Seven Months Old - and beginning to act like it!
USHER: photo taken New Years Day 2010 (seven months old)
Usher remains a relatively calm and relaxed dog, especially for his age. But, he has begun to blow me off when I call him, more and more. I have, up to this point, trained him mostly with incentives (food), and he so he acts like a young dog that has learned to do things to get stuff he wants! No surprise, there. So, the time is approaching when I will need to set some expectations in his mind, “because I said so”. I believe he will adjust to my new expecations without a hitch.
It still amazes me how he acts in public. I stopped to chat with the manager of the local farm store last week, while I had Usher in tow. As soon as I stopped, Usher (a seven month old puppy in a busy store the week before Christmas!) just laid down by my side, without an commands from me. He has an uncanny ability to read my next move and adjust accordingly, without wanting to impose his “say” upon the situation.
I’ve been too busy to write much, lately, so I failed to mention how well Usher did about a month ago at an Army National Guard Reintegration meeting. We took both Usher and Kira and they were both very well behaved. Usher was incredibly sweet and affectionate to the kids that were there with their parents. At one point, he and a young boy (I’d say 5 years old), laid down next to each other on the floor, the boy’s arm around Usher, and Usher’s big paw around the boy. It was as if they were best friends. A magical moment lost since I did not have a camera with me.
I’m looking forward to moving Usher into the new phase of his life - one where he learns about high standards for behavior and his innate work ethic can kick in. I believe he is getting to that stage where he will appreciate learning about my expectations.
The most challenging part of training dogs for a living is working with their owners. And, the most challenging part about breeding dogs is trying to accommodate all the potential new puppy owners.
Some people like a unique appearance or markings and, at a week old, they can tell me they want a specific puppy. On the other end of the continuum are folks who cannot seem to make up their mind, even after spending hours with the puppies. And, in between those extremes, I must help everyone find their “perfect” puppy, even though I know there is no such thing – just like there is no perfect puppy owner.
Then, there’s the whole “pick order” thing. I must be fair and I want people to be part of the selection because I think that, psychologically, if a person picked the puppy (rather than having me do it), they are more apt to be wholly devoted to the pup (which, of course, is my main goal in all of this). So, my strategy is to give first pick to the first person to send a deposit, and so on. The problem, there, is that when the person who has first pick cannot make up his mind, I cannot inform anyone else which puppies are still available. For some people, this will make or break whether they choose to send a deposit. They “must” have the tri-colored female, or they will NOT take the tri-colored female or they want a smooth coat and won’t take a rough coated puppy. People want to fall in love with their puppy before they get here to pick it up. They want to show their kids that the third male down the page is THEIR puppy. They want to think about naming it, and most people need to see the puppy before they name it (if even in a photo, only). So, for me, the sooner folks decide on “their” puppy, the easier it is. People tend to believe that they will bond better with an 8 week old puppy and that a 12 week old puppy is “too old”. So, there is this “shelf life” associated with puppies and so, while I don’t mind keeping a puppy for a year if I have to before I find the right home, I also want the puppies to get into their new homes sooner than later.
Curiously, albeit I can fully understand all the various emotions associated with acquiring a new, four legged family member, I have no problem getting a puppy “sight unseen”. In fact, I just did that in mid-August (I also acquired Sage and Yoli without “picking” and I went to pick up Opal having viewed just one photo of her). So long as I know the pedigree (which is a good indicator of work ethic) and I know the parents have their health screens and so long as I know the breeder is competent to raise up a litter of puppies with appropriate stimulation and socialization, I am cool with whatever personality the puppy may present as his authentic self. After all, one cannot choose whether their son will aspire to be a Master Chef and their daughter will choose to play professional sports when their new baby comes into the world. Parents cannot control the innate personality of their child. But, they can raise a well mannered, social, respectful individual, regardless of whether the kid is destined to become an accountant or a nurse or a rodeo clown. For the most part, I think that is what people want of their new dog, as well; a well mannered pet. “Personality” differences (such as Sage is more pensive and Boon is more happy-go-lucky) are what make owning a dog a delightful experience. None is the same as another. But, both can be raised to be very entertaining, engaging, polite and devoted companions.
For me, if the world were a perfect place (and I do not expect it to be so), it would be most simple if I could know what puppy a person desires at around 6 weeks old, so that I could inform the others on the pick list which puppies have been chosen. But, that is not always how it goes down. I recall a visit with a lovely gentleman a few years ago. All the females but two had been chosen before he sent his deposit. So, he was choosing between just two girls. I sat and watched as he engaged one and then the other for over an hour. Then, he asked if he could take each one outside, alone. He carried the puppies outdoors and walked about looking for some sort of characteristic that he felt might provide some sort of insight towards his decision making, I suppose. He left for a moment to go fetch something in his car. He brought back the little collar he had chosen for his new puppy. He finally called one pup to him and with great pomp and circumstance (at least to me, at that time), he ceremoniously donned one pup with the collar. Whew. I thought it was finally over. But, no! Before I could utter, “so, she’s the one”, he took the collar off pup number one and with as much caution and care as he had buckled it to the first pup he strapped it to the other one then sat back and admired his work. By that time, I felt it was better that I not speak rather than interrupt his three hour long process. He took the collar back off puppy number two and dressed his new puppy (number one) with the red collar. She was sound asleep by that time, as eight week old puppies simply cannot remain awake for hours on end. I was feeling a bit exhausted at the time, too, even though I had done nothing but watch the event!
The idea that an 8 week old puppy can be assessed for long term potential as a well mannered pet is simply irrational from the point of view of someone who makes a living rehabilitating unbalanced dogs. No dog is born anti-social. However, humans can push them to become that way. Dogs are born as communal canines and equipped to mesh into a pack (human or dog) via their hardwiring and their capacity to learn and adapt to new situations. So, the breeder’s job to provide a positive first eight weeks is important. But, thereafter, it is critical that the new owner offers the right environment for the puppy to thrive and develop into the companion that he wants. When a prospective puppy buyer places too much emphasis on the puppy’s “personality”, I often become concerned that he does not recognize his responsibility to maintain the puppy’s social etiquette and to manage and train the dog appropriately, for the rest of its life. Boundaries for behavior must be set, communicated and enforced. Dogs ache for discipline so that they can understand what is expected of them. Only then can they actually “please” their owner, which is what a well bred, herding-working dog is designed to do.
Certainly, one does not want to choose a puppy that seems to have social issues at 8 weeks old. That’s not about which I am speaking. But, when the whole litter is gregarious and loving, then, I would suggest that a person go ahead and pick the puppy that has the markings he prefers or that otherwise strikes his fancy for what ever reason. The rest is up to the owner, at that point. That is more likely to be the scenario when a puppy buyer selects a reputable breeder who knows how to raise a litter properly. In essence, the quest to find the perfect puppy becomes the goal to continue raising a socially balanced pup into a well mannered dog.
Photos: Eight day old Border Collie puppies.
