A doggy Christmas surprise

Happy holidays

fostertales.blogspot.com

Where are you Christmas- Pet safety for the holidays

Very powerful and beautiful

Holiday Peace & Joy with the Family Dog

Holiday Peace & Joy with the Family Dog
by Bette Yip, CPDT of Picture Perfect Pets

It’s that time of year again! Families are bustling about preparing for the holidays, leaving the family dog wondering why the humans of the house are suddenly less attentive.

This sometimes causes our dogs to seek out new and more creative ways to get our attention and amuse themselves, and sometimes, we humans don’t appreciate our dog’s choice of activities. To avoid potential problems this season, be proactive—start preparing your dog for the holidays now!

Each year this time, we trainers dole out the usual tips on management and training to help your dog be a welcome part of your holiday festivities, with maximum safety for all. You can find more of these tips in the Dog Training Tips section at www.BetteYip.com .

Here, I’ll focus instead on the usefulness of getting your dog hooked on a few great puzzle toys to help her stay self-entertained when you need time to yourself for holiday activities. Teaching your dog to play with puzzle toys also provides your pooch mental stimulation and a little extra exercise, which will help her to relax better during naptimes. She may learn to enjoy these new puzzle toys so much that you’ll even decide to add a few extras to your doggie holiday gift list!

So, what is a “puzzle toy” for dogs. Most people are familiar with the classic Kong toy, which is a hollowed out piece of rubber meant to be baited with food filling so that a dog has to really work to get the goodies out. Since its introduction, the market has been flooded with innovative new canine puzzle toys. Brilliantly simple, and a favorite of every dog I’ve introduced it to, is Nina Ottoson’s Dog Pyramid, a self-righting fillable toy. As your dog nose-pushes it and swats at it to knock the goodies out, it pops itself back up. Feed your dog meals out of such a toy, and mealtime becomes a wonderfully tiring and enriching event in itself!

Another of my recent favorites is Premier’s Tug-a-Jug, made of a tug rope tied into a bullet-proof plastic jug with a removable bottom. The toy also has a nubby rubber hollowed out ball around the opening of the jug, for additional chewing entertainment. Put some small dog food pieces or treats in the body of the jug, along with a hunk that’s too big to come out, and with a little training, you can teach your dog how to grab the rope, fling the toy, paw the toy, chew on the toy—and eventually, empty out the small bits of food. Again, this makes for a creative way to feed dogs their meals while keeping them out of your hair for a while, too.

Some dogs figure out how to entertain themselves with puzzle toys easily without much human guidance. With each one they conquer, their problem solving skills grow, making the next puzzle toy that much more fun. Other dogs need a little more coaching to figure out a new toy. Learn how to get your dog hooked on puzzle toys in the Dog Training Tips section at www.BetteYip.com .

Riding Rudy (youtube) Exactly what NOT to do

There is so much wrong about this. Dogs are incredibly tolerant and sometimes I wonder who is the smarter species. Here is a great example of exactly how to teach kids to be bitten. Ride the back of dogs and grab them while they eat. It never fails to imaze me what people do. I fear people not dogs!

A hairy Presidential decision of the 4 legged kind.

