Christmas

Can this go on forever?

Bella had a wonderful Christmas. Tons of people, her dog sister, chews, toys, wrapping paper and commotion. Oh!—and did I mention the option to lick fingers greasy with turkey juice? Her tail never stopped wagging until she got home and collapsed on her bed. She slept solidly until 6:30AM. Unheard of!

New Buddy Has Med Problems Too!

My friend was disappointed to learn her new little buddy, Boone, has chronic superficial keratitis. I guess this is a life-long issue, but treatable. She noticed both of his eyes were a little milky and was concerned it might be cataracts. Her vet had a pharmacist mix up a 2% cyclosporin solution which is a transplant rejection medication  proven to be useful for this condition.  She said it takes 48 hours to prepare. Hope the little guy takes his daily meds well.

On our home front, Bella's raw red nose is glistening with Neosporin.

Demodectic Mange

In the picture, you can see her pink nose where the vet
scraped it for a skin sample. Above her eye, in the top
of the picture is a small white patch. This is the
remains of the infection.

Shortly after Bella's experience at the doggie day care I noticed a spot on her head in front of her right ear with three tiny scabs. Because she often bashes through bushes in search of her tennis ball, I attributed the scratches to a tangle with blackberries. However, a week later, I noticed the three tiny spots had coalesced into one big spot and she was losing fur in the area. I am uncertain if she sustained the wound playing at day care or sticking her head in brambles. A few days later, the spot—and fur loss—was even greater. There was also a barely discernible little white patch on top of her muzzle.

I took her to the vet who gave me an antibiotic ointment to clear up the spot by her ear. After ten days, the spot looked better, but was by no means healed. Ten more days of the cream, Entederm, finally seemed to get a handle on it. However, the spot on her nose became more noticeable and there was increasing fur loss there also. The little white patch, though not very big was more prominent and now looked like gray, scaly skin.

Back to the vet. Today's diagnosis is demodectic mange. Non-contagious and usually something you only see on puppies. In fact, my vet said most dogs have these mites on them at all times, but their immune systems keep them in check. Could Bella's system have been compromised because of the infection by her ear? Possibly. My vet felt it was not connected to the day care, merely coincidental.

She suggested putting a little dab of non-cortisonal neosporin on her muzzle twice a day until it clears. I'm hoping while she is with her sister, my in-laws will keep up the care. I hate to leave town with any medical issues, however slight, on the plate.

Electrocution from Light Pole

This article appeared in the paper a couple of weeks ago and naturally has urban dog owners on edge. Walking in the city, a woman's dog was electrocuted by "contact voltage" when it passed by a light pole. Shortly after it, more stories appeared in the paper siting other poles that seemed to have the same grounding issue. Although this is a rare occurrence, it does make one leery about how close to get to a pole. I've never trusted walking by flickering street lights anyway; the noise they emit sounds dangerous.

Our neighborhood, an unincorporated part of the county, has few lights and even fewer sidewalks, so walkers tend to stay in the middle of the road if there is no traffic. Be wary if your pup shys away from a pole!

Here's a follow-up on this story. Glad the city is having all the light poles checked! Haven't your ears been listening for that electrical buzz? Mine have!

New Buddy!

Meet Boone, the new member of our community
dog pack!

My friend, who had the bad adoption experience this past summer, is in the "mood" again. She sent me several links of pups she was thinking about. And now, she just called and is bringing Boone home! Yay! Isn't he beautiful? (He reminds me of Tucker!) He's 5 years old and she said absolutely sweet. Let's hope it works out well for them both!

Cardboard Makes the World Go 'Round

When Bella is bored, there are are two things we can count on her doing. If socks are out, she'll steal one and dash around the house. Several very hearty shakes and air tosses makes sure the sock is thoroughly dead. (She has yet to destroy a sock. She seems to be able to kill it without eating it.)

If there are no socks, and the basement door is open, the recycling container is fair game. There always seems to be a supply of cardboard to be had. Where would a puppy be without a good piece of cardboard to ripe up?

Since I am in the midst of Christmas baking (dog biscuits for her and cookies for us), she found both an egg carton and a butter box. Oh joy!

PS: The dog biscuit recipe is from King Arthur flour. It smells great and I'm sure will taste fabulous.

A Wonderful Place

One of the blogs I regularly read is from a place called Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary. The couple who run this non-profit take in (and often re-home) disabled cats, dogs and horses. The couple, Steve Smith and Alayne Marker, are really remarkable in the beautiful care and home they provide these animals who otherwise would be euthanized. This recent entry really touched me. Here is a pup who would not be here if not for them. The post is clear about the difficulties this dog faces, yet being a dog—my take—is that they always have a joyful heart. They can suffer through so much yet a warm bed, a full tummy, kind words and tender pats are all they ask for. This post brings tears to my eyes. What a sweet old hound.

Fabulous Marketing & Customer Appreciation

This shows all the treats included in the bag. Wow!

Quite a while ago while shopping for books at my favorite book store, Island Books, I discovered a new outlet of pet food store I'd shopped at nearly 25 years ago in a different location. The store, All the Best, is really the best—at least this store certainly is. I drive quite a ways to shop there, but then have the benefit of frequenting my bookstore across the street too!

The minute you walk in the door, you're greeted with a "Hello!" by an employee whether they are busy with another customer or not. The employees' dogs are at the store and they greet each dog who comes in. Free samples of treats are the norm, and there's a play area where you can let your dog try certain toys. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful about the products they carry. Best yet, not only is the store locally owned, but their prices are comparable with other "healthy pet food" stores.

In minutes, Bella eviscerated a soft toy that
was included in the gift bag.

Last week I got a postcard in the mail and was about to toss it when I noticed the 'All the Best' logo. It was a customer appreciation card and stated if you came into the store, you'd receive a "thanks for being our customer" gift bag. Who can resist that? Needing more dog food (Bella now rotates through Great Life), I went in. We're one bag of food, some treats, a toy and a gift bag richer.

Busy Week, Odds and Ends

Not much happening dog-wise, but because of the beeline to Christmas, my life has been overly busy. Luckily my husband is able to occupy Bella during the day while I work. He's taken her biking on urban trails a couple of times this past week. One of the locations was around a local lake—big learning lesson for him. Bella is completely overwhelmed in new situations. It takes a while for her to remember her manners and recompose herself into a well-trained dog. Plus, anything to do with water (right up there with balls) sends her over the top. When they got home, my husband complained how much she was pulling on her leash.

Whereas my walks with Lucy were limited because of proximity to other dogs, my walks with Bella are limited to little or no water view. She just can't control her excitement and weeps and weeps. What I've found is a little bit of time by a lake is good training for us both. For me, it requires leash work and consistency. For Bella, it's a good reminder that she's still attached! If it isn't too cold, I'll let her swim or we'll play fetch with a stick, but this isn't always possible.

I'm going to make some dog biscuits today. Instead of buying all five of the family dogs Christmas treats, I thought I'd try my hand at baking them something. Much better, I think, with knowing the ingredients in the homemade cookies than the junk in some of the things you buy. I searched the web for recipes and will try the first one today.

Baja and Dogs

We have talked, and sometimes, more than talked, about bringing Bella to Baja with us. We successfully journeyed there with Lucy, so you'd think I wouldn't be hesitant. Yet more knowledge has made me infinitely more wary. My initial resistance was flying her home with me. I have never flown a dog and read horror stories I don't want to experience. I know people fly dogs all the time, but they aren't me and their dog isn't mine.

