A Girl's Best Friend

Vote for My Design for a Scholarship!

2014-08-21T11:51:00.001-07:00

Please vote for my design for a greeting card competition. The winner will receive a $10k scholarship. This would totally change my life! Please vote here : http://woobox.com/tydpoh Entry #1899! Thank you! <3

Teaching Roxy to "Let Go"

2012-02-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

I have talked in previous posts about one of Roxy's behavioral issues; resource guarding. I have found one of the most important parts of rehabilitating this behavior in Roxy is teaching the

"let go" command. This command can also be verbalized as "release", "drop it" or "out" and many other variations, I'm sure. Thomas used "let go" with Guinness, and to keep things uniform with both dogs, we use "let go" with Roxy too.

One of the things I do with Roxy to eliminate resource guarding behavior is show her that

I am in control of the "resource". Whether it's a raw-hide, toy, or bone, I show physical control over it using calm assertive energy. I hold one end of the resource, and I allow her to gnaw on the other end. This is me showing that I can share the resource, but I also remind her that she has to give it back when I say so by giving her the "let go" command. When she let's go, I will hold on to the resource for as long as I see fit. When she settles into a submissive state (lying down or sitting calmly), I will give it back by saying "here you go" or "get the toy". When she sits or lays down, she is communicating her understanding that I am in control of the resource. When I give the resource back, I still hold on to my end... and when I do this I am rewarding the calm submissive state that she is showing me.

My goal in all of this is to reward calm-submissive energy when there is a resource involved. Below is a video of Roxy "letting go".

I'd like to remind everyone that this is not professional advice. This is what I have found to work with my dog whom I know very well. You should always see a professional who specializes in resource guarding before implementing training like this.

A Close Call...

2012-02-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

Hi readers, friends and family,

I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately. We had an extremely stressful week... and a very close call.

Roxy started throwing up early one morning before I left for work. And honestly, I have seen this dog throw up so many times that I was not initially worried. I cleaned it up and left for work. After I left and before Thomas went to work, she vomitted a couple more times. With her track record, I assumed she had eaten something in the kitchen that she wasn't supposed to (like a pearl onion... we she has indeed done). We took our regular precautions and care that we usually do when she has an upset tummy [see "Tummy Issues"].

I went about my normal day, and came home around 12:30pm to walk and play with the babies. But this time when I came home, I was horrified. Roxy had thrown up this dark brown gravy in oil looking substance that surrounded her kennel. I cleaned her up and called Thomas immediately. He asked me if her vomit looked like coffee grounds (which can be a sign of digested blood from internal bleeding). I didn't think it looked like coffee grounds, but I called the vet anyway. I wanted to take her in right away but they wouldn't be able to see her until the following morning. Later that evening when both Thomas and I were home, I began to cuddle and comfort Roxy in the living room. I immediately recognized her body language when her heart began to pound and she was continously licking her lips and snout. I rushed her to the wooden floor where I could more easily clean up her vomit. This time it looked more like coffee grounds and there was a lot more of it. I got a sample of it in a small tupperwear container and once again, cleaned up.

The next morning Roxy hadn't thrown up at all. I had high hopes that her issue was working itself out, but we still took her to the vet. We go to Aspen Tree Animal Hospital that we LOVE. Thomas let me know when he dropped her off. He hadn't really heard anything after a couple of hours so I decided to call on my own. I talked to a really sweet vet tech who told me our vet, Becky, would call me back after she saw Roxy. Becky called me back about an hour later. Her first words were
"I'm really concerned about Roxy". My heart dropped and I teared up. About four years ago, I heard the same thing when I took my two month old kitten, PJ, to the vet after throwing up. I ended up having to put him down due to a congenital disease. At that moment, I feared the same for Roxy.

