The memorial of an old friend

Todays post was written by a friend of mine about her dog Buster. I found it to be a wonderful tribute and thought it should be shared. So many people discount adopting older pets but they need homes too. This is also the story of how an older dog touched one families heart, and an example of how they can bring so much love into a home.

My beloved dog Buster went to Heaven today at the age of 16. He was, and always will be, the best dog ever. His contribution to our lives is so significant that his story needs to be told, and I will try my best to do him justice.

We adopted Buster from the Knox County Humane Society when he was 11 years old. We had no plans to adopt a dog that day, or even to visit the shelter. But as the kids and I were on our way home from shopping, the Spirit moved me to stop there and “just look”. That’s what I told the shelter attendant when she greeted us; that we were “just looking”. She immediately pointed out the dog in the lobby with her, Buster, who she explained was like the shelter mascot. Everyone loved him, she said. Visibly, it was obvious he had come in as a mistreated and neglected animal. He had a skin condition and was missing fur in a number of places. He had warts on his face and body, his teeth were rotten, his ears were infected. And there were two baseball-sized growths on the front of his chest. Then she tells me he is 11 years old. Well I can tell you that if I had no intention of adopting when I came in, I certainly didn’t plan on adopting an elderly dog with a laundry list of health issues. She must have sensed my skepticism and quickly pointed out that he acted very young for his age, that the growths were only fatty tumors, that his other conditions would resolve with time and care, and that he really was a very sweet dog.
 

We decided we would just check out the other dogs. As the kids and I walked through the kennel, it was surprising how few dogs they had that day. And all of them seemed aggressive and unsuitable for our home. So we headed back to the lobby thinking we would leave, and Buster greeted us there. He looked up at me as if to say, are we going home now? Before I knew it, I was filling out paperwork to take him home on their “slumber party” program, where you can bring the dog back within a week if things don’t work out. He hopped into the car like he’d done it a hundred times. Since we had no plans to adopt that day, we needed to buy dog food. Not knowing how he would act in the car, I waited with him while the kids went in the store. Buster went on high alert, watching them go into the store and never taking his eyes of the entrance until they came back out. I was amazed that he had become so protective so quickly. But they were “his boy” and “his girl” from the moment he got into the car. And before we got back home, there was no question that he was our forever dog. I finalized the adoption right away.

The shelter gave me Buster’s file at the adoption. His history was shocking to me. He original owners had him for 10 years when they relinquished him to a shelter in southern Maine. The dog they described was not the dog I knew. They said he was aggressive, didn’t like children, and that the wife wanted him gone. But he was the sweetest, smartest dog I had ever met. To this day, I can not fathom how anyone who owned Buster for 10 minutes - let alone 10 years - could give him away. But based on his condition, they obviously didn’t love him. After that Buster was transferred in and out of shelters for over a year, and was adopted out for a 3 month period during that time. The people who relinquished him to KCHS cited the reason because he had a “bladder problem”. They also said he was left alone for 13 hours a day. That’s not a bladder problem, that’s a neglect problem. From this and other things we observed in his initial behavior, it was clear he had lived 11 years of abuse and neglect.

Even after we adopted him, he faced more struggles. We had Buster scheduled for surgery as soon as we could. He needed the large fatty tumors removed from his chest, as they were making it difficult for him to breath, and he needed many rotten teeth extracted. Surgery for an 11 year old dog can be rough, but he came through it with flying colors. In the few years that followed he was attacked by a neighborhood dog, and was practically ripped apart. But he completely recovered from that too. Then he suffered from canine vestibular syndrome, which is like a stroke. It was so bad that neither the doctors nor I thought he would survive. But not only did he survive, but he completely recovered again. He is the bravest, toughest dog ever!

God brought Buster and I together at one of the lowest points of my life. He gave me hope and peace and a joy that helped me face the trials of life. He understood me and cared for me and offered me companionship and comfort whenever I needed it. Some people say I rescued him. But the truth is that Buster saved me! And he taught me so many life lessons. For example, how to stop worrying about what people think of your appearances. Most people looked at Buster and saw his warts or tumors. But I saw his beautiful spirit. And so I learned not to be so critical of myself, and that what’s on the inside matters far more than what is on the outside. And he gave that unconditional love to my children too. It is entirely possible that without Buster, I might never have even met my husband. Buster also taught me how to slow down and look at life through kinder eyes. And especially in this past year as his body began to succumb to the ravages of old age, he helped me to cope with and accept my own physical disabilities. I took a lot of criticism from family and friends when I adopted “such an old dog”. But these years with Buster have been the best of my life and I wouldn’t trade my time with him for anything. My compassion for the struggles of the elderly has grown, as there is such a great need for people to open their hearts to the aged - both people and pets.

