I took off down the road for my early morning walk, moving at a good clip like I always do. Oliver ran past me going a hundred miles and hour and disappeared around the bend in the road, as usual, leaving nothing but quiet morning air and Frankie and me behind him. Frankie stayed by my side which was odd, she usually either runs with him or stays at the house with her ball, waiting for a good game of fetch. It was obvious this morning that she did not want to go on this walk and she didn’t want me to go either. As I neared the bend in the road, she started doing things she’s never done to me before.

Frankie ran around in front of me and stopped, almost making me trip. Her eyes were on mine, she stared hard at me. “Hey, Kid, what are you doing?” I asked her and smiled. I walked on. She did it again and this time I side stepped her. “Frankie, cut it out,” I said.  In two more steps she was in front of me again, this time turning toward me and blocking my path when I tried to step around her. She moved side to side, using her body to block me, not letting me pass. I gritted my teeth, “What are you doing?! What do you want?” I asked. She turned toward home again her head twisted back toward me. Just like Lassie. “Follow me,” she seemed to be telling me.

“No, I’m not going back right now. Come on if you want to go with me.” I started forward again.

Frankie was behind me, jumping up and putting her front legs around my hips, dragging me backward, digging in with her back feet. “Okay, that’s enough of that. Get down! What are you doing?” I didn’t turn around, I reached back to push her off of me. She ran around in front of me again and jumped up, pushing me hard with all of her weight, her paws on my stomach, she pushed me backward. Her front feet hit the ground and she grabbed my right hand with her teeth, pulling me back toward the house, a little too hard on the thumb. “Ouch! Hey!”

Frankie never bites. This is weird and now she has my full attention.

“What is it, Girl? What’s going on?” She turned toward the house again, begging me to come with her. I have the willies just a little bit, goosebumps come up on my arms. What is she doing? And where the heck did Oliver get to? He’s usually back by now to walk with me. Frankie continued frantically to get me to follow her back to the house. So I did.

Just as I turned back to the house, Oliver came running around the bend in the road at lightning speed, his tongue hanging out to nearly full length. He did the Oliver laugh as he went by, you know the one, like it’s been the most fun ever! He left both Frankie and me in his dust. Frankie continued to turn back to me to make sure that I was following her, not getting more than a few feet in front of me as we all went back to the house.

“Saw some coyotes this morning. They were on the hunt.” He said it matter of factly. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I have never been afraid of coyotes, they are usually afraid of people and it’s the rare one that will take on a dog if there are other dogs and humans around…at least I’ve never seen it. I don’t know what was down the road and around the bend but something was.

Were there coyotes out there? Was Frankie keeping me safe? I don’t know but there’s no point in ignoring the dog. – Darcie

A little snow in Nebraska.

We had a bit of snow here in Nebraska. The tractor started but it’s buried inside a pile of snow and can’t move. The car was outside and is snowed in. There’s a 1970 one of a kind Ford Torino taking up the other stall in the garage, poor car had to stay outside but my truck is toasty cozy and dry. We’re supposed to get some more snow soon.

Oliver took Kent’s glove and wouldn’t give it back. He made quite a chase of that! He did bring it back in the house when he came in but he still wouldn’t give it back! Kent has more training to do. LOL!

No cabin fever here. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! There’s no place like home.

Christmas 2009

The Snow was just getting started!

Hi Everybody, A very long time ago when I was living on the ranch and most of the dogs were outdoor dogs, I used to think that dog boots were silly, too. I’d always had dogs that could take the cold, heat, and rough conditions with no trouble at all, even to running beside my horse when we were out checking cows, windmills and fences. I only had to pick up one dog in my lifetime, I put her on my horse in front of me, she just got too cold so I pulled her up and wrapped her in my coat with me. That was so warm I almost considered taking her under my coat the next time I rode out, she loved going along and she was soooo warm.

