Political Pups

These little cuties - Basho and Suki, respectively - belong to my friend Melanie, who's been working doggedly (sorry) to get Barack Obama into the White House. While Mel has been dialing 'til her fingers turned blue to get the word out, Basho and Suki are clearly doing their part to spread the word: Whether you're for or against, young or old, human or... not so much, don't forget to vote!

Return of the Prodigal Daughter

I know it's been many, many moons since my last post - life seemingly got in the way, and I've been carried away with it ever since! But I'm pleased to say that things seem to be getting more manageable and I'm gradually easing back into the Wonderful World of Dogs. Right now, the biggest part of that is taking my incredibly lengthy and long overdue final exam with Animal Behavior College. I should get the exam today, and have two weeks to complete the entire thing. Very exciting, though I'm definitely nervous about it. I'll definitely keep folks posted on how it goes!

It will be a while before I'll be able to resume my previous posting schedule (daily articles), but I definitely plan to at least give a nod to some of the many articles and webites I've been reading to keep folks updated on the many exciting things going on in the World of Dog. That starts with a radio show I've been listening to podcasts of a lot lately - Dog Talk, with host Tracie Hotchner. While I don't necessarily agree with everything she has to say, she has some great guests on the show who address issues like nutrition and alternative diets, the proliferation of canine cancer and how to fight it, pet travel, training issues... There are any number of topics in two years' worth of episodes to choose from, so it's a whole host of free information.

And if you haven't swung by my former mentor Marie Finnegan's blog, now is definitely the time to do so. She's just started a raw feeding program for her guys, and has some incredibly helpful tips and links for anyone interested in learning more or just starting out on this tricky but worthwhile road. I've been doing a lot of canine nutrition research and study myself lately, and have also found some wonderful discussions in the Dogster Food & Nutrition forums, as well as those devoted to the Raw Food Diet and Home Prepared Food and Recipes. For those not acquainted with Dogster, it is basically Myspace for pooches. While some people may get a little carried away with it, it really is a wonderful way to connect with other dog lovers, learn a lot about any number of topics concerning you and your pups, and even make friends with other local dogs and dog guardians. If you want the upgraded membership, it's $20 for one year - but unless you have six dozen photos and want access to certain specialized forums, I don't really recommend paying the fee. Of course, if you try it out and decide you can't live without all the Dogster features imaginable, it's always an option.

So, that's what I've been reading and listening to lately. Now that I'm back in the pup-loop again, I'll be sure to post more frequently and will likely host another contest in December. In the meantime, keep those tails wagging and don't forget to venture out and enjoy the crisp fall air with your favorite four-legged friend - it's a great time of year to explore!

Feeding Multiple Dogs Without Losing Your Fingers or Your Mind, on Thursday's Nutrition Beat

If you've spent any time at all around dogs, you know that feeding time is a Big Deal. And if you've spent time around multiple dogs, you know how easily that Big Deal can turn downright nasty without some order in the chaos. Everything is heightened when the food bowl comes out, so here are a few tips on how to make meal times safer and more pleasant for everyone involved.

(1) Stay calm. Want a recipe for disaster? Combine three parts kibble, one part anxious owner, and two parts food-aggressive pups. Add to that your excited "OOH, it's food time!!! Everybody come on and jump around, time for puppies to chow down!" and you could have a real problem on your hands. Feeding time should be a zen experience - approach it as such. Getting your dogs excited before eating only exacerbates an already heightened experience. Stay cool, stay calm, and be in charge.

(2) Divide and conquer. Even if your dogs have always eaten together and there have been no problems, it may be a good idea to consider separating them. Competition over the food may develop over time, or there may come a time when one pooch requires a special diet, medication, or a specific amount of food - all of which are much more difficult to deal with when you have another mutt muzzle in the kibble. At feeding time for my pups, Killian gets fed just outside the kitchen while Adia gets her food down the hall. There's not an acre (or even a dividing wall) between them, but it provides the mental segregation necessary to ensure that they aren't swapping bowls mid-meal. If you have food aggressive dogs, consider feeding them in separate rooms, or using crates to keep everyone safe and sound.

