tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54459797548676638482024-03-18T20:13:52.436-07:00Who's a Good Dog?Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-15817089022850074012014-04-27T15:50:00.003-07:002014-04-29T07:39:30.467-07:00Moving on...Who's a Good Dog? has moved to <a href="http://wagdtraining.wordpress.com/">http://wagdtraining.wordpress.com/</a>.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-78998586383390277182014-01-02T09:13:00.005-08:002014-01-02T09:29:22.895-08:002013: The Year in Dogs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPEGu42oR89M9UMH5TIit9Z0DOsmPivja01LTme1mZoxTB6nqQPqA6FscdUv8izqfw-uTLpSOmM5DGIh3zm0MtaMTZ0YnJCMRLwUvwnge48teS2WCg37P7ReUxJLPxwvAbdTm49Gxnhw/s1600/p0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPEGu42oR89M9UMH5TIit9Z0DOsmPivja01LTme1mZoxTB6nqQPqA6FscdUv8izqfw-uTLpSOmM5DGIh3zm0MtaMTZ0YnJCMRLwUvwnge48teS2WCg37P7ReUxJLPxwvAbdTm49Gxnhw/s400/p0.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> It's a little late for a retrospective post, but here goes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Achievements</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s2lKH_65zlNRnOZV4S5pMvHebKwpGtIIiU0PWLrUKD4FUT5lfxZ2RlgPoZYC-wx-bL7jSw9FMDbrzww0Zhu3ToJMejw8Urady2zqWWwqWKWe-EiAqi43uDj3_SLh90kfSHVpkW4PJqM/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s2lKH_65zlNRnOZV4S5pMvHebKwpGtIIiU0PWLrUKD4FUT5lfxZ2RlgPoZYC-wx-bL7jSw9FMDbrzww0Zhu3ToJMejw8Urady2zqWWwqWKWe-EiAqi43uDj3_SLh90kfSHVpkW4PJqM/s200/p1.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The achievement prize goes to Katie, who earned her Rally Level 1 title along with an Award of Excellence (for high scores). Katie is a terrific Rally partner--cool as a cucumber under pressure. One look at her happy face, and I smile back and remember the whole point is that we're having a good time together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arlo's 2013 achievements don't involve ribbons, but are no less significant. He and I have been developing as a team, and I'm so proud of his efforts. In the past year we've improved just about all of our Rally skills, learned the beginnings of "go out" and <a href="http://wagdtraining.blogspot.com/2013/06/retrieving-with-arlo.html" target="_blank">a formal retrieve.</a> But Arlo's biggest accomplishment may be his improved behavior around other dogs. Thanks to hard work on both our parts, rather than acting out (lunging, barking), he now lets me know whether he'd like to greet or ignore other dogs when we're out walking. He's still tentative in inside spaces, but we're working it out.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkd6J-8FP33Z-IcLaT28GpLzgkeqozCr_X6qPpa2C2D949miVy0i9s_qb8shoNtcsVOevw2ClhClNX2TrvJ9zSE3s6W01kJqSz0uLVzcT5B2wztVVDejoHeOw3i41lF38PiCzhMZvrUY/s1600/p2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkd6J-8FP33Z-IcLaT28GpLzgkeqozCr_X6qPpa2C2D949miVy0i9s_qb8shoNtcsVOevw2ClhClNX2TrvJ9zSE3s6W01kJqSz0uLVzcT5B2wztVVDejoHeOw3i41lF38PiCzhMZvrUY/s200/p2.png" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite Rally photo of 2013.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And, finally, a BIG shout out to the wonderful dogs and their excellent humans from the <a href="http://www.thirdstreetalliance.org/wellness.php#dog" target="_blank">Third St. Family Dog Training Program</a> who earned CGCs and TDIs. WTG! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Milestones</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Katie celebrated her 11th birthday on March 20, and Arlo celebrated his second adoptaversary on June 5.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYHeKVFmZSsim_nAU_GtZeMiuZZ586nwIA7q6vT4qTspDpYRhyphenhyphenWkB5on-fLpVm8ZAwzct8vyw9ijfrriBSCT2wmM8K0ExKR17AIswMeCc86YHzHKB1Ls8YYxnaHwDhU-MiO2bKitnuYk/s1600/p3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYHeKVFmZSsim_nAU_GtZeMiuZZ586nwIA7q6vT4qTspDpYRhyphenhyphenWkB5on-fLpVm8ZAwzct8vyw9ijfrriBSCT2wmM8K0ExKR17AIswMeCc86YHzHKB1Ls8YYxnaHwDhU-MiO2bKitnuYk/s200/p3.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A less celebratory milestone was saying goodbye to <a href="http://sites.lafayette.edu/vast248-sp10/" target="_blank">The Dog Course</a>, which had its final run last spring with a truly fabulous group of Lafayette students. Highlights included a trip to the <a href="http://www.lakotawolf.com/" target="_blank">Lakota Wolf preserve</a>, the annual Campus Dog Show, and a new assignment, based on an essay by Alexandra Horowitz, in which students followed one of my dogs around a block on College Hill and then wrote about what they learned from that experience about the canine <i>umvelt</i>. The Dog Course was part of Lafayette's Values and Science and Technology (VAST) program, which was eliminated from the new curriculum. I plan to offer a revised version of the course as a First Year Seminar, but I am very sorry I will no longer be teaching it as a VAST course. VAST was a unique feature of Lafayette's curriculum, and it's a shame to see it go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>New Friends</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arlo's better behavior around unfamiliar dogs meant that he made some new friends, including Franz, service-dog-in-training Eli, and some cool dogs at Four Paws Playground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Other Cool Stuff</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the past couple of years, I've been part of a small group of trainers who meet about once a month to train, or watch a training video, or just socialize our dogs. This year we attended a couple of really excellent workshops together (BAT with Grisha Stewart, and The Human Half of Dog Training with Rise van Fleet). We also decided to try Treibball, which is a newish sport where a dog, with the help of directions from a handler, herds giant balls into a net. We took a workshop together in January and then more classes over the summer. Treibball looks easy, but is actually pretty challenging because your dog has to be able to work away from you. And, like most handlers, I have spent a LOT of time teaching Arlo to stay right beside me. But because it's a challenging sport to train, it's also really satisfying when you see progress. Here's Katie showing off her skills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, Arlo and I also did our part for dog science by contributing
a video to <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/12/12/how-do-you-play-with-your-dog/" target="_blank">the study on dog-human play</a> at Alexandra Horowitz’s dog cognition
