The Dish by Darcie

This is a true story about rehoming a dog. Not rescue, no abuse involved. And no apparent behavior problems or health issues. It’s a simple heartfelt decision that has made a family and a dog very, very satisfied. And it has a happy ending for everybody.

Morning comes early at our house, it’s 6:30 and it’s time to get up. Munchkin is a summer guest. He slept in my bedroom last night. He must have been dreaming about swimming in the lake. He talks in his sleep. He woke me up three times and each time I leaned over the bed I could swear I heard him saying, “Let’s get up, let’s go swimming! Did you see that bird? I think I can catch it! Snarf, snarful, sharf” and then he rolled over and started snoring again.

Our summer days have been filled with early morning walks, stretching exercises, fishing and a swim. Summer is very nice on the lake.

I’m taking a day off from work today to go swimming with this dog and his boy. It’s the dog’s first time with a life jacket, one of our K-9 Float Coats, a yellow one. Munchkin looks so handsome. He moves easily like he’s naked but acts like he’s all dressed up and the twinkle in his eyes seems to say that he likes the look and the feel of the life jacket on his back.

Munchkin is a 5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. His hair is cut short and we’re glad; the burrs don’t stick, the mud rolls right off, and he’s easy to dry. That’s all very nice because he lives in the house with us as all of our dogs do. He’s a very handsome dog. He belongs to Anthony who is 12 years old. Anthony is a guest at our house for the summer, too. Munchkin loves Anthony with all his heart and Anthony loves Munchkin with all of his.

Munchkin started life living with a doctor and his wife, a nurse. He was two years old when they decided he needed to have a different home. It wasn’t because they didn’t love him or anything like that, they just found out that Munchkin was one of those Berners who has a very, very high energy level. Berners need lots of human companionship, they are gentle, affectionate and loving. Most of them are calm. But not this one. He loves to be up and moving. And he loved getting into the doctor’s swimming pool every time someone wasn’t looking. The doctor didn’t like hair in the pool and the nurse loves the doctor…so the dog had to go or get penned up which wasn’t a happy choice for anybody. A loving home with younger people and more time for the dog was the answer.

The nurse and the doctor decided Munchkin would be much happier living with a younger family and started carefully looking for the perfect match. That’s where I come in. A workman putting together some office furniture for us asked if I knew anyone who might want a dog. We started talking, I made a call to the kids, and by the end of the day, our kids had met Munchkin and he became their new and only dog. That was about three years ago.

It’s been a match made in Heaven for the kids and for Munchkin but especially for Anthony. A boy and his dog never had a more pure love. On the floor, all legs and arms around each other. Tummy rubs and slobbery kisses.

So today we have the life jacket, the dog, the boy, the pedal boat and me. Dog has the life jacket on, we have a line so we can keep him safe, and a boy strong enough to push me and the boat into the deep water. Anthony gets sidetracked by a toad who travels the lake and back with us. And we’re off.

Munchkin’s feet leave the bottom and he’s swimming. He looks over at me with wonder in his eyes, no one is making him get out of the water. He lifts his head and oh my gosh, the power of this dog. He is swimming fast and sure, eyes to front. All the way across and back. It’s a marvel to watch this guy swim. He puts everything he has into this one focused exercise. And it’s over all too soon but we’ll go again tomorrow as long as they’re staying with us at the house.

We’re back at the lakeside. The dog’s tongue is lolling happily. The boy gives me a strong arm to step to dry land. I smile at these two and wonder how often it happens that a dog gets a second chance at a second family, both loving homes, one maybe a little more suited than the first.

Rehoming can be a good thing. If you’re not ready to take in a rescue, look around for a dog who needs a better fitting home. If you have a dog that doesn’t fit your lifestyle or you need a dog to fit your family, talk about rehoming. Just like with rescue, everyone in the family has to have agreed on the dog and what it takes to care for one. It takes a solid gold heart to give up a dog who needs a different place. It takes a big warm heart with room for even more love to take in a dog who didn’t work out for somebody else.

I just love happy endings. Don’t you?

“My puppy barks at skate boards and joggers, will she outgrow this and is there some way to stop her from doing so immediately; she barks at windshield wipers when they come on and as soon as she sees other dogs; we have had 13 weeks of obedience training; the instructors haven’t addressed this subject. – Jacqueline”

The best advice I can give without being there to help is, don’t let her barking get out of control. It’s pretty easy to do. To start, find a toy she likes with a squeaker. Charge the squeak with a really yummy treat, squeak treat, squeak treat, squeak treat…do this three times every time before you go out.

Always on a leash when you go out. Stay a good distance from skateboarders or joggers at first. Make a point of going where they are and sit some distance away from them, the other side of the street, a green area, a park. When she sees a skateboarder, joggers or anything that starts the barking, squeak to capture her attention to you and treat, say “quiet” very quietly, “good dog!”, give her the toy. If she’s very toy motivated, you can do it without the treats. Be consistent, do it every single time, you’ll be rewarded with a quieter and more calm dog. Pretty soon, you can just say “quiet, please, thank you.”

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Walk, walk, walk. I cannot stress enough that dogs have to get enough exercise with you. Not just in the back yard or park running with their buddies but walking on leash with you. Join a club where exercise is the main ingredient: agility, flyball, frisbee. Your dog’s growing confidence will help her learn that fast moving objects, things larger than she, and anything else that starts the barking are just a normal part of your life and hers. No need to bark at everything.

When you’re walking and she starts barking, change direction. You’re getting her head in a new place, changing her attention. Pretty quick she won’t bark, make sure to praise and treat, “good dog”.

Train the leave it command for food and everything else. This will help too. When she will leave food, see a jogger, “leave it”, “good girl”. Praise and treat.

I like to teach my dogs to bark on command. That way I can ask them to stop. It’s wonderful fun. Clicker training is one of the best methods to get results fast. Use our books and DVDs to learn how. Get our book, Barking The Sound of a Language, search for item code BRTM at www.sitstay.com It will make your job much easier and you will understand your dog more quickly.

You don’t want to stop her barking altogether, you want her to stop when you say so and not to bark at things that won’t hurt her. You’re teaching her that joggers and anything moving fast is not a threat and don’t need to be barked at.

If you can get her to carry a toy every where she goes, that is another great way to keep the barking under control.

These are not the only ways to stop barking, they are the ways that I use, and I use them all. I like to use treats, most dogs are food motivated. Toys are good, too. Treats will be weaned away after a while and “quiet, good dog” will take their place.

Some breeds bark more than others, you’ll want to do some research on your dog’s characteristics.

Very soon you and she will be out walking with very little attention to the barking monsters.

I beg you, please don’t watch or use information from the TV show “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan”. People are contacting us to see how to fix their dogs after they’ve used his methods. Jerking, pulling, snapping the leash, and putting pressure on an already agitated dog will get you a badly behaved dog with a case of nerves. Taking away the dog’s natural warning when he’s uncomfortable with a situation is the worst thing you can do to a dog. Now it’s fear and bite…no warning. If our customer reports are true and I know they are, dog bites are up since the TV show started airing. Boycott and get it off the air. You might save someone a few stitches and maybe a child’s and a dog’s life.

Make “It’s Me Or the Dog” your new favorite TV show. Record it if you can, watch it often. She uses positive training, the most effective way to train dogs. Everything from dogs barking to dog jumping to dogs pooping in the house can be remedied quickly. It works and it works fast. I love positive training.