My Favorite Dog Tails

Dogs Get Spring Fever Too!

This week we've had some lovely hint-of-spring weather in the Chicago area.  Highs  in the 60s.  My dogs, Bella and Chief, have loved it.  They go out now for long periods, sniffing everything since it's now longer a hard lump of frozen ice, dirt, dead grass, whatever. You can see their joy in the way they run around.  And I don't need to push and bribe them to go out. They now go willingly. So it's not just humans that are tired of a very long, very cold, and very snowy winter. The dogs are ready for spring too!

Cheese as a motivating dog reward

Since my dogs are both hounds, stubbornness is in-bred.  So often, I have to find something more rewarding than their own minds to get them to obey. Cheese is it.  Often when they go out at night, they don't want to come back in. Cheese nearly always work. The key is I show them the cheese before they go out. Then when I want them to come back in, I say "cheese" No, not "Come" or "here" but "cheese". Competition helps too. If one comes in first, I'll say, "Bella, Chief as the cheese, come." Then she'll tear out and come in. The same works for Chief. I doubt they understand all of the words but hearing the other's name in reference to the beloved Cheese word is enough to get the message across apparently.  The neighbors probably think I'm crazy yelling cheese in the dark night, but you do what works!

The Effectiveness of Electric Dog Fences

Because I have nearly a one acre lot, I have had an electric fence. Barney was able to tell when it wasn't working. Chief has the same ability.  Bella, on the other hand, has mastered the psychological barrier concept and won't cross it. But this weekend with the recent thaw and re-freezing apparently, a wire broke, breaking the fence. An alarm sounded on the unit, but the fence guy wasn't able to come until Monday.  I left their collars on, hoping for the best. Bella, good girl that she is, never tried to leave. Chief, yep, after 24 hours, he figured out that the warning sounds weren't sounding, and sure enough, he cross the forbidden line into freedom. In the 2 minutes I wasn't watching him, he made his break. I searched the yard and the neighbors' yards. My youngest saw paw prints in the fresh snow going around the house. I asked him to get his brother to help.  While I ran around the other side, my oldest son spotted Chief out the front windows strolling down the street. He ran to the door and called him inside. Saving me from further anxiety as I cried, running down the street, calling for Chief.  Fortunately, the fence was fixed today.  Now Chief doesn't need to go out on a leash each time to do his business, and I don't have to tramp through the snow to take him. Crisis averted.

So while an electric fence is not fool-proof, it is effective on nearly all dogs who are properly trained, and who have working collars and fences. It actually is the best option for Bella who is a big digger and would probably dig under a regular fence.

Dog Pack Hierarchy

To ensure the best behavior of your dog, you must maintain the proper "pack" hierarchy in your family.  In other words, the dog(s) must know their place.  The lead adult must be the "alpha" or the leader of the family pack. They must have the respect and demand the same from the dogs. This includes going in and out of doors first before the dog, having their rules followed, provides the food.  If your dog isn't listening, make sure you do these behaviors. Do some training with your dog so they know they must listen to you.  Also, eat before your dog.  Finally, do not allow misbehavior - the dog answers to you, not vice versa.

The same applies to your children. They should be higher in pack authority than your dog.  If your child acts like a dog, the dog will view them as equals or littermates and will not respect your child's authority. This is the reason that often rescues and humane societies want certain dogs - those with dominant personalities - to go to homes with children at least eight years old. That means your child should also feed the dog, walk the dog, water the dog, and do basic training commands with the dog.  This establishes the child's authority over the dog. In other words, all humans come first.

By reinforcing this hierarchy with your dog, you can avoid some bad behavior with your dog and also prevent accidents between dogs and children. If your dog starts to be "snippy" with your child, have them do some of the behaviors above.

I have had this problem on occasion with my children and the dogs. It's a sign of disrespect by the dog and a sign that your child is miscommunicating to your dog in "dog language". If they miss the signs that the dog does not like a behavior, and if the dog doesn't fully respect the child's authority, your pet may snip or bite.  Whenever I sense one of our dogs don't fully understand their place, I have my children step up feeding, watering, and training the dogs. It reinforces that humans rule and keeps the family peace.  My alpha position is very secure; my dogs don't challenge me.

Marley and Me Review

On Christmas Day, my children and I went to see the movie Marley and Me about John Grogan and his family's life with "the worst dog ever".  I had read the book a few years ago, shortly after the time my beloved Barney passed, and had enjoyed the trials and tribulations in the all-too-short life of this crazy dog.  My children knew I had read the book and wanted to see it, loving dogs nearly as much as I do.

The movie is quite good and the acting very believable. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson were well cast. It also held pretty true to the book which was good. It did cover their lives as much as Marley which makes it a good film for adults but probably less interesting to children raised on animation.  Mine still enjoyed it, but I think they would have liked it even more as the canine version of Jackass (a movie about grown men doing stupid human tricks).

The death scene was tasteful but could be difficult for younger children.  Mine were not upset by it - they knew it was coming and had faced it themselves with their own dog.  It gave them a glimpse into Barney's final moments.  I think I was the only one who cried, and cried I did.

