Socially Awkward

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Jamie

Loose and curvy, Risa is comfortable interacting here.

Risa doesn’t have the best social skills. She’s much like the shy kid at the party. When first arriving, she introduces herself nicely but then she goes off in the corner to be by herself. She’s uncomfortable being there and doesn’t want to interact with anyone. If someone comes over to talk to her, she makes the conversation short and it’s clear she’d prefer they just stay away.

However, if you get her around close friends, she’s a completely different dog. The introductions are short as Risa already knows them quite well. Social invitations often turn into play and she can have a great time.

She’s a lot like I used to be, actually. 😉 Before college, I was very shy. People thought I was stuck up because it was so hard to get to know me. Around my friends I was boisterous and engaged with whatever was going on. In a large group of unfamiliar people, I was usually found alone or clinging to the few I knew. My confidence grew when I attended college which has made it a bit easier to make new friends. I’m still a bit shy and reserved but I open up to new people quicker and let my real self shine through (for better or worse!).

Curvy again but clearly unsure about the situation.

Since I got Risa from a shelter when she was 2.5 years old, I know very little about her early experiences. I imagine she had very little interaction with strange dogs. I have wondered whether or not she spent a lot of time with her siblings/mother before ultimately parting with them. Her bite inhibition is excellent and she clearly does know how to interact with dogs appropriately once she has allowed them into her circle. I will never know.

It takes Risa a long time to open up to new doggy friends. At first, she really doesn’t want much to do with them. These days, her curiosity usually takes over at the onset. She sniffs and greets appropriately allowing the other dog to sniff her as she sniffs them. But then the social interaction ends and she is ready to go off and do her own thing again. I have seen her do this many times over the four years I’ve been with her. She figures out who’s there and then goes off and sniffs, runs, or looks for hidden toys. All is right with the world for Risa as long as she’s left alone. Most dogs, however, follow greetings with play which causes Risa some distress.

Risa also tends to have some issues watching other dogs play. When two dogs are engaged with each other, she circles around the outskirts watching. Should play get out of hand, she often intervenes to calm them down. I once saw her split (a calming signal where a dog walks between two dogs) an older dog who was getting grumpy with a young puppy. She makes a fine referee dog yet this causes frustration when she isn’t permitted to intervene. Ris can be a bit of a control freak sometimes! 😉

Also, due to her lack of confidence, she tends to overreact in certain situations. Instead of simply using a whale eye or soft growl to guard an object, she will often fly into a barking/lunging reaction. (And the object doesn’t even have to be something that is hers; it could be anything that is nearby that she’s interested in.) If another dog is unhappy and shows its displeasure, Risa gets far more upset than is necessary. She’s had difficulty with this with one of her canine friends in particular as both Risa and her friend are fearful around other dogs. I am certain, as her confidence increases, she will be less likely to overreact in these situations. 🙂

Persistant lil Rio becomes Risa's favorite playmate.

It has taken me a while to really understand what Risa was saying when she interacted with other dogs. While she has found dogs she enjoys playing with immensely, she still has her limits. Early on, I noticed she used to flop onto her back a lot when interacting with other dogs. Since most of these dogs were male, I called it ‘flirting.’ The two dogs would be interacting nicely and, all of a sudden, Risa would roll over and expose her belly. It wasn’t until much later I learned this is a cut off signal. She was telling them she’d had enough and wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately for Risa, I can’t think of a single time when this behavior worked the way she wanted it to. 🙁 Now that I know better, however, I can help her out!

I often feel bad for Risa because she’s so uncomfortable with her own kind. Everyone should have a friend! But I also understand that, for the most part, she’s quite happy to be left alone. That doesn’t stop me from trying my best to increase her confidence so that she’s less worried about other dogs coming up to visit her or trying to initiate a play session. Her confidence has improved over the years and she’s much more tolerant of playful advances. Even if she chooses to ignore them. One of her newest canine friends likes to rush over and put Risa’s head in her mouth trying to get Risa to play with her. Risa’s best friend, Rio, always had the upper paw when it came to interacting with Risa. If barking incessantly didn’t work, he’d sit in my lap and wait for Risa to catch him there (Risa is a resource guarder and does NOT like to share me). When she lunged after him to make him move, he’d plop into a play bow. Amazingly, Risa would join him in play.