(3) Stick to a routine. Try to keep a feeding schedule, so that your pups aren't starving by the time feeding time comes around. Likewise, make it clear to them what your expectations are of their behavior - no jumping up while you're delivering dog bowls, no food stealing during prep time, etc. Keep their bowls in the same place every time, so that there is no confusion about whose bowl belongs to who when chow time arrives.

(4) Use your power (for good, not evil). Feeding time is prime training time - when else do you have a more powerful motivator than a full bowl of food? Make them work for their meal, by sitting or lying down and waiting politely until you put the bowl down. Mix it up a little, so that your pups aren't merely following the routine to get their meal - if they sit automatically, try a down instead. Keep them focused on you, but don't torture - a lengthy training session while you hold their dinner hostage isn't appropriate, but a command or two will make it clear that you're in charge.

(5) Be vigilant. Leaving a room of feeding dogs is not the best idea ever, particularly if you have any that are prone to food aggression. Especially when first establishing a new feeding routine, it's critical that you remain on-hand to provide guidance as to what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. When one dog is finished, pick up the empty bowl and do not allow him to crowd or steal any food from the pups who are still eating. If this is impossible, consider crating the dogs to provide a more concrete boundary, or feeding them in separate rooms.

For more information on feeding time in your multi-dog home, check out this article. For many guardians of food-aggressive dogs, chow time is the one they dread the most. Follow these simple steps and consider working with an obedience trainer or behaviorist to curb unruly - and potentially life threatening - behaviors. Your dogss meals should be a happy time for you and your pups, just brimming with potential training opportunities - approach them as such, and your entire pooch pack will respond in kind!

How to Walk Multiple Dogs. Workout Wednesday: Creative Strategies for the Dual Dog Walk

Workout Wednesday!
Life with your dual pooches may be smooth sailing most of the time, but double dog walking duty can make for stormy seas, if you don't take the proper approach. Here are five tips to make walking your doublemint pups a pleasure, not a chore.

(1) Start with one pup, and build from there. Walking puppies is simple enough, because they're... well, little. But if you have more than one medium- to large-sized dog, try walking them singly first to determine what collar will work best and how they react to distractions like other dogs or cats running across the path.

(2) Use the right equipment. If you're walking with pulling pooches, try a head collar or no-pull harness to keep them in check. Stay away from extendible leashes unless you are completely confident in your ability to control both dogs, working instead with sturdy four- to six-foot leashes. There are also a number of tandem leashes on the market for walking multiple dogs, which are built for safety and comfort.

(3) Try a safe test run first. Before you head for a busy city street, try walking around your yard or a fenced area nearby first. Are you being dragged from one end of the yard to the other? If so, you may want to try some more individual leash training before taking your pups into the wide world.

(4) Can you handle the ultimate distraction? Most dogs have an Achilles' heel - one thing in all of the world that makes them sit up and take notice. Whether it's a cat, squirrel, bicycle, or another dog, can you handle both pups when that one, ultimate weakness is just down the road? During your test run, try adding as many distractions as you can and see how well you do.

(5) Invite a friend. If you have a walking buddy to hand one of the leashes off to if things get rough, it will make a big difference in your confidence level and, thus, the way that your pups respond to your commands. During your frist few walks in the world, bring along a friend. Do your best to walk your pups yourself for the entire trek, so that by the time you're ready for a solo flight, you'll know you can handle it.

Follow these simple tips and before you know it, you'll be a master at the dual dog walk. Your pups will be better behaved, you'll all be healthier, and the world will truly be yours to explore.

And We Have a Winner!

The winner of The Dog-Ma's first monthly Petsmart gift card giveaway is Amie, who left a great - and very insightful - comment on the Workout Wednesday post, "Pit Bull Leash Training - How to Walk a Whirling Dervish." Though the winner of the raffle was chosen randomly, Amie did have some great points in her comment relating to my phrase, "...a tired pit bull is a well-behaved pit bull." Amie disagreed with my phrasing "...because it suggests they (pit bulls) are ill-behaved otherwise, when that isn't necessarily the case. What IS the case is that they have tons of energy and tons of smarts and those can often be a disastrous combination in a strong animal whose idea of a good time is running after things (cars, deer, other dogs...)

A well-exercised bully is a mellow bully!"

