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.

Competent...Not

So once again I leave the shelter with an uneasy feeling. I worry about the staff running this particular shelter. Today I inquired about my idea of having the high energy dogs wear a mildly weighted backpack on their walks to increase their energy output since what they really need, a fast jog for half an hour or more, I can't give them. I don't have that level of fitness yet. The answer was no, as expected, but that's not why I'm upset. I was expecting to be told no. I'm upset because of the reasons given for why I can't use the packs. They don't want to build a better athlete in the dogs. Now I suppose to the average joe with no education in the building and strengthening of muscles that MIGHT seem like reasoning of solid foundation. It's not. For starters the dog is already an athlete by design. Not using the energy and athleticism it is born with will not reduce the level of athleticism it will simply store up all that energy not being used and let it be manifest in what we often view as 'bad behavior' like jumping spinning and pulling. Secondly, to build a 'better athlete' you must build up the muscle, which takes large amounts of weight and lots of repetition. You have to max out the amount of weight you can lift and then increase it from there. The doggie packs are not designed for this and you would have to overload them. They ARE designed for small/medium amounts of weight that do not even approach the threshold for building muscle which means that you are keeping the muscle tone and defined but not increasing the athleticism. The lady did suggest I roller skate and have the dog pull me instead. This is a great suggestion if I could roller skate but it is contradictory. Having to pull the weight of a person(even if on wheels) would be more weight involved than a pack combined with the exertion of running and MORE likely to increase the dog's athleticism. Her one intelligent comment was that adding weight to the dog's back to cause injury. This is correct if the pack is used irresponsibly and poorly designed. Sometimes I wonder just how much of the shelter is actually about the animals....I feel a little calmer now that I've written all this out.

On to the doggie of the day!

Only 8 months old this little Yorkshire Terrier is a doll! He naturally fell in at my side walking loose leash, is a curious chipper guy and absolutely lives for your attentions! He's perfect for an owner that wants a small dog, a puppy, and to get one with no bad habits to unlearn!

An Unsettling Thought

So today I went to the shelter and notice a few of the dogs were not here today that were yesterday. Among the missing was the little wire haired Fox Terrier I posted about a while ago. The one that's so ugly he's cute with his underbite and scraggly fur. I was sad to see him gone because I was rather attached to him, had I a proper home for a dog to bring him to I would have taken him in an instant, and went on with the walking of other dogs figuring he was in a new home. At the end of the walks just before I had to leave I went to the office to confirm his adoption so I could post it on facebook. Instead what I got was that they didn't know. The office staff did not know what happened to this dog. Adopted.. euthanasia...they just dont' know. I got the impression the gal didn't even find his records in the system. It makes me wonder how many dogs come and go through that shelter and nobody really knows where they went. It's just another point of proof that this shelter needs all the help they can get! I still need help gathering the $50 to buy them proper grooming supplies.

Now for the Daily Pup!

A great boy this one is! Very mellow and happy he just wants your attention and to play. He's a bit over weight but hey, who isn't these days! He does minimal leash pulling and after a few minutes basically walks beside me loose leash with only the occasional reminder. He's an absolute gem and really needs a good home!

Chocolate Mornings and Perspective

So I did a sadly short morning at the shelter today. Had work so I only got to do an hour. The chocolate lab was done with his 4 day waiting period and I was allowed to walk him today. He is, at this point, the BIGGEST dog I've walked. I'm guesstimating 70-80 pounds, nearly stood his back level with my hip(I'm super short by the way, only 4'9") and was probably half my weight or a bit more so. He FELT like 100 pounds at the start of the walk because he wanted to GO and therefore was a puller. It's funny how I would describe him as the hardest dog I've walked so far and yet he is not the worst of them(that I've walked) in regards to pulling jumping or any other bad habits. He was actually very mellow. The worst is a chihuahua but when you're talking a 7lb chihuahua pulling at the end of the lead or a 70lb lab the bigger dog always gets labeled worse because they've got the MUSCLE. It only took him a few minutes to realize I wanted him to walk beside me. I actually let him be a touch further forward than the others were allowed because his natural gait at a fairly slow walk was faster than mine putting him a pinch ahead even though he was actively trying to give me what I wanted. It's all about knowing the balance. Sadly I don't have any photos of him today as I had only an hour so I spent it all walking him. I could tell even an hour of my walking with a few sporadic attempts at jogging( I have no endurance) barely took the edge off his energy. I'm going to get a doggie back pack and add some mild weight to help intensify the exercise for the high energy guys like him.

Now for the doggie of the day!

This little guy is a Cairn Terrier. He is identified as yellow dot which means he has a few issues to smooth over. In my experience with him his issues were a mild fear of cars that were moving somewhat near him(15-20 ft. or closer) sudden semi-loud noises like the rattling of the gates in the wind. His main tricks were when we first started walking he'd rear up and grab the leash with his paws to stop the walk or he'd just hit the brakes. All I had to do was maintain light tension on the leash and he'd be moving again in seconds. He did this maybe 3 times. As for his fear reactions he'd either back up as far as he could from the item of fear or he'd act like a trout on a fishing line jumping up and flailing mildly trying to escape. It's not a severe fear problem and he was always able to get moving again almost immediately. He just needs a patient, soft handed owner who will make him keep moving and show confidence. He had no sensitivity to my touch even on paws, ears, face tail and stomach. He's a great guy and just needs a loving home!

