Hairy Houdinis and their Great Escapes #NuzzleSmartCollar

Huskies, Malamutes, and Wolfdogs are often referred to as "Hairy Houdinis" because they are proven escape artists.  No fence too tall, no gate impenetrable. Many owners, including myself, go to great lengths to prevent escapes, because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

• Six foot, low gauge fencing-check.  
• Double-gated entryway-check.  
• Dig guard-check.

But escapes can, and do, happen.

This post is sponsored by The Nuzzle™ GPS Smart Collar and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network.  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about The Nuzzle Indiegogo Crowd Funding Campaign, but My Rotten Dogs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Nuzzle is not responsible for the content of this article.

I do all I can to keep my dogs safe.  As mentioned above, I have six foot, low gauge fencing, a concrete pad in the outdoor area they can access at all times, and a double gated entry.  Despite all this, I made a mistake last summer, and all three escaped.  After nearly an hour, much sweat, and many curse words, all three were safely in the house or yard.  Faolan ventured the farthest away from the house during that escapade.

I live fairly rural.  My house is surrounded by crop fields and woods.

The above photo of Bruce was taken at the intersection nearest my house, about a half mile away.

When they escaped, my big fear was the woods and fields.  They could disappear, and I could not see them, or know which way they were heading.  Northern breeds also lack a homing instinct, meaning that they typically cannot find their way home, unlike some other breeds.

City and suburban dog owners also have the same fears.  Busy streets, homes and buildings can all impede the safe return of an escapee.

Wolfdogs, Prey Drive, and a Suicidal Guinea Fowl

Prey drive is inherent to many breeds of dogs.  Sometimes it can be "fixed" and typically it can be managed.  I am a member of the camp who manages it.

Bruce and Faolan both have a strong prey drive.  Bruce more so than Faolan.  Bruce cannot be trusted around smaller dogs, while weirdo Faolan tends to be afraid of smaller dogs, and ok with cats when supervised.  Faolan is excellent with children.

A couple of months ago, I let the dogs out into the play yard to run around one beautiful morning before work.  Neeko and Faolan immediately ran to a back corner, but I didn't pay much attention.  Next thing I knew, I heard this awful noise, and saw them playing tug with something.

They were playing tug with a rabbit, and the awful noise was it screaming.  I quickly corralled Bruce, because he is an asshole who wants anything that could be remotely considered food, and did not want to deal with a fight.

Neeko was quickly bored, so I ushered her inside as well.  By the time I returned outside to Faolan, he had eaten half the rabbit, and buried the other half, caching it for later...

He's too sweet to be a cold-blooded killer.

Earlier this week, I watched, helpless, as a guinea fowl flew into the play yard.  While the dogs were in it.  And could not figure out how to fly back out.  Needless to say, I am short one guinea fowl now, courtesy of Bruce and Faolan.  The day before, I had just commented on how they are not very smart birds...

I have read stories in chicken groups about what people do to their own dogs if the dog happens to kill a bird.  Some of them are disturbing.  Some will simply shoot the dog, some tie the dead chicken around their neck, some use aversion training to make the dog fearful of chickens, and some rehome the dog.

I feel it is the responsibility of the chicken keeper/dog guardian to protect their birds from their dogs, and vice versa.   Fences are your friend.  Not every dog is rock-solid good around all other animals.  To punish, rehome, or do worse to a dog for being a dog is just wrong.

Fortunately, my dogs are not livestock guardian dogs, nor do I expect them to be.   However, it is my responsibility to protect my chickens and cats from them.

Due to their lack of recall, my dogs are always leashed, or contained by a fence when outside.  This works well for chickens, who cannot get the necessary height while flying to clear the fence.  Guinea fowl are a different story. 

I was upset over the guinea fowl incident, but not angy.  You cannot be mad at a dog for being a dog.

I have written before of the precautions necessary to keep my cats safe.  It is a matter of supervision, and closing appropriate doors when not at home.  Easy, peasy.  

I have yet to figure out how the rabbit got into the dog yard, but was unable to escape.  Again, I was upset, but not angry. 

The most unfortunate thing about these two situations is that I fear Bruce and Faolan now view anything small and fluffy that is not a dog as food. 

I only hope that the other guinea fowl learned a lesson...

No Recall Part Two, and Another Lesson Learned

I openly admit that my dogs have no/poor recall.  It is a trait that seems to be common in most northern breeds.  While there are a few northern breed dogs who are reliable off leash, they are the exception, not the rule.

Last year, I wrote about the equipment failure that led to Faolan running free through a large park, blissfully ignoring my screams for him to come back.  Fortunately, it ended well, and the details of it can be read HERE.

I manage this by always having them contained by a fence or a leash when outside.  Aside from the incident last summer, it has worked well for us.

Until today.  

I take all responsibility and blame for what occurred today, and it was a learning experience.

I arrived home at about 1:45 this afternoon.  Gave the dogs treats, checked on the chickens, and changed my clothes.  The dogs were either outside in their kennel area, or in the house.  I got the mower out of the barn, and set about cutting grass.  Cutting grass at my house takes awhile, even with a high speed riding mower, and I wanted to get at least half of it done today.  We have a 60" gate leading into the play yard, to accommodate the width of the mower deck.  

I mowed the play yard, the front yard, by the barn, and the pasture.  While mowing the pasture, one of the little girls who lives nearby got my attention.  She asked if I could bring Faolan over to see her.  I happily said I would (there is a mutual love between Faolan and these kids), and took the mower back to the barn.  