Amie had an excellent point that was well written and happily received by this blogger, and I'm very happy to send her the $50 Petsmart gift card to use as she will. Amie also has a couple of great blogs you should check out: Rose By Any, and B-More Dog, both of which contain some great information, fabulous photos and videos of Amie's own animal tribe, and some very fun animal anecdotes. So - June's contest was a success! Don't forget to read and comment in July to be eligible for another $50 Petsmart gift card, to be given out on August 1.

Training Tuesday: The Importance of Individual Training in a Multi-Dog World

So, you've decided to populate your home with not just Dog, but Dawgz. My life with one dog was amazing - Moonshadow was my boon companion, my best friend, and I was pretty much her universe. Now, three years after sweet old Moon left this mortal coil, I am the proud keeper of two pups - Killian and Adia - from the same litter. I am no longer the center of anyone's universe. They love me, of course - I feed them, walk them, and give them lots of hugs and cuddles, what's not to love? However, my dynamic duo has been together since the womb, and that's a pretty powerful bond. Because they are both fairly well-mannered, it's easy enough to take both of them wherever we may roam, but I also do my best to give each pup some individual attention whenever possible. Why, you may ask? If they do well together, why bother separating them at all?

There are three primary reasons I have for working one-on-one with my pups. The first is that it strengthens their bond with me, in much the same way a parent's bond with human children is strengthened by spending quality time independent of siblings. Secondly, obedience training - particularly leash training and agility - is also much, much simpler working with one dog at a time. And finally, I want to avoid creating codependent chaos by making sure my pups know how to live without one another. Dogs are social animals; as such, they establish very strong bonds with the other beings in their world. If they aren't acclimated to time spent apart, it can be an incredibly stressful experience. So, here are a few tips for making time for each of your furry friends.

(1) Start early, start often. If you get two dogs at the same time, make a schedule right away that allows a fifteen minute block alone with each of them. This is very simple if you have a partner; hubby takes Pup #1 for a walk one way while you take Pup #2 in the opposite direction - you meet back fifteen minutes later, and switch off. Or, take a walk together in the morning with both dogs, and alternate between Pup #1 and Pup #2 in the evenings. If, however, you - like me - are a single owner of multiple dogs, you may need to get a little creative. For short training stints, your pup should be able to survive on his own, particularly if it becomes part of a regular routine. I find that fifteen minutes a day of individual training for each dog is more than adequate to keep us all in check.

(2) Expand your dogs' social circle. When I was at Clean Slate, I enrolled Adia in puppy classes. While we were gone, I would leave Killian in his room with a couple of the other dogs from the rescue - by the time we returned home in the evenings, he would be exhausted and not the least bit concerned that he'd been left behind. If you go to a local dog park or meet other pups in your travels, try to make friends with the owners. Make puppy play dates. Offer to watch their pooch for them, if they'll take one of yours for an afternoon. This frees you up for an individual class, or just a special one-on-one outing occasionally. It's also a great way to keep your dogs socialized and part of a larger, dog-friendly community.

(3) Play to your pup's strengths. Killian is a rallying fiend these days. Adie, on the other hand, despises heeling but would play frisbee until she dropped. There are so many classes, clubs, and activities for dogs these days, you should have no problem finding something that your pup will love. And what better way to build that one-on-one bond than by sharing an activity that fuels you both?

(4) At the end of the day, Integrate! Regardless of whether you walked Pup #1 for fifteen minutes and Pup #2 for thirty-two, whether Pup 1 is excelling at agility while Pup 2 is failing basic obedience... Whatever the circumstances might be, don't forget to enjoy your whole pack at the end of the day. One of my greatest joys is watching Killian and Adie roughhouse before bed, or curling up on the couch between the great woolly pair of them for a little light reading. Always appreciate the individual eccentricities of each of your pups, but don't forget to revel in the primal flair of belonging to a pack.

EnvironMental Monday: Dog Hair, Dog Teeth, Dog Poo (Squared). Reclaiming Your Space in a Multi-Dog Home

When I was working (and living) at Clean Slate Animal Rescue, we had anywhere from ten to forty dogs living with us at any given time. Granted, those dogs weren't all in the same room at the same time, but I don't believe there were ever less than five dogs with us wherever we roamed. While I don't necessarily advise that everyone live with that many pups underfoot, my time at Clean Slate did teach me a great deal about how to maintain sanity (and a semblance of order) in a multi-dog home. Here are a few tips to keep your own home running smoothly, whether you have two dogs or (yikes!) twenty.