I thought that boots were silly until I met some dogs who really needed the paw protection. Boots are necessary for some dogs and they make some activities easier and more comfortable and safer. Coats like Fido Fleece are a necessity for some of them if they want to enjoy the out of doors with the rest of us. Dogs that aren’t built for the cold need protection. Elderly dogs need more protection because they aren’t moving as fast as they used to, they can’t keep the heat built up inside their bodies. Try this to understand what I mean. When it’s cold, step outside without your coat and shoes and stand very still. Doesn’t last long, does it? Now try it with shoes, jeans with no winter underwear, no coat or ear protection, but run around. You can stay a little longer because your blood is moving to keep you warm. Now do it all bundled up and run around, you might find that you have to take your hat off. If you keep the heart and lungs warm, both for people and for dogs, you can stay out longer. Please don’t do this experiment in wind chilling or at temperatures that freeze skin, you’ll regret that. Remember that hands, feet, legs, ears, noses and faces will be the first to freeze.

The best indicator of when it’s time to go in is your dog. Dogs are quite sensible and know when they are cold. Listen to them and get them inside immediately when they say it’s time. Some dogs will simply come back to you and look toward the house, others will lift a paw, some will stop moving altogether. I’d suggest that you not go far from indoors when the temperatures are low or the wind is blowing. That way you can get back indoors pretty quickly.

Never, ever, ever, let your dogs go outside in inclement weather without you if you’re not going to at least watch from the window to let them back in when they come to the house. Some dogs will check back at the door and if you’re not there, they’ll keep moving to find shelter.

If it’s very, very cold it’s better to go outside only to potty. Then go back in and play games in the house. Take extra care of puppies and elderly dogs, they cannot take the cold as easily as active adult dogs.

If you clip the fur between the toes, your dog won’t bring in as much snow and ice but he’ll also not have that extra foot protection from the cold. Think hard before you clip.

If you live in an area where the road and sidewalks are salted, make an extra effort to protect your dog’s feet. Pawstick Pad Protector is a really good natural protection, you can find this at SitStay.com. Muttluk Boots are the best boots available. They’ll stay on if you have a good fit! Extra Extra Virgin Olive Oil will work in a pinch, watch those carpets though, unless the oil wears off during your walk the oil might transfer to them. If your dog goes out in bare feet, wash the feet completely with cool or warm water when they come in. Dry.

When your dog comes inside, clean and dry coat, feet, and faces of ice. If there are any ice balls, take your time and kind of gently melt them with your fingers so they come away without pulling hair. Don’t forget to check in those private places, too. Before bedtime, make sure that your dog is dry. Wet places can turn into fungus problems on some dogs and besides that, it’s uncomfortable to sleep when you’re wet. We have several dryers at SitStay, whatever your budget is a dryer can make life so much easier and comfy for everybody. (Really, really nice to have in summer, too!) Metro Commander Dryer, Metro Blaster Dryer, Metro QuickDraw Dryer, and there are more. See them all with a search for ‘dryer’ at SitStay.com.

Keep bath towels or a Pet Towel or a Tidy Paws Mitt (these are sold out right now, popular!) by the door.

Use Safe Paw Ice Melter on your side walks and patios instead of harmful salts.

Remember that dogs have ears and noses that will get cold long before their feet might. If you have any question about how long your dog can last outside, if he’s not giving you really good signals, go out to potty and come back in. It’s best to err on the side of safety. Wind chills and low temps can freeze noses, ears, and feet pretty quickly.

Make sure that your dog is getting great nutrition especially in winter. That doesn’t mean more food, it means make sure that everything he does eat is high in nutrition. I suggest lots of extra fish like Wildside Salmon Treats and Icelandic Fish Skin Chews, Lakse Kronch and Grizzly Salmon Oils, Before Grain Canned Salmon, and more. Go to SitStay.com and search for the word ‘fish’ to see our extensive selection of excellent fish products. The omegas will keep your dog feeling and looking good.

Always fresh water, please! Make sure that your dog is drinking.

A few more cautions. Never leave your dog alone in a car when the weather is cold or when the sun is shining, it will get very cold or very hot in the car. Nasty way to get brain damage, frozen parts, or die. Be smart when you travel, take water, food and blankets and towels and an extra set of clothes for yourself should you get wet. A well stocked first aid kit is essential in every vehicle and home. Take a minute to check under your car and under the hood before you start up, in colder weather cats and yes, smaller dogs not being watched, can find it a warmer place to hide. Keep all poisons and chemicals up out of reach including antifreeze, wiper fluids and coolants. Nothing that shouldn’t be in your dog’s mouth should be where he can get at it.

