The Art of Dog Walking

Freedom

2019-02-27T09:01:00.001-06:00

This little puppy 😁

Cara's a special Griff. She somehow came with no naughty gene. I don't know if it was because of good breeding or all of my experience finally paying off. But she did no wrong. No joke. Well ... aside from the horrible shark-like biting with those little puppy teeth ... even that magically disappeared on it's own when her adult teeth came in.

She's a nerd. I felt like she was a Griffy Border Collie. So smart. Easy to housebreak. Not destructive. Free in the house by herself at 6 months. No separation anxiety. Just a really good little dog.

I kept waiting for the bomb to drop. When was that naughty going to kick in? Was it in there at all? What is wrong with her. There must be something wrong. Ha ha. I kind of missed that naughty. Then I started realizing that it's just not going to happen. She's just that good. And she's my reward for all the naughty Griffs I've had in the past & helped shape to overcome their issues. I told myself to just enjoy her nerdy self.

My 1st nerd puppy. I asked myself, what does she need the most? Play. Lots of it. She works all the time naturally and loves it. This is why she's so easy, she just has that type of personality ... an intense worker. So to round her out, I gave her a lot of freedom & play. I really let her run like a wild woman because I wanted to bring her silly side out. Freedom allowed her to express herself & release that natural internal pressure she carries for work. When she started rolling around on her back all over the place, I knew I tapped in to that space where she was completely uninhibited. Freedom was a confidence builder for her. A letting loose of sorts & the ability to let yourself be free.

Now at 2 years old, she's loose & rolling around to her heart's content. And in response, I've tightened the reigns up on her a little to bring balance back around. Finally at 2 with a glimmer in her eye she started blowing me off. Now that's the Griffy spirit I know. So I put her to work. There's always a balance between work & freedom. We're at the sweet spot now.

So give freedom if your puppy needs it - signs to look for are intensity, tightly wound, nerd-like, always working, leaning toward obsessive - make it a point to play with these special creatures, bring out their smile, their looseness, let them feel free so that their internal pressure can be relieved. Then when they cross that little wild edge, you can start working them harder and harder.

The Power of the Walk

2019-02-26T16:34:00.000-06:00

How many of you walk your dogs for an hour or more every day?

I'm lucky because I get to incorporate Cara into some of my regular dog walks so I can be a little lax on taking private walks with her aside from our morning run. But when she's in season, I have to walk her by herself & she stays home much of the day. We end up doing 2 long private walks a day, 1-2 hours each ... on leash.

It throws me over my comfortable limit of 8 miles a day, so it kills me, but I've got to do it. And, you know what, every 6 months I go through the same thing ... the first few days are grueling & then I start to really enjoy it, the private time, the extra bonding. We both benefit from it.

Each day becomes easier, for Cara too. She's used to running free a lot. So right off the bat, it takes her about an hour to get into the groove on her own & walking with me. But as the days go on, she gets in the groove faster & faster. Today is day 4 & it only took her 15 minutes to follow in. We have a good connection already but often it's a distracted one - because I'm often walking her with another dog, or we're playing ball, or she's playing with other dogs, or she's hunting around. I tend to give her a lot of freedom - more on that in another post. But with the one on one leash walk, she's with me completely. And once we're in the groove we walk together as a unit, in sync, both relaxed & focused on our movement together.

When we move together as one unit, our connection grows even more. Try it. These types of walks are super helpful for dogs that have anxiety or behavioral problems. It switches their mind a little to focus on you ... remember it's your walk, you set the route & it's a walk where the goal is to have your dog follow in with you, it may take him/her some time to get used to it if your walks have been dog driven thus far, but he/she will get there. Just keep moving along.

We're Back!

2019-02-24T12:13:00.002-06:00

Introducing Cara ... Foggy Gap Mo Anam Cara.

We know many of you made the migration over to Instagram with us & we're so grateful for that. It's been so much fun!

For those of you who are new readers, the whole world had to say goodbye to MoMo Brown on December 1, 2016. She went as quickly as she stormed into our sphere. And we still miss her spirit. Hemangiosarcoma of the heart took her ... literally fine one minute & fading fast the next.