I leashed up Faolan and walked over.  I stood talking to the girls and their mother for about 30 minutes before heading home.

I walked Faolan through the airlock into the kennel area, and Neeko and Bruce came out of the house to greet us.  I opened the gate that led from the kennel to the play yard, so that everyone could run around.  I walked out to get the hose to refill their pool, and I realized that I had left the big gate to the play yard (the one that leads to the outside world) wide open after cutting the grass.

My heart sank.  All three dogs trotted out.  Neeko went up on the porch, Bruce headed for the barn (and chickens) and I lost sight of Faolan.  I sprinted, in flip flops, towards Neeko, who kept loping just out of my reach.  She ran back towards the barn.  Bruce was trying to get to the chickens (fortunately I had not yet let them out to free range for the afternoon/evening) and I was able to grab him.  Neeko cornered herself in the bay with the big tractor, so I was able to grab her.  I had both hands full of dog collar, but saw Faolan at the far end of the barn.  I took Neeko and Bruce back to the play yard, and secured the gate, and went after Faolan.

I went back to the barn, and now saw him on the other side of our pond.  I went down the path, and he loped gracefully to the top of the hill on the other side.  I jogged up the hill, and he was now out of sight.

I started down the steep trail that leads to the creek, but turned around when I thought he might return to where the neighbor kids were.  I was right.  I saw him, on their back porch.  I sprinted over, thinking I had him trapped, but their back porch is open on either end.  

He crossed the road, and was heading toward a cornfield.  I was calling his name the entire time.  Something that smelled good got his attention, and I was able to tackle him.

Aren't my Paint skills awesome?

 The yellow marks my property, and it actually extends to the left of the photo.  The red shows some of my trek chasing down my dogs.  The driveway at the left edge is the trail that leads down to the creek, which I started down, but fortunately decided against.  

As one can see, there is a large amount of woods and fields around my home.  I count myself fortunate that this whole ordeal lasted less than 45 minutes, and I was able to safely recover my dogs.

This will NEVER happen again.  My thoughtlessness, combined with their lack of recall, nearly cost me my dogs today.  

I have never been so scared, yet so determined.  It is a feeling I do not wish on anyone.  

I will ALWAYS ensure that gate is closed, and will always close it immediately upon exiting now.

Do Dogs Get Bored?

I think that they do.  I try to alleviate boredom in my dogs, by exercising both their bodies and minds.  Unfortunately, destruction as a result of boredom does occur on occasion.  My dogs also demonstrate boredom by being extra vocal (vocalizations are their way of expressing many emotions), and appearing "blah" for lack of a better description.

My friends are former neighbors were recently lamenting that their dogs seemed bored.  They have a big, beautiful, fenced yard, and also like to take their dogs other places.  They asked if they could bring their dogs to my house to play in the creek that runs through our property, and I happily obliged.

They brought their two Golden Retrievers over, and they had a grand time, swimming, running, splashing, and jumping.  They left my house utterly exhausted.

Handsome boy.

We had gotten a brief, yet heavy, downpour the morning that they came over, so the water was a little brown, and higher than normal, but they didn't care.

Pretty girl.

In my county, there is no leash law if a dog is on private property.  Unlike my dogs, these two have good recall and are trustworthy off leash.

Happy pups.

I feel that the change of scenery, water, and opportunity to run around off leash was a welcome change for them both, and my friends expressed the same thoughts.

As mentioned, my dogs can be destructive if they are bored.  I am always trying to come up with new ways to keep them entertained.

Preventing Boredom in Dogs

While we have a large, fenced play yard, I feel that walks, both on and off our property, are necessary.  The dogs enjoy the change of scenery and smells, and I do as well.

I frequently let them swim, on long leashes, in both our pond and creek.  Neeko and Faolan particularly enjoy this.

Toy rotation.  This is a big one.  We have a few tried and true toys that hold up to my dogs.  I will remove some toys for a week or two, then reintroduce them, while removing other toys.  It is like they have been presented with a brand new toy.

Car rides.  As often as I can, weather and errands permitting, I will take Neeko and Faolan places with me.  Neeko likes the ride, and they both enjoy going into dog-friendly establishments. 

Training.  If it is just too hot out, and none of us want to leave the comfort of AC for too long, we do training inside.  I always use treats, and sometimes just do repetitions of what they already know.  Sit, down, wait, watch me, bang, shake, touch, etc.  If I am feeling real froggy, I will work on new behaviors.  Neeko is currently the only one who knows "bang" so I am trying to teach it to both boys.

In my house, we like to say "A tired dog is a good dog" and "Tired dogs don't get in trouble."  I do my best to keep my dogs physically and mentally worked, for both their well-being, and to circumvent bad behaviors.

Any additional suggestions on preventing boredom in dogs?

National Pet Preparedness Month

June is National Pet Preparedness Month.  I originally wrote and published this post in November, 2013.

I felt it was appropriate to repost it.

Disaster and Emergency Planning for Dogs

On Sunday, severe and "explosive" storms went through much of the Midwest.  Last I heard, the National Weather Service had confirmed 25 tornadoes touched down in Indiana alone.  It was scary stuff.

We were scheduled to attend a family gathering that day, minus the dogs.  When I called my mom that morning to confirm it was still on, she insisted everyone come.

