Been feeling kinda off (ugh) and just not had the energy to do anything but work and sleep.

I did make this video this evening though, with my new camera (prezzie from my grandma for my upcoming birthday.)

Lizzie demonstrates her “Wave” trick for the camera!

Now with a link, because I am a DOPE.

Lizzie has been spending a lot of time locked up, and she’s BORED. So we’ve been doing some trick training. She’s learned ’spin’ (and ‘rinse!’ which means to spin the other direction. :P), and we’re working on wave and roll over.

I posted over on Dogstar Academy about what I *don’t* like about clicker training, so I guess now it’s time to rave about what I *do* like. I like how it engages dogs, especially dogs who get bored with a lot of repetition. And I think it’s a really, really powerful tool for behavior modification, especially when it comes to conditioning. There’s some research (I don’t have a citation but I will try and figure out where I read this) that suggests that the click- as a short, sharp noise- is just the type that is easy to condition a critter- human or canine-’s neurological response to, so that you can actually CREATE a positive feeling (increased neurotransmitter production) to that sound- an emotional response, not just a learned ‘food’s on the way’ reaction. (I would see if it worked in people, but alas, I am not food motivated, nor particularly toy driven, so I would be very hard to clicker train.)

I love how shaping games make my dogs think. Not all dogs like freeshaping- Mal doesn’t care for it. Kaylee hasn’t figured it out yet. But Wings ADORED it and Lizzie thinks it’s a pretty cool game, too- you can just about hear the little wheels turning in her head.

Lizzie is in season, as of yesterday. She’s 6 months and 4 weeks old. (Why is it the dogs you want to spay after their first season wait FOREVER to come in, and the ones you plan to keep intact seem to plan things so they can have the maximum number of seasons possible?) So no park, no class, and no walks on our main walking trail till the end of May. Oh well- we may be able to arrange a couple of playsessions with a friend and her (female) Eskie pup, and she can still play (some) with Indy, at least till she is further in (Indy sired a litter in 2004 and unlike Mal, KNOWS what that enticing smell is.) She was supposed to have a (leashed) playdate this afternoon with J’s eskie puppy and a corgi friend Biscuit (male, but only 3 months old)- but between the icky weather and her being in season, I’m not sure we’re going to manage it.

I was planning to take Mal to an obedience match today, but he hasn’t eaten well since Friday and is turning down cheese even here at home, which is his lowest-distraction environment (usually). So I’m going to wait and see- Novice isn’t till noon, and we can go and just do a PreNovice run (no heel free, SFE onleash.)

I’ve created a new blog, Dogstar Academy, for non-spitz and general dog content, so this will be the last update on Mal.

I have to apologize for neglecting this blog recently and for the lack of Lizzie-specific content. Truthfully, I’ve been pretty stressed out over this MSN thing (see previous entry) and my imminent move or lack thereof- I’m currently house-hunting and the most recent house fell through. With the US economy currently playing Limbo, there should, in theory, be lots of stuff on the market, but my perfect house hasn’t shown up yet, and I’m getting antsy about waiting too much longer. Still.. gotta keep writing!

These aren’t necessarily training books- or not mostly training books- but are books that changed the way I think about dogs- and are books that make me appreciate my dogs and our relationships more.

