Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Working with Kevin
I've finally decided to really figure out what is going on with me and Stevie. I've taken him to Kevin, we just had our second visit. Such a process. I'm keeping a training journal and will share things here from time to time.
Marley Goes Home
After a lot of thought, and two weeks away from my animals, I decided that I need to focus on Stevie and Marley needed a new home. I contacted SAP Rescue and Sonja urged me to call a woman who had been checking in with her for a few months looking for a young terrier type. We met several times and transitioned Marley over to her. He has a fabulous new home with a wonderful low-key owner, he's finally home, in the right home.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Fetch Game Evolves - Fetch with a Terrier
This is extracted from an email I sent to Neil Sattin, regarding the evolution of Fetch with Marley:
we've tried some new stuff with Marley and fetch, and it seems to be working out.
He would get too wound up to even release the ball, crazy jaw action, he would yelp and lunge if it wasn't instantly thrown, and even slam into you upon returning with the ball. We had a devil of a time getting the final ball from him. I even offered him fresh lamb and he refused it.
The progression:
stop using the chuck-it.
always be in throw position (a non-verbal "ready?!")
switch back to tennis balls
short throws
allow him to keep the ball at the end and kill it and skin it
use the 'dead' ball as the last ball he gets when we end the game (so we just have a few dead balls on hand).
The game is now far, far more rhythmic than it was before, he drops the deadball before we even leave the yard and runs right to his crate for a treat. (no lunging at us for more balls)
I have to give credit to Jan Fennell, she had a terrier client who required the tennis ball to be killed and went into a total panic when he was unable to puncture one particular ball.
From an NDT perspective, I think the ball is full of energy (the bouncing on the ground , AND the feel of it in his jaws) being a terrier he's relentless at the kill, and as soon as it's dead (literally and figuratively - which is the same for him I guess), the fun is gone and he's done.
I have to confess that a few times the cat brought home maimed rodents to torture (we always rescue the birds) we have let Marley have the pleasure of killing and eating them. He's much faster at it than the cat - like lightning. I don't know if all the imprints of killing and ending the hunt have helped with the fetch thing, but things have certainly shifted.
we've tried some new stuff with Marley and fetch, and it seems to be working out.
He would get too wound up to even release the ball, crazy jaw action, he would yelp and lunge if it wasn't instantly thrown, and even slam into you upon returning with the ball. We had a devil of a time getting the final ball from him. I even offered him fresh lamb and he refused it.
The progression:
stop using the chuck-it.
always be in throw position (a non-verbal "ready?!")
switch back to tennis balls
short throws
allow him to keep the ball at the end and kill it and skin it
use the 'dead' ball as the last ball he gets when we end the game (so we just have a few dead balls on hand).
The game is now far, far more rhythmic than it was before, he drops the deadball before we even leave the yard and runs right to his crate for a treat. (no lunging at us for more balls)
I have to give credit to Jan Fennell, she had a terrier client who required the tennis ball to be killed and went into a total panic when he was unable to puncture one particular ball.
From an NDT perspective, I think the ball is full of energy (the bouncing on the ground , AND the feel of it in his jaws) being a terrier he's relentless at the kill, and as soon as it's dead (literally and figuratively - which is the same for him I guess), the fun is gone and he's done.
I have to confess that a few times the cat brought home maimed rodents to torture (we always rescue the birds) we have let Marley have the pleasure of killing and eating them. He's much faster at it than the cat - like lightning. I don't know if all the imprints of killing and ending the hunt have helped with the fetch thing, but things have certainly shifted.
Yet more thoughts on dog fighting
Marley and Stevie have been at peace for many weeks now. They play together, wrestling, they gang up on Baker, they act pretty normally to my eye. One of them always disengages if things start to shift. Four and five weeks ago I was still interrupting the slightest hint of posturing, which they were very responsive to. The past four weeks there has been no need they have been so congenial with each other.
Today they fought. I'm examining the contributing factors:
They got stiff with each other a few times yesterday. There's been a bit of tension in our house with Sean preparing for a trip and lots of end-of-year school activities. I have not been really connecting with my kids or the animals, just going through the motions of making sure everyone gets their needs met.
