Tonight I went to work with Spudz. I was super excited. We are working leash manners. And by working them I use a belt leash that is only 3 feet long so Spudz doesn't feel nervous. He still has me at his side. The belt hooks loosely around my waist and this is how I have walked Greyson ever since he dislocated both of my shoulders. It gives a great more ability to redirect as it gives me a hands-free method to walk with and I can dig treats out of my treat bag easier.
I always start off with exercises in the building first. Twenty taps to the palm, Twenty times looking at me when I say his name, and then we're ready! I decided to go through the play yard and let him potty first so he wasn't instantly looking for a spot to potty in as soon as we walked out the gate. We were doing great at first. He sat next to me took a treat and I started moving. His instant reaction, run to the end of the leash. I expected this though and just stopped and stood there. This is how I teach loose leash walking. It's about as exciting as watching paint dry and happens about as fast. I've seen dogs go as few as 10 feet the first time learning this but repeat, repeat, repeat. Come back to me, get a treat, we move.
With Greyson I lure walked. I kept treats in my hand at his nose and he walked while getting treats. He mostly dropped them but he was so excited by the prospect that there was MORE treats he didn't care about the ones he dropped. Unfortunately Greyson learned that if there weren't treats near his nose he didn't need to walk next to me. We reverted to the process I'm using with Spudz and Greyson is much more enjoyable to walk.
With Spudz, we got just beyond the area where the cars park when something caught his eye. Oh, no, it was a cat. Spudz instantly reacted. He was lunging, jumping, and barking at the end of the leash. At one point I was pretty sure I was about to be dragged behind him on the belt leash. Luckily the belt leash offers a lower center of gravity being around my waist and not the wrist and I ended up standing there while he was so over stimulated that there was no pulling him back to me. By pulling him back to me I refer to redirection. I often times to pull his attention back to me will hold a treat where he can see it and move it to my face. Spudz LOVES food and 9 times out of 10 he will follow that treat and sit. This time, no such luck. It was over for him.
Sometimes we don't have success when we train. This was our chance to have a peaceful (if short) walk through town while there wasn't a lot of people out. By me not checking our surroundings beforehand I am responsible for his not making progress tonight. Sometimes things like this happen. It's times like this when we have to pick ourselves up and move on. It was not Spudz fault there was a cat there. It was my fault for not realizing the cat was there and setting him up to fail. I should note that once we got near my car Spudz went to the back door and sat down. He has learned cars mean car rides, which means good things to come like ball parks and exercise running and being a normal dog.
Next time, I will know to check out the outside before I randomly put Spudz in a position that he's not comfortable in. We know he doesn't like cats, we need to avoid that. Slowly triggers for him become obvious. Small furry things that Meow should be avoided.
Tonight wasn't a complete loss. Spudz may not have gotten to walk but he taught me a huge lesson. As with all things it's a learning experience for everyone involved. We learn from each other and we move forward from that. Spudz taught me to be more observant and for that I thank him.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
A Moment of Pride
We all have those moments where we just step back and smile. Sometimes with positive reinforcement training those moments are slow to start, but once they start it seems like they just start piling up and next thing you know you are smiling non-stop. Or, in my case, your dog is smiling non-stop also.
Greyson has always been very fearful of men. No one knows why or how it happened. He has a select circle of men that he loves and will shower with unconditional love. Yesterday, he took baby steps towards someone he didn't know, and though his tail was tucked and he was cautious, he walked up to a male he didn't know and sat to be petted. This for him is huge. He doesn't solicit attention from men. I almost cried tears of joy when I saw his body go relaxed and he rubbed his head on the guys leg to be petted even more. It was a very proud momma moment but it didn't stop there.
Greyson has also never read signals from another dog. I've always had to help him out and make sure I always set him up for success. There was a male pit bull terrier who was coming at us full bore and was straining to get to Greyson. Grey has met the other dog and has played with him before. The other dog was in an obvious state of panic because his handler was not the greatest of trainers and was freaking him out. He was coming right at us head on and to my amazement, Greyson stood up and turned his side to the dog. Old Greyson would have went at the dog head on and paws up to smack him in the face, but nope, he turned and lowered his head to show the other dog "It's okay, I come in peace." Unfortunately the other trainer grabbed the leash and yanked the other dog away from Greyson even though there was zero signs of aggression or either dog being uncomfortable. While it was obvious this made Greyson nervous he never went rigid and kept his side to the other dog. My boy is finally learning!!
Greyson can be very defensive and I am very blunt about it by explaining to people that he has the know how and the will to bite another dog. This went completely unheeded by the other trainer and she just kept yanking that poor other dog around by his leash. (Least she had removed the prong collar from him before she did it.) It was a very uncomfortable situation not just for me but for the dogs involved. Unfortunately there is no talking sense in to some people and I have to learn when to cut my losses.
