dig by dog

Often, there’s something we humans enjoy doing that just drives our dog nuts.
Maybe it’s a game of basketball or baseball, tennis, horseshoes or badmitton.
We’re focused on the activity, and the dog wants in on the fun too. But we give him no role in our sport. We expect him to watch from the sidelines, like a fan.
But he doesn’t. He barks and jumps around, he bolts into the playing area and chases after the ball. He disrupts the entire game, angering his humans. Maybe he even barrels into someone and knocks him or her to the ground.
At this point, we humans try to settle him down, but we’re angry. We yell at him to get, to go lay down. Maybe we grab his collar and drag him inside, while he tries in vain to struggle and get back in the game.
In time, the activity becomes a sort of trigger for the dog. He sees a basketball and instantly he is fixed on it, obsessed with it. As soon as we start bouncing it around, the dog starts behaving wildly and can’t think of anything but the basketball.
“Gotta get that ball. Gonna get that ball,” our dogs would say if they could talk. “Ball ball ball. Gotta get that ball. Get the ball. There’s the ball. Gotta get that ball. Ball ball ball."
We learn that we simply can’t allow him to be around anymore when we’re playing these games.
So we leave him inside, and from the window, he watches and whines. Perhaps he scratches up window ledge.
But do we have to keep him inside and away from our fun?
I say that in almost all circumstances, no, we don’t.
These types of activities create great opportunities for incorporating our dog into our fun. And if we can’t find a role for him in our sport, there is still a fantastic training opportunity presented by these situations.
The mental challenge of training him to behave in a particular way — perhaps sitting nicely on the sidelines for ten minutes and then getting a bone to chew on — will be a strenuous mental exercise for him and will likely do a great job of wearing him out.
Brent and I have always looked at Sensi as part of our family, and we like to include him in as much of what we do as possible.
For that reason, we’ve given Sensi a designated role in most of our favorite past times.
Read tomorrow to find out how to train your dog to play a game of pool.
It might not be the best thing for a precious table that can’t be scratched by dog nails, but if it’s OK with the table, it’s a pretty cool trick to show your friends.
Especially when your dog becomes a better pool player than you.

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In the beginning, you will want to train your dog in an environment that has few distractions. You want to be the most interesting game in the room in order for your dog to pay attention to you. Indoors is definitely better than outdoors, because you can't control the outdoor environment. Joggers, kids playing, cars, and other dogs are just a few of your dog's favorite things that may outrank you in competition for his attention.

If you consistently use the same room in the house to train, he will automatically start to focus on you when you set up to train. Use this room whenever you are going to teach something new. When your dog seems to understand a new behavior, then you will want to take it on the road by practicing in different environments. It is very important to do this if you want your dog to be well-behaved in public.

Most dogs are perfectly well-behaved in the privacy of their own homes when no visitors are around but turns unstable or high-strung when a friend comes over or when you take him out to the park. This is because your dog won't integrate distractions or generalize his training (be able to apply it to environments other than the one you trained in) well unless you help him.

If you always work in the kitchen and practice having your pet sit two feet in front of the sofa, he will think that the command �Sit� means to "sit two feet in front of the sofa." The first time you take him in the kitchen and ask him to sit in front of the refrigerator, he doesn't do it. He's thinking, "Are you crazy? How can I sit? There's no sofa here!"

Meanwhile, you are thinking that your dog is being stubborn, spiteful, or dumb because he knows very well how to sit and he is ignoring your command. Every time you move to a new environment or add distractions, you may need to back up a couple of steps in your dog's training to let him know that �Sit� means the same thing wherever he is, whether there's a sofa there or not. A group training class provides a perfect opportunity to train your dog in a distracting environment and to teach him this important lesson. You will need to find dozens more opportunities like this for him to understand that �Sit� happens everywhere.

Once he becomes more sophisticated about training and accustomed to working in different environments, your dog will be able to learn new things despite reasonable distractions, and he will be able to generalize more quickly with each new behavior that you teach him.

Hi Mia,
This is clearly not an announcement for you. Instead, it is an internet broadcast that the first Working Dog Alliance Australia Conference is almost here, Nov. 4-5 in Sydney!


You and many others have put months into this initiative, and tomorrow (or your today!) people involved in every aspect of working dogs will come together to share ideas, network and learn! Attendees to include working dog breeders, trainers, handlers, veterinarians, facility managers, research scientists, advocacy groups and government representatives.

I want to make sure everyone knows what’s happening, and how they can follow along!

Conference dates: November 4-5, 2013 Australia time ;)

Conference Twitter Hashtag:  #workdogs13  
Twitter hashtags are awesome because anyone can follow along with the conference, even if you aren’t on twitter! Hear that, mom? ;) 

Conference Program: Click here  

If I didn’t have to go watch the New York City Marathon I would profile each of the excellent conference speakers, but I have to go watch people mash their feet up, I mean, do an awesome job running so many miles!!  