Tuesday night we all listened as President-elect Obama presented his victory speech with great confidence. It was clear how ready he is to lead us towards change and how dedicated he is to promises even when it comes to the puppy for his daughters Malia and Sasha. Just like any family considering a pup the President has many things to take into consideration as their puppy will be a fifteen year long (or longer) commitment. Taking your time to find the right fit is important! Here are a few tips that may be of interest for the Obamas as well as anyone else considering a new family member.
The decision to get a puppy immediately invites a flood of warm fuzzy images. Who can resist that intoxicating puppy smell or the eyes that melt even those resistant to puppy love. As a, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), I encourage the Obamas and all families to prioritize temperament and personality traits instead of looks. Cuteness wears off quickly especially for kids once the puppy demonstrates normal teething behavior and destroys a favorite toy or two. The temperament of the pup is the key to a long-term match. Enlisting the help of a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) is a great way to get off on the right foot. A CDBC can guide you through the many options of pet selection and help point out the pros and cons of each based on your families needs and desires. It is terrific that many families want to adopt from a shelter or breed rescue as there are many wonderful dogs in need. Sometimes, however, this may not be the best choice due to the needs of the family. Another option is working closely with a reputable breeder so that you are able to visit the puppy and become familiar with its environment prior to bringing it home.
Puppy socialization is serious business and crucial for stability throughout life. A qualified reputable breeder will be certain to do their best to ensure that their pups are socialized appropriately and achieve developmental milestones with experiences that will set them up for a successful and long happy life. This is extremely important for the White House dog as they are exposed to all types of people and situations. Just this past week First Pooch Barney snapped at a reporter who reached for him. Dogs that are around people must be socially appropriate and comfortable. It is equally important that the handlers become familiar with the likes and dislikes of their dog and recognize subtle signs of stress and know when to remove the dog from a situation when they might not be successful.
When it comes to breed rescue and shelter dogs I have had wonderful experiences placing adult dogs in homes with children. As a mother of three, CDBC and active rescue foster home provider I know first hand the importance of observations in a foster home. Foster home providers live with and determine the temperament and social capabilities based on observation in the home and surrounding environment. Often what we see is a mature dog with an established personality and temperament. This is a great benefit for many families.
There are many pros to adopting an adult dog but it is ideal to work with a professional experienced with temperament assessment. The Obama family will have their challenges looking for a dog that will not create an allergic reaction for Malia. Allergies vary and it can take time to find the right type of dog to fit this need. Fur and hair varies in all breeds and sometimes it can take time to sort out which will create a reaction and which will not. A great deal will depend on grooming habits and management of the environment as well.
The keys for a match made in heaven are these: identifying, as a family, the characteristics you want and need in a dog for your lifestyle, hiring a professional to assist in dog selection and temperament assessment, and carefully selecting a positive trainer for ongoing success that lasts a lifetime!

Barney bites reporter (from youtube)

Watch as the reporter approaches. Barney stiffens his shoulders turning away and avoiding the reporter who was squatting down facing him. Barney chose to NOT face the reporter but staff positioned him to face the reporter and this was the final straw. Listen as the staff did not appear surprised that he bit. Then they tell the reporter that you can't put your hand in his face.
Now....what if Barney were a rottweiler? A pit mix? A german shepherd? What then? Due to the fact that Barney is a small dog...this is taken as a joke. All dogs should be respected and all people need to observe them for signs if they want interaction or not. Barney...clearly did not.

Spooky safety

Halloween is "fright night" for humans not dogs. Screaming, running, spooky children in masks make many dogs uncomfortable, nervous and frightened.
Halloween costumes are fun and are meant to disguise our normal appearance. Dogs do not understand this change in appearance and may become frightened. Costumes that change the way a person walks, stands, or their general appearance may cause a dog to react differently than usual even with those they know.
Keep in mind that children on Halloween night are excited and doing their best to be scary. This is not a fair or safe situation to put even the best of dogs in. Even the normally terrific tolerant family dog can find this night hard to handle.
Along with costumes being frightening to a dog there are some that may become interesting too. Swords, tails and dangling things may be fun for an excited dog to chase and toddlers certainly won’t appreciate that. Click here to see a photo of a costume with very enticing antennae.
Every child and every costume is a new opportunity for different reactions from the same dog.
I recommend setting up your dog with their own private Halloween bash in a safe quiet spot with a yummy treat of their own. Here are some tips to help make this safe haven most comfortable.
Stuff a food dispensing toy with yummy mush and freeze it until it is "Halloween" time.
Use a fan or radio for white noise. Something consistent is best.
Be sure the blinds are down or the dog is not watching kids coming and going by the window. This will only frustrate him and allow him to practice barking and carrying on at the window.
Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Put candy in a safe spot.
Sometimes dogs are stolen, poisoned or injured by Halloween pranks. Keep your dog safe and sound inside your home.
Be safe and aware and have fun!
For more information on kid and dog safety on Halloween check out http://www.familypaws.com

The world's most patient dog ...(from youtube)

As Halloween approaches keep in mind that dogs may not like to be dressed up but may "tolerate" it. What else can they do? Be respectful and remember that we all have our limits. This gentle golden some day may not be in the mood for dress up. Know your dog and protect they and your child.

