It's Not About Finding Time...It's Building the Habit

Let’s run through this scenario. We just completed an 8 hour (or maybe 12 hour) shift. You are home. Which means there is laundry, dinner, bills, and maybe kiddos to take care of too. So where does that leave you with time for your dog?

In my experience, there is always time to train your dog. Whether it be the commercial break, the time while the instant pot cooks, or maybe that moment while the laundry does it’s final round of drying. The real issue is making the commitment to train. Taking that step to break past the “I don’t have time” and making the time to train.

Habits are a difficult thing. They take many days to create and there is a reason most dog trainers don’t work through behavioral modification. Behavioral change is really hard! We take habits that we’ve been making for months and possibly years and attempt to foster a change. This is a rough thing on anyone!

So how do we begin? How do we create the habit?

By starting small so that the change is sustainable. Let’s face it, the last time you tried to create a gym routine and made it a week….well you likely pushed too hard too fast.

To begin, identify one time during the day that you can commit to A) train your dog for 5 minutes or B) train your dog for X number of repetitions. For example, Let’s say I want to work towards a polite greeting at the door. Rather than drill my dog and try to work for a half hour, I’m going to work for a handful of treats. Once the handful of treats is gone, we are done! I get to go back to what I’m up to AND my dog gets to take advantage of latent learning. WIN WIN for both parties!

So, before you fall into the excuse of “I just don’t have time and I’m exhausted,” take a moment to think about a small commitment of 5 minutes or a handful of treats to begin the habit of training your dog. It’s a small sustainable amount of change. Then watch the difference that adds up to over a months time. In the end, a tiny bit of training every day is better than 1-2 hour marathons. So choose your behaviors wisely and make the effort to change your training habits!

Learning to Enjoy New Shoes

Let's be honest, there are to types of shoe owners in this world.  Those of you like this guy, who sing and dance at the thought of putting your new shoes on:

And then there are people like myself that cringe at the idea of even shopping for new shoes....because really, the crack down the middle of your trusty Chacos isn't all the way to the surface yet!  Why not wear them for another few months until they really break?! After all, these Chacos have seen me through the loss of close family, meeting new friends, trialing in new sports, and the list goes on and on.

Now you and I know this can apply to our well known dog partners.  And yes, I did indeed just compare your closest companion to shoes (trust me, I truly mean it as the highest compliment.)  The dogs that have been to hell and back again with us.  Trialed in new venues, taught us a ton, and give us comfort when we step to the line.  I think there is nothing more difficult in our lives with dogs than allowing a retired dog to step back so the up and coming dog can start to step up.  

It really isn't that our new to us dogs are bad, wear us down, or even the extra training.  Rather, I think there is grief that goes along with this process.  Change can be really hard.  And learning to work with a new partner in a sport or in life can be challenging.  It's OK to struggle with this and acknowledge it.  No dog will ever be like the dog before them, or the dog we had built up in our head (talking to you new puppy owners!)

However, with the acknowledgement of this change, we need to step up too.  Then we can see the lovely dimensions our new to us dogs bring. These dogs will teach us brand new ways to learn together.  These dogs will improve our handling and teaching skills.  

Poe has taught me this in a very big way over the last year.  He is full to the brim of talent, speed, agility, and enthusiam for work.  However, he's different.  He's new to me and he is showing some gaps I've had in my prior teaching.  This is OK but not a comfortable process.  I will fully own that I've held myself back quite a bit this year out of sheer discomfort.  It's hard to adapt to a new dog, no matter how awesome they are!  Plus, we humans do tend to compare our newer dogs style to the dogs before them.  But, thankfully it is getting easier and easier to step into my new role as partner with him.  The more we play, the better we are together.  

So do grieve the loss of your comfort zone dog but do not dwell on that forever.  Instead, start to embrace the new relationship before you.  Get ready to start singing and dancing together.  Embrace those new shoes, because you don't know where they may take you!

You Get the Dog You Need – Not the Dog You Want

A friend told me once you never get the dog you want, but you always get the dog you need.  And darn it, that’s always been true.  I have yet to meet my magical dog, however, I did grow up with one.  Rosie was the sweetest dog on the whole planet.  Loved people, dogs, and life.  She ran with me off leash, she snuggled in bed, and was a magical creature in my eyes.  What I didn’t realize is the destruction/problems she caused for my parents, i.e. Trashed retainers, dug holes, toys stuffed in the couch constantly, and lots of barking.....

Rosie and a very young Sissy...

We humans tend to build up our new dogs in our minds, especially when they are puppies.  This dog is going to be perfect, he will have the drive, the physique, and the best temperament of any dog known to mankind.  He would never eat or shred anything, because he is way too smart for that.  We’ve all lived this moment, and this is where most of the trouble starts in a handler/dog relationship. 