lab.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>2014 Projects</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know a year-end post should probably end with grand plans for the coming year. But I'm in kind of a wait-and-see mood. Arlo and I are entered in our first Rally Trial in April, so I'm sure I'll be writing more about training for that. Mostly, at the beginning of this new year, I'm thankful that I share my life with two wonderful dogs who keep me grounded and remind me not to take myself too seriously. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Best wishes to everyone for a happy new year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-47207887854866996522013-12-01T09:35:00.001-08:002013-12-01T09:38:31.998-08:00Dog on a Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_487783987"></span><span id="goog_487783988"></span><br />Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-65618223172500819512013-11-24T08:57:00.002-08:002013-11-24T10:39:52.863-08:00I have your sock! Chase me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliOwJpFe65yCk_h5k4JH_P7-OYPMdSeU_ZIqJ-EmHuakV24obPKI2yCbWhreDh3FePo4U64RzHnxNUOMExT47raDCfuw9aLZhFcemM5sz6KGzvLBzfr0J0gGfzglE2y-uoF_zTMgPRW4/s1600/sock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliOwJpFe65yCk_h5k4JH_P7-OYPMdSeU_ZIqJ-EmHuakV24obPKI2yCbWhreDh3FePo4U64RzHnxNUOMExT47raDCfuw9aLZhFcemM5sz6KGzvLBzfr0J0gGfzglE2y-uoF_zTMgPRW4/s320/sock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I think I may have posted this photo of Katie before. It's one of my favorites. In her younger days, Katie loved to take things and have us chase her. In this photo, she stole a sock from the laundry basket. Either I hadn't noticed, or I was trying to ignore her. I can't remember. But she was showing me she did, indeed, have my sock and would I please chase her?<br />
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Katie taught us this game a long time ago when she was a puppy, and the rules have evolved over time. At first, the game was that she'd steal something and we'd make a huge fuss trying to get it back. Like most dogs, she discovered that was a really fun game, and so she played as often as she could. Eventually A. and I got a clue, and instead of chasing her, introduced some new rules. First--we needed to teach her a drop-it cue. NP there. Katie was a quick learner. I can't remember exactly what I did--it was a long time ago--but if I were doing it now, I'd use <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndTiVOCNY4M" target="_blank">this wonderful approach by Chirag Patel.</a> In fact, when we adopted Arlo, I used this method and he now responds better than Katie ("better" = he'll drop cat poop, Katie won't drop cat poop for anything).<br />
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The second thing we did was to ignore her if she stole something we didn't care about (e.g., a paper towel, a cardboard box). When we did that, pretty soon, she'd start following us around with the stolen goods--like she's doing in this photo--to let us know that she had something. Lightbulb! Katie's love of stealing things was mainly a request for attention and engagement. And we had been positively reinforcing her request by chasing her around. Additional plus, by ignoring her, we weren't at risk of ruining our cue. (Before the cue was solid, we did have to keep things she couldn't have out of her reach. All part of us getting a clue.)<br />
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Finally, because stealing things and being chased was one of Katie's most favorite games (again, because we'd inadvertantly reinforced it so early on), we purposely played it more often but using things she could have, like her toys. One thing Katie taught me is that if sometimes drop-it means she gets the toy back, then she's more likely to respond to the cue in other situations. (If "drop-it" always means the fun stops, then where's the fun in that? It took me awhile to get this, but Katie is a patient teacher.) Katie is 11 now, and she still loves for us to chase her. She doesn't move as fast, but the game still gives her so much pleasure.<br />
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Here's another idea, from a trainer friend, for outwitting a thieving dog. My friend's dog loved to steal towels (Katie used to love that as well). So, rather than get into a game of chase, she put away the nice towels, and hung up old ones she didn't care about. After a few days, when the dog realized no one cared if he stole a towel, he lost interest in the game. I love this approach, because it's so simple. Let the dog figure things out for himself. Sure you can take towels, but no one cares. What do you think of that?<br />
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If you have a dog who steals and then shreds stuff, this approach might not work. Or it might--if what the dog has is something you really don't care about, then let him shred away (so long as he's not ingesting anything). He might figure out that shredding is less fun when no one is chasing or shouting at him. Or he'll have some fun shredding stuff. I regularly let my dogs shred stuff. And sometimes I play with them. Arlo LOVES playing tug-of-war with an old box and turning it into tiny pieces that can be scattered all over the house. (Yes, it's a mess to clean up. But, hey, if you have dogs, when is there not some mess you're cleaning up?)<br />
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Bottom line: I don't think there's any substitute for teaching your dog to give stuff up on cue--because eventually you are going to need to take something from him. And while your dog is learning (and teething), you want to manage the environment--i.e., don't leave stuff around that you don't want him to have. But you'll probably get a more reliable response when you ask your dog to drop something if most of the time the cue results in fun and games rather than always indicating loss of a prize.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-71111801754756218712013-06-24T06:53:00.000-07:002013-06-24T06:56:21.810-07:00Spring Gardening<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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This weekend's garden work included planting cucumbers and beans and finding creative (sustainable, organic) ways to get on top of the weed situation, which is intense. <br />
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In some places (especially between beds), I'm reusing last year's weed block fabric topped off with a layer of straw (mostly because that looks nicer than weed block alone), which I don't love because the weed block isn't biodegradable. But it's what I had. And it definitely does the job. An additional bonus is that it may generate enough heat to kill the weed seeds underneath.<br />
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In other places, I'm using newspaper topped off with a generous layer of compost and then straw. I think (hope!) this is going to work especially well for potatoes. When it's time to hill them, I'm thinking I can just remove the straw and spread the (hopefully not weedy) compost around the plants. I did one potato row last night as an experiment. I'll do the other 3 this week.<br />