Prior to leaving our house, we set up crates in the basement, and left the dogs there.  I also made arrangements with our awesome neighbors, so that they could use our basement with their dogs while we were gone if the need arose, as their house does not have a basement.

Getting the dogs down the stairs was a chore, as the basement stairs are open, and all three were fearful of falling through.  Fortunately, our immediate area had only thunderstorms and high winds (in November?!?!), and we were unscathed.  Once the "all-clear" was issued, we brought the dogs up from the basement, which was even more difficult than getting them down there. 

After the storms rolled through.

Ignore my scary basement.  It's an old house.

Bruce proved to be the most difficult, with it taking us an hour and a half to convince him to come up the stairs.  Bribes included cheese, meat, and squeaky toys.

About one year ago, a home exploded on the south side of Indianapolis, less than five miles from our current house.  I remember hearing the boom, and my house actually shook.

A few homes were completely destroyed, and several damaged beyond repair, as this occurred in a subdivision.  Hundreds of people and their pets were evacuated.

This event initially prompted me to come up with an emergency plan for my dogs, and this past weekend's storms only reinforced it.

The ASPCA and Redrover.org have some nice lists, and some of my ideas are the same as theirs.

Identification
At the very least, I believe all animals should have a well fitting collar or harness with clear ID tags that include a cell-phone number.  My dogs are all microchipped, but I know some feel microchipping is "dangerous" and unnecessary.  If the unthinkable occurs, and you are separated from your pets, these are the most successful ways that they are returned to their owners.

A Way to Let Rescuers Know You Have Pets
Window stickers are widely available that allow people to indicate how many of and what species of animals are present in the home.

Containment in the Event of Evacuation
After the home explosion last year, I thought long and hard on what would happen if we were to be evacuated from our homes.  Short (6 feet or less), non-retractable leashes must be immediately available for all dogs.  Neeko and Faolan, while stressed, would probably be ok with all the chaos.  Bruce would not be.  My dogs are all to large to put into a crate and carry.  Because of Bruce's issues, I purchased a basket muzzle for him, and desensitized him to it.  It is my job to protect my dogs, and if protecting them means preventing them from harming a person or another dog, that is what I will do.

If one has small dogs or cats, plastic sided or soft, portable kennels that are easily carried are widely found.

If a Tornado is Eminent
Go to your basement, or most interior, windowless room.  We set up ahead of time, and now know that this is probably not something we could do in seconds, given how much difficulty each dog gave us.  Involve your neighbors.  Have a plan, and contact your friends and family to ensure everyone and all pets are accounted for and safe.

A Place to Stay if Your Home is Uninhabitable
This could be with family or friends.  But keep in mind that friends and family who say you are welcome do not always necessarily mean your large or multiple pets are welcome as well.  So clarify.  Many hotels are pet friendly, but require dogs be crated, which is another good reason to invest in crates.  It is good to call around and see if there are limits on the number of pets, or size limits.

In the event one cannot afford a hotel, it is important to have worked out details with friends and family if you and/or your pets can stay with them.  I have several people who are willing to temporarily take on Neeko or Faolan in the event of an emergency, but not so much Bruce, which is understandable.  Bruce and myself could temporarily stay with my parents, and crates and gates would be used to keep him from harming their two much smaller dogs because of his stress and anxiety.

If Your Home is Safe, but You have No Power, No Water, No way to Get Out.
I'm not going to lie.  Watching American Blackout on Nat Geo scared the crap out of me. It also made me realize we are unprepared.  While I am not advocating or encouraging anyone to be an extreme/doomsday prepper, having a little backup of some basic supplies is a good idea.

I feed raw, and typically have at least three weeks worth of food on hand.  A power outage in the winter time wouldn't affect this, but in the summer, the meat would start to go bad after a few days.  While dogs can eat "off" meat, I would not feel comfortable feeding them something super funky.  For this reason, I have purchased a couple of large bags of high quality kibble.  When the expiration date approaches, I will donate these, and buy more.

Water is vital.  Having ample water for each living thing is crucial.  Keep a few cases, or gallons of water as backup.  I have actually purchased LifeStraws for the humans.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas/hints for me or others on being prepared for our pets in the event of an emergency or disaster? 

Ideas for Dog Enrichment Activities Outdoors

As many know, my dogs are inside dogs with pretty much unlimited outdoor privileges via a doggy door.  Sometimes they choose to spend a great deal of time outside.  We have cuddle and training time in the house, and they are taken on frequent walks and adventures away from the house.

I am always looking for ways to make things fun for them, to keep their brains and their bodies stimulated, working, and tired.  Having a yard to run around in is nice, but I wanted something more for them in the yard.

I found some ideas on Pinterest that interested me.





Some of my dogs favorite things are climbing, jumping, and splashing/swimming in water.

We have a heavy duty 180 gallon livestock tank that I had purchased to use as a brooder box for the chicks.  It is a perfect big dog swimming pool, and has a plug for easy draining and cleaning.  Using some scrap wood we have, we built a low platform for it, and a taller platform next to it for the dogs to hide under, and jump on.  We also placed two cinder blocks in the bottom of the tank to make a step for Neeko, as she is not comfortable jumping straight down into the tub.

Some other ideas for outdoor enrichment activities include:

• A sandbox for safe, appropriate digging;
• Kiddie swimming pools;
• Agility equipment; and
• Hiding treats in upside down buckets or bales of hay/straw.

