Dogs and the Super Bowl

I think I’ve watched every Super Bowl since VII, and it is probably the biggest “holiday” between New Years Day and Memorial Day for most of us. So when it comes to your dogs, you need treat it like a holiday and take the appropriate precautions.

First, you can’t watch the Super Bowl without food and there’s usually lots of it. Super Bowl food isn’t good for people and even worse for dogs. All the stuff that makes it taste so good – cheese, grease, fat and carbs – is generally toxic to dogs; if it’s laying around, they’re going to get into it. With all those good smells, your dog is probably going to be mooching and begging and if everyone gives them just a “little piece” now and then, it adds up.

Second, dogs react to the energy level of those around them. Get a few people together who are drinking, cheering or cursing plays and players, and in your dog’s mind, you are unstable. They’ll either feed off of that instability or try to compensate for it, which in your mind, turns them into one big annoyance. If your team is losing, you might take it out on your dog.

So think of things beforehand and plan in advance. The only sure way to prevent problems is to stay in control of yourself and your guests, and don’t get so engrossed in the game that you forget about everything else. Don’t think that the out-of-control jumping, screaming, and childish behavior that you see in TV ads is the only way to enjoy the Super Bowl.

Treadmill exercising continues

Treadmill exercising continues

We spent the weekend painting a couple of rooms in the house and didn’t exercise the dogs, so I gave them a couple of sessions on the treadmill.

They’re becoming more comfortable with exercising on it, having finished their 5th and 6th sessions. I still need to keep the leash on them while exercising, because without the leash, they forget to walk and the treadmill belt rolls them off the back.

I initially programmed a course for Dakota for some variety, but don’t think I’ll do that again – when the belt speeded up, she really had to scramble to catch up. Sophie still panics when it starts up but does well once she gets going.

As for safety, dogs shouldn’t be put on the treadmill to exercise unsupervised; also since most treadmills have some kind of key for emergency cutoff, it should be attached to their collar.

Making the Most of an Oops

The following is a “Pass Along” newsletter article from the Retriever Journal.

Making the Most of an Oops
by John Dahl

We can’t escape mistakes, but we can avoid compounding them. Owing to the variable nature of dogs — concerning their talent, quickness to learn, ability to retain, tractability, and drive — mistakes in our training are bound to happen. Methodical, step-by-step procedures help to reduce big problems but are not proof against the stumbling blocks we will encounter along the way. When these misjudgments occur, we need to find ways to ameliorate their effects, as well as figure out how to turn information derived from the event into a productive training tool.

Introducing lessons prematurely is one of the surest ways to cause slip-ups, and this applies to nearly every step of training.
Of course, we would all love to work with prospects that do everything on schedule and retain each lesson more or less permanently, but this is rarely the case. Without trying to list more than a tiny fraction of the problems that can arise from “starting too early,” let me mention a few.

Consider the puppy that is somewhat shy but active and interested in retrieving, and a little soft. We throw some puppy dummies, a rolled-up washcloth, or whatever for the pup, it goes out enthusiastically, but will not come back with the object. In our frustration we put a cord on the pup and give it a harsh lesson in coming while retrieving. Next, the little guy is afraid to retrieve. A mistake has been made.

We know the puppy has to come to us while learning to retrieve, but we’ve already set him back in achieving this goal. The mistake, which is common in training, has been to combine two separate issues simultaneously: going on the retrieve, and coming back when called. Almost all training issues combine these ingredients. Each behavior (such as coming when called) conflicts with another (to go on the retrieve). The answer is separation. Address the problem of coming in a lenient and rewarding fashion, perhaps with the use of treats. In conjunction, keep retrieves short and in a setting where there is nothing to do but come back, such as a long hallway open only at the end you occupy. As the puppy absorbs these lessons, you can move out to the yard and check your progress, repeating this process as needed.

With the not-so-tough puppy that still shows a lot of interest, you may have learned that compartmentalization and gradualism are important to his progress. In the case of the thick-skinned, extra-hard-going individual this might not be so true, but the principle applies to most dogs.

The opposite side of this coin concerns the trainer who is overly committed to a step-by-step process. Trainers like these are apt to lack boldness themselves and are likely to overlook signs that a prospect is ready to step up to the next level even though his age and a “by the book” progression may not seem to warrant it.
The full article “Making the Most of an Oops” by John Dahl appears in the upcoming February/March 2009 issue of The Retriever Journal. If you are a subscriber, stay tuned! That issue will soon mail!