1. The Other End of the Leash - Patricia McConnell
   Patricia McConnell’s books are all good, but this was the first one I read, and to be honest, I can’t remember anything specific enough about it right now to tell you what exactly I loved. (It’s blended together in my head with “For the Love Of Dogs” and a variety of other books.) My copy has been out on permanant loan to various friends and relatives for about 18 months, so please pardon me for not doing a more detailed review.
2. Bones Would Rain From The Sky - Suzanne Clothier
   Suzanne Clothier has said in an article that her #1 training tool- the one she could choose if she could have only one ‘thing’ to train her dogs with, is a good relationship with her dogs. This book talks almost not at all about training- but vrey much about how we relate to our dogs- and how they relate to us.
3. Lads Before The Wind - Karen Pryor
   This book isn’t about dogs at all- I think the only mention of dog training in it is that Karen Pryor had previously titled a Weim in obedience and that and her experience with horses was her only previous animal training experience. LBTW is about dolphins, and how Karen and the other employees of Sea Life Park in Hawaii developed a practical usage of operant conditioning from technical recommendations given by academics in the early 1970s that they used with dolphins and other park animals.  I think this book is out of print- I borrowed it from a friend- but it’s worth a read if you can find it. The history is fascinating, largely because, from a perspective of 25 years on, we can see the foundations of a shift in thinking that really has revolutionized dog training.
4. For The Love Of A Dog - Patricia McConnell
   I put off reading this book for a long time - I wasn’t really interested in emotions in dogs, because behaviorism (as a training model) insists so completely that we must only look at the objective and never assign emotional motives to dogs. Yet every dog owner patently knows that their dog feels frustration, fear, and joy- it’s hard to ascribe the absolutely GLEEFUL zoomies that dogs get occasionally any other way, and hard, as somoene hwo loves my pets, to believe even for a second that apparent ‘emotions’ are sheerly randomly firing neurons and cunningly crafted imitations of something that is defined so strongly as being specific to humans- or at best, primates. This book talks about that dichotomy, the science behind emotions, and the emotions our dogs evoke in us. In a lot of ways, it’s a very similar book to “Bones” from a slightly different perspective.
5. Remembering To Breathe (and sequel “OTCH Dreams”) - Willard Bailey
   As a novice in the dog world, I adored “Remembering to Breathe”. The ups and downs of Honeybear and Willard’s career in the world of competitive obedience is something that anyone who has ever participated in a team sport- with or without a canine partner- can appreciate. One review of this book that is quoted on the cover calls this “The love story between a man and his dog,” and it is- but even beyond that, this book is something special. “OTCH Dreams” is not quite as riveting (Kleenex alert for the first section, though, which is entitled “The Last Days of Honeybear”) but is still a great read.  Competition obedience is, at it’s heart, about having an incredible bond with your dog as teammates- and I think this book really excels at explaining that aspect of the sport. These are the books I loan out to people who want to know what this competitive obedience stuff is all about.

Today was the Dallas City Council meeting where a group of local show dog folks went to speak out against this mandatory spay/neuter law and the very expensive breeder permitting ($500/intact dog per year, whether or not it’s bred, a statement by the animal services director that he won’t allow breeder permits to be given to people in residentially zoned areas since they are ‘a business’ and a wide variety of onerous and privacy-invading rules that have less to do with actual animal welfare and more to do with making life as inconvenient for breeders as possible). We had two speakers, a lady who breeds and shows (she never said what breed) and then a doctor who is active in performance sports. Both were articulate, well-informed, and did a good job of making their cases to the city council, one focusing mainly on how responsible breeders should be part of the solution, not part of the problem and that many of us are active in rescue but will stop under the new rules because of the proposed pet limit (a combination of 6 dogs/cats total, which isn’t terribly onerous, but isn’t great, either); the other focused on the negative aspects of the 4-month age for spay/neuter required in the law.

Is this law going to pass? I don’t know. Texas Kennel Club, our local all-breed club, has hired a lawyer and she is putting together some alternative proposals, but she didn’t attend today’s meeting and the proposas haven’t been released yet. Hopefully they’ll be effective ones. We have another meeting to attend on Monday with the city’s Quality of Life commission, and there’s an organizational meeting on Saturday at Top Dog.

I made spiffy buttons and stickers and took some to the meeting this morning- gave out most of my 48 stickers that I took. If you are interested, the designs can be seen at DogsVote, on Cafepress.

but in my defense, we’ve been out of town.