Any other ideas for outdoor enrichment activities?

Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

I have written multiple times in the past about how far we have came with Bruce and his issues.  His resource guarding, his fear aggression, his generally neurotic behavior.  Big boy can go from sweet to asshole in seconds.  We have learned his triggers, managed his guarding, and he's a pretty good boy most of the time at home.

Wednesday afternoon, I was lying in the grass with all three dogs.  We were all being lazy, soaking up some sun and the breeze.  I may have even dozed off.

I knew Bruce was nearest me, but I couldn't see him.  I reached up over my head to pet him.

What I didn't know is that he was chewing on a Nylabone, and I caught him completely off guard.  I hope he did not realize how close I was to him, when he did his loud grumble/scream combo, and swung his head around.

He open mouth hit my head.  I did not respond to him, but immediately got up and went inside.  I saw the blood, and was hysterical.

The scalp is highly vascular, so even something small bleeds quite a bit. 

I was sad, and angry.  I immediately called a dear friend of mine, who is the director of animal welfare for a nearby county and has a very difficult rescued boy of her own, who we think might be from the same breeder as Bruce.

She helped to calm me down until Les got home.  Les got home and cleaned me up.   I have a small, shallow cut on the side of my head, nothing in need of medical attention.

I was so emotionally hurt, sad, and angry.  I once read about how stress hormones can stay in one's body for 72 hours after a stressful event.  Dogs can pick up on these, even if we try to present ourselves otherwise.  Because of this, Bruce has been sequestered to bottom floor of our home, and I have had very minimal contact or interaction with him the last couple of days, but he has been sweet and happy with the interaction I have had with him.

In my heart of hearts, I do not believe Bruce meant to do this.  I believe he was attempting to demonstrate his displeasure at the thought of me taking his Nylabone away, not realizing where I was.

For the time being, we have put up all dog toys/chews in a closet.  

A friend of mine once asked why she could not play with Bruce while she was playing with Neeko and Faolan.  This is why.  He is too labile.  This is why he cannot go places. 

But I love him, and I honestly feel we make each other happy.  This was a freak accident, unintentional on either of our parts, I hope.

We will move forward.  We always do. 

Take a Chill Pill Part Two: Anti-anxiety supplements for dogs

Back in the fall, I wrote about Bruce being on prescription medication, which he still is and probably always will be.  Prior to starting that, we tried various training, calming, and desensitization techniques with varying degrees of success.

Faolan came to us with some fear and anxiety issues as well, but his manifested themselves differently than Bruce's.  While Bruce would act aggressively and be a huge jerk, Faolan would be incredibly fearful and pitiful.  He would submissively urinate, fall over and refuse to get up, etc.  He did demonstrate some similar behaviors as Bruce, whining, pacing, and panting for unknown reasons.

Upon first adopting Faolan, we did a large amount of trust building and confidence building with him.  Upon gaining some trust and building some confidence, some of his anxiety symptoms did get a bit better, but he was still whining and crying, and submissively urinating almost daily.

I did not feel that he "needed" a prescription medication, so instead decided to try a few different supplements, some of which I had previously used with Bruce.

He truly is a sweet "little" boy.

L-Theanine
I am one who researches everything, particularly if it something my dogs are going to be ingesting.  One of the first supplements I stumbled upon was L-Theanine.I was very comfortable offering this, because it is an amino acid derived from green tea, and is commonly taken by people for it's calming effects.  It is actually the main/active ingredient in Anxitane.I had purchased this for Bruce prior to him starting on his prescription, and it had no effect on him.  I was trying hard to socialize Faolan, and decided to give what was left to him.  Not all at once of course.  I do feel this did have an effect on him, as he seemed to cry and whine less, particularly in the car, and acted a bit less pitiful when strangers approached him.

Bach's Rescue Remedy
Rescue Remedywas another I felt very comfortable giving, also aimed at humans.  There is a formula specifically for dogs, which does not contain alcohol.  It is composed of various flower essences, and people take it for a variety of reasons, including anxiety and motion sickness.  Unfortunately, neither Bruce nor Faolan would readily take this (though Neeko, who did not need it, always tried for the dropper).  I added a few drops to their water, but I cannot say I saw any sort of difference from using this.

Melatonin
I did quite a bit of research regarding dosing of Melatoninfor dogs, but couldn't find concrete dosages anywhere.  It is given to dogs for a variety of reasons, including epilepsy, alopecia, and storm phobias.  I gave Bruce a 5 mg tablet one morning, and then we walked him and Neeko a couple of hours later.  I did not see any difference.  He still had a screaming hissy fit if Neeko and I got more than 10 feet ahead of him and Les.  I decided to try it on Faolan one morning prior to a walk.  He puked it, along with his breakfast, up about 20 minutes later.  Fail.

Happy Traveler
After earning trust and building confidence in Faolan, many of his anxious moments were lessening greatly.  He had come to the point where he loved to go places, and very willingly got in the car.  Once we would start driving, the whining would start.  I did not want to deny him the opportunity to explore the world and meet new people,  I decided to give Happy Travelera try.  It is indicated for both anxiety and motion sickness.  While he never actually vomited in the car, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it, as it is simply a blend of various herbs.  I truly did notice a difference.  I first gave it to him prior to a nearly hour long car ride.  He did whine initially, but it wasn't as bad as usual, and he quickly stopped.  I now keep this on hand for him.