The hole she left was giant. Broken hearts all around. I didn't know whether to rescue another Griff or get a puppy. I just kept listening for Mo & somehow I knew she didn't want her whole closet-full stash of finds to go to an adult. I knew she would only like a puppy in that closet of hers. So, I chose puppy. And Cara was born just 11 days after she left - December 12, 2016.

I'm pretty sure Mo sent all of us Cara. I chose the name Cara because it means Friend in Gaelic. I thought that was sweet & did a little research into the Gaelic language. Little did I know that the phrase "Mo Anam Cara" meant "My Soul Mate". That solidified it all.

So that's the story in a nutshell. It's been a busy couple of years. We're just starting to breathe. And I want to write again. Most of you have watched Cara grow up on Instagram & have been very kind to continue following a Mom who posts like a banshee! I just couldn't help it.

We'll still keep our Instagram going. But I want to put "Raising Cara" into words because she is so very different. A different Griff. And a different personality for me. It was interesting to raise a nerdy follower type of puppy in the city, pretty challenging actually. But we made it through & here she is today, a little over 2 years old & a beautiful little being. Holding hands is her thing.

Stay tuned for more musings ...

Instagram!

2013-07-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Yikes you guys, I think the blog may be officially dead!

Mo's Facebook page has totally taken over. And now, we've discovered Instagram & are hash tagging. I know, I know, welcome to the year 2013.

Anyway, wanted to let you know you can follow Mo on Instagram ... call name is ...

downtownmomobrown

We've been hash tagging a lot to #wirehairedpointinggriffon. So many great artistic pieces of Griffy photography over there. It's a whole new speedy world of quick likes & short blurbs. We like.

Mo is doing fantastic. We both are doing fantastic. Completely settled in! Hope all is & has been well on your end too.

Leaving you with a bunch of Mo's Instagram pieces ...

Energy Stabilizing ...

2013-04-13T18:23:00.001-05:00

One week into our tweaking energy program & things are going really well. I haven't felt racy & panicky. And Mo is really pretty chill, for Mo. There has been a lot more laying in the grass, enjoying the day, instead of her usual constant buzz. There is definitely less intensity. I have even managed to skip a couple of long line adventures for leisurely strolls on the Flexi-leash.

I'm taking it! I'm happy. She's more relaxed in the house as well. There was just one spooking in the middle of the night at a window slamming & I treated her right then & there. It didn't take right away & I could feel her heart racing. I just kept at it til she calmed. I was a little reluctant to do it in this situation because it's usually best to ignore a panicked dog & not give attention in that state. But I thought, well, let's give it a go & see what happens.

She's really very interesting. I no longer feel that sizzling energy that she had before. I don't feel much of anything. Who knows if I'm even doing it right, I really don't have that great of a grasp on it. But I do feel like she's leading me, in a way. Showing me what to do ...

I usually start with my hand on her side, then she will want to hold my hand, so I let her & we're sort of a twisted mess. Then she will fidget her way around so I have to reposition my hands so they're not twisted. One time, she shoved her head under one hand & stopped me when it was on the top of her head. So I thought, ok, you want a head treatment. Then another time she tossed her foot at me so I was holding her hand & her foot (paws, I know - ha ha). I've just been listening to her fidgeting. Another time she wanted a hand on her belly. Pretty cool right.

I don't know if I'm reading into it too much but it's working, whatever it is. I've also been letting her ask me for treatments. When she gets close & snuggly, I know. The past couple of days have been free. She hasn't asked, nor have I given. Maybe she's on an even keel? We'll see!

Energy Work!

2013-04-05T11:10:00.001-05:00

The blog's not dead. The blog's not dead. Hip hip hooray! Inspiration.

Mo & I are on a little journey right now. Into other realms. You know our relationship is a little off here & there, she's work, I'm working her, developing her, but it hasn't been easy. It's a struggle ... one that I was starting to think may not be the best for both of us.