Mal, Lizzie and I packed up and headed to Shreveport, Louisiana this weekend with Debbie (Malcolm’s breeder) and her beautiful rough tri collie Stormy for two days of dog shows. Lizzie spent most of the weekend in her crate supervising our neighbors as they groomed and prepped dogs and charming a few pro handlers who were curious as to what the heck she was. Mal behaved himself very nicely and was sadly unappreciated by the judges both days; Stormy won his class on Saturday and came in second on Sunday. Oh well- them’s the breaks in the whole dog show game. There’s always another weekend of shows.

Greetings, humans! This is a new feature, written by ME, Lizzie.
Today’s list will feature 6 things my human ought to be buying me more of. (Dogs out there, if your humans aren’t buying these, you’re being cheated out of your rightful due!)

1. Bully sticks!

Right now I only get these once a week or so. I think I should be getting at least two every day. They’re very nice to chew on and last much longer than rawhide bones, don’t smell as manky as choo-hooves, and aren’t as fatty as pigs ears.

2. Skinneez Plush Toys

I had one of these before, but my big brother Indy dragged it out onto the porch and it got covered in pecan snot tassles. (The little green beady things that fall off pecan trees this time of year. They’re gross.) Anyway, Mom took it away to wash it and it hasn’t come back yet. Every dog should have at least two of these. They’re good for playing tug with, they squeak, and you can also take naps on them.

3. Corderoy Puff Bed

Okay, I don’t actually have one of these yet, but they have them at Canine Commissary, a GREAT pet supply store here in Dallas, and I’ve tried to show Mom how much I would enjoy them the last two times we’ve gone by jumping into the shelf and refusing to come out of the bed until tempted with treats.  These are the big round squishy kind that you kind of sink into, and they’re REALLY NEAT. If a dog bed company or manufacturer would like to send me one to review, I would be very happy to be a celebrity endorser for it- if I liked it, anyway.

4. Talking Cow Plushie

I *LOVE* THIS TOY! (Even if it’s really Malcolm’s). He got it for Christmas from Aunt Lindsay (Aunt Lindsay, why haven’t you bought ME a talking cow?!) and it used to moo when you bit it, only I think we bit it too much, because one day it stopped mooing. Mom really likes this one too- she doesn’t bite it but she’s drop kicked it a couple times, so this one is good for humans to play with too.

5. Ribbon Collars

I don’t think a girl can have too many collars. I have this one in Rose, but Mom put it somewhere and can’t find it. Boo! I also have a pink, purple and tan striped one, a plain purple one, a pink camo one, and a purple one for dog shows. Oh, and matching leashes for the purple one and Rose-print one.

6. Cool Crate Mats & Rugs.

Crates are, Mom tells me, a necessary evil if I want to go places. BAH. So soft things to burrow in in my crate are very nice. I have this mat from Ikea. There is a matching pillow/bed but I don’t have that yet. I also have a plain sherpa fleece one, but Mom put that under the coffee table for Indy during the last thunderstorm and I like to lay on it there and chew, so Mom has left it there.

Bye!

-Lizzie

I love obedience, so it’s probably not really surprising that I tend to keep my dogs in classes *most* of the time. (At one point, I had dogs in classes ALL the time- we usually had less than three weeks each year that we weren’t attending at least one class every week, although my current club and curriculum don’t allow that). A *big* part of what makes it enjoyable, though, is finding the right instructor.

Dog training is not a highly regulated field. Anyone can put out a sign and advertise themselves as a dog trainer. Some states have, I believe, restrictions on certain terms (such as behaviorists) but I don’t believe Texas is among them. (Since I consider myself a trainer, and refer serious problems such as aggression and resource guarding to more experienced folks, this doesn’t really affect me). This can make it pretty tough for consumers, though, to find just the right person to work with.

One good place to start is with the APDT - the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. A professional organization for dog trainers, their requirements for membership aren’t all that strenuous, and membership alone doesn’t guarantee a person’s ability, education, or training philosophy. But it can be a good place to search for trainers in your area.

