The following pictures from top to bottom are my fence project to give Jesse a large play & exercise
Pic. 1 The beginning
Pics. 2, 3 & 4 The base trench is dug & the gate & center posts are set & waiting for the concrete to dry.
Pic. 5 The gate latch/fence end post is set & concrete drying, the gate is hung & waiting for height adjustment
Pic. 6 The Boss/Jesse inspecting my work.
Pic. 7 The first section of fence is up & secure.
Pic. 8 The second section of fence is up & secure.
Pics. 9 & 10 The job is done !

Now Jesse has a big safe place to play & exercise.

Read More……

This will teach your dog a certain PLACE to go when you do not want him underfoot.  Sometimes, this may be referred to as a CONTROL CENTER.  To teach this, you first must choose the PLACE.  It can be a cushion, a rug, a towel, the dog’s bed or even his crate. 

1. Once you choose the PLACE, stand very near it and toss a few treats on the PLACE.
2. Give your dog the PLACE command, “Go to your PLACE.”
3. As soon as your dog’s paws touch the PLACE to get the treats, give him a ton of praise and let him go to town on the treats you left on his PLACE.
4. You must practice this several times.  Once your dog learns that being in his PLACE gets him treats, he may not want to get off of his PLACE.
5. Some dogs will need to be lured away with another treat.  Mom takes this opportunity to practice the COME command by walking about five feet away and saying “Spike, COME.”
6. Your dog may begin going to his PLACE on his own, without being lured by the promise of treats.  If he does this, that is great!  If you see your dog in his PLACE and you did not give him the command to go there, make sure you give him praise and treats after the fact.
7. When your dog is going to his PLACE on cue, test him by putting more distance between both of you and the PLACE.  Eventually, you will be able to go as far away as Mom and I do.  She can send me to my PLACE from the front door, even as far away as her office upstairs!

I also know that particular word means for me to wind up in the DOWN position on my PLACE.  We do not use PLACE – my command is PARK IT.  My PARK IT spot is my bed.  Once a dog correlates the spot with the command, you can move the PARK IT or PLACE item wherever you want.  Mom used to move my PARK IT bed all over the house.  Sometimes, I thought she was trying really hard to hide my PARK IT spot from me.  Lucky for me, a dog bed that can contain a 100 pound Golden Retriever is pretty difficult to hide.  When she says PARK IT, I had to seek out my PARK IT, where I would wait for Mom to release me.

Make sure that your dog’s whole body is on the PARK IT it spot.  Do not shower him with rewards if his butt is not on the exact PLACE you determine.  You may have to work a little to lure him into that perfect position with treats and praise.  Once he has perfected his PLACE, you can practice adding the STAY or WAIT command.  Just walk away a few feet and release him.  This is an exercise that you do not need to praise or interact with your dog immediately, since being released is a reward itself.  While you are teaching this command, only give your dog a praise or treat reward when he is correctly in his PLACE or PARK IT.

I followed a link from one of my Twitter friends and this list of a pet’s ten commandments was waiting for me there.

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me.  It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment.  You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me.  Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.  Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old.  You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please.  Never say you can’t bear to watch.  Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.  ALWAYS!

Take a minute to grab your four legged friends and give them a hug today to let them know how much you love them.

If your dog is already showing signs of predatory aggression, it may be very difficult to overcome.  Often, these dogs require constant confinement and very close supervision during times that they are not confined.  Other methods, such as severe punishment or electronic collar training, can be used to control predatory aggression, but these methods should only be used under the supervision of professional trainers.  For dogs that do not respond positively to the training and treatments above, euthanasia is often the end result for dogs possessing predatory aggression.

I suggest that you not encourage a young puppy to participate in games that require them to chase you, as this can cancel out socialization efforts, resulting in a problem with predatory aggression.  Having two human nieces, I know that children like to play games like “hide and seek” or “tag” with dogs, which can ultimately lead to a game of chase, but this should be discouraged.  Children play these games for fun, but dogs may be playing a more deadly version of the game.

Oftentimes, dogs will stalk their prey, which is also an indicator of predatory aggression.  If you see your dog sneaking around trying to catch the cat, squirrel, or small child, you should give him a LEAVE IT command and make sure that he does, in fact, LEAVE IT.

Anytime Mom would put down food for him, I would walk over to Tax’s bowl and “stand guard.”  If Tax walked over to my bowl, I would follow him and “stand guard” there as well.  I had a message for him, and the message I was sending is that I am the alpha and all of the food belongs to me…  unless I want you to have some.  Because Tax was so aggressive over food, it was my job to keep him from it, until he learned to share.  Tax is not a dog with a lot of determination, so it only took about a day to break Tax’s food aggression.  It all sounds pretty easy, right?