While I’ve had aspirations of adding a second dog (likely a puppy) for a long time, I do feel Risa is finally ready to accept a new family member if the time arrives. Certainly, it is going to be a lot of work knowing her history and her lack of confidence around fellow canines. I’m prepared for that.

Doing her own thing but still enjoying time with friends.

In the meantime, I am going to continue to work with her around other dogs and help her increase her confidence. Clicking and rewarding her for look aways, sniffing, lip licks, and eye contact with me around other dogs has been working out superbly. Watching her in rally class on Tuesday this week, you would have barely noticed her fear. She stood in a group of dogs and people without reacting. Dogs walked past her kennel without a peep from her. She performed rally exercises within 4-6 feet of another dog. Risa did a down/stay Honor exercise in the ring while a dog walked the course. It was outstanding.

Aside from distance work where Risa is simply around other dogs (not interacting with them), I am going to try and do some more close up work with her too. Rewarding her for offering calming behaviors when her new friend tries to initiate play, for example. I haven’t had much opportunity to try that out and it will be a bit more difficult given the wintry weather. We’ll give it a try at least

Posted in Fear, Reactivity | 1 Comment

Ignorant Employees

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Jamie

I’m very disappointed with pet care professionals these days. It seems that, despite working with pets every day (especially dogs), they are completely unaware of how to properly interact with them. I expect John Q. Public to be illiterate when it comes to dog language and behavior. I would hope employees at pet stores and veterinary hospitals would be properly educated. I have not found this to be the case.

Most dogs these employees run into are fine. They don’t mind being petted on the head or being otherwise fawned over. Their eyes are bright, their tongues loll out of their mouths, and they wiggle at the sight of a human being. You can rush up to these dogs, bend over them, and smother them with attention and they eat it up.

However, not every dog is okay with this type of behavior. These dogs do not want human interaction and would be completely fine being ignored entirely. Risa, of course, falls into this category. People scare her even when she’s in a location where she feels comfortable. Take her to a pet store or the vet’s office and she’s already super stressed out. She does not need people trying to become her friend too!

The vet's office is stressful enough for many dogs. Strangers trying to make friends with them can make it even worse!

As the owner of a fearful dog, I often find it difficult to stick up for my dog and tell people they cannot interact with her. It’s HARD! People seem to think that they have a right to touch dogs–they don’t. I know when I didn’t have a dog, I wanted to pet them all and be their friends. When we had some down time when I worked at a vet hospital as a receptionist, I was often found in the waiting room petting the dogs awaiting their appointments. I do understand that the interaction with dogs is one of the highlights of those types of jobs. But you cannot be blind to the wants and needs of the dogs you’re trying to befriend. If the dog is not interested in interacting with you, BACK OFF and give them space.

Not only does it stress out the dog and the dog’s owner, it can be dangerous. Fearful dogs are more likely to bite than a confident dog. Not all scared dogs WILL bite but some might. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Seeing dogs clearly uncomfortable and staff pressing their luck stresses me out. Even when it’s not my dog!

I know most people employed in these positions have a way with animals or, at the very least, love them. They really do want to do what’s best and I know most of them are just trying to help. They hope that with a little time and some treats, they can win over the heart of the scared dog. Unfortunately, this is not how it works. Many fearful dogs will never be comfortable meeting strangers.

In a perfect world, veterinarians and pet store managers would educate their staff on how to appropriately assess a dogs’ comfort level. They would take the time to inform them about dogs’ stress signals and how to approach a scared dog should the need arise. The staff would be told that, if a dog is clearly frightened, they should back away and leave the dog alone. I do not believe the responsibility should rest solely on the scared dog’s owner. Many people who own fearful dogs are also unaware of the signals their dog gives that indicate the dog’s discomfort with a situation. If you’re going to work with animals as a professional, you need to be informed. It will keep you safe. It will keep your employees safe. It will keep your clients/customers safe. And dogs like Risa will be happier to come visit!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

3-2-1 SNOW!

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Jamie

With about 6 feet having fallen in just half a month’s time, it’s clear we have a lot of snow. I’m going to go against the majority here and declare that “I like snow.”

I do not like shoveling, dusting off my car, sliding on roadways, treacherous driving conditions, blizzards, or being stuck inside for days. But my dog loves snow. And I love watching her frolic in the powder. It’s worth some of the inconveniences to see my dog being a crazy maniac.