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I also bought 5 of <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Search-Show?q=mulch" target="_blank">these mulch blocks</a> from Gardener's Supply. I was really excited when I found them because they're organic and biodegradable. They received hundreds of positive reviews on the web site, and they're MUCH more convenient than bags of mulch. (The package even has a convenient carrying handle.) So far, I used one block on top of weed fabric to cover a path between two beds. Each block is supposed to cover 200 square ft. But if you want a thick layer of mulch (which I do), then of course coverage is less. And I don't love the color--kind of a reddish brown. On the website, customers liked that the product held its color. I'm actually hoping it fades.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ceJNNBlbfdkAp1owlqTiFQ0egBOu40HQDFV3S4Q9FMFSHZx2w8KpYhHfW4zclh-34BGEv1KqqoaLf22b3jtRlIU_hYy_of5-BPehUMJDXBAdT038ETgbzuzPkp-ahjCyjrH0C1MMjh8/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ceJNNBlbfdkAp1owlqTiFQ0egBOu40HQDFV3S4Q9FMFSHZx2w8KpYhHfW4zclh-34BGEv1KqqoaLf22b3jtRlIU_hYy_of5-BPehUMJDXBAdT038ETgbzuzPkp-ahjCyjrH0C1MMjh8/s200/photo+2.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lettuce, kale and the first peas and snow peas.</td></tr>
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Last week's weather was lovely. This week the forecast is for heat and more heat--I'm not sure if that will do in my peas and snow peas, which have just started to come in. <br />
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Also making an appearance are our first raspberries, which shouldn't mind the heat. Spinach, however, has bolted. I'll be pulling that out and using the space for something else--maybe some flowers.<br />
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<span id="goog_1531754427"></span><span id="goog_1531754428"></span><br />Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-59630066681095484472013-06-13T08:48:00.000-07:002013-06-13T08:48:06.069-07:00Retrieving with Arlo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmG-byhsmiDmhYTi97Bv_BgkMQyOZiaFzXdvmVWjvr-D7lsFFLEfOGDD95Pc0XKwpVMSnEAG07lsjLthejRB1TaLAxeix517oe02_HoxD5KF-8o7l0RlcgflbqiCT1KKVGnfWLZ6FPKY/s1600/Arlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmG-byhsmiDmhYTi97Bv_BgkMQyOZiaFzXdvmVWjvr-D7lsFFLEfOGDD95Pc0XKwpVMSnEAG07lsjLthejRB1TaLAxeix517oe02_HoxD5KF-8o7l0RlcgflbqiCT1KKVGnfWLZ6FPKY/s320/Arlo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Last week I posted a video on my FB page of Arlo and me practicing our obedience retrieves. I thought I'd re-post here and talk some about the training we've been doing lately.<br />
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For the past few months, we've been taking a beginner obedience class (at <a href="http://www.letsspeakdog.com/Lets_Speak_Dog/Welcome.html" target="_blank">Let's Speak Dog</a>)--not so much because I imagine we'll compete (we're a long way from thinking about that), but instead because I wanted to learn more about training for this sport. In addition, while Arlo's elbow has been heeling, we've been on a break from agility and, in addition to continuing with Rally, were looking for something else to try.<br />
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I like the focus and the concentration required for formal obedience--these are good things for Arlo, (world's most environmentally sensitive dog) to work on. <br />
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Watching this video, I think about just how hard he's working to do what I'm asking. Arlo LOVES to retrieve, but to learn a formal obedience retrieve he had
to re-learn a bunch of stuff: e.g., wait while I throw the dumbbell,
pick up the dumbbell in the middle, sit in front of me and wait until
for the release cue (which for us = "give"). <br />
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Like many before us, we backchained our retrieve. (There are lots of good "how to" videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a>--unfortunately, I can't find my favorite one at the moment.) That Arlo willingly takes anything was both an advantage and disadvantage. He willingly took the dumbbell, but asked to hold it for more than a second, he wanted to play with it. :) So I had to be really precise with the clicker, and increase duration of the hold in tiny tiny increments. <br />
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The next step was learning to pick up the dumbbell from the ground. Again--Arlo will pick up most things when asked--but he had no idea that picking up the dumbbell from one side instead of the middle wasn't allowed. At first, because he was so enthusiastic, I actually did reward just a few times for picking up the dumbbell any which way, returning to front, and waiting for the release. But after that I just waited. If he picked it up the wrong way, I said "good try," and set it back down for him to try again. He did figure out pretty quickly that picking up in the middle earned the reward. When he got stuck (which still happens sometimes), we just went back a step and that seemed to help.<br />
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The last step was teaching him to wait while I tossed the DB--especially difficult for Arlo who is r-e-e-e-e-e-e-a-l-l-y motivated by anything that moves! Plus, we regularly play fetch where he doesn't have to wait (although sometimes I ask him to, just to keep things interesting). The cue for retrieving the DB is "get it," and I'm hoping that helps him distinguish from fetch, which doesn't really have a cue. We started with just a small toss and gradually worked up to longer and longer distances. Sometimes he gets excited and after he's got the dumbbell will run around with it. (It's pretty funny, actually.) And then this week we started working outside which has been kind of like starting over. But little by little we're figuring it out.<br />
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Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-16419137150174390152012-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:002012-12-12T07:37:48.481-08:00Various Things, Including a Visit to the Dog Park<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFcTSUSsDoYowMFsfI1dQ2Jnmcn-GgNzehHKh1YOh75eb6PQ7VN0JznKoc6wO3BEL1YP9YBwX0ZL9aGkknGdSegNCfpDteCu68C12ohV0o9fq8K5Mt5pTx4EnC94OVnZ5s5eIZwwncDE/s1600/New+coat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFcTSUSsDoYowMFsfI1dQ2Jnmcn-GgNzehHKh1YOh75eb6PQ7VN0JznKoc6wO3BEL1YP9YBwX0ZL9aGkknGdSegNCfpDteCu68C12ohV0o9fq8K5Mt5pTx4EnC94OVnZ5s5eIZwwncDE/s320/New+coat.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arlo in his new coat.</td></tr>