Heres a taste of what people can expect from the keynote speakers at the inaugural Working Dog Alliance Australia Conference: 

KEYNOTE
Welfare of working dogs and its impact on performance: research so far
Nicola Rooney, University of Bristol, UK

Rooney has a PhD in dog behavior (I’ve read her work on play behavior many times) and for the past 14 years she has headed a team studying working dogs (see her bio for specific areas they’ve covered). So many factors can affect working dog performance, and welfare -- defined and measured -- can play a huge part. 

(Source: Rooney)

Border Patrol Dogs Need to Sniff: Here in the States, the Penn Vet Working Dog Center also prioritizes welfare in terms of performance. They list dehydration as a common hazard for working dogs. A recent (and ongoing) study with the Sarita Texas checkpoint Border Patrol agents examines the effect of different hydration strategies on dogs working in hot and humid conditions. The Sarita checkpoint averages 95°F in July with around 84% humidity. Eep!

They are examining different hydration strategies like water delivered orally, an electrolyte solution delivered orally and a subcutaneous electrolyte solution. No data released yet on which fluid best impacted parameters like core body temperature, search behavior and activity and looking forward to more! Maybe this will come up at the conference? Penn Vet Study details here.

KEYNOTE
Your dog ain’t so special
Steve White, ProActive K9 & Seattle Police Canine Unit USA
 

White and McConnell Seminar

Excellent title. Steve White covers a lot of ground, from working dogs to companion dogs (he recently gave a seminar with Patricia McConnell in Chicago). Steve is a Military Police Working Dog Handler, has presided over the Seattle Police Canine Unit, and is a consultant for K9 academies around the world. His hands-on work is a big deal. 

Here is Steve in action, combining clicker training and scent work and discussing the 8 rules of Punishment.





Enjoy the conference everyone!

Julie

Another hobby of mine is photography and ever since I got my first digital camera years ago, I’ve been driving people nuts with it.
No one seems to want to have their picture taken as frequently as I want to take pictures.
But the dog can’t say no.
During the past six years, I’ve amassed more pictures of Sensi and his friends than anything else.
By always having my camera on the dogs, I’ve managed to catch the dogs making all sorts of whacky facial expressions.
The two pictures posted here are of Sensi and his favorite little mix, Sammy.
Sammy is the perfect playmate for Sensi. He’s a tiny little guy, but he’s half jack russell and that terrier in him leads him to play with all the same extreme energy that Sensi has.
The photo of Sammy was taken during a photoshoot I did of the dogs decked out in Fourth of July gear. It was for a contest, and much to my dismay, I did not win.
Sammy is my greatest success of training dogs to pose for cameras. I have a technique of training dogs to the sounds the camera makes, and Sammy just loves seeing cameras nowadays.
I’ve heard from his owners that he gets excited every time he sees a camera now, putting himself in front of the lense and waiting patiently to get his photo taken.
I’m not sure what was bugging Sammy in this photo, but the shot sure made me smile.
As far as the one of Sensi, I’m pretty sure he was sneezing as I snapped the picture. It definitely looks more like he’s laughing, though.
Enjoy the photos — I hope they make you smile too!

Dandruff mostly occurs when the dog's skin cells naturally form, die, and flake off at a very fast rate. The following are seven suggestions on how to keep your dog's coat clean and dandruff free:

1. Because dandruff is a sign of flaky skin, you need to give your dog regular baths to wash away the flakes before they start to accumulate. Giving your dog a bath once a month during the winter season and twice a month in the summer time will help clear up the problem for good. Always use warm (not very hot) water to bathe your dog. Use a mild shampoo like regular baby shampoo and massage it thoroughly into his skin. Make sure that you rinse and dry well.

2. If using a regular baby shampoo does not get rid of the dandruff, try using a pet dandruff shampoo that contains sulfur or salicylic acid. Leave the lather on for about 5 minutes to give the active ingredients time to work. Medicated shampoos are available online and in pet stores. Do not use medicated shampoos intended for humans since they can be harmful to your dog. In addition, to prevent the dandruff from getting worse, do not use shampoos that contain insecticide such as most flea shampoos. These shampoos leave your dog's skin very dry, even those with added moisturizers.

3. You may use the same colloidal oatmeal soap that people use for dry skin to help relieve flaking. Oatmeal soap is great for dogs with dandruff because it moisturizes dry skin.

4. You can spray your dog's coat with an oil rinse, available online and in pet stores. Spraying him with an oil rinse helps lubricate the skin and lock in moisture. This is especially important if you live in a dry climate.

5. You can also rub your dog's coat with the same moisturizing lotion or cream that you use on your hands; this gets the moisture down really deep.

