Obviously, I am a fan of dog sports, but I had no idea what bikejoring was. Bikejoring, in a simplistic explanation, seems to be the off season sport for sled dogs. Using specialized harnesses, dogs pull a rider on a bicycle. (In my defense, Florida has a rather limited dog sledding season). Earthdog, a sport I have only seen on TV, is for the small terriers. Natural “ratters”, terriers navigate through tunnels trying to locate vermin (who have been safely placed in the tunnel) and perform a series of instinctual behaviors to find and indicate the presence of the vermin. The bird dog version of this is a hunt test and a new favorite activity of Bailey. Quail is planted in large open fields, two dogs run together, tracking the birds by scent. When they find the bird, they offer the classic “point” position for the handler to find and flush the bird. The bird is shot by a designated shooter and retrieved by the dog back to the handler. While I am not happy about the fact that live birds are used, this is exactly what these dogs were bred to do and it is pretty special when you see a dog allowed to behave so naturally. I have also never seen dogs so happy and excited and I have seen some pretty excited dogs at agility trials.
There are many, many dog sports, some more familiar such as agility, obedience, flyball, dock diving etc… I personally love it when you can find a sport that compliments your dogs natural instincts as well as its abilities. For example, dock diving and Labs, a pretty perfect match. Unfortunately, a variety of dog sports are not easy to find in a lot of areas. People are getting creative though. At one recent event, an organization was set up featuring border collies who played soccer. The idea is for people and dogs to play soccer together, check out soccercollies.com. I was also able to attempt lure coursing with Luey at another event. A fuzzy something was tied to a pulley system and was pulled in a large circle around a makeshift track. Dogs were having a blast. My velcro dog however, would not chase past the first turn as he would lose sight of me. Luey has his own unique instincts.
Type “list of dog sports” into Wikipedia for a lengthy list of sports with links that explain each to find your next dog sport.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Bacon Dog Treats
6 slices cooked bacon – crumbled (extra bacon never hurt anything)
4 eggs, well beaten
1/8 cup bacon fat
1 cup water
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 cups graham flour (which I can never find so I use whole wheat flour)
2 cups wheat germ (substituted whole oats when I ran out one time)
1/2 cup corn meal
(I will give you the directions as is, then I will add what I have learned)
Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Yield: about 4 dozen dog cookies. – Bullwinkle.com
Okay, here is what I have experienced when making these: a strong spoon does not help when the dough is so thick my arms are not strong enough to mix it. I just roll up my sleeves and get my hands messy. The dough also does not spread at all. Whatever you blob on the cookie sheet is what will come off the cookie sheet. With the bacon bits and any crisping the cookies do, there can be sharp little points if you just blob it on. I recommend forming small-ish, flat-ish circles or in this case, hearts. The dough is pretty sticky, so I spray my fingers with cooking spray to manipulate shapes. The flattening of the dough also helps with more even baking. My cookies usually bake for longer than 15 minutes, I look for browning and I do leave them in the oven overnight. Other than the samples the dogs get of course. Yield: two happy dogs in my house.
4 eggs, well beaten
1/8 cup bacon fat
1 cup water
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 cups graham flour (which I can never find so I use whole wheat flour)
2 cups wheat germ (substituted whole oats when I ran out one time)
1/2 cup corn meal
(I will give you the directions as is, then I will add what I have learned)
Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Yield: about 4 dozen dog cookies. – Bullwinkle.com
Okay, here is what I have experienced when making these: a strong spoon does not help when the dough is so thick my arms are not strong enough to mix it. I just roll up my sleeves and get my hands messy. The dough also does not spread at all. Whatever you blob on the cookie sheet is what will come off the cookie sheet. With the bacon bits and any crisping the cookies do, there can be sharp little points if you just blob it on. I recommend forming small-ish, flat-ish circles or in this case, hearts. The dough is pretty sticky, so I spray my fingers with cooking spray to manipulate shapes. The flattening of the dough also helps with more even baking. My cookies usually bake for longer than 15 minutes, I look for browning and I do leave them in the oven overnight. Other than the samples the dogs get of course. Yield: two happy dogs in my house.
Monday, January 31, 2011
An Exceptional Read
I just finished a very interesting book. I use the word interesting because it was not a story, but a scientifically based education on dog physiology, psychology, biology, other ologies, behavior etc… it is called Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. She has a very clever way of explaining scientific study, research, theory and conclusion in a non technical way and weaving it into story like prose. She uses examples from her own relationship with her dog, Pumpernickel. She shares with us how to relate the information to our own dogs. I found myself connecting with what she was explaining and at times exclaiming “my dog does that”! She goes into careful detail regarding the physical make up of a dog, how they see, smell and hear. She explains how their senses are similar and different to ours. There is no way I am going to do justice to this book trying to explain it. What I can tell you is that I feel a deeper connection and understanding of my dogs by having read this.