Greyson though, even after a long exhausting day at the clinic getting his front legs looked at pulled through and got an ice cream at the end of the day. For him to have been poked and prodded all day and not be agitated is a huge accomplishment for him. He has learned in a short six months how to shake it off. He went from being a dog like Spudz who can't bounce back from a distraction or major upheaval to a dog who in a few minutes walks away, shakes it off and looks at me like "What's up Mom? We're cool!"
As Greyson progresses he becomes more comfortable with not just me but with himself. He's never been that proud little boy who prances and I'm starting to see that personality come out little by little. He's slowly becoming proud of himself. He no longer walks with his head down towards the ground. He is head up and right by my side. I think all the obedience work we have done with him and the time we've spent watching his triggers for panic attacks makes me him more confident that he knows he will be okay. He knows that we are here and we will help him in his journey and that in return makes him more confident in himself just even to be a normal dog.
On another note, I can not thank my family at Pit Bull Zen enough! These folks welcomed me when I felt very alone with Greyson. With them I have had the courage to know that I am capable of working with dogs who have problems and they are a sounding board for when I have questions. They are also an amazing resource for Force-Free/Positive Reinforcement training. Liz and Dawn have given me the basis of a wonderful foundation to work with dogs like Spudz and Greyson. They also helped me connect with Laurie Buchele of Buchele K-9 Services who is phenomenal! And without all the members, I probably wouldn't have had those moments of pride with Greyson yesterday.
They've also given me the courage to apply to The Professional Pet Guild. I got my acceptance email and yes, I squee'd in glee. Least this time I was at home and not in the middle of a park packed with people.
So, when you are feeling like you are a lone person against the adversity of a problem dog or people look at you crazy because you refuse to put a prong collar on a dog, remember, there are always resources out there. Just go find them!
Greyson has always been very fearful of men. No one knows why or how it happened. He has a select circle of men that he loves and will shower with unconditional love. Yesterday, he took baby steps towards someone he didn't know, and though his tail was tucked and he was cautious, he walked up to a male he didn't know and sat to be petted. This for him is huge. He doesn't solicit attention from men. I almost cried tears of joy when I saw his body go relaxed and he rubbed his head on the guys leg to be petted even more. It was a very proud momma moment but it didn't stop there.
Greyson has also never read signals from another dog. I've always had to help him out and make sure I always set him up for success. There was a male pit bull terrier who was coming at us full bore and was straining to get to Greyson. Grey has met the other dog and has played with him before. The other dog was in an obvious state of panic because his handler was not the greatest of trainers and was freaking him out. He was coming right at us head on and to my amazement, Greyson stood up and turned his side to the dog. Old Greyson would have went at the dog head on and paws up to smack him in the face, but nope, he turned and lowered his head to show the other dog "It's okay, I come in peace." Unfortunately the other trainer grabbed the leash and yanked the other dog away from Greyson even though there was zero signs of aggression or either dog being uncomfortable. While it was obvious this made Greyson nervous he never went rigid and kept his side to the other dog. My boy is finally learning!!
Greyson can be very defensive and I am very blunt about it by explaining to people that he has the know how and the will to bite another dog. This went completely unheeded by the other trainer and she just kept yanking that poor other dog around by his leash. (Least she had removed the prong collar from him before she did it.) It was a very uncomfortable situation not just for me but for the dogs involved. Unfortunately there is no talking sense in to some people and I have to learn when to cut my losses.
Greyson though, even after a long exhausting day at the clinic getting his front legs looked at pulled through and got an ice cream at the end of the day. For him to have been poked and prodded all day and not be agitated is a huge accomplishment for him. He has learned in a short six months how to shake it off. He went from being a dog like Spudz who can't bounce back from a distraction or major upheaval to a dog who in a few minutes walks away, shakes it off and looks at me like "What's up Mom? We're cool!"
As Greyson progresses he becomes more comfortable with not just me but with himself. He's never been that proud little boy who prances and I'm starting to see that personality come out little by little. He's slowly becoming proud of himself. He no longer walks with his head down towards the ground. He is head up and right by my side. I think all the obedience work we have done with him and the time we've spent watching his triggers for panic attacks makes me him more confident that he knows he will be okay. He knows that we are here and we will help him in his journey and that in return makes him more confident in himself just even to be a normal dog.
On another note, I can not thank my family at Pit Bull Zen enough! These folks welcomed me when I felt very alone with Greyson. With them I have had the courage to know that I am capable of working with dogs who have problems and they are a sounding board for when I have questions. They are also an amazing resource for Force-Free/Positive Reinforcement training. Liz and Dawn have given me the basis of a wonderful foundation to work with dogs like Spudz and Greyson. They also helped me connect with Laurie Buchele of Buchele K-9 Services who is phenomenal! And without all the members, I probably wouldn't have had those moments of pride with Greyson yesterday.