It is pretty easy for me, because I am a dog.  I think like a dog, and I behave like a dog.  This means that I know how other dogs think.  A similar story involving humans would not be over so fast.  Humans like to attach things like emotions and personalities to dogs, which can have very bad consequences.  For any human with a dog in their family that is food aggressive, I suggest that they seek a dog trainer or behaviorist that thinks like a dog.

If you are sure what food aggression is, it occurs when a dog reacts aggressively with serious growls or snapping when he or she is approached while eating or when food being eaten by the family drops on the floor.  When you have a young puppy, there should be no growling, barking or attacking if you put your hands in his bowl of food.  With them, you should always be able to put your hands in his food without issue.  One thing that may keep young pups from developing food aggression is to feed them in an area where people are constantly passing by.  This will help to de-sensitize them to the things going on around him as he dines, and it will serve as a reminder to attend to the business at hand, which is eating.  You should also be picking up his food bowl after he finishes as a reminder that you control the food.  Leaving the bowl down may encourage the dog to take possession of it, causing him to guard his resources.

Food aggression is a form of possessive aggression, and your dog must learn to respect you (and other humans) as the pack leader, realizing that aggression over food is not tolerated.  To help you get this behavior under control, I suggest that you seek a professional trainer or behaviorist to guide you, as food aggression is very serious.  Participating in a training or behavior class taught by one of these professionals will help you to establish your role as the ultimate alpha.  It will also provide you with an avenue to seek their guidance in addressing your food aggression issue.

I can say that hand-feeding would help to establish your position as the ultimate alpha of your pack.  Remember, he who controls the food is the one in charge.  If your dog shows aggression while you are trying to hand feed him, you should immediately seek professional help.

Mom says there are lots of methods for dealing with food aggression, but due to the severity of the situation, this needs to be addressed by a professional that specializes in dog behavior.  One tiny mistake can result in a trip to the emergency room.

I began this article telling all about how Tax ceased being food aggressive.  People would not know to do this, and they would try to handle this situation on their own.  However, Mom understands canine behavior, and she understands me.  A strong behaviorist will know when to let dogs work it out on their own or to step in if necessary.

March 2009’s additions to Spike’s Pack are Snickers and Sonny Bear Miller.  Snickers is a Fourche Terrier — a Westie/Yorkie mix.  He was adopted from a rescue in Chicago, IL. when he was a year old.  Snickers was very fearful and slow to trust when he was first adopted, but with time, patience, discipline and love, Snickers came around.  Now, he loves to run around Grant Park, chase his friends in the dog park and get as many belly rubs as he can from his Mom.

Sonny Bear is a Yorkshire Terrier who came to live with Snickers and his Mom in 2007, when he was only 6 months old.  He came from a home where he was kept in crate up to 20 hours a day.  The owner could not take care of him and asked if he could join Snickers’ family.  He fit in immediately!  Funny thing though:  His name was originally Snickers! For about a week, Sabrina had two dogs named Snickers, but changed Snickers II’s name to Sonny Bear.  It fits him to a tee!  Sonny Bear loves to play fetch, wrestle with his brother and play in the dog park.

Their Mom feels like the luckiest woman in the world to be able to provide a forever home to these two beautiful and loving dogs!

Congratulations to all of the nominees this month for their nomination, as well as Snickers and Sonny Bear, for a fine showing in the voting, securing their spots in Spike’s Pack as the addition for March 2009.

HEEL

Teaching HEEL To A Big Dog

HEEL is easier to teach to a big dog.  Obviously since this is a walking command, he will need to be on a leash.  The goal of this command is to have your dog walk directly parallel with you, directly at your side.  Since he will be standing right by your side, the shorter the leash, the better.  In fact, some pet stores sell 12 and 24 inch leads for just this purpose.  These sizes are perfect for bigger dogs.  If you choose not to get one of these, you can improvise by rolling up your leash until it brings your dog right by your side.  For this exercise, he does not need any slack on the leash.  Leash slack will give him the opportunity to wander in front, to the side, or even lag behind you.  Obviously, none of these positions are the desired HEEL position.

1. Start with your dog already in the HEEL position, which is directly by your side.
2. Make sure you have a tasty treat in your hand.  This is the same hand that holds your dog’s leash.  If you choose to HEEL more formally, it is necessary that your dog be on your left side.  More informal HEEL training allows your dog on either side.
3. Bend slightly to let your dog know that you hold a tasty treat in your hand right over his head.
4. Start walking with the foot that is closest to your dog.  When I am at HEEL, I keep a focused eye on Mom’s knees, specifically the one that is closest to me.  If it bends, that means that we are both going to start walking.  If her other knee bends, I remain seated, because I know that means that Mom is going to walk, but I will be staying behind in a STAY or WAIT.  How do I know this?  We practiced over and over and over, doing it right every time, so you do not confuse your dog.
5. When you step off on the foot closest to your dog, you should immediately give the HEEL.
6. Now when the other foot hits the ground, you should say your dog’s name.  If your dog is on your right, you should be saying the command and his name like this: Right foot – HEEL, Left Foot – SPIKE, Right Foot – HEEL, Left Foot – SPIKE.
7. When you stop walking, you should command your dog to SIT, bringing your opposite side hand around to the side where your dog is with an upward sweeping motion.  Give the dog a treat from your non-leashed hand.  The treat in that hand is simply to keep his attention.
8. Bend slightly to let the dog smell the treat in your hand and repeat steps #4 – #7, walking a little further each time.

