garbage trucks doing their thing for hours at a time) on the TV in stereo as a means to desensitize Pandora to load vehicles.

Yard Cleaners

You can hire someone to pick up your dog’s doo from your yard. Personally, I’m too cheap to pay someone for five-minutes of work, but if you can’t handle the doggy doo, then you do you.

I can see how this service would benefit people who may have had surgery or may have mobility issues.

Rent Yard Time

This is something I saw crop up on a local FB group. You can rent a person’s yard for your dog to run in. This isn’t a terrible idea. However, it could be an expensive one. Read up on what the people request. Some require the dog to stay on leash, which kind of defeats the purpose of letting your dog run. If you live in an urban area and it’s hard to find a calm place to let your dog run wild and burn off energy, this could be for you.

Items for Dogs You Never Knew Existed

I see so many items for dogs that we never saw thirty years ago. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have such a robust internet then. I don’t know, but now there are dog goggles, dog rear-end covers for those who don’t want to pick up the poop the bag hangs from the dog’s butt. And then the dog does his business right into the bag.

A few items for dogs that you can buy:

Beer

I bet you didn’t see that coming. There are places that brew a beer specifically for dogs. One such place is Bowser Beer. And no, there is no alcohol in the beer.

Grass

As in an artificial grass mat. There are many options. I guess if your dog won’t potty unless there’s a patch of grass, this could solve the problem.

The item for dogs that I have no words for:

There is a gadget called Puppy Tweets. You connect a USB into your computer and put a doodad on the dog’s collar. Each time your dog barks, moves, or even naps, the fob sends a tweet to Twitter. Apparently, it has a few hundred phrases to tweet. Which is good, because if you have an active dog, it will never stop tweeting. Ever. Ever.

What items or services for dogs have you come across that left you speechless?

Four Ideas for When the Pup is Home Alone

September 5, 2022August 29, 2022Diane J.

Four Ideas for When Your Pup is Home Alone — I so bored. Wonder what I chew up for comfort?

School is in, work is back to full schedules and possibly back in office or on location and your pup is home alone.

We all know a pup home alone is a scary thing. Will the room she is in be fine when you get home? Or will something be destroyed? If the dog is put in his crate, we worry that he’ll bark all day or injure himself trying to break free.

So, what are we to do?

#1 – Doggie Daycare

I’m not too familiar with this option. But I have a few friends who utilized doggie daycares to keep their pups entertained throughout the day. Particularly, through the first four years. Just enough to get through the wild, youthful years.

I’ve watched some videos on TikTok of dogs arriving to daycare. The majority of the dogs seem incredibly excited.

#2 – When the Pup is Home Alone, Have a Trusted Neighbor Check on Her.

If you the pup is going to be home alone for more than six hours, it would be a good idea to have someone go check on her and let her out to go potty. If you don’t live close enough to run home during lunch maybe a good neighbor would be willing to pop in during the day. Or a college kid that doesn’t have to leave for classes until or who might arrive home a few hours before you do.

Or search your local neighborhood Facebook page for homeschooled kids. Homeschooling Parents use a lot of real-world activities in their teaching plans, and this could be a great learning opportunity for the kids.

#3 – Split Dog Sitting Duties with a Friend

I usually work from home, but one of my friends has his own business. His wife works outside the home and the kids attend school. Since their dog is just a few months younger than Pandora, I asked if he could drop the pup off one or two days a week.

This arrangement has been fabulous. His dog is not left home alone all day and Pandora has a friend to burn some energy off with. The bonus of this arrangement is that I can get more done because the pups play together which frees up a bit of Pandora’s exercise time. That is extra time I can put into writing.

This is also a great way to socialize your dog.

#4 – When the Pup Is Home Alone – And Will Be All Day – Then Exercise Before You Leave

Sometimes we just can’t find a place we can afford to leave our dog. And we either don’t have someone to peek in on our pets that we trust or can share pet watching duties with.