A friend shared this quote with me: “The magnitude of our grief when we lose someone special from our life is a measure of the magnitude of the love and blessings we have received from them.” This is true. However, there is no way to fully express all the joy and love he brought to my life. No way to truly honor what an amazing dog and friend he was. And there is equally no way to convey the grief our family is experiencing. We will miss him always and he will never be forgotten. What I pray for now is that his story will touch someone’s heart in a way that inspires them to advocate for animals and the elderly.

I believe with all my heart that God has taken Buster home with Him. I look forward to the day when he greets me at the gates of Heaven.

Buster: Best dog ever!

Helping animals one bottle at a time.

My local shelter has started a new donation program though "CLYNK". In case you haven't heard of it, let me walk you through. First you go to your local shelter or participating rescue group. In my case that is The Humane Society of Knox County. They give you a package of biodegradable plastic bags.

Each bag comes in a paper wrapper with a sticker on it. The sticker has a bar code specificly for that rescue group. You fill the bag with returnable bottles and cans.

When it is full you peel and place the sticker onto the bag in the assigned spot.

Then simply take the bag and drop it off at your local Hannaford grocery store collection point. This happens to be pretty convienient since I shop there anyways. The collection point scans the barcode and the money collected from the returnables goes into their account. You have nothing to keep track of AND they provide the bags so you aren't out anything but your drop off time. It is a fabulous program and SO easy to participate in. Please consider helping out your local shelters or rescue group. Those nickels might not mean much to you but they can add up to a heck of a lot of much needed funds for the animals in need.

A beautiful day for tracking

So this morning was absolutely beautiful. So much so that I decided to take advantage of my day off and take Jenny out for a tracking session. I admit I prefer nice weather when I train outside. I'm also not always raring to go in the mornings. To many years working late shifts in the military I suppose. My internal clock is set to "sleep in" and "stay up late". Not the best schedule for getting things done normally I know.

I've been meaning to work on her article indications. I can do that at home, but thought maybe doing it at one of our training fields might help her make the connection faster. Basically in AKC tracking you want them to follow the track exactly and let you know when you find something the "person" they are finding/following dropped. Jenny is a fast worker and tends to blow past them. But I think it was because I didn't concentrate on teaching her how to let me know she found one in the beginning of her training.

An article can be made of anything. Metal, plastic, cloth, and leather are just a few examples. I decided I want her to sit when she finds one. Or at least paw at it long enough for me to get to it before she moves on. So first I practiced with the articles individually. I used a clicker to get her to acknowledge it was there, then to put a foot on it, then to sit after she puts her foot on it. Once she grasped that I moved on to doing a few in a row. I rewarded her for the sit, then I would pick it up and moved to the next one. (photo above is staged and taken after we were finished training)

Here I have a cloth toy, a piece of see through plastic, a rubber tog toy, a pedometer, a metal bandaid box, a lego car and then a leather glove in a row. First I did the row on the pavement, then I did a row in the grass. Once I thought she had that I set up a couple tracks. The first was through a gully with 2 left turns. (shown below)

She did great until we overshot the first corner and I got lost. I forgot the simple rule of: "All dandelions look the same when you are on a track so don't use them as mental markers". Seriously. But we backtracked and I found it. Then she air scented and cut her corner so I need to work on that. For the next track I just did a straight line and used an extra amount of articles. She did pretty well even though I could tell she was tired.

I'm hoping to get to a group tracking practice on Sunday if my schedule allows. It is also hunting season and I am toying with the idea of getting her back into the bloodtracking as well. It is a lot of fun and I know she enjoys that because there are no articles to worry about and the end item is a yummy deer leg. I should probably chose one tracking sport and stick with that. It might make it all easier. I think sometimes I have ADD when it comes to dog events. I have a hard time choosing just one to concentrate on. I guess I need to work on that. Interested in Tracking? Check out the following site for books and equipment: www.pawmark.com



I love this plate!!