Pet Naturals of Vermont Calming Treats
More of a treat than a supplement, we did use these with success during our move.  More can be read HERE.

DAP Diffuser
DAP is Dog Appeasing Pheromone.  It is released by lactating mothers to calm puppies, and has shown to have a calming effect on adult dogs.  I purchased a Comfort Zone DAPdiffuser system, and used it for about three months.  I honestly do not know if I really saw that much of a difference with it.

I have tried a variety of different anti-anxiety products for dogs, with various degrees of success.  I am fortunate that Faolan has come such a long way, and now only has minimal episodes of anxiety and fear.  I think he has fear or submissively urinated twice in the last four months, which is pretty darn good, when it used to be a daily occurrence.  I feel that he has no need for these items now, with the exception of the Happy Traveler, which I do give him for car rides longer than 30 minutes.

Little boy has come a long way.  He now loves everyone he meets, though he does occasionally exhibit some slightly fearful behaviors around new people.  He still wants to greet them all, however.  He no longer paces, pants, or whines for unknown reasons.  He does do this weird yawn/whine thing when he knows he is about to eat, basically telling me to hurry up.  He rarely submissively urinates, and very rarely does the fall over and refuse to get up act.

My two boys have both taught me many lessons regarding anxiety and fear in dogs, and the various ways in which they can be managed.  I am lucky to have them as teachers.

Has anyone else tried any of these, or other anti-anxiety supplements?  Can anyone offer me any suggestions for Faolan's car anxiety?

Disaster and Emergency Planning for Dogs

On Sunday, severe and "explosive" storms went through much of the Midwest.  Last I heard, the National Weather Service had confirmed 25 tornadoes touched down in Indiana alone.  It was scary stuff.

We were scheduled to attend a family gathering that day, minus the dogs.  When I called my mom that morning to confirm it was still on, she insisted everyone come.

Prior to leaving our house, we set up crates in the basement, and left the dogs there.  I also made arrangements with our awesome neighbors, so that they could use our basement with their dogs while we were gone if the need arose, as their house does not have a basement.

Getting the dogs down the stairs was a chore, as the basement stairs are open, and all three were fearful of falling through.  Fortunately, our immediate area had only thunderstorms and high winds (in November?!?!), and we were unscathed.  Once the "all-clear" was issued, we brought the dogs up from the basement, which was even more difficult than getting them down there. 

After the storms rolled through.

Ignore my scary basement.  It's an old house.

 

 

Bruce proved to be the most difficult, with it taking us an hour and a half to convince him to come up the stairs.  Bribes included cheese, meat, and squeaky toys.

About one year ago, a home exploded on the south side of Indianapolis, less than five miles from our current house.  I remember hearing the boom, and my house actually shook.

A few homes were completely destroyed, and several damaged beyond repair, as this occurred in a subdivision.  Hundreds of people and their pets were evacuated.

This event initially prompted me to come up with an emergency plan for my dogs, and this past weekend's storms only reinforced it.

The ASPCA and Redrover.org have some nice lists, and some of my ideas are the same as theirs.

Identification
At the very least, I believe all animals should have a well fitting collar or harness with clear ID tags that include a cell-phone number.  My dogs are all microchipped, but I know some feel microchipping is "dangerous" and unnecessary.  If the unthinkable occurs, and you are separated from your pets, these are the most successful ways that they are returned to their owners.

A Way to Let Rescuers Know You Have Pets
Window stickers are widely available that allow people to indicate how many of and what species of animals are present in the home.

Containment in the Event of Evacuation
After the home explosion last year, I thought long and hard on what would happen if we were to be evacuated from our homes.  Short (6 feet or less), non-retractable leashes must be immediately available for all dogs.  Neeko and Faolan, while stressed, would probably be ok with all the chaos.  Bruce would not be.  My dogs are all to large to put into a crate and carry.  Because of Bruce's issues, I purchased a basket muzzle for him, and desensitized him to it.  It is my job to protect my dogs, and if protecting them means preventing them from harming a person or another dog, that is what I will do.

If one has small dogs or cats, plastic sided or soft, portable kennels that are easily carried are widely found.

If a Tornado is Eminent
Go to your basement, or most interior, windowless room.  We set up ahead of time, and now know that this is probably not something we could do in seconds, given how much difficulty each dog gave us.  Involve your neighbors.  Have a plan, and contact your friends and family to ensure everyone and all pets are accounted for and safe.

A Place to Stay if Your Home is Uninhabitable
This could be with family or friends.  But keep in mind that friends and family who say you are welcome do not always necessarily mean your large or multiple pets are welcome as well.  So clarify.  Many hotels are pet friendly, but require dogs be crated, which is another good reason to invest in crates.  It is good to call around and see if there are limits on the number of pets, or size limits.

In the event one cannot afford a hotel, it is important to have worked out details with friends and family if you and/or your pets can stay with them.  I have several people who are willing to temporarily take on Neeko or Faolan in the event of an emergency, but not so much Bruce, which is understandable.  Bruce and myself could temporarily stay with my parents, and crates and gates would be used to keep him from harming their two much smaller dogs because of his stress and anxiety.

If Your Home is Safe, but You have No Power, No Water, No way to Get Out.
I'm not going to lie.  Watching American Blackout on Nat Geo scared the crap out of me. It also made me realize we are unprepared.  While I am not advocating or encouraging anyone to be an extreme/doomsday prepper, having a little backup of some basic supplies is a good idea.