If that is the case, then the best thing you can do for your dog is to get up early enough that you can get in a hearty round of exercise before the pup is left home alone.

I get it, it may not be ideal, the weather may be rainy and cold, but your dog needs the exercise. When I have to go out for work and everyone else is away, I make sure I get up early enough to get Pandora out to her favorite trails. It’s not always fun, but I care enough to do that for her. Plus, honestly, I need the exercise, too. It helps me get through my day with plenty of energy and benefits my health.

When we get home from the trails, I get ready for work. Right before I leave, I play frisbee with her for at least ten minutes.

What this does for Pandora, and will do for your pup as well, is give her the chance to chill out and rest. That exercise buys you a happier and calmer, pup.

Clearly, I make no guarantees on things getting randomly chewed up, but it lessens the chance of it happening.

Do you have any tips for when you need to leave a pup home alone for four or more hours? Please share, we all want to learn.

A Recap of Pandora’s Summer

August 29, 2022August 22, 2022Diane J.

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.

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.

Training Progress — Do you see this?! OMG!!!

And June was the month that Pandora walked near the road. She was not thrilled, but she did it.

July Recap

July was rough.

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.

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.

Pandora hopes all the dogs have had a wonderful summer. And so do I.

Dogs and Swimming

August 22, 2022August 22, 2022Diane J.

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 Benefits of Swimming – K9 Aquatic & Wellness Center (k9aquaticcenter.com)

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):

ChuckIt! Amphibious Bumper Floating Fetch Toy – 73% five star rating out of 6,738 reviews

http://West Paw Zogoflex Hurley Dog Bone Chew Toy – 74% five-star rating out of 7,688 reviews

Chuckit! Ultra Fetch Stick Dog Toy – 76% five-star rating out of 4,012 reviews

Wave Runner Soft Foam Water Skipping Ball – 80% five-star rating out of 904 reviews

Dog Float Bumper Toy – 74% five-star rating out of 489 reviews

Hyper Pet Flippy Flopper Dog Frisbee – 76% five-star rating out of 13,595 reviews

Life Vests for Dogs

I haven’t decided on the vest we’re going to try, but these are the ones sitting in my Amazon wish list:

The Expensive One: RUFFWEAR, Float Coat Dog Life Jacket – 91% five-star rating out of 1,067 reviews.

The More Reasonably Priced One: Apetian Dog Life Preserver – 74% five-star rating out of 146 reviews.

The Shark Fin (hard to pass up my dog looking like a shark) One: ASENKU Dog Life Jacket Pet Life Safety Vest – 78% five-star rating out of 3,172 reviews.

The Great Review Rating and Great Price One: VIVAGLORY New Sports Style Ripstop Dog Life Jacket – 83% five-star ratings out of 8,662 reviews.

What toys, equipment, or tips do you have for dogs who love to swim? Comment below.

Two And Half Years – Puppy Update

August 15, 2022August 11, 2022Diane J.

Two and a Half Years Puppy Update — Pandora is finally at an age where she can lie next to the cat without the urge to herd him somewhere.

Pandora is two and a half years old now and I thought it was time for a puppy update.

Concern #1 – Aggression beyond the puppy stage

In high school, one of my friends had a blue heeler, Bess was the dog’s name. Bess hated everyone but her family. A family friend also had a blue heeler. I don’t recall the dog’s name, but Tex used to walk up to visit us and that pooch was always by his side. The dog would even say “I love you.” I mean it came out more of “I wuuuvvv oooo.”

When we got Pandora, I had no clue what kind of puppy we were going to be getting. All I knew is that my husband had a weak spot and I was going to take this pup if he didn’t say anything. And of course, once I held her, it was all over, she was ours.

While we waited a week for her to turn 8-weeks old, I did research on the blue heeler breed. And the number one thing I kept coming across was how they are friendly and then one day it’s a like a light switch is flipped and they are no longer a friendly puppy. I should be more specific, they still love their family, but others not so much.