Becky explained that her main concern was that Roxy was very dehydrated from throwing up. She said that she also felt a large mass or object in her large intestine after palpating her belly. We both agreed that she had probably swallowed something she wasn't supposed to. It was unable to pass through her large intestine because of the dehydration. They told me they were going to put her on IV fluids and keep her over night. They hoped that once she was hydrated she would be able to pass the foreign object. They warned me that if this didn't happen, they would have to do surgery. The next day at noon, she still hadn't passed it, but hadn't thrown up in 24 hours. I dropped in to help walk her to see if she could poop while I was there.

She is pretty timid so I thought my presence could help normalize the situation. She still couldn't pass it and they told me they wanted to keep her another night.

At about 5:00pm they called me back and informed me that after "two enamas, a can of high fiber dog food, a light jog", she hadn't passed it, but they were able to get it out without surgery. I won't go into detail about how they did this ;) Roxy had swallowed a small block of wood, some string, some grass and some plastic. I know she is a compulsive eater (I mean like everything, edible or not),I try to prevent this as much as possible... but she had still managed to scarf these things up. On their way through her intestinal tract and stomach, they scraped along the lining and caused internal bleeding. This was the brown substance I noticed in her vomit.

We got her back that night. I had never been happier to have her cuddled up in my lap while we watched movies.

I guess what I can tell you I learned from this, is that dark brown dog vomit is absolutley NOT normal and is cause for concern. It can mean a couple of things: the dog has been poisoned, she has swallowed a foreign body, or she has stomach ulcers. All of these things are dangerous and can even be fatal. When your dog is throwing up (as gross as it is), pay attention to the contents, the color, and the consistency... you'll be doing her a favor! Be careful if your dog tends to compulsively eat anything! Supervision can prevent all of this.

To help avoid this happening on walks, I bought Roxy a "Gentle Leader". This is an attachment for a leash that wraps around the dogs snout. It makes it uncomfortable for them to pull and impossible to reach their snouts to the ground if you keep an small amount of slack.

Also... Take a look at this website: http://www.careplan.com/

This is a loan company that can help you pay for unexpected vet bills. Obviously we weren't planning on having to pay a $700 vet bill, so Aspen Tree recommended them. Care Plan gives you a loan for vet costs. Once you apply, they will tell you what amount you qualify for. There is no APR if you pay it off within 1 year of taking out the loan. This can be very worth it if you pay it off on time.

Also, for those of you living in the Durango area... Aspen Tree Animal Caring Center is great place to take your pets. It is less costly than Riverview Animal Hospital and still offers over-night care. I think I like them because they pay such great attention to their relationships with both the customers and the animals. When we left with Roxy after this whole ordeal, they set us up with some medicine and some prescription food. On the top of the food container they wrote "Roxy &hearts; XOXO". They are awesome!

GeoCaching Adventures

2012-01-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thomas and I started off our Sunday with a big breakfast and a cup of coffee. We discussed what we would do for the rest of the day. Thomas expressed that he and Guinness were due for an adventure. One of Guinness's favorite things to do is to be at Thomas's side as they pursue some sort of "mission".

This mission can be anything from hiking, playing hide-and-seek,or searching for a toy or a tennis ball. He shows very noticably his interest and enthusiasm when doing this. When Roxy sees Guinness, Thomas and I on some sort of mission, she tries looking too, even if she doesn't know what we're all looking for! She is just so happy to be with her pack and to be helping with the end result.

We thought about different adventures we could go on, and Thomas mentioned that he missed Geochaching with Guinness. This is something they used to do together before Roxy and I came along. Geocaching is "a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location" (www.geochaching.com).

There is something about going on such a mission that indulges a very primal side of a dog's mind. As a dog owner, I have learned that it is extremely important to frequently just let your dog be a dog. And so we did today. We sniffed our noses and wagged our tails as we searched for little treasure boxes at our assigned coordinates. The treasure boxes include little trinkets, toys and postcards etc... and a little guest book of people who have found the trinket box before.

One of our hunts led us through the Durango Dog Park. The dogs were off their leashes and having a blast searching and hiking and romping through the snow. Guinness actually found one of the treasure boxes in the snow beneath a rock that we couldn't see.

I think this was a great way to spend time together. We all had a blast, we got exercise, we played, we worked on discipline through leash training and we completed a mission. All in all a good day.