They've also given me the courage to apply to The Professional Pet Guild. I got my acceptance email and yes, I squee'd in glee. Least this time I was at home and not in the middle of a park packed with people.
So, when you are feeling like you are a lone person against the adversity of a problem dog or people look at you crazy because you refuse to put a prong collar on a dog, remember, there are always resources out there. Just go find them!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Sometimes training feels like a dance. It's a dance of work, reward, and the final payoff of rehabilitation. In some cases the rehabilitation is a constant upkeep of maintenance. Sometimes not so much. Sometimes progress never happens. I've always been a realist but Spudz makes me want to be a dreamer.
The progress Spudz has been making has been mind blowing. He is a dog who people were scared of even though he has yet to show any aggression to humans. His size alone is intimidating. He's tall, lanky, and strong. He is the proverbial large black male pit bull. And, he was out of control. Being untrained and unsocialized made him dangerous. He was the dog who didn't know to look to his human as to what to do.
Notice the past tense speech yet? I can proudly say that Spudz is learning. Learning is huge in a dog like Spudz. Spudz out in the real world without people who understand that he had never been trained or socialized would have been doomed. I'm lucky enough that Becky, the head of Scott County Dog Rescue, agreed to do anything possible to help Spudz. I still remember her phone call to me telling me he had attacked another dog. It wasn't a question of what to do, it was a question of when do we start.
Last night there were puppies at the rescue who were just born. That was exciting but I had my main goal and it never changes. I needed to work with Spudz. When I let him out of his room he does his laps around the center of the building and then he is on his rear at my feet. I had a treat in my hand. I had the leash! :) Nothing is ever that easy though. I had taught Spudz that when I place my palm out to him he is to touch his nose to it. Soon as he saw my palm he pranced and started tapping. To him this is a fun game. He doesn't realize that what I'm teaching him is that when he sees my palm he needs to move to it. This is how I'm teaching him to redirect. No matter what, he sees my palm and he is learning tap it with his nose. With this process I am slowly moving him where I want him.
He tapped my palm 15 times with no fails. He really has picked up on my game quickly. I did some focus exercises with asking him to look at me for treats while I say his name and again, no fails, constant success. I do an exercise where I let him free roam and call him to me. Not so many successes but he looks at me as soon as I say his name. To me, that is progress. With dog training there really isn't failure, I think. As long as you have progress of some kind, you have success. While some dogs learn slower than others, all dogs are different.
I figured I had subjected him to exercise enough and it was time to use the leash. I use a modified leash belt to walk dogs. This gives me hand free control if I need to grab treats to redirect and it never transfers my tension down that leash. This is ideal for a dog like Spudz who really is nervous when he's constrained. This way he feels loose and is still getting exercise while learning to walk on a loose leash. At first it's his first reaction to run away and try to get away from the leash. I just stand there and be peaceful. It takes him a matter of less than a minute to realize "Okay, this is another game". He moves to me and sits down. I give him a click and a treat and we move. Soon as he starts to pull away from me, I stop again. This way I'm never setting him up to fail. I'm letting him learn at his own pace to come back to me and then we will move. We did this for about 15 minutes before he just sat there and didn't want to walk at all. He had done enough and I'm proud of him. He's learning at a pace that I thought impossible. Now if only he liked cats, then he could just come home with me.
Mentioning home, Greyson has either injured his front left leg or his growth defect is catching up to us and he has the onset of arthritis. We will be finding out tomorrow which it is. I know we were given a shortened time with him but I'm not ready to let go of him without a fight. After all, he is my baby and my biggest triumph when he can stand 10 feet from a dog who he normally would try to lunge at and instead ignores it and focuses fully on me. He's come a long way from being the crazy puppy from hell. He may always look like a puppy but he has grown leaps and bounds mentally and is my heart.
So while Spudz has taken two steps forward in being a normal dog, I've taken one step back by curling up on the couch to keep Greyson calm and inactive today. Normally we would do training games and keep him active even if it's just hiding stuff in boxes for him to search out. Instead, I just loved on him and kept him at my side all day. Tomorrow will be another day though and then we will see where we go with my own personal little boy.
The progress Spudz has been making has been mind blowing. He is a dog who people were scared of even though he has yet to show any aggression to humans. His size alone is intimidating. He's tall, lanky, and strong. He is the proverbial large black male pit bull. And, he was out of control. Being untrained and unsocialized made him dangerous. He was the dog who didn't know to look to his human as to what to do.
Notice the past tense speech yet? I can proudly say that Spudz is learning. Learning is huge in a dog like Spudz. Spudz out in the real world without people who understand that he had never been trained or socialized would have been doomed. I'm lucky enough that Becky, the head of Scott County Dog Rescue, agreed to do anything possible to help Spudz. I still remember her phone call to me telling me he had attacked another dog. It wasn't a question of what to do, it was a question of when do we start.