It was nearly 9:00 PM when I heard the phone ring in the office. We were just sitting down to eat dinner, so I didn’t answer. The voice on the answering machine explained that he was given my number by the humane society. He described, in great detail (until my answering machine flashed FULL when I got back to the office), that he had an Aussie-Blue Heeler mix that he described as “an excellent dog”. However, he added that he lived on a busy road and that the dog has begun acting out around people, including nipping folks who were passing by. He said he just cannot leave the dog alone. He stated, quite firmly, that most probably tomorrow they would euthanize the dog. He pleaded that I get back to him.
Although my gut told me otherwise from the first sentence that he uttered, I thought perhaps that his next words would be an inquiry on our training / rehabilitation services for his “excellent dog”. But, to the contrary he claimed that he just could not keep the dog any longer, and that it belonged on a farm away from people. He gave two phone numbers and then added another 45 seconds of testimony about how special the dog was. I could hear him choke up (and sense a welling up of tears forming in his eyes) when he said that he had a young child with Down’s Syndrome that absolutely adored the dog. He just wanted the dog to go to a good home, he said as his voice trailed off with what seemed to be very authentic emotion.
Let’s play a game of hypothetical questions: your two year old kid has developed a habit of playing in the road. What do you do? Your five year old has begun hitting school mates in her kindergarten class. What do you do? Your teenager stole your keys and took your car for a joy ride around the block. What do you do?
What the heck is wrong with people? We aren’t talking rocket science, here. How could his dog be nipping passer-byes if he managed it right? Do you manage your 2 year old kid so that he has access to play in the road? Do you not intervene with discipline and clear communication about standards for behavior when your child begins to play too roughly with others? Do you send your child to the gas chamber because he is testing his limits AND your patience as a parent when he takes your car around the block? Come on – take a bit of responsibility for your life and the things in your life for which you are responsibility.
I simply do not understand why people cannot put on their “let’s be reasonable” hat, plug into their “average level of intelligence” and apply a wee bit of “common sense” and figure out that it’s not the dog’s fault when they allow it to run amok. Would you solve your issue with a two year old that is attracted to asphalt by taking her to the country where there aren’t any roads?
Sadly, for the “excellent dog” in this saga (and he certainly has the potential to be an excellent dog), I have to prioritize my time to achieve the goal of making a living, so I don’t have the time to council his owner. I have found that, mostly, I end up feeling guilting for not taking the guy’s dog off his hands, rather than convincing the guy that his dog deserves better - and not for lack of trying or a decent ability to communicate. I have made that call a few dozen times before and learned that it is almost always a fruitless endeavor. It usually lasts no less than 45 minutes (and with a guy who can run out my answering machine memory – it would probably be longer). Of course, the call is always on my dime. Often, I have to be rude to make my point. I don’t really like being rude. But, sometimes the only way to make a point is to make the point. It’s just plain stressful to have those conversations.
Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to save every dog from every stupid person in the world. I have to decide whether there’s any hope to change the guy’s mind and make him consider professional assistance. I do not run a dog rescue. I have rescued lots of dogs – and usually at my own expense. But, I cannot always do that. Right now, I don’t have the resources to take this “excellent dog” off this guy’s hands, rehabilitate it, probably neuter it and then try to find a home for it. Before I totally threw in the towel, I thought to myself; will this guy come to a One Day Workshop? We have one on Saturday. Then, I go over the tape of his voice, again, and play “profiler” to see whether it’s worth my time to call him back because once I am on the phone with him, I will be subjected to 45 minutes of his sad story and why he cannot erect a fence for his dog, , keep it in his house, or walk it on a leash rather than allow it to run free to “nip people”. If I have to hear one more person tell me, “I don’t believe in keeping dogs in the house”, I will explode.
I decided he would not come to a Workshop, and I knew (at least I was quite certain) he would never dedicate resources to our Board & Train program. He wanted me to take his dog and give it a good home, that’s pretty much what I believe he expected. I profiled him by his area code, the town in which he lives, his accent, the fact that he called his dog a “heeler”, the fact that he thinks the dog needs to “live on a farm” (as if any farmer wants a dog that is going to nip people any more than he wants a dog that nips folks) and a number of other minute details that all rolled up together told me that I do not have the resources to dedicated to him, today. So, I didn’t call him back. I have to make a living training people about how to own dogs, so I didn’t have the time to teach that guy how to own his dog. And, I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. It is just a thing.
I’ve been informed I’ll have a copy of my new book by mid-November!
I’ve been hoping it would come out in time for Christmas, and I see a new date on the publisher’s website of December 5th!
EDITED 11/3/09: I just saw on their website, today, that the date is pushed out to 12/26/09 - the availability date keeps changing!
http://www.voyageurpress.com/Store/ProductDetails_42264.ncm
This is exciting!
Having already posted this on my website - I will simply provide the link:
http://www.darnfar.com/Belle2009/accepting_imperfection.htm
It describes what has wholly consumed me the last few days.
Usher is now 21 weeks old (5 months).
He continues to be a charming, lovely boy with a laid-back disposition and a friendly, social demeanor with strangers. He is kind and gentle with children.
He has replaced most of his baby teeth with his adult set, sans his upper canines that still need to come in.
Here are some photos I shot of him today - he has lost that sweet puppydog look and replaced it with a “I’m a German Shepherd Dog” appearance:
The list of Jerry’s good points was longer than the list of his bad point. But, when one ranked the severity of the bad stuff versus his good qualities, it was clear Jerry needed intervention. Jerry’s owner brought along a list when she arrived for his drop off appointment for Board/Train. Jerry’s Good Traits were in one column and Jerry’s Bad Traits were in another. The point that “Jerry has bitten five people in the last twelve months with enough force to cause bleeding”, to me, pretty much washed out all of the good stuff. Who would live with a dog that might bite loved ones that visit, or worse, strangers at the park, even if he stay on his platform bed.
It was curious, and a bit telling, that Jerry’s owner felt a need to explain his finer points. The list included the fact that Jerry never left the yard, Jerry came when called very reliably, Jerry stayed put on his platform bed, Jerry waited at the door, and was very obedient to his commands to sit and down. During our discussion at the drop off appointment, Jerry’s owner agreed with me when I told her that I suspected quite a bit of his “obedience” was “psudo” or “fake” obedience because, if he did not want to obey, he didn’t. That was the first step in Jerry’s rehabilitation, even though we had not even interacted with the dog. It required that his owner shift her perspective on Jerry’s behavior, and come clean. Highly obedient dogs don’t bite people because obedience requires respect. I really liked Jerry’s owner and I think she was very dedicated to her dog’s rehabilitation, but I think she was deceiving herself, a bit, about Jerry’s authentic self, so to speak.
It’s all about standards. Jerry’s owner is not the only person we have encountered who believes their dog knows all the basic commands, so it only needs help on the more unpleasant behaviors. In fact, most people who contact me inform me that their dog knows to sit on command, so we won’t have to work on that. At that point in time I typically ask the person, “If you were to tell your dog to sit, and I were to come into the room with a cat or a hotdog or have a kid ride close by on a skateboard or throw a tennis ball or turn on the vacuum cleaner, would your dog still stay sitting?”
“Oh, he knows sit, but he doesn’t know to stay” is one response. Another is, “well, he would stay if there were no distractions like that”.