It’s a great rule of common sense that if you live close to a body of water, partially frozen or not, keep your dog on a leash. Unless you are an outdoors person and you know that the water is solid, do not let your dog go out there. The worst feeling in the world is a dog falling through the ice and there’s nothing you can do. You will not be able to keep your dog from suffering some sort of trauma if he falls through into freezing water; fear, freezing, drowning, or simply the trauma of trying to get himself out. I hate this part….don’t follow your dog into the water…you will suffer the same fate. It’s better to use precaution than it is to go through the trauma. Put that dog on a leash!

These days at our house, our dogs live in the house with us and get regular and many outings to keep them acclimated to all types of weather. There was a time on the ranch that I had dogs who preferred to live outside in the barn. If your dog lives outside, please give him plenty of shelter and bedding, check his water frequently to make sure it’s fresh, there is enough and it’s not frozen. And plenty of nutritious food with plenty of fat content to help keep him warm. Bring your outside dogs indoors when temperatures fall very low. They might not like the house but you’ll be able to keep them safe.

How long a naked dog can stay outside is up for debate and nobody seems to know for certain why some dogs don’t see to get cold. How much cold they can take depends entirely on that individual dog. Oliver and Frankie can stay out for about thirty minutes in sub zero temps but they are running and playing which helps them stay warm. Tilli is 13 years old and will go out for about ten minutes at a time, then she uses her very intelligent brain and says let me back in.

If your dog is shivering or curled up in a standing or laying down ball, the ears are too cold, and the nose is pale, you have waited too long. Please don’t let that happen.

Remember that boys have that thing down there and if still intact, a couple of icy balls if the snow is deep or it’s sleeting, raining, or windy. A little extra caution for those guys please. Bellies on both girls and boys are bare if they’re not wearing a coat, be observant about how cold they can get and when they ask to come in.

Keep your house cooler in winter. Your dog is wearing a fur coat and doesn’t need much additional heat. Put on a sweater and some warm slippers to stay comfy. You’ll save on heating cost, save your environment, and you and your dog will enjoy the outside more.

It’s always amazed us how long our dogs can go out barefooted and love the snow and cold. Right now we have Lab mixes and a long haired herding dog who used to love long, naked walks in sub zero weather. Little dogs and especially dogs with short hair need more caution, use boots and coats.

Watch your dog, know their signals and get them back in where it’s warm.

Have a wonderful and safe winter. It looks like we’re in it for the long run. – Darcie

P.S. SitStay.com‘s sale is still on! Get your winter stuff now, stock up the pantry, and splurge a little to get that dryer you always wanted. Who says you can’t get yourself a present! The sale ends December 31st!

I do worry about the cattle and the horses and the beautiful people who take care of them in wind like this. The horses will find shelter but the cows will walk with the wind behind them and pile up on each other if they come to fences. Dumb old cows. I love those guys.

One thing I don’t miss from my younger days is feeding livestock in weather like this. I was the smallest of all the kids so I drove the horses pulling the hay wagon, my brothers and sisters had to do the real work of pulling hay off the wagon with hay forks. But the real work kept a person moving and warm. My job was to stand in front of the wagon seat, the reins of six draft horses in my hands, and make sure we went the right way. Talk about a humbling of character to go out into the elements and take care of living, breathing spirits who don’t really seem to mind it all that much.

Well, I baked all day today. I had a ball but I’ll have to freeze most of it. We’re snowed in. Nobody’s getting in or out for a while. Not until this wind lets up.

The puppies are beat, they were out playing a big share of the day, in and out, in and out of the house. Even huge Oliver had to plow through the snow. He puts his nose into the snow and runs like a plow, he got stuck a few times, it’s pretty deep in drifts. Very funny to see. He and Frankie are loving their first winter. Tilli went out, too, but the snow is too much for her. She stayed in the shallower parts along the patio. And the cats? They sit and watch, trying to catch snowflakes with their paws. Meela was the funniest. She was watching the wind blow the snow in circles. Eyes and head this way, then that way, then up and around. They are the entertainment.