The second conundrum is managing her there. Many of the Mexican dogs run loose and rarely are spade or neutered. Many are feral. Shots are not the norm, so disease and infections are common.  The local dogs pack up creating dog "gangs." Although Bella has great doggie communication skills, can she speak "Baja Dog?" I don't know and I'd hate to find out that she couldn't. If she was attacked, although Bella has shots, I don't know what other diseases the local dogs may have that she could contract. Dealing with a Mexican vet, if I could find one, would be difficult with my limited Spanish.

Because the locals don't like the feral dogs scrounging around their property, they lay out poison. Bella eats anything and everything. Even if she's on a leash, she can grab and swallow something faster than I can say, "Out!" and expect her to drop it.

A friend, who spends his winters in Baja, called this morning to let us know he'd arrived safely and then proceeded to tell us there was a dead dog in front of their house when they arrived. The dog was a victim of poisoning. The owner couldn't get there until later in the day which meant the dog lay in the sun (there are no trees in this area) until he arrived. When he finally appeared, he attached a rope from his truck to the dog and dragged the dog off. That was it. I had to get off the phone.

If I brought Bella with us, I would be a nervous wreck. I could never let her off leash. I'd constantly be fretting about her safety. I doubt she'll ever make it south of the border.

Cautionary Tale

I know this story all to well, yet I'm writing to tell you I was the one who fell down the rabbit hole. I have warned my husband for the past 26 years that you cannot trust your beloved dog to always perform at 100%. I fell into the same trap to which too many dog owners succumb—expecting your dog's behavior to be consistent.

I was returning from a walk with Bella today. My car was parked at Petsmart from earlier shopping in which she was not included. (In fact, I rarely bring her in there.) I had Bella on a SIT by the car and was about to slip her seat harness over her head when she bolted. She has never done this before; never expressed any interest in doing this. "Bella, come!" failed.

She dashed past parked cars and was nearly hit by a car passing in front of the store. Bella was totally oblivious to anything but her desire to get in the store (almost amusing now after the fact). As she was jetting into Petsmart, a woman caught her collar. The driver, other shoppers, everyone was great. Everyone stopped to see if she was okay. Another woman followed me back to my car to make sure Bella was okay and told me a similar tale with her dog except her dog was hit. Awful!

I mention this story because I was so shocked by what she did. I have been lulled by the fact that she always waits patiently by the door to have her seat harness put on. So please, don't fall into my trap. Your dog may do something unexpected when you least anticipate it. Error on the side of caution. I will always keep a hand on her collar in that situation.

Bella's First Snow

Who said a frisky puppy can't get friskier? We were hit by snow and below freezing temperatures at the beginning of this week and though we haven't had new snow, temperatures haven't risen and nothing has melted. I've learned Bella is not a burrower but a sproinger. (Lucy, ever the nose dog, what look up from tunneling with a mountain of snow on her snout. It was very endearing.) I wish I'd been able to capture Bella's behavior, but am cursed by being a bad photographer. You're lucky to get picture of her standing in the snow.

Bella making fresh tracks.

Her only frustration is that we lost a tennis ball in the snow and haven't played ball since then. The tennis ball she has in the back yard (one is buried under a mound of shoveled snow) has turned into a green ice cube. She's thrilled by it, but there is no bounce.

Keep-Aways or Another Name for Poison

A friend recently went through a scare with her dog. She was entertaining and a child fed their dog some grapes. It wasn't until later that evening that the dog became horribly ill and they needed to rush him to the emergency vet. After discussion with the vet to discern what the dog might have ingested, they realized what happened when the husband recalled seeing the little girl "sharing" grapes. (He didn't know they could be toxic.) Their dog is fine, thank heavens, but the outcome could have gone the other way.

As we approach the holidays, our homes are often filled with friends, family, different food and plants. Please pay attention to where your pup is. You never know if someone is unwittingly sharing food with your pet. To keep your pet safe and you sane, post the number to your local 24-hour emergency vet (or the National Pet Poison Control Hotline: 888-426-4435) on your fridge.

Here are some links regarding pets and poison:
Humane Society
AAHA
ASPCA

Graduation Day

Today was the last session of our Noseworks class. I must admit I'm glad my Saturday mornings will be my own again, although I really have enjoyed the classes. Diana taught this class and her enthusiasm was contagious. She makes learning fun for the owner despite the fact that the owner's dog is quite noisy! (Ahem! Quiet Bella!) Actually today there were several noisy dogs, so I wasn't nearly as embarrassed!

We had an overly full class so too many dogs—six, as a matter of fact. The room in which we work is tiny and six enthusiastic dogs was not only raucous, but didn't allow very many turns, nor many sessions within a turn. However, it was fun to see how the new dogs (doing a make-up session) worked.

At the end of class we did a run on scent which is going to be the focus if we go on (which both Shari and I will do after the holidays). Instead of using various sized open boxes and placing a kibble in the box or along the wall somewhere, Diana put out five pizza boxes with holes punched in the lid. The kibbles were inside (we haven't yet worked with more difficult scents like birch) and the dog had to indicate which box held the odor. Sounds simple, but even the stellar nose dogs had a hard time with this.

For the first time, the owners did not know which box held the scent, so we had to key into our dog to know when they'd found something. On some occasions it was obvious—Bella tried to walk off with the box—but usually it was really subtle. Because the dog couldn't see the food or get to it, they might smell it, but often walked on.

When Level II begins, it will be interesting to see how alert the owners are to their dogs picking up the scent. I think it will still be lots of fun, but much more difficult.

On a last note, I talked with my vet yesterday about the class. She's taking her very old lab through the program. Her dog is deaf and nearly blind and was becoming increasingly more reclusive. Since the dog has been doing the class, she said the dog is much more lively even at home and now searches for toys in the dog box. Very sweet.

Let Them Think

I just read a great article by Victoria Stilwell on letting your dog think itself through a situation. Because I've been spending more time on training recently, this post was beautifully timed.

I am working with Bella to loose leash walk on a buckle collar. I want her to decide for herself that walking next to me is preferable.Today, with clicker in hand, we set out. I can't say one way or the other whether I think she "got it," but I can say I did see her "think" and choose a more appropriate spot (by my leg) for which I clicked and treated. At this point, my chow-hound is lobbying for food, so clicking and treating was only when she picked the proper position, not for any signals from me. A video I watched recently also shows some training techniques for using the clicker while training your dog to choose this position. I have a harness that I may try on her, but haven't dug it out as of yet.

Another blog post I read compares gaming (development of computer games) principles to dog training. There were several comments in there that I felt apropos. One of the best was:

Complex games give us a way to measure our progress.  When we play a game we want to feel like we’re getting somewhere. That we’re accomplishing something. And a good game gives us a way (or better yet, several ways) to measure that. This innate need to feel that one is making progress is one of the reasons why it’s important to break a training exercise down into discrete steps and give your dog meaningful input at each one of those steps rather than just at the end of a task.

The author makes several other really great points. (Read it over and see what you think.) Yesterday in my Noseworks class the instructor is teaching us (the owners) to allow the dog to do its job—sniff out the treat—and to not confuse things by getting between the dog and the smell. He said we need to be careful when we're working on Noseworks at home, to break increased complexities of the "find" into small, successful-for-the-dog steps. In other words, avoid the "let's see if she can figure this one out" syndrome. For example, he said put a loose kibble 6 feet down the wall. The next time, put it 12 feet, then 18 feet. Build the "find" in small increments so the dog is always successful and learns how to structure the hunt.