Huh? If a school teacher were to tell the kids to “take your seats”, would she also need to tell them to “stay” else they would pop right back up again and continue doing what they had been doing before the request? What value is sitting if it doesn’t imply to stay there until I tell you otherwise?
And, to all those folks who claim that their dogs are obedient when there are no distractions around I would ask, “Where do you live?” The world is FULL of distractions. It is one big distraction, actually. And, who the heck cares if the dog will sit in your kitchen if he cannot sit at the front door while you invite guests into your home? Who cares that your dog will “stay” while you hold his food bowl for a minute or so before you put it on the floor, if the dog is drooling and is just acting “patient” not obedient to your authority, and cannot stay put if the doorbell rings?
At the pickup appointment, I discovered that Jerry’s backyard was enclosed with an electronic fence. No wonder he stayed in the yard and never strayed (which was listed as one of his “good traits”). And, Jerry had been taught to stay on his platform bed with an electronic collar – which, in my opinion forced him to file the information in his brain the same way that a cow or horse learns about an electric fence. It has nothing to do with obedience to an authority figure’s expectation of behavior. It’s all about a boundary that had been set using a physical aversive (correction) that was not paired with the human’s expectations, but instead the ‘location’s” expectation. If the dog had learned to lie down, ANYWHERE, because a human “said so”, there would be no need to carry around the platform bed. Jerry’s owner also reported that he was exceptionally good at waiting at the door. That was not our experience with Jerry. He would have raced right out the door or the car if we had not taught him to have self restraint under our commands. When questioned what method was used to teach the dog to “wait” at the door, the process that she described was similar to the way many people teach their dogs to “sit and stay” before their food bowl is placed on the ground. When the door was opened, he simply had to be more patient than the owner and finally he would get his reward of racing out the door. Again, it appeared to be obedience to authority, but it was processed in the dog’s brain in the “I get something if I do something” location (incentive based learning) rather than being filed in the “because my leader said so” location, even if I do not get something for the behavior. It is not Jerry’s owner’s “fault” that she believed Jerry was behaving well. Many “Trainers” will provide a list of things you should do to maintain a dog’s good behavior - making them sit before getting food or going outside is usually on that list. It’s not that the dog sits, but HOW the dog sits that matters. Most trainers don’t seem to be able to define the finer points.
Before she got to see her dog, Jerry’s owner and I chatted for a few hours about our philosophy on training, our methods and why we use them. I spoke frequently about having very high standards for Jerry’s behavior. I explained what I meant by that and why I feel that dogs love to know their owner’s expectations of them and they expect very high standards to be set. I explained why I felt that way. I said that if you slip too far below 80% the dog will lose confidence in you as a leader. I explained that if you tell the dog and he chooses not to comply, if you do not then make him sit (at least 80% of the time – that number could be 90% for some dogs), he will quit believing in your authority. Finally, I called Robert and informed him it was time to bring Jerry to the training building. We like folks to see their dog working before the dog knows they are here and then we like to see how each dog acts when they see their owner for the first time in a few weeks. This is telling of the relationship they once had. It also provides an opportunity to work with perhaps the biggest distraction of all – the dog’s “person”. So, Robert was working Jerry in the yard and his owner and I were standing just out the door watching. About three or four minutes had gone by when she exclaimed, “Oh, you REALLY mean high standards”.
OMG
Epiphany moment – most people simply do not understand the idea of “high standards”.
Last night Robert and I were discussing this concept. It’s pretty obvious to us, now, as we close in on a decade of working full time with clients and their dogs, that we just cannot figure out how to explain what we mean by “high standards”. Is this an artifact of our society in general? I think not. There are plenty of people working in jobs where, if one does not adhere to high standards bad things happen. Take, for example, my last job in corporate America. We developed products to test people’s blood for all sorts of conditions from hepatitis to pregnancy. If those tests were functioning at 90%, no one would buy them. We can’t have 10% of the test being inaccurate – people would die, lots of people. Folks who make Oreo cookies for a living must adhere to high standards as much as people who maintain a blood bank. I cannot believe that people do not understand the concept of “high standards” of performance when we explain how much a dog relies of his owner having high standards for his behavior. It provides a sense of comfort and security to know what your “boss” or “parent” expects of you. It allows you to self-regulate and keep yourself out of trouble. It also allows you the opportunity to please your partner or leader, which is what dogs were designed to do.
So, do folks seem perplexed when we explain how important it is to maintain high standards for their dogs because most people do not want to impose their will on another entity? If that were true, how could these people parent and raise decent kids or have jobs where they supervise or manage others?
Is it because people are lazy and don’t want to do the work it takes to communicate their expectations to their dogs? Is it because, deep down, people actually like that their dogs are a bit unruly because they live vicariously through them? How cruel is that to the dog, I would reply.
Why would anyone care if their dog behaved well in a virtual vacuum, as if they lived in some pocket of the universe between Mars and Jupiter? Even there, one might encounter a bit of comet dust on occasion. What does one do, when living in such a distraction-free space with the false sense of security of “fake obedience” when a bit of comet dust flies by and the dog takes off after it?
“Come back once you get to Pluto!”
I was discussing the term Socialization with a client. I explained it had nothing to do with being friendly. An 80 pound Golden Retriever that leaps at you with sheer joy to see you, and subsequently knocks you to the ground and licks your face, is acting in an anti-social manner, regardless of how “friendly” it may appear. Why? Because to be social is to respect higher ranking individuals in the “pack”. People should always be considered higher ranking to a dog. A higher ranking dog does not tolerate a young-punk dog to invade his personals space, at will.
I went on to explain that the dog that comes up to you and shoves its muzzle under your resting hand, then tosses your arm into the air with the demand to, “Pet me Now!” behavior should not be given affection at that moment. The ramifications of doing so can turn a slightly disrespectful dog into one that begins to make greater demands or learns to protest his condition with more frequency. Your falling prey to the demand is a bit like giving into the screaming three year old that is demanding, “Skittles, I want Skittles, NOW!” as you walk past the candy isle in a grocery store. While you may not think it’s so terrible to give the kid a little packet of sweets (especially if it will quiet his protest), the long term ramifications of that sort of parenting can result in a terribly annoying, if not downright rude child.
I do understand that 90% of humans probably do pet a dog that comes to be petted. And, I will admit I am one of them. However, I am cognizant of what I am doing when I do so. I also do not comply to such a demand with all dogs. Dogs that are not disrespectful in other areas of the relationship and revere my position when I expect the dog to yield to my demands can be “petted on demand” and will not take advantage of the give-and-take in our relationship. Whether a dog is granted the privledge to demand affection requires an overall understanding of the whole relationship between the human and the dog. Typically, if a dog has come to us for training, it is not one that should be given such freedom to stipulate terms of the relationship.
The client then explained how her father’s dog was so sweet and loving. Every time she went to visit them, Lilly would climb up her chair and “hug” her with both paws around her shoulders. Knowing Lilly (because she was a pup that I bred and whose sister I own), I replied that I felt Lilly’s behavior was disrespectful and that she should either correct the dog or prevent her from performing the behavior. She should then only give affection to the dog when it was calm, relaxed and acting polite. The client replied, “Oh, but I feel so honored that Lilly would want me to pet her”.