Last night there were puppies at the rescue who were just born. That was exciting but I had my main goal and it never changes. I needed to work with Spudz. When I let him out of his room he does his laps around the center of the building and then he is on his rear at my feet. I had a treat in my hand. I had the leash! :) Nothing is ever that easy though. I had taught Spudz that when I place my palm out to him he is to touch his nose to it. Soon as he saw my palm he pranced and started tapping. To him this is a fun game. He doesn't realize that what I'm teaching him is that when he sees my palm he needs to move to it. This is how I'm teaching him to redirect. No matter what, he sees my palm and he is learning tap it with his nose. With this process I am slowly moving him where I want him.
He tapped my palm 15 times with no fails. He really has picked up on my game quickly. I did some focus exercises with asking him to look at me for treats while I say his name and again, no fails, constant success. I do an exercise where I let him free roam and call him to me. Not so many successes but he looks at me as soon as I say his name. To me, that is progress. With dog training there really isn't failure, I think. As long as you have progress of some kind, you have success. While some dogs learn slower than others, all dogs are different.
I figured I had subjected him to exercise enough and it was time to use the leash. I use a modified leash belt to walk dogs. This gives me hand free control if I need to grab treats to redirect and it never transfers my tension down that leash. This is ideal for a dog like Spudz who really is nervous when he's constrained. This way he feels loose and is still getting exercise while learning to walk on a loose leash. At first it's his first reaction to run away and try to get away from the leash. I just stand there and be peaceful. It takes him a matter of less than a minute to realize "Okay, this is another game". He moves to me and sits down. I give him a click and a treat and we move. Soon as he starts to pull away from me, I stop again. This way I'm never setting him up to fail. I'm letting him learn at his own pace to come back to me and then we will move. We did this for about 15 minutes before he just sat there and didn't want to walk at all. He had done enough and I'm proud of him. He's learning at a pace that I thought impossible. Now if only he liked cats, then he could just come home with me.
Mentioning home, Greyson has either injured his front left leg or his growth defect is catching up to us and he has the onset of arthritis. We will be finding out tomorrow which it is. I know we were given a shortened time with him but I'm not ready to let go of him without a fight. After all, he is my baby and my biggest triumph when he can stand 10 feet from a dog who he normally would try to lunge at and instead ignores it and focuses fully on me. He's come a long way from being the crazy puppy from hell. He may always look like a puppy but he has grown leaps and bounds mentally and is my heart.
So while Spudz has taken two steps forward in being a normal dog, I've taken one step back by curling up on the couch to keep Greyson calm and inactive today. Normally we would do training games and keep him active even if it's just hiding stuff in boxes for him to search out. Instead, I just loved on him and kept him at my side all day. Tomorrow will be another day though and then we will see where we go with my own personal little boy.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Oh for the love of Dog!
As an artist I am in the public a lot. I spend time hanging out in parks and at festivals almost every week. This is my avenue to show my art to the world. To me, this has become second nature. It was quite by accident that I found that this gives me a prime chance to also peddle something other than my art...my mouth.
A lot of times I sport a shirt that shows a large image of a yin yang symbol and says "Pit Bull Zen". This is my opening to a lot of people who normally wouldn't talk to me about dogs. After all, what would a crazy jewelry artist know about dogs, right? Most people would be surprised, let me tell ya.
Tonight I decided that I needed to honor Levi so I wore my Remember Levi shirt and in my own way I honored his existence by taking him to Chatham Sweet Corn Festival in Chatham, IL with me in the form of a T-shirt. To me this was a way to honor his memory and open the discussion to talk about something I fight against every day...dog fighting. Here in Central Illinois dog fighting is a true and very real problem. Being in a state that has no breed ban against pit bulls it has attracted a very large population to fight these dogs that I treasure. The evenings are numerous of how many times I've sat in the town I first moved to here in Illinois and hold dogs who are covered in scars and honestly I've taken on a few of those scars myself, mentally.
I had a teenage boy who was willing to throw a punch at me because of my shirt and because he misread it and thought I was promoting dog fighting. Then there was a lady who did the whole "That doesn't happen in my community" that I had to show her pictures on my phone of a very real little girl who was too battered to live because she had been too docile to fight so she became a bait dog to a cruel individual. Yes it happens in a lot of communities and yes it is a growing epidemic. How can I help against dog fighting? Simple, by sharing my journey and telling the stories of the dogs who have come across my path.