My sleepy babies in the car ride home after a long day of GeoChaching ♥

Raising Roxy: How Dog Ownership Has Made Me a Better Person

2012-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

When we decided to bring Roxy home, I knew little about rasing a puppy. I thought that I was going to be some sort of surrogate mother to this furry baby, and the only things I needed to raise her were love, shelter and food. While these three things are indeed important, I learned many other crucial things about how to be an effective dog owner. Through trial and error (lots of error!), I have learned much about Raising Roxy, and just as much about myself.

Dog ownership has made me a better person because....

#1. I AM BETTER USING MY COPING SKILLS: There is some sort of phenomenon that occurs when a dog decides to love you; you can see so much of yourself reflected in her. Dogs are extremely perceptive of others' emotions and energy. This is part of how they communicate and interact with each other in a pack environment. (http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/rules-boundaries-and-limitations). Quite frequently, I see Roxy mimicing whatever energy or emotions I am throwing her way. Sometimes this is intriguing, and sometimes it makes me feel guilty; this sensitive creature emulates my frequent anxiety and preoccupations. To deturr this kind of nervousness in my puppy, I am learning ways to cope with stressful sitations. I'm absolutely not perfect, but I'm working very hard to maintain an equilibrium. When I can find that equilibrium, I am able to recognize the feeling and the energy, and so is Roxy.

"In the wild, the pack leader uses calm-assertive energy to influence how the dog interacts with his surroundings. She enforces these laws in a quiet way, as is the case when a mother picks up a puppy by the scruff of the neck if he strays outside the den"

http://www.cesarsway.com/

#2. I AM EXERCISING MORE FREQUENTLY: Sure, I'm athletic and know how to get into shape, but the problem lies in my motivation. I tend to question why I should do something without incentive, reward or encouragement [ hmmm same with Roxy! ;) ] I discovered very quickly while dealing with excess puppy energy, that exercise is not optional. To maintain some type of order within your home, puppies need regular exercise. We live in a townhome... that means we don't have a yard... that means I have to get creative with Roxy's exercise. When I realized that it helped her be a more balanced dog, I actually wanted to take her to exercise... I looked forward to helping her become a better dog, just as she has made me a better person (and still is). Not only am I exercising more, but I am getting different types of exercise. Different types of activities that we do together are: hiking, bicycling, rollerblading, walking, and playing chase. Roxy is like my personal trainer: she pushes me, she makes it fun, and she makes it rewarding. The best result of exercise with Roxy, is seeing her be a happy dog.

#3. I HAVE LEARNED COMMITTMENT: Not to say that I shy away from committment, but I have struggled with staying committed to projects and ideas I have pursued in my past. I have often come up with great plans and goals, just to watch them fall off my priorities within a few weeks. Writing a book, regularly journaling, exercising, attending school, doing art, playing the piano, and singing are all examples of things that I was good at or had potential be good at in the past. These are all things that I gave up on because I lacked committment to them. I'm not saying that these things aren't still achievable; but at some point in my past, I gave up on them. I still want to pursue them in my future and I'm more confident to do so, now that Roxy has helped me learn committment. The thing is....when you commit to owning a dog, your life is not the only one affected by your decisions and committment; you have acquired the responsibilities, obligations, duties and love toward and animal that solely relies on you for her survival. With another animal's existence at stake; another animal that loves me and has already devoted herself to me; I have no choice but to commit to her.

What kind of person would that make me if I didn't commit to an animal that loves and devotes herself so whole-heartedly to me?

I feel like all dog owners should have this logic, and it's awful knowing that so many don't. Roxy is one of the biggest committments I've ever taken on, and I love her for it.