We had an extended family incident yesterday that left me extremely angry and sleepless last night.
I took Marley in for grooming where they used electric clippers on him, which I imagine loaded him up pretty good, it also removed all of the hair overlapping his eyes and gave his body more defined lines.
I was in lala-land when I put Marley in the yard, then brought out Stevie and Baker, anxious to let them all do their business, especially since Stevie had diarrhea this morning. They were stiff and posturing before I even opened the gate. What was I thinking?
They immediately ripped into each other, with no small amount of rage. I can only reflect that I was watching my own rage express itself, fueled with pent up energy from the clipping and a lack of morning exercise, compounded by Marley's new appearance and smell.
Where we go to recover from this and get back to the wonderful place we were may require some serious time in the dirt, literally and figuratively. It is no coincidence that I have been doing some intense gardening and have felt euphoric from my time in the dirt. The dogs have also enjoyed laying in the dirt, Stevie in particular, they all become very playful, most especially Baker.
Today they fought. I'm examining the contributing factors:
They got stiff with each other a few times yesterday. There's been a bit of tension in our house with Sean preparing for a trip and lots of end-of-year school activities. I have not been really connecting with my kids or the animals, just going through the motions of making sure everyone gets their needs met.
We had an extended family incident yesterday that left me extremely angry and sleepless last night.
I took Marley in for grooming where they used electric clippers on him, which I imagine loaded him up pretty good, it also removed all of the hair overlapping his eyes and gave his body more defined lines.
I was in lala-land when I put Marley in the yard, then brought out Stevie and Baker, anxious to let them all do their business, especially since Stevie had diarrhea this morning. They were stiff and posturing before I even opened the gate. What was I thinking?
They immediately ripped into each other, with no small amount of rage. I can only reflect that I was watching my own rage express itself, fueled with pent up energy from the clipping and a lack of morning exercise, compounded by Marley's new appearance and smell.
Where we go to recover from this and get back to the wonderful place we were may require some serious time in the dirt, literally and figuratively. It is no coincidence that I have been doing some intense gardening and have felt euphoric from my time in the dirt. The dogs have also enjoyed laying in the dirt, Stevie in particular, they all become very playful, most especially Baker.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Marley and Fetch or Fetch/Tug
Marley is ball crazy. Loopy, nutso, out of his freakin' bean when there is a moving ball in his environment - I know this isn't good. He loves fetch though, and I really wanted to introduce him to Fetch Tug from Neil Sattin's Natural Dog Blog
I brought out the hoses that Neil recommends and while Marley was willing to fetch them (my dogs seem to find rubber an unnatural retrieval materials, so I have to ask them to "bring" rubber toys to me until they get over the smell/taste) even a mild, minor, barely there game of tug made him ballistic. The hoses were both shredded in one session and he was an airborne, bouncing, screeching, teeth gnashing beast, all 23 lbs of him - in my face.
Next day I tried the game again. This time no tugging, just fetching. It was ended fairly quickly when he made a full body launch that included my finger.
Next session we switched toys to a 12 inch rope tug, two of them. He was still vocalizing and leaping, and the game ended with a full body launch that involved half of my hand.
Session after that, bruised, but still game, because I'm sure there's going to be improvement somewhere along the line, we head out with the two rope tugs. After a few tosses, a young man helping out at the store next door started up a conversation over the fence. As he came around to the other side, I found myself mostly chatting with him while Marley was engaged in a full spirited, QUIET, non-bouncy, non-lunging very grounded game of fetch. With each return he released the tug and lay on the ground for the next toss.
The light bulb went off. Fetch is hugely stimulating for him. My voice and eye contact and general focus on him just put him over the top. The conversation redirected my focus and Marley was able to get in a fetch groove that felt good without my added stimulus.
We've had a few wonderful fetch games since then (I listen to the birds, or contemplate a new Yoga pose: Mountain Pose with Tug Toy) and today we threw a little tugging into it after he was tired and in a groove, which he quietly enjoyed.
It was awesome, and I am so grateful that he finally has a fetch game that feels good and doesn't overwhelm him.