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Arlo is my first short-coated dog, and as some of you know, I have been preoccupied with finding him some kind of protection against cold windy weather. Full disclosure: finding him a coat may say more about me than him--that is, he seems not to care much about the cold. (100% of husbands in this house support the view expressed in the previous sentence.) But Arlo's got such a thin coat, I can't help thinking that he should wear <i>something.</i> After some trial and error, I ended up with <a href="http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-jackets/k-9-overcoat-dog-coat-ruffwear.html" target="_blank">this one</a> from <a href="http://www.ruffwear.com/" target="_blank">Ruffwear</a>. So far, it seems to be working out. The coat is sturdy and machine washable, it's easy to put on, and I love the green color against Arlo's tan fur. Most importantly, once the coat is on, Arlo seems not to care too much about it--so long as we're walking, anyway. I couldn't leave it on him inside--a precaution that has nothing to do with the coat, and everything to do with the fact that at 2 years of age, my boy is still pretty much of a chew-monster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoSR-YAh4Wn5d2GzFfYUPQWE1txm6hXW7MwZEyKeEzP1yDx7poP1qNT0twgORlcqG_MLq-ANnmA0e6M6EWLIhaAUWMX5TbVqOWItItNU6fv0AZ9LZ1EiFZxXMcLjzNn-ivTABuI-laGE/s1600/Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoSR-YAh4Wn5d2GzFfYUPQWE1txm6hXW7MwZEyKeEzP1yDx7poP1qNT0twgORlcqG_MLq-ANnmA0e6M6EWLIhaAUWMX5TbVqOWItItNU6fv0AZ9LZ1EiFZxXMcLjzNn-ivTABuI-laGE/s320/Katie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie showing off her rally ribbons.</td></tr>
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Of course the big dog news since my last post is Miss Katie's lovely performance at her first rally obedience trial. I was a little nervous in the ring, but she remained calm and steady and ended up with 2 Qs and a first and second place ribbon. I couldn't be more proud of her, and I couldn't ask for a better partner. She's my girl. <br />
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Meanwhile, here in eastern PA it hasn't been that cold yet, but we've had lots and lots of rain (well, and also a hurricane, but that's a topic for another post) which is interfering with dog walks. Another thing cramping our style is that Arlo has developed a slight limp, and until we figure out what's causing it, he and I are taking a break from agility. Tuesday night agility practice has been a major energy outlet for Arlo, because it's physically and mentally challenging. So--long story short--as a result of several things beyond my control, I've got a young dog with energy to burn. Never a good thing. <br />
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So, yesterday I arranged an outing with a friend and her dog at <a href="http://www.neighborsofeaston.com/wordpress/archives/1089" target="_blank">Easton's new (last year) dog park</a>. Given what I'd read and heard about the modest size of the park, I was prepared to not have a good time. I'd attended <a href="http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf?/base/news-2/126759273420900.xml&coll=3" target="_blank">a City Planning meeting several years ago </a>when plans for the park were revealed, and many of us with dogs noted that the park was w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y too small, and also that having a grass surface was probably not a smart idea because it would be quickly trashed by the dogs and turn into a big mud pit.<br />
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While yesterday's visit confirmed both of these things, as it turns out the size wasn't as much of an issue as I'd expected. And it even worked in our favor, because the dogs were never very far away from us. Our dogs hadn't met before, and we wanted to monitor their activity carefully, so their staying close by was not at all a bad thing. As some of my friends have heard me say, it hasn't been easy finding dogs for Arlo to play with. He's a very enthusiastic player--think boxers and bully dogs who like to body slam and bat other dogs with their front feet. He's also inconsistent about reading other dogs' cues--with some dogs (Mel's Katie, for example) he's entirely appropriate (she also gives crystal clear cues). With other dogs, he just ignores their cues and acts like a big butthead.<br />
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In short, he's not the kind of dog I can casually let loose at the dog park, because he'd get himself into trouble. So his play dates have been with dogs of a similar size who belong to humans whose dog training abilities I absolutely trust.<br />
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Yesterday's outing was with my friend and her Golden, also a young, rowdy, adolescent male. I figured that either the two dogs would be a good match, or the play would escalate and we'd need to intervene. To help things along, we first did some parallel walking so the dogs could check one another out without the pressure of having to interact. Then once we got to the park, we let them greet on leash. And then we finally let them run around, but still dragging leashes (this is risky for obvious reasons, so I'm not recommending it--we were right there and ready to step in if we had to--I just needed a way to be able to grab Arlo who has only a so-so recall off of other dogs). As it turned out, they were a pretty good match in terms of energy level and play style. We called a couple of time outs, just to calm everyone down, and rewarded the dogs for coming and chilling (I was packing steak).<br />
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The outing ended with a dip in the (freezing) Bushkill creek (the dogs, not the humans, did this) which barely made a difference in the mudball that was my dog. But it was lovely to watch him enjoying himself.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-32454950394275204412012-09-01T09:47:00.001-07:002012-09-01T12:22:22.289-07:00Turning a corner (just maybe)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWGeas2OhU9h2XvXrHXZlQIsEqn4zMAwoJbv484jioIpW6SewUkPFg3D9eKA_becX4e4d6UUgQYGQQ4G37QBbG__UQHkHBug6kYgIn8_kmN5aTfevkXGofxIAAB77gPfXlGpLoK0-70E/s1600/Arlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWGeas2OhU9h2XvXrHXZlQIsEqn4zMAwoJbv484jioIpW6SewUkPFg3D9eKA_becX4e4d6UUgQYGQQ4G37QBbG__UQHkHBug6kYgIn8_kmN5aTfevkXGofxIAAB77gPfXlGpLoK0-70E/s320/Arlo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://wagdtraining.blogspot.com/2011/08/arlo-learns-to-settle-on-his-mat.html">Around this time a year ago, we noticed that puppy Arlo had definitely entered adolescence.</a> Our sweet, eager to please boy was turning into a rowdy, often unpredictable teen, who (in spite of loads of training, at home and in formal classes) appeared to have no house manners whatsoever. One minute he'd be snuggling with you on the couch, and the next he'd be grabbing at your arms and clothes. He'd steal anything that was available to him, and he could be relentless about bothering Katie.<br />