I’ve never been a big fan of snow. As a child I loved it. Building snow forts, erecting snow men, sledding, snow days, etc. But we were never winter activities people. As an adult, my dislike of the snow increased. There were no benefits to it; it just impeded what I wanted to do.

Whoosh!

Then I got Risa.

Something about the snow invigorates dogs. This does not surprise me. I have seen documentaries and heard accounts of wolves who become youthful and playful when the snow blankets the earth. Dogs, being their direct descendants and more juvenile than adult wolves, love snow. And so I bundle up, grab a toy, and go join in the fun. You can’t help but get wrapped up in that unbridled enthusiasm for the white stuff. Or, at least I can’t. 😉

It isn’t just the joie de vivre that Risa exhibits in the snow that transformed my moderate dislike for the white stuff into excitement. There is more to it than that. When it snows, I can produce a toy/reward out of thin air by just grasping some snow into my hands. Risa loves catching snowballs; there are infinite rewards at my fingertips. Walking and running through the snow is a much tougher workout for Risa and makes tiring her out easier. When we venture out, we’re less likely to run into people and other dogs making our lives a bit less stressful. I also love snowy walks when the sounds of modern life are muffled to the point of being non-existent and, for all intents and purposes, it’s just me and my dog alone together.

So we’ve spent a lot of time the last couple weeks outside in the white wonderland. Toys tossed in the yard are much more fun to chase and find when there’s 3 feet of snow to trudge through. Risa doesn’t just grab toys like usual in the snow–she pounces on them like a fox hunting a mouse submerged under the snowdrift. If she can’t easily pick it up or locate the toy, she digs for it. She can dig all she wants without ruining the lawn! There have also been plenty of times where the toy got lost in the snow forcing her to use her nose and brain to locate it. Though we did lose the Wubba in the yard for several days!

Incoming!

After a couple days of just playing in the yard, I knew Risa needed an actual walk today. The trail was narrow as it had only been packed down single file making passing difficult. We came up behind two dogs who were also enjoying the wintry weather. One was off leash and came dashing for us. Thankfully, their owner got them before they got close. Risa flopped into a play bow in front of me as the dog ran our way. Knowing her, it was likely a way to diffuse the situation rather than an invitation for a jaunt in the snow but it was still nice to see that sort of response from her.

I allowed Risa some off-leash time today as it was fairly vacant on the trail. As soon as I unhooked her leash, she took off like a rocket. Apparently, 2 days of limited exercise combined with snow equals a psycho crazy dog. I called out to her “Ris. Here!” and she spun around and bolted back to me. Awesome dog earned treats. 🙂 She took off at a sprint several more times and always returned with a rapid recall which was rewarded. Then she blew me off on a recall request and came on the second or third (different cue words). I rewarded her with treats and then leashed her back up.

Risa walked on leash for a bit longer taking a break from her sprinting fun. Returning on recall is one of the requirements of off leash fun. Blowing me off makes the fun end for a bit. This time, I just dropped her leash and let her trot off. She seemed less inclined to act like her tail was on fire this way. I marked and rewarded times she looked back at me or stayed close. I practiced some recalls too. Risa was a good dog. 🙂

Trying something new: snowshoeing!

We got home and I took her out into the yard to play again. Despite the long walk and running, she was not tired out. Her drive for the Wubba was intense and she did not want to let me have it so I could launch it again. I had noticed the last few times we were out that she was getting a bit pushy and mouthy. She generally has very good impulse control but it’d been slipping. I am not sure if it was the lack of exercise, the joy of snow, the love of the Wubba (and the fact that I only have one for outside use), or her resource guarding. Probably all of the above. I guess that is something I will have to watch and work on with her.

As winter hasn’t even officially begun yet, I am sure I will have plenty of other opportunities to enjoy the white stuff with Risa. From romps in the yard, walks with friends, and snowshoeing we should have plenty to keep us busy. I might just become a winter activities person yet! 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I Eat Meat

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Jamie

(This blog entry will feature photos of my dog eating raw meat. If such images may offend you, you might want to avoid reading further.)

There is a lot of controversy out there about raw feeding dogs. Some people find it abhorrent. Vets will tell you horror stories about dogs who have died from perforated intestines due to eating bones. People will warn you about E. coli and Salmonella or dogs getting a ‘taste for blood’ and turning on their people.

A prey model raw diet tries to replicate what a wild canine would eat.