Now before you panic, or try to say “But my dog really is perfect….” let me explain.  Here’s the beauty of this moment, 1 in 100 of you will be right.  You will have found the perfect dog.  That never causes problems, mind reads, and just KNOWS what they are asked to do.  This is the rarity.  Here’s the other good part of this moment.  The other 99 in 100 of you are about to learn A TON! 

When we get a dog that pushes us past the comfort zone, teaches us more, and helps us realize that every dog is different….well, let’s just say those dogs are the keepers.  They aren’t the dogs we wanted, they aren’t our magical picture, but they are what we need to move forward.  These dogs may be really tough, or just a bit more energy than anticipated.  These dogs may cost you $3500 in vet bills in the first year because your management isn’t what it should be with a puppy.  These dogs may teach you more than you ever wanted to know about raw feeding, because they are a whirling dervish on kibble.  These dogs may teach you that there is more to life than just walks.  This is a good thing.  The more we know, the better we do. 

So let’s all step out and embrace the dogs we need.  Rather than being disappointed with the dog in front of us, let’s enjoy them.  Let’s learn some new stuff and be better for our dogs!

This post is from the 12 Things I Learned From My Dogs Series.

Behavior is a Gemstone

One of the worst traps we all fall into is thinking that behavior is a simple mathematical equation.   That if we do A+B we'll end up with C.  What we forget is that our dogs are living beings.  So before you decide a behavior is truly taught, or a naughty habit is fixed, or buy into the "magic" that a trainer sells you....take a giant step back.  Make sure that you look at the whole picture.  A perfect settle without regard to all the facets of behavior can turn into a hot mess.  And a lot of handlers get caught in this trap, especially when marketing comes into play or we get fed up with a certain behavior we are seeing from our dogs.

We don't always see the whole picture.  Behavior is like a gemstone and all the facets of the gemstone can make it shine differently. Every facet effects the shine and every facet adds a layer of color.  So what facets do we see when we look at our dogs?

Genetics/Breed Choice: The breeds we choose are picked for a reason.  Usually people that choose herding breeds are looking for that extra fire, they want to spend 1-2 hours a day training, or they have a back acreage full of stock that they need to move. Our dogs have certain inherited traits and so it's important to know your breed.  The other thing to know, is if you are getting a dog from a breeder you had darn well better meet and know the parents.  If a puppies mom is stressed, not good with people, not good with dogs, etc....well that can all affect your behavior down the road.  This facet is important and one people often miss.

Age: Age plays an important part in any behavior.  There are significant developmental stages in any dogs life.  Especially for our puppies, from 10-16 weeks our puppies experience a critical sensitive period where they learn all about the world.  From 4-8 months we see the flight period where our young puppies push to create boundaries.  6-12 months is the adolescent period where we start to see sexual maturity, a bit of flakiness, a bit of push, and usually when most dogs end up being re-homed due to behavioral issues.  12 - 18 months is young adult, where our dogs are learning to work within this new world they've found themselves in.  Don't be shocked if you see some young scampy behavior still and be patient, some dogs take extra time to reach true maturity and adulthood.

Socialization and Experience: Did your puppy have a crappy experience with other dogs or people?  Did they receive no experience?  Was your dog attacked by another dog on a walk?  Was your dog attacked by another human in your household?  This all matters.  Experience matters when we look at behavior.

Relationship: Does your dog respond if you ask for something?  Can you even ask for something or is it a "you must"?  Do yourely on a leash, or do you have verbal cues? Do you learn together often, or is it on rare occasion?

Exercise: What type of exercise?  How often?  How long?  Are you truly meeting your dog's needs mentally and physically?

Food Choices: We could all live off of snickers, cotton candy, and beer with the right vitamins.  It doesn't mean we would be healthy or feel well.  Often we take advantage of the fact that our dogs have the ability to live off of crap.  It doesn't mean that they should be eating crap, you know what I'm saying?  How we support our dogs day to day matters.

Health: This is a broad one, but do you know how often to vaccinate or if you can titer for certain vaccines?  Is your dog super itchy or fidgety when you handle a certain spot?  Is your dog not moving correctly?  Is your dog getting too sore from certain activities?  Do they have something going on with their eyes?  How they feel, affects how they act.  Don't assume just because they aren't crying in pain that they don't have underlying issues.  This is so important and anyone that has struggled with chronic disease understands how horribly wrong that can make anyone feel overtime.

Management: Is your dog given full range of the home?  Do they fence run?  Do you share your home with another person?  Do they have conflict with others in the home?  Have other people influenced your relationship and everyday life with your dog?  Are you hiking in high volume areas with an off leash dog that shouldn't be off leash? 

Know that behavior is a big gemstone and all the facets MATTER.  They matter to your dog and they should matter to you.  Don't go for the quick fix, dig deep and look at the whole picture. Life with a dog is so much more than obedience.  The next time you want a behavioral change, don't forget to look at all the facets of the gemstone, rather than just the gemstone.  Our dog's aren't creatures we can press into molds for perfect results. So go forth today and just appreciate your dog for the gem that they are!