Doggie Day Care

Bella's 1st Report card

I decided Bella could benefit from some doggie play time. Taking her to the dog park doesn't work as invariably someone is playing Chuck-It with their dog. If there is a ball anywhere at the park, there is Bella. So although she could have time to interact with other pups, she's actually oblivious to them. Amber, her best buddy, is a mature 8-year old and though tolerant of Bella's exuberance, she doesn't want to play with her.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that Bella's social calendar is a concern, but in defense, we take her everywhere and she needs to be "socially acceptable." What I've noticed is if she sees another dog she is beside herself with excitement. When she does play, she's a little rough. This may be her style or she may need to play with other dogs and learn some doggie etiquette. There is only one other dog she knows who is young and energetic, but she rarely gets to play with her as Cherry's owners have quite a different schedule than ours.

I scoped out two facilities and chose Riverdog where she's taken a class. My vet takes her dog there and that seemed a mark in their favor. Another place I looked at had something amiss. What bothered me—though it was closer to home and less cost—was there was only one person to oversee the office and 20 dogs. I know how quickly a fight can break out and if the person was in the office, how quickly could she get to the fight? And wonder if there were two fights or a fight that involved multiple dogs? At Riverdog, there may be 10-15 dogs together with only one person overseeing, but the facility has four rooms and the dogs are matched according to style. If you had a quiet, older dog, for example, it would be in a different room than one with rambunctious puppies. Plus, their office is staffed by people who do not have to oversee the dogs. Multiple staff members mean that multiple people can help if warranted. I liked that.

At the end of our first visit (four hours), they gave me a little report card. Too cute! On the back they wrote: "A little shy and unsure at first, but came around after a while. Good ball player!" That's my girl—four paws up!

Relearning, Relearning, Relearning

I admit it. I am to blame. I know it. The buck stops here. When Bella acts up and cannot stop or control herself, it is because I have not done my job. So as of yesterday we've stepped backwards several paces. Time for the owner to relearn.

I took off her prong collar and do not allow surging, lagging or sideways lunges. Walking on a leash, no matter how normal (or not) the environment, requires Bella to pay attention to me. I am doing lots of stopping, backing up and going in the opposite direction.

In a day and half, she's doing much better, so I've obviously done something correctly, but it also indicates she's a smart, observant girl. This afternoon there was a yappy, ill-behaved puggle straining at the end of its leash towards Bella. My girl, though very eager to check it out and with only a very minor "Na!" from me, stayed at my side. That was fantastic—I was very proud of her.

I am also re-working stay. She's great at home and questionable everywhere else. On walks, I'm putting her on a sit stay and walking around her and dancing, albeit quietly and not very energetically. Initially, she broke her stay the minute I did any aberrant moves. Today she's holding it longer, but I'm also not pushing the limit. I want to keep it short, sweet and successful.

The other thing I need to do is devise a word (settle?) that she recognizes to mean lay down, be quiet and stay. In our Noseworks class, she is absolutely distraught when my friend,Shari, and Bella's friend, Amber get up to run their paces. She howls, low woofs and is anxious. So "settle" will be important. What I am presently doing with her in class is putting a tiny treat on her front paws and making her wait until I release her. That is working, but it is a known trick. "Settle" sans food–or self-control–will be the end goal.

Have you worked your pup with that? What did you do?

One Dog, One Owner

One bored puppy looking for action!

My husband has the wonderful opportunity to crew on a trimaran in a rally down the west coast of Baja. This is the 17th year for the Baja Ha-Ha event. There are 196 boats—mono-hulls, catamarans and tris—participating. What an event! There is a software application that pinpoints the boat regularly in the Pacific, so I can track where they are. For a worry-wart, this is the best thing since sliced bread.

For the puppy, this is really, really boring. I go off to work and there's no one to play with during the day which means our sweet girl is sequestered in the kitchen. She's fine with that as this has been her routine since she was a baby. However, it doesn't make it interesting. I'm finding myself busy in the evenings too because of various obligations. Poor Bella! This is not what an active, smart puppy signed up for. She's still getting two long walks plus her "chuck-it" time. Additionally, I'm trying to do inside things (as our weather is so terrible right now) to keep her entertained, but I know in two days, her patience will be tried, she'll push the envelope, she'll be put into the "nothing in life is free" training phase and then, thank heavens, a Noseworks class will occur. Whew!

I Love My Puppy

Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed how much I love Bella. She's not "perfect," but she's close to that in my book. For 11 years I was on "high alert" for any loose dogs while walking Lucy. My walks were limited by safe routes where I knew there probably wasn't going to be an issue. I couldn't go hiking with new friends who had dogs she hadn't met, yet I didn't feel I could not take her, so I wouldn't go.

After 16 months of living with Bella, a loose dog still puts me en garde—unfortunately! I am getting better about squelching that reaction and can imagine how hard it is for returning soldiers to stifle the knee-jerk reaction to loud bangs. Yesterday, Shari and Amber joined us on a couple of fun treks. There were loose dogs and barking, fenced dogs. Bella was oblivious to them. No reaction. She's diffused a stiff-legged, hackles-up Akita and enticed an unneutered, full-of-himself pit bull to play.

Bella is teaching me to relax. I feel like my years of vigilance with Lucy are being rewarded with smart, funny, friendly Bella.

Noseworks

Noseworks. You may have heard of this class which is for all dogs of all abilities. It seems to have hit this area recently with a bang. The media has been busy promoting it and many training centers are now offering it. Everybody with a dog is talking about it. And we're finally taking it!

My friend, Shari, and I have talked about taking dog classes together and this one in particular. When we finally found a class nearby and fit both of our schedules, we decided to go for it. She got in, I didn't. My email got bounced by a spam filter. Big frown. But the great people who teach this class at Seattle Agility Center bent over backwards to fit us in.

Diana, one of the owners of the center, offered to give us a private, introductory session so that we could join a class that had already started without being behind. What an opportunity! So Shari and her dog, Amber, and Bella and I had our first class last night. What a hoot! This is going to be really, really fun.

Diana warned us that even though the class is only an hour and our "nosework" sessions will be divided among 5 dogs, we'd return home with a tuckered puppy. Bella crashed the minute she walked in the door. It was great. Plus with our weather turning rainy, this will be a wonderful inside game that allows Bella to do exactly what she wants to do (sniff and eat!) and always, always win. No leash or verbal corrections. This is a fantastic dog game. I only wish it had been around for the old, nose hound, Lucy.

Grueling Hike, Lovely Weather

Bella chasing Amber to the pond.

Yesterday was the first nice day in eons—sunny and warm. My friend, Shari, and I decided to go hiking. Shari hikes a lot and knows many wonderful places, so I never question where we're going. After this hike, I might be more conscientious of where we're heading! We were particularly lucky with the weather as we'd planned this hike several weeks ago. The weekends up to this one have had awful weather. Today is typical—it's been raining off and on since this morning.

Shari had done this hike many years ago and remembered it as being tough, but beautiful. We both agreed there were beautiful parts (like this meadow for the dogs to romp in), but very steep and hard—too strenuous for us to want to do it again. There was lots of standing water on the trail which meant mud—lots of mud. The trail was uneven, with irregular, slippery roots and large rocks of high-stepping proportions. Many times we had to hold on to roots to make it up the trail. My friend was kind enough to lend me one of her trekking poles to help with stability. With all the stream crossings on slippery boulders, they came in very handy.