Another overlooked resource is your local kennel club. You can find out about local clubs at the American Kennel Club site (for AKC events and breeds) and UKCDogs.com (for UKC events and breeds- there are fewer UKC clubs by a large number, but they can be a great resource if you have them.) Not all clubs offer classes- and some use methods that I’m not a fan of- but it’s worth checking out. Even if they don’t offer classes, club contact people are, by definition, dog people, and may be able to give you a suggestion about where to look or who to ask next.

Some people recommend asking your vet. I am generally not a fan of this approach- I love my vets (I have three- a ‘routine stuff vet’ (who I like best but isn’t terribly nearby at the moment), an emergency vet (has been our family vet for years- her brand new practice is in a very expensive part of town and I’m slowly phasing her out- more on that in another post), and a repro/testing vet who is the most highly recommended by reputable breeders locally for health testing and reproductive issues.)- none of them are behaviorists or have much background in the way of dog training, although vets #1 and #3 *do* maintain good lists. (#2’s list is the one I want people to avoid, much as I like her otherwise!) It really depends on your ability to evaluate the information- true of all the approaches, though.

When I’ve got some names, the next thing to do is set up an initial meeting. It doesn’t need to be all that long, and typically I’ll ask if I can attend a class without my dog and observe. I want to see a trainer who is NOT heavy handed, and uses positive reinforcement with both dogs and students freely. I want to see one who has classes of a moderate size- no more than 12 people, and if there’s more than 8, I’d expect to see an assistant. If there’s reactive or aggressive dogs in the class, I want to see that the trainer manages them properly, keeps an eye on the owner who may or may not be all that well equipped to handle them, and sets them up to succeed by NOT pushing them over thresholds repeatedly.

I love clicker training, but a good generic positive trainer is, IMO, better than a poor clicker trainer. (The clicker is NOT equal to praise, and we have a few local trainers who use it that way.) And I’d rather take a traditional (leash correction, crank & yank) class run by an instructor who gives good feedback to handlers and manages the dogs and space effectively than n overly permissive trainer- but I’m assertive and protective enough about my dogs that I won’t allow anyone else to manhandle them and have the confidence (at this point :P) to do my own thing in a class setting- this is NOT ideal. So attending a class is crucial- see how the instructor handles things. See how the dogs react to him. See how he or she interacts with the dogs- does she approach respectfully and appropriately to each individual dog - straight on with confident dogs, but sideways and slower with cautious dogs? How about petting? Is she a head-patter (most dogs HATE this) or a chest thumper (which big dogs generally enjoy, but most small dogs don’t unless it’s done very gently.) Ask for references and follow up on them.  If you’ve done your research and background reading, and have trainers whose training models you particularly respect or think will work well for your dog (mne at the oment, are Leslie McDervitt and Emma Parsons- but I will also ask what the trainer thinks of Karen Pryor’s work, Jean Donaldson’s, Carol Lea Benjamin- and the last is a red herring, as she’s more old-school than I prefer for my dogs) But most of all? Be an educated consumer. Use your gut. And don’t be afraid to walk out of a class that makes you uncomfortable.

(As promised from yesterday, but I didn’t have time to finish this until this afternoon (Tuesday))

The law that is currently proposed here in Dallas (which doesn’t have a draft version online), requires all people who are not approved breeders (and there are no criteria for approval, just that they will be approved or disproved by an employee at local animal control, who may or may not have any actual qualifications as to understanding what constitutes a responsible breeder) to spay and neuter their cats and dogs. Responsible owners spay and neuter, right, so where’s the problem? I really don’t think it’s going to help.