Chicago. We're in the city. There has been a progressive decline in her happiness. She's not a fan of the apartment or building we live in. She wasn't sleeping well. I had sound machine apps blasting - rain, ocean, rivers. It worked for a few nights, but bam, back to the old.

All along I could feel this energy. At first with her, I was just tired. Exhausted. Ok. Then it progressed to me being in almost a panicked state. Heart racing. Feeling like I couldn't breathe. Edgy. This went on for weeks. Something was just off. I felt like her. Combustible.

I looked into doing more training. Maybe that's what she needed. But she's trained. I did it. She's good. It's us together that is off. Something about our energies, I thought. So I was going to make an appointment with a woman I know to get my energy balanced out, maybe that will help.

She knew. She's sees us pretty frequently & I told her how I was feeling & she said you never felt this way with Gent or Steffi, Mo is frying your nerves. She said we were going to have to balance her neurosis first & then I will fall into line. She normally doesn't work with dogs so she was going to think about it & in the meantime, I should contact her friend at the natural pet store to see if she has any ideas.

Well, the natural pet store woman referred me to a trainer/behaviorist. Uggh. It's not that. That was a big email delete.

So I had done a few classes with a canine acupressure program & they are doing a workshop here. Tried to get in, wait listed. Then I started thinking, it's not really acupressure because I've tried that with her on my own. Her body sizzles to the touch. It's energy ... like Reiki.

I looked up Reiki teachers & found one but she assumed Mo was ill behaved & wouldn't let me bring her to her workshop. Well, that's out because I can't leave her for 6 hours per day.

Then I chatted with my dear friend who works with horses & dogs, you name it. They had lost a dog & I thought, hmmm, Mo might be a very good match for her daughter. They both could heal each other. I think they have the same energies. They would be a great match. So we were talking & I told her what I was feeling & what was going on. It's just nice to talk to someone who works above your level with animals. It's kind of a lonely place when you're there but not quite there in development. This is all new to me. Not to her, I come to find out.

So she gave me some exercises to do with Mo, a bonding one & an energy one. Mo has energy, sizzling energy. But I am repulsed by that energy. I do not do well with intensity. It overwhelms me. Hence my feelings. So as I was pushing her sizzle away from me, it was like I was rejecting her, the more I pushed her away, the more intense she got. That's what was going on. I need to learn to accept her energy. My friend said she may be trying to heal me from Steffi's death. So I have to be open. Wow. Is that a mind shift or what. When she holds my hands & wraps her arms around me when I let her, she is healing. She wants to merge fully with me. When I allow her to give, it releases her blockages & pent up energy.

I thank my friend so much for helping me through this. I've been doing the energy exercise for the past few days. I'm still rocky because 2 out of the 3 nights I haven't slept, but I'm still refreshed in the morning. Me, on 4 hours of sleep ... unheard of. I am a 9-10 hour gal. But Mo, she's sleeping like a baby. So it seems to be working, I think. Day by day. When she comes to me all clingy, I accept her & do a treatment.

I still really don't know what I'm doing. I would like to do a Reiki workshop when I get Mo squared away. I am excited to see how far this can go & if I will be able to help other dogs. But for now, it's all about Mo!

6 Months!

2013-03-10T08:50:00.001-05:00

Happy 6 month anniversary, MoMo!

I'm laughing because it feels like she's been here for years ... she has really found her home & I think she's pretty happy about it. And, after all the nitty gritty work she's put me through ... I'm finally feeling like things are settling down.

I see glimmers where she likes her work, walking dogs ... I see glimmers of her connecting with me & wanting me to be part of her process ... I see glimmers of actual love for other dogs ... and, most of all, I see glimmers of her relaxing ... which leads to glimmers of a brain in that little bulldog body.

It's all good. Relax the body, the mind will follow. We're getting there! What a ride! Thanks MoMo Brown!

Smile.

2013-02-19T19:54:00.001-06:00

How can I or any other dog walker ever really have a bad day when a little angel is perched in the window waiting for you?

Really. There is such excitement from these little & big dudes. We make their day!