I brought out the hoses that Neil recommends and while Marley was willing to fetch them (my dogs seem to find rubber an unnatural retrieval materials, so I have to ask them to "bring" rubber toys to me until they get over the smell/taste) even a mild, minor, barely there game of tug made him ballistic. The hoses were both shredded in one session and he was an airborne, bouncing, screeching, teeth gnashing beast, all 23 lbs of him - in my face.
Next day I tried the game again. This time no tugging, just fetching. It was ended fairly quickly when he made a full body launch that included my finger.
Next session we switched toys to a 12 inch rope tug, two of them. He was still vocalizing and leaping, and the game ended with a full body launch that involved half of my hand.
Session after that, bruised, but still game, because I'm sure there's going to be improvement somewhere along the line, we head out with the two rope tugs. After a few tosses, a young man helping out at the store next door started up a conversation over the fence. As he came around to the other side, I found myself mostly chatting with him while Marley was engaged in a full spirited, QUIET, non-bouncy, non-lunging very grounded game of fetch. With each return he released the tug and lay on the ground for the next toss.
The light bulb went off. Fetch is hugely stimulating for him. My voice and eye contact and general focus on him just put him over the top. The conversation redirected my focus and Marley was able to get in a fetch groove that felt good without my added stimulus.
We've had a few wonderful fetch games since then (I listen to the birds, or contemplate a new Yoga pose: Mountain Pose with Tug Toy) and today we threw a little tugging into it after he was tired and in a groove, which he quietly enjoyed.
It was awesome, and I am so grateful that he finally has a fetch game that feels good and doesn't overwhelm him.
Thoughts on dog fighting
Marley and Stevie started fighting in January. With the exception of one time, it was always over space, and always in front of me. At first I thought they should work it out, but it quickly became obvious that that approach would result in injury or worse. Marley does not give in, even when Stevie repeatedly offers him opportunity to back away.
Interestingly Stevie is the one who was twice injured with significant punctures. Marley was sore, and his skin abraded, but Stevie never broke his skin even when thrashing him and holding him by the neck. He seemed frustrated, like he just wanted Marley to STOP. I also thought it seemed a lot like two kids thrashing each other.
We used the wheelbarrowing technique (from Leerburg.com) to split them up. The final (I hope) fight was in the yard, and I was alone. After contemplating a 2x8 (seriously), running into the house several times to get leashes and caribiners to tie them each to the fence, and finally deciding to go with a bottle of lime juice to avoid owner inflicted injury. It actually worked and kept them apart so we could make a safe transition to crates in the house.
The downside of the lime is that Stevie now won't play tug with me, but we're working on recovering from that.
I did have to juice them twice more at later dates to interrupt some posturing.
Neil Sattin and Kevin Behan both suggest looking at your home when dogs are fighting. What is going on among the humans? The dogs are our mirrors. After entertaining several possibilities, it occurred to me that their behavior was a fairly accurate mirror of my 11 and 13 year old daughters who have been struggling with space and privacy issues in just the past few months, and at times have gotten downright nasty with each other. They are otherwise best friends and have a very cooperative relationship.
Once we talked about this, the girls themselves suggested the dogs were mirroring their behavior. My older daughter said "she won't leave me alone and I just want to explode and make her stop!" Much to the delight of the younger one, she pointed out that Stevie must be her sister.
My house is peaceful. I will still not leave the dogs alone uncrated while we are not home for now, but it feels like we have an understanding of what has transpired, and my kids know that unspoken and unresolved feelings carry weight and have a bearing on ALL of us.
Interestingly Stevie is the one who was twice injured with significant punctures. Marley was sore, and his skin abraded, but Stevie never broke his skin even when thrashing him and holding him by the neck. He seemed frustrated, like he just wanted Marley to STOP. I also thought it seemed a lot like two kids thrashing each other.
We used the wheelbarrowing technique (from Leerburg.com) to split them up. The final (I hope) fight was in the yard, and I was alone. After contemplating a 2x8 (seriously), running into the house several times to get leashes and caribiners to tie them each to the fence, and finally deciding to go with a bottle of lime juice to avoid owner inflicted injury. It actually worked and kept them apart so we could make a safe transition to crates in the house.
The downside of the lime is that Stevie now won't play tug with me, but we're working on recovering from that.
I did have to juice them twice more at later dates to interrupt some posturing.