Stay safe and stay warm. Merry Christmas, Everybody! – Darcie

Dear Karen, Just the other day Tilli came to me and as I hugged her close and put my nose into her back for a great big whiff of warm, loving Terv and I started crying. She smelled and felt so much like Dancer that it brought waves of missing my old girl. I know that Dancer is safe and at peace. She was my best dog ever. One of these days I’ll be ready for another. No one could ever replace her of course but all of my dogs have been special in one way or another. Dancer and I had that connection that is simply beyond my understanding, we really knew each other. I’ll love her forever.

Okay, on to a dog walking into it’s own collar. It’s easy to teach. Some dogs will learn faster than others, if you’re consistent and never put their collar on for them, you’ll see quick results.

Practice by yourself first before you start with the dog so your motions will be fluid and easy. It only takes a couple of practices to understand how to do this. The dogs will be fast so knowing what you want to do before you start will help you teach them more quickly.

Hold the collar open with one hand. Reach through it with a treat in your other hand so the collar is around your forearm. Offer the treat to the dog. You might need to take a step or two backward, you want the dog moving forward into the collar to take the treat.

When dog is moving forward to take the treat, slip the collar over your treat hand and onto the dog’s neck while the dog is eating the treat. While he is taking the treat say, “Put your collar on.” Keep a hold of the collar if your dog is one that takes off. Count to three while the collar is on. Without letting go of the collar say, “Let’s take your collar off,” and take it right back off. Immediately praise with pleasure, “Good dog.”

Do it all once again and stop, that’s enough for right now.

Do it again in about an hour. And again in another hour. And every time you need to put collars on to go somewhere. Practice in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, on the couch, on the floor, on the bed, outside the house.

The reason to practice behaviors in all places and with different people around is that when a dog learns a trick in the kitchen and you move to the living room and then to the yard or street, it becomes a new trick to the dog. The scenery has changed, the people are different, there are more distractions. Make sure that everyone in the family and all of your friends can put the collar on and take it off, giving a cookie when the collar is going on. Soon you won’t need a cookie any more. Fade the treats fast, that means only treat until your dog gets it and then maybe every third time for a while, then not at all. Praise always.

Don’t worry about training perfectly, you don’t have to be a perfect trainer to train anything. It’s all about having fun and getting the job done. I do a lot of laughing to make training fun. See those wagging tails!

Ultimately the behavior is, “Put your collar on.” Dog walks into the collar you’re holding open for them. Very soon the reward will be, put the collar on and we go out! Dogs love to go!

It’s so much fun to watch people’s reactions to this trick. How did you do that?! Stay humble, you really didn’t do anything but hold a collar and give a cookie. The dog did all the work. LOL!

Have fun! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too! I love you all. – Darcie

This was the first time these puppies have trained to put the collar on. Kent let me use his pups because I needed a video for you! (Remember, Kent is training these dogs by himself from start to finish, he’s never done that with a dog before.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= o1EzuMarrxE&w=560&h=340&rel=0]

Tilli

I remember real blizzards when I was a kid. The snow would blow and would pile up against the school house, a three story building, and school would be cancelled for days! We’d go outside and play as soon as the wind died down. The best and worst blizzard I remember was 1966. My parents had gone to Valentine for groceries, leaving my little brother, one sister, and me home alone. It was an interesting seven days before they got back. On the first day the power went out and the propane ran out. No phone. We ate eat other. No, that’s not true! But the food did almost run out. We had popcorn, the old fashioned kind that we had to pop, and some potatoes and a little wood burning stove in the cellar under the house. We broke a chair to burn. We had a great time. Eventually our neighbors “rescued” us and made us stay at their house until our parents found us safe and sound. We didn’t want to go. It was my birthday week.

Dancer (1995-2009)

California is having snow around Sacramento, I hear. I have family down there. And my brother and sister in law called from Louisiana to say it was snowing there. They got snow before we did this year. Amazing!

We haven’t had a really strong blizzard for years. I guess we’re due. It snowed about three inches yesterday and it’s still on the ground. It’s so pretty. And so cold! Today we’re up to six inches now.

Oliver and Frankie had never seen snow before yesterday. This is their first northern winter. The snow was coming down and the wind was blowing hard. Both pups went to the door, sniffed, and backed up. By this morning, they were loving the snow. Wait until it gets really deep! Picture time!