I’ve been a raw feeder for over four years. Though my interest in feeding raw has been around longer than that. A few years before I ever got a dog, I heard about this unique way of feeding. I knew several friends online who fed their dogs this way and they lauded the results. Not only that, but feeding raw just made sense to me. Kibble has only been in existence for 100 years or so. What did dogs eat before then?

While there is much debate over whether dogs are carnivores, omnivores, or just extremely opportunistic; I feel a diet that replicates that which a dog might eat in the wild is best for a dog. I follow the prey-model ratios to feed Risa though I have made some modifications. Ideally one feeds 80% muscle meat (meat without bone), 10% raw meaty bones (meat with bone), and 10% organ meat (liver, kidney, spleen, brain, etc.). However, Risa requires more bone in her diet so I feed closer to 60-65% MM (muscle meat) and 25-30% RMBs (raw meaty bones). Some people believe dogs require vegetable matter in their diets. I do not however I do feed green tripe when I can get it. I also give fruits and veggies as a treat.

Starting a raw diet is not something one should do lightly. You really need to do a lot of research beforehand. It’s not as simple as just tossing your dog a chicken drumstick and hoping for the best. 😉 Aside from making sure you balance the diet using the ratios, you have to keep in mind that much of the meat found in grocery stores is low in omega 3s. You will need to supplement with fish that are high in O3s or give a fish oil capsule. Some meats are higher in some nutrients than others. The diet should be as varied as possible including both red and white meats. Most people start feeding 2-3% of their dog’s body weight daily on a raw diet. However, some dogs are very active and will require more. Others are easy keepers and need less. It’s easy enough to adjust the diet as needed.

Stripping meat from bone helps clean a dog's teeth.

Here’s a sample menu of Risa’s:
Monday: Turkey neck (between 8-12 oz generally), 1/2 lb of beef, 4 ounces of beef liver
Tuesday: Chicken quarter
Wednesday: Turkey neck, 1/2 lb of beef
Thursday: 1 lb of ground buffalo, 4 chicken feet, 4 ounces of beef kidney
Friday: Chicken quarter
Saturday: 1/2 lb pork ribs, 1/2 lb of beef
Sunday: Chicken quarter, egg

If you’re interested in raw feeding but not into number crunching and want to keep it more basic, there are premade raw foods available to you. Most of them consist of ground meat, organs, bones, vegetables, and other added minerals/supplements. Bravo, Nature’s Variety, and Primal make premade patties and medallions for easy feeding. It’s the ease of feeding kibble with many of the benefits of feeding raw.

One of the things I really enjoy about raw feeding is that I can choose what my dog eats and what she doesn’t. Since Risa has several food sensitivities, this makes both of our lives much easier. Protein sources that might be difficult to completely avoid if we fed kibble are super easy to eliminate with raw feeding–I just don’t give it to her. 🙂

Nice pink gums and minimal tartar buildup on a dog who's almost 7.

Raw fed dogs in general have very soft coats, less doggy smell, no bad dog breath, better oral health, more energy, and better muscle tone. They also poop less as they are able to digest more of what they ingest creating less waste.

Should you consider feeding your dog a raw diet, please do not do so lightly. You should carefully research a proper raw diet and weigh the benefits and risks of it. Also know that many vets will not support your choice. Many people will look at you like you’re crazy too. I couldn’t imagine feeding my dog any other way. I love the control I have over what she eats. This is especially helpful with Risa’s GI issues. However, raw feeding is not for everyone or every dog.

For further information on raw feeding, I would suggest the following links:
Raw Dog Ranch
Pack Lunch
So You’re Interested in Feeding Raw. . .
Fudge’s Raw Feeding Website

Posted in Raw Feeding | Leave a comment

Rally Mutt

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Jamie

We’ve always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with rally. During our general obedience classes we took in Montana, we covered many of the rally stations. Our trainer was working towards her RAE with her dog and we were often invited over to practice with them. We even took a rally course through the same trainer. Risa’s always been able to do the signs and I got really good at recognizing what we were supposed to do when I saw them.

Unfortunately, Risa was still easily distracted during that time. As soon as we started heeling, she was often off following a scent or looking around. I used to get pretty frustrated with her because she knew how to heel beautifully. She just hadn’t been trained to the distraction level she was often put in. Not to mention she was still pretty dog reactive at the time. I figured trialing in rally was something I might consider when she was older. Hoping that, because rally moves at a slower pace than freestyle, as she aged she’d be more attentive at a slow pace.