#4. I AM BETTER AT DELEGATING MY PASSION: I am a passionate person. I was raised to carefully tend to the things that I love. I am incredibly passionate about the people in my life and my career. These two things have topped my priority and passion lists for the past few years. My life had become intertwined with my career and the people with whom I surround myself. I'm not saying this is a bad thing... but when all of your passion is tied up in only two entities, it creates some sort of strain on your heart. When either one of those things met me with less enthusiasm or unequaled passion, it knock me down. I would be feel severe disappointment when my fervor for that entity was not as intensely shared. I had so much love for these two things, that I thought there was no room left in my heart for another.I was wrong. Having Roxy come in to my life has taught me that just because I have added another compartment to my heart, doesn't mean that my love for other things will be lessened. It means that the energy I put into the things I love, is more evenly distributed. I have become more well-rounded since Roxy came into my life. Hopefully I can provide her with the same favor. I strive to be the kind of dog owner that helps Roxy express her energy in different avenues; through exercise, discipline and affection, in that order. (http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/glossary-of-terms-from-cesars-way).

#5. I HAVE STRUCTURE: I lived for so long, in a world where structure had no place; discipline, unheard. I functioned for so long in a world where rhyme and order played no role. Although I still work on this, my peace of mind has increased so much as a dog owner. For the first time in my life, I have a set schedule. After pure disorganization for so many years, responsibility for a dog has taught me how to operate on a schedule. I wake up, I let Roxy out, I go to work, I come home for a break and walk both dogs, I go back to work, I come home at 5, I take Roxy to exercise while we still have daylight, I come home and feed Roxy, I eat, I shower, I cuddle with Roxy, I watch some TV and go to bed. REPEAT. Roxy's discipline sneaks its way in during crate training and NILIF througout the day. Maybe that's boring for a lot of people. But for someone who has never had it, it's miraculous.

I live from this new viewpoint, this new outlook. I think that dog ownership can do this for anyone; any dog can offer you this, if you are willing to provide them with what they need to survive in our world. Roxy has improved my condition of life. I plan to add to this list, and hopefully add to hers as well.

Natasha Goslow 1/27/2012

Family Day

2012-01-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's really hard to exercise dogs in a snowy climate. Generally, I like to rollerblade with Roxy on the river trail. After our last episode of uphill ice rollerblading (not fun), I decided we needed to get creative.

The sun was shining and Santa Rita Park was empty. Thomas and I took the dogs to romp around in the snow.

When we arrived there, we realized that one of the dogs had dropped the tennis ball out of the bed of the truck along the way. So we had an empty field, a chuck-it, and no tennis ball. Once again, we had to get creative. We decided to scoop up snowballs in the chuck-it, pack them down and throw them for the dogs. They went the same distance as the tennis ball, and the dogs still chased after them for a while.

But Guinness, being the smart dog he is, figured out after a while that he was getting ripped off. "What? There's not tennis ball! How could you deceive me?". But realizing that our resources were limited, he decided to play along. He would sprint after the snow ball with Roxy trailing behind, reach where it had landed, and come back with a face full of snow. Too cute!

When we go to the park, I generally have a hard time getting Roxy to exercise. She often gets distracted by the delicious dried leaves that cover the park or the sticks that are so fun to gnaw on. I finally figured out that she loves to be chased! I certainly got my exercise running around after her across the park. I've never seen her run so much or so fast. The pictures below show me chasing her. Can you spot the white puppy against the snow?

♥

Auntie Alex

2012-01-22T19:13:00.001-08:00

Roxy and Guinness got to meet their Auntie Alex this weekend. She was in town for my birthday and we had a blast hanging out in Durango. Alex and I decided to go shopping downtown Durango.

There aren't a ton of places to shop here, but it isn't short on little trinket shops and boutiques on Main avenue.

I love walking Roxy downtown because she gets exposure to other dogs, people and new sounds and smells.

One of the things that Alex and I enjoy doing as sisters is getting all dolled up together. There's some sort of bonding that goes on between to females as we curl each other's hair and apply eyeshadow. Although we both tend to be more overdressed than everyone in Durango when we do this, it's still a blast. It's like a rite of our sisterhood. What kind of dog-mom would I be if I didn't include Roxy too? She's a girl dog, after all.