Most people said it was somewhere around one year of age when this flip happened. So, I was terrified that we’d hit that dreaded mark and Pandora would no longer like people.

As of this point, I am happy to report that Pandora is still good with other people and other dogs.

Concern #2 – Biting

Blue heelers tend to bite, nip, chew. When Pandora was a puppy, she gave a whole new meaning to Land Shark. She wasn’t just a Land Shark, she would catch air and fly by with those teeth snapping away. At first, it was funny. But one day, as I sat on the floor tossing toys for her, she came running back and launched herself into the air. As she flew toward my face with teeth snapping, I leaned hard to the right. She flew by my head and I could hear those teeth snapping.

It was no longer funny. This needed to be curbed before I lost my nose.

And we spent a lot of time working on it.

And I’m happy to report, I and all the other members of my family still have our noses. As for my husband’s ankles, he still has them. But she will still nip him. However, this is due to him not setting boundaries with her. Pandora does not bite at my or the kids ankles because she knows I mean business. My husband, on the other hand, does not set the boundary. He likes to play with her and that’s where we struggle sometimes.

Concern #3 – I would never be able to train Pandora

After reading about the breed, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get her trained or be able to exercise her enough to keep her well-behaved.

Australian Cattle Dogs are incredibly intelligent. If they don’t get the exercise they need, they can be terrors.

Thankfully, I can report that if you invest the time, you can train and exercise your dog’s mind and body to the point that they will behave. This is what I’ve done, lots of time. We don’t have the money to spend on trainers, so I put in extra time searching out resources and weighing the advice with what I already know before adapting and applying the tip on Pandora.

Don’t get me wrong, I still can’t get her to walk near cars, but we are making progress. The steps are tiny, tiny, tiny. But we’re getting there.

And our home hasn’t suffered too much.

The Take-Away from Puppyhood

Hang in there. Pandora is now at a point where she listens more frequently, is calmer, and doesn’t feel the need to chomp my shoes anymore. She will still swipe a pair of shoes and take them to the yard, but she doesn’t chew them up anymore.

Once you make it through the puppy years, things start falling into place.

Also, never stop training.

Training Progress

July 19, 2022July 19, 2022Diane J.

One step forward, five steps back, that’s how it seems the training progress has been with Pandora. At least, getting her to walk near cars, close to roads on sidewalks.

And FINALLY, I have some progress to report.

The Recap

I’m going to give a quick recap. Pandora is terrified to walk anywhere where she can see or hear vehicles. It’s been a part of her since puppyhood. No traumatic events happened with cars.

When we try to walk near vehicles when she was a puppy, she would tuck tail and drop anchor. Then a few months later she started doing the “we’re getting back to our vehicle now, I don’t care if I choke in the process.” I didn’t use a harness right off the bat with Pandora. We used a collar. And after one of our walks, where I had to walk a section of sidewalk back to the car, a vehicle passed us. Pandora went into a panic. She started pulling on her leash and would not stop. After some struggling, I finally picked her up. It was a full on fiasco.

I bought a harness after that because it scared me that she didn’t care that her collar was digging in. I’ve since had the vet double-check that I was using the collar right. I was.

But even with the harness, the walk was a no-go once she heard a vehicle.

There were small training progresses

Once she walked a whole four or five yards like a normal dog on a leash. It was from our car to the vet door. Our vet still won’t allow us in with our pets.

Despite the small progress, we had a major setback afterward. In all areas of training.

Eventually, Pandora had a few more little wins. Walking, with “normal” pulling on the leash. I don’t want her to pull on leash, but this was not a choking pull, it was much less dramatic.

Big “No Freaking Way!” Training Progress

Now, let me say, Pandora did not take a full-on walk near vehicles.