As the day wore on I met a woman who had a pit bull. She loves her dog and she is not someone you would think of as a pit bull owner. And then she started talking about training. You could tell by the way she spoke of her dog so lovingly that he was her world and she loved him to pieces, so I was baffled when she said the magic words. "Training collar" I know what most people refer to as a training collar. I refer to them as an archaic and barbaric torture device. I thought maybe she had a different collar in mind so I asked the million dollar question, "Uh, so are you referring to a prong collar?" She was and my heart broke. I will never understand how someone who claims they love their dog would cause their dog pain. I know, I know, if used correctly it is a wonderful training device...or so I keep hearing suddenly from people. Know what I see when I pick up the prong collar that lays on my mantle? A dog who will within seconds begin to shake and start to shut down. Yep, I used to use a prong collar. And, yes, Greyson would do everything precisely when wearing it.
And I was shown the correct way to use a prong collar. I was shown by someone who is certified in dog training to use this device. We spent tons of time using the prong collar and every time I put it on Greyson, he was the perfect angel. And why wouldn't he be, he was dealt a pinch in the neck every time he did something wrong, like pull on the lead. There's a problem with this though. A dog who learns that he is dealt pain every time something wrong is done will stop doing those things, but they will also stop signalling since when he would signal that he was going to do something was when the pinch would happen. So what was I teaching Greyson? Simple, do not show me when you are about to do something that you think I don't want you to do since that is when the pain would happen. Wonderful, what a way to create a dog who won't signal at all since signals is how dogs tell each other and humans what they are feeling.
A lot of times I sport a shirt that shows a large image of a yin yang symbol and says "Pit Bull Zen". This is my opening to a lot of people who normally wouldn't talk to me about dogs. After all, what would a crazy jewelry artist know about dogs, right? Most people would be surprised, let me tell ya.
Tonight I decided that I needed to honor Levi so I wore my Remember Levi shirt and in my own way I honored his existence by taking him to Chatham Sweet Corn Festival in Chatham, IL with me in the form of a T-shirt. To me this was a way to honor his memory and open the discussion to talk about something I fight against every day...dog fighting. Here in Central Illinois dog fighting is a true and very real problem. Being in a state that has no breed ban against pit bulls it has attracted a very large population to fight these dogs that I treasure. The evenings are numerous of how many times I've sat in the town I first moved to here in Illinois and hold dogs who are covered in scars and honestly I've taken on a few of those scars myself, mentally.
I had a teenage boy who was willing to throw a punch at me because of my shirt and because he misread it and thought I was promoting dog fighting. Then there was a lady who did the whole "That doesn't happen in my community" that I had to show her pictures on my phone of a very real little girl who was too battered to live because she had been too docile to fight so she became a bait dog to a cruel individual. Yes it happens in a lot of communities and yes it is a growing epidemic. How can I help against dog fighting? Simple, by sharing my journey and telling the stories of the dogs who have come across my path.
As the day wore on I met a woman who had a pit bull. She loves her dog and she is not someone you would think of as a pit bull owner. And then she started talking about training. You could tell by the way she spoke of her dog so lovingly that he was her world and she loved him to pieces, so I was baffled when she said the magic words. "Training collar" I know what most people refer to as a training collar. I refer to them as an archaic and barbaric torture device. I thought maybe she had a different collar in mind so I asked the million dollar question, "Uh, so are you referring to a prong collar?" She was and my heart broke. I will never understand how someone who claims they love their dog would cause their dog pain. I know, I know, if used correctly it is a wonderful training device...or so I keep hearing suddenly from people. Know what I see when I pick up the prong collar that lays on my mantle? A dog who will within seconds begin to shake and start to shut down. Yep, I used to use a prong collar. And, yes, Greyson would do everything precisely when wearing it.
And I was shown the correct way to use a prong collar. I was shown by someone who is certified in dog training to use this device. We spent tons of time using the prong collar and every time I put it on Greyson, he was the perfect angel. And why wouldn't he be, he was dealt a pinch in the neck every time he did something wrong, like pull on the lead. There's a problem with this though. A dog who learns that he is dealt pain every time something wrong is done will stop doing those things, but they will also stop signalling since when he would signal that he was going to do something was when the pinch would happen. So what was I teaching Greyson? Simple, do not show me when you are about to do something that you think I don't want you to do since that is when the pain would happen. Wonderful, what a way to create a dog who won't signal at all since signals is how dogs tell each other and humans what they are feeling.
It's extremely dangerous to teach a dog that showing teeth is wrong. Or growling! So if they go to bite, you will get zero signal and said dog will JUST bite.
So anyway, back to the woman and her training collar. I really felt bad for her dog after talking with her. She had zero idea what she is doing to her dog. She has been counselled that this is the only way to control her dog. When I tried to explain what I just explained to anyone reading her reaction was mind boggling. "I even had a K-9 Unit trainer show me how to give a swift correction with the leash so I don't have to worry about any disobedience." This was where I almost screamed "Oh for dog's sake, are you daft?!?" A K-9 unit is trained in a completely different way than a companion animal. WHY would anyone take advice from them for their own personal dog? I should have known when she told me she felt a strong responsibility to this breed by showing complete control over him at all times that this conversation was going to not sit well with me. I tried to offer to show her a martingale collar (I carry some in my purse for this reason) but she was not hearing any of it. She has been told by more trainers how wonderful these collars are so obviously my experience was invalid to her.