To clarify, I'm not one of those dog owners that makes their pet wear booties and dresses and bonnets. I think it's mean and tacky. Cesar always emphasizes that we do not want our dogs to think that they are little people dressed up in furry dog suits. They need to know they are your dogs, not your kids.

But, I do have a sweater that I put on her from time to time. This is mostly when it's cold outside. AmStaffs have short hair and a sleek coat that does not make for perfect protection from cold weather. And it snowed this day so it was necessary.

She also debuted her new spiky pink collar. Its still a bit big on her but she looked really cute!

My sister Alex is....eccentric. I may be one of few people that understand her sense of humor. In addition to the pink pedicure that she gave to my male, Guinness.... she gave one to Roxy as well. It did look quite fitting on Roxy, but I felt guilty for letting my fine boy be emasculated.

Roxy tends to attract attention when we are in public without being dolled up. With her black eye patch and her remaining puppy qualities, people have a natural attraction to her. But today, she was wearing her black skull sweater, a pink spiky necklace and hot pink toenail polish. She did indeed attract more attention than normal ;) This was okay with me because I want her to be very used to interacting with people. She's still shy, but coming along quite nicely.

As we walked along Main Avenue, we popped our heads into little boutiques. Every single store that we went to welcomed Roxy's presence with open arms. THANK GOD for Durango! I love how many dog-lovers this town has and I love how liberal the rules are with dogs. Every where we went, Roxy was allowed to come too. Some places even had dishes with dog treats and water sitting out for dog visitors. This makes it very easy to go shopping and socialize Roxy all at the same time.

The picture to the left is Alex and Roxy sitting in a dressing room. Roxy waited very patiently while each of us tried on clothes. We would take turns watching her while the other was in the dressing room.

I'm really glad that Roxy did well at this particular shop...Last time we came here she barfed in a corner of the store while I was browsing the sale rack. My first instinct was to look around to see if anyone saw it and run out of the store. But, my better judgment kicked in...I apologized and cleaned it myself. None-the-less they were happy to see her again and even happier to see that her stomach was settled on this visit.

Overall, a good weekend, and a happy puppy.

Animal Welfare and Obama Administration

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Subpar Score for Obama and Animal Welfare

Dang Obama... this bums me out.

Roxy and Guinness Tricks

2012-01-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

These are only a few of the tricks that Roxy can do so far. She's 9 months old and is very trainable!

Love Her! ♥

Guinness Can do quite a few tricks! These are a couple we regularly do!

Good Boy! ♥

Family Time

2012-01-19T14:34:00.001-08:00

The four of us like to cuddle up and watch Cesar! :)

The Responsible Female Dog Owner

2012-01-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to read this article.

The Responsible Female Dog Owner Metro Detroit Dog Training

I found it pretty interesting... read on!

Source: wanelo.com via Natasha on Pinterest

Snow Day!

2012-01-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

Today was exactly what I needed.

It was a holiday at work so I had the day off. I woke up to 7 inches of snow outside. Obviously, Roxy and I were not going to be able to go rollerblading. Instead, Guinnes, Roxy and I played outside in the snow. Also good exercise!

Sometimes I feel like a mom who just wants to stay home with her kids. Today I got to with mine!

Stop to Smell the Flowers

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

Break Through

2012-01-09T10:37:00.001-08:00

I am very happy to report we have made a small breakthrough with Roxy's resource guarding.

After trying a couple things that didn't feel quite right, I decided that we were going to avoid situations in which Roxy felt that she had to RG. We have been doing this a couple of months.

The other day, to test her progress, I put Roxy in her kennel with the door open. I gave her a tennis tennis ball and approached her.

Historically, she would get quiet (sign #1) as soon as she had a tennis ball. She would then become very stiff (sign #2). Following, with added stress and Increased proxemics, she would cover the ball with her front paws and rest her head on top of her paws (sign #3). Slight curl of the lip and wrinkle of the snout (#4), growl ( #5). All the while she would guard the ball without chewing or playing with it. It seemed as if the tennis ball was a huge burden to her that caused immediate stress.