Our dogs have always loved snow. I remember Kari, our Golden, playing in the snow on her last day on Earth. It had snowed about 20 inches if I remember right and snow was shoved up everywhere, in the streets, against buildings, in the creeks and parking lots. There wasn’t anywhere left to put it. Kari loved the snow. It was the best good bye. She was almost 18 years old when she passed and she still loved snow.

Bruno. Gone now, never forgotten

Dancer and Bruno loved snow, too. You can see photos of them at the SitStay Forums. Some of those photos were taken in our last big snow fall in 1997. It was October, the trees still had all their leaves. Too much snow weight, we lost 3/4 of our trees in this part of Nebraska that year. One huge ash tree in the back yard came down with a crash. It didn’t hurt a thing, not even the fence. It came down during the middle of the night during a lightning snow storm, you don’t get to see too many of those. Beautiful. And a little eerie.

This will be my first winter without my Dancer. I was hugging Tilli yesterday and all of a sudden my heart hurt, I teared up and started crying. She felt and smelled so much like Dance.

Seasons change and our dogs come and go. I wish they could be with us forever but I think it’s as it should be. Maybe we won’t really know love completely until we’ve loved them all.

Frankie and Oliver

Dogs and snow. It’s a happy life. We’ll have to pull the sleds out soon. We sled off the top of the house.

White Christmas is always welcome at my house. Good thing. I think we’re getting one this year. – Darcie

I, Darcie, am the dog trainer in the family so it wasn’t easy for me to step aside and watch the chaos of puppies and a man who isn’t into dog training very much. Here’s what happened. I first swore hands off. They were all his. No matter what happened, I was to ignore all and imagine myself in my quiet and happy place.

Kent had never trained a dog from beginning to end by himself. First there was his Mom to help with the family dog, then a girlfriend or two, and then me with all the dogs we’ve had together. He wanted to do it all by himself this time, to prove that he could and to have that individual connection to the dogs’ hearts like I had with Dancer and we both had with Bruno and Kari.

So….as hard as it was for me to keep my mouth shut with wild, wild puppies in the house, I stepped aside for him, watching at first where I was stepping, and Kent has done great.

This story is for all of you who think you can’t train dogs to live happily in the house with you and for those of you who have lazy trainers in your house. (Yes, Kent will admit that he is a lazy dog trainer…not a trainer of lazy dogs…but an accidental dog trainer who doesn’t get out there and train dogs in the manner that we’re all familiar.) Kent has many times and will still tell you that he’s not a dog trainer. He loves dogs and likes to be with them and he’d rather they be good at the same time but training dogs was never his intention in life. He really wishes the dogs would learn by osmosis or wishful thinking. He’s had his trials with these two, Oliver and Frankie, and they have turned out pretty darned good. They are sweet, sweet dogs.

Kent chose both of the rescued dogs, Frankie first. She’s a Black Lab Border Collie. I said, “Are you sure you know what you’re in for? There’s a lot of energy in those breeds, she’ll take a lot of your time.” And then Oliver, known way back then as “Skinny”. Oliver is Black Lab Mastiff or Black Lab Dane or Dane Mastiff or, well, we’re not positive but he’s a honey sweetheart. My hesitation back then, “He’s had a ton of things go wrong with him early in his little life, you might be looking at long term health care issues. You have such a soft heart, he may die early, are you okay with that?” Kent picked them both and we brought them home. That’s when the fun began. Both Frankie and Oliver’s stories are here at The Dish.

Both dogs gave him troubles. Both would rush the door to go outside. I snorted a few times. Hey, I’m human! I just couldn’t help myself. Kent came to me and said, “Okay then, how do I do this?” I showed him how to have the dogs wait at the door, he was consistent with that and today, both dogs will sit and wait on his command even in front of an open door.

Frankie was the hardest for him. She had separation anxiety so terrible from being sick and quarantined at the vet’s office when we first brought her home. Screaming with fear and anxiety, poor thing, we couldn’t hear ourselves think when she couldn’t see us. She was beyond where she could learn anything, her mind would not calm, she wanted to be in Kent’s lap or mine, it was awful. I did help him with that part (I have more patience for that kind of thing) using the Anxiety and Fear Exercise that I developed years ago. Today she loves, loves, loves Kent and wants to be wherever he is but she’s quiet in her crate, her Courtyard Kennel, and her bed, too, when Kent is away from her.