It's sad when someone loves their dog so much and doesn't see what they are doing to harm them. I feel horrible for that dog and I can only hope that he never does anything to get himself in major trouble. And for the owner, well I hope someday she takes off the blinders and stops believing everything people tell her. Also, please burn your retractable leash! Those things are a walking disaster and shouldn't be sold for anything over 10 pounds.
And, to the owners of the Australian Shepherd who lavished me with kisses, thank you for sharing Maggie's story with me! Thank you for loving a dog who had parvo, is scared of people, and is dog aggressive but yet you work non-stop with her to make her an amazing little girl! It's people like you that I love and adore!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
You do what? For how many cookies?
Today has been a bit of a rough day. We all have those and it's these days that I have to pick myself up and know that I do what I do to make a difference in a dog's life. I do what I do to show peace, light and love to the dogs who have never met a human that had any kindness to them.
Tonight was my night to show Spudz that humans are good people and we can be a source of love. Tonight I sit on the couch and love and massage him while he chews on his bone and rub all those sweet spots that make him a wiggle worm in my arms. To most people that might seem crazy, but to me this is important for him. Spudz hasn't had a bond with a human who shows him this. Tonight that became important for me to have that with him as well.
I received today my Levi shirt. Levi was one of the Cleveland 27 who passed away too soon. The Cleveland 27, as they are known, are 27 dogs pulled out of a house in Cleveland that was a dog fighting house. The man who was responsible for the torment of these 27 dogs plead guilty in a courtroom filled with people I call friends. These people welcomed these dogs into their home, love these dogs, and some have lost these dogs due to the damages that were done to these dogs at the hand of one man. I think I'll always be a Cleveland girl at heart and when I first heard of the 27 I was miserable that I couldn't get home quick enough.
I didn't look at the package until I got to the rescue facility since I was in a hurry after having an ordeal where I had to deal with a man who doesn't understand why I will gladly put my body between a dog being harmed and a human. (Him on the side of the law and me on the side of the innocent.) When I got there I saw the name on the return address and I knew Spudz and I were about to have a very special night. Well, that is after I completely lost it. For a dog who people see and demonize because of how he looks and I stand up and say "I LOVE YOU!" I don't care what they look like, they deserve a chance just as much as any other dog. I've never known what love from a dog can be like until I had a little girl who I cradled in my arms who was broken, bloody and damaged and she was more interested in licking my tears than she was her own pain. Shocker...she was a pit bull type dog.
So, yeah, tonight was pretty special for Spudz and me. To see him curl up on the couch with Becky and me and allow us to rub all over him and just show him that humans are capable of more than cruelty to this breed was damn important for me. To have him lick my cheek and show me love right back truly hit the spot. Probably for both of us.Sometimes when I feel like I am fighting a losing battle against not only discrimination against these amazing dogs, but also the assholes who fight them, it makes it worth it to curl up on the couch and have one who some people think is a horrible dog to love on and be loved back.
Tonight was my night to show Spudz that humans are good people and we can be a source of love. Tonight I sit on the couch and love and massage him while he chews on his bone and rub all those sweet spots that make him a wiggle worm in my arms. To most people that might seem crazy, but to me this is important for him. Spudz hasn't had a bond with a human who shows him this. Tonight that became important for me to have that with him as well.
I received today my Levi shirt. Levi was one of the Cleveland 27 who passed away too soon. The Cleveland 27, as they are known, are 27 dogs pulled out of a house in Cleveland that was a dog fighting house. The man who was responsible for the torment of these 27 dogs plead guilty in a courtroom filled with people I call friends. These people welcomed these dogs into their home, love these dogs, and some have lost these dogs due to the damages that were done to these dogs at the hand of one man. I think I'll always be a Cleveland girl at heart and when I first heard of the 27 I was miserable that I couldn't get home quick enough.
I didn't look at the package until I got to the rescue facility since I was in a hurry after having an ordeal where I had to deal with a man who doesn't understand why I will gladly put my body between a dog being harmed and a human. (Him on the side of the law and me on the side of the innocent.) When I got there I saw the name on the return address and I knew Spudz and I were about to have a very special night. Well, that is after I completely lost it. For a dog who people see and demonize because of how he looks and I stand up and say "I LOVE YOU!" I don't care what they look like, they deserve a chance just as much as any other dog. I've never known what love from a dog can be like until I had a little girl who I cradled in my arms who was broken, bloody and damaged and she was more interested in licking my tears than she was her own pain. Shocker...she was a pit bull type dog.