I believe this to be the reason she wrote the book. The book centers around the idea of seeing the world through a dogs perspective. Only a dog can really do this, we can only infer, just as any other person cannot really see the world as we do. Consider when someone says to you “I know how you feel” and you think, how can they know how I feel? Sometimes it is even upsetting that someone “thinks” they understand your feelings when you know they really do not. Now consider when your dog does something you are unhappy with. We often jump to human like reasons the dog got into the garbage or destroyed an object. Many feel their dog is upset with them or being vindictive. Did they consider that maybe the garbage just smelled really good and it is in a dogs nature to find and eat the source of the really good smell? Did they consider that the texture and taste of the leather shoe was highly appealing to an animal who naturally chews? The book will make you stop and think before you create an anthropomorphic reason for every action your dog makes. I can now think a little more about what something is like from my dogs perspective and tailor my actions or reactions for my dogs benefit.
This book will not be for every one or even every dog lover. While she has written a much easier and much more fun read than the dry and technical dog behavior text book I am struggling through, she does include much study and research. If you are not one to find the nitty gritty of behavioral science interesting, dog related or not, you will probably not find this book as enjoyable. Or if you do not want to know that there may be other reasons your dog licks you other than the equivalent of a human kiss, you will not want to read this.
The author however, is clearly a dog lover before a scientist. She readily admits that she still applies some human like traits to her dog, scientifically based or not. She is offering a new, better way of looking at our dog, not trying to spoil all of our fun.
http://insideofadog.com/index.php
I believe this to be the reason she wrote the book. The book centers around the idea of seeing the world through a dogs perspective. Only a dog can really do this, we can only infer, just as any other person cannot really see the world as we do. Consider when someone says to you “I know how you feel” and you think, how can they know how I feel? Sometimes it is even upsetting that someone “thinks” they understand your feelings when you know they really do not. Now consider when your dog does something you are unhappy with. We often jump to human like reasons the dog got into the garbage or destroyed an object. Many feel their dog is upset with them or being vindictive. Did they consider that maybe the garbage just smelled really good and it is in a dogs nature to find and eat the source of the really good smell? Did they consider that the texture and taste of the leather shoe was highly appealing to an animal who naturally chews? The book will make you stop and think before you create an anthropomorphic reason for every action your dog makes. I can now think a little more about what something is like from my dogs perspective and tailor my actions or reactions for my dogs benefit.
This book will not be for every one or even every dog lover. While she has written a much easier and much more fun read than the dry and technical dog behavior text book I am struggling through, she does include much study and research. If you are not one to find the nitty gritty of behavioral science interesting, dog related or not, you will probably not find this book as enjoyable. Or if you do not want to know that there may be other reasons your dog licks you other than the equivalent of a human kiss, you will not want to read this.
The author however, is clearly a dog lover before a scientist. She readily admits that she still applies some human like traits to her dog, scientifically based or not. She is offering a new, better way of looking at our dog, not trying to spoil all of our fun.
http://insideofadog.com/index.php
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Name Game
Since we are on the subject of names, let’s talk a little bit about what your dogs name means to you and to him/her. Think about how often you say your dogs name and for how many reasons you say your dogs name. Sometimes it is a greeting upon entering the house. You say your dogs name to call them to you, to stop them from doing something, to get them to do something and I am sure there are other times. Now let’s think about how many different tones and cadences we use. We can say their name in a high pitched excited voice, we can drag it out, we can sing and we can shout it. Do you find there are times when you say your dogs name and you instantly have their attention (you are probably in the kitchen or have something they want. And there are those times you call your dogs name and they ignore you completely (they are playing with another dog, happily munching on a bone or understand from your tone that you are not happy. Have you ever thought about all this name calling from the dogs point of view? They are hearing a sound that they understand to relate to themselves, but sometimes they hear it before you give them a treat and sometimes they hear it just before you give them a smack. How confusing and frustrating this must be. How is this affecting the relationship you have with your dog?