Yeah, it's stressful sometimes on the streets & managing a group of wild ones takes it's toll. But darn, you catch a glimpse of one of them in the window watching for you & it bounces you right back to where everything is just right in the world ... with a big smile on your face. Dogs. They just get you, don't they. Complete simplicity.

Owsley wasn't the only guy watching us make our rounds today. Dawson & Levi were too. Levi does every day, like clockwork.

Smile. Big.

Love You Milo!

2013-02-13T08:20:00.001-06:00

It's been a very teary morning. Just heard that Milo passed away. Good old boy Milo. Gent & Steffi's 1/2 brother. And, Mo's great uncle.

I can barely even write, I'm so sad. He was like my boy. Such a sweet, happy, smart little soul. There was just a knowingness about Milo. Sensitive & loving. He was like the mayor of the neighborhood. Plopping down wherever & whenever to hang.

Forever with us Milo. Gent's best friend. Steffi's buddy. And Mo, she didn't see him much but he was special enough for her hip checking goodness.

End of an era ... so sad ...

Speed Stopper!

2013-01-31T15:15:00.001-06:00

Some dogs love to stop movement. Any kind of racing, be it walking or running ... be it humans or other dogs. It also applies to things with wheels.

Sometimes it's for the good, as in training another dog to chill out. Penny's working that skill with racy Levi in the pic below. It slowed him down immediately. And, sometimes it's for the bad, like chasing down a jogger or a cyclist.

But, I've noticed, by far, the most common incident of dive-bombing to slow movement occurs when people are running or biking with their leashed dogs. This will often set other dogs off. I'm never able to ask those that run or bike with their dogs how often a seemingly crazy dog lunges out after their dog when they run by them. I'm curious to know though. I bet it's a high percentage.

I think you've got to be aware of this as your running or biking, or even race walking with your dogs. It's better to move out of the way & not pass other dogs directly. If something happens, it's not going to affect the other dog at all, but it will put your dog in a bad position.

If I run with Mo, I'm aware of this. And, if I see a runner coming right at me with their dog leashed up, I move my dogs out of the way. If the dog is off leash, it's not a problem. But something about them on leash attached to the owner will get the other dogs riled up.

Anyone else find that too?

Content?

2013-01-29T10:17:00.001-06:00

The blog seems to be taking a back seat to Miss MoMo Brown & her Facebook page lately. I feel like that anyway. Sorry. It's just so easy for quick updates, stories, pics & videos. I'm also really liking the interactive nature, real time.

I hope you guys are following us there as subscribers or friends or lurkers. I believe you can lurk freely since I've made her page public. The big Facebook link is on the main web version blog page. You can't miss it.

Don't want you to miss out!

Cat Lady!

2013-01-25T15:23:00.001-06:00

I swear I'm becoming a cat lady lately. I seem to be very busy taking care of them & now look at Lucy's cat, lounging in my lap, wanting all the attention!

Are we transitioning out of dogs & into cat land? It kind of feels like it. I do like all of them, a lot, they're all very doggie. MoMo is pretty happy with the good smells I provide after the fact, that's for sure.

Meow.

The Handsomes!

2013-01-25T15:15:00.001-06:00

Harry & Sirius went to the beauty parlor yesterday. Look at how gorgeous Sirius Black is! Harry is all fluffed out too, but Sirius, wow ...

Lovely Lucy!

2013-01-24T19:16:00.001-06:00

We're having a great time taking care of Lucy. We get to see her 3 times a day. Well, I do anyway. Mo has to sit out the hang out/non walking visit because they have a cat. She is less than thrilled about this & barks like a maniac from the car!

http://youtu.be/as-_xcX2U44

And, I'm happy & warm hanging out inside with Lucy & her cat. What a nice break in the day.

Here's Lucy getting some treats ...

http://youtu.be/hkYsE2OGakQ

And, Lucy getting a massage ...

http://youtu.be/Ry8jqdNL-Zo

If Mo only knew ...

She gets so upset when she can't come along. Yesterday, she scratched the back hatch. Good thing this car is a keeper. Today, I left her with a paper bag, a coffee cup & a burrito wrapper. She got the bag good.