So, yeah, tonight was pretty special for Spudz and me. To see him curl up on the couch with Becky and me and allow us to rub all over him and just show him that humans are capable of more than cruelty to this breed was damn important for me. To have him lick my cheek and show me love right back truly hit the spot. Probably for both of us.Sometimes when I feel like I am fighting a losing battle against not only discrimination against these amazing dogs, but also the assholes who fight them, it makes it worth it to curl up on the couch and have one who some people think is a horrible dog to love on and be loved back.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Oh my! The belly rubs are the best!
So far it's been very one sided with Spudz and me. He asks for attention and as soon as I go to pet he moves away. This is his M.O. with everyone. He still doesn't know how to ask for attention and be loved on. He's nervous with humans. Who can blame him, he has never formed that connection with someone. He has a weird connection with me and that normally consists of my lower lip being sucked on by him. Go to pet him though and he will run away.
That is his normal position for me. I move, he moves with me, and then he sits directly in front of me facing me like this. Tonight after our workout together he did something I thought I would never see. He laid down to cool off on he concrete and as soon as Becky sat down on the concrete he moved over, flopped on his back and held all his paws up saying "RUB MY BELLY!!" I had a total freak out moment and just sat there with my mouth hanging open. Did he really just ask for a belly rub? The dog who doesn't like to be touched?!?
A few minutes later and Becky was in the other side of the building, I decided to try my luck. I sat down on the concrete and just sat being peaceful. Sure enough, here he came, flopped and held to have his belly rubbed. As I'm rubbing I notice his tail is beating a lovely drum on my leg.
Funny, if you are standing, sitting or over him, he doesn't want to be touched. Get down on the ground with him and he is a 55 pound lovebug! Progress!! Spudz is scared of people being above or overtop of him. On his level though and he's comfy. Loose body, comfort wag of his rear. The more time I spend with him, the more I understand what he is showing me and what he is thinking.
That is his normal position for me. I move, he moves with me, and then he sits directly in front of me facing me like this. Tonight after our workout together he did something I thought I would never see. He laid down to cool off on he concrete and as soon as Becky sat down on the concrete he moved over, flopped on his back and held all his paws up saying "RUB MY BELLY!!" I had a total freak out moment and just sat there with my mouth hanging open. Did he really just ask for a belly rub? The dog who doesn't like to be touched?!?
A few minutes later and Becky was in the other side of the building, I decided to try my luck. I sat down on the concrete and just sat being peaceful. Sure enough, here he came, flopped and held to have his belly rubbed. As I'm rubbing I notice his tail is beating a lovely drum on my leg.
Funny, if you are standing, sitting or over him, he doesn't want to be touched. Get down on the ground with him and he is a 55 pound lovebug! Progress!! Spudz is scared of people being above or overtop of him. On his level though and he's comfy. Loose body, comfort wag of his rear. The more time I spend with him, the more I understand what he is showing me and what he is thinking.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Celebrate for everyone but the dogs!
The time around the fourth of July has always been a very hectic time for me. As an artist I rely on shows to make money and there are tons of shows in the park on the third and fourth. I have a set show setup that I do every year and that involves me packing up and leaving home for two days. I come home only to sleep.
This causes a bit of anxiety in my own house with my personal dog. He's still not used to Momma leaving and not being there even just so he knows where I am and what is going on. I have taken all the precautions needed for him. Daddy, otherwise known as the hubs, knows how to put his thundershirt on him, he knows where his meds are and he knows that since it's so hot out there's no walking and we do limited outdoor activity since he's a black dog and with the heat index it's close to 100 degrees here. Normally Greyson would be allowed to go with me and he would love it. He enjoys new people on his terms and these are normally very good for him. Unfortunately it's too hot for that right now and it's just not possible.
And, then there's the training of Spudz which gets put on hold with me since I will be in another town and unable to work with him. This bothers me even more. Spudz needs a schedule and the reinforcement of being there when he needs. He also needs to be in a foster home where he can work through his barrier issues and not feel caged in. I can only imagine the level of kennel stress he is under. He has a pretty sweet set-up though for a dog who lives in a rescue facility. When Becky or I are there he gets to be free in half the facility and be a "normal" dog for the most part. He has a couch, chairs, tables, a desk. It's as close to a home as we can get for him right now. I will still be in search of a foster home though where I can go work with him daily.
This dog is terrified of water though. You fill his water dish and he backs away from it. It's been so hot the dogs have gotten to play in the kiddie pools, but Spudz, uh no way. Then I get this pic on my phone. I squealed in delight in the middle of a festival like a loon!
This causes a bit of anxiety in my own house with my personal dog. He's still not used to Momma leaving and not being there even just so he knows where I am and what is going on. I have taken all the precautions needed for him. Daddy, otherwise known as the hubs, knows how to put his thundershirt on him, he knows where his meds are and he knows that since it's so hot out there's no walking and we do limited outdoor activity since he's a black dog and with the heat index it's close to 100 degrees here. Normally Greyson would be allowed to go with me and he would love it. He enjoys new people on his terms and these are normally very good for him. Unfortunately it's too hot for that right now and it's just not possible.
