academics, puppy visits, vet visits, and agility class!

Wednesday was a great day for me, I was able to present my research at the Campbell Centre for Studies in Animal Welfare annual Symposium and Research Day. There were about 100 people in the audience (scary!!!), including a number of professors, students, and public interested in animal welfare. I think I did pretty well, although I did loose my place a few times. It was nice to be one of only two social science majors, out of 22 presenters.

On Thursday I had lunch with a good friend from Guelph, and visited Wendy (Piper's breeder). Piper and I got to meet another of Piper's littermates, Ryder (who she adored).

All four of my animals also had vet appointments in the afternoon, so we spent about two hours with Dr. Paula. Piper and Percy were both in perfect health, which was good news (although I was expecting it). The vet heard a grade one heart murmur in Archie, although it went away as he relaxed. Something to watch, however it seemed to only be an issue when he was stressed, and he's generally a pretty laid back cat. Ace is my poor, unhealthy soul, unfortunately. The vet now suspects his elbow dysplasia is causing him chronic pain, so she prescribed some painkillers. It breaks my heart, since he's only five years old, but she said he has almost no muscle around his elbows, and quite severe arthritis in his joints. He is to receive minimal exercise, except as much swimming as we can handle! She told me its ok to not exercise him every day, and I was correct to also cut back his food (which I had already done - my 74 lb dog now eats the same amount as my 42 lb dog). We are going to start a painkiller trial next week, he is to be medicated for a solid week, to see if I notice any differences. It's the easiest way to find out if he really is in chronic pain. I had suspected something along those lines, so I was not surprised by her evaluation.

We had a good time visiting my friend Karen, and her super-adorable Turveurn puppy Spark. Spark and Piper are like two peas in a pod, they got along fantastically :) We spent several nights watching agility videos.

Tonight was my last agility class with Piper for a while. We had a pretty good class, only screwing up a couple time in a course that was masters level (and harder than anything that would be seen at a regional level event). I was pretty happy with that! What I was not happy with was that Piper BARKED the entire time she was not working. My instructor told me to step on the leash and ignore her, quietly rewarding anytime she was quiet. The result was an hour and a half of barking. It was brutal. Definitely something we are going to have to work on.

busy november

Big things happening. As I am approaching the end of my masters degree, it appears I will be jobless for (hopefully) a short period of time. So, I am leaving my amazing apartment which I love, to move into my parent's basement. Temporarily. I hope.

They are less than thrilled with the two cats and two dogs moving with me, but I'm sure we will all manage just fine. Temporarily.

So it is a busy time of year:
- finishing up my thesis (I think I am almost finished writing)
- packing (I move in 3 weeks)
- visiting all my friends before I move, since I don't know when I will be back to this area
- and training my dogs!

Piper and Ace are registered for their Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) tests on November 16th. We have been practicing, and chatting with a few friends who's dogs have passed, and I think we are ready. As long as they each have 10 minutes or so to settle before we go in, I don't expect any problems. I think this test will be great when I (hopefully soon) am looking for another apartment.

Since there are also CKC Rally and Obedience trials occurring at the same time, I am hoping there will be space to enter Piper in one run of Pre-Novice Obedience, and one run of Rally Novice. It looks like there will be space in Rally, but I'm not sure about Obedience.

I also have to purchase a membership with the CKC, which I'm not super thrilled about, as I strongly disagree with the breed standards imposed on many extremely unhealthy breeds, such as pugs. However if I want to trial in Obedience, CKC is the only venue I am aware of.

Have I mentioned moving in my my parents is temporary?
Wish us luck!

more videos!

Since I learned how to post videos, here are a few more from Piper and I's hike this morning. Piper is now 11 months old, I can't believe how this year has flown! She is the most amazing dog, I just love her to pieces.

Piper is still learning how to swim. She has no problem going in after a ball, but she still doesn't like it when her feet leave the bottom. I think she'll get over this once it's warm enough we can swim together!

 

She was so adorable leaping through the tall grass, and she was having so much fun! Pictures weren't capturing it, but I think the video did a pretty good job.

positive vs negative

The last year or so I've been following a blog written by Patricia McConnell, a well-known animal behaviourist and trainer. Most of her posts I find interesting, and every once in a while a subject comes up and I say "yes, finally somebody is talking about this!"

One such topic was about mounting, an ongoing issue for Ace. It was refreshing to hear from all the people who deal with this in their dogs, and learning how they deal with it.