(1) Define your boundaries. Some people love dogs anywhere, all the time - on the bed, on the couch, under the table, nothing is off limits. Others prefer their pups off the furniture or out of the kitchen, and may get downright squeamish at excess dog hair. Either way is okay - as long as you know which you are, and convey that to your pooches. If you don't want your dogs on the couch, then they should NEVER be on the couch; they have no way of knowing when the sight of their muddy paws will send you into a tailspin or when you'll just shrug it off. So, to keep things simple, figure out early what's off limits. Be consistent, and don't feel badly if your best friend lets her dog trounce all over the leather sofa and you don't (or vice versa). You love your pup, or you wouldn't be reading this post... But we all deserve our space. Claim yours, be firm and consistent, and your pups will (eventually) respect that.

(2) Socialize your dogs! Unless you want to be that crazy lady (or guy) with all the dogs whose friends avoid them like the plague, you'll want pups who don't go wild every time someone comes to call. To prevent this from happening, expose your dogs to as many people as possible, as early and often as you can. Make a point of having people over, and let your dogs (and your guests) know what is expected of them. Start by teaching your dogs a firm sit-stay, and work on this everytime a visitor arrives. Reinforce with lots of yummy treats, but make sure to keep things lowkey to keep your pooch from picking up on any of your excitement or anxiety. Be mellow. Give treats and pets. Be consistent. You'll be amazed at how many people gravitate toward a balanced home with balanced pets, and your pups will love making all those new friends.

(3) Have at least one dog-friendly zone. If you'd rather not have your pups treading on your furniture and scratching on your favorite sheets and you have the space, create one room to use as a puppy playroom. Get creative with the space - paint it a funky color, make a doggie border, or just put up some of your favorite photos of your pooches. Buy or make a little puppy toy box, and have lots of chew toys and other treats available. If you don't want to crate your dogs, this is a great way to keep them safe and contained while you're away from home. Add a corner where you can comfortably hang out as well, and before long you'll catch yourself spending more time in your puppy playroom than your own living room!

Having multiple dogs doesn't have to mean an out-of-control world, for you or your pups. As with anything where dogs are concerned, just remember to define your boundaries and be consistent, and you and your pooches can happily co-exist for years to come!

Workout Wednesday: Pit Bull Leash Training - How to Walk a Whirling Dervish

One sunny afternoon in Kentucky, I put Dave's handsome American Staffordshire mix, Lou, on leash and headed for the wide world. It was a gorgeous day, and I thought it high time that Lou get some one-on-one training time. Did I mention the leash I put on was extendible? And attached to nothing but a regular collar on Louie's big, tough, bully neck? If you know anything about bullies, alarm bells are probably going off already. Sure enough, we got out the door and Lou spotted Dave across the field - the powerful pup took off in a burst, and I was dragged through the field, clinging desperately to the end of the leash.

Whether you have or have not had a similar experience, this post will give you three easy steps to avoiding one in the future. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to spend quality time exercising your bully, only to return home exhausted from the effort of keeping your pooch under control at every corner. So, here are a few keys to a peaceful walking routine for you and your bully.

(1) Use the right equipment. In case you didn't catch it in my disastrous example, extendible leashes are a bad idea for bully breeds. Stick with a four- to six-foot lead, and keep your big guy close to you at all times. Pit bulls are known for their power - if your pup sees something he wants to get to and he has a few feet on the lead to gain momentum, it will be that much more difficult for you to stop him. In addition to the right leash, simplify your life by using a head collar or no-pull harness. One thing to keep in mind with the head collar: to the average, non-dog-oriented bystander, it looks like a muzzle, which can reinforce the public perception of pit bulls as dangerous dogs. There are a number of no-pull harnesses on the market that work just as well as the head collars, and they will keep your bully's good image intact.