I had taken her out on the trails, we went up to an area where we know. It has a wide road (it’s a walking path but looks wide enough for vehicles). She wasn’t happy. She dropped anchor. I pretended to not notice what she was doing, I was acting interested in a large weed. It took about a few seconds before she was ready to continue, so we continued on. Pandora heard a car; we glimpsed a smidge of it through bushes. She continued to walk. Her tail wasn’t tucked, neither was it wagging happily, it just hung down.

And we made it back to the trail that cuts away from the road. It went so well, that when we headed back to the car, I took a trail that branches off to the road and puts us about 70 yards up from the car. It runs along a road. A car passed us. Pandora was not happy, but she didn’t react. We had to stop as the car passed, but she didn’t drop anchor, she didn’t try to drag my rear back to the car, she waited.

Do you see the picture above? I even got her to sit and wait so I could take a picture! AND it gets better! There was a car idling in the turn lane behind us and she still let me take the picture! Squeeee! People, I looked like a nut, doing my happy dance back to the car and gushing over Pandora.

That was the greatest moment yet. Two years and three months to get to this point. Constant training, trying, and failing. Little moments of hope followed by setbacks. We even switched Vets. It was the worst call because I love our Vet, but they still wouldn’t let us go in with our pets and each time we went to the vet, we had major setbacks. Shortly before this, we had gone to her new vet for her checkup and yearly shots and I got to be with her.

We haven’t walked around near cars, yet. But this moment has given me hope.

DON’T GIVE UP!

Trust the training.

How to Have A Nice Lawn When You Have A Dog

June 27, 2022June 27, 2022Diane J.

If you have a dog, you know the difficulty of having a nice lawn. We’re there, too. Although, we can’t blame it all on Pandora, there was a two-year span where our lawn received the bare minimum attention. That two-year span coincided with Pandora’s first two years at home with us.

A new puppy and bare minimum maintenance did not fare well for our nice lawn. Bare spots and mini holes dot the yard.

Rest assured there are tips to have a healthier looking lawn, even when you have dogs. The professionals have assured me this is possible. They also assured me, that I will need to take steps to fix it.

In other words, if you’re hoping for a magic potion that will fix all your lawn’s woes with the snap of your fingers, you’ll have to go read a fantasy novel. It doesn’t exist.

If you’re willing to put in some effort, you have hope.

Tips to Avoid Yellow or Brown Spots from your Nice Lawn

The yellow and/or brown spots in lawns are caused by the dog’s urine as it contains high salts and nitrogen.

The NUMBER ONE response from nearly every professional is:

Train your dog to potty in a one area.

To help train your dog to pee in a particular area Daniel Caughill at The Dog Tale, recommends to “Cover the spot with a pee attractant spray before letting your dog out, and repeat this process for several days. Over time the dog should learn to pee in that corner instead of on the rest of your lawn.“

Another highly recommended tip was to take your dog on more frequent walks, so they’ll do their business elsewhere. Bonus, it’s great for wearing out your dog. Please make sure that you’re not walking your dog to save your lawn and then allowing your dog to do their business on other people’s lawns.

The next oft recommended tip was to water down the potty area after the dog does her business. This dilutes the urine and minimizes damage. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you may not need to worry about this step. The PNW gets a lot of rain. So far, our yard doesn’t have yellow and brown patches.

And, make sure your pooch drinks lots of water, that will help, as well.

Tips for When Your Yard Resembles a Missile Test Site

If you have no idea of what I speak, your dog is not a digger, count yourself lucky and skip to the next section.

Pandora dug during puppyhood. Walking through our yard was precarious, we knew we were one wrong move away from an ankle break. Thankfully, she has outgrown the digging. Mostly. Every once in a great while she doesn’t get enough exercise and she’ll leave a few paw scrapes. She doesn’t dig, but she’ll uproot some lawn.

The experts (landscapers, lawn tenders, horticulturists, dog trainers) all agree: Get your dog exercised. Dogs do much less damage when exercised. Digging is usually, a dog’s way of saying, “I’m bored.”

