Neuter your Men

Hello all! Today was highly educational. I was walking the hound dog I previously posted about and from the start he was on the behavior borderline. He was pushier than usual about charging the kennel door jumping up and he added being mouthy to his repertoire. I think I was the last person to walk him, which was several days at least so he had a lot of pent up energy. He did a lot of jumping and mouthing during the walk which I cracked down on and really made him take a submissive position. When we'd stop I'd make him not move a foot and if he did I'd put him back where he was and make him stay. Not the normal routine. After an hour's walk I took him into the enclosed yard to play. We were there over 40 minutes when the educational part of my day happened.

I don't know if I mentioned but this particular dog has not yet been neutered(known as intact or unaltered) and he was feeling his hormones today. It started with me sitting in a chair and him trying to jump on my lap and getting pushy/nippy and led to him trying to hump my leg. I was able to pin him on his side in submission a few times but it wasn't enough to calm his hormone drive. Things escalated to him outright trying to bite(not hard but enough to do minor bruising) to get me to submit. I had him by the scruff of his neck and he had me by my sweater sleeve. At one point I was able to use the leash as a impromptu muzzle(I couldn't get the actual leash on him and fend off his biting at the same time) but he slipped out of it. Eventually I let him jump my back and do his business long enough to get the leash on him and drag him into the mini-kennel they have outside then got help. I'm proud of my calm collected manner I dealt with the situation in despite that the dog was rapidly escalating. Please don't think him a bad or mean dog. He's not. He was simply responding to the natural hormonal drive and when his attempts failed he responded in the same way he would with other dogs in a pack. He used his mouth to correct me. I did have to report the bites but I don't think he's in serious trouble, the guy I got to help said he'd keep an eye on the issue. Really all he needs is to be neutered and given extensive exercise and consistent training. I'm glad to have had this experience. Exposure will make me more prepared for future incidents as I get into dog walking packs and such.

Staring Down Intimidation

So today was another nice day at the shelter. My camera is permanently kaputz not sure when I"ll be able to do photos again. It makes me sad. Lots of chihuahuas and such at the shelter. Specifically though we've got a German Shepherd, (purebreed?) and boy is he a big fierce looking thing! He's jet black not a fleck of white and icy blue eyes. The shape of his snout makes him look a bit wolflike and he just gives this intense feeling. I admit that when he arrived I was intimidated by him even though I'd had no interaction. I know it's not cause he's a German Shepherd because I've walked all the other previous shepherds so I guess maybe it's his striking appearance and that intensity about him. I made myself face up to it though today. I took him for a walk. He's a sweet friendly guy though at the same time I now have justifications to be kinda wary. It's nothing out right. He's not aggressive but there are behaviors that definitely need reigned in. For one he's a jumper and is timidly being mouthy. Like he wants to mouth but maybe knows he's not allowed. The real thing though is his Toy obsession.

He will zone in on the toy, especially tennis balls, and the world disappears. He's responsive to commands to sit(he drops straight to a down most of the time) but you can tell it's more rote habit than him being attentive to you. If youhave the ball and you don't throw it soon enough for him he gets anxious pacing back and forth or will even begin to circle you (very predatory move that one) and if you continue to withhold it he'll begin to whine and moan before jumping forward to try and snatch it from your hand or he'll dig/tear at the grass to get it out from under your foot. These are things that can easily escalate into worse things in a dog with such a high prey/ball drive like him. I was able to work with him on it some but not much. He needs consistent professional training. He's very intelligent and loveable but I recommend him for an owner with a lot of experience with dogs, especially strong breeds, and a home without small children. He's just too pushy(he throws his weight around to get what he wants) to be around children. I'm proud of myself for working with him today because while he does warrant caution there was no reason for actual intimidation and I've conquered that!

Love for a Hound

So it's been a few days since I posted because my camera is sadly broken and I haven't been able to take any  new photos. The good news is we're doing to 7 chihuahuas and I think the Doxie may have been adopted today. We've got a new 3 month pitbull that's adorable and we've got a HOUND DOG! Woot Woot! Hounds hold a special place in my heart and this particular hound has really captured me! He's beautiful to look at and he just wants to do everything he can to please whoever he's with. Unfortunately with him that translates to him being so eager to impress he'll drag you out of the kennel and don't feel like walking? No worries, I'll do all the work for you and pull you along just to please you! Hehe. He's overly friendly and I'm working on smoothing over that he jumps on you when going into the kennel and tries to follow you out but he's learning fast and he's a real doll! I think the only possible real demerit he could get is he showed a hint of toy possessiveness today. No aggression but he certainly tried to keep me away from the toy once he had it. When playing with these guys and I need to grab the toy(to throw it for them) I usually walk right up and they either back off or I put my foot on the toy so they can't take it and wait for them to step back. With this guy he'd run off when I approached the first couple of approaches then I'd put my foot on the toy and I think the first three times we did this process he'd chew the toy or try to pull it out from under my foot before he'd back away. While this in and of itself is not dangerous in some dogs, not all, it can escalate to toy/food possessive aggression so it's a thing that mostly just needs kept in check. He needs someone that will continue to pursue him and keep their foot on the toy till he backs off. Soemone to teach him to sit and make eye contact with the person, not the toy, before it's thrown. He's still in the preventative stage so I'm hoping someone who supports proper exercise and discipline will fall in love with him!