(2) Teach basic obedience commands. The three commands your bully should not be without: sit, stop, and let's go. By having a few commands that your pup knows without question, you can have something to fall back on when it feels like your walk is getting out of control. If a cat runs across your path or a dog is walking three blocks away and your bully gets excited, bring him back to earth with a command he knows inside-out; get his attention back on you by making him sit, or switch directions with a quick "Let's go." When your adrenaline is going and your dog is heightened, it's difficult to problem-solve - instead of trying to do that, stick with something you both know by heart.

(3) Never follow a pulling bully! If it's at all possible, give your dog a little free run before going for a walk - play fetch or frisbee in the backyard, until your bully is just a little less jazzed than he was when you first went outside. Once on leash, the goal should be to have your dog beside you on a loose lead. When that isn't happening, your pup should never feel as though he is being rewarded for pulling. If he's getting where he wants to go by dragging you, he's getting rewarded - a verbal or physical reprimand doesn't really matter, because it's a small price to pay for getting to water that special tree he loves so much. So, that means that each and every time he starts pulling, you need to switch direction. This is often a maddening and slow process, but after you've switched direction a few (or fifty) times, he'll get the picture: calm behavior means he gets to go where he wants, pulling gets him nowhere.

One final note: a pit bull who gets walked once a week will always be a pulling pit bull. Your bully should be on leash at least once a day working on his manners, in order to make walking with you less of a momentous occasion. Follow these simple rules and before you know it, you'll be enjoying those long walks in the park just as much as your bully does.

Training Tuesday: Socialization, Pit Bulls, and the Dogs All Around Us

If you've ever witnessed a dog fight, you know the feeling: the sense of helplessness and horror when fur flies and snarling bodies rocket toward one another. If you've witnessed a pit bull fight, that feeling is magnified a thousand times, as a dog aggressive pit bull is physically and mentally engineered to fight to the death. Regardless of how much you may love that bully face, as a pit bull owner it is imperative for your dog's safety and the safety of others that you understand the limitations of this breed. Pit bulls were bred to fight other dogs; this is a despicable but indisputable fact. With that in mind, it is not your job to teach your bully to love other dogs; your job is to teach him to tolerate the presence of other pups, and not to fixate.

Are all pit bulls dog-aggressive? Unequivocally no - I've worked with many pit bulls who love playing with other dogs. At Clean Slate, Dave's American Staffordshire mix Lou is present in almost all of the dog play groups, and is well-loved by every puppy who enters the building. I have seen that same gentle giant turn on his doggie housemates during heightened circumstances and inflict serious harm. The point? Lou continues to work as a supervised caretaker in many of the dog play groups, but is never, ever left alone with other dogs. Would I trust him with children? In a heartbeat. But there is a genetic trigger that pushes bully breeds when it comes to other dogs. So, is there a way to address that trigger, or are bully owners doomed to walk alone forever? Here are some tips for how to create a more dog-friendly sensibility in your pit bull.

(1) Start young. If you have a pit bull puppy, the key socialization period is up to twelve weeks. Expose your pup to countless positive interactions with people, as well as with dogs. If you have an opportunity to socialize your bully pup with other puppies, keep it calm and keep it positive. If your little guy is demonstrating dominating behavior like repeat attacks on a more submissive pup, humping, or ignoring his playmate's cues to settle down, it's time for a time-out. Don't punish, simply pull your bully out of the fray and give him some alone time. Reward calm behavior with treats, and keep your own tone gentle and low-key.

(2) NEVER, EVER PHYSICALLY DOMINATE YOUR PIT BULL! If you have a situation in which your bully is trying to dominate other pups, it is never, ever appropriate or helpful to force your dog down and hold him there (sometimes known as the "alpha roll"). Despite what some TV shows (Caesar Milan, anyone?) may lead you to believe, the benefit of the alpha roll has been completely disproved and in almost every case has been shown to be extremely detrimental for the dog. If your pooch is misbehaving in a group setting, your answer is clear: it's time to go. There is no need for (or benefit to) a physical display of dominance, as this does nothing but create negative associations with other dogs and with you.

(3) The leash is your friend! Pit bulls are notoriously difficult to read - hence their great success in the dog-fighting world. They give few cues as to when they will attack, which I suppose is an asset in the ring but frankly leaves you and I with a distinct disadvantage. For that reason, not only should your bully always be on-leash, but you should avoid areas where other dogs are typically off-leash. An unsuspecting pup at the dog park may come running up to your bully with no idea that they aren't the best of friends. Pit bulls are fast and strong, so one snap and that nasty little Chihuahua prancing around your bully's head could mean the end - for both dogs, because a fatal dog attack means that your pit bull will be put down.