Many small rivulets followed or crossed our trail and occasionally there were even some small ponds, so the dogs had a great time. Plenty to drink and plenty of water to play in. Amber is not a swimmer, but loves bobbing for sunken sticks. Bella enjoyed everything, so she was in and out of the water, trying to get Amber to engage. Amber is almost 8 years old, so although interested for a minute or two, she wasn't really willing to play. The picture is not so much game of chase as it is Bella running after her buddy.

The only really level area of any size was this gorgeous meadow. The meadow had a bank of very small huckleberry bushes that had changed color, so with the sun shining behind them, it was spectacular. Better yet, there were ripe, sweet berries!

And of course like any dog, Bella probably did a 1/4 to a 1/3 more miles than our seven because of all the back-and-forthing on the trail. In the meadow, she met another young dog whose owner was kind enough to wait (and pick berries with us) while the dogs played.

Bella has not moved much today and seems very content to nap through this rainy day.

Leash Logic

If you have a dog, you have a leash. I have many leashes, some I've purchased or been given, some I've found. Some of the leashes I own I never use because the fabric is uncomfortably sharp on the edges. Literally. I have cut my fingers on two of them. Another, a long line someone made for me, is made from a very stiff fabric that does not lay well in my hand. It was great for Bella though. As a puppy, she chewed right through it.

There are leather leashes, retractable leashes, leashes made of chain, from nylon, from soy, even from recycled climbers' rope. Do you want a color or a pattern? What length? Do you want a matching collar? When it gets right down to it, buying a leash is no easy matter; the choices are too plentiful. But perhaps the question to be asked is for what purpose are you using the leash?

Personally I hate retractable leashes. I learned a lot about leashes with Lucy, my lovely, but aggressive pooch. Knowing how to heel and short lines were a must for Lucy. Most of the people walking their dog on retractables, let their dog wander leaving the owner oblivious. I can't tell you how many people I've seen talking on cell phones or chatting with friends while ignoring their dog 30 feet in front of them—or approaching my aggressive old hound. When I'd shout, "My dog is aggressive. Please don't let you dog approach," one woman responded, "That's okay. My dog is friendly." What was she not getting? I have recently conceded that using a retractable in a controlled setting when working on distance training is understandable, but other than that, I have little nice to say about them.

I bought my first leather leash 30 years ago and it has lasted through two dogs and is now being enjoyed by Bella. It started its life as a six-foot line, but over the years, wear and tear, and puppy teeth have shortened it. It's a little over four feet now, but Bella had her way with it as a youngster, so I'll be bringing it back to the shoe repair shop to be shortened again—the latest incarnation will be a three foot leash—which brings me to the purpose of this post. Length.

If you've gone through dog training, the ultimate goal of any owner is to have your dog walk placidly at your side. As a dog owner, you know just how difficult this is to do. (Reality dictates that in some circumstances you want a longer line so your dog can walk in front of you. Hiking is an example; rarely is a trail wide enough for the dog to march along your side. Of course, many people let their dogs off-leash hiking, but that isn't always wise. Ever known a dog to chase a chipmunk—or a deer?)

When you shop for a leash, however, what length do you find? Six foot. Why would you need six feet when you want your dog to heal? If you are an urban walker, a six-foot leash is at least two-feet too long. So you can imagine my delight when I went into a local shop the other day and found a plethora of four-foot lines. Who was the genius who found them and brought them in? I have shopped the big chain dog stores for years and have never seen a four-foot leash there. So hip hip hooray to the local, independent small store who was savvy enough to purchase this length! A six-foot line I can use hiking, but for daily walks, a four-foot leash is much less to hold and makes much more sense.

Leash Update: The shoe repair man said the old leather leash should be retired. A sad day. However I found a killer new one made from leftover climbing rope. The brand is Krebs Recycle which is a little misleading as they state it isn't recycled, but upcycled. None-the-less, the leash is great. It's soft (no deceptively sharp edges), pliant (can comfortably and easily make it shorter by looping it) and four feet long! Additionally, the handle is very comfortable in my smaller hand. Yahoo Krebs!

Diet Changes

When I first brought Bella home, I fed her some type (I don't remember the brand) of puppy food. Fairly early into her acquisition, I took her to my vet for a checkup and asked what she recommended for food. Two things came out of that question.

1. My vet felt for Bella's make-up (1/2 Lab, 1/2 Australian Shepherd), she needed Large Puppy-type kibbles to ensure proper growth.
2. When asked what she fed her dogs, she said she periodically changed their diet in order that they received a variety of nutrition via the different nutritional mixes.

This made great sense to me as it follows the logic of how we should eat. Also, our previous dog, Lucy, was such a finicky eater that I had to vary her diet or she wouldn't eat. As long as I carefully introduce Bella to a new kibble (to avoid stomach upset), she receives variety for interest as well as nutritional benefit. I have also chosen to give her a grain free diet. At present, she rotates through the Taste of the Wild kibbles (bison, salmon, poultry), but I may in the future change to a different brand.

Recently I came across corroboration to this way of thinking in the website Fully Vetted. If you choose to read this vet's opinion, you can start with Part 1 on the subject, although Part 3 really gets the meat of the subject!

With all the marketing for healthy pet foods, with all the variety of pet foods, I still find it amusing that when your pup is sick, it is still recommended to give them low-fat ground meat and rice. I do believe this was Lucy's favorite meal. Bella, bless her little non-finicky stomach, delights in anything!

A Mini Vacation

We no sooner returned from our last trip, (having cleaned ourselves, laundry and van), before turning around and setting out again. Each fall we do an bicycling trip with two other couples. Normally we go later in September, but extenuating circumstances required a Labor Day excursion.

We visited one of our favorite stomping grounds: central Oregon. The mountain biking was par excellence! Smooth, wonderful, just-technical-enough-to-be-exciting trails. Bella, of course, was ecstatic. Not only did she get to camp again, but with her paw improved—run again. By the end of the week, however, a bit of a limp reappeared, so we limited her to hiking. She wasn't quiet as keen on that, but to be in the woods was enough to assuage her need for speed with my husband.

The days were cool—mid 60s—and the nights cold—down to freezing. This makes for a frisky puppy! Lucky Bella! She had four extra people to throw sticks, her ball, and scratch her favorite spots. My husband worked with her on barking. She doesn't do this with anyone but him, but when he stops riding (to wait for me) and then starts up, her excitement is exhibited in obnoxious barking. He finally got her down to a few woofs versus a several minute chorus.

The posted picture is blurry, I know, but still I love it.

Dog Projects

I participate in an on-line dog forum...a couple as a matter of fact...and find the information invaluable. One of the forums, My Smart Puppy, has a "project" that is periodically posted by the host—in this case, the wonderful Sarah Wilson. The projects often build off each other offering the owner some necessary skills in working/dealing with their dog.

For example, the first one covers the owner's ability to hold the dog's muzzle for 10 seconds without your dog moving. This might sound easy, but if your dog isn't used to it, you have a squirming dog on your hands! What I realized with Bella (assuming it would be a piece of cake with her), is that no matter how gentle I was, she preferred I didn't hold on. She wiggled like crazy trying to back out of the hold! I discovered the key was communication. Oh my! How easy is it to forget that! Initially I didn't say anything. Bad owner! By saying, "Wait," she was perfectly willing to obey because she already knew that command. She sat quietly until I released her and gave her a treat for being so good and brilliant.