My 7 post challenge

I was tagged quite awhile ago in the 7 post challenge by: inu-baka blog: my seven posts 
Unfortunately I tend to over think these things hence my delay in getting it posted. I finally decided it wasn't cremation or casket, (my sons saying for when I am stuck on a decision) and therefore stopped thinking about it so much. So here are my 7 posts.
My most beautiful post: This is a tough one. I chose the one I thought had some good writing and that I want people to see because of the message it has in it. Judging a dog by it's breed is killing dogs and it needs to stop. It also makes me cry every time I think about it. So here is a Dog Named Worf.
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Most Popular Post: I had to go look at my stats to figure this one out. Here is: How to make your own Rally O sign holders.
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My Most Controversial: OK it was hard to pick just one. I guess I would need to go with these two based on comments and e-mail conversation I had after posting. Debunking the dominance myth and Alpha rolling in Wolves and Dogs.
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My Helpful Post: Again I couldn't narrow it down to just one. So here are a few that I think are most useful:  A lesson in canine greetings, and Loose Leash Walking. And for anyone with a dog that needs help with stairs: My own project runway.
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Success surprised you: Again I went back to my stats to see what came up alot. For some reason it was this post: Frenchie as Frankendog. I can only assume it has something to do with words searches somehow, though I have to wonder just what exactly they were searching for.
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Didn't get the attention it deserved: This one was easy for me to choose. Reading Facial Expressions in Dogs. I still haven't found any mention of "The Thinking Face" on other blogs or videos. I also think most info out there on reading facial expressions is geared to the non-flat faced breeds. I am unsure why that is.
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Most surprised you: This was a tough one. I'm not sure what constitutes surprise exactly. I chose a post I thought should have gotten more oohs and ahhhs than it did. My Dog Tattoo Quest Fulfilled. I was also hoping for other dog people to share their dog related ink! (You can even post photos on my facebook page!)
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Now I'm supposed to pass this on to 5 blogs I have been following but may have missed their more important posts. I chose these in no particular order:
Frogdog Blog
Retrieverman's Weblog
Of Cows' Tails and Chew Toys
Save the pitbull, save the world
The Spiritdance dog tracking and sheep herding blog

I'm also going to tag a new blog to my blogroll as well so I can get to know them better:
Lessons from and for 4 legs

Participation is completely optional and I will not be offended if you to chose to ignore the tag. Thanks for the challenge Jen!! Blog on!!

The squeaky wheel syndrome

I know I blog alot about Jenny. So much so that poor Jack gets left behind in the background. A lot. There is a saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". That is certainly true in this case. Jenny is much higher maintenence than Jack. Because of her allergy issues she has special foods and frequent vet trips. (Can you imagine Jack with allergies? Yikes!!) Because of her higher energy level she gets more training attention and more walks to burn off energy than Jack. I do take a lot of photos of Jack as well as Jenny but being his color many of them don't show his face very well. It is the curse of having a black faced dog. Lighting issues can be a problem.

Jack is an easy keeper on many levels. Thankfully he seems content to play second fiddle. How do we know if our dogs are really happy about their lives? I guess we can assume some things based on their behavior. He doesn't chew things up when he gets left behind out or boredom or anxiety. Of course I do leave him a kong and chewies so he has that instead. But maybe he is just lazy, kinda like his owner. I admit that I could never be a border collie person. I just don't have that kind of energy.

Thankfully Jack is a laid back dog who is also very tolerant of his bratty sister. You should see how she bosses him around! (She has no idea he could take her out if he chose. Ahhh the benefit of domestication!) He loves to have a good game of tug now and then and he likes to go to bed early. He hates to get his feet wet but standing in the rain doesn't phase him at all. He makes the most adorable chuffing sound when he is happy. He's not a big fan of walks on a leash but he loves to run in the woods. He loves attention and I'm pretty sure he thinks visitors have all come to see him.

But there is much more to Jack that I don't always remember to mention. I like to think of him as a working dog. He comes to the prison and helps socialize puppies or he's a distraction while we work them around him. He has helped me with reactive dog clients and he has helped socialize many chow puppies over the years. If there were ever a contest for BEST DOG EVER he would be nominee number 1.

He may be one of the sweetest dogs I have ever lived with. There will never be another dog like Jack for me. I am super blessed to have him and I know it. Because of this I think he may be my last akita. I just cannot imagine another that could fill his shoes! (um paws)

So this is my post all about Jack, a dog behind the scenes for sure but nonetheless loved and appreciated by us all. I've posted just a few of my favorite photos of him.

