The Key Reason to Touch and Socialize Your Dog

As I mentioned previously, there are a lot of four-legged victims as a result of the many foreclosures. Along with older dogs, there are puppies and pregnant dogs being left behind. Forget that there isn’t enough food for all of them, the fact that they are not being socialized can affect them for the rest of their lives.

When dogs have not been socialized adequately, the result is that they will back away when someone reaches to pet them. As they tuck their tails, round their ears and perhaps squat, their body language would indicate that they have been abused. They have. It just isn’t the way we typically define abuse. They were never hit. They were never touched in any way.

Many studies have proven the need for touch for all creatures. Touch boosts our immune system, and the lack of it causes emotional and behavioral problems. It is important for puppies to recieve nurturing from their Moms and for this nurturing and bonding to continue through human touch.

Neglected dogs may also develop obsessive-compulsive behaviors. They may walk in circles, go through a “ritual” prior to eating, and may be protective of food if they had to fend for themselves previously. All of these can be dealt with as they learn to trust and establish new behaviors.

Once they are brought into a home and slowly socialized and begin to trust human touch, they will improve!

My last post featured Melody – a little Yorkie that was at the shelter. She was so reserved and afraid. By watching her, I can assume some of what her past was like. She has a few rituals for reasons known only to her.

She now sits on the floor by me waiting for a little affection. It’s a bit of a tease because she will pull away. Wanting affection and praise and so afraid of what might be attached to it. We have a promise that she will never be mistreated again. (There are a lot of animals – and humans – that need to hear that promise.)

Melody is an example of how trust can change your life!

Abandoned Dog Can’t Speak

This little Yorkie was given up to a local shelter. She’s not special because she’s a desirable mini-dog – she’s special because she was used only to breed. It’s not clear how many litters she’s had or how she was treated.

She is (was) terribly afraid of human touch; especially if you were to reach for her before she was ready to approach. It’s not likely that someone will adopt her with this behavior quirk. So, I brought her home.

Once home, I noticed that she sounded like her bark was filtered. She’s been debarked. Then, there’s her teeth. She soon trusted me enough to let me take a look in her mouth. I quickly saw that she only has four teeth in the front. No wonder her tiny tongue sticks out. There’s nothing to hold it back. This is a relatively young dog so it’s not an age issue. It’s an abuse and neglect issue.

I realized that this little girl doesn’t need me to feel sad or sorry for her. She needs love and dog rehabilitation. Within 12 hours of bringing her home, I was able to put a harness and leash on her. I could pick her up, walk her on the leash, clean her face, look in her mouth, and check her ears without her recoiling.

Never underestimate the power of the Spirit, be it Human or Canine. And, the two of us together can be an amazing combination!

She will be “fine.” It’s good that we can’t sit and talk about her past. We might get stuck. Dogs don’t stay stuck in their stuff unless we do. They live in the moment and deal with what that brings. I’m learning a lot from the shelter dogs.

I recommend it – if you can put your thoughts aside of how horrible it is, you might experience the love of a little girl like Melody.

SUBMIT DOG!

I so appreciate Cesar Milan’s approach and instruction on being a calm, assertive leader. What I see a lot of are loud, anxious, demonstrative, wanna-be-leaders. And, I’m not talking about the dog. =)

In observing the introduction of dogs to one another, there is a posturing but not a lot of noise. Usually, the noisy one is attempting to demonstrate their authority. I’m not sure that the alpha/leader in the group isn’t amused by the interaction while appearing tolerant.

Remember that when you are demonstrating authority to one or more dogs, that you do it with intention and presence of mind rather than as a reaction and in fear. Think of something that you really KNOW and then bring that same level of knowing to BEING the authority with the dog. They WILL get it as soon as you do.

Lap Dog

. . .but, I wanted a little lap dog. That’s like wanting a lap cat. There is nothing inherent in a dog’s size that MAKES them want to be a lap dog. I know a lot of Golden Retrievers, Pit Bulls, and Great Danes who are wonderfully, huge lap dogs. I also know lots of Yorkies and Maltese who will avoid your reach because they aren’t interested in always being nestled on your lap.