6. Regular grooming is also necessary in order to help distribute natural oils evenly over your pet's dry skin, which helps keep dandruff down. You need to choose a brush that is not too harsh. Test the softness of the brush by rubbing it on the back of your hand to see if it hurts. If it is soft enough to use on your own head, then it is going to feel good for your dog.

7. Some generic foods do not provide the full amount of vitamins and minerals that your dog needs in order to maintain a healthy skin. Switching to a high quality name brand food will help eliminate the problem. Sometimes, dandruff occurs because dogs are not getting enough fat in their diets. You need to consult with a vet before giving your dog any kind of supplement.

UK Police Dog History
Nottingham City Police Dogs

By far the most common use of today's Labrador is as a home companion, a role at which he excels. Surprisingly, the Labrador Retriever was rarely kept strictly as a house pet until several decades after the breed's introduction to the united States. The initial fanciers of the breed became acquainted with him through knowledge of the shooting game. When the breed
was well established as a sporting companion, his docile, brainy nature won his way out of the kennel and into the home.

The Labrador Retriever's ability to quickly adapt and respond to instruction made the transition quite easy. Today, puppies raised in the home actually become so entwined in the lives of their owners that they often suffer when relegated to the kennel life. (If you are planning to keep a kennel of Labradors, select puppies that are properly socialized but still familiar with kennel life.)

As a companion, the Labrador Retriever is good-natured and gentle enough to accept the roughhousing of youngsters without returning it. If properly socialized while young, a Labrador will share his "home with another dog, providing there is enough affection for all. It is more common for a Labrador to misbehave out of jealousy than out of dislike for another animal.

Labrador Retrievers are long on self-control and loyalty, but they do not make the most avid watchdogs. As a rule, they are not overly suspicious of strangers or highly protective of loved ones, and when natural instincts are not stimulated they can be inattentive to such a task. Always keen for a scent or sound, a Labrador Retriever would certainly give voice at the approach of an intruder, but he might be won over by a friendly gesture or a luscious piece of sirloin. If left on duty, a Labrador Retriever may wander off in search of a scent that has caught his attention. In short, he is a people-dog. If you really need a watchdog, get your Labrador a German Shepherd friend!

The value of companionship with this breed should not be underestimated. In recent years, obedience-trained Labradors as well as other breeds are being used as Therapy Dogs to enrich the lives of nursing home residents and even emotionally disturbed children. The process is simple: a group of experienced dog handlers, such as those trained by Therapy Dogs International, bring their dogs to visit, perhaps put on an obedience performance for the audience, and then let animals and humans mingle, if conditions permit. The dogs are all obedience trained and have proven themselves to be extremely gentle and outgoing. Their job is to make people feel wanted, and it works wonders for alleviating the loneliness and depression that often burden such lives. Labradors love people and the few hours Therapy Dogs share with others enrich both dog and man.

I kept my promise this weekend and walked Sensi on both Saturday and Sunday — of course, not without a little drama.
My house is on a corner lot. Our driveway comes out to one road that borders us to the north, and private road runs along the front of our property to the west.
I chose to walk along the private road as the other road is a very narrow, twisting dirt road. In winter conditions, it’s plain ol’ unsafe to be walking down it when vehicles have a tough enough time without dodging walkers.
As soon as the weather breaks and the road improves though, I’ll be ditching my private-drive walks.
First off, the road isn’t long enough. Both Sensi and I were unphased by our walk, and we’re used to feeling a little winded by the time we return home.
Secondly, there’s a dog.
Near the end of the private drive, there’s a home on a hill with a long driveway. It’s on a curve, and after I had rounded the curve and continued on my way, I heard barks behind us. I looked over my shoulder but didn’t see anything. I made mental note to keep a lookout for dogs on my way back.
Sure enough, as Sensi and I were on our way back I spotted a big black lab barreling down the driveway, barking all the way. By the time it reached the end of its driveway, Sensi and I had just made it past. But the dog was still coming.
So I turned around and confronted it, positioning myself in front of Sensi and locking eyes to challenge the dog. The huge lab stopped dead in its tracks and stared back at me.
My heart was thumping as I tried to stay collected, knowing I couldn’t show the dog any fear. After a minute or so, he began looking away but wasn’t budging. I took advantage of his sign of submission to give a command.
“Get!” I growled at the dog, shooing him with my hand.
He turned around and started back up his driveway.
I waited a moment and then turned Sensi and I around too. As I looked over my shoulder though, the dog was coming toward us again.
I turned around again and faced off with the dog for a few more minutes. When he finally turned around again, Sensi and I were able to gain some ground before he started back after us.
He followed us for a while before stopping to pee on a tree and turning around to head home.
My heart pounded the whole way home.
On Sunday, my husband walked with me to help build my confidence.
Of course, we didn’t see the dog or any others.
I wish, oh how I wish, that people would just keep their dogs restrained to their yard.