Halloween and dogs

As halloween approaches keep in mind that some dogs do not handle changes in appearance even with their familiar people. It is important to know your dog and how they respond. Halloween is a good time to allow your dog a quiet place where they can relax aware from the spooky characters.

Dog vs baby toys. Avoid the confusion!

Every family asks me how to avoid toy confusion once a baby arrives. There are many ways to do this.
1. Provide your dog with a very limited number of toys that are available at any given time to them and name them. Ex. My shepherd only had his ball. I could always say Moose....go get your ball and he would be hunt for that one ball. This is a huge benefit as nothing else was an option...only his ball.
2. You can use a scent to identify the baby toys from the dog's. Reward the dog for choosing their toy vs. the baby's toy. This is good in theory but....I have not found it as practical as it sounds. This requires a great deal of consistency, patience and time to build the association with the scent.
3. Identify and know what textures your dog likes and plan accordingly when you purchase your baby toys. Choose toys that do not have the same high value textures.
4. Management.....Keep high value textures and interesting new items out of reach. it will be awhile before baby will be exploring on the floor. This will allow the items to be in the home and to not smell so new to your dog once they do hit floor level.
5. Get only toys that are nothing like kid toys.
This brings me to a neat toy I found today created locally. I believe in promoting other neat creative ideas and this is one of them. The Dog Nasty Dog toy My female shepherd/husky mix loves stuffed toys but they don't last long! So, needless to say we do not purchase them often for this very reason. Why bother. We also stopped purchasing them prior to the arrival of our daughter being born in an effort to decrease her interest in stuffed animals in anticipation of the confusion. The texture and durability of this toy is very good as well as the overall concept being quite unique. I love the fact that this toy can be washed and reused and stuffed within itself to create new shapes and sizes for your dog to enjoy. You can make a more compact toy or a loose toy they can shake like crazy and toss about. My 4 dogs enjoy the challenge of getting their kibble out and believe it or not it has survived! So, if you are the proud parent of a dog that enjoys a soft plush toy....I highly recommend checking this one out as it is not quite like the others and does not look like a kids toy! It truly is a dog toy and one with a great history behind it.

NEW Dogs & Storks blog!

Come and visit http://www.dogsandstorks.blogspot.com the place for helpful tips based on the Dogs & Storks program. Free and helpful information!

Are they unpredicatable?

"Jennifer Shryock, a dog behavior consultant from dogsandstorks.com, a program that prepares families with dogs for life with a baby, said infants should never be left alone -- even for a moment -- with a dog, due to the animals' unpredictability. "
This is a quote from the Star Ledger article. I wanted to expand on this.
There is some truth to this, when we are not there, they are more likely to be unpredictable BUT......there is more truth to the fact that Dogs will PREDICTABLY behave as dogs.

That said we must predict that they will caretake, nurture, discipline, & respond based on the natural instincts of the dogs that they are. That is predictable.

Without a person present for guidance and direction dogs predictably will act like dogs. There are many variations of dog behavior that are considered acceptable and unacceptable in our in our human world but... still are part of our dogs. We must be aware of these behavior so that we can predict and therefore proactively prevent.

If we believe our dogs are unpredictable we become helpless. Victims. This creates fear and is no help to our dogs or anyone.

Knowing that dogs will behave as dogs and becoming familiar with dog body language and behavior through such programs as www.doggonesafe.com empowers adults and children to make safer choices and set themselves up for success. Dogs need our direction, supervision and guidance to be the most successful.

We love dogs for many reasons. When we choose to include them in our home we must also choose to be informed and educated about their behavior so that we can help them be successful in our very unpredictable hectic human world.

A dog, a baby ......the unimaginable.

My heart goes out to the Hennessy family at this time. As a Mother, dog lover, one being a husky, I am so so sorry for all that this family is going through. This is beyond tragic. I am dedicated to preventing this type of news from hitting our headlines through education before and after baby arrives.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-11/122093492596820.xml&coll=1
This is why I began the Dogs & Storks program. Recently some of our team of presenters were reviewing what has been taught routinely over the years as nursery rules by dog trainers. We decided to make changes to our program and new recommendations based on the availability of monitors and safety considerations. Here is what we now recommend.
Nursery rules.....
1. If a parent is not in the room where a baby is in a crib or bassinet the wooden door should be securely closed locking the dog out.
2. We do not suggest a gate or screen door be used as a barrier.
3. We recommed that parents take full advantage of the baby monitors on the market to monitor their baby.
*****If there is a need to keep the nursery door ajar then an alternative option to secure the dog is to crate the dog or lock then in a room or have the dog on leash attached to an adult.