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In short, it's been a long year. Of course we love him. (Look at that face--who wouldn't?) He has also tested our patience and, at least in my case, my training skills. I've learned a lot over the past year, including how much I still have to learn about dogs, and especially the kind of dogs I seem to keep ending up with--the high drive, high energy kind.<br />
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Let's just say that with Arlo's help I'm continuing to educate myself. On my reading shelf these days are books like Clarissa Von Reinhardt's <i>Chase! Managing your Dog's Predatory Instincts</i>, Leslie McDevitt's <i>Control Unleashed</i>, Sue Brown's <i>Juvenile Delinquent Dogs</i>, and Linda Tellington-Jones' <i>Getting in Touch with Your Dog</i>. Maybe the most influential book I read this year was Suzanne Clothier's <i>Bones Would Rain from the Sky</i>, a book that had been in my library for awhile but that I hadn't read. I turned to it when a video clip of Clothier talking about fearful dogs showed on up on my Facebook feed. I knew about her, but I was so moved by her comments in the clip, that I decided to finally read the book. And then I was fortunate to be able to attend a 3-day seminar with Clothier this past May. I'm still thinking about everything I learned there.<br />
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But back to the reason for this post. (Up to this point I was just providing y'all with some context.) Because of the past year, I may have been taking for granted that Arlo is my wild boy. Not that we haven't continued to work with him on basic house manners in the hope that <i>eventually</i> he'll figure things out--but we've also learned to take his "bad" behavior in stride and not despair every time he "forgets" or makes a bad decision. Increasingly, though, there have been small moments when I get glimpses of a more mature dog, one who doesn't immediately act on every impulse he has.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIqtmZkHb96opYjrOm5L2EyA_QcxxIdmn37WtNp7OQ7RNbjhJ5hSWg3AEFPhY9GBaMdssmV6dvbaNd3ZoLSreHrrVONolliX8oYVFKMmZo_bODIEyeeLnDL5R6RJl2gU_abjuxlbuRuM/s1600/socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIqtmZkHb96opYjrOm5L2EyA_QcxxIdmn37WtNp7OQ7RNbjhJ5hSWg3AEFPhY9GBaMdssmV6dvbaNd3ZoLSreHrrVONolliX8oYVFKMmZo_bODIEyeeLnDL5R6RJl2gU_abjuxlbuRuM/s320/socks.jpg" width="240" /></a>And this morning was one of those times. From the kitchen, he suddenly went speeding down the front hallway, all geared up to bark his head off at a passing dog. Hoping that our recall work would pay off, I called him over to me and watched--a little amazed--as he did a sudden U-turn and came trotting back. Now, Arlo does have a pretty nice recall (because we have <i>practiced</i>). But it's still a big deal for him to choose me over the chance to bark at other dogs, especially when Katie is already barking (which she was), and especially when he's running full steam ahead (which he was). So that was moment #1.<br />
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Then a little later, Arlo was napping next to me on the couch while I was knitting. I needed a pair of scissors, so I put down my knitting for a minute while I ran upstairs. A year ago, Arlo would have seized his chance, grabbed the yarn and, in an effort to get my attention, danced around in full-body wag to tempt me (just imagine a thought bubble over his head saying <i>look what I have! chase me, chase me!</i> ) This morning, however, I returned to my knitting, which was untouched, and noticed Arlo still napping beside it.<br />
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These are small moments, of course, and I don't believe for a second that the next time a dog passes by, Arlo will automatically resist the urge to bark. He may not even come running when I call. (Also right before he <i>didn't </i>steal my knitting, he <i>did</i> steal my pjs.) When Katie was an adolescent, I bought myself a copy of Carol Lea Benjamin's <i>Surviving your Dog's Adolescence</i> in the hope that I might, indeed, survive. It's book whose advice I have some problems with, but there is one part that has always stuck with me. She reminds readers that, although your adolescent dog will drive you crazy at times, adolescence is just a stage and, once it's over, you might even find yourself missing that unruly former dog just a little. I know that's what happened with Katie, and I can pretty much guarantee I'll feel the same way about Arlo. So, as much as I look forward to that calmer, politer boy I got a peek at this morning, I'm going to try to appreciate the (I hope) waning moments of adolescence too.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-43464887450306746482012-06-23T09:30:00.000-07:002012-06-23T09:30:40.000-07:00Reading to Dogs: Summer 2012 Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The start of Reading to Dogs hour at the <a href="http://www.eastonpl.org/" target="_blank">Easton Public Library</a> always feels like the beginning of summer. As we have in past years, Kate and I will be spending our Thursday mornings at the EPL hearing many wonderful stories shared with us by some equally wonderful young readers.<br />
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The library staff provides a selection of books (last Thursday's picks are pictured there on the left--notice a theme? :) ), or readers can choose their own book to read from the library's collection.<br />
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The dogs have their own room, just around the corner from the main entrance. In the second photo, you can see the carpet squares provided by the library staff: one for the dog and one for the reader (we human escorts get chairs!). But it was so hot last Thursday that all of the dogs were happier to stretch out on the cool linoleum floor. Thankfully, the building is air-conditioned!<br />
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Kate seems to really enjoy these library visits, and I enjoy watching her at work. Her calm and relaxed demeanor helps the kids to relax as well. Sometimes they twirl her fur as they read. Sometimes they interrupt their reading to ask me questions about her. Kate has never been an over-the-top in-your-face kind of dog. She typically presents new acquaintances with her back end, gladly accepts a few butt scratches, and then settles down. Sometimes she'll roll over so the reader can give her a belly rub.<br />