I hope we have many more years together. I cannot imagine how to be without him after all. Nor do I want to.

Book review ~ The Allergy Solution for Dogs

Just when I thought I was pretty caught up on all my events and could get back to blogging, I came down with a cold of some sort. Ugh. I muscled through the last two days at work but it wasn't fun. Today I just couldn't do it and stayed home. I'm feeling a little better at the moment, aside from a still burning throat, so thought I'd try to get at least one post done. I finally finished the book I bought awhile ago I picked up at Planet Dog on allergies. Here are my thoughts about it:

I also work as a receptionist at a conventional veterinary hospital so some of the info wasn't new to me. However I have to say I found it very well put together and I did learn a few things. More than a few actually. Even tho I work at a vet I don't consider myself one of those people who knows everything. Nor do I automatically assume just because someone is a vet that they know everything either. (much to the annoyance of my boss I am quite sure)

One thing I've learned is that I do have more options to try with Jenny. It helped explain a few things I didn't understand as well before too. Having gotten so much info and advice in the past on allergies in dogs, it was nice to have some things explained out in a way I could process it. My brain gets overwhelmed sometimes.

One of the things I have already started is trying to boost her immune system. One way I have approached that is to feed her a high quality food. Reading the book "Food pets die for~Shocking facts about pet food" by Ann Martin was a huge wake up call for me on this issue. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know how to read a pet food label and be able to decipher it! (Be sure to get the third edition.) It has all kinds of information about what is in pet foods that you need to know. Tho I disagree with her thoughts on raw feeding. I don't understand how she can dismiss a vets thoughts on selling their brand of food and then on the other hand agree with them on the dangers of feeding raw. An opinion which leads them to recommend clients buying their food. Hmmmm. I still think it is an important book on the subject regardless.

Anyone who has been reading this blog regularly knows I have tried a few different diets over the years. I've even done some raw feeding. While I support raw feeding, I just personally couldn't keep up with the work it entailed with everything else I have going on. I have two teens and a husband in the house and I don't cook for them either. Nuff said!

Because of my belief that real food is better for dogs than much of the processed stuff out there I have Jenny on The Honest Kitchen foods. It is a dehydrated diet that uses high quality ingredients to begin with. They are one of the few companies that can say they use Human Grade food in their pet foods! Aren't our pets worthy of food good enough for US to eat? Why are we feeding so many of them our waste from our cast off food products? It is also processed an a FDA inspected human food facility alongside food for human consumption. But I digress. (You can check out their website yourself FMI.)

She is currently on the Force formula which I just switched her to. I have also used the Zeal formula and the Keen formula. I'm also giving her the THK invigor supplement (an antioxidant for the immune system) and their sparkle supplement. (supports healthy skin and coat) As well as an omega 3 supplement, allerplex, dermatrophin, coconut oil, and plant enzymes/probiotic. I am planning on trying a few more things I read about in the book too. I am curently weaning her off some Temeril-P which I had her on for a spell to keep her comfortable. (It is a low dose steroid and antihistimine.)

One of the other tips that was in the book was to use frequent baths to keep allergens off the dog. Since she tested allergic to dust mites (along with grain mites) I think this is an important step I have been slacking on. I'm going to try doing this more often to see if it helps.

Overall I can say I highly recommend the book to anyone who has a dog with allergies. It does say that there is no cure for some dogs with some of the issues, but it gives you some options to explore and questions to ask your vet. It helps you be a good advocate for your dog which is important. It is a book with a lot of great information on the subject and I'm glad I found it. I hope others find this review helpful.

**In looking through my bookshelf I realized how many dog books I still have waiting to be read! Stay tuned for a give-away including said books (slightly used) with some HK samples for anyone interested. I am still working out the details but I promise FREE STUFF soon!**

Fur and Foliage Followup

Saturday was the Humane Society of Knox County's annual Fur and Foliage fundraiser event. I am happy to say it went off without a hitch. The weather was fabulous and we had very good attendance. I was in charge of the "Try-your-luck" agility course and answered training and behavior questions for free. It is always fun watching kids (and adults) trying to get their dogs to co-operate on the course. The rules are: no pulling or pushing your dog to get them to go, and we want to see you having fun! I help whoever needs it on the course with lots of motivation in the form of cheese. Everyone gets some sort of prize at the end and a certificate. Our biggest competitor this year was a mastiff and our smallest was a dachshund. It was a hoot to watch.