In my basic obedience classes, I teach all of my students the name game. This is where you say your dogs name and when they look at you, they get a treat. It is that simple. (I recently attended a seminar with a very highly regarded trainer and she too emphasized her version of the name game. This helped reaffirm to me that this is an important exercise). The point of the game is to be able to always get your dogs attention. If they think they are getting a treat, they are very likely to look at you, no matter what they are doing. The second part of this however, is once you have your dogs attention, let them know what you want from them. If your dog is doing something you do not want them to do, simply saying their name may get them to stop, but it was luck and your dog learned nothing from it. You need to say what you want. Luey… stop. Bailey… come. You will only hurt your relationship with your dog if you say their name in a mean voice (because you want them to stop, but fail to say so) and then continue to say their name in a mean voice and then use some type of physical touch to make them stop. From the dogs point of view, you said their name harshly and then did something unpleasant. What a dog takes from that is to fear their name. If you are trying to get your dog to “come” by only saying their name, they are going to tune you out after about the third repetition of their name.
An alternative scenario is giving your dog a command without getting their attention first. If the dog does not perform and you do not consider the fact that maybe they did not hear you, once again, you are going to speak harshly to the dog and physically manipulate them in an unpleasant way and they will not understand why. This does serious damage to your dogs ability to trust and want to be with you. Without this foundation of trust, everything you try to do with your dog will be that much more difficult. So grab some treats and get started on the name game. You gave your dog that name for a reason, you want them to love it. Such a simple and rewarding exercise will make your dogs day and keep that trust in your relationship. You can play this anytime you or your dog needs a little boost. It is an instant connection with your dog.
In my basic obedience classes, I teach all of my students the name game. This is where you say your dogs name and when they look at you, they get a treat. It is that simple. (I recently attended a seminar with a very highly regarded trainer and she too emphasized her version of the name game. This helped reaffirm to me that this is an important exercise). The point of the game is to be able to always get your dogs attention. If they think they are getting a treat, they are very likely to look at you, no matter what they are doing. The second part of this however, is once you have your dogs attention, let them know what you want from them. If your dog is doing something you do not want them to do, simply saying their name may get them to stop, but it was luck and your dog learned nothing from it. You need to say what you want. Luey… stop. Bailey… come. You will only hurt your relationship with your dog if you say their name in a mean voice (because you want them to stop, but fail to say so) and then continue to say their name in a mean voice and then use some type of physical touch to make them stop. From the dogs point of view, you said their name harshly and then did something unpleasant. What a dog takes from that is to fear their name. If you are trying to get your dog to “come” by only saying their name, they are going to tune you out after about the third repetition of their name.
An alternative scenario is giving your dog a command without getting their attention first. If the dog does not perform and you do not consider the fact that maybe they did not hear you, once again, you are going to speak harshly to the dog and physically manipulate them in an unpleasant way and they will not understand why. This does serious damage to your dogs ability to trust and want to be with you. Without this foundation of trust, everything you try to do with your dog will be that much more difficult. So grab some treats and get started on the name game. You gave your dog that name for a reason, you want them to love it. Such a simple and rewarding exercise will make your dogs day and keep that trust in your relationship. You can play this anytime you or your dog needs a little boost. It is an instant connection with your dog.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What's In A Name?
Dogism is obviously all about the uniqueness of your relationship with your dog. A name can be a large part of that relationship. There are times when you do not choose your dogs name, especially in rescue or foster cases. Usually though, you find the name is well suited. For those names that we do choose, there are defining factors that usually relate to what we are passionate about. My brother named his dog Lotus, a definite clue about his love for sports cars. Luey is partly a tribute to his mother’s name, Lu Lu. It is also a tribute to a favorite Tampa Bay Lightning player, Martin St. Louis (pronounce it like the French do, not the city in Missouri). When St. Louis scores, the classic “Louie Louie” by Richard Berry is played. Jason will tell you that is only part of the story. Yes, St. Louis is an excellent hockey player. Can I help it that he is a hotty as well?
Bailey is a tribute to my mother. She had chosen the name Bailey (after the irish cream, one her favorite special treats) for the Cavalier King Charles puppy she decided on after the death of her beloved Sheltie. She was never able to have her Bailey, so I believe she sent me one.
Sometimes, your dog chooses their name for you. We had a chow chow named Kodiak because he resembled a bear. My Aunt and Uncle once had a Ryder after finding their puppy was a “good rider” in the car. You never know where inspiration will strike.
This is clear by the top dog names of 2010. It is not a surprise that people would name there furry friend “Buddy” or after the King himself, Elvis. I must admit, I did not see “Oprah” as a top dog name. 15 years from now, you can use this list to remember the pop culture of the time. Maybe it is just me, but Lady Gaga does seem a more fitting name for a dog than a person…
There are no rules or judgments (shame on me) when it comes to naming your dog, as long as it is all part of your dogism.