A Lovely Hot Day

So today was lovely, hot but lovely. I have a nightshift at work right now so I was able to do several hours at the shelter. The dogs were up to much though, I'd take them on a non-jogging walk and by half an hour they were pulling to lay down in the shade. We'd go and cool off in the shaded yard at that point so no one would over heat. One of the little chihuahuas got adopted today which was great but we have another one newly arrived so we're still at 9 little chihuahuas. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only volunteer out there for the sake of the dogs giving them quality walks and attention. I've not been impressed by any other dog walking volunteers I've seen yet. The first three I saw Sunday and they spent maybe 5-6 minutes on a dog before switching it out for another, most of that time was spent chatting with each other and not focusing on the dog. Today I saw two different volunteers and I must put a disclaimer with this complaint. They were nine, maybe 12, year old girls and the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the parent they were with.  While the girls clearly cared about the dogs and the dogs were their focus they were not supposed to have two dogs together. As volunteers we're expected to keep about 10 feet between each dog to prevent accidental spread of illness or fighting dogs. The other rule that was disregard was that puppies under 6 months may not be walked. They can be carried to the cat meet and greet room but no where else because they are too young to have had their shots. I dunno, maybe I"m being overly picky but these are good sound rules providing a level of safety for the dogs and shouldn't be ignored. I guess it just amazes me how little the rules really matter at this place. Oh well, I'm doing my best and I suppose that's what counts...Now to our lovely Dachshund!

This little guy is a gem! He had really good leash manners pretty much from the start, wasn't much of a jogger but really seemed to enjoy the walking right up to when he got too hot. When we went into the yard he didn't want to play, maybe from the heat, but preferred to snuggle with me! He was very inquisitive and friendly and would make a great dog for anyone wanting a walking companion and snuggler!

1 Little 2 Little 3 Little Chihuahuas

So today I went to the shelter and did 2 things, I played with and photographed the 2 puppies that are under 6 months. Working with them has special requirements of carrying them to the cat meet and greet room. They may not walk there or be anywhere other than that room because they're too young for their shots. The second thing I did was count how many chihuahuas we currently had at the shelter because we're over run with them! It's like a chihuahua invasion! Currently we have 9 chihuahuas in all. It's crazy cause we have maybe 15-18 dogs tops in the A-section(adoptable) and of them 9 are chihuahuas. Next most is probably terriers with a smattering of random breeds like the Dachshund, spaniel/mix and labrador we just can't seem to get adopted. The breed is starting to grow on me too. It's unsettling. I've never been anti-chihuahua(or any other breed) but I sure haven't been a fan of the chihuahua(yappy fiesty headstrong little rat dogs...) but a few of them have rubbed off on me and my opinion of them has been more favorable; but they're still yappy little dogs with more attitude than is good for them!

So here is today's puppy honoring the chihuahua!

Super playful and fiesty this girl loved to chase the mini-tennis ball that was there and shows great potential for training to play fetch! As all puppies are at this age she's a bit mouthy(cause like human infants they learn by putting everything in their mouths) but she was fairly gentle never biting very hard which is an excellent sign of future bite inhibition(learning to be super gentle with her mouth when using them on humans) or learning not to use her mouth on people at all. So please come give her a loving forever home!

Another Lovely Day

It was bright, it was sunny, it was breezy and it was HOT! I had a great day at the shelter, walked a lot of dogs, got some good photos and a recommendation from the main dog guy there about a place to go for good instruction on dog obedience because he knows I'm doing the career diploma for dog training/obedience and that I"m going to get into professional dog walking soon. He also let me have a really nice quality choke chain and leash! I was so shocked when he said I could keep it. He'd lent it to me to use for the chocolate lab thinking it would be easier on my hands. The lab has such a big gait that his natural walk puts him ahead of me; Something I don't normally allow for the dogs, I have them follow or walk beside me, but he'd have to practically CREEP to match my short legged pace so I let him be just ahead, shoulder a smidge ahead of my legs. Anyways, that was probably more detail than you wanted. Today the doggie of the day is the very same chocolate labrador! He's an absolute angel, playful but mellow and needs plenty of exercise and love! These photos do injustice to the richness of his chocolate color or overall beauty but they're the best I can do.

Took a Deep Breath

So I'm writing this morning with my coffee and my doughnut to say I've taken a deep breath from yesterday. I do believe I was harsh considering them incompetant. Yes the gal was uninformed about the proper use and purpose of the doggie backpack but I over reacted. I still feel comfortable calling their record keeping sloppy. Anyways, this is my blog and not meant for a professional anything so I will leave the post. That's what it's really about anyways, the ups as well as the downs of my work at the shelter. Yesterday was mostly a build up of being over tired and the sheer disappointment that a practical tool that would benefit the dogs was rejected. I'm putting it behind me now and getting right back at it with walking the dogs. Perhaps someday I can found a shelter of my own and change the entire focus of it for the benefit of the animals. Yeah, that thought sounds pretty nice. I will post later today with the Adoptable of the Day.