Leslie Fisher

Sadly, as the title implies, many dogs I observed while vacationing at Niagara Falls where not having fun. One dog, engaged in a game of Frisbee on a grassy shady park area, looked blissfully happy. This dog was fortunate enough to have an attentive human being. My own dogs were enjoying their respite away from myself, but I could not squelch observations of dogs on “vacation” with their humans. Being trained to observe, my vacation could easily have become a series of lectures to complete strangers on how stressed their companions were. Fortunately (for our relationship) I practiced some impulse control, and we had a fabulous time.

Over the years, my life has taken some bumpy turns; I have been in some not so happy places. Different times, different circumstances: always one constant. Always present were my unfailingly affectionate and loyal dogs , guiding me on my way to better times. Not the same dogs over the years, to be sure, but always at least one dog.  When I felt poorly we took to the back roads, wooded trails, rivers, streams and forests. I was often at my happiest when it was just me and the dogs. There is no therapy like dog therapy.

Yes, well, feeling a little silly this evening, after a grid-like search of the yard, for a deposit left by Talley. You see, she has been suffering from a recurring bout of colitis, and the poop tells all. Is the poop now firm, cow plop mushy or (sorry) liquid in nature. Right now, I am a poop detective. Bridget, who rarely has diarrhea, not to be outdone, joined Talley in the digestive disasters. Doobie (confirmed by on site inspection) has the only normal poop of the three. With umpteen (feels like) meds on board, and back to cooking boiled meat/hamburger, I pray for normal firm formed poop.

Why focus on socialization for a 6 year old dog? Surely Doobie is well beyond the early puppy months for critical socializing efforts. According to our own Dr. Ian Dunbar (http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/socialization-with-people) puppies need to be fully socialized to people by the age of three months.  Adult puppy mill dogs are special projects that require ongoing efforts, for them to live some sort of a normal life. Sadly,the only socialization they received was staring at four walls. Fortunately, Doobie has proven to be amazingly resilient, yet at the same time, fear rears its` ugly head in a heartbeat if he is placed, according to him, into harms way.  The reminders, seeing the fearful body language, screaming go away, are quite wrenching for me. Great care is taken to manage the environment for Doobie, yet some situations just happen.

 SAFETY

Tonight I noticed that Talley glanced at Argil ever so briefly as she took refuge in her favored corner cave, complete with air duct. As you may recall, I had written previously about the battle fought and lost, by Argil, to keep the air duct Talley free. It was not to be. However, I belive there has been some fall out from that event. Even though there were no harsh reprimands or verbal scoldings, and certainly no physical punishments, it confused Talley and her world according to Talley rules. Displaced from a favored location, she was not certain of where she belonged. She began to seek out other "caves" in the home. There has been other odd behavior. A few nights ago, while I was out teaching class, Argil had the dogs outside, and Talley would not come in. Everytime he went back out for her, she had moved to another location in the yard, but still refused to move. Being a smart man, he finally went and got some cheese, and was able to bring her in.

The Hairy Dog Days of Summer

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that labs shed lightly; that would be a lie, or, at the very least, gross misinformation. For us, the dog days of summer have been awash in hair. Short haired breeds can and do shed copiously. Old Billiebob (R.I.P.March 2009) was a long haired Collie X, and he actually shed very little. He held on to his hair until he was combed.  The labs, on the other hand,  had been freely donating, hair rolling off, just from being petted.  I am certain other multi-dog homes can empathize with our hairy situation. One hairy dog is a challenge. Think times three!

You know you might have a hair problem when:

My boyfriend Argil is a beaten broken man. He learned the hard way that he is no match for the determination of a certain stocky English Lab named Talley. Argil (foolishly) entertained the notion that Talley could be kept from her coveted corner cave, complete with her own personal AC duct. For Talley, the latter is the best of worlds, a cave and lovely cold air to lie over. Argil has not found this arrangement to be so compelling. You see, he is a strong believer in effective circulation of cold air throughout the house. As badly as Talley wants access to that corner, Argil wanted equally as badly for her not to be there. He loves Talley dearly, but thought surely she could settle upon another place to repose.

Do you have a multi-dog household? If so, you will especially relate to meeting the needs of each dog, and challenges that arise from your dogs having behavioral issues. Talley is anxious and deals poorly with changes in her environment. Doobie was afraid of everything when rescued from a puppy mill and training is ongoing.  Bridget is, well, determined to do what Bridget wants, a true escape artist, has pancreatitis, and throw in some separation distress for good measure. And yeah, neurotic. While there are many adventures and stories to share, it seemed timely, given recent events, to discuss medications and problems encountered in the dispensing. 

Doobie: free spirit, a dog on the move, a dog on a mission, a dog in perpetual motion. Who said that dogs cannot experience emotions? Certainly Doobie is unable to verbally communicate his sheer joy to be running, but it is shouted out in the gleam of his eyes and in the lithe fluid movements of his Labrador body virtually airborne over the ground. My boyfriend often says he is nearly flying.  Do you recall car commercials talking about going from zero to sixty in seconds? Yup, this is Doobie. Full stop to flat out racing in a heart beat, launching into action when called from across a field.  This dog goes nowhere slowly. Can you imagine this dog living in a cage?

Since Talley, my 5 year old Enlish Lab is the least able of all three labs to relax while I work with other dogs, she accompanied me to the kennel today for a training session with a board and train dog. One problem is that her stocky little self is quite food driven, and she hates to be missing out! However, she also has learned the behavior, while on leash, to bark and lunge at approaching dogs. Relaxing and working around other dogs is wonderful for her. During our session, Talley was reinforced for calm down/stays, while I worked with the little Eskimo mix nearby. Then Talley got a turn to do the fun stuff! Consequently, she is learning by association that having the other dog nearby really makes good stuff happen. Such a soft and anxious little dog is she, I cannot imagine inflicting any kind of punishment on her.