See the top dog names of 2010 at dogchannel.com
Bailey is a tribute to my mother. She had chosen the name Bailey (after the irish cream, one her favorite special treats) for the Cavalier King Charles puppy she decided on after the death of her beloved Sheltie. She was never able to have her Bailey, so I believe she sent me one.
Sometimes, your dog chooses their name for you. We had a chow chow named Kodiak because he resembled a bear. My Aunt and Uncle once had a Ryder after finding their puppy was a “good rider” in the car. You never know where inspiration will strike.
This is clear by the top dog names of 2010. It is not a surprise that people would name there furry friend “Buddy” or after the King himself, Elvis. I must admit, I did not see “Oprah” as a top dog name. 15 years from now, you can use this list to remember the pop culture of the time. Maybe it is just me, but Lady Gaga does seem a more fitting name for a dog than a person…
There are no rules or judgments (shame on me) when it comes to naming your dog, as long as it is all part of your dogism.
See the top dog names of 2010 at dogchannel.com
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Who's A Big Dog?
When reading the title, be sure to move your head back and forth and use baby talk, because that is they way I said it when I asked the big dog in the story below this same question. Laugh and deny all you want, but we have all spoken baby talk to a dog before. It helps them understand right? :)
Over the holidays, I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle and played with their beautiful, exuberant, Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain Dog mix named Bailey (yes, we are a two Bailey family). When a dog of his size and energy is in the room with you, he is pretty much the center of attention and conversation. At one point I referred to him and his breeds as “large breed”. My uncle, the large dog lover, sort of chuckled and pointed out that while most people refer to this 107 pound beast as “large”, he does not think of him that way. He reserves “large” for the nearly 200 pound St. Bernard’s he used to own.
This reminds me of a time when I had a good laugh. A long time Papillion owner walked into the dog training club one day with a Rat Terrier at the end of her leash. She introduced me to her new breed and explained she had wanted a bigger dog. I suppose relative to a Papillion, Rat Terriers are indeed “bigger”.
So how do we define small breed? What makes one a large breed or a giant breed? Or should we refer to them as small dogs, medium dogs, etc… There does not seem to be any qualified definitions for these classifications that we use and hear every day. Some definitions seem to be based more on weight, while others look at overall physical size. The AKC probably does not have defining these classifications high on their priority list of things to do, so be careful when you use or see these generic descriptions of dog sizes. Try to have/get examples or comparisons. The receiver of the information may have a very different perception than intended.
If you would like to see Big Bailey, as I call him, he is in the pictures section of Paw Pages, which can be linked to from www.dogism.com. My Bailey is the main face you see in the picture associated with this blog. Luey is peering from behind.
Over the holidays, I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle and played with their beautiful, exuberant, Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain Dog mix named Bailey (yes, we are a two Bailey family). When a dog of his size and energy is in the room with you, he is pretty much the center of attention and conversation. At one point I referred to him and his breeds as “large breed”. My uncle, the large dog lover, sort of chuckled and pointed out that while most people refer to this 107 pound beast as “large”, he does not think of him that way. He reserves “large” for the nearly 200 pound St. Bernard’s he used to own.
This reminds me of a time when I had a good laugh. A long time Papillion owner walked into the dog training club one day with a Rat Terrier at the end of her leash. She introduced me to her new breed and explained she had wanted a bigger dog. I suppose relative to a Papillion, Rat Terriers are indeed “bigger”.
So how do we define small breed? What makes one a large breed or a giant breed? Or should we refer to them as small dogs, medium dogs, etc… There does not seem to be any qualified definitions for these classifications that we use and hear every day. Some definitions seem to be based more on weight, while others look at overall physical size. The AKC probably does not have defining these classifications high on their priority list of things to do, so be careful when you use or see these generic descriptions of dog sizes. Try to have/get examples or comparisons. The receiver of the information may have a very different perception than intended.
If you would like to see Big Bailey, as I call him, he is in the pictures section of Paw Pages, which can be linked to from www.dogism.com. My Bailey is the main face you see in the picture associated with this blog. Luey is peering from behind.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Timing Your Treating
Okay, as promised, how and when you treat is as important as what you use. I tell my students on day one to reward the behaviors you want and ignore those you don’t. (There is an exception here for aggressive and dangerous behaviors). Sounds simple enough, right? It can be, but depending on how fast your dog tends to move, how fast you move, the level of difficulty of the behavior etc… it gets harder.