Raw Feeding doesn't have to be a pain - and it's worth every minute!

So before we dive into raw feeding I'm going to preface this with something: This is not meant to shame anyone feeding kibble to their dogs, but rather to give you a glimpse into raw feeding if you are interested.  Moisture content is lacking in kibble, so even adding a tiny bit of raw to a kibble diet can be extremely beneficial to our dogs.  Plus, our dog food industry is not transparent.  When I make my own food, I have no doubt about the source of meat and what I am feeding my dogs.  That is a great thing!

There will be a future article with supplemental things you can add to your dog's current diet to give it a kick start.  In the meantime, let's delve into the raw food making process in my house.

First off, stuff toget you started:

• meat grinder (I have a separate article on choosing grinders here.  Since grinders warrantied for bone run upwards of $700 I have yet to buy one.)
• Bone meal (as stated above I'm not grinding bone so we need to balance the phosphorus with calcium)
• Storage containers - These are plastic, glass is typically best as greasy residue can form on plastic.
• Scale - This is extremely helpful for folks just starting out.  It allows you to get a feel for what certain pounds look like.  As you get more comfortable, you'll be able to "eyeball" your mixture.
• Meat pans for processing - These are so handy for big grinds. I shoot for 10-15 pounds per grind.

Next get your ingredients ready.  Now for folks brand new to raw there are two books I've used to begin: Real Food by Dr Karen Becker and Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale.  I also have a couple new ones I'm going to read through this winter just to learn more.

So for a grind, I start with my muscle meat.  When I first started raw feeding 7+ years ago I used the following percentage: 75-80% Muscle, 10-15% Meaty Bone, 10% organs (5% liver in this.)  As I've learned more that percentage has only shifted a bit.  My blend is now as follows: 5-8% vegetables/Fruits, 10-13% organs (5% liver always), and 79-85% muscle meat with added bone meal.  If I have some raw meaty bones such as turkey necks, chicken necks, or chicken quarters around I may feed those as part of a meal or a meal as themselves depending on the day and my dogs.

If I had a rockin' high power grinder, my percentages would probably be closer to: 5-8% vegetables/fruits, 10-13% organs (5% liver always), 20-23% ground raw meaty bone, 65-56% muscle meat.  Ball park, again depending on my dog and what they need.  Raw feeders become aquainted with dog poop and what they are watching for.  Hard stool that is white isn't good but soft unformed stool isn't good either.  Happy mediums are a good thing!

This blend was comprised of a bit of lamb stew meat (discounted heavily at the store so I picked it up...lamb is expensive), some ground beef picked up from Blue Dog Provisions at a discounted price, chicken liver, beef heart, kale, spinach, oregano, blue berries, raspberries.  To be honest this is a very ritzy mix as I typically feed about 65% chickenin the dog's diets. It is darn affordable - thigh and leg meat deboned runs $0.98 a pound so that's my favorite go-to muscle meat!

I usually blend my whole meats first, followed by organs, and finally vegetables/fruits to smoosh all the meat out.  This is a quick process, I timed myself and it took 45 minutes to make 15 pounds of food for my dogs.  This included weighing my portions (I wanted to be accurate), taking beautiful pictures for this post, packaging the mixture up, feeding my dogs, and also cleaning!  Whoop!  That's an easy meal for sure.

This is the end result.  I probably would add a couple other vegetables to this blend like a bit of yellow squash or butternut squash but overall it turned out pretty good.  Remember raw is all about balance overtime.  So my next mix will have some squash and probably zucchini along with carrots, celery, broccoli, banana, and other stuff. It will also have chicken thighs/legs, beef heart, beef liver, chicken gizzards, and a bit of venison trimmings given to me by a friend last fall.  Which brings up a great point: If you have friends that hunt, beg for trimmings, ask them to keep undamaged organs, or birds that they aren't going to smoke.  This is a great-affordable way to feed raw to your dogs.

For sake of sanity, before you start your grind, have a clear table space AND a clear sink space to rinse/wash everything.  Otherwise you'll end up with stitches at 11 PM on a Saturday after you drop a grinder part on a glass and injure yourself.........but that's just hearsay.....I'd never do such a thing to myself.....ever.  And if I did, I would certainly giggle through the whole ordeal and tell my husband it's the price of good food while he rolled his eyes.

My new grind with some wild salmon added for additional nutrition and omegas.

Having some awesome nutrition available to my dogs really feels good.  It's certainly a learning process, and it does take time.  However, it doesn't have to be as daunting as people make it out to be.  The expenses can be managed by buying in bulk and catching discounts on meats when you can.  Overall, the improvement in my dog's well being, behavior, and their teeth makes me happy to keep working at raw feeding.  And based on how excited they are to eat, the dogs aren't complaining either!

This post is from the 12 Things I Learned from My Dogs Series!