I will work this step for several more days to assure that 10 second hold is second nature...then on to Project #2: opening the dog's mouth. Again, I assume this will be easy...but will it? Building off Project #1, this second one allows one to easily administer drugs if need be—or remove something lodged in the dog's mouth.

These seem so simple, but if you never have done them, you might find yourself in a situation where it's critical to do, but your dog is fighting you. It is much more fun to build your pup's trust and make a game of it when nothing is at stake!

Great Multi-State Vacation

...or perhaps, Bella's Big Adventure, would be a more appropriate title. This is the first major trip she's been on and it included seven states and miles of mountain biking over three weeks. Now that she is a year old, we felt comfortable taking her on rides longer than a couple of miles. She loved it! Running, swimming, snorting—she got to do it all!

Luckily this has been a rainy year, so there was an abundant water supply on nearly every trail. Although we always carried water for her, we rarely dipped into it. To top it off, because of our elevation—almost always above 7,000 feet and usually around 9,000—the wild flowers were extraordinary. I have never seen so many varieties blooming simultaneously.

We had a a couple close encounters with the wild life, but luckily they were benign. We had a female moose run across a trail in front of us. What a hair raiser! Bella either didn't see her, or didn't react, thank heavens! But the moose saw us and immediately turned back into the woods. Luckily she didn't have a calf with her or I think her reaction would have been different. Cattle were the other issue.

Many of the trails were cattle stomping grounds. We were constantly having to avoid them. This gave me the most concern as they were about as plentiful as the wild flowers. Initially Bella ignored them, but eventually became more curious and would run closer to them. This was compounded by the fact that when this happened, she also didn't respond when we said, "Come!" This could have been disastrous. Luckily, Bella was wary enough and we were able to bribe her with treats (glad I had them in my camelback!) to lure her back. You better believe reworking that command is on the top of my agenda!

The three of us in a van was a bit tight, but we all seemed to find our space and keep to it. Now that we're home, the luxury of space is fantastic. The van is cleaned out—a two day process—and is ready for the next trip...and so is Bella!

Dogs in Cars

I saw this link and felt it important enough to pass along. Don't leave your dog in the car! I know how hard it is to leave those pleading brown eyes when you grab your keys to go, but think of the bigger picture. Nothing is more important than your dog's safety.

Day in the Ocean

Bella, victorious!

My friend introduced us to a new beach quite a bit north of where we normally wander. It's called Picnic Point and best yet, dogs are allowed on the beach. Everyone was quite respectful, cleaned up after their pups and had dogs that were well-behaved.


Bella barely got out of the water. Her best buddy, Amber, who normally doesn't play Fetch for quite as long, was game most of the morning. Bella swam and retrieved for several hours, then did a bit more in fresh water (as a rinse). Today she is still slowed down. Yesterday was too much fun.

Bella and Amber

Water Source

When given the choice, Bella prefers the hose to any other source for drinking. Here she is stopping the stream for a good gulp. That's my pup! If you look closely, her lips are flared to the side for maximum capture!

Quincy Goes Home

My friend re-homed her puppy. The pup, at less than 3 months, showed more and more aggressive tendencies. Biting. Growling. Attacking. And then she'd be sweet. What a hard decision it was to make.

Luckily her vet's tech works with aggressive dogs to re-socialize and re-home. She wanted a young female to work with and so my friend gave her Quincy. The tech promised she would keep the puppy if she wasn't able to re-home her.

For my friend, she'll be able to keep in touch regarding how the dog is doing. Of course she feels relieved, but also like she failed. I told her she's been a fabulous dog mom to three fabulous dogs. Not all dogs are meant to be ours. It is not our job to fit into the dog's life, but the other way around. She leads a very social life with lots of other dogs and children added to an unpredictable mix. It would be continually stressful constantly monitoring an aggressive dog.

4th of July and Hot Weather

We spent the holiday weekend away. Part of it was in the eastern Gorge area (hot) and part of it in the mountains (cool). Bella had several daily rounds of Chuck-it and retrieving sticks from the river. A doggie delight! Although firecrackers were going off, they were still pretty far away and she was completely unfazed. Maybe this is her hunting gene? Whatever the case, it was a huge relief after having nearly 30 years of dogs who were terrified by the bangs and whistling. Bella would look towards the noise and then continue with whatever she was doing.

The trip had a new visitor, Quincy. A good friend lost her dog this past winter to old age and she was ready for a new companion. Quincy is a 10-week old part Red Heeler and we're not sure what else. She has a bit of attitude which concerns my friend, obviously, but she's a great dog mom and reading up on puppies and signed up for puppy classes.

The past several days have been ballistically hot for here. I've taken Bella on early morning walks and afternoon swims in the lake. Other than that, we've barely moved. But this morning. Ah-h-h! It's a typical northwest kind of morning with a thick marine layer. Lovely and cool.

We've got a hike planned with another dog buddy. It should be a wonderful day.

Running

We had a break in weather. To most people that's not a big deal, but for us, it's enormous. We've had rain and overcast skies, chilly weather and NO SUMMER as of June 21. But this afternoon, a hint of sun came out. Yippee!

We grabbed Bella and our mountain bikes and went to the outreaches of an urban trail. No competition and a secluded, wooded path that follows a river. Bella ran nearly ten miles and reached speeds of up to 19 mph. It seems between 8.5-9 mph is her comfortable lope and she's able to sustain that over miles. My husband had to hold her back from going faster.

We got home and he gave her a bath; I gave her a good dinner (with a left over burger from last night thrown in.) She just curled up in her bed and is drying (licking) herself off. Sleep won't be far behind.

Health & Buddies

In the two weeks since Bella was diagnosed with Giardia (and it's been cleaned up), she's put on 5 pounds. She's a whopping 57 pounds now. It makes me think she may have had Giardia for much longer than we suspected. I hope it didn't horribly affect her growth.

Also, just to show evidence of how sweet pit bulls can be, here's Bella with her buddy, Tyce, sharing a stick. Tyce is Mr. Mellow.

Giardia!

Bella has had soft poops for a couple of weeks. When it turned into diarrhea with a bit of mucus-y blood I became worried and took a stool sample into the vet. The diagnosis was giardia. Bella went on a 5-day regiment of Panacur (Fenbendazole) and a packet of Fortiflora once a day, sprinkled on kibbles. It was amusing when the tech said I might want to doctor Bella's food. I asked why only to be told many dogs find the drugs make the food unpalatable. Ha! Nothing is unpalatable for Bella! That is a dog with a cast iron stomach and non-discerning taste buds!

The Panacur started working immediately. The day after her first dose, her poops were more solid. I'm to bring another sample in a week to verify the giardia is gone. Here's an article on those little protozoans.

When we're mountain biking, there is nothing I can do about her drinking in streams. We can't possibly bring enough water with us to satiate both our thirst and hers. But at home, I need to keep her outdoors water bowl more clean (every day) and disallow her drinking from puddles or "community" water bowls placed outside of stores. It seems hard-hearted, but I'd rather she was a bit thirsty and can only get clean water at home than go through giardia again. It also makes me second guess taking her to a dog park where dozens of dogs share a water bowl and not all owners are diligent about cleaning up after their dog.