AT NO TIME

should the dog have

access to the baby without adult supervision.

This also means that if the new parents are sleeping the dog should be secured or the baby's room door is closed. Sleeping parents are not alert and can not be aware of their dog's actions.
PLEASE NOTE! these tips are general and are intended to increase safety and prevent another possible tragedy, not point blame or make a judgement of the Hennessy family. I have learned a great deal from my own mistakes in raising kids and dogs together and this could have been me or any one of us who have left the room for a moment. I am counting my blessings today and sending prayers to family.
http://www.dogsandstorks.com/
I hope that you find the information helpful.
http://www.doggonesafe.com/ has a dog bite victim support board for families who have experienced severe dog attacks. This too may be helpful.

baby playing with dog (youtube)

The dog is indicating discomfort and stress. Each attempt is met by displeasure by his person. Overtime he will not give subtle signs of stress as they did not work. The dog here attempts to get away from the child several times only to be corrected. Why do we expect our dogs to put up with hair pulling, climbing and the very things we ourselves do not like? Then when they communicate with us discomfort we correct them. This is very dangerous and unfair.

Cutest baby in the world plays catch with Amazing Puppy Dog (from you tube)

This is great. I love that the dog rolls the ball to the child and then backs away or lies down. This dog is not extra jumpy and keeps the excitment low. This is a great example of nice interaction. Again, with supervision, this is a wonderful game!

Baby Bites Dog! (from youtube)

This baby is adorable and has a contagious giggle. The mouthing and trying to taste doggie is so age appropriate and something I remmber clearly with my children. It is clear though that this is confusing to the dog and although this dog is QUITE tolerant and seems to enjoy this baby very much....mouthing doggie should be avoided. Seriously. This stage and age is very challenging for dogs as babies motions are unstable and unpredictable. This is a time when an adult should be assisting in petting and putting their hand over the baby's hand to encourage a gentle pat vs. pull of the dog. Good thing the dog has the ball to chomp on! ;)

Baby and Puppy Love (youtube)

This is great! Dad holding and supporting baby while dogs visit and interact. All is controlled and predictable and supervised. When babies are this young it is best to have an adult holding or hands on the baby while interacting with dogs. This way the baby and dog are both successful and respected.

baby and dog (youtube)

Unsafe and confusing. Safety always must be a prioty. This dog has great self control and good common sense!

baby attacks dog (you tube example)

This is soooo disturbing and dangerous! A baby holding a dog on a choke chain! What options does the dog have? Watch as Miller does his best to Increase distance by licking the face of the baby (only to be told to stop) Miller looks for help to his person but she finds it funny. Miller then licks baby again (appeasment behavior also done to increase space) To which Mom says "ok, miller no more kisses, no more kisses." He is not kissing, he is trying to get out of an uncomfortable situation and needs help. Finally he gets up and comes to the camera and looks for help. Mom says "where are you going Miller....grab him" Baby grabs miller's side. Miller spins around and offers an appeasment kiss again. As if to say PLEASE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! Then he comes once again to his trusted person and sits in fron of her hoping she helps him out of this situation! Ears back, licking chips, BIG YAWN! At this point Miller is deserate and truly begging! Finally it ends.

Baby vs. Dog (youtube)

Does this dog look happy?
Watch the dog adjust the position. Lick lips, turn away, ears back, whites of the eyes. It is not normal human behavior to come flying towards a dog. This is very odd to a dog. Cornering a dog and playing like this is very confusing and stressful as indicated by this dog. Dogs may react differently.

baby versus dog (youtube video)

Dogs offer signs of stress or give subtle signs that indicate "move away" This dog turns away and yawns. It is unclear to the dog what the child wants or is going to do. Notice the ear of the dog once the child moves away...cautious, weary. This dog looks like it might be older and could be uncomfortable and getting up could take effort. Over time if this type of encounter continues....how might the dog respond to the child's approach?

Too close for comfort. (another youtube video)

Another video made public via You tube. We This dog is VERY tolerant but what happens when he does not want to be held down? Tackled? Or smothered? What is this child learning about how to treat dogs?