If you are not a subscriber and would like to read the rest of this article, request an issue right now! If you do so by February 25th, you’ll receive the issue with this article in it! You can request an issue by following the links below or by calling 1-800-447-7367. Make sure you tell our circulation representatives that you’d like the February/March 2009 issue!

Please do us a tremendous favor and forward this e-mail on to your retriever-owning friends!

Dogs and cold weather

Caring for your dog is a concern every winter, and the same guidelines that apply to people also apply to dogs. Below are some (not an all-inclusive list) of considerations for your dog; you can use your own good common sense to fill in the blanks and I welcome any suggestions that anyone else may offer on the subject.

Don’t ignore your dog except for feeding time – it should be a member of the family.

Keep your dog’s coat clean – a dirty, matted coat reduces its ability to provide insulation.

Dogs need both fresh water and food – they can’t eat enough snow and ice to hydrate, and it also lowers their body temperature.

They need a warm, draft-free and dry shelter – you should check your dog’s shelter daily.

Don’t fall victim to stereotypes. Many people believe that because they have a Lab, Husky, or other “cold weather” dog, they can handle the elements on their own. Although different breeds cope with weather differently, they must have these other options available to them.

Dogs must be kept dry since they can get hypothermia. Don’t kennel (and never tie up your dog, period) your dog when they are cold and wet. Your dog needs to expend a good deal of energy warming up, and at the same time, his bed is getting damp from his fur. The cold also compounds any problems your dog may have with arthritis or dysplasia which can cause a great deal of suffering.

Dogs will get frostbite, generally on their ears, tail, pads of their feet, and scrotum.

Keep your dog healthy – the reasons should be pretty obvious.

Spying on sage grouse

Idaho State University researchers have been placing camouflaged infrared cameras in sage grouse nests to determine the extent to which predators are eating their eggs. According to the Idaho State University Magazine, Vol 39. No. 1, one of the major reasons for the decline in sage grouse populations is the depredation of nests. Ground squirrels, badgers and ravens all raid nests, but so far research shows that the greatest threat are ravens, whose populations have increased 200 to 500 percent in areas of sage hen habitat.

Treadmill session 4

Yesterday was the dog’s fourth session on the treadmill and they did quite well. Sophie had a couple of small panic attacks but otherwise had no problems. Squirt is probably doing the best, and is comfortable enough with it that she can cast glances out the window without stumbling. Dakota is doing very well although she got distracted once and her back feet went off the back of the treadmill.

Ten minutes is long enough for them and it takes the edge off their energy level, even if it doesn’t give them the mental stimulation they need from walks.

Treadmill exercising

With the weather being bad and hunting over, I began training the dogs to exercise on the treadmill. Penny is too old and arthritic, but I’ve worked with the others and have had good results after only 3 sessions.

For the first 2 sessions, I straddled them, keeping my hands on their sides for guidance and to prevent them from jumping off. The treadmill played mind games with them and they had a little trouble keeping their balance, tried to jump off a couple of times, but didn’t do bad. I looked down at Squirt one time and saw that she was standing on the edge of the treadmill with her back feet and walking with her front feet – smart little girl!

The first 2 sessions were only 5 minutes long and I found that there was an optimal speed for them – too slow or too fast and they had problems walking. In time, I can speed it up to where they get a good workout but for now a comfortable pace is all I want.

Yesterday was their third session, and this time I put them on leash and led them onto the treadmill, started it, and then stood in front of them holding the leash. This session was 10 minutes. Squirt was distracted by something she saw outside and barked at it, which threw her timing off and caused her to stumble. Sophie panicked at first and tried jumping off the front of the treadmill, but those were the only two incidents. Other than that, they are taking to the exercise quite well.

Of course, each got a treat after workout.

What are your resolutions for your Lab?

Below is a “pass along” newsletter article from “Just Labs” magazine.
Pass Along JL
January 08

This Year,

What are your resolutions for your Lab? Here’s what the folks at Just Labs suggest you do with your Lab and are resolving to do with their own dogs — in 2009 …

1. Set up and stick to an exercise schedule. And mean it this time.

2. Treat your Lab to a “dog vacation” — hiking, dog park, etc. — something where the focus is on providing the whole family, especially the dog, with a fun experience.

3. Learn five new veterinary medical terms.

4. Learn to trim your Lab’s nails so you don’t have to take the dog to the vet or the groomer to get it done.

5. Check the dog over every week for lumps and bumps that may have formed. Labs are lumpy, and some of the lumps aren’t good.