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For anyone local who might be interested, Reading to Dogs hour at the <a href="http://www.eastonpl.org/" target="_blank">Easton Public Library</a> (515 Church St.) happens every Thursday from 10-11 through mid-August. Contact the library for more details.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-82051499223864526512012-06-09T09:15:00.000-07:002012-06-24T18:26:24.427-07:00It's Not the Dogs, It's the Humans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just back from the Farmer's Market, where Arlo and I did a little shopping and a little training. Our last visit to the EFM was in late summer, so I was curious to see how he'd behave. Last summer, I was impressed with how mellow he was in spite of all the distractions--new smells, sounds, people dogs, etc. But in the past 10 months, as he's entered doggy adolescence he is sometimes very full of himself, and at other times, lacking in confidence around new dogs. Or maybe he's generally lacking in confidence and he overcompensates by being--what Suzanne Clothier at a seminar I was fortunate to attend recently called--a "butthead."<br />
<br />
Either way, he's currently not consistently making good decisions around other dogs, so I knew I wanted to watch him closely and avoid putting him in situations he wouldn't be able to handle.<br />
<br />
We got there when the market opened before it was too crowded or too hot. On our 5 block walk from the car to the market, he walked nicely on the leash and was only slightly distracted by so many new things. I used environmental rewards (e.g. go sniff!) for keeping a loose leash, but I was also packing cheese which I handed out for check-ins. So far so good.<br />
<br />
Even though we arrived early, there were already quite a few dogs there, so we just hung out for awhile in a shady, grassy area so that he could take everything in. I didn't ask for attention, but did reward when it was offered.<br />
<br />
As it turned out, I only did a little shopping because more and more dogs were there, and I didn't want to chance a scary encounter. A couple of times we did have to make U-turns and head in the other direction--sometimes because Arlo was over threshold and other times because people weren't paying attention to their dogs.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to the real topic for my post. As Arlo and I were hanging out and practicing attention and keeping calm around distractions, I had some time to observe some of the dog-human interactions happening around us. I'm always amazed at how well-behaved the dogs are in spite of the fact that the humans around them tend to be fairly oblivious. Let me say first that this wasn't the case yesterday for every human--for example, nearly everyone who stopped to pet Arlo asked me first. It's true that some of the people reached for his head, but most times when that happened, he'd just present himself butt first, or roll onto his back as if to say, <i>no thank you, please rub my belly instead. </i><br />
<br />
Yes, I know I'm anthropomorphizing, but my point is that his response was appropriate. Like last year, Arlo seemed to enjoy the attention more than the shopping (okay, maybe not more than stopping at the <a href="http://daleandgeorgia.com/" target="_blank">Dale and Georgia</a> booth, but still a lot).<br />
<br />
But I did see some things that I thought were a cause for concern. One, hardly anyone was watching his or her dog. I can understand why: there is a LOT to look at--not just the luscious veggies and fruit, but all of the people. I'm always running in to people I know, and if I don't keep reminding myself that I'm attached to a dog, I can forget to pay attention. I didn't actually see any on-leash, dog-dog greets which, especially in this kind of situation, can go very wrong. But I saw a few unintended near greets because humans weren't aware of where their dogs were.<br />
<br />
The worst thing I saw was a lovely dog whose probably very well-meaning owner tied her (or him--couldn't tell) to a tree. I say "well-meaning" because I think most of us who bring our dogs to the FM do it because we like being out with our dogs. Not a bad thing to enjoy. But the dog was on a rather short leash and subject to the attention--for worse or better--of anyone passing by. This was a <i>very</i> patient dog, and although I wasn't close, I didn't see the dog pulling away from humans. At the same time, I also didn't see the dog's owner anywhere near (she may have been, but from my view no one seemed to be looking out for this dog or paying attention to the very many people who stopped to pet her). At one point, an unattended little girl was F2F with the dog. Adults were nearby, but <i>no one was watching.</i> I also saw other people leaning over the dog, hanging on her head, and generally getting into her space. Again, since I wasn't close, I couldn't see what signs the dog might have been giving that she was uncomfortable. But my question is this: why put a dog in that situation in the first place? Why take the chance that something might happen? And even if something doesn't happen, why ask the dog to tolerate being touched--often inappropriately--by so many strange people?<br />
<br />
A couple of years ago, I taught a Market Manners class for people who wanted to take their dogs out to the market. I left today thinking that a better class might be one for humans rather than dogs. <br />
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On a different (and especially happy) note: this past Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Arlo joining our family. Here is his official adoption day anniversary photo.</div>Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-38312108985903695252011-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:002011-12-14T12:43:42.450-08:00Dear Arlo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear Arlo,<br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
B.<br />
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Dear B.<br />
<br />
Um. It was an accident?<br />
<br />
Yours,<br />
ArloWho's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-64810168878977384752011-11-27T16:34:00.001-08:002011-11-27T16:52:32.765-08:00Dear Dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Dear <strike>Dogs</strike> Arlo:<br />
<br />
Underneath my pillow is really not an acceptable spot for burying your bones.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
B.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-58546489734595528752011-11-13T07:23:00.001-08:002011-11-13T08:03:43.420-08:00Bad Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Arlo has been on some kind of a streak this week stealing everything that's not nailed down and testing boundaries every which way.<br />
