Play some tug-o-war

In the summer sometimes it too hot to do anything outside with your dog.  So your mutt may be getting stir crazy being inside this summer.  You could always do what I do and get up at 3am to avoid the heat. If your not crazy like I am you could play a game with them at anytime and in the house.  My dog Daisy's favorite game it tug-o-war.  A 15 minute game of tug-o-war and we both are beat.  Use these tips to play with your dog.

• Use something soft that your dog will like to grab onto.  I tied and bunch of old socks together.  Before I tied them together I stuffed them with more old socks.  This works great and is cheap.
• Find a way to get them started.  Use a fun high pitched voice and say something like "Let's Play" or "Get It"
• Once they have it shake and tug on it.  Go back and forth up and down.  Use an excited voice to keep the game going.  
• If their mouth touches you even by accident stop the game and start over.  If your dog won't release when you tell them use a treat to get them to drop it. 
• A great time to do this is when you get up in the morning or when you come         home from work.          

Make it fun and exciting.  Not all dogs are tug-o-war dogs but most dogs enjoy some type of game.  Have fun and stay cool.

My Dog See's Stranger Danger

Daisy and I after a great trail run!

My dog Daisy is one of three dogs I have.  She is very fit, loves to run, learned to like swimming and is such a love bug.  Since I got her from the shelter 4 years ago I have had various behavior problems with her.  I have tried to manage them for 4 years with zero luck.  I knew she didn't need a dog trainer because she knows basic commands and is very smart.  Her problem is aggression with other people and dogs.  It has gotten worse not better over the years.  I realized I needed some professional help. I contacted Crista Coppola a dog behaviorist.  

Daisy barks aggressively at people when they enter the house.  She paces while they are here rarely ever getting comfortable with anyone other than me.  Crista was immediately aware that Daisy was a frightened dog.   She likely learned this behavior when she was young and in the shelter.  When I first got her and she would meet people she would squat and pee.  She realized barking at them rather than peeing become more efficient at keeping them away.  Crista suggested I be in control of every greeting that Daisy encounters.  They must be controlled and only what Daisy can tolerate.  She will never be a perfect dog but we can now hopefully manage her interactions with people.  I will follow the guidelines outlined by Crista and hopefully Daisy's life will be less stressful. 

She suggested a few things:

• Crate train all of my dogs.  When people come in the house introduce Daisy very slowly.  Keeping her in the crate have the guest (stranger) throw Daisy treats.  No sudden movements when she is around.  Feed them in their crate because Daisy is protective over her food.  
• Walk or run Daisy alone so I can manage any potential problems better. Daisy does not like bikes, people running, skateboards.  When I see these coming have treats ready to give her as the potential stranger goes by.  
• She seems slightly nervous when my boyfriend talks and she said he needs to talk to her in a FUN way.  He also will be playing her favorite game with her when he comes home.  She loves tug-o-war.  The other dogs will be separate from her when she plays with him. 
• When I take her to run groups with other people around I will provide them with treats to throw her way.  This will be a good feeling when she encounters strangers however they will not approach her as she is worse when on leash.  We just want to present good feeling on leash.

These are the few things we are going to start with.  I am ready to start right away.  I love my dogs like a mother would love their kids. I wish she was a normal dog and loved people because she has such a sweet personality with me.  This is how she is and I will manage it for the rest of her long life!

Daisy at Dog Diving!  She is a great swimmer!

Teaching your mutt to love the water

Can you believe she didn't like the water!

My dog Daisy (one of my 3 of my dogs) did not always love the water.  When I first got her she was scarred of many things including water.  She even walked around puddles on our walks.  My other Dog Tigger a lab mix is your typical water dog.  When boarding them one time I decided to pay the $30 extra for pool time.  I thought maybe a professional could work with Daisy and get her in the pool. It was not going to happen. They said she was terrified of the water.  I never forced her into the water but when I would take Tigger to the lake I brought her along.  I got her a life jacket and thought I would let her do what she wanted.  I would stay on the beach and throw the ball for Tigger and he would run into the water and fetch the ball. She would stand at the shore and watch him fetch the ball from the water. She would greet him back to shore with enthusiasm.  She eventually would run into the water when welcoming him back to shore but only into a few inches of water. I still found this exciting  because it was progress.  Then I would go into the water a little deeper and she would follow.  Finally she was up to her chest and she wasn't nervous or scared.  She was having fun and actually fetching the ball in the shallow water.  Then it happened; she went out far enough she couldn't touch.  She immediately went back to where she could feel the bottom of the lake.  I  could tell she wanted to follow Tigger but wasn't really sure what to do. I put the leash on her and lead her out to where she could barely touch. I threw the ball for her and Tigger and kept leading her by the leash.  It finally happened she was actually swimming!  She got the ball and we went back to shore.  I was so happy and could tell she was having a great time.  She got to a point where she would do it by herself. 