Training the Trainer

Bella has a habit I find annoying: barking. In general, she is a quiet puppy, but when she's particularly amped up, she barks...and barks...and barks. Like two repelling magnets, moving towards her (i.e., to grab her collar or muzzle) pushes her away. Saying quiet makes her bark louder. Finger to the mouth—even with no noise—has no affect. She barks at my husband when he ties his shoes in the morning. (Somehow I am normally exempt from this display.) When we stop our mountain bikes, she barks when we start rolling again. Recently, she has started barking at a certain part of our morning (not afternoon) walk.

I am frustrated that I don't "get it." Nothing either of us has tried has curbed this. No ignoring the barking, nor putting her go through a litany of party tricks. Nothing. So I wrote into a forum to ask for help. Wow! I got a fabulous, picture-perfect response from one of the members who owns/run a local training facility . She said:

My dog has a "speak" on command. My cue? I take finger to mouth and say "shush..." and she speaks! How did I teach that? When she barked, I cued it and treated it! Talking to a dog when the dog is talking is just talking with her. Think of this. When we teach sit we do so when the dog is moving into a sit. So action = cue/word, we have a sit. Same with "Down" As dog goes down, we lure and we say "down" when they are in the action of going down. But for some reason when dogs bark, we think that if we say words "quiet!" that they will get quiet but the dog thinks "Great, we are all barking, she is on the same page as me!"

All my dogs bark, only one is a nuisance barker and we curbed it by teaching him the word "enough" (it's our word for quiet because our kids burned the quiet word while yelling it when the dog was barking, he was in heaven I'm sure thinking they were all joining him!) so I changed it to "enough." When the dog was not barking but just looking out the window I would offer him some cheese, lure him off the window and as he ate it and licked it, is said "enough, enough, enough" and I did this off and on during the day for weeks. Then he BARKS, I go to him and say "Enough" and he turned off and came to me and I rewarded. I built an off switch that worked great.

What a head slapper. Of course! Why would a dog know that "shush" means the opposite of what they are doing? We will begin today. Results to follow.

Fameless

Could it have been the mention of drooling? Or perhaps it was the limited repertoire. Heaven forbid they did not like her look! We never heard back; Bella was not chosen. She remains an anonymous dog. No Hollywood. No bright lights. It's wonderful her shattered Broadway dreams can be salved with a tennis ball.

Fame?

We have been asked if Bella could take part in a commercial. Someone saw our girl and decided she fit the mood they they wanted to convey. The person in charge of the commercial will have to decide if she's the right one, but the cameraman was in love.

We did warn him she's still a puppy. Oh, and that she drools (he liked that!), but she could come, sit, lie down and wait to eat the biscuit on her paw. Those are her list of show tunes. But you have to admit, she has such a pretty face! (...said the proud mama.)

Walking Class Review

Can you learn much in a one hour class? How about a one hour class when there is a fair amount of dog energy going on? I must say "hats off" to all instructors. You have truly clueless, well-meaning owners and lots of doggie personalities stuffed into a small room. How to teach with all that in the mix?!

I guess we'll see. If nothing else, it was a hands-on example of the videos I mentioned in the previous post. The "take-away" from this class is how to countermand the yo-yo affect where the dog goes to the end of the lead, stops, returns to collect the treat and returns to leash end. The other thing the instructor (not the same one I had before) emphasized is the importance of consistency. Don't allow the dog to pull here, but not there.

I think I'll start with Bella in the house, despite the fact we'll still be going on long walks. It's rainy today, so a good time to be indoors.

Walking Class

I signed up for this walking class on a whim and then decided I didn't need it. Two days later, I'm glad I signed up. Bella is actually stellar on a leash in the neighborhood where we walk 95% of the time. We choose many different routes through the 'hood, so it's not as if she is never exposed to new things. And as you can see from the picture, although she's out in front, the leash is at length, but not taut. However, last night my husband joined us on an evening excursion and this was unusual. As an experiment, he walked ahead. Oi! We failed miserably; Bella pulled as if she was training for the Iditarod!

Today I took her to two new places (to solidify my need for this class) and I suffered the same abysmal outcome. She doesn't run at the end of the leash, but does reach it frequently. Nor does she pullpullpull. But the end result is the same—the leash is taut. I don't get the concept of how to teach her to walk without heeling but also without pulling, though I know it can be done. I've tried stopping and Sweet Girl stops also. I've tried turning around and my favorite pup goes with me, albeit at the end of the leash. So I understand "A" (no pulling) and want "C" (loose lead), but haven't grasped "B" (how to connect the dots). Hence, the class.

I'm excited about going back to Ahimsa and I believe the woman who is teaching this one is the one who taught our first puppy class. The place is far away and the time is awful—Sunday mid-day! But it is a one day class, so I guess I can miss one gorgeous, sunny, warm, weekend day if I have the carrot of a well-trained owner & dog in front of me!

Ringworm v.s. Insect Bite

We had a bit of an eye-opener the other night. I noticed a spot of Bella's tummy that looked really odd—a red ring about the size of a fingernail with a dot in the middle. My husband thought it might be ringworm. Looking it up on the Internet made it seem fairly likely. Our neighbor is a vet tech and my husband ran the picture over to her to take a look. She was late for work and took a hurried glance (at the picture, not Bella's tummy) and confirmed it.

Yikes! All the dog's bedding needed washing, it was recommended toys be washed in a bleach solution or tossed, carpets needed daily vacuuming. An over the counter anti-fungal cream needed to be applied to the outbreak twice a day. Ringworm is highly contagious to boot, so our clothes needed washing, our hands had to be covered to pet the dog—and the verdict was this could last for months! Not only that, but Bella had just been playing with a couple of friends' dogs, so they had to be notified. You get the picture; a cascade of events around this spot.

I called the vet and ran through what I was doing and wondered what else was necessary to control and contain this. Her returned message stated it was highly unlikely it was ringworm. Wow! Really? Her take was it could be a bug bite. Bella did not seem to be bothered at all by it, though she hated being quarantined to the kitchen.

Still, I made an appointment to take the pup in to the vet in a day or two, but already the spot is nearly gone. No other spots have appeared. I've called everyone back with what's going on and will continue the update if necessary. However, I just couldn't, just can't, imagine what it would be like not being able to pet my dog (without gloves) or kiss her furry face. (That brought up a whole additional rash of horrible thoughts. Wonder if I got ringworm on my face!)

I'm feeling pretty good about it all. I think by tomorrow there will be no indication there was even a mark on the pup's stomach. What a relief! The lesson here is don't self-diagnose on the Internet and don't ask a knowledgeable person who is in a hurry for a diagnosis!

Puppies

Bella has been lucky recently. She's had lots of opportunity to play with other dogs. This, unfortunately, isn't normal. At the dog park, she's completely focused on any tennis balls that might be flying by—not the dogs. Our friends have older dogs whom she loves, but they aren't interested in playing. When she gets to see her half-sister, Molly, it's always a great day.

Recently we spent several days at the ocean and two very large puppies attached themselves to Bella. They looked to be about four months old judging from their teeth and fat. It was cute to see the dogs together, but sad that the puppies were loose all day (and even at night?). They were at our van in the early hours of the morning and stayed until we went to bed.

The little girl looked more Siberian, her brother more like a golden German Shepherd. She was more adventuresome and would pursue Bella to play, while the boy puppy was a bit intimidated by Bella. He'd chomp on his sister's back flank while her front end was engaged with Bella. What a sight!