I feed raw, and typically have at least three weeks worth of food on hand.  A power outage in the winter time wouldn't affect this, but in the summer, the meat would start to go bad after a few days.  While dogs can eat "off" meat, I would not feel comfortable feeding them something super funky.  For this reason, I have purchased a couple of large bags of high quality kibble.  When the expiration date approaches, I will donate these, and buy more.

Water is vital.  Having ample water for each living thing is crucial.  Keep a few cases, or gallons of water as backup.  I have actually purchased LifeStraws for the humans.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas/hints for me or others on being prepared for our pets in the event of an emergency or disaster? 

Dog Reactivity or Frustrated Greeter? Learning from Faolan

I have long thought that Faolan, while friendly, is reactive.  He gets incredibly excited when he sees other dogs on our walks, jumping, lunging, sometimes barking, but showing no signs of aggression.  He has played off-leash with a couple of other dogs (outside of Neeko and Bruce), and has done fine with them.  However I have remained somewhat fearful of him being "reactive" and the stigma that surrounds that. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to the term "frustrated greeter."  I immediately had an a-ha! moment, as this is Faolan.  Seeing dogs does not cause him to become excited, but being confined by a leash, or the other dog being chained/behind a fence, or a combination of the two causes him to become frustrated, because he wants to greet the dog.  Thus, he jumps, pulls, and occasionally barks.

A close friend of mine asked if I would like to meet her and her two dogs Friday morning at a local park that I had never been to.  I wasn't sure whether to bring Neeko or Faolan, but decided on Faolan in the end.

We arrived about 30 minutes before Michelle and her dogs, and little boy was ready to go!

I always make him pose on silly objects.

Posing again.

 Michelle arrived with her two dogs-Jackson, a one year old mix (Australian Shepherd and who knows what else) and Lexus, a four month old Rottweiler.

We walked around for a bit.  Faolan did get a bit excited upon seeing her dogs, but calmed down immensely once he realized he was actually going to get to say hi to them.

Unbeknownst to me, there is a free, public dog park at this large park.  I am not a huge fan of dog parks, for a number of reasons.

• Many owners pay more attention to other owners, as opposed to watching their dogs.
• Some of these dogs may be ill, in heat, poorly socialized, or toy aggressive.
• Some owners do not clean up after their dogs.
• Sometimes big dogs and little dogs don't mix well.
• Children who do not understand how to interact with strange dogs are brought in on occasion.
• Not every dog is appropriate for a dog park setting.

We took Neeko to a dog park as a young dog.  For the most part, everything went very well, if we went at our "normal" times.  The times when the others we knew were there, who followed rules, and watched their dogs.  If went at different times, we would often see the above scenarios, and it made me uncomfortable.

Seeing as it was a weekday morning, the park itself was fairly deserted, and the dog park area was completely empty.  Michelle talked me into going in there with her, Jackson and Lexi.

After assuring the perimeter was secure, and the gate was locked, we let our dogs off-leash.  Faolan, Jackson, and Lexus had a great time running around, and smelling all the smells.

The Three Stooges.

Sweet, gorgeous Lexus.  Lexus means "Defender of Mankind."

My handsome "little wolf."

Eventually, a gentleman arrived with a German Shepherd.  I corralled Faolan, as the gate was single entry and I was nervous about Faolan flying out of it and not looking back.  The gentleman (who was very dog savvy) assured me his boy GSD was friendly, and I let go of Faolan.  He greeted Rex beautifully.  No overexcitement, nice doggy manners.  After their intial friendly greeting, they went in opposite directions to sniff around.  I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jackson, Rex, and Faolan, taking a water break.



About 20 minutes later, a group consisting of three ladies, six children, and five dogs arrived.  I again held Faolan while they made their entry.  They unleashed their dogs, and all, aside from a terrier mix who they kept on leash, seemed friendly.  I released Faolan.  A Labrador approached him, and they had a nice greeting.  Before I knew it, he was playing tag with the Lab, a beagle mix, and a hound mix.  I kept an eagle eye on him, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.  He did beautifully.

 

 

Sara at Paws Ability wrote an excellent post defining reactivity.  I feel the main difference between reactive dogs and frustrated greeters is that the reactive dog is reacting (barking, lunging, coming unglued) to the stimulus itself, while the frustrated greeter is upset because he cannot get to other dog simply to say hello.  I am sure it is probably not that simple, and need to learn more.  Faolan is being a wonderful teacher.

Comfort Zone D.A.P.--Month Two

We just wrapped up our second consecutive month of using the Comfort Zone Dog Appeasing Pheromone Diffuser.  I also did a post for the first month.

I just purchased my third refill, on sale with a coupon, at Pet Supplies Plus for $17.59 + tax.  I am happy with that, as the first refill was 27.99 + tax. 

As mentioned before, the company recommends use for at least 90 days.  After the first 30 days, I wasn't sure I noticed any differences.  After 60 days, we have accomplished a milestone.  I no longer have to crate Faolan while prepping meals in the back room.

I was crating Faolan during meal prep due to no fault of his own.  It was all Bruce's fault.  He would (and still does some) stand at the gate and scream/bark at me during meal prep.  If Faolan got within three feet of him during this time, he would turn on him.  We never had a truly serious fight, but after the first few skirmishes I crated Bruce during prep, and he ripped a toenail trying to get out.  So I resorted to crating Faolan.