A few years later I heard about a group called Vegas Dock Dogs. I originally thought about this for my lab mix Tigger. I thought he would be perfect for this.  I took him and he was a natural from the start jumping 14-15 feet on his first session.  I thought I had a champion on my hands until I realized the top dogs do it in something like 29 feet.

Ok so maybe not a champion but he was having a blast.  They told me I could bring two dogs at a time so next time I brought Daisy with us.  She didn't want anything to do with jumping off the dock.  I actually got in the water and tried to coax her in. It was not happening.  She would run with Tigger to the end of the dock and just watch him jump in.  I let her go over to the exit ramp and she starting fetching the ball from there actually jumping in to get it.



Here I am trying to coax her to jump and she is

not going for it

So while Tigger would jump off the ramp she was quite content fetching the ball from the ramp!  Come to find out she is a pretty fast swimmer.  They both have a blast at our dock diving sessions.  The come back from them tired and ready for a nap.  It is the perfect thing for them during the summer months.  It is yet another way to keep your dogs fit and at a healthy weight. 

Here is my water dog enjoying a hot summer day!

Best friends swimming paw in paw!

Who knows you better than your pet?

Recently it seems like so many people I know have lost pets or have elderly pets that are in poor health.  If you read my thoughts regularly you know I have 3 dogs.  Tigger I have had since he was 3 months old and he is almost 8 years old.  Daisy I have had since she was 1 year old and she is almost 6.  Spec I got from my sister when he was about 5 and I think he is 8 or 9.  I can't imagine having to ever make the decision to put a dog down.  Having so many friends in this very situation makes me think about when it does happen to me.  I often wonder why a dogs life is so short.  They bring so much happiness to so many people I don't know why they have to be on this planet for such a short time.  Many things in life I understand this I don't. 

I have recently thought about my dogs and how well I know them and they know me.  They can sense when I am in a good mood or bad mood.  They know when I don't feel good.  I in turn know when the slightest thing is off with them. 

There is not a human around that is so happy to see me all the TIME!  I know my boyfriend loves me and is glad to see me but I don't think he is nearly as happy as Tigger, Daisy, and Spec are to see me every time I come home.  Even if it is only after 10 minutes they are ecstatic to see me!  When hanging around the house there is always one of them right near me.....literally.  If I have to go to the bathroom one of them follows me to the bathroom lies on the carpet looks at me.  Then a minute and its over I go back to the kitchen or living room and they follow. They do this like it is no big deal. I try to tell them I will be right back and there is no need to follow me everywhere but of course they don't listen or understand.  At home I am never alone.  I get more kisses from my dogs then any other human.  And if your not a dog person you would think that is gross but dog people understand! My work schedule and my day is planned around my dogs.  I plan their walks around my schedule.  I make sure I can come home during the day to spend time with them.  They are my children!

No wonder why it is so devastating to lose a dog.  In many cases your dog knows you better than humans and they are with you more than your human family.  They follow you, welcome you and love you unconditionally.  I have not lost a dog but I know someday the time will come when it does  I will be devastated.  I am not sure what my coping method will be but I can't imagine coming home and not having 3 wagging tails waiting for me.  In the meantime I am going to enjoy every minute I have with them.

My dog doesn't need a leash.....really? All dogs should be on a leash when in public



Me with my dogs always on leash

I am always so amazed when I see people walking their dogs off leash.  I see this everywhere. Yesterday in a busy park with people, other dogs (on leash) and cars driving through the parking lot I saw a lady doing this.  She had 3 little dogs. One was on leash and the others off leash to roam free.  It only takes one little distraction for the dog to run in front of a car and get hurt or killed.  I had to bite my tongue because I wanted to say something so bad.  Her dog ran up to me as I was setting up my Pumped For Paws event. She yelled at the dog to come to her and of course the dog completely ignored her.