At one point the two puppies were playing together. Only the girl had a collar (no ID), but the boy's teeth got hooked in his sister's collar which twisted around his bottom jaw. It was awful! They were shrieking and tumbling. Luckily we were there to hold them and unhook (and remove) the collar. What would have happened if they'd been alone?

Bellie had another opportunity for play this afternoon when our former neighbor was mowing the lawn at his former/now rental house next door. They recently purchased a 1 year old golden doodle from the pound and he had her with him. He brought her (Amber) over so the two dogs could play. They had a great afternoon. I wish I'd taken a picture of the dogs together. Bella's exhausted—a perfect ending to a perfect day!

Last Class

Saturday was our last class. I'm always relieved when obligations are completed, but also disappointed. I enjoy these classes and am looking forward to signing Bella up for another one. I think we may do the Canine Good Citizen class. It would be good for both of us to learn to do things without her training collar.

Our last class was uneventful. Even Charlie, the agro boxer, was pretty well-behaved. His owner deserves lauds and applauds. The Rhodesian Ridgeback wasn't there and I wonder how much that affected things. We did off leash healing and commands for our last "assignment."

In the afternoon, I took Bella to an Intro to Agility workshop. We were able to run the open and collapsed tunnels, climb the ramp, jump through the tire and attempt stopping and sitting on the table. She did okay considering it was her first attempt.

Our weather has been really awful the past four days (cold, windy and rainy) and we haven't gotten outside as much as we normally do. I was hoping this class might take the edge off, but realized it just showcased what a slightly bored puppy is like. A bit over amped and sassy. Without her training collar, she was pulling as if she had no idea how to walk on a leash. Definitely not the case, but embarrassing. There is no class available right now, so our only opportunity to try agility is these once-every-two-months workshops.

Great Book

I just finished reading Peggy Tillman's book, Clicking with Your Dog. I've only taken one class in which a clicker was used and haven't used it much since. However, as I recently mentioned, I tried the clicked again asking a "Sit" from Bella before tossing a ball. It proved highly effective.

This book really inspired me to go back to a clicker when trying to teach new activities or tricks. If you are interested in other methods of training and are curious about using a clicker, I highly recommend this book. There are great illustrations and each "trick" is simply explained and illustrated. Give it a look!

Fifth Class

The aggressive boxer was definitely tested this week and actually needed to be removed from class. I question that he is even allowed into the class considering off leash work is part of it. For him, however, off leash is probably only an "in house" treat. I admire the owners for their efforts.

We did an agility run at the end of class that compromised three small jumps confined by a low 30 inch fence. Mr. Aggressive couldn't handle the dogs running the length of the room and jumping and became very reactive, setting off the Rhodesian Ridgeback. For the boxer there was just too much uncontrolled activity. Where all other dogs had their leash removed, he had to do it leashed with his person. (Thank heavens! When the instructor mentioned Mr. A. should try it, everyone gathered their dogs behind them.)

Bella was a star! She had to stay at the end of the tunnel while I took her leash and walked to the other end. When I called her to come, she bounded in a flash and flew over all three jumps and sat in front of me. Yay! Good Puppy!

On a different note, in an attempt to teach her self-control in a high-amped situation (mountain biking, chuck-it games), I've been asking her to sit before I throw the ball. The first day was a bust. She couldn't do it, so we didn't play. Boy! Was she confused and disappointed!

The second day she only had about three tosses before it was over. Day 3 I pulled out the clicker and she almost immediately fell in line. I didn't require a stay with the sit—that's to come—but her bottom hitting the ground was required. She did a fabulous job. I realized I didn't need food; she wouldn't have eaten it anyway. A thrown tennis ball is more than enough of a reward.

What I'm hoping to accomplish is that if she sits, she doesn't usually bark. She will have learned three things: 1) a bit of self-control; 2) ability to listen when excited, and hopefully when ready for the cue, 3) quiet. I'll keep you posted!

Good Test Results!

I received Bella's blood test results yesterday. Negative! Yahoo! Her liver functions were all normal. The only thing slightly out of line were her kidney functions. Huh?

The vet said it could be that Bella was slightly dehydrated from the diarrhea. I would think a dog would drink however much water they needed, yet Bella is not much of a water drinker. I have been aware of that since she was a puppy. It probably is absurd to compare her water drinking to Lucy. I used to fill Lucy's water bowl at least twice a day; Bella's, I toss after two days for fresh water.

In August when Bella returns for her 1st year exam, they will test the blood again. Hopefully all organs will be on normal!

Ferrous Sulfate Monohydrate

No class this week. Instead something much bigger has happened. Nulife Rid Moss or ferrous sulfate monohydrate...moss kill for lawns. My husband laid this around the yard and to my knowledge it wasn't in the backyard where Bella plays.

I noticed some darkening moss in the back which indicated to me the moss was dying, which meant, of course, moss kill was there too. Bella ate some of the dead moss. Bella laid in the lawn. Bella played with some of her toys in the lawn. Bella started licking her paws and didn't stop. Bella's tongue looked brown.

Panic.

I asked my husband if he'd spread moss kill out there and he said just a bit and in areas he didn't think she went. But of course, the back yard is hers and she goes everywhere in it; it is a very small space. He said the kill wasn't toxic. I looked up the ingredients. I researched the web. Very toxic. Liver damage. Chronic gastrointestinal issues. We washed her feet and her bedding. Tossed toys and washed toys. No yard for her, either front or back. Must walk her for her to go.

Called the vet. Got someone at the desk on the line who brushed me off and said call the manufacturer. (Who was this person?!) Of course the manufacturer is closed on the weekend. Called the vet back and decided to bring Bella in for a blood test for her liver. The vet, whom I respect, said on examination that she felt Bella would be okay. However, if the test comes back showing liver damage, she could take liver supplements. Luckily, caught early, any damage may be able to be reversed.

I strive to keep the backyard organic both for the dog and our vegetable gardens. The lawn may have to look crummy, but I cannot risk my dog's health for a lawn. Hopefully my husband "gets" that...and hopefully, the blood report will come back tomorrow as normal.

It makes me wonder if her bit of recent regression (and diarrhea) had anything to do with this. The latter could be a sign of poisoning, along with the usual vomiting (none) and lethargy.

Regressive Steps

Bella peed in the house yesterday. We were both shocked. She gave no indication she wanted to go outside and, in fact, had been out within the past three hours. I came around the corner and there was a huge, warm puddle, so she must have just done it though I didn't catch her in the act. Not feeling well? She certainly hadn't acted ill prior to the pee, however she was quite subdued the rest of the evening.

This hasn't happened since she was four months old, so all I can think is either she just plain forgot (she was playing with a ball), or she's feeling under the weather. Normally her capacity is outstanding. She goes to bed around 8:30PM in the evening and doesn't go outside until 6:30AM in the morning. Therefore this little "blip" is really quite extraordinary.

Last night around 1:30AM, she was rustling around in the bedroom. I got up and let her outside and instead of just standing on the stoop and sniffing, she did go into the yard. Is something going on in her gut? Maybe her tummy is upset or she has a bladder infection, although she isn't indicating either. Luckily my husband is retired and home to watch her today. Otherwise I'd need to come home between classes and check on her.

4th Class

The Boxer and Rhodesian Ridgeback were at it again this week, but not for quite as long. I feel so sorry for both owners. I thought Lucy was bad, but she didn't hold a candle to either of these.