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He's been with us since June, and in that entire time, he has shown zero interest in our shoes. Accordingly, we haven't been all that careful about leaving them out. Our bad. Earlier this week, for some reason, he decided to turn my favorite Dansko clogs into a chew toy.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C8ygmLW9R0BW-7Vp4tt6F8IWHcAY-XEqfRNEfEB_kkkSV_JRxcB2YUkPwe-3EJ6TvQjKQcDgRh72FjsCU9aTWmfdyqYU_nsmfSEnacQpwY_53aoxn2Os979VHGcnsUhjzjgX7ZlQNY8/s1600/Arlo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C8ygmLW9R0BW-7Vp4tt6F8IWHcAY-XEqfRNEfEB_kkkSV_JRxcB2YUkPwe-3EJ6TvQjKQcDgRh72FjsCU9aTWmfdyqYU_nsmfSEnacQpwY_53aoxn2Os979VHGcnsUhjzjgX7ZlQNY8/s200/Arlo.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Granted he only chewed one--maybe he thought he was being nice leaving me one intact.<br />
<br />
This week I've been working with him on better fetch manners. He gets so excited when I pick up the ball that he can't help it and grabs my hand. Not appropriate. He's pretty good about dropping the ball after he retrieves it, so when he does, I say "good boy," and just wait for a sit. Then I pick up the ball and throw it for him. If he breaks the sit, I wait. If he grabs my hand, then I walk away. Game over.<br />
<br />
Today, he didn't try for the ball even one time. Good boy. :)Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-55042297512699511862011-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:002012-06-24T18:24:22.906-07:00Oh, ugh.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't usually use my blog to complain about other people's training methods, but here's something that strikes me as beyond unbelievably stupid. This child has been taught to POKE his dog (a la you know who) in order to discourage puppy nipping.<br />
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<br />
Notice how after he pokes the dog, the boy then pounds him on the head? Nice lesson. And a good way to encourage your child to get himself bitten.<br />
<br />
You know exactly how this will turn out. At some point, that little puppy is going to turn into a rowdy adolescent and retaliate for being poked. Then he'll be given up (or worse) for something that was COMPLETELY NOT HIS FAULT. But let's imagine that doesn't happen and (miraculously) the puppy somehow learns that poke = stop biting. What has that little boy learned about how to treat other animals? What has he learned about tolerance and understanding vs. getting his way? What is he learning about how to appropriatey deal with frustrations?<br />
<br />
Ugh.<br />
<br />
To restore your sense of sanity, here's something lighter and way more positive (thanks to <a href="http://www.dogmatters.ca/" target="_blank">Dog Matters</a> for sharing on FB):<br />
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<br />Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-27679249062702979162011-10-28T09:02:00.000-07:002011-11-13T08:57:31.328-08:002 Arlo Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Story 1. This morning Arlo and I are returning from our walk, and he stops to sniff some leaves. He's a little too interested, so I ask him to "leave it," but not before he gets a big old mouthful of whatever is so interesting. So I ask him to "drop it," and of course he chews faster because whatever he has must be a real treat. As a last resort, I put my hands in his mouth and pull out...<br />
<br />
CAT POOP!<br />
<br />
I was wearing gloves, so at least it didn't get on my hands. If someone ever makes dog treats out of cat poop, that person will be a millionaire.<br />
<br />
Story 2. Here's a cautionary training tale, along the lines of being careful about what you wish for. I always admire people who can spot the potential in some quirky behavior that their dog already offers and turn that behavior into a trick that shows off their dog's personality. I did something like that when I taught Katie <a href="http://flic.kr/p/6RxpYi">"show me your toes."</a> One of Arlo's funny behaviors is that after he eats, he carries his dish around. So, I thought, why not put that on cue? We could call it "dinner time," or "do you want some more?" or maybe even "Oliver Twist." :) So last night we did a little training--very basic, just rewarding him for looking at the dish. After a few minutes, Katie decided she wanted to join in and then Arlo lost focus. So we stopped, and I put the dish back in the stand that holds his food and water dishes. Shortly thereafter, I watch as Arlo picks up his dish--not his empty food bowl that we've been playing with, but his water dish, which is full--and, well, you can probably figure out what happened after that... <br />
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<br />Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-52585831445434475182011-10-10T16:56:00.000-07:002011-10-10T16:56:48.355-07:00Gino, 2000-2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Tuesday, we said our final goodbyes to a good bird. Gino joined our flock in the spring of 2000. He was a loyal friend to fellow birds Eddie and later Rocky, whom he helped to raise from chickhood. We'll miss his early morning chirping and wing stretches. B. will miss sharing her oatmeal and toast. Breakfast just doesn't taste the same without a bird on your shoulder to share it with. Gino was a willing volunteer when it came to sampling most foods, but his favorite was pasta. Wherever he's gone to, we hope he's reunited with Ed and that he gets all the pasta he can eat. We'll miss you buddy.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-77762694826040442622011-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:002011-09-17T09:50:40.202-07:00Dear Dogs...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear <strike>Dogs</strike> Arlo,<br />
<br />
The toilet paper roll is not a dog toy.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
B. & A.<br />
<br />Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-86544000672612972712011-08-25T08:13:00.000-07:002011-08-25T08:13:34.890-07:00Arlo Learns to Settle on His Mat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3PLFDQETDm4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Ahh, doggy adolescence. Fortunately it's a temporary state. And equally fortunately Katie was kind enough to break us in 9 years ago. We're trying to consistently reinforce the good stuff and ignore or redirect the bad, but still, it requires MUCH patience.<br />