(4) Try walking it out. If you have a pit bull who is on the fence about other dogs, try going for a walk with a fellow dog-guardian. The other dog should be of the opposite sex, and preferably spayed or neutered. With both dogs on leash and focused on the journey ahead, your bully can get acclimated to the presence of someone else without becoming fixated. Let the dogs sniff each other, be on the lookout for good signs like a relaxed posture or playbows, give plenty of praise and treats, and remember to always reward for good behavior.

(5) Dog aggression is chronic, not terminal. There is no cure-all for dog-to-dog aggression. If your bully is not friendly toward other pups, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone - in fact, most pit bulls have some issues with other dogs. Be patient and positive, and remember that safety is the number one priority: always keep your dog on leash on outings, never leave him alone with other dogs (or any animals), and reward him amply for calm behavior. If you follow these guidelines, your pit bull may not be the belle of the ball, but he will live a happy, safe life with you by his side.

EnvironMental Monday: Is Nothing Sacred? A Pit Bull Guardian's Guide to Puppy Proofing Your Home

If you've ever had a puppy, you've probably learned one thing quite well: dogs chew. And if you've ever had a pit bull puppy, you've REALLY gotten that lesson down. There are three reasons why your pit bull will chew you out of house and home - they are high energy, have extremely strong teeth and jaws, and are very social, so prone to separation anxiety (which they cope with by chewing). Each one of those reasons is powerful enough on its own, but when you combine the three? Suddenly, you have a chewing monster and nothing in your home is safe. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the rocky road of pit bull chewing.

(1) Exercise, exercise, exercise. Like the Energizer bunny, terriers were designed to keep going and going and going. Pit bulls are definitely no exception - these energized pups thrive on activity, and must have rigorous exercise daily to stay sane. Teach your pit puppy to fetch early on in life, so that on days when you're unable to go for a long walk, you can throw the ball around for twenty minutes and wear him out that way. Bullies also love to work - check out this site for tips on buying a doggie backpack for your pooch, and watch how his entire manner changes. Giving your bully a job while you're out and about boosts his confidence, increases his focus, and makes him work just a little bit harder during your daily constitutional. At Clean Slate, we even adopted a pit bull named Pinkerton out to someone who taught her how to tow him on his skateboard! Bullies are smart, strong, and eager to please - be creative and upbeat, and there's no end to the ways you can expend your pup's limitless energy!

(2) Life at home begins with supervision. If you have a pit bull puppy or even an older bully who's new to your rules, set him up for success by keeping him in a confined area with lots of tough toys like Kongs and Nylabones while you are away. A word of warning: For pit bulls, this is occasionally easier said than done, particularly with one who has acute separation anxiety. Begin by using a crate or enclosure only after your pup has been well-exercised, include lots of highly desirable chew toys (like a Kong stuffed with treats and sealed with peanut butter), and go away for only a few minutes at a time. Remember to be casual about leaving and returning - long goodbyes and heightened hellos only add to your sensitive pup's anxiety.

(3) Keep shoes, children's toys, and other taboo items out of your pup's reach. Remember to never give your pooch an old shoe to chew on - he can't distinguish between shoes you love and those you've outgrown, so in his mind every shoe is a-okay. Likewise with toys you're kids have grown tired of; your dog's toys should be distinctly dog-like, to avoid confusion as training progresses.

(4) Be positive! If your pup has a slip-up - even if that slip-up involves the TV remote, your favorite ottoman, or a $100 pair of shoes - try to stay calm. Pit bulls have a notoriously high physical pain threshold, but they are incredibly sensitive to emotional stressors. If you catch him in the act, say "No chew," or "Unh-uh" firmly and remove the item, replacing it with an acceptable chew toy. Reward your pooch with lots of praise when he does show interest in his dog toys, and never physically reprimand your pit bull for chewing - it simply heightens his confusion, anxiety, and agitation.

Follow these simple steps and before long, your house will begin to resemble a chew-free home once more. You'll be happier, your pit bull will be happier, and your furniture will thank you for it.