And, then there's the training of Spudz which gets put on hold with me since I will be in another town and unable to work with him. This bothers me even more. Spudz needs a schedule and the reinforcement of being there when he needs. He also needs to be in a foster home where he can work through his barrier issues and not feel caged in. I can only imagine the level of kennel stress he is under. He has a pretty sweet set-up though for a dog who lives in a rescue facility. When Becky or I are there he gets to be free in half the facility and be a "normal" dog for the most part. He has a couch, chairs, tables, a desk. It's as close to a home as we can get for him right now. I will still be in search of a foster home though where I can go work with him daily.
This dog is terrified of water though. You fill his water dish and he backs away from it. It's been so hot the dogs have gotten to play in the kiddie pools, but Spudz, uh no way. Then I get this pic on my phone. I squealed in delight in the middle of a festival like a loon!
The heat and his need to cool off won and he wouldn't get OUT of the kiddie pool! Who can blame him in this heat. It's hot and he too is a black dog!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!
So today was HUGE lesson learned. It started out like every training night with Spudz. We play for a little bit, do exercises, then play some more. I wait to capture appropriate behavior when he is just playing and being a normal dog. Then click/treat as we capture the good behavior. It is a fairly simple process and about as exciting as watching paint dry. For that reason I normally try to make Spudz feel like he's in a normal home. I read, I do work in my journals, I act like a basic normal human being who apparently lives in a rescue facility. (I do not live there but to Spudz, I do. His half of the facility is my home when we're together.)
Tonight we had an unwanted visitor. It was small, furry, cute to most, and was a kitten. We did good avoiding the C-A-T until said creature pooped. Suddenly I had a beautiful pit bull with the prey drive who went into overload mode. One second my student was parked in front of me saying please and then working on his nose taps to my hand and next second he was hunting the smell and was determined to find it. Becky acted quick and put the kitten in a wire crate to get it moved as soon as possible. This, to Spudz, was not good enough. As soon as he caught sight of the kitten, he was game on.
Without thinking as I knew I had to get between him and the kitten I grabbed his collar. (Bad Dee, no cookie) and put my arm in front of his nose as I moved him away. This to me was his ample time to redirect on me. Instead, as soon as his nose hit my forearm, he looked up at me and turned his head away from my arm to avoid his muzzle being near it. Progress! He knows human from another creature!
Our training session was ruined even once the kitten was moved to another area in the crate because Spudz can't de-stress and bounce back from an incident like that quickly. He paced, sniffed the area non-stop and was in "hunt" mode for about an hour. Then suddenly as I was sitting at the table he came over and sat down. He would still wander over to the area where the kitten was and sniff and check to make sure it was gone but he would return and sit and ask politely for love. Yep, he's a vicious agressive animal who needed to be put down.
On a side note, we have changed his diet completely! He is on Turkey and Potato blend (grain free) of Blue Buffalo. He gets Calming Shen and Salmon Oil with his food and his treats are turkey based. This way he is getting the L-Tryptophan through his food intake. This is a good article to read here about this. Article on L-Tryptophan for dogs with anxiety
Tonight we had an unwanted visitor. It was small, furry, cute to most, and was a kitten. We did good avoiding the C-A-T until said creature pooped. Suddenly I had a beautiful pit bull with the prey drive who went into overload mode. One second my student was parked in front of me saying please and then working on his nose taps to my hand and next second he was hunting the smell and was determined to find it. Becky acted quick and put the kitten in a wire crate to get it moved as soon as possible. This, to Spudz, was not good enough. As soon as he caught sight of the kitten, he was game on.
Without thinking as I knew I had to get between him and the kitten I grabbed his collar. (Bad Dee, no cookie) and put my arm in front of his nose as I moved him away. This to me was his ample time to redirect on me. Instead, as soon as his nose hit my forearm, he looked up at me and turned his head away from my arm to avoid his muzzle being near it. Progress! He knows human from another creature!
Our training session was ruined even once the kitten was moved to another area in the crate because Spudz can't de-stress and bounce back from an incident like that quickly. He paced, sniffed the area non-stop and was in "hunt" mode for about an hour. Then suddenly as I was sitting at the table he came over and sat down. He would still wander over to the area where the kitten was and sniff and check to make sure it was gone but he would return and sit and ask politely for love. Yep, he's a vicious agressive animal who needed to be put down.
On a side note, we have changed his diet completely! He is on Turkey and Potato blend (grain free) of Blue Buffalo. He gets Calming Shen and Salmon Oil with his food and his treats are turkey based. This way he is getting the L-Tryptophan through his food intake. This is a good article to read here about this. Article on L-Tryptophan for dogs with anxiety
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