OMG.
Epiphany moment! I would have never felt that a human being would be honored when a dog demanded something of her. I understand that we all fall prey to our dogs’ demands and protests at times and that often that is what leads a dog to become very unruly. However, it never dawned on me that a person could feel honored by such objectionable behavior. From that point forward, I realized that many of my clients may feel the same way and that the gap in my understanding that point could be a reason why folks cannot seem to understand how to maintain a dog in a socially compliant state of mind.
It’s been a long few days. We had a Board/Train pick up appointment on Friday (two dogs from the same household) that lasted most of the day. Then, Saturday and Sunday was another Committed Canine (professionally guided – owner trained Service Dog) course. Even though I was the instructor, the class was, for me, very educational and also very inspiring. Participants included a nine year old child with Asperger’s Syndrome (a condition described as being part of the Autism spectrum), a recently returning veteran from Iraq, a student who attended an earlier Phase One class who joined this class as a refresher before moving onto Phase Two and a woman for whom we trained a Service Dog several years ago, also in attendance to hone skills that had been allowed to slide.
It is amazing to see the transformation in both the dogs and the handlers over the course of the two days. On Saturday morning, a quick assessment of the dogs might have led one to believe it would be hopeless to move the dogs and their handlers to the state they achieved by lunchtime on Sunday, when we traveled to town for a public outing, including shopping in a department store and eating at a restaurant.
We saw all three conditions of anti-social behavior in the dogs on Saturday morning; excessive exuberance, fear-based / retreating behavior as well as dominant type aggressiveness. On Sunday afternoon, these same dogs shared the small space under the table at the restaurant and without one woof or whine or sniffing for crumbs.
Not only did I see a transformation in the dogs’ behavior, but I was also granted the privilege of watching a sort of blossoming of each student’s confidence and capability. I experienced a change in actions, aptitudes and attitudes of both dogs and their people as they moved through the process of training their dogs.
I believe that Service Dogs can enhance the life of a person with a disability. But, even more so, I have come to recognize how much owning the process of training one’s dog plays a therapeutic role, too.
Another phone call: “I’m looking for a red and white male Border Collie and I see you have a litter planned for April 2010. Can I ask you about those dogs?”
I explained Wags’ pedigree and Switch’s temperament and my predication for coat type and color, etc…
“Well, let me tell you a little bit about me. I’m actually a breeder, too, here in Indiana. And, frankly, I’m having the hardest time finding a red and white male. I have five Border Collies, and I breed maybe one or two litters a year. I have a red and white female and breed her to my black and white male and all I get is black and whites.”
So, I took some time to explain color genetics to the guy. After a bit of listening to him go on about his dogs and his endeavors, I asked him if he works his dogs on livestock. He said he did not and that, in his estimation, the closest place to him where one might find livestock is about 100 miles away. I replied that, when I started herding with my first Border Collie I traveled 87 miles (one way) every weekend to take lessons. I don’t think he cared.
I explained that I have a standard that I impose on myself and that there is no point in having such a standard if I were to place a puppy with someone who then did not uphold those standards, too. I informed him that, if he were to acquire a puppy from me that he would sign a contract that stated he would not breed the dog unless its herding ability had been assessed (and that was at a level of understanding higher than a Herding Instinct certificate).
In the ensuing diatribe he explained how much he loves the breed and his rebuttal to my comments were distilled down to this one phrase, “No one owns the breed”.
I told him that I did not think that I owned the breed. I explained that I feel responsible for the puppies that I produce. If, at some point in the future someone claims that it’s hard to find a good working Border Collie I will know that I wasn’t involved in breeding dogs that could not perform the work for which they were bred – that I would not have played a significant role in the demise of this great breed’s herding working capacity. From the long-term health and quality of the breed, it does not matter if I do health screens and assess the herding ability of the dogs I breed, if someone who purchases a puppy from me does not uphold that same expectation.
So, he asked if I placed all my puppies with people who herded with their dogs. I told him that I actually preferred placing my puppies in pet / companion home with active folks who understand the breed and what is required to keep them happy as well as performance homes. I explained that I do not think that everyone who owns a Border Collie needs to herd with their dog and every Border Collie does not need to herd to be happy. However, if someone who acquires a puppy from me plan to breed their dog, they should assess whether it does, in fact, meet the breed standard in that it can herd livestock (among several other important critical attributes). I also explained that just because a dog can herd livestock it shouldn’t necessarily be bred and that if it is, it shouldn’t necessarily be bred to any other dog that can herd. Herding styles, to me, need to be assessed and matched up to the best of the breeder’s ability to produce a dog that is easy to handle, is biddable and that has plenty of natural working ability and work ethic. I think that I have produced some puppies that have too much “eye” and/or intensity, in fact, and that it makes them a challenge to own for some people, even though it makes for some really nice herding dogs for handlers who know how to work with that level of intensity. So, I take that into consideration when I decide which dog to breed to what bitch. Temperament and body style and general disposition are important, not just that it’s a red and white dog and will throw red and white puppies.
I did not choose Wags (the red and white dog that I plan to breed) because she is a red dog. I actually contacted her breeder, originally, because I wanted to breed Shimmer to one of her male dogs. It turned out that dog was not available because he was in another part of the country with a herding handler. Then, she told me about his sister (Wags) – who was available. I really love Wags’ personality, but her red color is not why I purchased her. She has a great pedigree that I thought would mesh well with my dogs and also she had a couple generations of health screen data behind her that many working Border Collies do not possess.
I told the man on the phone that I might place a pup with someone who plans to train the dog for professional level Agility trials and might even attain the title of Agility Champion of all Champions (if there were such a title). But, that is not a replacement for assessing the herding ability in the dog. I provide my contract to folks who submit applications to me, so that they know my expectations regarding breeding before they place a deposit on a litter.
I worked three Border Collies to trial level work before I bred my first litter (from which I kept Lexie and Breeze in 11/1995 – whose father had earned multiple High In Trial awards by that time). Then, I waited another 8.5 years before I bred my second litter (from which I kept Shimmer in 4/2004) – which was after I had trained and put herding titles on 10 different Border Collies (Sham, Laddie, Ellie, Breeze, Lexie, Jaye, Beebe, Pete, Yoli and Sage). Those trial competitions included earning multiple High In Trial awards across three different venues (AKC, AHBA and ASCA). I also own livestock and use the dogs for “ranch work”, not just trials. So, I had learned about the breed and about what makes a Border Collie a Border Collie before I decided to breed. Still, breeding is a bit of a crap shoot, even with that amount of experience and when I do the health screens and work with the dogs and understand the breed via my own dogs and probably a few hundred herding students’ dogs, too. With the understanding of genetically controlled behavior (like herding ability, general disposition and work ethic), I feel it is important to do what I can to breed puppies that represent the breed type.