Lessons in loss

Pets bring joy and many lesson we as parents often can never imagine and sometimes don't want to experience. Loss is one of them. Sadly our family has experienced the loss of three dear companions over the last 3 years. Moose, (our 13 yr old german shepherd) Clover ( our 2 yr old cat we had since 4 days old and fostered his family) and Jack. ( most recently our 12 yr old amazing tuxedo cat) Each passing has allowed us as a family to reflect and grow. They all were very different and very very sad. I hope that by sharing our story on the blog that these stories will help some other parents and families as they go through these heartbreaking but also bonding and life changing times. Painful as they are, these experiences also offer many learning opportunities if we allow them. Some very very special lessons.

Clover's story

Several years ago we were fortunate to get an opportunity to foster a litter of kittens with their Mother. The kittens were 4 days old. It was such a great experience and we as a family fell in love with the shy black kitten David had named Clover. The kittens were born on St Patrick's day and so they were all named to that theme. Clover was shy, and very sensitive but so sweet and I remember when it came time to send him to an adoptathon I said....with tears in my eyes...."he is not going today." The thought of him leavning our home tore my heart apart. Anyway, we adopted clover and were so excited that Clover would be with our family for many many years to come. Our 2 cats were getting older and we felt so lucky to have Clover be our third kitty. ;) Clover was such a great boy. He spent many days on the back of my chair purring nad kneeding his paws and tearing hte back of it. :) He also helped became best buddies with our German Shepherd Moose and supported him through thunderstorms. Clover and Moose had a beautiful relationship and each day they began the morning the same way. Clover would meow and walk to Moose. He would lay between Mooses's paws while Moose scratched his back with his teeth and then clover would roll over on his back and Moose would then scratch clover's belly. Once done Clover would give a final MEOW and bat Moose on the muzzle and give a swish of his tail and off he went. We would know this greeting had taken place only from the wettness of Clover's furr! ;) He would be soaked! Too cute and way funny.

Anyway, One day when clover was about 2 years old my daughter (4 yr old) came running to me saying "MOMMY CLOVER IS DEAD!" I said....Honey, he can't be ...he is so young ...he must be sleeping. She said....No, he is cold Mommy...he;s dead. I was shocked as I looked at my daughters tear streaked face and realized that there is no way she could be wrong. I followed her to Clover and indeed our dear kitten had passed on. He looked so peaceful as if he was napping. As we sat in shock and panic and pain just overwhelmed with emotion. I just sat holding Kayleigh saying it is so unfair. So unfair. How, why? So many questions and my boys were due home within 1/2 hour. David would be devastated. I remember calling my husband and don't remember any of the call. Why? How? How long was he gone? How could I not have known? The 3 dogs were right htere in the room with him as were our cats. Was he in pain? The guild, the pain, the questions, the dread of telling my boys. It all was rushing over me. My little cloclo was gone and my kids hearts were breaking. It was so unfair.

Clover's passing haunted us as it was sudden and unexpected. It also taught us soooooo much. It really bonded us together as a family I often think of it as one of the biggest learning experiences. The lessons we learned were deep and so important. Appreciate the NOW......appreciate one another. Life is short and age does not decide when you die. Clover was so young. We counted on him being here for years. His dying young taught us so much. Clover also looked so peaceful when he passed under our window in our living room. Nothing scary or tragic. For that I am forever grateful. Kayleigh and I had both wittnessed a dog hit by a car prior to clover's passing. This was tragic and she and I had a horrid vision in our mind and I was Thankful for a peaceful image of death for her as we knew our senior dog Moose was nearing this final chapter in his life too. I was amazed as a parent at how the kids took in the lessons and when asked what they felt clover would want us to remember about his life they said.....to have fun...feel joy. Be adventurous. They also felt he maybe needed to leave us so that when it was time for Moose to pass on that he would be there already to help Moose since Clover always helped Moose with thunderstorms. Ironically after clover passed Moose never had thunderstorm issues again.

We miss and love you Clover!

I will write about Moose's story next.