We tried to add more vendors this year. Unfortunately some couldn't make it but we did have more than we had last year. My friends at The Smiling Frog Pets came and did very well. They donated some of the prizes for the agility contest too. CW studios glass work, Barefoot Books, and The Loyal Biscuit Co. were some of the others that made it. Thanks also to Tri Pom Chews for donating to our raffle even though they couldn't attend. We had a balloon artist that was amazing and a caricaturist too. We also had some live music this year which was new. I have to admit I was worried about that addition but it was fabulous.

We also had photos with Santa and this year added a fall scene area for photos as well. I thought it looked great. I only wish I had my own dogs there to take advantage of it. The Maine POM project was also in attendance and we had other fun stuff like face painting for the kids who were there. I saw lots of cat faces so I assume it was a hit. Lots of money was raised thanks to all of the walkers collecting donations. Congrats to Missy Parkerton and Joette Adams for being the top 2! These ladies have been in the top for about 3 years in a row now. How awesome are they?!!

Sadie from the K-9 Corrections program got to attend since she is currently looking for her new home. She is seen here wearing her "Adopt Me" vest. Extra thanks to Kim Grinell for making that for her at the last minute. She looked great!  I also got to see Mason at the event. He is one of the former K-9 Corrections dogs. His new name is Ollie and he is doing fabulous. I bought a few raffle tickets myself and this year even won a couple items! It was very surprising as I rarely win stuff. Especially stuff I really want. One was a bag of delicious Made in Maine chicken jerky from Tri-Pom Chews (I know it is delicious because Jack told me so!) and the other was a gift basket donated by the Loyal Biscuit. Nice! Before you say I am being selfish by keeping my prizes let me assure you that at least half of the stuff is headed to the prison for the K-9 Corrections dogs. I have always been good at sharing. :-)
I'm sure I am forgetting something important but those are the highlights as my brain has remembered them. I look forward to next year as we plan in it being even bigger and more fun. Stay tuned! Many more photos of the event can be seen on my facebook page. They aren't the best though since all I have for a camera at the moment is on my phone. As they say, something is sometimes better than nothing!

Woofstock Wrapup

Saturday I went to Woofstock 2011 with Jenny and a couple friends and their dogs. Angelica and Leo (above) and Ashley and Prudence. (below) I had a blast even tho I admit I almost didn't go. I'm not always a fan of these events. Let me explain. Going where there will be a lot of pet dog people and their dogs can stress me out. Mainly because pet dog people sometimes do things that they don’t realize can cause problems in a crowd of dogs. For instance: not keeping a close eye on their dog so they tangle people up in their dog’s retractable leash. Or they let their dog get to into another dogs face that isn’t appreciative of an unknown dog (to them) getting into that space. Or maybe they don’t realize their dog is too stressed out to relax and being on edge can cause them to lash out. I’ve seen a lot of things at some of these events that make me nervous. This is one example of a time ignorance is bliss. It is less of a problem at dog shows or trials where most of the people in attendance (show dog people and sport dog people) understand canine body language and don’t typically let their dogs get into another dogs space without permission.

But I did go and I had a great time. I also rarely take my dogs to these events. Mainly because I am usually working at them in some capacity. The last time I went to Woofstock I had one of the K-9 Corrections dogs with me at the shelters booth so he could be seen by potential adopters. There were lots of great vendors and many rescue groups as well as the POM Project. They also had some great demos of stuff like Agility and Frisbee and even Freestyle. I got asked to participate in the Freestyle class with Jenny by my friend Nancy of Gooddogz Training. Jenny LOVED it. Any chance to earn some treats is a good time for her. I have to admit she did well and I might need to consider trying out some Freestyle training in the future. This is her looking for crumbs between tricks.

Jenny ate A LOT of freebies from vendors. She also got to snarf up crumbs as she found them. I’m sure it was her idea of Heaven. In the future however I need to remind people that she is a SMALL dog and so therefore a small treat is more appropriate for her. I thought for sure she might have some bowel issues in her future. (the ride home was shall we say, odiferous) When she started asking to go out frequently the next day I wasn’t surprised. It turned out that she ended up with a urinary tract infection instead. (poor girl!) So she is currently on an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory.