Recently, I stopped crating Faolan during meal prep to see how it would go.  Faolan typically goes into his crate and waits, barking/whining on occasion, during meal prep.  The princess waits patiently.

On the occasions he has ventured out, Bruce has not lashed out at him when he comes close to him or the gate.  Bruce's screaming/barking has lessened some. 

I am pleased with this slight improvement.  I do realize I need to spend a great deal of time, and not feed Bruce until he has been calm.  Once he realizes he is about to eat, he runs straight to his crate, sits, and waits with his bowl in front of him like a good boy. 

My special, problem child.

Light Reading

Not really. But it is enjoyable, and easy to read and understand. I ordered this while attending the Nicole Wilde seminar the weekend before last. All available copies quickly sold out.

So far it is humorous at times and very informative. A full review will come upon its completion.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nicole Wilde Seminar

This past weekend, I attended a Nicole Wilde seminar.  It was wonderful, and I highly recommend that anyone who trains, rescues, or has dogs with fear or anxiety issues attend one if the opportunity presents itself.

The majority of attendees were trainers, with a handful of rescuers and private owners.  This particular seminar of hers was not specifically aimed at or designed for trainers.

The first day was all about helping fearful dogs.  The causes and physiological responses were discussed.  I loved that she stated a good foundation must be set for any progress to be made, regarding management, physical well being, etc.  I found out that she also feeds raw, when she was discussing physical well-being.  She noted that corn suppresses serotonin/tryptophan levels.  She discussed types of fear, fear sources (handler, vet, objects, etc.) and how to work with the dog to overcome these fears.  Complimentary therapies, such as D.A.P. and music were also discussed.

Surprising to my friend and I, another wolfdog friend (she owns a rescued lower mid content) was in attendance.  We had never actually met her, only corresponded via Facebook.  It was a very nice surprise.

A large amount of information was presented.  She is a wonderful speaker, with eloquence and nice cadence.  She is intelligent, informative, witty, down to earth and approachable.  Some items were being sold, and I wanted to purchase her book Help for Your Fearful Dog.  All copies quickly sold out.  I was able to order it, and it will be mailed out tomorrow.



 Saturday evening, we all went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Dublin.  Afterwards, a woofer friend met up with us.  She brought along an absolutely adorable puppy.

 Yes, we carried the puppy through the hotel, up to our room.  This sweet little girl was shy at first, but quickly warmed up.

Sunday's first topic was separation anxiety.  Lots of videos were shown, and management/training techniques were discussed.  While none of mine appear to suffer from separation anxiety, I still found it very helpful. 

The second topic was the dynamics of dog-dog play.  This was mostly fun stuff, though warning signs were again discussed.  We watched a lot of videos, and discussed as a group what was going on.  Plenty of careless owners were present in these videos, which is unfortunate.  Nicole Wilde is not a fan of dog parks, as there is no one actually running them, and too many owners are more worried about socializing themselves.  She is a fan of well-run doggy daycares, though.

She discussed how different breeds and different dogs have different play styles.  What's important to know is how your dog plays, and to watch how the other dog(s) respond to it.  She owns two northern breed mixes herself, and showed a video of them playing at home.  This reassured me, as they play as rough as my crew does.

Again, it was a wonderful seminar, and I'm so glad Susan suggested we attend together.

Through a Dog's Ear Review and ***Giveaway***

This weekend, I attended a two day Nicole Wilde seminar in Ohio.  More on it tomorrow.  The first day was about helping fearful dogs.

MANY techniques were discussed. As the owner of two fearful, anxious dogs, I was particularly interested in this topic.  One of the things discussed was how classical music with a certain tempo has been clinically demonstrated to help calm dogs.  I had heard of it before, but it really piqued my interest yesterday.

Through a Dog's Ear (Volume One) is nine classical pieces, which have shown to calm 70% of dogs in a shelter environment and 85% of dogs in a household environment.
I bought two copies at the seminar, thinking this would be a fun giveaway.  One for myself, one to give away. I will be reviewing it later this week, and want to read about the winner's thoughts on it, if they choose to keep it for themselves.

GIVEAWAY

To enter, leave a comment with your thoughts on music to calm dogs.  Minimum 12 entries for giveaway to take place.  Winner will be randomly selected after 7 pm EST on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. 

Educational Opportunities

This weekend, I am attending a two day seminar in Dublin, Ohio, which is just outside Columbus.  It is only about a three hour drive from here.  The speaker is Nicole Wilde.  She is a trainer, author and photographer.  She is perhaps most well-known for her work with wolfdogs.  She keeps a very informative blog, mostly about training and working with fearful dogs.

A local rescuer friend of mine, who has two rescued woofers and is the Director of Animal Welfare for a neighboring county, suggested we attend the seminar together.  I quickly checked my schedule and registered myself.  We are leaving early Saturday morning, and coming home late Sunday evening.  The seminar is not just for trainers, but is aimed also at rescuers, those with rescues or fearful dogs, or those who just want to be more dog-savvy.

Saturday's topic is Helping Fearful Dogs.  I feel this will be very beneficial to me when working with Faolan's fear and anxiety issues.  He is such a sweet boy, who absolutely adores people.  I want to be able to take him more places.