Last week's topic was called Confrontational Techniques Elicit Aggression. You can read it here:
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/confrontational-techniques-elicit-aggression#comments
 
Reviewing a recently completed study, Trisha wrote:
"The most confrontational, and I would argue, aggressive, behaviors on the part of the owners resulted in the highest levels of aggressive responses from the dogs. 43% of dogs responded with aggression to being hit or kicked, 38% to having an owner grab their mouth and take out an object forcefully, 36% to having a muzzle put on (or attempted?), 29% to a “dominance down,” 26% to a jowl or scruff shake. You get the idea. Of course, these are all dogs who were seen by veterinary behaviorists for aggression-related problems, but it makes the data even more important. Violence begets violence, aggression begets aggression."

As someone who does use leash corrections, and occasional scruff shakes, I found this interesting. There is such a divide between people who use corrections and people who don't, and I feel a lot of personal pressure to be 100% positive all of the time, despite feeling that it is not in my personality to do so. I just don't have the patience, and honestly, I feel like many dogs will continue to be pushy until they're told they are not allowed to do that.

After 73 comments on this specific post (and I read pretty much all of them!), Trisha wrote:
"I go back to believing that we need to be thoughtful about over simplifying what we mean by good training; that it is essential to be as benevolent and positive as possible, which doesn’t always mean being “100% positive,” that corrections can be used on occasion without harming a dog, but need to be used sparingly and carefully, and that, most importantly, every dog needs us to be its coach and teacher, which means understanding the dog as an individual, and understanding the principles of learning in general."

This I think is the most important idea to come out of this whole thing. Corrections are ok, if used in appropriate context, and as long as the dog understands what it is being corrected for! Don't use corrections to teach, use them to reinforce what the dog already knows; use corrections only when necessary, not as a matter of routine. More important perhaps, it is imperative to understand your dog, know their thresholds, and make sure training brings them joy and an improved bond with you!

dog faming

Since I am friends with many dog people, and am generally known as a crazy dog person, I get quite a few emails with pictures of "dog-shaming". Some of them are cute, or funny, but to be honest most of them I find sad. Most of the dogs in these photos are poorly trained, or improperly managed.

Working in a pet store, I meet a variety of people. Sometimes they are crazy dog people like me, sometimes not. Whenever I ring a customer through, I always ask what kind of dog they have, how many dogs, how old are they, that sort of thing. Most people love to talk about their dogs, sometimes I even get to see pictures, or will go out to meet them in the car is the person isn't able to bring them into the store.

One day I rang through a customer who told me he and his wife adopted a large-breed dog from the humane society half a year earlier. She was very timid, and comfortable with the man when they were alone together, but anytime his wife was present the dog would be terrified of him. He would speak in a whisper on a regular basis so the dog would be comfortable. This alone I find an interesting behavioral problem (what is the association with the couple as opposed to the individual?). Anyways, when they first adopted her they were told that she had been found roaming the streets with a sign safety pinned to her chest, saying "I am a bad dog".

Can you imagine?

I can't look at a dog-shaming photo without thinking about this poor dog.

So this afternoon I was snooping around the internet and heard about a reversal of the dog-shaming revolution... DOG-FAMING!

First on this blog:
http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/dog-faming-picture-it/

Then this one:
http://eileenanddogs.com/2012/11/21/dog-praising/

Why are we focusing on a dog's faults and lack of training when we could be celebrating the amazing things they do every day! I think this is an amazing idea, and I'm looking forward to posting some dog-faming photos of my own!

thesis

According to my program timeline, all student research and write an original thesis from September to April in the third and final year of the program. For as long as I've been a student at Guelph, my plan has been to write about some aspect of ecological restoration. It's a topic I am interested in, and something with employment potential. However, recently that has changed.

Before Christmas I had a meeting with my professor Nate, and his wife Tina. While Nate is a prof in Landscape Architecture, Tina is a prof in the Animal Science department and specializes in animal behavior and welfare. They are looking to have research done to look at the need for and design of outdoor components of humane societies.

Starting now (so I can hopefully meet some of the deadlines to get research grants), I will be researching the design of dog parks, training areas and walking areas for dogs at humane societies. Part of this will look at the need or use of such areas by the dogs, and another aspect will be their use by humane society employees and volunteers.

It is an interesting research project, but never something I had ever considered doing before! This will be the first time I have combined my love of dogs with academics. Hopefully I'll be posting a bit more about the project as it progresses.

are rescues too tough on potential adopters?

Here's a link to a great post by Retrieverman:
http://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/some-dog-rescue-organizations-have-too-many-quibbling-requirements-for-their-adopters/

I think it can go both ways... rescues can be very tough on potential adopters, and needlessly exclude many great families. In fact I was turned down twice by my local humane society before I finally was able to adopt Archie. There was a huge process of getting my landlords permission, having all my roommates meet him, and getting a letter from my parents (even though I was 19), all because I was a student. However a friend of mine (also a student, living in a rental with roommates) went to the same institution, picked out and adopted a cat in one day. It all depends on who you talk to, I suppose.