If your dog still digs, Daniel Caughill, recommends putting some of their dog poop in the hole before filling it back in. “Dogs will detect their own scent when returning to the scene and instinctively not dig there anymore.”

If your dog is digging to escape, a little or big Houdini wanna-be, I’ll share a tip from a Belgian Malinois owner. I would love to give him credit, but I only met him out on the trails, and I don’t recall his name. His pup was trying to escape the yard on a regular basis, by digging under the fence. He bought some slate (not positive on the stone type – it was a flat stone though) and laid the stone (approx. 12″ x 12″) around the interior perimeter of the fence. Basically, a really nice stone path to walk along. That solved the problem for him. Granted, he did it in a professional manner; he ripped out the lawn, leveled the area, set the tiles (butt up against the fence) in some finely crushed stone.

Tips for the Dreaded Bare Spots

This area is the is the bane of my husband.

Pandora is athletic. We have four steps that lead from out deck to our lawn. There is a bare spot in our lawn about two feet from the steps (see the above picture). That is Pandora’s launch spot. Whenever she is coming inside, as soon as she hits that spot, she leaps clean onto the deck, avoids the steps completely. When she’s heading outside, she leaps over the steps and lands in the same spot.

We also have some mini bare spots that dot her frisbee path. Mostly where she launches and/or lands while going for the frisbee.

My husband is along the same idea of most professionals: Put in paver stones. I don’t really want Pandora leaping and landing on stone, her joints take enough beating.

But Lindsey Hyland of Urban Organic Yield gave a different idea: “One easy way to avoid the bare spots where dogs tread is to install artificial turf. Not only does it look nicer than a dirt yard, but it also prevents your dog from turning your yard into a mud pit.” Lindsey also recommended using mulch.

The biggest Con for the artificial turf is the debate with my husband. Apparently, his lawn pride will take a hit if he uses artificial turf. For now, we are dead-locked. If you’re curious about artificial turf and dogs, let me know. I’ll ask some deeper questions and pass along the insight: (will it hold up to dog urine? Can you use a small patch of artificial grass in a bare section of regular grass? Or any other question you have.)

If your dog isn’t leaping and/or landing on that particular spot, the stones might be the best option. If your dog lands and launches from that spot, the mulch may be the best idea (if you and your spouse are of differing opinions on artificial turf).

But wait! There’s one more trick we can try. Eric de Boer a Turfgrass & Horticulture Specialist from Simple Lawn Solutions said:

“If your dogs consistently wear out certain areas from repeatedly trouncing over the same spots, consider adding amendments to your soil like crumb rubber, that can protect your grass from the continual beating.”

A Few More Nice Lawn Tips from the Professionals

– “Raise the height that you mow the lawn. This will make your grass hardier, and less sensitive.” Jacquelyn Kennedy at PetDT.com
– Most professionals recommend using a more resistant grass type: Oberon Copeland of VeryInformed says “Fescue and Bluegrass are both good options.”
-Most professionals recommend aerating your lawn.
– When it comes to mulch Toby Schulz of Lawn says, “Finely shredded cedar mulch is preferred since it’s pet-safe and can be digested, with the added benefit of being a bug repellant.”

Nice Lawns on the Horizon

I’ve already started training Pandora to use the back corner, she tends to like that area anyway. My husband is planning on aerating the lawn at the beginning of Fall. What tips are you planning to implement?

Are Australian Cattle Dogs High Energy Dogs?

June 13, 2022June 6, 2022Diane J.

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:

Are Australian Cattle Dogs Velcro Dogs?

Are Australian Cattle Dogs Good Watch Dogs?

Are Australian Cattle Dogs Velcro Dogs?

June 6, 2022June 3, 2022Diane J.

If you missed my first post in this series of “Are Cattle Dogs…?” You can check it out at Are Australian Cattle Dogs Good Watch Dogs?

This week we explore Cattle Dogs and sticking near their owner, otherwise known as a Velcro dog.

What is a Velcro Dog?