Fast forward from a sit at our first rally competition.

Now, when I said ‘older,’ I was thinking 10+ years old. Not almost 7. 😉 But, here we are. Not much more than 2 years later and I decided we should compete in rally.

There are several reasons why I recently decided we should try rally again. Freestyle competitions are not close by or very frequent. We finally competed in a live competition for freestyle earlier this year and Risa did amazingly well. And the local obedience training club was offering a rally class and I really wanted to get us in a class again. I thought rally was something we could manage. Especially since we were already familiar with most, if not all, of the AKC signs from our training classes in Montana.

The class we’ve attended has been great for us. It’s in a loud, busy room where there are multiple rings of stuff going on and dogs constantly walking by. It’s really a bit of a nightmare for a reactive, fearful dog but it’s given me plenty of opportunities to work with Risa and make her more comfortable. I realized that she may be ready to try competing so I entered her in a one day trial. If she did well and had a good time, we’d try for her RN (rally novice) title. If the experience had not gone well, then that would have been it and we would have given up on rally.

Yesterday was the day of the trial and I was pretty nervous. Worried about finding crating space, about getting Risa comfortable, about her being dog reactive, and then about keeping her attention once we were in the ring. So I figured we’d get there early to give us both plenty of time to acclimate and get ready.

I spent some time letting Risa walk around and investigate the show grounds. She sniffed passing people and dogs. Clearly, she was a bit anxious and worried. I worked with her on some focus at heel, general focus, and some of the rally behaviors. Risa was easily distracted. At one point, she was so distracted I was starting to get frustrated with her. I decided I would take her back to her kennel for a break before I inadvertently did something out of frustration I would regret.

She quickly learned where her kennel was and was quick to drag me back to it when we were getting close. When I took her outside for potty breaks, she dragged me to the door. I was starting to think this wasn’t going to go well at all. I couldn’t get her attention for long and she wanted to go to her ‘safe places.’ Now I was definitely worried she was just going to do her own thing in the ring.

Focus in the ring.

After a break, I got her back out and decided I would ask her for some focus and rally behaviors around the outside of the ring. After all, I didn’t need her attention in the grooming area or by the vendors. I just needed it IN the ring so I worked as close to that area as I could. She was visibly calmer and fairly focused. I still wasn’t sure how she’d do when we stepped into the gating but I knew we had to try.

I was able to get her to sit at the start sign after a couple tries. I told the judge we were ready and we started the course. At first, her heeling was very inattentive and wide. I know I felt the leash go taught several times. As I turned to go back through the cones for the straight figure 8, I picked up my pace a bit to see if that would grab her attention more (Risa has always done better at faster speeds). After we had completed 1/3 of the course, her focus had improved. In fact, it was much like when we compete in freestyle. It takes her a bit of time to realize what it is we’re doing but, once she remembers, she’s spot on. She did her automatic halts, had some nice tight turns, and even downed on command. I was so proud of her. Not only did she execute the moves well, but she was fairly focused considering the distractions present. Not an easy task for her at all!

I was stunned to see our score: 96. I thought we’d done much worse than that. Risa and I took 1st place out of a group of 5 dogs. Now, I guess we just have to finish that title. 😉

Even in close proximity to other dogs, Risa seems unphased.

Aside from her outstanding performance in the ring, I was so pleased with her outside of it. There were dogs everywhere. The worst thing she did was try and sniff them. 😉 If a dog made her feel uncomfortable, she just turned her head away and looked at me for reassurance (and a treat). She even sniffed a dog she knew from our rally class and then turned to get a reward afterward. On her own. With no cues from me. It’s so amazing to see all our hard work paying off. Though, the fact that there were SO many dogs there probably played some part. She is generally less reactive when in large crowds. Risa only had a minor meltdown when we passed a car of barking big dogs twice. Since it was in the parking lot, I’m not counting it. 😉

Going to get our 1st place award and green Q ribbon.

Now that we have a leg towards our RN and Risa actually seemed to enjoy herself in the ring, I think we’ll finish the title. Maybe we’ll even go further than that in rally. It’s pretty much up in the air for now. I’m just happy we were able to find another sport to compete in and enjoy.

If you’d like to see video of our performance, click here.

Posted in Training | Leave a comment