The worst problem Kent had with Frankie after the separation anxiety solution was potty training her to go outside. She understood what it meant and what was expected of her but her cues to tell him that she had to go were soft and quiet and he wasn’t paying attention to his puppy all the time. She pooped and peed in the house a lot of times. She had to, she was full and nobody was opening the door. Kent would quietly pick up and clean up and try hard to watch for the next time. Finally, he started paying better attention to her and they worked it out. Frankie is delightfully and finally house trained. Her cue first thing in the morning is to lick his face heartily until he wakes up. During the day, she goes to him and makes sure that he hears her saying that she needs to go out, now! No more messes in the house.

The best thing about Frankie is her recall. It’s a world’s record, I think. A half mile with a normal voice. It’s like she’s always listening for him. Call that girl and before you have the chance to get the words out of your mouth, she’s sitting at your feet. “You called?” Kent used to call her Ninja Dog. He’d call her and instantly she’d appear at his side.

Oliver, the rescue who had such a terrible start in life, wouldn’t come when called. Kent tried and tried but Oliver went his own way. He’d run to the lake and swim away or find a frog and follow it until he saw another frog and on and on until he was a good half mile away from the house. We live in the country away from roads and people so that fear wasn’t the worry, it was how far was he going to go before Kent caught up with him. Kent found Oliver’s on button. The Frisbee! Not the game of Frisbee so much as things flying and Oliver getting to go get the Frisbee. In the beginning Oliver would run and get it, mostly racing Frankie to take it away from her, and then going to the lake. Later on he’d get the Frisbee then walk away only about twenty feet and sit and watch everyone else playing…but he quit going to the lake. Today Kent calls him and instantly Oliver runs to him. Very nice recall. Celebrate that! Oliver still doesn’t really play Frisbee but he has started walking really closely nearby Kent with the Frisbee in his mouth. Kent thinks Oliver will eventually ask to play the game. Tilli and Frankie are pros and keep everybody in stitches as they play. Even Oliver stays around to watch and steal an occasion toss.

The best thing about Oliver is, he loves to cuddle at night and everybody, everybody, loves him. What a dear, dear heart he is.

The hardest thing for Kent to learn in this dog training process was, you cannot stop supervising loose puppies because you’re doing something else. Puppies have to be completely supervised or in a crate 100% of the time or bad things can and will happen and training will be slow.

My very soft and loving critique on Kent’s Way is this. If he would use Clicker Training, his worries with these dogs would be over. The dogs are brilliant and could use more training time…not just in accidental training or a quick game of Frisbee or ball throwing. Kent’s dogs, Frankie and Oliver, would respond beautifully with clicker training…anything he wants to teach them would be his for the asking, including heeling without a leash. That said, Kent has done a nice job of teaching his dogs over time to come when he calls, that is huge, to mind him in the house, and to leave the cats alone when he says leave the cats alone. Both dogs love Kent very, very much and he loves them. Both are very good dogs.

The moral of this story is, accidental training works, lazy training works, and there’s no one way to get a dog to have decent manners in the house and come to you when you call. As long as you use no harm, completely positive training, you will get a well behaved, well balanced dog. Some people choose to do it the slower way and if they can’t be swayed to do it any other way, slow is acceptable and eventually it works. LOL!

I would have done it differently to get to the same place faster and the dogs would know a lot more tricks, too. But that’s my way. Kent wants dogs who are good in the house and will follow him around and love him and that is exactly where Frankie and Oliver are with him.

Life is short and it isn’t about making someone do things the way you want them to. Each of us needs to have room to live our lives the way we want to. In the end, the dogs are loved and loving without harming a single hair on their little heads. And that’s perfectly okay with me.

Oliver is almost one year old now. Frankie is ten months.

I love all of these guys and I’m very proud of them. – Darcie

(P.S. Don’t tell Kent this. I couldn’t help myself. One day Kent had a meeting and left the dogs with me. While he was away, I taught both dogs to speak, down, and shake hands, I used clicker training. Brilliant, brilliant dogs. They will do anything when they understand what is wanted of them.)

Frankie did not bark at all. Fiona growled and hissed a bit.

The moral of the story is:

“Stand your ground” OR “Not everyone knows what a play bow is“. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olb6F24xFMc&w=560&h=340&rel=0]