This is what I came back to ...

http://youtu.be/NhNR0jv2quE

Oh Mo! Hopefully she'll get herself over it as we've got Lucy visits all next week as well. I'm so excited. Look at that big bear. How can you not just want to squeeze her!

Off Leash Obedience ...

2013-01-24T18:10:00.001-06:00

I had a brilliant idea that Mo & I would be able to go to the International Kennel Club Dog Show here in Chicago at the end of February (just to watch & hang out with other Griffs, really) if I entered her in Obedience.

So I looked up the obedience trial requirements. She'd be in the Novice class. She can heel, sit stay, down stay. The only thing she hasn't mastered is the heeling off leash. Ok, I can do that, right. Ha ha.

Well ...

Here's our train wreck of a show. Bunny poop is much more important than me. That's what I learned. Yep. Thanks Mo!

Maybe we need to do a class indoors to practice. The only good thing was that she didn't try & bolt when I unclipped her leash.

Hope you have a good laugh ...

http://youtu.be/OLOs-FsUPSo

http://youtu.be/1rmFvJ2hjgA

I love this pic of her laughing!

New Heeling Trick ...

2013-01-24T17:56:00.001-06:00

I'm pretty excited about learning this heel correction technique. A Griffon friend of ours clued us in. Basically, you use your left leg & place it in front of the dog's right hind leg as he/she is forging forward, breaking the heel command.

I tried it out on Mo & once I got the timing quicker & the movement more fluid, it really worked well ... and is still working! I took a video of me trying it for the 1st time. I was super slow, trying to figure it out. It stopped her right in her tracks & I was able to call her back into a heel.

http://youtu.be/T1qqdoPaFBo

Since I've been practicing, I've gotten quicker so Mo stays right by my side almost & just has to slow up. I really like to use it when I'm walking multiple dogs. She goes hands free because her leash goes over my body. I can correct her much more easily with this foot method than fumbling for her leash with my already full hand to make a correction. It's pretty smooth.

Below Zero!

2013-01-22T21:24:00.001-06:00

The windchill has been around -10F the past couple of days. Cold. But it has been colder. My eyelashes haven't frozen yet. The face mask has not been pulled out. Either have the huge ski mittens, or the heavy outerwear for that matter! We're doing well.

I've been running the 1st walk of the day with Owsley & Mo. Poor Owsley. He gets a 1/2 hour & he needs it. So we run after all his business is out of the way. He loves it, so does Mo. I do too amazingly! They're really easy to run with.

We had to stop midway today because Ows had a puppy frenzy - he was either excited or frozen - it went on for a minute or so before I got the video going for the last burst. Funny!

http://youtu.be/L_6FYrWjq_M

The only other little guy I have is Levi. He was home with his Mom yesterday so he lucked out. And, poor guy, today I cut his walk short, he was really cold even with his puffy coat.

http://youtu.be/1LkZmlYdxEA

Don't worry Levi, tomorrow's supposed to be up in the 20s. It'll feel like summer!

Oh & I put Steffi's old jacket on Mo for the last walk. She liked it! Skinny Steffi did not, go figure. And, yep, that's Lucy the Newf, she's back on the scene with us again!

Mo's Big Friend ...

2013-01-21T16:30:00.001-06:00

Here's Lucy. She is the sweetest girl ever.

We're just filling in for another dog walker & it turns out that today is the only day we're needed. It's too hard on her to go up & down her stairs 3x/day. She had 2 knee surgeries. Instead of walks, she's going to convalesce in a 1st floor type of situation.

So, boo. Just one more walk to do for her today, and that will be it. But we'll see her in the neighborhood.

Here's a little video of the girls on the move.

http://youtu.be/EVDXotictQI

Muddy Mo!

2013-01-19T19:21:00.001-06:00

MoMo after her gopher digging escapade ...

City Hunt!

2013-01-19T19:17:00.001-06:00

We had such a fun morning! Our Griff buddy Cooper came into the city for a visit.