I did not tell the guy on the phone all that stuff. I just informed him that he would have to sign a contract, if he were to buy a pup from me (which, I already knew I most probably wouldn’t sell him one, anyway) that he would need to assess the herding ability of the dog as well as the dog to which he bred his dog. He thanked me for my time and hung up. I’m not certain whether he may think about what I said and process it against his endeavors of breeding Border Collies or not. I doubt it. But, at least I took the time to explain my position (time, truly, that I could have spent on more fruitful endeavors). Maybe one day he will actually experience a Border Collie working sheep or goats or ducks or cattle and have a moment that takes his breath away and he will understand why I am the way I am and why I do what I do. That would be nice.
Someone left a message on my machine yesterday morning. Mark wanted information about our Border Collies. He left a telephone number with a local area code (618).
I have learned over the past 8 years of living here in central IL that many folks that reside in my neck of the woods have a vastly different perspective about dogs than do I. In a nutshell, my experience is that people expect a puppy to cost under $100 and there seems to be a general view that dogs are quite disposable. For example, one man called me a couple years ago about dog training. When I told him that an 8 week class cost $120 he replied, “well, I only paid twenty bucks for the dog. I could buy a few new dogs for the cost of fixin’ this one”. Needless to say, he did not attend class. It wouldn’t surprise me if he just took it out back and shot it then acquired a new dog a week later.
I did not feel compelled to immediately return Mark’s call as I had other more pressing things to do and I had a decent idea how the conversation would proceed. A few hours later a call came in. The Caller ID told me that it was Mark. So, I picked up the phone.
“Yeah, I’m wonderin’ about your Border Collies”, he said.
“What would you like to know?” I replied.
“Do you have any puppies?”
“No, not at this time. I have a litter planned and puppies should be available in April. What are you looking for?”, I asked.
“How much do they run?”
I thought about saying that a well bred Border Collie can run all day long, once it was mature, but I knew what he meant. When price is the first concern, which it usually is when folks from 618 call me, I can typically predict how the call will end. But, I replied with a dollar value without feeling any need to explain about health clearances, proper early socialization, etc… I knew it wasn’t important to “educate” the guy. It was fruitless.
“Well, I’m not lookin’ for a pup for me. I ran my dog over yesterday and I already got a new pup picked out for me.” He made the proclamation in the same tone of voice that I might say, “I threw away that bag of potato chips because they were stale. But, I bought a new bag, so we’re gonna be just fine”.
Then, he continued, “ I’m lookin’ for a female for my friend’s daughter. If we can find her a girl we’ll be able to breed mine to hers. I’m getting a male. Do you know somebody who had puppies now?” he inquired.
When I hung up I looked all around my office for a tiny camera. I thought I was being punked. Sadly, deep down, I knew they guy was genuine. It wasn’t a prank. But, I will never truly be able to reconcile in my head and heart how someone can live with a dog and have such a flippant view of its precious lives. Whateva’
The dog I used as a “demo” for the Workshop that we held last Saturday was a German Shorthair Pointer x Labrador Retriever. He was around 10 months old and had, shall I say, lots of ‘zest’. His owner had one, main request. I don’t want him to pull me on the lead, anymore. I understood why. The dog was strong and unruly. He barked and whined at the other dogs in class. He jerked at the end of the lead to move towards them. For about 30% of the time, during the initial 90 minutes of the course, the dog’s owner had to stand up to control the dog, rather than remain seated in her chair.
So, I did what I always do when it is time to show the techniques we use. I fitted a dog her dog with a training collar. I allowed the dog to learn about getting a collar correction – essentially, “leash breaking”. I used the owner’s position outside the door, as a draw for the dog to want to charge out the door. I approached the door, told the dog to “wait” as it neared the threshold, then delivered a correction for racing out the door. People tend to think this process is a miracle of some sort, since the dog usually, within two or three approaches towards the door, learns to stop at the threshold without any restraint. In essence, it learns “self restraint”. Helping dogs become self-restrained is my goal. I can only accomplish that if I provide clear information about the boundaries in which I expect the dog to behave and then give meaningful feedback if the dog attempts to cross those boundaries.
In general, I have found that people want very much for the dog to stop pulling on the lead. However, they cannot seem to assimilate the concept that they must stop restraining the dog to accomplish that task. The dog should not have constant tension on its neck. If the owner maintains tension on the dog’s neck, she is sending a message that she does not trust the dog to remain calm and self restrained. I suppose it is a long standing habit, but even once a dog has learned to remain calm at the end of a loose lead, many people pull back on the leash, lift their wrist above their elbow (or sometimes even up to their shoulder), to “hold back” the dog and leave the dog with constant tension on its neck. The method we use teaches the dog that pulling isn’t acceptable, and nearly all dogs can learn this lesson within a few minutes. However, the owners still revert to putting tension on the dog’s neck, even when the dog has stopped actively pulling on the leash. It is my greatest pet peeve.
The lab-pointer mix dog was a bit hard headed, and it took him three times to learn “wait at the door”. Not four, not eight. Three. Many dogs learn in one correction. Two is probably the most common. There is no yelling, no anger, no frustration. There is just learning. Immediately after the lesson (which takes one to four minutes, usually), the dog that was once unruly and focused on everything but the owner, sits calmly (without my asking), and looks up into my eyes. Essentially, at that moment in time, I have stolen the dog (psychologically) from the owner. I have valuable information for the dog – the owner has been but a nagging nuisance to him. So, he prefers my company to hers and looks to me asking if, pretty please, I could be his new master. On Saturday, this dog’s owner immediately recognized that. She commented on how much the dog was focused on me in a positive way. She saw that he had switched alliances. I did not want to tell her this, but he never had an alliance with her. She was but a thorn in his side. That was obvious by the way he behaved with her.
After the wait at the door, I taught the dog to walk on a loose lead, even as we passed another dog for which he had great attraction. Then, we addressed “no jumping up”. It was a matter of minutes and the dog was transformed, no tension on the lead, no frustration. While we discussed what had transpired, the dog sat (not because I told him to but because he felt comfortable doing so) at my side on a loose lead. In fact, at one point I just dropped the lead because I knew he was not going to go anywhere. He was so calm and relaxed that his eyes began to shut and he nearly fell asleep. He had finally been granted permission to be a dog, to relinquish all that control he thought he had to have over everything and everyone, to me. I had been fair and clear and he could relax for the first time in his life, it seemed. I call it de-tox; when all the endorphins that the dog has pent up are released and he can finally just unwind. It was a beautiful thing.
Sitting on a bench about 10 feet away, watching her dog exist in tranquil bliss under the umbrella of my authority, his owner cocked her head and winced. “What is it?” I asked, knowing that she just wanted to make some sort of comment but wasn’t sure it would be acceptable to do so.
She stated that she wasn’t certain she liked to see him so calm and relaxed. She suggested that she would prefer if he would show his “old zest”. She worried that he would not be able to have fun, any more.
Let me assure you: Excessive exuberance is not happiness.
The word “submission” gets a bad rap. Subordination to a human’s authority is not unhappiness. In fact, I told the woman that I probably just added 18 months to her dog’s life because, as we all know, stress can contribute to an early death. Clearly, her dog was stressed feeling responsible for assessing and addressing all the potential threats in the world. That is what happens when the owner doesn’t play the leadership role. The dog assumes it, but muddles it all up because that is what it means to be “dog” rather than “wolf”. While dogs are described as a subspecies of the grey wolf, they are obviously not wolves, and one of the differences is that domestic dog does not possess the genetic code to truly lead a pack. But, they do still feel a strong need for leadership.