Sunday has two topics-Two Timely Topics: Separation Anxiety & Dynamics of Dog-Dog Play.  While none of my dogs appear to have separation anxiety, I anticipate learning quite a bit of new information.  I am most looking forward to the discussion of play dynamics.  My crew is very rough and tumble, rowdy, and vocal when they play with each other.  I know this is their norm, but guests have been alarmed when witnessing it.  It is my understanding that rowdy play is fairly common amongst northern breed dogs.  I am hoping to learn how to detect subtle nuances in canine body language while playing, and when to intervene if its ever needed.

Saturday evening, we will be having dinner with Nicole Wilde.  We have some woofer friends who live in the Columbus area, one of whom is Rachel, who has taken photos of both Neeko and Faolan.  If you follow the link, she features a photo of Neeko in her portfolio.  We are hoping to meet up with them Saturday evening for a cocktail.

I am quite excited about this seminar and time with some friends.  I am not looking forward to leaving my pups, however.

This is not only an educational opportunity for me, but for Les as well.  For the first time, he will be responsible for total care of the dogs.

I have planned out their meals, and will make them easy for him to find and feed.  At his request, I wrote down explicit instructions.

 

 

 

It is my hope that we both learn and benefit greatly from our experiences.

Comfort Zone D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheromone)

Last month, on a whim, I purchased a Comfort Zone D.A.P. diffuser.  I purchased it at PetsMart, on sale for $39.99.  Regular price is $49.99.  Both Bruce and Faolan demonstrate anxious behaviors, with Bruce's being more severe.  Bruce is on medication twice daily, and it has helped some.  Both boys occasionally pace, and sometimes whine for reasons I cannot figure out.  Bruce occasionally screams for attention, which is rather obnoxious and disconcerting.  I need to get a video of it.

Dog appeasing pheromone is released by lactating mothers at approximately three days after birth to comfort her puppies.  Supposedly it can work to help adult dogs.  I know it is not a miracle cure, and that behavioral modification needs to take place along with it, which I have been working on, by randomly rewarding the boys when they are not demonstrating any anxiety symptoms.

I used the diffuser for 30 days, until the bottle ran out.  It reminds me of a Wallflower from Bath and Body Works, and works the same way, I am sure.

Odorless, easy to use, easy to install, and the plug-in twists.  Treats areas 500-650 square feet.  The dogs sleep and spend about half of their time in our large back room, approximately 575 square feet, so I plugged it in back there.

I purchased the refill yesterday, using the $3.00 off coupon that came with the original diffuser.  Price for the refill before the coupon and sales tax was $29.99.

According to the website, it should be used for 90 days to see best results.  I plan on doing so.  I have been using it for 31 days now, and don't feel that I have seen a discernible difference.

I will update this next month.

No Recall-A Close Call and A Lesson Learned

Last weekend was gorgeous here in central Indiana. Neeko has always adored swimming, while Bruce only tolerates it. Faolan has never experienced it with us, because shortly after we adopted him last summer, the state issued a warning regarding dogs and rivers, creeks and lakes and reservoirs, because of a fungus related to the drought we experienced. On Sunday, I decided to take Faolan to one of our favorite parks, which happens to have a nice, large creek that is a nice hike through some woods to get to. While there, he got to say hi to lots of people, which he loves. He made a friend, a cute little white Siberian Husky puppy named Evie.

 Both Evie and Faolan found this mud puddle irresistible.

 

 

Faolan LOVED the water.  He splashed, and dunked his head.  He got the zoomies each time his paws touched it. Had a great time playing in it.  I had him on a 30 foot training leash, but while Evie and her family were around, I held it to 10-15 feet, to prevent tripping people and leash tangles.  He was so exuberant while in the water that I was unable to take any pictures of him in the water.

 

Little boy, looking all cute.



 



 

I'm ready to go back in!!

 

 

Eventually, Evie and her family continued on, so I gave Faolan a bit more leash.  He ran into the water, and once again got the zoomies, racing around like the happiest dog on the planet, in and out of the water.

 

Then, the unthinkable happened.  His collar broke.  He was off like a streak.  I took off after him, through the woods, running as fast as I could, and screaming his name.  I sprinted for what I guesstimate was nearly a quarter mile.  I could no longer see him, and was crying, so I slowed down.  I was certain he was gone, and was so upset I thought I was going to vomit.  Then, ahead and out of my sight, I heard someone yelling, "We have him!  We have your dog!"  I jogged to where they were, and there was a lady with three kids and a dog hiking in the woods.  Faolan had stopped to say hi to them and their dog. 

 

The collar is double layer leather, with the top layer secured via stitching and rivets.  The D-ring was positioned between the layers secured with stitches.  The top layer became separated, and that is how it broke.  The bottom layer was still secure, and that is how this lady grabbed him.

 

Still crying, I thanked her profusely, and Faolan and I walked back to the creek bank where I had left my backpack, wallet, phone, camera and long and short leashes.  We then made our way back to the car.

 

Unfortunately, none of my dogs have reliable recall, which is why we live by the law of the leash.  It's not that I haven't tried, because I have, with all three.  This seems to be common in northern breeds and wolfdogs, though there are some who have excellent recall, and are therefor excellent off-leash.  I realize this will never be the case with my dogs.

 

I do not feel this makes me and irresponsible dog-owner, my dogs having no recall.  I am responsible enough to realize it, and keep them leashed/contained at all times for their safety.

 

A valuable lesson was learned.  I need to regularly inspect my dogs' gear, particularly if we are going on some sort of adventure or excursion.