First let me make clear, I’m by no means an expert on animal behavior. Read the title of this site, Stubborn Dog, NOVICE Owner. But I have been trying to figure out how to train my little girl on my own. I would love to sign up for dog obedience classes, but dang they are expensive! Yeah, I know there are people that run the line of “you bought a dog, you pay the expense.” I also know there are people that run the line of “let dogs be dogs.”

I’m in the middle. I want a dog that listens, but I also want Pandora to be a dog. Which means I’m settling for something less than perfect, but higher than untamed. In an effort to help Pandora be somewhere in the middle ground area, I have read countless articles and watched many hours of training videos. I have no idea of how many hours I’ve invested in dog training videos.

Simply put, I think I’ve learned a thing or two. But I wouldn’t call myself a professional behaviorist for animals and I wouldn’t consider myself, blind to animal behaviors. So, take what you will of what I’m going to speak.

I believe a Velcro dog is a dog that sticks nearby her main person. A dog that checks on where her human is and what her human is doing. A dog that tends to hang out near their human.

I think most dog breeds, including mixed breed, fall into this category. The person who sets boundaries and rules and has expectations, but also gives genuine love seems to be the main human. The dog knows what this person is up to and responds quicker to this person’s commands than another member of the household’s commands.

Velcro Dogs are Not Clingy

There is a difference between a dog that is confident and knows his human, than a dog that is needy and clingy.

It’s like kids (yes, I really did go here). Some kids are confident and ready to explore and break away from mom and dad. Some kids need more assurance that they are okay. They look to mom and dad to see if they can do something, if they can try run further ahead, if they can have the cupcake from the table. Some kids are so molly-coddled, they need constant attention and praise. Functioning at a normal level without any “you’re so awesome,” comments makes them feel less than awesome.

Dogs are the same way. They easily fit into those same categories. Sometimes (just as with kids) there is a fourth category, a trauma category. Something happened that brought about this display.

A clingy dog is nervous and by your side because they need attention. Their tails may tuck, they may shake, their ears may not go up in happiness.

A Velcro dog is confident and happy, but not clingy.

Pandora is a Velcro Dog and She Has Some Clingy Issues

Around the house, Pandora knows what I’m up to at all times. No matter how pooped that girl is, she will get up and follow me to another room of the house even though I will be coming right back to the starting room.

Out on trails, she runs ahead of me. She’ll go about 50 yards in front of me and then she turns and checks on me. If I’m going too slow, she’ll come back, like she’s encouraging me or rather trying to convince me to pick up the pace. If she thinks I’m fine, she bounds in and out of bushes and brush. If I call, she will come back to me. She’s not as responsive as a dog that has had premium training, but she does come back. And she’s happy to be near me.

Her clingy issues come into play when she’s scared. Fireworks and buzzy cars are her biggest problems. She will come up to me and try to become one with me. If I’m sitting, she tries to sit on my chest. I’m thankful she’s not a Great Dane, I might suffocate.

Australian Cattle Dogs are Independent, How Can they Be Velcro?

Yes, Cattle Dogs, are bred to be independent thinkers. Able to problem-solve a situation fairly quickly. But again, it’s part of their breed to know where their humans are. Where are the cattle? Where are the cats? Where is that tiny human? I think that’s where the Velcro Dogs title stems from with Cattle Dogs. I don’t think they are necessarily any different than other herding breeds: Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, German Shepherd, etc…. I think it stems from the need to work. Do I need to herd my human to the backyard for some frisbee?

An Interesting Thought

Most police dogs are male. Yes, some are female. Usually, the females are the drug sniffers. Most (not all, I don’t think) of the dogs that chase down the bad guys are male. I once heard, but I haven’t confirmed it, that male dogs are chosen because they won’t mother their handler. They will stick to the bad guy and they expect their handler to get there eventually. Whereas, females will circle back to check on their handler.