Aside from hanging out with her doggy friends Leo and Prudence she also got to meet a bunch of other dogs, including a super cute pug puppy. She was so small I could have fit her in a pocket! Tho I suspect her family wouldn’t have been as excited by that as I was. There were all kinds of dogs in attendance in all sizes from Great Danes to Chihuahuas.

The event is put on by Aubry Martin of The Animal House. She does a fantastic job! The layout was super easy to navigate this year and I loved that the demo ring was smack in the middle. I can’t begin to remember all of the vendors but here are a few that I loved: Classic Hound had some fabulous martingale collars but I managed to control myself. (Tho they may be at the Fur and Foliage event this weekend and if so I may succumb to their charms. Yes I am a collar hoarder.) Zeldas Biscuit Bakery had some fabulous new flavors to try. Jenny gave them 4 paws up! Tripoms Chews is always a favorite of Jennys. Mmmm chicken! Uncommon Paws had my favorite Olly Dog treat pouches and the tiniest doggles I've ever seen! I also got to speak with Dr. Kjersten Morrison DVM of Mid-Coast Veterinary Acupuncture about Traditional Chinese medicine and Acupuncture for Jenny’s skin issues. I may be exploring that option down the road.

Of course there were also many pet food reps including one for my favorite, The Honest Kitchen. Speaking of which reminds me to brag about my awesome lawn sale find. At the event they have what they call a lawn sale area. It is all pet stuff that is donated by people and the proceeds go towards all the rescues that are attending. (all the proceeds from the event including tickets go towards all the rescues as well) Well I found not one but TWO cans of this! Guess how much I paid?? Now this is originally a $16.99 item. Go on, guess.

WRONG!!!

I got them for only ONE DOLLAR each!!!!! I felt like I had won the lottery. I was very excited. (you can probably tell) It is a supplement made by the Honest Kitchen that I was planning on getting at my local store to try. It is used to help support their immune system. Since Jenny has such chronic skin issues I thought this was a good one to try. I have also switched her to the Keen formula from Zeal. I read a very good article about how some dogs do need grains in their diet to thrive and thought I would try it for awhile. I do plan on switching her a couple more times to try some more formulas they offer as well. (Because I love that company!) Embark, Force and Thrive all seem like they are appropriate to try in the future. I want to get away from fish for awhile and see what happens. I have noticed that she seems to be getting a little hair growth in her neck area. (fingers crossed) I also have started her on this supplement:

It is supposed to be good for their skin and coat. We shall see. It smells good and she seems to love it. I am going to be getting a couple more supplements soon to add as well. I've been reading the book on allergies I picked up at Planet Dog awhile back and it is very good. It has given me a few other ideas of things to try for her. Suddenly I don't feel so overwhelmed by it all. Of course I may be changing my tune at any moment so think good thoughts for her. Here she is practicing a new trick we are working on mastering. (Excure the poor lighting. It was my phone camera.)

The ball is from The Smiling Frog Pets shop. Go check it out!

Special thanks to Ashley Bickford for the use of her Woofstock 2011 photos. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I need to get a new camera.

My excuses for not blogging

I have been super busy on all fronts. The vet clinic has been busy which means I come home exhausted and I am seeing clients left and right on top of that. (I saw my first ever Keeshond pup in the flesh this week! Cute!) I am also getting ready for the local shelters Fur and Foliage dog walk and hope to attend Woofstock  in Damariscotta this week as well. Last weekend was the local AKC dog show in Union to check out and I got to have lunch with Jen of Inu-Baka blog. (I even met Buckley!) If she lived closer we'd totally be BFF's. Squeeze in me attempting to get some knitting projects finished in my "spare time" before winter hits. (That makes me laugh just typing it!) ~sigh~

There needs to be more hours in the day for me, seriously. I promise I will post something of substance soon. I have a new leash to show off, news about the K-9 Corrections program, (Look for one of my handlers letters in the recent issue of Bark magazine!) and will be participating in a 7 blog post challenge. I just need a little more time to get some of that written up. One would think having a 4 day weekend for labor day would have helped. Nope! Those hours got sucked away in a vortex of "what happened to my day off ?" whirlwind of chores. I do post more on my facebook page for those that like to keep up with my outings and such. Using FB is much less time consuming than blogging. (at least for me)

Thanks for your patience and stay tuned!