We toured him around our usual stomping grounds & he hunted up a storm. Crazy hunting! He & Mo were all over the place, bunnies flushing out everywhere.

http://youtu.be/H3b3ubAWbeA

The squirrels seemed to be hiding but we did happen upon these little holes that Mo was insane over. We asked our Griffon friends what animal they thought was living in there & the consensus was gopher! Wild.

http://youtu.be/xDamWMUbbpw

Fun day had by all. Here's Cooper & Mo ...

Ice Cube Watering?

2013-01-17T21:08:00.001-06:00

As rough & tumble as Chicago can be, you've gotta love the crazy charm that's sprinkled here & there.

MoMo says thank you sweet neighbor for a post bunny hunt refreshment!

da Prize!

2013-01-16T21:27:00.001-06:00

Mo found a frozen flattened prize of a squirrel out this morning while long-lining. Oh the joy! I've never seen her so proud & happy.

http://youtu.be/cw9mvHJSkhc

I went along with it, how could I not. It's her dream come true, well ... as close as she'll get to getting a fresh one anytime soon. So I made a big deal over what a good girl she was.

I was happy to see she didn't start gnawing on it. I was curious though how the whole scene was going to play out. She wasn't delivering it to me but she wasn't keeping it away from me either. So, ok, I let her take as long as she wanted, carrying it, playing around with it & rolling on it. All good.

http://youtu.be/cw9mvHJSkhc

Then I noticed she was pacing around a bit with it, sort of searching, just like she does in the house before she's going to hoard something. So I led her over to the magic forest, as I call it. It's just a little nook off of the grassy lawn area, cool, shaded, big trees & rocks. Sure enough, once she got in there, she started burying the squirrel in the rocks, covering it with leaves. So cool!

http://youtu.be/lKuIMcp6dZo

Come to find out from a Griffon friend that this is called caching & it's very common for Griffons to cache. So I had to read up on that. The learning never ends. Thank you, MoMo, for your deep animal ways.

Air Mo!

2013-01-15T21:59:00.001-06:00

What happens when you give a dog a correction & there's no response? And another correction, no response again!

I've never been in this predicament before. Leave it to Mo to take me there. Instead of going for the 3rd correction to risk a no response outcome, I paused & thought ... hmmm, what do I do?

My gut response was to pick her up & put her into the heel position. And I did, and it worked. And, was it good for my back, no.

Air Mo!

I placed her down, said heel & we were off, no questions asked, not even a glance back over to the rat or whatever she was looking at across the street. Wow! I thought ok, Mo is the most physical dog ever, perhaps training through physical touch & placement is the best way to connect with her.

So, in fun, we told our Griffon friends about our Air Mo adventure & one said this is a training method hunters use to teach heel - when the dog forges ahead, you pick them up & place them back. So cool! Glad to know my instinct was right on.

Mo's leading me into a new frontier ... but for now, she's grounded with Harry!

Purple Salt?

2013-01-14T11:42:00.001-06:00

We know around here that blue salt is safe for dog paws.

Is purple safe as well? Mo doesn't seem to mind it.

Wouldn't it be nice if the sidewalks were filled with all different colored salts, all paw friendly ... so pretty!

Mo & Ringo ...

2013-01-12T12:18:00.001-06:00

I love Ringo!

I've been walking him for a couple of years now, maybe more, just off & on. He's literally petrified of life, a complete spook & it runs so deep that little progress has been made on fixing it. He is who he is at this point, unless drugs were to be had ...

But, and a huge but ... he is confident in one aspect. His ability to train a dog! I found this out when Mo 1st came upon the scene. She got right up in his face, unjustified & he came down on her like a little tornado, leaving her with a head held as low to the ground as she could carry it. Done. Settled in 2 seconds flat. By Ringo??? Ha ha. I was shocked!

So, now I know who my #2 puppy trainer is (Penny, the Sharpei, is #1). It brings me a lot of comfort to know I can rely on him. I miss having a good training male around.

Look at Mo walking with him today. Well, more like, look at Mo's ear. He wrangled her down yesterday. Giving him automatic space today, no questions asked! Lesson learned.

Thank you, Ringo. I wish you weren't so panic stricken in the outside world, I'd scoop you up every day to work your magic!