This time when I approached while she had the tennis ball i saw a huge change. I paid attention to her body and it appeared to remain relaxed without stiffening. I then said a couple of words to her to see how she responded to my voice. She paid me little attention and just chewed on the ball. This was very new!

The next step was to introduce Guinness into the situation. He sat probably 4 feet away, next to me. She seemed disinterested and uninvested with his presence.

The next step was to see how she reacted to my interference. I grabbed the ball from her to see what she would do. I saw no visible signs of distress. I quickly gave it back and said good girl.

Te next step was to see if she would willingly give the ball to me. I gave her the "drop it" command. (We actually use "let go"). She stopped chewing on the ball and allowed me to grab it. I did so and noticed immediately her eye contact. In other cases when she needs to "say please", I require the same eye contact. I did not give her the ball back this time, but she was enthusiastically rewarded with treats and attention for her good job. Incentive is very important in positive association.

Here it is on video. It may not look like much... but it's an incredible improvement.

I'm not sure that this victory was solely dependent on our avoidance of RG situations. I think this, paired with our consistency in asserting ourselves as alphas lead us to a small success.

Our next step in testing her progress will be to introduce an outside dog to the situation. Adding a dog not from her pack may have different results... I will keep you posted!

Walking and Leash Training

2012-01-07T15:14:00.001-08:00

Source:

This topic is one of the most important parts of dog ownership in my opinion.

Cesar Millan talks about the importance of "the walk" and the role it plays in pack psychology.

Before domestication, dogs traveled in packs. They would go out to find food [hunt] together, led by the alpha male. The alpha would lead the hunt and travel at the front of the pack. The other pack members would follow behind him, communicating their submission. After the kill, the food would be taken back to the den, where the alpha would eat first.

Cesar's theory is that the "the walk" represents "the hunt". It is important for the entire "pack" or family to go on the walk together. The "alpha" or humans, walk at the front. They decide when the walk will happen, where they will go, when they will stop, and when they will turn back. It is very important for you to play the alpha role at all times of dog ownership, but especially during the walk. This is simply because "the hunt" represents an essential part of the canine social structure, and all human members of the family need to be at the top of the hierarchy.

But, easier said than done. Dog's of Roxy and Guiness' breed tend to be strongwilled and stubborn. It's in their blood [read American Staffordshire Terrier]. Leash training, and asserting yourself as alpha is not always easy with these guys.

I have found that consistency is key to any type of dog training. We walk Roxy and Guinness twice a day during the week and more on the weekends.

I started off just walking Roxy. She and I both needed to feel each other out and develop some sort of walking rapport.

I would have her walk next to me on a loose lead. When she would start pulling, she would get a quick correction. [This entailed me doing a slight but sudden tug on the leash and making the "chhh" noise]. This represents me as the alpha saying "back off, you're getting too close to the front of the pack". This may be more effective if you have a choke chain or another metal collar. The sound of the metal during the correction will help them to snap out of whatever they are pulling toward.

Eventually, the tug of the leash will no longer be necessary as they have learned to associate the "chhh" sound with the pull. After some training, all you will need is the "chhh" sound and they will stop pulling or trying to lead.

What I have learned, is that my dogs do best when they aren't fed until after the walk. This represents the reward of helping with "the hunt".

BUT, since the alpha eats first, I will pretend to eat some of their dog food before I feed them. You can also send the same message by eating your own dinner then feeding the dogs. But for me, it is easier to pretend to eat dog food than it is to quickly make a dinner right after the walk.

Before we feed them, we make them sit and stay. Once they have demonstrated this calmness and submission, they get their food. If one dog is taking longer to calm or sit, the already calm one will get their food first. This communicates that calm submissiveness results in reward.

If you find this helpful you may benefit from Cesar's model of "Discipline, Exercise, Affection".

http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/glossary-of-terms-from-cesars-way

Any way, this is what really worked for me. I don't have professional advice, but shared experience can be a great teacher!

Weekend Get-Away....

2012-01-06T11:19:00.001-08:00

Getting on my plane... missing my little knuckle head already! How could I ever leave this puppy face??