6. Bow to the inevitable and just move all food on kitchen counters as far back as possible.

7. Teach your Lab to sit until company is inside the house and comes to greet him/her.

8. Come to grips with the fact that your Lab, as loving as he/she is, has the capacity to be willfully disobedient.

9. Start thinking about a puppy if your Lab is seven years old or older.

10. Give a gift subscription to Just Labs!

Please do us a tremendous favor and forward this e-mail on to your Labrador retriever-owning friends.

End of season hunt

I took the dogs duck hunting last Saturday on what is probably my last hunt of the season. Dakota retrieved the one duck that I shot, which means that she finally knows what it’s all about.

On the down side, my shooting woes returned and my aim was dismal. Compounded by bad luck, I should be thankful to get that one duck. I missed so many shots that I’m suspecting this box of shells are no good. Really.

To start off with, we stopped at a stream where there were a number of ducks, flushed them, and I shot and missed. Then downstream to where several other ducks were paddling about; those ducks flushed but brush prevented me from getting a shot. they triggered a chain reaction up and down the stream in which well over 100 ducks flushed.

We looked for stragglers and found two sitting on the water, one of which I shot. I only wounded it and it managed to take off, with me missing the shot as it passed by. The duck was really struggling and there were several times that I expected to see it drop, but it managed to stay in the air and disappeared somewhere up another stream.

Dakota really frustrated me when she caught the scent of ducks in that adjoining stream which we were (carefully) approaching. I didn’t have hold of her collar and she broke, flushing a hundred or more ducks. I made her heel all the way back to the Jeep, but then what else could I expect? After all, I’ve been encouraging them to break and flush ducks.

For the next hour or so, we flushed ducks, sometimes getting a shot and sometimes not – and being surprised when ducks flushed from spots that we had just hunted. Once, we checked an area of the stream and flushed some ducks, the dogs waded in the water searching where they had been, then caught scent of a couple of Pheasants in nearby willows and flushed them. While I was telling them what good girls they were for finding the Pheasants, half a dozen ducks flushed nearby, not far from where the dogs had been wading in the stream; the willows prevented me from getting a shot.

Continuing up the stream, I stared down a flock of geese and tried to figure out how to get close enough for a shot. They took off and when I reached the stream, a large flock of ducks flushed with me missing another shot or two – along with one straggling goose that I may have brought down, but I passed on the shot. If I had a heavier load, I would have taken the shot.

After missing another couple of shots, I decided to do some target practice. I shot at a rock that was in the stream, maybe 100 feet away – about the range I had been shooting all day. My aim was right on, but the shot began hitting the water about 25 feet short of the rock and only a few bb’s made it to the rock. I decided that it was time to give up.

While returning to the Jeep, I saw four ducks that didn’t seem too excited about our presence, so we went after them. When we came upon the spot where I had seen them and found that three of the ducks had silently taken off. The remaining duck was the one that I had wounded earlier and I got it as it attempted to take off, but couldn’t.

In all, it was a successful hunting season and looking back on it, I can see where work needs to be done, reflect on my dogs’ accomplishments, and look forward to a new season.

Babysitting Ricky

Dakota, Penny, Ricky, Sophie and Squirt, 01/09/09

Our neighbors went on vacation over the Christmas break and we volunteered to watch Ricky for them. He’s an outside dog to them, but we allow him (and Timmy before he was killed) in our house on a regular basis to eat and socialize with our dogs. As a result, we’ve housetrained him, keep him fairly well disciplined, and taught him a number of social skills that he would not have learned from his owners.

He does very well although he and Dakota get carried away at times with their playing (they’re too big to roughhouse inside) and we put a stop to it. Usually Penny is the victim in these cases because she tries to break them up, and in her old age, gets knocked down or run over.

Squirt has slowly warmed up to Ricky and they occasionally play with each other, but there are times when Squirt intimidates Ricky and he’s not sure if she’s playing or not; she’s our pack’s policeman and enforcer.

Sophie and Ricky don’t play together very much, since Sophie is the zen master and pack leader. However there are times when she’s full of it and they do some serious roughhousing out in the pasture. Which again, there comes a point where we break them up before they get carried away.

Our daughters came home from college and spent Christmas with us. At first, our youngest was afraid of Ricky due to the pit bull and “bully breed” stereotyping that goes on. Ricky on the other hand, really took to her. She warmed up to him after several days and he was spending the nights sleeping with her. If nothing else, Ricky is proof that the stigma and fear of “bully breeds” has nothing to do with the breed itself, but rather with public ignorance and the abusive or neglectful owners who cause their behavioral problems.