Some interesting lessons in class this time. We worked on common commands (sit, down, stay) in two different ways. One was verbal only; the other was signal only. I need to do more with those. She wanted us basically "off collar" meaning we should try not to use it unless absolutely necessary. I need a lot more work with that and because there is no class next week, I better give it plenty of action. I'd like to have Bella cooperating with both.

When my husband takes her out in the morning for "biscuit hour" he often goes through whatever I've taught him from what I've learned that week. I mentioned this two-way method after class, but forgot to remind him of it this morning. To have us both working her is great, not only for us, but for her since our inflections and actions vary slightly.

Today she's been a bit of a pill, but I think that's because we were both gone in different directions and she had to be crated. Since my husband has returned, she's had one of us around all day. How was she a pill? Pulled on the leash, didn't obey commands, pushy... As Dana said, if we let her get away with it now when she's trying her limits, she'll know she can. If we make it clear now, she won't be always fighting the parameters. A no-brainer perhaps, but it was good to hear it again.

3rd Class

Saturday was our third class. It started with a bang. There is a very large, white male boxer who attends and suffers from serious anger management issues. I'm impressed he's allowed in class and I'm impressed with the woman who brings him. (What a handful!) I must admit, however, that I think an aggressive dog class might be better, but perhaps he's already gone through that.

The minute he entered the room, he started snarking. The owner was on high alert, as were all the other dogs. There's a very large male Rhodesian Ridgeback in class who is not aggressive, but is reactive. He and the boxer do not like each other, so when the boxer started in, the Ridgeback entered the fracas. No actually fighting, just barking, growling and lunging with the owners pulling in opposite directions. A male yellow Lab also decided to get into it, than a Dobie and a Mastiff. The whole class was in an uproar.

The instructor immediately told the boxer owner to get her dog out of the arena and into a "cool off" zone. She required everyone else to control their dogs and not allow the behavior. The boxer got into it several times within the first half hour, but eventually settled down. Bella, by the end of class, was exhausted as were all the other dogs—and the owners. Too much emotion.

Kongs

Kongs have been my go-to dog treat for eons. Lucy would work them for hours trying to extract a small piece of cheese. Bella is much speedier and I doubt the treat lasts as long as I'd hope. None-the-less, when I leave for work and Bella is crated, in goes the Kong with her. The new mix (rather than a bit of canned dog food, frozen) is peanut butter to plug the hole, a slice of banana, some plain, non-fat yogurt and some more banana...and maybe another dab of peanut butter.

Now that my husband is retired and home more, she is crated less. We're just beginning to try her loose in the house. At 10 months, she's just mature enough to give it a go if well regulated. Whereas Lucy was loose at the same age, she was much less chewy. I am not sure I'd trust Bella for hours on end. Because my husband might be in the garage or shop, Bella is free to roam the house (in which case, no Kong). Because he isn't far away or gone very long, he comes back in periodically to assess what might be happening. So far, so good.

Perpendicular Sitting

We're doing well with class homework: fast sits, stand and stay while I walk around her, turning left or right, heel, and jump sits (still need to work a bit on this). But Bella normally sits perpendicular to me versus parallel. My fault. I haven't insisted on it until now. Moving her bottom to a parallel position confuses her, so I'm not quite sure how to proceed. I do give lavish praise when she manages a parallel sit, so perhaps this will be the clue. To be honest, I don't really care how she sits as long as she does sit, but it may not cut it in the classroom!

Dog School Part 3

Today was the start of our 3rd class. Her first was a puppy class and was more about socialization than anything else. The second was beginning obedience and you can read more about it here. It's been several months and I felt it time for another session. This facility is closer to home, less expensive and even better, looks to be a good class: Beyond Basic Obedience.

Today was just a review for most people with a few new additional things thrown in. We worked on Sit, Stay, Down, Heel, Stand—and Finishes. The last was new for me and Bella is quite sloppy. Her finish is normally perpendicular to me versus parallel in heel position. We have our work cut out for us!

Dana, the instructor, want us to work 15 minutes a day on these commands, making them fun; turn it into a game. No "no's" as she said. She's going to introduce over the course of the class some real games, silent commands, retrieve (without a tennis ball) and at the end, off-leash heeling. I'm really looking forward to this.

Bella got pretty hyper by the end of the class. Dana used her for several show-and-tells and Dana has the Uber treats. Bella lost her self-control. The instructor gave me some of her treats hoping, I'm sure, to calm Bella. Bella, however, knew the instructor had the ultimate stash, so I was glad we were nearly done for the day.

Dog Guests

Bella had her half-sister, Molly, here for a long weekend while Moll's owners sought some sun and warmth in southern California. The dogs had a great time together and played hard. I wish I had taken some pictures!

I brought them to visit a dog-buddy of Bella's, Amber. Amber is the sweetest girl. She's part Lab/part Chow, but looks and behaves like a Labrador. She in advanced middle age and not very interested in playing, so although she greeted the other dogs, she was comfortable sitting with us (and getting rubs) while the two sisters played. Bella led Molly into the bushes on the side of the yard and pulled out a huge tree branch. The two girls tugged and chased (as much as they could dragging this limb) and had a wee of a time. They were so cute to watch. Bella discovered a lost tennis ball (What does she have—T.B. radar?) under the deck and scrabbled that out. Amber was still disinterested. I felt a little badly that the two dogs were having so much fun and Amber didn't join in.

Things are so much easier with Bella than Lucy (God Bless her). Meeting other dogs is a piece of cake. Having another dog over? Piece of cake! Molly and Bella played until they were exhausted, then napped, then started all over again. Our back yard shows evidence of their four days together. They grooved a race track into several corners of the yard as they chased each other around endlessly. The lawn is sporting several small holes where they either dug or chewed their way to China. And sticks? Remnants of them are everywhere in the back!

Molly, being an Australian Shepherd, has a thick, woolly coat. Her coat hasn't been well-managed, so there are lots of mats. Needless to say, the brushing she needs doesn't happen because she doesn't like being brushed. Her owner is going to take her to a groomer and get her bathed and brushed out. With a coat like hers, if brushing doesn't happen daily at home, she should go to the groomer frequently! Lucy had a similar coat, but I brushed her regularly and her coat wasn't matted, therefore, she liked the grooming. But Lucy "blew" fur just like Molly. I vacuumed when Molly left (as four days with playing pups in rainy weather makes for a messy abode) and got a mound of fur. Just like in days of yore with Lucy...who got brushed! So you can imagine the fur-load Molly carries. Never again will I have a long-haired pup. Bella's short coat is just too easy!

Getting Taller

I don't notice it, but several people have mentioned how much bigger they think Bella has grown. She is certainly more mature (sometimes) and looks like an adult now. She is still sporting those beautiful, white "puppy" teeth however!

Furniture and Beds

Bella has taken to furniture in a big way. Well, not any furniture, just the furniture I am on. At the beginning of last week, she'd slither up. By last night, she was leaping over my legs to "her spot." Cute, but not allowed. I tell her to get off and she does, but Bella doesn't take "No" for an answer. She isn't defeated by "Off." She is an innovator. If one method doesn't work. She tries another.

For example... I was reading on the bed and she hopped up on the right side and curled up. I told her "Off" and reluctantly, she got down. Two seconds later, she goes to the left side of the bed and hops up. "OFF!" Again, she gets down. Next she circles to the end of the bed and eyeballs me to see if I'm watching. "Don't even think about it!"

For the moment, she acquiesces, goes over to her bed and audibly grumbling, lies down.