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As a reminder to myself that our boy is learning in between the moments of crazy, here's a bit of the good stuff: Arlo learning to settle on his mat. Barking in the background courtesy of Katie. Halfway through I let her into the room, and Arlo was able to keep working while Katie "helped" by providing a low-level distraction. That kind of focus is actually big for Arlo who, at 8 1/2 months, has the attention span of a gnat.Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-9130347929085197132011-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:002011-08-14T09:23:38.027-07:00Road Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg4eHVfsXyZzdckSZg03YQWECzNagPPcxGfg7Sd7_XW1EC9YFCTeOguWWOr10qu_ZlGtpo8QzxKzLFdT8qWvRB7TJZCahHrcdcfQxhkRYbPMf0TJID0GW9Pw3prMGTkXUG9js12F1GNI/s1600/Seminar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg4eHVfsXyZzdckSZg03YQWECzNagPPcxGfg7Sd7_XW1EC9YFCTeOguWWOr10qu_ZlGtpo8QzxKzLFdT8qWvRB7TJZCahHrcdcfQxhkRYbPMf0TJID0GW9Pw3prMGTkXUG9js12F1GNI/s320/Seminar.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I returned last Wednesday from a short trip to Pittsburgh which included a day-long workshop with Nicole Wilde on working with fearful dogs. The workshop was fabulous, and I learned so much. Wilde is a terrific speaker, who provided lots of practical information backed up by references to scientific studies. I especially enjoyed the stories about the challenges of training her own dogs. The seminar was sponsored by <a href="http://www.carmaa-petadoption.com/">The Coalition to Adopt, Rehome and Match Abandoned Animals</a> (CARMAA), and held at the <a href="http://www.wpahumane.com/">Western Pennsylvania Humane Society</a>. CARMAA is an umbrella group whose mission is to support, through education, the animal rescue organizations in western PA. You can read more about their very good work at the above link. Sadly, while we were there for the seminar, dogs were being surrendered to the Humane Society, including two very elderly and ailing mastiffs. Mel and Lori, my traveling pals (and former fellow grads from <a href="http://www.kutztown.edu/academics/learning/canine_management.html">dog trainer school</a>) toured the kennels on our lunch break. I couldn't do it.<br />
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After the seminar, I spent a few more days in Pittsburgh visiting family and friends, and also answering umpteen questions about my transition to a vegan diet. Grownups wanted to know about predictible grownup things like was I getting enough protein (yes) and calcium (yes). But my fav question came from Sam, my youngest nephew, who wanted to know if I thought I was getting smaller because I wasn't drinking milk. :) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZE-Z2F4zdyJNzVyMEqF4V5E7HUDGYmVqKsqpUcraFGvyDJmWX7U0CsQF06pBauWD_OOugrtLvS0x_P7pigC6ELRB9sMZG6lOtyYRzb6KdrSuaQEL9Qe_5CIZy3Es2QF5OtqcrsPZP3Y/s1600/Wand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZE-Z2F4zdyJNzVyMEqF4V5E7HUDGYmVqKsqpUcraFGvyDJmWX7U0CsQF06pBauWD_OOugrtLvS0x_P7pigC6ELRB9sMZG6lOtyYRzb6KdrSuaQEL9Qe_5CIZy3Es2QF5OtqcrsPZP3Y/s320/Wand.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Above is my nephew Charlie's replica of Dumbledore's wand, crafted (with help from Mema) out of a dowel rod and some clay. How cool is that? I was hoping to catch the newest HP film with my nephews, but by the time I saw them, they had of course already seen it.<br />
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I was only gone for five days, but anxious to get back and give A. a break from round-the-clock dog care. <a href="http://pawsfor.blogspot.com/2011/06/arlos-first-week.html">As I've said before,</a> Arlo is a pretty easy puppy, but looking after two dogs (and birds and gardens) is a lot for just one person. Some additional damage to the remote occured and a few more dog toys lost their heads. But all things considered, there were no big problems in my absence.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tkMa06Z2kAvkX6GOQ8LZGV-4XbAza360ScVQjXTXtk2FPSldx1QVRi_ToNGfYbR8TMtvhEjIe2Q-69aD6TvJ0WdOHbXmQB5CRa2HUC0oZIBfsf3MeF9d7UZPs51GQkwsy1FAMQ51sFQ/s1600/Sleeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tkMa06Z2kAvkX6GOQ8LZGV-4XbAza360ScVQjXTXtk2FPSldx1QVRi_ToNGfYbR8TMtvhEjIe2Q-69aD6TvJ0WdOHbXmQB5CRa2HUC0oZIBfsf3MeF9d7UZPs51GQkwsy1FAMQ51sFQ/s320/Sleeping.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Arlo and I completed our Basic House Manners course before I left, but unfortunately missed graduation, which happened while I was away. That hasn't stopped him, however, from continuing to be the world's more helpful dog. Here he is, for example, helping me choose fabrics for some throw pillows.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-Iy-E449Kp95go_l4vJprlZ7DXjTSY1iO-8JQ28-pSZmi0LnvensU92W8Kt84L0l0JmqU0ujT8lgz7_5ogJZNCPE3uYlI7j75HTSKlVqsAaEYhuDjLZ9oyDqO9JzIXJgLfiqeBRmpno/s1600/Helpful.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-Iy-E449Kp95go_l4vJprlZ7DXjTSY1iO-8JQ28-pSZmi0LnvensU92W8Kt84L0l0JmqU0ujT8lgz7_5ogJZNCPE3uYlI7j75HTSKlVqsAaEYhuDjLZ9oyDqO9JzIXJgLfiqeBRmpno/s320/Helpful.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> And finally, aound this time in August, it becomes necessary to admit that summer is coming to a close. Classes resume here in a couple weeks, and already next week I have orientation responsibilities. < sigh > Another end-of-summer sign is always our last day at the library. Here's Kate after her final morning of reading to dogs at the Easton Public Library. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicpqfYMvm_ueiW9FbFLLAAdL9UryU86uuc_Dm0GAPbbDyR8Z2F7P7RR4PQWaQs1RU5kDB-JXbQPABLz2unKlShyBAfByFK4Ew7FF3JPBKIlCUg9P25PtA87CN6g-eFEDpIzzFnIbHPyM/s1600/Katie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicpqfYMvm_ueiW9FbFLLAAdL9UryU86uuc_Dm0GAPbbDyR8Z2F7P7RR4PQWaQs1RU5kDB-JXbQPABLz2unKlShyBAfByFK4Ew7FF3JPBKIlCUg9P25PtA87CN6g-eFEDpIzzFnIbHPyM/s320/Katie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Katie and I heard many good stories this year, and we're grateful to all the kids who read to us. My favorite new (i.e., to me) book of the summer was Deborah Blumenthal's <i>The Blue House Dog</i>, which I may need to purchase for my own library. <br />
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Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445979754867663848.post-52832890098121953952011-07-29T09:11:00.000-07:002011-08-03T12:05:52.916-07:00WelcomeWelcome to the new blog for Who's a Good Dog? I wanted a blog with a title to match <a href="http://www.whosagooddogpa.com/">my website</a>, and the only way I could see to do that on Blogger was to start a new site. For now, <a href="http://www.pawsfor.blogspot.com/">the old site</a> is still up and accessible. I'm also hoping this new blog can be a resource for WAGD clients and a space for writing in more detail about some of the dog behavior and training issues posted on my FB page. But I'll still be writing about other things too like my garden (which is VERY happy about this week's rain), knitting and crafting (which I'm not doing much at the moment--thank you very much Mr. Arlo!), writing, pedagogy, my botched cooking attempts, etc.<br />
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So thanks for checking in, and stay tuned...Who's a Good Dog?http://www.blogger.com/profile/12894960601362061971noreply@blogger.com0