Let’s quickly define a “reward”. Anything that the dog finds pleasing and will want again. Praise, a food treat, a tug on a toy, a thrown ball etc… are all rewards. Food treats are the most convenient and easiest to use initially, so hopefully, you have a treat motivated dog. The thought of a reward motivates a dog to do a behavior again, so it gets the reward again. We do not have to get too detailed into that. Just be sure you are actually rewarding your dog from your dog’s point of view. Not what you think the dog should like. Rewards might also change. After three straight weeks of hot dog treats, your dog may no longer find the hot dog rewarding. Change it up.
The general rule of thumb is to treat your dog within 2-3 seconds of the behavior. Obviously, sooner is better and sometimes necessary. This is where clicker training or a “marker” word are needed. A “marker” is the sound the clicker makes, or the word you use the exact millisecond the dog does what you are looking for. The marker is associated with the reward in the dog’s mind (there is a process to this association that I am not covering here. If you do not know how to make this association, you can find it online or contact me). So even if you cannot reward the exact moment the dog does something right, you can use your marker. My marker is “good”. Many people use “yes”. Simple, quick and easy to get out. Or use a clicker device.
Let me put this into action for you. If you are teaching your dog to “sit” for example, you will want to have the treat ready and offer it to the dog as soon as the butt hits the floor. At the same time, you are giving your marker. If you are not ready and super fast, some dogs will pop back up before you have a chance to move your hand the two inches necessary to treat. That is why your marker must be instantaneous with the action. If the dog is already standing when he gets the treat and you did not mark the sit, you just rewarded the standing position, not the butt on the floor. I see very often, a dog that did a very nice “down” and was immediately marked and praised, but the handler is standing, fumbling for a treat. 5seconds later, the dog is jumping up, sniffing for the treat and the reward is being given to a dog that is jumping (which would usually be a behavior we ignore). Marker or not, how confusing is that to the dog? In the dog’s mind, he thinks the behavior is to down and then jump up so he can get the treat. That is why the marker is key and reward timing is everything. You have to be quick, especially when you are first teaching a new behavior. Be on the ground with your dog if you have to. I understand that the timing is rarely perfect early on, just try to do the best you can and really pay attention that you are rewarding the correct behavior and only the behavior you are looking for.
Let’s quickly define a “reward”. Anything that the dog finds pleasing and will want again. Praise, a food treat, a tug on a toy, a thrown ball etc… are all rewards. Food treats are the most convenient and easiest to use initially, so hopefully, you have a treat motivated dog. The thought of a reward motivates a dog to do a behavior again, so it gets the reward again. We do not have to get too detailed into that. Just be sure you are actually rewarding your dog from your dog’s point of view. Not what you think the dog should like. Rewards might also change. After three straight weeks of hot dog treats, your dog may no longer find the hot dog rewarding. Change it up.
The general rule of thumb is to treat your dog within 2-3 seconds of the behavior. Obviously, sooner is better and sometimes necessary. This is where clicker training or a “marker” word are needed. A “marker” is the sound the clicker makes, or the word you use the exact millisecond the dog does what you are looking for. The marker is associated with the reward in the dog’s mind (there is a process to this association that I am not covering here. If you do not know how to make this association, you can find it online or contact me). So even if you cannot reward the exact moment the dog does something right, you can use your marker. My marker is “good”. Many people use “yes”. Simple, quick and easy to get out. Or use a clicker device.
Let me put this into action for you. If you are teaching your dog to “sit” for example, you will want to have the treat ready and offer it to the dog as soon as the butt hits the floor. At the same time, you are giving your marker. If you are not ready and super fast, some dogs will pop back up before you have a chance to move your hand the two inches necessary to treat. That is why your marker must be instantaneous with the action. If the dog is already standing when he gets the treat and you did not mark the sit, you just rewarded the standing position, not the butt on the floor. I see very often, a dog that did a very nice “down” and was immediately marked and praised, but the handler is standing, fumbling for a treat. 5seconds later, the dog is jumping up, sniffing for the treat and the reward is being given to a dog that is jumping (which would usually be a behavior we ignore). Marker or not, how confusing is that to the dog? In the dog’s mind, he thinks the behavior is to down and then jump up so he can get the treat. That is why the marker is key and reward timing is everything. You have to be quick, especially when you are first teaching a new behavior. Be on the ground with your dog if you have to. I understand that the timing is rarely perfect early on, just try to do the best you can and really pay attention that you are rewarding the correct behavior and only the behavior you are looking for.
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