I imagine that there are a lot of little dogs released to shelters or going from home to home because they aren’t lap dogs. And, there are probably cats given away because they are considered too needy when what you wanted was an independent pet who didn’t care if you were around.

If you want a lap dog and yours doesn’t quite fit that characterization, relax and give it time. Don’t grab at them or chase them down. Let them be and when they come to you, praise them, but don’t reach out. Let them get close to you on their own.

If you keep grabbing at them they will approach with caution and stay just far enough away that you can’t possibly get them. Believe me, they learn very quickly that your next move will be an attempt to convince them that they really ARE a lap dog but haven’t yet experienced the joy of being smothered by you. If given time and patience, your dog may decide that being near you isn’t so bad.

The moral of the story – if you don’t have the dog you want, want the one you have!

Pit Bull Fighting

My name is Olive. I’m a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. You can see how nice I look. I’m even smiling in this picture. It wasn’t always this way. I was part of a Pit Bull fighting ring. Here’s how my life started. . .

They took me from my Mom too young. I was scared. Then, I got pregnant. I can still hear the men’s voices and they are yelling. The other dogs around me are filled with fear that turns to rage. They are fighting again. I’m glad that this time they “used” another dog to get them stirred up.

On a good day, I’m left in this tiny pen listening to dogs fighting and men yelling. I let the fear fill me and I sit and shake. Why me?

On a bad day? I hear someone say, get her. She’ll get the other dogs to fight. They toss me into the pen. The first dog seems to really hate me. I have to defend myself, and as much as it makes me uncomfortable, it’s instinct. I need to protect my unborn pups. I don’t know if I’m relieved or scared even more when the other dog held to the side is released. It means that now I’ll get removed until next time.

Finally, I was able to escape, and I ran away. I wanted to run and to keep running to get away from how I felt. On one paw, I wanted to keep running so that I could feel safe, and yet I was too scared to be alone. I didn’t know what to do. I met some nice people who took me into their home. I was beat up and covered in sores from mange. I listen for the yelling and the other dogs fighting, but so far that hasn’t happened. Yet. I will always wonder if it’ll happen again.

That was seven years ago. Since then, I’ve been living in a love-filled home with other nice dogs. Without words, I can only show what I’m feeling. Even after all these years, I have moments where I panic. I want to run and run just to get away from the feeling that is buried deep inside me. It’s buried in the place that makes my tail wag – or in this case, not wag.

There are a lot of moments where I forget what happened. I’m joyful and my tail can’t stop from moving. Other days, I sit and stare and want to hide. I hear my “Mom” talking with people about me. She has loved me and kept me safe but she knows. She knows and can see that some times I’m lost.

The abuse I experienced from the dog fights will not leave me. I have new memories to put in their place, but some days that’s not so easy. I remember. It’s not a memory in my mind. It’s a memory in my soul. It’s consuming.

I hope there are big people who can stop dog fighting. Perhaps Oprah can do a show to bring more awareness to how horrible it is for us. Maybe some day the people who think this is a sport, will be able to feel in their hearts what I feel. If they do, they will never forget it. Nor will I.

Stop Puppy Mills

PUPPY MILLS ARE A TRAGEDY! It’s beyond horrible that these places exist at all. Thanks to Oprah and Lisa Ling for the investigative report exposing these farms, thousands are aware. Now, we can’t act like we don’t know that they exist. TODAY.

The ONLY way for this to stop is for us to NEVER buy a puppy from a store or a pet shop. Reputable breeders would not let their dogs be sold by someone else. They care about their dogs and the homes that they go to.

When buying a dog, don’t be embarrassed to ask a lot of questions. If the seller loves their dog, they will welcome your inquiries. You owe it to the dog and yourself.