An interesting thought if it’s true. That could mean that most female dogs are more prone to the mothering instinct. Which makes me wonder if female dogs are more apt to be Velcro Dogs versus male dogs. And that makes me wonder if male dogs are always, “My human is so needy, always calling me back to her.”

Conclusion

I think Australian Cattle Dogs can be Velcro dogs, but I don’t think they are more or less prone to it than other breeds.

Happy Updates – Australian Cattle Dog Training

April 26, 2022April 26, 2022Diane J.

Happy Updates - Cattle Dog Training — A well exercised pup is a tired pup. A tired pup is a well-behaved pup.

I’m going to keep this post short this week, because I have happy updates in the dog training arena.

First – No, she’s not walking near cars

When I get excited, I fear people will think, we finally busted through the fears and walked near cars. No, that is not one of the happy updates I have to share. Depending on the day, I either believe it will happen or believe it will never happen. I’m human, not matter how optimistic I try to be, there are days the clouds linger dark and low.

I’m seriously considering a dog stroller. I don’t want to buy one for two reasons, 1) I really don’t want to push my dog that needs to burn energy in one, that seems like it would defeat the purpose. 2) There’s a part of me that thinks if I could just use one for a few weeks or a month, Pandora would learn it’s okay and finally start walking. Which would make the stroller unnecessary and then a waste of money. Those things aren’t cheap.

Enough about the long-standing training issue and let’s dive into the two happy updates.

Happy Update #1

Pandora willingly jumped into the car to go for our hike.

Now she used to do that. A year ago, she was all about hopping in to go. But then, we hit a wall. Mostly because I wasn’t taking her to trails regularly, due to our favorite trail getting downsized and No Trespassing signs cropping up. That meant a longer drive which I don’t always have the time to do. And another part of the reason was that I was hoping that by avoiding the trails she’d get excited to try walking anywhere, bwahahaha. No, no, that is not in her wiring.

Skip ahead, I started taking her to trails again. However, she didn’t want to get in the car. That was a big “no-go.” She loved it once we got there, but she would have preferred teleporting, if possible.

Since teleportation isn’t available, I’d have to enlist my husband or one of my sons to help me corral her, pick her up, and physically place her in the vehicle. If I never told you her breed, you’d never guess she was a cattle dog.

But last week, I decided to take the truck and when I went to start it, she hopped right in. I thought it might be a fluke. Maybe she didn’t realize I was going to take her with me, but she didn’t get upset.

Then, the next day I went to take her out, I decided we’d use the car. But, again, I didn’t think she’d hop in. Low and behold, she did! Now, she’s pretty happy to go. WooHoo!

Happy Update #2

Training and age are paying off. If you have a pooch under two years of age, hang in there! You will get to these moments. Don’t give up. If you’re doing better than us, send encouragement.

Sunday, when Pandora and I were out on the trails it was busy. The weather had warmed up and the sun was shining and us Pacific Northwesterners decided we’d see if vampires really turn to dust or not. We didn’t, so that’s good news.

Pandora has done fairly well, on recall when we’re on walks. I see people ahead and recall her, leash her, and we go past like normal dog and people do. Then I remove the leash and let her happily bound around.

But she’s always given a little extra pull on the leash when a runner or bicycle goes by. They kind of depress her. She realizes how slow I am, and she doesn’t hide the disappointment from me. She does not spare my feelings. Anyway, there was a bicycle on the trail that day and we saw him approach, thankfully he was going slow. I got her on the leash long before he got to us. He asked some directions, and we went our separate ways.

Well, a short while later, he appeared behind us. Again, he was going slow and dang was he silent, neither my friend nor I, nor either of our dogs heard him coming up behind us. There was no time to leash Pandora and my skipped. She started to trot his way; I called her back. She stopped, looked at me, looked back at the guy riding away ahead of us, and then she turned and came back. Insert crazy happy dance, here.

I do believe training was a big part of the equation, but I definitely think that age has to be addressed, too. Sometimes when they calm down from the exuberance of puppyhood, they listen better.