Neil Sattin and Kevin Behan both suggest looking at your home when dogs are fighting. What is going on among the humans? The dogs are our mirrors. After entertaining several possibilities, it occurred to me that their behavior was a fairly accurate mirror of my 11 and 13 year old daughters who have been struggling with space and privacy issues in just the past few months, and at times have gotten downright nasty with each other. They are otherwise best friends and have a very cooperative relationship.
Once we talked about this, the girls themselves suggested the dogs were mirroring their behavior. My older daughter said "she won't leave me alone and I just want to explode and make her stop!" Much to the delight of the younger one, she pointed out that Stevie must be her sister.
My house is peaceful. I will still not leave the dogs alone uncrated while we are not home for now, but it feels like we have an understanding of what has transpired, and my kids know that unspoken and unresolved feelings carry weight and have a bearing on ALL of us.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
How to teach your dog to eat POO
Marley is ball obsessed. I learned this in the fall, when the apples fall from the trees. Bright green tennis ball imitating apples.
Marley discovered these and in his quest to kill them, ended up learning that they gave a nice crunch, so he started eating them. This lead to loose stools, urgency and a totally off kilter crate schedule.
At one point he squished his way through the cat door we have in the fence (since removed of course) and spent about a half hour frantically eating apples before I figured out what was going on. By then the apples were fermenting and his belly was HUGE, so on the vet's advice we had him regurgitate. It was an impressive amount, and as a side note, the hydrogen peroxide must interact with something in the apples, because it was almost instantaneous.
Baker and Stevie have done a doggie-see, doogie-do and have started mimicking Marley's behavior. Their stools have obvious apple chunks in them, and now, Marley has started to eat their stools.
Wait, it gets better.
I'm trying to stay on top of hundreds of dropped apples (these are my neighbors trees, huge overgrown trees that hang over my fence - to be pruned shortly) and pick up every piece of poo without hovering, and the winter weather arrives. Frozen poo, frozen apples. It doesn't get any better than that.
At this point Marley has progressed from apple laden stool eating to eating any stool he can find, except apparently his own. Frozen stool are his favorite, and I can assure you that in 14 inches of fresh powder snow, a human with a shovel is not going to find them, but a dog with a nose sure is.
Now Marley is vomiting dog stool. He burps it too.
The snow is finally packed, stools are easier to find. All the animals have been wormed, the apples were cleaned up, but they still drop and here it is February. Pinecones are falling from the spruce tree, and they look suspiciously like stools, but they lack the crunch factor, because he hasn't started eating those yet.
And THAT is how a dog learns to eat poo.
Marley discovered these and in his quest to kill them, ended up learning that they gave a nice crunch, so he started eating them. This lead to loose stools, urgency and a totally off kilter crate schedule.
At one point he squished his way through the cat door we have in the fence (since removed of course) and spent about a half hour frantically eating apples before I figured out what was going on. By then the apples were fermenting and his belly was HUGE, so on the vet's advice we had him regurgitate. It was an impressive amount, and as a side note, the hydrogen peroxide must interact with something in the apples, because it was almost instantaneous.
Baker and Stevie have done a doggie-see, doogie-do and have started mimicking Marley's behavior. Their stools have obvious apple chunks in them, and now, Marley has started to eat their stools.
Wait, it gets better.
I'm trying to stay on top of hundreds of dropped apples (these are my neighbors trees, huge overgrown trees that hang over my fence - to be pruned shortly) and pick up every piece of poo without hovering, and the winter weather arrives. Frozen poo, frozen apples. It doesn't get any better than that.
At this point Marley has progressed from apple laden stool eating to eating any stool he can find, except apparently his own. Frozen stool are his favorite, and I can assure you that in 14 inches of fresh powder snow, a human with a shovel is not going to find them, but a dog with a nose sure is.
Now Marley is vomiting dog stool. He burps it too.
The snow is finally packed, stools are easier to find. All the animals have been wormed, the apples were cleaned up, but they still drop and here it is February. Pinecones are falling from the spruce tree, and they look suspiciously like stools, but they lack the crunch factor, because he hasn't started eating those yet.
And THAT is how a dog learns to eat poo.
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