Wordless Wednesday ~ From The Vault

The Virtual Agility League

I am a member of the APDT. (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) One of the benefits of that is I receive a subscription to The APDT Chronicle of the Dog. It is a nice magazine with lots of dog behavior and training articles. They also have ads for different dog related prducts and info about dog related sports and trials. In the latest issue there was a small ad for something that I thought I had to share. It is an agility skills recognition program called The Valor Project. Basicly it is a way for people to participate in agility trials that might not be able to otherwise. It is a virtual agility league.

From the website, what it is:

· An opportunity for reactive, or highly distracted dogs to demonstrate their agility skills

· An organization that welcomes all dogs, regardless of breed or mix of breeds

· An organization that welcomes dogs with disabilities, including deaf dogs, vision-impaired (but not completely blind) dogs, and dogs with three limbs

· An organization that places emphasis on skills and achievement recognition, rather than on speed and competition

· A possible starting point for dogs who may one day progress far enough to enter sanctioned agility trials with more training

· A possible option for people experiencing public appearance anxiety

· A possible option for people who live long a long distance away from trial sites

And what it isn't:

· A substitute or replacement for traditional agility competitions or sanctioning organizations

· An organization that offers placements within a class based on speed

· An organization that “labels” a dog! The virtual Agility League is not mutually exclusive with other agility organizations. You and your dog can compete in the Virtual Agility League without any particular reason for doing so, and also be simultaneously competing in sanctioned agility events, if you choose!

As soon as I read it I thought it was a fabulous idea. What a great way for people with dogs who might not be able to do something in a public venue to still participate!! This can be for many reasons. In this economy traveling to a trial isn't an option for some people who live far away from them. Or maybe public performing isn't your thing, or you have a dog that doesn't do well with a crowd around. Or maybe your dog isn't welcome in a regular trial for some reason. Disabled dogs and ALL breeds are welcome! You still need to get some training from a professional or at least find one with the equipment you can use for your video. But what a fantastic idea. I couldn't wait to help get the word out. If you go to youtube and type in Virtual Agility League you can see some participants. (when I tried linking, blogger wouldn't save the post for some reason)

What so you think? Is this something you would consider doing with your dogs? Why or why not?

K-9 Corrections ~ The rest of the story

Well the story has hit the papers already. On the front page of the weekend edition no less! Here is the link to the online version complete with video:

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/19/news/state/k-9-corrections-program-helps-inmates-dogs-learn-to-get-along/

I'm going to be a little nit-picky and add my corrections to the article:

While we are using marker training (both clicker and verbal) we also use the lure and reward method. It depends on the skill we are teaching in some cases. Asking Andy Pratt to help with Scuppers bell training was just about that specific demo for the reporter because he was more familiar with that exercise. I teach the "ring the bell" trick as a way to show the handlers how marker training works, step by step. It is also a great cue to teach the dog to ask to go outside for a potty break. Teaching this to the dog varies in the amount of time based on the individual dog and handler. I am unsure where the "It only takes 30 minutes to get it." quote came from. Perhaps that was the amount of time his dog Sadie learned it. The way it was described was also slightly wrong. When the dog looked at the bell first there was a click (or a verbal yes!) and then the treat was given. This way the dog understands what it was exactly that earned them the reward. (because we mark the behavior with a sound ~ hence the term marker training) They learn what they get "paid for" and what they don't.

I did not suspect Scupper of being a lab/rottie/boxer mix. That is what his paperwork from the shelter said he was. I would have just said lab mix if I were attempting to identify his breed with no other info. If he ever grows into his ears we are in trouble because they look like Great Dane ears to me!

But overall I am very pleased with how the article turned out. It certainly helps to have good press to get the word out for support. There are so many negative dog stories out there in the media so the good ones are always welcome.

For anyone wondering the videos and books we use on the program include the following.
Books: The thinking dog ~ Crossover to clicker training by Gail Tamases Fisher, How to teach a new dog old tricks by Ian Dunbar, Click your way to Rally Obedience by Pamela Dennison
Videos: The power of marker training by Leerburg, The language of dogs by Sarah Kalnajas, Ready to Rally by Clarrisa Bergeman
There are more but those are the major ones I can think of for now.

I'm also very pleased with how well the handlers conducted themselves with the reporters and how well they handled the pressure. Public speaking doesn't phase me anymore but I know it can be hard for other people. Especially those in the public eye in a potentially negative way. I thank them and all the previous handlers for their hard work on the program. I am only one spoke in the wheel towards our success. We have to work together to get the job done properly.

