Cindy Bruckart, CPDT

Do little dogs really need extra protection?  In some cases, perhaps.  Generally, they don't.  What small dogs really need is to learn how to navigate and negotiate the big, wide world full of bigger dogs, large humans and clumbsy little humans.

Little dogs MUST learn as small puppies (ages 8 - 16 weeks) that running from bigger dogs will lead to being chased and that they can stop larger puppies from smooshing them by giving some puppy feedback.  I get really excited when a large breed pup puts a heavy paw on a small breed pup, receives a squeal or a snark and quickly learns that he must be more careful with this little dog.  At the same time, the smaller pup learns that she DOES have some control over the situation.  She learns that she CAN speak up, keep herself protected and play with the big guys.  To me, this is a wonderous thing!

Yes, I said it. In fact, I say it and do it almost every day. I'm quite surprised at the number of clients who are afraid to give their dog "people food" and who are proud to have been keeping their dog from it.

First off, the very best dog food is made from wholesome, REAL people food. If your dog food and dog treats are filled with things that human's wouldn't eat, you might want to re-think your dog's diet! High-quality dog foods are made with things like chicken, beef, fish, cheese, veggies and fruits that could have just as easily landed on a human's dinner table. When's the last time you served chicken meal or animal digest for dinner? Do you even know what that is?

I’ve had a hard time filling my classes lately, so I started doing some investigating.  While there were many reasons for people not going to class right now, the H1N1 scare was mentioned more frequently than anything else.

I’m one to generally not get all worried about such things, take some common sense precautions and go on with life.  However, I do understand a little better some of the hyper-cautiousness of some of my clients this time around because of my own situation.  I have one daughter who is high-risk because she is under 25, and she’s attending a large college full of others her age.  My other daughter is just 25 and she’s pregnant.  My husband is an insulin dependent diabetic.  So, with all these potential risks for a more serious result upon contracting the flu, I am being careful!

Last night I spoke to the esteemed Ken McCort on my podcast, Regarding Rover.  It was a breath of fresh air and a sigh of relief to hear him say that we should all relax, not just a little, and start being friends with our dogs instead of trying to be pack leaders.

I wanted to talk to Ken about this because there is so much misinformation, competing opinion and downright crap out there about dogs and how we should train them.  Some so-called experts drivel on about wolves and wolf pack behavior without so much as ever seeing an actual pack of wolves.  Instead, they repeat statements that have been repeated for years, without knowing where those statements came from or bothering to find out what has been learned since those statements were made.  The worst of them go on to elaborate, exaggerate and extrapolate these statements until they are nearly unrecognizable.

I didn’t think much of the 101 Dalmatians musical that’s about to hit stages around the country until I looked a little closer.  There are several very interesting things going on with this production.

First, all of the actors who are playing the part of a human character will be on special, metal stilts!  They have to dance on them, even!  This and the special backgrounds are meant to give the audience more of a “dog’s eye view” perspective.  The dog characters will also be played by humans, but they will not be on stilts, so they are lower to the ground.  Love it!

Second, at the end of the show there is a big finale with real dogs!  Most of the Dalmatians being used for the production are rescues.  At first, my trainer instincts felt a bit worried for these dogs.  What kind of training were they being subjected to?  Were they going to enjoy the stage, the lights and the audience? 

We all know that there are too many dogs and cats in too many shelters across the country.  There is an army of volunteers trying to take care of these animals.  There are pet owners constantly adopting.  There are those of us with full houses who give our time and money to support shelters and adoption.  Yet, the animals keep coming in.

Monday night I had the great pleasure of talking to Kelly Gorman Dunbar about Open Paw on my weekly podcast.  It's my feeling that Open Paw is a truly unique program.

Open Paw seeks to not only help those animals in the shelters, but address the problem BEFORE a dog  or cat is relinquished by educating the pet-owning community and those who are thinking of becoming pet owners.

Do you know about DARF?  Oh are you in for some fun!!!  They make board games, card games and dice games that you can play with your dog!  I know, right??  How fun does this sound?

Funagle:  The new BOARD GAME people and their dogs play together. Friends and family huddle aroung a board game giggling while they match wits trying to get their dogs to "Moonwalk" or "Do the Wave." DEFINITION OF FUNAGLE (pronuciation:fuhn-ney-guh-L), to fitness a dog into performing an activity using treats, verbal and gestrual communication.

I recently heard someone say that they weren’t interested in training dog, but rather in living with dogs.  They mentioned lifestyle and relationship as things separate from dog training.  My reaction was to cock my head at the statement, chuckle, feel confused, then say to myself, “But they can’t be separated.”

To try and separate living with dogs from training dogs is like…hmmm…trying to separate living with children and raising/teaching children.  It can’t be done.  If you live with a child, you are teaching them things constantly, whether you intend to or not.  It works the same with dogs.

This can be a serious issue, as it is often the lessons we DON’T intend to teach that cause us the biggest problems!  It’s these same unintended, nearly unconscious lessons that land so very many dogs in shelters.

I am so proud that the people at Fences for Fido are doing their great works right here in my area.  It’s not just about the fences they build, the dogs they unchain and the people they educate.  It’s also about their choice to meet the problem where it’s at and provide a real solution. 

You’ll see this organization isn’t about judging, complaining, blaming or shaming.  Instead of telling people that they’re wrong, they are providing an actual fix for the immediate problem and in the process providing education and awareness.

You’ll understand what I’m saying after you watch this:

http://www.fencesforfido.org/success/chopper_video/chopper_video.html

As I launch my new podcast radio show, I have to tell you that I agonized over a name.  I wanted something that would both inform potential listeners of the subject matter, while making a statement about my philosophy.  Of course, one has to accomplish that while paying attention to uniqueness and availability.  It’s a tough job.

My podcast is about dog training for the average pet dog owner and will be infused with my deep respect for the animals I share my life with.  I wanted to veer away from the “pack leader” mentality and leave behind the current trend of setting dogs up as a force to be triumphed over.

After spending a lot of time thinking about words, I remembered how often I’d been told to treat fellow trainers (of like or un-like minds) with “positive regard”.  Hmmm.  Regard…Rover.