Tricks & Commands

Our weather has been inordinately cold. For a full week, day time temperature have not cracked freezing. Even the office, which is normally the warmest room in the house because of the heat generated by the computer, is cold. It's sunny and beautiful outside, but I just don't have the clothes to stay comfortably warm outside for very long. This creates a puppy occupational hazard.

To combat bored puppy syndrome, I decided to work with her on different tricks and commands. There are two I'm concentrating on at present. The first is the command "out" so that whatever she has in her mouth she spits out. She is actually pretty good about it, but I want it to happen instantly. If Bella has something she really loves (her tennis ball) or something she really wants (food) in her mouth, spitting it out won't happen immediately. In the case of food, I may have to "dig" it out. Here's a great video showing an example. Now if I can get Bella to do it as quickly as Pip, I'm in luck!

The trick we're presently undertaking is weaving between my legs. At this point, with luring, she's doing great. Luring means you walk a dog incrementally through the steps by having them follow food or a toy. The holdup is our ability (or lack thereof) to maneuver our hands and treats effortlessly to get Bella moving smoothly. (We are finding ourselves not quite agile enough!) This will be great for later if I choose to take her through agility. Basically, you hold food between your legs with the dog facing you. Guide the dog in between your legs, sweeping your arm around the back side of your leg to the front. Transfer the treat quickly to the other hand and guide her through and around the other leg. Here's a good video showing the technique. Eventually we'll stop luring and work with hand gestures.

These are as good for Bella as they are for us and as always, if done correctly, she’s learning and mentally stimulated and we’re bonding. Gotta love that!

Quick Toothy Update

Bella was slowed down for several days post surgery. She didn't seem to mind the absence of toys...until two days ago and then it was a battle to keep things out of her mouth. No toys were available, but she raided our backyard wood pile several times and ran south, happily crunching through a plastic plant pot I was about to wash from transplanting veggies to a bigger container.

To keep the both of us sane, I decided it was time to ease dry food back into her diet and began reintroducing toys. None of her harder toys are available, but anything that is soft-edged is back in her toy basket. Her biggest joy? Her very-most-highly-obnoxious Good Cuz squeaky toy. This toy (she has two—I don't know what possessed me) has an awful, high-pitched squeak that she goes crazy over. She immediately de-limbed both of them which makes their bounce even more erratic (another selling point for Bella). We only allow her to have it for a couple of days as my husband and I turn into loonies from all the squeaking.

It is a joy to see her so happily jaw-boning again. You just can't keep a good chewer down!

Dogs versus Drugs

Anyone who truly loves their dog understands the benefit dogs provide for stress and healing. Growing up, my mother's mother lived with us after my father passed away. When my grandmother died at the ripe, old age of 103, we knew my mother would make it through her grief more easily because of her dog. When her dog died, our concern went way up. I don't mean that losing her mother wasn't traumatic; her mother, my grandmother, was one of the most wonderful people I know. But my siblings and I knew that being able to pat her dog's head, kiss her ears and rub her belly would be the best "medicine" my mom could have.

Dogs, beyond  family pets, have many different jobs—entertainers (movies, dock divers, etc.), sniffers (bombs, drugs, disease, etc.), helpers (disabled, blind, and so on) and now on another field, for soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A program, Paws for Purple Hearts, was started in California in 2006, to offer "therapeutic intervention for veterans and active-duty military personnel by teaching those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to train service dogs for their comrades with combat-related physical disabilities."

A recent Smithsonian Magazine article said researchers have learned the benefit dogs have over drugs in helping veterans cope with the debilitating effects of PTSD. As stated in the July-August issue in the article, How Dogs can Help Veterans Overcome PTSD, author Chris Colin states:

The animals draw out even the most isolated personality, and having to praise the animals helps traumatized veterans overcome emotional numbness. Teaching the dogs service commands develops a patient’s ability to communicate, to be assertive but not aggressive, a distinction some struggle with. The dogs can also assuage the hypervigilance common in vets with PTSD. Some participants report they finally got some sleep knowing that a naturally alert soul was standing watch.

Not only do the soldiers training the dogs benefit from the dog's presence, but they also know they are helping other vets. There is a wonderful video that accompanies the story that further corroborates the value that the presence of a dog provides both to the training vet and the soldier receiving the service dog.

There is a petition available to sign asking the U.S. Senate to provide service dogs to vets with PTSD. Now that's good medicine! (I don't know if this was something incorporated into HR 1627 or is separate.)

PAWPRINT: Here is a lovely story about a vet suffering from PTSD who was reunited with the dog he worked with in Iraq.

PAWPRINT 2: Using dogs to aide soldiers is a big deal right now. Just recently the U.S. Senate passed bill HR 1627 that helps with some of the obstacles vets run into. Here's another story.

PAWPRINT 3: This post just isn't going away. I came across this article today (10/18/2012)on a military dog with PTSD. Luckily it found a good, supportive home. Now if we could just honor and care for all men, women and dogs suffering from this...

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UPDATE: This bit of news just came through our paper today.n The VA (Veterans Affairs) will no longer pay for service dogs for vets with mental disabilities such as PTSD.

Hiking!

I bought a new day pack for myself after 20 years of using a bomb-proof school back pack. I can't throw the old pack out...it really is impervious to wear and tear...but I can't get all I need into it. The new pack is a dream (Gregory Jade 28)—light weight, nice-sized compartments, and comfortable to wear. The purchase was prompted by my desire to do more hiking alone and therefore needing to carry more things for safety. I dug out Lucy's old dog pack and with some tweaking, it fits Bella! Huzzah! She can carry her own water!

The last two weekends have been gorgeous and provided the perfect weather for an outing.

Heading to the gap above the center of a snow field.

Sniffing who was here earlier.

I've noticed hiking alone with Bella makes her far more attentive to where I am than if we are with others. I think this is because she doesn't hear me talking, so is constantly stopping and waiting for me. I love this! Good dog, Bella!

I am also aware that if I follow her route through an iffy bit of trail, she invariably picks the easiest path. A third plus is though I am directionally challenged (I never hike without a compass and map), if I'm back-tracking and come to a confusing trail intersection, I wait for her to pick "our" trail. She's never wrong. With last girl-dog, Lucy, none of this was the case—not to mention a whistling marmot was her siren song to leap into the unknown and give chase. Not Ms. Bell. She stays close and on the trail.

Bella also prefers not to drink from a bowl, but directly from the water bottle. Also a plus! One less thing to carry! She is very good at capturing the dribble and wastes little, which was great for today's hike. The trail had excellent water flow in June when I hiked it with a friend, but next to none today.

I'm hoping we can get several more hikes under our belt before we head out with a friend for a several day back-packing adventure mid-fall. It's been many years since I've "over-nighted" and want to make sure I have the stamina to carry more weight. I will continue to load the new pack until eventually moving over to my large pack carrying 35 or more pounds.