So my review is a thumbs up, but take older children (8-10 years and older), preferably those that have already experienced the loss of a pet.

Where'd my yard go?

The dogs can't seem to figure out the flood in our backyard (see here.)  They keep looking out the back window as Bella does here. They're intrigued by the water, fascinated by the ducks but can't quite figure out what happened:  "It was there yesterday. Now, there's all this water. I don't like water."  Bella really doesn't like water. And neither does Chief very much - the beagle side must have won out over the lab side on the water tolerance gene.

Pet's 10 Commandments

If you love your pets, this will tug at your heart. (Thanks to fellow dog lover, Tara, for sharing.)

PETS TEN
COMMANDMENTS

 

(AND DON'T YOU FORGET THEM)

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years.  Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me.  It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.  You have your work, your friends, your entertainments, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me.  Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.  Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old.  You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please.  Never say you can't bear to watch.  Don't make me face this alone.  Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

 

Take a moment today to be thankful for your pets.  Enjoy and take good care of them.  Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.

Arlene Mills
Humane Society of

Caroline

County

What also struck me about this is how so much is also applicable to our children, friends, parents, and other loved ones.

Bella and Chief ... alls fair in love and food

I love this picture of Bella and Chief. Look how he has his "arm" over her. They do love each other, but they fight like crazy. Kind of like true siblings. Or a crotchety  elderly couple who would be lost without each other but bicker constantly.  Bella is very jealous of attention paid to Chief. And she bites his mouth in retaliation. He really doesn't care. When he wants attention, he'll seek it:  sit on your lap or come to you and pretty much demand it.  The rest of the time, he pretty much doesn't care - almost like a cat. He's very tolerant of her, like he thinks, "she's just that way, no biggee."  But when he does assert himself, she acquiesces pretty darn quickly. Food, not attention, is where he draws his battle lines. But despite their squabbles, they truly seem to love each other.

Meet Bella and Chief

Here's the post I made shortly after adopting our two newest dogs, Bella and Chief. They are now over two, fully trained, and a bit calmer.  They're great dogs. It's amazing how different they are from each other and from our Barney.  Some people think dogs are dogs and are all alike. Not so. They have distinct and individual personalities. Read here about when we got Bella and Chief as puppies two years ago.

For the Love of a Dog

I grew up as a cat person. Yep, that's right. They were clean, independent, and required little work of me and minimal for my mom (who they really belonged to, but she nicely pretended they were mine).  My husband and my agreement was that one day we would get a dog (he grew up with dogs) and a cat together.  Great plan. Until we went out to visit his parents for a weekend. That's where the story begins.

The evening before we came, someone had dumped puppies around the surrounding countryside. My in-laws lived in the country, west of the western suburbs of Chicago. One of these frightened little fellas found his way to their lit back porch. He yipped, barked, and possibly howled - a debated question since the beginning. My father-in-law said, "we'll take it to the vet in the morning. My sister-in-law said, "let's have John and Julie see him first."  Knowing my mother-in-law, she just smiled, wisely foreseeing what was to transpire.

We arrived. Said pup ran up, squirmed, licked, and charmed as puppies do. "How cute," I said, not paying too much attention. Then I heard the fully story from my sister-in-law. Time wasted away, and my mother-in-law still hadn't taken it to the vet yet although she had called and learned about the pup's other abandoned siblings in nearby towns.  At some point, I went outside to enjoy the late May day on their porch. The puppy came up, eager for attention and reassurance. And soon thereafter, stole my heart forever. There was no thinking, just a thought in my head that spoke of truth and finality, "John and I should take this puppy home with us." It felt so right. Even a name came into my head, "Barney".  Now, this was 18 years ago, long before the purple Barney invaded TV. But the name Barney stuck.

I walked in and mentioned it my husband. He shook his head, saying, "It's a lot of responsibility, let's not rush into anything. Let's think about it over the weekend."  Ok, that's reasonable. What do I know about dogs - nothing. Nothing except this feeling that this dog was meant to be mine. I walked back outside to play with Barney. Later, I learned my smart and somewhat sneaky husband then smiled to his mom that somehow I had finally decided to get a dog, and he bet he wouldn't even need to agree to the cat part.

Because the puppy had been mentioned to the vet, word got out. A couple wanted to see the puppy with their son.  I met the couple. I was not impressed. This family wasn't right for Barney. (The mom mentioning how the little boy used to drag their old dog around by the tail certainly wasn't a selling point, either.) They drove off, and the deal was done.

But my husband and I were selling our house and both living separately with single friends. (Trust me, this arrangement was not nearly as much fun as it may sound.) How could we take a puppy now. Fortunately, my mother-in-law, over the half-hearted protests of my father-in-law, said they could keep Barney until we moved into our new house in about four weeks. Done. Sold. History.

Without knowing what it was called, we rescued Barney from abandonment and tail dragging. He was our first child and dear friend for nearly 16 more years. His picture above is from the Christmas before he passed on. Smiling, happy, loved.

And loved he was as you'll learn in the dog tales that follow about Barney and his successors, Bella and Chief.