However, I do agree with the pet always going back to the rescue, if it doesn't work out with the original adoptive family. Although you may be able to find another home for your pet, who is to say they will not turn around and give the pet to someone else? And then that person does the same thing? An animal could easily end up in a bad situation... rescuers love their fosters and just want to ensure they are well taken care of.

Thoughts?

where is the line

...between rough play and dog aggression?

Tonight I took Ace and Willow over to a classmate's house to play with her one year old bluetick coonhound. First impression: absolutely adorable dog, just a little smaller than Willow. Next impression: guarder.

No no sooner arrive than the dog is snarling and chasing Willow away from her toy. The toy gets taken away, and the two girls play pretty well for the next 10 minutes, although it is clear that this dog is fairly dominant. At this point my classmate tells me that she is also possessive of the deck, and the space under the deck. Wonderful.

Shortly after, the snarling begins. Willow is soon pinned and yelping, fights back to get up, and is promptly pinned again. I start yelling and run down to break it up, trying to grab my classmate's dog by the back end (note to self - research how to break up a dog fight without getting bitten). My classmate comes down to get her dog, and I expected to hear something along the lines of "I'm so sorry, she's never done anything like that before!" Instead, she tells me that they just needed to work it out, and not to worry as there was no harm done.

I don't know this classmate super well and I'd never met her dog before, and I didn't want to be rude, although my instinct was telling me to leave right then. We stayed for another 10 minutes or so, but the two dogs didn't really play again until Ace started to play. Willow joined him (as per usual), and I had to step in a few times as they tend to gang up on other dogs. I made it clear through my actions that I did not tolerate humping, and once the other dog was down I called mine off. I believe that bullying between dogs is not to be tolerated.

This situation reminded me of an article I read, off a link on the ARPH website (http://www.ontarioaussies.ca/Aussie%20Links.html). The article is about managing a multi-dog household (http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/archives/many.txt), and specifically I thought of this section copied below:

Every time pack management questions arise, several people will suggest
that you allow the dogs to work things out alone.  They'll assure you that
this is the only way to go.  Sometimes this can work, but this is dependent
on the breed, individual temperaments and respective sizes of the dogs
involved.  Use your better judgement.  Don't let a Rottweiller freely go at
a Yorkie or a 2 year old pick on a 15 year old.  Often these remarks are
followed by someone telling how they lost a dog (evenly matched in breed
and size to it's opponent) to a dogfight by following this philosophy.

As I left, my classmate suggested next time we meet somewhere else and let the dogs run. 

I agree, but in my head I think "not with Willow". Interestingly, this is the second dog I've 

introduced Ace to in the past month, and he has reacted with indifference. I wonder if this is 

part of the maturing process, or is he just feeling beaten by my constant corrections for 

humping and rough play? Will have to test these theories. 

To conclude, in my classmate's mind the dogs were just playing, however to me it seemed 

an awful lot like a dog fight.

re-homing dogs

While I believe that owning a dog is a lifelong commitment, I do understand that there are times when a dog must be re-homed. This does not mean dropped off at a shelter, but it could include working with a rescue organization or your vet to network and find a more suitable home for your dog. Sometimes a dog may have to be re-homed if the family situation changes (increasing number of children often means decreasing amount of time for your dog), financial situation changes, or other unknown factors that crop up. When I was a kid my family had to re-home our dog, because my parents just could not figure out how to deal with her anxiety issues in a humane way.

However, I have met a few people who have re-homed dogs for reasons that I cannot comprehend. For example, people who have re-homed an older dog when it did not get along with their newer dog. And these are pets, not working dogs in any capacity. While I believe that working dogs should still be loved and cherished, I understand that there are different standards for dogs who serve a purpose. For example, I could understand a family re-homing their pet border collie to another family who could guarantee work for the dog. Likewise, service dogs who have been retired and their human was unable to care for them as a pet. 

Oops, better get back on track. The point of this post is...

How can you choose to give up a dog you have loved for the past six years, to keep a dog you have had for the past two months? Shouldn't seniority count for something? If anyone can explain this to me, I would love to hear from you.

I suppose I should remember that we live in a throw-away society, and that our pets are often treated with less respect than our cell phones.

dog aggression in a multi-dog house

Last week, while my apartment was being renovated, I stayed with my friend and fellow puppy-raiser. Let me tell you, it is quite the production to pack up two dogs and a cat for a week-long visit, and not an experience I care to repeat frequently. My friend was as accomodating as possible, considering the dog drama she deals with on a regular basis.