In fact, most breeds have an enhanced need to subordinate to a leader over their wild counterparts. Take a Retriever, for example. The hunter shoots a pheasant. It drops to the ground, warm and bloody. We send the dog to fetch it up. The dog races out, picks up the bird with great care and delivers it directly to his owner’s hands. Why did he not take the bird into the woods and eat it for himself? He is, after all, a carnivore. Domestic dog has been developed (through judicious selection) to subordinate to man to do his bidding. This subordination is, in fact, unnatural. What wild canine would not take advantage of access to fresh meat and gobble it right up? We have created a beast that cannot help but subordinate to humans to such a level that it’s difficult to refute that domestic dog needs a strong, competent leader in its life to feel complete. And, yet, we have removed the code that allows them to assume a true leadership role, if they feel an absence in that regard. When a wild wolf senses weakness in the leader, the leader is typically killed and a new, stronger leader emerges. We could not have our dogs feeling compelled to kill us if we showed weakness. Dog is a conflicted species; designed to hyper-submit to a leader while lacking the ability to assume the leadership role, itself. We must assume responsibility for the care and management of this very unique species. We must recognize and accommodate their need to submit to an authority figure.
For some reason most people think that a dog on “high alert”, with ears forward, eyes open as large as saucers (to take in information about all the potential monsters that might be approaching), tippy toe cocky – high tail flagging behavior is displaying “happiness”. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A dog on high alert is under stress. To allow him to feel comfortable submitting to us, we must behave in a way that allows him to trust us. To be trustworthy, we must be predictable, we must be fair, we must be clear in setting limits for the dog’s behavior so that the dog can self-regulate and live unrestrained, yet self-restrained. That is a recipe for doggie happiness.
I’m not certain if I will ever be able to communicate that concept effectively when people perceive a dog with ears folded backwards as unhappy. That dog will still run as fast and fetch the ball with the same amount of zeal. He just won’t think it is appropriate to run into the person to whom he is retrieving the ball. How could that be a bad thing?
I have been waiting for Doozie to plump out in these last few weeks of her pregnancy. But, it wasn’t happening. At the end of last week I realized that I better get an x-ray to confirm whether she was carrying puppies, or not.
This afternoon, the radiograph provided the answer. Doozie is not pregnant.
I have never bred a bitch that didn’t get pregnant. I bred her to Boon five times in six days. Her first due date would have been October 27th (63 days from the first breeding). That is just two weeks from now. But, she has not gained weight.
I have been very fortunate, really. I have heard horror stories of breeders who loose puppies and even their dams. I have produced 12 litters of puppies that resulted in 93 total puppies. That’s an average of 7.75 pups per litter.
I had one puppy die at 6 weeks old. It was the puppy I chose to retain from Lexie’s first litter. I called her ”Stitch” because she required stitches before she was 24 hours old due to a tear at her umbilical cord. I believe the the antibiotics the puppy received at such an early age weakened her, perhaps destroyed her kidneys or liver. She was born the largest puppy, but grew very slowly and at six weeks old was very small compared to her siblings. I had already received deposits on the other two female puppies. Lexie was eight years old and it was her first litter - and perhaps her last. Lexie is Sham’s daughter. Sham was my first Border Collie, and a very special guy. I wanted terribly to “steal back” one of the puppies that I had promised. But, I chose to retain a male, instead. It was a great choice. Boon is a great dog. I was able to breed Lexie one more time, producing Moxie. Lexie turns 14 years old this November!
I also lost two puppies at birth in different litters (both which were the 9th puppies in the litter), and another died at around a week old; a pup that I named “little bit” because she was so very tiny compared to her siblings. But, in that’s just four puppies in almost 100 born, that did not make it. I feel very fortunate. I am even more grateful that I have never had a mother get ill or require a c-section. It’s a healthy breed, in that regard. Border Collies are not extreme in size and are still designed to perform a challenging, athletic job.
So, I guess, the fact that Doozie is not in whelp is certainly not the worst thing that a breeder can encounter on this journey to try to create wonderful puppies and place them in loving homes. But, there is a very nice family in Colorado that is sad to hear the news. Diane contacted me back in March, and while I had Shimmer x Switch puppies available, she wanted to wait until her youngest child attended school in the autumn so that she could dedicate all the time necessary to their new puppy. Doozie was due in season in the summer and pups should have been available in September - perfect timing for them. When I chose (sort of as a last minute decision) to breed Yoli to Switch (as a final litter for her and to figure out where Shimmer acquired her “red” color gene), I let Diane know. But, she wanted to wait for a pup out of Boon that would be born in the fall. Then, Doozie did not come into season as planned (which is not unusual - not every dog is on a perfect six month schedule). Finally, the breeding took place, but the autumn puppy became a Christmas pup. When I saw the x-ray, today, I was not surprised. I have never taken a bitch to get an x-ray before because I have always been able to tell they were pregnant by this time. But, I was very sad for Diane and her family who have been planning for their new puppy for what seems to be forever. I guess this is sort of like those “adoption” shows on TV - where the folks wait and wait for their new baby, then it falls through, but in the end they get their baby.
No Christmas puppies this year - and I love so much to make the puppy videos with a Christmas theme. Here’s one I remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOBaTz-B1wY
For the most part, I think people are too frightened to give other people constructive feedback. But, without it, it can be very challenging to improve oneself. So, while it may sting at first, I consider feedback a gift. Once in a while, I am granted a glimpse of someone else’s view on the world as it applies to me. I try to use it to my advantage to offer better service or to improve our processes.
A few months back a client traveled over 14 hours to bring us her dog. I understand that when you travel so far it’s hard to be accurate about when you might arrive. However, we must conduct our business with our clients on a “by appointment” schedule because of the nature of our work. She called three hours before her planned appointment to drop off her dog for Board and Train and asked whether we could receive her dog. Sometimes, that is an option. But, mostly, our days revolve around tasks which require some set-up and tear-down, so to speak. She happened to arrive on the day my book was due to the publisher, and I was doing last minute work on that while watching the clock for the last possible moment I could get out of the house and to the FedEx office in time to ship the manuscript to meet my contractual deadline, and to get back, again, before her late afternoon appointment.
If we are working with a client dog we are not running a timer. The dog usually defines the length of the training session (in that we constantly pay attention to the dog’s reaction to learning something and adjust accordingly). If a dog decides to protest with her teeth (as in she tries to bite when we expect her to lie down, for example), that training session must run its course until the dog relinquishes her peception that she can resist compliance with force. That can take some dogs two minutes, and others it can require 20 times as long. We once worked with a feral Border Collie (as in, when she arrived she acted more like a wild fox than a domestic dog). It took us an hour to break her to a lead. Most dogs, it takes 10 minutes. Robert often has client dogs out in our reception area to mingle together in a “small indoor” location, since some dogs do not act out towards other dogs when they feel the freedom and open space of an outdoor yard. It is a fine line that he dances when he is working with the aggressive dogs – push them too hard, they can end up in a fight, but refrain from dealing with the dogs’ fears, and they never learn how to recalibrate their perception of the world. We simply cannot risk our client dogs’ safety by having an “open door” policy about arrival times. I feel that we need to have time to end a training session in ample time to have the dogs secured to provide uninterrupted time to spend with clients when they drop off their dogs for training.