Walk throughs of the Dallas City shelter are depressing- especially in the old building on Forney Road. It’s dank, humid, lit with bare flouresent bulbs. The runs are 4×4, with a few 4×6 at the back of the building. They’re cramped, with concrete flooring, a built in feeder, and metal panels between each run so dogs can’t see each other to fence fight. The staff does their best to keep the runs clean (and I have to say, I’ve never seen poop in a run go unscooped for more than 15-20 minutes, which is unbelieveable given the size of the facility), but the dogs IN the runs are depressing. Most of them are large mixed-breed dogs- lab, pit, chow, husky and shepherd mixes predominate. Small-breed dogs generally get snapped up by rescues or make it to the few adoption kennels here, unless they’re visibly old or have obvious health problems. These dogs are not the products of intentional breeding. They’re the oops puppies from friends and neighbors- whose new owners didn’t care for them once the new and shiny wore off. It’s a GREAT (if dismal) place to adopt a dog- I’ve known many wonderful dogs that came from there, the staff work VERY hard to do their best by the animals, and are generally polite, courteous, and helpful (one woman stayed late for me to bring in a hound mix that had been found running loose- at the time, I lived in no pets housing and couldn’t have gotten away with hiding him overnight, not with that voice- he DID have a microchip, we got hold of his owner, and I dropped him off on my way home.) But the breeders aren’t the problem- it’s pet owners who won’t alter their dogs, and won’t take responsibility for making sure the puppies end up in an forever home, not just a home for a few months. Mostly, these people never bother to vaccinate or register their pets with the city- they won’t be affected unless the conditions are so bad that they get reported for cruelty and the city presses charges.

Dallas also has a puppy mill problem- but they aren’t in city limits. They’re in the many surrounding rural towns without any animal control at all- Wilmer, Red Oak, Mansfield, Lake Dallas, Bowie. This law won’t affect them at all.

Who this law WILL affect is people who are already obeying the laws. These include responsible pet owners and responsible breeders. (I have to admit, I am not responsible at the moment, I haven’t renewed Mal’s license for the year or licensed Lizzie, since I was planning to be moved out of Dallas by the end of this month. I will renew it when he gets his rabies shot next month, though, and license her- since I have to go down to the office to do it, I don’t want to make two trips.)Pet owners who give regular vet care have something like a 95% compliance rate as it is when it comes to spaying and neutering their dogs (only 70-some percent for cats, which may explain the GIANT feral cat population problem.)

This law won’t stop the dopes who breed Sadie, the dog who lives in their backyard, so the kids can experience puppies just once, or because she has PAPERS and they think they can make a couple hundred dollars off the litter. In general, these people aren’t even aware that they need to license Sadie. Their vet may tell them, if they take her to a vet.

This won’t stop people who get a cute kitten off Craigslist to be an outdoor (or even indoor outdoor) cat and don’t bother to have her altered. Kittens are cute, and they’ll find homes for them, right? If they can catch them, that is. And those people may or may not alter them. The feral cat problem is overwhelmingly huge here in Dallas, even though dogs (and puppy mills and BYBs) get more attention.

We need to stop irresponsible ownership- not responsible breeding. And the laws for that are already on the books. Dallas has a leash law that isn’t enforced for lack of officers to do it, and it’s usually at least a day before they can send an ACO out to catch a stray, if you can’t catch it and take it to the shelter yourself. We need to increase enforcement and the AC department’s budget. Offer more free spay/neuter opportunities, with better hours and accessability for people who work long hours and lack transportation. We need to offer more humane education in the schools, so kids learn that pets aren’t disposable. But banning breeding isn’t going to do it.

This law probably won’t affect me, immediately. I will probably live outside of Dallas city limits before it passes, if it does.But it’s a wrong law, and it’s a nasty trend. If you love a purebred animal-wherever that animal came from- or appreciate dogs who are bred for health and temperament and not just cuteness or profit? You need to learn more about this type of legislation, and how it hurts the health of dogs as a whole.

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY HARVEY!

Katie, who blogs at Underdogged.net, adopted Harvey one year ago today. Harv is a little black senior pit bull who, by all the statistics, shouldn’t have made it out of the shelter. Katie is a really wonderful person (and a gifted writer) and I think she and Harv are pretty darn lucky to have each other.

Harvey sounds like SUCH a character in her posts. You should all go read them.