I have a paved trail by my house which I walk or run my dogs on and periodically I see other people with dogs off leash. I have mentioned before my Daisy dog is not friendly with other dogs. This aggressive behavior is multiplied when she is on leash. I think she feels the need to protect all of us.  So if a dog off leash approached us, it is not pretty.  Last week as I was running I saw these 2 ladies walking their 3 dogs all of them off leash.  Thankfully I didn't have my dogs at the time.  As I approached they held on to two of the dogs while the other roamed free.  I stopped and said if you ever see me on this trail (cause I am here alot) with my dogs please keep your dogs on leash because one of my dogs is not friendly with other dogs.  They said ok and I went on my way.  Yesterday I was walking all three dogs and I see the same ladies at the end of the trail.  They waited for me to come to the end of the trail before they started their walk.  The one lady said oh we waited for you because you were with your dogs.  I said thanks and kept walking.  At this point they were across the street from me (which is a pretty busy street).   Their big dog which was a Rottweiler came walking across the street toward me and the lady tried calling it back.  It kept coming and she said to me oh he is friendly.  I was thinking to myself (is this really happening) because I just told them how aggressive my dogs is.  I said well my dog is not friendly. She made no attempt to go grab the dog or anything.  She also didn't seem concerned at all that it was crossing a street all alone!  I looked at the Rottweiler and said NO!  It stopped and looked at us.  Moved forward a few steps and I said NO again!  Meanwhile the lady is still standing on the other side of the street calling her not NOT moving! And the dog of course is not listening.  I turned and walked forward leaving the dog only to stare at me.  Thankfully this turned out OK.  I can't believe the stupidity of people that don't feel the need to keep their dogs on a leash!  What is so hard about keeping your dog on a leash?  Why do people feel the need to let them roam with no regard for others? 

Please consider the consequences of not having your dog on a leash.  This includes when in front of your house, on a trail, or anyplace.  Your dog should always be on a leash. Don't think just because your dog is good, listens well, and is friendly you don't have to use a leash. Think about others. Dogs have natural instincts.  If they are off leash on a trail and see a critter they could be gone in a second and you may never see them again.  They could see another dog and dart off to go up to it. You may not be fast enough and that other dog may be like my Daisy dog and suddenly you have a full on dog fight.  They could easily run into the street only to get killed by a car and that is your fault NOT the person driving the car or the dog. 

Great Workout For A Great Cause! This Saturday May 12th!

May 12th, 2012 9am

Bring your entire family outside to workout for a good cause. Get Fit With Friends, Family, and Fido is all about FUN. We are getting Pumped For Paws! Each person or mutt will be asked to donate $10 to the NSPCA. You can come alone, with family, kids, dogs, and be prepared to have fun all while burning some calories! Every $25 donation will receive a free shirt!

Where - The Mesa Park - coming from Tropicana and 215 go west on Tropicana. Turn left on Town Center and you will drive straight into the park.

When - May 12th at 9am. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

Who - Any person, teenager, or dog who wants to have fun and get some exercise all for a good cause. I will have two groups. One group will be people without their dogs and another group will be people with dogs. So you can bring your mutt and if you don't want to then bring a friend!

How - Contact me to reserve your spot...hurry space is limited!

If you can't make it but would like to donate to a great cause simply click the following link

http://www.yourcause.com/getpumpedforpaws/MyFundRaising

Come and get the entire family moving and have fun.  Lets get kids, parents and pets healthy and find fun ways to exercise and raise money for a great organization.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Daisy and I after a 8 mile trail run!
She is fresh as a Daisy could go 8 more
on this cool day!

It is that time of year again and I hope all of you are exercising your mutts. Remember your dog needs exercise too and having a big back yard does not count as exercise! You need to get your mutt outside and get them moving and guess what that means you need to move too! As the weather heats up remember that you may be able to tolerate the heat better than your mutt!  This applies if you are running or walking your dog. Both can cause him/her to over heat. My runner dog Daisy is an amazing runner in the winter but as soon as it gets to about 80 degrees outside she heats up quick. I have had her for 5 years now and I have gotten to know her limits and I listen to her. I keep the mileage down in the summer and we get out really early. Even if you think its not hot (because 80 for me isn't that hot) your dog may not feel the same. Listen to their body language:

• Are they slower than usual
• Are they panting more than normal
• When you return from the run how long does it take them to recover (stop panting)
• How much water do they drink upon return from the walk/run

Here are some things you can do to prevent heat related problems:

• Get out before the sun comes up
• If you normally run your dog you may want to walk/run in the summer rather than only running
• Use cool collars www.koolcollar4dogs.com. Don't think just because you have these you can go out in the heat. They are just a tool to keep them comfortable. 
• Add some variety to their exercise routine. Take a trip to the lake for exercise to mix it up. Let them go in the water. Also try the dock diving for exercise in the summer. You can check it out at www.lasvegasdockdogs.com. My dogs have so much fun at this.

Have fun and be safe in the summer.  The heat might be ok for you but your mutt might not be able to handle it like you can.