Although I informed the woman that I was not going to be available to receive her dog until the specified time (three hours later, as originally planned), she chose to arrive a few minutes later and sit in her car in our driveway to wait. It left me with the sensation that I was now captive in my own home, as her car blocked both my car and Robert’s vehicle from exiting the property. It was an eerie feeling – like driving with someone “tail-gaiting” behind me. It was sensation that she was intentionally putting pressure on me by her presence. When I was ready to ship the manuscript, I went out to the driveway and up to her vehicle. It was still two hours before her scheduled appointment. Although it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to receive a dog, it can take over 45 minutes if the owners ask questions, or if I feel a need to chat with the folks based on how I perceive them or their dog. So, I informed the client that I could take in her dog, then, if it were a brief meeting, or she could allow me to get out of my driveway, go to town to ship the manuscript, then return for her – at which time it would be closer to her appointment time, and I would be free for as long as need be, if she had questions.
During the drop off appointment, she asked a typical question about how much the dog would be trained. Then, she asked if he actually would be trained, rather than just boarded for the duration. I understand folks have reservations when they leave their dog somewhere, but some questions truly insult me. It is a question of integrity whether we plan to the job for which we are being paid. So, I am taken aback by such inquiries. I actually had to ask her to repeat her question because I wasn’t certain why she would ask such a thing.
A few days later she wrote an email stating that she had reservations about whether we would train her dog because “nothing was happening” when she arrived to drop off her dog. There was the Aha! moment I needed to understand her questioning. I did not know what she expected to see, but, clearly she didn’t see the “activity” she needed to make herself feel comfortable that we would work with her dog. Of course, she did not know that I had one of the client dogs doing a “down stay” next to my chair in my office while I reviewed my manuscript for the publisher – and was making certain that he ignored my cat. She didn’t know that Robert had three other dogs in the reception area with him working on social skills and obedience. He could have just as easily been in a back field out of her sight or in our training building, as well, with a dog or two, and she would not have seen him, there, either. We could have also been at the city park in Vandalia in the three hours before her arrival. We often take client dogs there because there are good distractions like kids on skateboards, squirrels, other dogs pulling their owners about, and people on bicycles. So, she would have never seen that “going on” from our driveway. She had a perception that she would see “something going on” and when she didn’t, she figured that nothing does go on.
I’m happy that she chose to make the comment about her perception. Otherwise, I would have never known it was on her mind. I want the drop off appointment times to be uninterrupted and calm. For the most part, dogs that arrive for training are fairly anti-social (either excessively exuberant and lacking manners, fearful or aggressive). I don’t want to put owners into the position of having to control their dogs around other dogs at the drop off appointment because that is why they are bringing their dogs to us in the first place; they are struggling with controlling their dogs in the presence of distractions. The need for a quiet drop off appointment is, however, just my opinion. Robert doesn’t seem to mind working with dogs when the new clients arrive, and it has always been a bone of contention for us. I feel like he is disrupting an important time I have with the clients. Apparently, that sort of activity would be comforting for some clients.
For the most part, I think people are too frightened to give other people constructive feedback. But, without it, it can be very challenging to improve oneself. So, while it may sting at first, I consider feedback a gift. Once in a while, I am granted a glimpse of someone else’s view on the world as it applies to me. I try to use it to my advantage to offer better service or to improve our processes.
A few months back a client traveled over 14 hours to bring us her dog. I understand that when you travel so far it’s hard to be accurate about when you might arrive. However, we must conduct our business with our clients on a “by appointment” schedule because of the nature of our work. She called three hours before her planned appointment to drop off her dog for Board and Train and asked whether we could receive her dog. Sometimes, that is an option. But, mostly, our days revolve around tasks which require some set-up and tear-down, so to speak. She happened to arrive on the day my book was due to the publisher, and I was doing last minute work on that while watching the clock for the last possible moment I could get out of the house and to the FedEx office in time to ship the manuscript to meet my contractual deadline, and to get back, again, before her late afternoon appointment.
If we are working with a client dog we are not running a timer. The dog usually defines the length of the training session (in that we constantly pay attention to the dog’s reaction to learning something and adjust accordingly). If a dog decides to protest with her teeth (as in she tries to bite when we expect her to lie down, for example), that training session must run its course until the dog relinquishes her peception that she can resist compliance with force. That can take some dogs two minutes, and others it can require 20 times as long. We once worked with a feral Border Collie (as in, when she arrived she acted more like a wild fox than a domestic dog). It took us an hour to break her to a lead. Most dogs, it takes 10 minutes. Robert often has client dogs out in our reception area to mingle together in a “small indoor” location, since some dogs do not act out towards other dogs when they feel the freedom and open space of an outdoor yard. It is a fine line that he dances when he is working with the aggressive dogs – push them too hard, they can end up in a fight, but refrain from dealing with the dogs’ fears, and they never learn how to recalibrate their perception of the world. We simply cannot risk our client dogs’ safety by having an “open door” policy about arrival times. I feel that we need to have time to end a training session in ample time to have the dogs secured to provide uninterrupted time to spend with clients when they drop off their dogs for training.
Although I informed the woman that I was not going to be available to receive her dog until the specified time (three hours later, as originally planned), she chose to arrive a few minutes later and sit in her car in our driveway to wait. It left me with the sensation that I was now captive in my own home, as her car blocked both my car and Robert’s vehicle from exiting the property. It was an eerie feeling – like driving with someone “tail-gaiting” behind me. It was sensation that she was intentionally putting pressure on me by her presence. When I was ready to ship the manuscript, I went out to the driveway and up to her vehicle. It was still two hours before her scheduled appointment. Although it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to receive a dog, it can take over 45 minutes if the owners ask questions, or if I feel a need to chat with the folks based on how I perceive them or their dog. So, I informed the client that I could take in her dog, then, if it were a brief meeting, or she could allow me to get out of my driveway, go to town to ship the manuscript, then return for her – at which time it would be closer to her appointment time, and I would be free for as long as need be, if she had questions.
During the drop off appointment, she asked a typical question about how much the dog would be trained. Then, she asked if he actually would be trained, rather than just boarded for the duration. I understand folks have reservations when they leave their dog somewhere, but some questions truly insult me. It is a question of integrity whether we plan to the job for which we are being paid. So, I am taken aback by such inquiries. I actually had to ask her to repeat her question because I wasn’t certain why she would ask such a thing.