Moose was the most spectacular German shepherd. When we adopted him he was 5 or 6 and was about 90lbs. Andrew and David were 3 & 2 and Moose was a bull in a china shop. He just plowed through our home and destroyed every ball in the house. This was devastating to the boys and we soon learned about our ball obsessed dog! Moose loved balls more then anything and we spend the next 7 years managing his enthusiasm for all things round and in motion. Balloons, bikes, costumes with balls, anything. Moose was one of a kind. He was a gentle giant and rolled with the punches. He accepted all the new fosters that came and went into our home and did a great job. He made friends with the cats and especially loved Clover. Moose's prior life was one of neglect and abuse. He sure made up for that during his years with us. He always loved to be in the middle of things and was a neighborhood favorite! As he got older his size and strength began to battle with one another. Being a large boy is not easy. Moose had good weeks then a bad one then good then bad. We knew we would have to make a decission and help him peacefully move on. I will never forget the day I looked in his eyes and it was as if he said "Mom, I am worn out." I knew it was close and felt we needed to prepare. We talked as a family and made a plan. We invited friends to come and say goodbye to Moose and share their time with him. We wrote about him and as a family we made the choice to have our vet come and let Moose cross and be with clover at the bridge. We brushed him for hours before talking to him and just being with him. Kayleigh especially. We were all with Moose in the same spot in our living room where Clover chose to leave us. The kids printed out a photo of Clover and we laid it by him and told him Clo Clo was ready for him. It was peaceful and gentle. His body could no longer serve him and we let him go with dignity. Our gentle giant was at peace. Although we missed Moose terribly.....we also felt relief for him. No more struggle, there was never the question about if it was the right time or if it was the right choice. We knew it was and we all felt at peace. I slept with Moose's collar. I shared tears with the kids. We listened and cried when we needed to. Most of all we allowed each other space and time to be angry, hurt and tried to be patient and forgiving as we all grieved in our own unique ways. As we always did we kept the kids home from school to spend the day together as a family. Moose's passing was due to age and his body not being able to function in a healthy way any longer. We knew this was the best option. Although it was the right choice it was still such a hard decission. My husband and I chose to include our children. Due to our involvment in rescue and having experienced death of animals previously we gave the kids many options and different choices as far as participating or not in Moose's passing. We explained the medication and what was going to happen and when. Our vet was wonderful and it was very peaceful. I do feel that if you choose to include your children that you need to be prepared for what you are also experiencing. If you have not attended a euthenasia before then be sure to discuss with your vet what to expect and feel free to contact me if I can be of support in any way in this area.jen@familypaws.com

Education!

Baby safety education vs. dog mauling headlines!

Wonderful wonderful story!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91769901&sc=emaf

Does the dog ask for more attention?

Too often we focus on what we want and ot what our animals are communicating they want or like. It is important to respect a dog if they choose to walk away from you even if you are not done petting them. Taking a moment to see if they "ask for more" allows the dog an "out" if they wish to disengage. Respect what they choose. I encourage kids to do this by petting the dog gently for a short period of time and then moving your hand away and seeing if they move into you or if they choose to walk away or go elsewhere. Usually the choice is clear.

Tethering can help.

Tethering can help to keep an eager dog from jumping while working with children. This way a child can reinforce the dog for sitting nicely and ignore the atempt to jump up. http://www.baddogsinc.com/pettethers.html

baby playing with dog (from you tube)

Just because a dog tolerates something does it make it right? Is it ok for us to push our dogs to a point that we know they are being challenged or uncomfortable? I do not believe this is fair or acceptable. It is our responsibility as parents to be sure to set both our children and dogs up for success and safety. If we challenge the tolerance of our dogs routinely in this way we are only pushing limits. We are also not encouraging appropriate interaction between dog and baby.

Beautiful example of subtle communication

These photos are a great sequence of subtle signs indicating pleasure and displeasure by the German Shepherdish dog (Carin)
Photo 1. Bailey (Sibe) is enjoying attention from Andrew when Carin decides she wants some too.
Photo 2.Carin sits politely next to Andrew and Bailey hoping for attention from ANDREW.
Photo 3. Kayleigh joins the photo and offers carin an ear scratch. Notice Carin's look on her face? Closed mouth, serious eyes. Carin does not want the attention from Kayleigh.
Photo 4 Kayleigh walks away and Carin is back to relaxed and enjoying Andrew's attention once again.