Dogs, Dogs and More Dogs

Another long day at the shelter walked lots of dogs. Gypsy was among them, she needs work on her interactions with other dogs. One was in the viewing pen where the dogs meet possible new owners and she went balistic with excitment to MEET THE OTHER DOG! Much jumping yipping and chewing on the leash. She just needs to be taught how to be calm and relaxed in the presence of other dogs.

On to the dog!

She's just as sweet as she looks! This little female chihuahua walks loose leashed at your heel hardly a minute after taking her from the kennel and stays there! She loves affection but is independent enough to go play on her own when she must. She likes to wrestle but not roughly. She'll stop and go super submissive/still if you get very rough. Just watch that she's equally gentle with her teeth as she hangs her mouth open(but not biting) while she wrestles. I am not a big fan of chihuahua as overall they're the wrong breed for me but even I love this little girl!

I also write bearing good news! Jada the German Shepherd mix got adopted today! I'm so glad she found a home. Good timing too cause I saw dog after dog being brought in to the shelter, many of them getting their assessments being sorted into A, B, or C section dogs. Hopefully they all make it to the A section. Those ones are deemed adoptable where as B and C are fearful/aggressive and at a  higher risk of euthenazia. I am not allowed to work with or even pass by the B and C kennel dogs. They're staff only. On a final note before I move on to the dog of the day I ask for any and all assistance in raising money to buy the shelter proper grooming brushes. I had a dog today that has prickly leaves and matts in his fur and when I asked for the supplies the staff had to dig through three different supplies before finding brushes that weren't broken. About $50 total should be enough to buy them a healthy supply of different type brushes and the dogs are more comfortable and look prettier when properly groomed!

Gypsy

It constantly amazes me how the single difference like different handlers can effect the entire demeanor and behavior of a dog. It's something I've always known when thought about but today it was like a slap in the face now you SEE it sort of thing. The face slapping realization happened revolving around a new dog to the kennel. She arrived yesterday though since I had only an hour yesterday I chose not to take a new dog, but today I had plenty of time to devote to getting to know a new dog. Her name is Gypsy and she's an australian cattle dog mix, you can tell the mix by her color but her instincts and energy proved 100% towards the cattle dog genetics.

When I first pulled her from the kennel like all of them she was over excited, pulling/jumping because the kennel set ups practically fuel over excitement.Once I got her out of the immediate kennel she started calming down with the given corrections really fast, level by level and we started walking. That was when a staff member about to leave for lunch pulled up in her truck and asked how Gypsy was doing, especially with other dogs. I had explained that she was simply curious excited about the other dogs and was already starting to calm down. The lady was surprised and then moved on after explaining the dog had been a real jerk. We went back to our walk and in less than 10 minutes Gypsy was walking loose leash with only the occasional reminder correction. We had a pleasant long walk including some sprints and she behaved beautifully. Took her to the enclosed yard and she ran and ran and chased after the birds. Loves to play.

I moved on with my day walking quite a few dogs. Most get about 20-45 minutes when I have a day off and then 15-20 to toodle around in the yard. It's not really enough exercise but at least they're getting it near daily. I was walking the last dog of the day when I saw a group with Gypsy out, I suppose considering adoption but I don't know for sure, and one of the staff members had her(other than the previously mentioned staff lady) Gypsy saw me and the dog I had and began yelping, lunging whining and spinning with over excitement at wanting to meet the dog I was walking. She's a friendly type, wasn't showing aggression, but the staff lady wasn't giving any kind of instruction to Gypsy or correction and looked annoyed. Gypsy was made to look bad in front of prospective owners. It was like a night and day difference from when I had her. I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. And yes, this adorable little girl is up for adoption still, just needs an active family that can give her consistent boundaries and lots of exercise!

Facebook in Action!

So here's a quick mini-post to announce that the Puppy Pennies Facebook page is up and running! I had some difficulty with it as all I see is the admin page but you SHOULD find 3 photo albums on it so far! I hope to rapidly expand it with more dogs and more details about them. It's a rough start but it's a beginning!

http://www.facebook.com/PuppyPennies

Simply Amazed

So it's only been three days of dog walking at the shelter but I must say I"m amazed. I've been using the techniques learned from watching Cesar Millan's show(oddly more effective than anything I've learned from the college course for dog obedience) and while I had no doubt about the techniques or the dogs I figured that I was too new to working with dogs(Sunday was my first dog walking experience ever) to be effective. Boy was I wrong! Most of the dogs I've walked start over excited jumping and pulling like a sled dog but by the end of the walk most are walking gently beside me with a loose leash! I can't wait until tomorrow, another day off from work, so I can spend the day with them! Now on to our Dog of the day!

He's an 8 month old Pit Bull and an absolute joy! He's lively and playful. Loves attention and eager to please. I'm still working on his basic manners as he gets over excited when you come to walk him and jumps up and pulls but after the first few minutes with heavy corrections he settles and walks nicely. He did get nervous about moving cars, bicycles, other barking dogs when being asked to walk but he was calm and curious around those stimuli when allowed to sit and observe. He gets very excited around other people cause he wants to meet them. With regular exercise and consistent instructive training he'll be a perfect well mannered boy! He is the other dog from the current shelter occupants I would gladly take home if I had a proper home for them to go to!