Sit, and say "PLEASE!"

2012-01-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

In my never ending research on dog ownership, I came upon one method of training that I have found to be very beneficial. The term is "NILIF". This acronym stands for "Nothing In Life Is Free". For everything that your dog would like to do, he has to say please. She has to pay you something in order for you to satisfy whatever need she has. For instance: When Roxy approaches me and obviously is seeking my attention, I make her sit. A simple "sit!" will tell her that she has to say please before you pet her. she is not allowed to dictate when I give her attention. She does not get to demand my attention. She must aske for it!

I can call Roxy to myside as many times a day as I like to, as long as she says "please" first. Roxy has this one down. When she wants my attention, she comes to me, sits and gives me eye contact. I ALWAYS reward this sit because she is approaching me calmly and saying please. Occasionally when new people are around or I am just getting home, her puppy energy gets in the way of her sitting. I ignore her until she does sit down (say please).

This sit (or whatever command I want to use) is her token for the thing she wants. I use this with food, treats, going outside, and toys. For more information on this training method you can read this article:

www.paws-shelter.com/education/behavior_docs/nilif.pdf

This is a video of Roxy saying "please" and waiting until she is given the cue to eat!

Dog Communication

2012-01-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

Communication is an essential part of human interaction. And just like us, dogs have their own ways of communicating different messages. As a dog owner, I have found it to be paramount to understand our dogs' communication. This can ensure a more harmonized relationship between you and your furballs.
Dogs have different methods of communicating. In raising Roxy and Guinness, I have found that body language and physical cues can tell you a lot about what your dog is thinking, feeling, and experiencing.
There are several definite cues that Roxy and Guinness give us, that we were able to interpret and learn to respond to. For instance, when Guinness ducks his head and cowers with his tail between his legs, we know that he did something he wasn't supposed to. This body language is also shows submission. He is potty trained... but hey, no one's perfect :) When Roxy knows she did something wrong and I approach her, she lays down and rolls on her back. This is Roxy communicating her submission to me; she is acknowleging that she did something wrong, and that I am the alpha.

I spoke in earlier in "Potty Training" about body language and getting to know your dogs cues. I think doing this is essential for raising a dog. You can learn a lot about them! :)

Breakfast Time

2011-12-31T10:47:00.001-08:00

Cookin with Daddy!

Accessories!

2011-12-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

I bought this collar for Roxy when we first got her. It doesn't fit yet! I can't wait until she can wear it!

Resource Guarding

2011-12-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, boy! We were shocked and concerned when Roxy starting displaying some guarding tendencies. She is a very sweet dog... who somewhere along the line, learned that she needed to guard the things she considers important.

Most people don't even realize they are contributing to their dog's resource guarding. They can start learning this as soon as they are small puppies. Puppy owners are constantly coming up to their dogs and taking away things we don't want them to chew on or swallow. Although we are well intended, with some dogs, this can lead to resource guarding. When you are constantly taking things from your dog, or grabbing it out of their mouth, some of them learn that they need to guard what they view important. This doesn't happen with all dogs, but it's not to say that resource guarding is "abnormal".

Resource guarding is a reaction to a primal instinct. Before domestication, dogs had to protect resources in order to survive. This can be seen today with toys, food, water,beds, or anything else your pup thinks is important. We didn't realize that by taking things away from Roxy, we may have been teaching her to resource guard.

After reading up on the topic, I learned quite a few things. I found this to be the most important.

When you take a resource guarding dog's important thing away, you are confirming their suspicions about you being a rotten, toy-stealing scoundrel! When approaching your dog, you should ask her to "drop it" [we use "let go"]. When she lets go, you trade her the toy for something yummy! This treat should be something they don't normally get to eat. Make sure it outweighs the importance of the toy.

This did two important things for us... it gave Roxy a positive association with humans approaching her when she had a toy [she's still not perfect], and it helped enforce the "let go" command.

This is just what worked for us and is only the foundation for how we are handling it. If your dog displays this kind of behavior, it is important for you to seek a trainer who specializes in aggressive behavior. This isn't to say that your dog is aggressive, either. Resource guarding is a completely normal behavior that is displayed in all breeds, both male and female.