Her canines include:
1 Belgian Shepherd, Summer, pet - dog aggressive
1 Smooth Collie, Wizard, ADS foster - friendly
1 Labrador, Maggie, Lab Rescue foster - dog aggressive

Since she introduced the Lab Rescue foster three months ago, her life has been one of baby gates, crates, and aborted attacks between Summer and the Maggie. Wizard has learned enough to be able to float between the two, however this past week he joined my pack on the upper floor of the house. Maggie stays in the living room or the car, and Summer now lives permanently in the kitchen. My pack lived on the second floor, so to take them out for a pee, we first had to move Maggie to the car, or through another baby gate into the basement. The animosity between Summer and Maggie is so extreme that a crate has to be placed in front of the gate to ensure there is zero contact between them.

After several days in this house, I was moving Maggie from the basement to the living room, after having put Willow, Wizard and Ace in the car. The crate was moved further back than was normal, but I figured Maggie knew the routine enough by now that if I opened the gate she would move into her regular space. Boy was I wrong. As soon as I opened the gate, Maggie dashed in the other direction, towards Summer. The gate sprang open, and I had to try to pull Maggie off Summer before she could do serious injury. Luckily I was able to grab her collar and pull her away before any damage could be done.

Now, Maggie is a very sweet dog, one on one. She is fun-loving and affectionate, and very food motivated so in principle she should be easy to train. However, she has been in and out of various foster homes for the past year. At one point she was adopted out, but someone stepped on her and broke her back leg, so she was taken back by the rescue. Her original owner bought her at a pet store, and surrendered her to the rescue becasue he didn't realize she would get so big. Maggie has been through about seven homes now, most in the past year. See her story here: http://www.lab-rescue.ca/Adopt_Me.html

I cannot imagine having to live my life constantly jumping over baby gates, crates, and the fear the one dog could injure another. I have heard of pit bull rescues operating like this, and I have a newfound respect for this type of dedication. I have to wonder about the quality of life for dogs who live in such stressful environments - yes they are better than in a kennel, or tied up in a backyard, but when the patience of both dogs and humans is shorter, how much can you really accomplish?

dogs and family

A friend of mine has been involved with the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival for the past several rounds, and has encouraged me to participate, even though I am a new blogger. The topic for this Carnival is "reactions". I have decided to write about my family's reactions to my foster puppies. My family has always reacted negatively to my fosters, they think it is a lot of work and don't really understand the joy I get from fostering. I live on my own, but like to visit my parents every few months.  



When I brought home my first foster (Honey), she was a year and a half old and pretty much a terror. She stole food, would shove toys in their faces, and generally make a mess. She was definitely a work in progress, but for a dog that had been a rescue she was very loving and outgoing. After the first weekend I took her home, they decided that Honey could not come visit again. I was very disappointed that my family did not support my involvement in the program, and that they were not willing to make accomodations for my foster puppy.



c

Honey (fostered February - April, 2009)



My second foster followed shortly after Honey (who was disqualified for the reasons above). Ace was an adorable 9 week old puppy, and I was so happy when he was welcomed with open arms. Until he grew up. My parents would get upset when he would get excited and scratch the hardwood floors, pull sticks from the forest and leave them on the grass, and get hair all over the back of the car. When Ace was disqualified for having a health issue, I decided to keep him, so these issues continue today.



Ace (fostered June 2009-Feburary 2010,
then adoped)

When I told my family that I was going to get another foster puppy, they were very upset. Their comments went something like this: "you already have a dog, why do you need another one?" "You are wasting your life with these dogs" "Well it can't come home, so you'll have to think about that". To be honest, if they were not going to support my decision, I decided that I just was not going to come home. Fortunately I found out I was going to get Willow when she was only about 2 weeks old, so I had lots of time to prepare my family. In the 8 week period before I brought her home, they decided that maybe she could come to the cottage, and then maybe she can come home when my dad wasn't there, and finally "ok bring both dogs". Willow was allowed to come home with me from when she was 10 weeks until 10 months, and now my parents have decided that it is just too many dogs (what!?!) and that she cannot come.



Willow (fostered August 2010 - present)

I should mention that my family had a lab/shepherd cross when I was a kid, and currently has a small poodle cross, so overall they like animals. My mother was also an Educational Assistant (EA) for several years, and has a degree in Disability Studies. She is always promoting rights for the differently-abled, but cannot understand why I would want to spend my free time socializing a puppy to help children with autism. She supports service dogs, but just thinks someone other than me should raise them. This type of reaction has always baffled me, as I don't understand how you can support an end result without supporting the process.