It’s challenging not to justify buying this adorable, sweet, innocent puppy from the store because we know that it’s most likely from a puppy mill and we are going to “save” it. We may save one, but there are hundreds of other dogs that will suffer and die needlessly so we can “save” one.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that not only may their new $1500 “rescued” puppy be ill and traumatized, chances are housebreaking may be more than a challenge. These dogs pee and poop where they stand. It’s like putting them in jail without a bathroom. They have no choice. We have a choice. . .

The stores need to suffer the financial consequence of no one buying their pups and then the breeders will be put out of business.

And, if by some magical six degrees of separation this note gets to Lisa Ling, there are a couple of stores where I live that are almost guaranteed to be selling LOTS of puppy mill pups. Thanks to everyone who works to shut down the mills.

For more information:

http://stoppuppymills.org/

http://www2.oprah.com/world/global/slide/200804/global_20080404_101.jhtml

Dog Rehab – Socialization

Some of the best rehabilitation for a dog happens in the presence of other dogs. They learn from each other and to us mere humans it appears to be in very subtle ways. This could be not-so-good if it’s like how some teenagers “help” other teenagers learn new behaviors! But, good behaviors can also be shared.

I live in the high desert on a fenced acre of property that is like an off-leash park. It is, however, dirt, gravel, and natural desert terrain and is slightly terraced. I recently had a Great Dane here that had lived in a neighborhood and was accustomed to walking on sand or grass. Walking up or down hills had not been his experience.

Here is this 120-pound dog afraid of stepping off of the patio because of his tender feet. He was like a little girl trying to gain stability while walking around in her mother’s high heels! As we’d walk around and climb the gentle slopes of the yard, it was apparent that what Schlappie lacked was more than toughened paw pads. He lacked confidence in his body and ability to control it as he maintained his balance.

I couldn’t help him with that but the other dogs could. He would do his best to keep up with them. It was obvious that he wanted to be like the other kids on the playground. I think I heard them call him Chief Tenderfoot. What was I to do? “Kids” can be cruel.

He would step from patio to dog bed to dirt to patio and then contemplate the best next step to get inside without ever leaving a cushion or the flat consistent surface.

I’d take all the dogs on a walk around the property every morning and evening and watch as Schlappie began to walk a little quicker but more than that, he was gaining confidence. THEN, one evening, it happened! Confidence shift for Schlappie! He took off galloping like a horse – around and around he went. It was a thing of beauty to watch his awareness of freedom and trust in his long legs to get him where he wanted to go.

Schlappie is now ready to help other dogs and to tell his story of how in just two weeks of rehab he lost his nickname and gained self-confidence.

Obedience training and positive structure will help to build confidence in your dog. The more confident and clear you are with your expectations – the more confidence you’ll bring to them. Watch how the dogs do it. . .it’s a beautiful thing!

What Do Dogs Think?

Oh how I wish I could answer that. We observe, we study, we listen, we assume, and sometimes we cry or laugh until tears are running down our cheeks.

I was training a black lab, Maxi-B, who was having issues with being timid. She seemed to be hardwired this way. She was adopted as a pup and had no known traumas. She was in a very playful mood this particular day and heeling nicely but with a bit of a spring in her four-pawed step.

The visual I’d like you to get is that there was nothing smooth or simultaneous about her gait. I think that goofy is a good word for her enthusiasm.

I was thrilled because she seemed to be making progress with briefly letting go of her timid nature. If a dog can express being pleased with herself – she was pleased.

Labs in particular are good at maintaining a semblance of control and somehow staying in a perfect heel while their body wiggles with motion (and perhaps emotion).

I stopped and she sat but with a bit of an extra twist of the hips. Then, I said “down” and she looked up at me and began to move and wiggle like she was dying to let me in on some secret but wasn’t supposed to say anything!

Have you ever told a child to do something and they know they are supposed to do it and will do it but they say “okay, but I want to show you something first?” It’s an obvious diversion for a child.

Could that be the case for a dog? I think so. I think that she was feeling so good and so confident that the girl would rather just have danced a bit. So, I let her and then like a good trainer made sure that she followed through with the command.

She made me laugh, and I think that on this particular day, Maxi-B laughed too.