We saw a dog trainer like this and we have incorporated what she told us with our method of treating the resource guarding.

Be careful of what you read on the internet! -- Just as no two humans are exactly alike, no two dogs are alike. You're not going to find a "cure-all" solution to resource guarding. You're going to find a TON of information, a lot of it conflicting, that probably won't help you. You have to get to know your dog, her tendencies, behaviors, triggers and reactions. The only way to find if something works is to try it... you have to start somewhere.

We have considered desensitization, positive association, negative consequence, avoidance, denial ;) and are currently using avoidance. We are choosing to avoid situations where Roxy thinks she needs to guard. The idea is that fewer repetitions and less practice of RG will get it out of her reportoir!

After deciding on a route with your dog behaviorist, consistency will be your best friend. Good Luck!

Roxy's Beauty Regimen

2011-12-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

I like to pamper Roxy. She's an indoor dog so I like her to stay clean and smelling good. This is what I use to keep her smelling and looking beautiful:

This stops bad gas and eliminates bad breath. It's all natural!

This helps keep her pink little paws soft!

This is a gentle dog toothbrush you can just slip on your finger!

This is yummy peanutbutter flavored toothpaste!

This helps clean out ears, fights infections, and eliminates ear odor!

Pretty Girl!

Christmas!

2011-12-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

We had a blast on Christmas. I had so much fun shopping for Roxy and Guinness... and they loved opening their presents!

Tummy Issues

2011-12-29T19:16:00.000-08:00

Roxy and Guinness' breed is prone to sensitive tummies. There have been a handful of instances in Roxy's 8 month life so far, where we've had to deal with diarreah and/or vomitting.

This has either been the result of a dietary issue or a virus. When they are vomittin or have diarreah, this is their body trying to rid itself of something that doesn't belong.

I learned through research and experience....

If your dog is having tummy problems, get a sample of her poop or vomit. This is just in case it doesn't go away after a couple days and you need to go to the vet. You can eliminate a vet visit if you initially come with a sample. In the first twenty four hours of her expulsions, stop feeding her. And don't give them water! Water can intensify the vomit and diarreah. Instead, give her ice chips or cubes.

I don't know why, but that's what I read every where! She will be dehydrated so make sure that the ice chips stay in her water bowl. Replace as needed when ice melts. You should fast her for 24 hours (12 for a puppy- this can be done over-night). While she is fasting, you can give her pepto bismol or pepcid AC. This coats your dogs tummy and makes it less irritated. After the fast, give her something very bland, like boiled chicken and rice. Feed this to her as you would with dog-food. During her fast you can also give her gatorade or plain pedialyte this will help with dehydration.

Plain yogurt with live, active cultures can help restore the balance of good bacteria in your dog's tummy. I like this Greek yogurt because it has a few different types of cultures in it. I mix in a table spoon of this in Roxy's food regularly to maintain a healthy puppy belly. I double up when she is feeling sick.

She will need attention to her condition and lots of rest!

This is not professional advice... talk to a vet if your dog is experiencing tummyissues.

Bee Sting

2011-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Many dogs will experience bee stings. And so did Roxy! It was actually a hornet sting which means that they do not leave a stinger in the flesh. This is what I learned from the whole scenario: If your dog is stung by a bee, you need to immediately remove the stinger to avoid more of the venom getting into the bloodstream.

You also need to watch for signs of an allergic reaction, especially if a sting is on the mouth and neck area. This can lead to suffocation due to the swelling of tissue. If your dog appears to have an allergic reaction, you need to see a vet immediately. Roxy was not allergic, thank goodness.

I made a paste of baking soda and water and put it on the sting. This helped to draw the venom out.

"The majority of veterinarians allow the use of Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) in dogs as well as cats; this medicine is used quite frequently in canines."

http://www.benadrylfordogs.org/

Here's how we handled it:

Baking Soda
Benadryl
Ice
Rest
Love