Boatyard Dog Trial fun

On Sunday I went with a friend (Prudence's mom) to watch a couple other friends and their dogs compete in the Boatyard Dog Trials at the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors show in Rockland. I was fortunate enough to have been a part of the trials a few years ago. Being part of it is nerve wracking, it was much more relaxing to cheer other people on. The contest has rules like: cheating is not only tolerated it is encouraged, and bribery will get you everywhere. The only "real" rule is that at least one of the team, dog or handler, MUST get completely wet. There is even an obstacle of getting in and then out of a tippy dingy to help make that happen.

The exciting part was that one of my friends won this year! Joel and Fenway, a rescue dog from our own local shelter, walked away with this years Pup Cup. Or swam was more like it. Here is the official news release here. And here is a super cute video showing a few of the participants. You can see more video and pics of their performance on their Loyal Biscuit facebook page. Or check out Fenways page. She is now even more of a local celebrity than before!

It was very exciting and it is one of those events that is always fun to watch. Congrats to Fenway and all the partcipants for putting on a great show.

(The above photo is Fenway with the rest of her family. Left to right: Buffy, Izzy, Chuck and Fenway. Aren't they a great looking crew?)

Got stress?

This morning was supposed to be easy. Sure I had a reporter coming to the prison to see the K-9 Corrections program and ask questions, but that wasn't a problem. I'm not shy and I think I'm ok with public speaking. I was also confident in my handers skills. I like to think I am good winging it and didn't really have a plan beyond letting my handlers show off what they know with their dogs. It was raining but that was ok because we were going to use the gym to work. I wasn't worried about anything.

That was my first mistake. 

It started with a phone call. "Marie, did you know they took Sadie back to the shelter this morning?" "No what for?" "She has a vet appointment." Now I knew she needed to go get checked out for a possible urinary tract infection but I had told them about the reporter coming so they could schedule around it. "OK I'll give them a call and see whats up." I try calling the shelter. No answer. I call again. No answer. OK no problem. I'll go over to the shelter, thankfully I got an early start, and see if she is there so maybe I can pick her up on my way. (My stress had started to rise the moment I got off the phone.)

I get there and they said her appointment wasn't til 11:00. "Didn't so and so call you?" "Um no. I got no call." If I had gotten a call I could have told them I'd drop her off after the interview. Let me have her and I'll bring her back when we are done. Problem solved, so I think.

So I race us over to the prison. I tell the officer I am headed to the gym and he says, "You can't, they (the corrections officers) are training down there." "WHAT??" "Yeah I know, they told me there was no training this morning yet someone was wrong because they all showed up." Now I'm sure there is panic on my face. I head to the offices to see Sue. "Um do you know we can't use the gym for the interview?" "Why?" "Because they are having training and no one knew to tell us."  Now I get to see the panic on someone elses face. I am sharing my panic. There are many things people like you to share, panic is not one of them.

OK what area can we use? Hmmmm How about the library? With no other options the library it is. This means no rally course signs, there is NO room, which also means a new format for what we are going to do. I'm not sure what that will be exactly. Good thing I can wing it. (sigh) I go back to the front office and have him call over the handlers. Two of them didn't know they needed to show up because they had sent their dog back to the shelter that morning so they were late arriving. Then I had to send them back for their gear because they didn't know why they were called. (double sigh) Of course in the meantime the reporter and her photographer has shown up so we had to wait with them. I'm trying to look like everything is great. The surprise of the day was the photographer also took alot of video. I wasn't really prepared for that. Not that I would have done much different but I might have checked my hair a little closer. (curly hair and rain aren't a great mix, yeah I dread watching that!) I am praying they use video of the dogs and handlers instead of my mug. The dogs are way cuter anyway.

But the good news is that with all the stress before hand I think the interviews all went well. My handlers were very well spoken and didn't seem to be nervous. (I'll find out later if they were.) The reporter and photographer might be back on Saturday to get some more video of the actual Rally Course and the handlers in action with the dogs. (I really hope they do.) Well see how it all turns out. I'll be sure to share the link when the article is finished. I believe the time line is for the end of the month.

So the moral of the story is: Make sure EVERYONE knows when and where an interview is going to be so there are no fun surprises. Oh and always double check your hair, just in case.