A few days later she wrote an email stating that she had reservations about whether we would train her dog because “nothing was happening” when she arrived to drop off her dog. There was the Aha! moment I needed to understand her questioning. I did not know what she expected to see, but, clearly she didn’t see the “activity” she needed to make herself feel comfortable that we would work with her dog. Of course, she did not know that I had one of the client dogs doing a “down stay” next to my chair in my office while I reviewed my manuscript for the publisher – and was making certain that he ignored my cat. She didn’t know that Robert had three other dogs in the reception area with him working on social skills and obedience. He could have just as easily been in a back field out of her sight or in our training building, as well, with a dog or two, and she would not have seen him, there, either. We could have also been at the city park in Vandalia in the three hours before her arrival. We often take client dogs there because there are good distractions like kids on skateboards, squirrels, other dogs pulling their owners about, and people on bicycles. So, she would have never seen that “going on” from our driveway. She had a perception that she would see “something going on” and when she didn’t, she figured that nothing does go on.
I’m happy that she chose to make the comment about her perception. Otherwise, I would have never known it was on her mind. I want the drop off appointment times to be uninterrupted and calm. For the most part, dogs that arrive for training are fairly anti-social (either excessively exuberant and lacking manners, fearful or aggressive). I don’t want to put owners into the position of having to control their dogs around other dogs at the drop off appointment because that is why they are bringing their dogs to us in the first place; they are struggling with controlling their dogs in the presence of distractions. The need for a quiet drop off appointment is, however, just my opinion. Robert doesn’t seem to mind working with dogs when the new clients arrive, and it has always been a bone of contention for us. I feel like he is disrupting an important time I have with the clients. Apparently, that sort of activity would be comforting for some clients.
Usher at 4 months, wearing his “In Training” cape - what a cutie!
Robert with Kira, at 5 months old.
Kira is a German Shepherd Dog that Robert is training.
The tan and white pit-bull dragged its owner into the door with immense force. It was like a locomotive charging through the threshold of our reception area. On a harness, of course, a dog had the most power and control over the person at the other end of the lead, and this dog was on a harness. But, I suspect he would have been as out of control even on a collar and lead. He was muzzled and still the owner seemed frantic and terrified that the dog might injure one of us.
The only act of aggression that the owners described to us prior to setting up the training/rehabilitation, was a minor bite of an employee at a grooming salon. Supposedly, the person walked by the dog that was upon a table and was bitten on the hand. The dog’s owner claimed that he inspected the bite and it was really just a red spot, not really a puncture wound. Yet, their frantic nature told me otherwise. The dog seemed to be a ticking time bomb. But, with such frenzied, uptight owners, could I really blame the dog? Could a bite such as the one described really warrant such mania in the dog’s owner?
Note to self: Gut feel is usually more accurate than testimony from a dog’s owner.
They had driven for over 18 hours from the east coast to bring him here – no questions asked about price. That’s usually a fairly big red flag. We were paid the 50% of the dog’s training in cash and the thought crossed my mind that they would never come back – knowing that we were dog-lovers and would find him a new home. There are stranger things that can happen in life, and I knew something was amiss with this couple, but then I remembered the statement about meatballs. On the application, the owner had disclosed that the dog only ate homemade meatballs and she worried that he might not eat while he was here. Could someone who made fresh meatballs each day for her dog really relinquish it to anyone? I felt as if they had withheld some information from us about the dog, I just wasn’t certain what it was. We would probably find out, anyway, during the time the dog was here. And, we did.
Four weeks later they arrived for their pick up appointment. Within the first 15 minutes she spilled her guts. The woman apparently either didn’t remember withholding her dog’s history, or she felt that she could now come clean – I’m pretty certain it was the latter. The dog had attached four other dogs and the fourth dog did not survive the attack. OMG. Their dog had killed another dog and somehow they failed to mention that little detail. Of course, within the first 24 hours that the dog was here, Robert (who is incredibly keen at reading a dog and also exceptional at rehabilitating them), realized that the dog failed to warn before it would strike and it had a terrible stalking/eyeing/predatory-based habit. When I suggested that it would have been prudent of them to share the information on the dog’s aggression issues with other dogs, I learned how none of the other trainers that they contacted would touch the dog with a ten foot pole once they shared the stories. So, I guess they learned it would be best to just sort of leave out the details. Either they thought we were incredibly stupid or incredibly good at what we do – so that we don’t need to know the details. I believe their opinion morphed from the former to the latter, once they saw their dog, again.
I also learned that the dog had been banished from their town and that they were residing in a trailer at a campground to be able to keep their dog. Sadly, since the woman was the primary care giver for her deaf and partially blind 91 year old mother, they had forced the frail old woman to reside with them at the RV park. “My mother wants to sleep in her own house, but we cannot go home until the dog is accepted back in the town”. OMG. Freshly made meatballs was one thing – but putting the dog before a frail old woman was disturbing.
During the dog’s stay here, the woman had asked me, in different ways, to participate in testifying that the dog had a “new” attitude on life, and would not ever be aggressive again. Of course, all I knew about was the minor bite of a grooming salon employee, but I also understood that because the dog was a breed that was not often tolerated (sometimes Pitbulls are banned entirely from a community without requiring any sort of act of aggression), that the one incidence could have been all that was necessary, in their town, to require that they relinquish their dog or get it “out of Dodge”, so to speak. But, I did not know that they had moved to a new community, and that the 91 year old woman was sleeping in a trailer in a campground because of it. Regardless of the extenuating circumstances, I know better than to proclaim that a dog may never become aggressive, even after a long stay in rehabilitation. In much the say way that a child will behave differently at school than at home, or at a grandparent’s home versus a neighbor’s house, a dog senses how permissive an individual is and whether that person is dedicated to first communicating and then upholding rules for conduct. The same dog can change its behavior within moments depending upon who is holding the lead. After explaining that, I hoped that the dog’s owner understood why I could not create the document she had hoped to acquire from me. Even the most even tempered dog can bite if the circumstances are right (or rather, wrong). A very even keeled, stable, socially compliant person can turn to violence, too, under certain conditions. There are no guarantees in life. I believe they came to understand.
The two basic lessons in this story are:
1. Dogs will let us know their demons, their habits and the ways of their owners. So, while I understand (but do not condone) why these folks chose to deceive us about the dog’s killing ways, the dog told us who he was, we just had to listen.
2. Any dog can bite. No professional would “guarantee” that a dog could never choose to use his teeth if that trainer understood the basic premise that a dog is a reflection of his relationship with the owner.
Here’s a video clip of the dog during rehabilitation at DarnFar Ranch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRiNUp6EBa0
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Usher continues to amaze me. He’s calm and gentle and thoughtful. We took him to OH to get Liam (Border Collie puppy). The Fogt’s three year old daughter lead him around on a leash and he was tolerant and composed. For a 15 week old pup, I think he was remarkable.
Here’s a photo of him (with Kira behind):
I’ve been away from the Blog for over a week due to some atypical activities which are taking up much time.
Early last week, we traveled to Ohio (and back in one, very long day) to acquire a new baby puppy. Bruce and Linda Fogt, who need no introduction to anyone in the Border Collie herding world, had a litter and I was lucky enough to get a cute male pup whom I have named Liam (as his father is imported from Ireland).
Liam’s mother is Linda Fogt’s Annie and his sire is Dal Kratzer’s Imp. Shep.
Liam is black and white, smooth coat.
Usher (who is 15 weeks old in this photo) traveled with us to Ohio and was a wonderful traveling companion for Liam on the long drive home.
Baby Liam at 8 weeks old.