Teaching HEEL To A Small Dog

When teaching HEEL to a small dog, the difference in height is a small, easily overcome obstacle.

1. To eliminate the differing heights, you will need to go to a craft store to purchase a dowel rod.  Basically, it is just a long stick.
2. You will not need to keep a treat in your hand, like with the big dogs, because it may cause him considerable neck pain, and he will be entirely too distracted to train.
3. As a replacement for the treat, simply dip the dowel rod into some peanut butter or spray cheese.
4. Place the rod right in front of the dog’s nose and run through steps #4 – #7 from the big dog’s training above.

It is okay if your small dog occasionally licks the stick, because he is still hearing the command and learning the position.  Just because he is a small dog, it does not mean that he does not have to SIT.  Every dog must SIT every time forward motion stops when working on the command.  After a couple weeks of practice, you can begin to do HEEL without the stick.  If your dog does not do well in the absence of the stick, simply add it stick back in for another week or so.

If you find that your dog gets antsy or out of control, by trying to pull ahead, off to the side, or lag behind you.  It is very important that you do not keep trying the HEEL.  Just stop and give your dog a SIT command.  When he complies, you are back in control.  Take this opportunity to re-position yourself and your dog and start over.  SIT is the number one control command, meaning that any time your dog is acting inappropriately, you command a SIT, and you are immediately back in control.

Remember, the words you use to cue an action by your dog are commands, and they need to sound like it.  This does not mean that you should yell, but you should not use your fun, happy, shrill voice to command a dog to do anything.  He is probably going to ignore you.  Your tone of voice is very important.

During the first week of training the HEEL command, you should practice by HEELing your dog for about twenty feet.  Remember, anytime you stop, you should command a SIT.  Be very careful not to create a pattern where your dog SITs every four steps.  The goal is to get him to SIT every time that forward motion ceases.  You can ensure that happens by mixing up the number of steps between SITs.

What is your dog doing while you have so much going on?  He is learning, learning that HEEL is done on the side of a human.  How did he learn this?  Every time he heard the word HEEL, he was in the position of being on the side of a human.  To him, that is the HEEL position.  Your dog may SIT at HEEL, he may stand at HEEL or he may HEEL at HEEL.

For the second week, you will want to HEEL your dog for further distances.  You should master the HEEL command, walking in a straight line before you add the left and right turns.  Teaching HEEL in a straight line will require a few weeks of practice, working on it daily.  We learn the same way you humans do.  None of this is rocket science. It is repetition, repetition, repetition!

My brother, Tax, is a great HEEL dog, probably even better than me.  In fact, he is so good that he will walk right beside Mom, with a loose leash or even without a leash.

Keep in mind, there are only two things that a dog can do in the HEEL position.  He can look straight ahead or he can glance up at his handler.  During a HEEL walk, he has no business checking out things in the neighborhood.  That is what loose leash walking is for.

This Thursday at 9 PM EST, I will be hosting a live chat for you to ask me your dog behavior questions.  I am using a neat service called TinyChat.  For those of you that have dog behavior questions, but you have not yet submitted them to me, now is your chance to do it without the delay necessary for me to write an entire article addressing your question.  Please note: I may use the situations from the chat to help other families struggling with similar issues.

To participate in the chat, check back HERE at 8:50 PM on Thursday, March 12 to get the link for the chat.  Click it and join in.  It really is that easy.  My friends that use Twitter will see a tweet in my stream at 8:50 PM as well, with a link to the chat.

If you have an in-depth or uncommon question for me, please send me a short e-mail ahead of time describing the issue, so I can fully develop my suggestions to you.  My paw pals, their families, and other interested parties are all welcome to join.  I intend for the chat to last until 10 PM, but I am happy to extend it if necessary.

Nominee #1 – Webster Lee

Webster found his mom as he was on the lam.  His mom had no idea at the time, of course.  When she pulled into a parking lot, in customary fashion, she opened the door and talked to him.  After a half hour of coaxing, he got in the car.  He went home with her, and he considered his options.  A life of uncertainty or a loving home with four females?  He eventually worked his way into the house where the ladies promptly fell in love with him, and he had a home.

His mother, being the responsible dog lover she is, immediately placed an ad in the paper to find his owner.  The owner saw the ad, responded, crushing his new mother.  She had fallen hard.  As luck would have it, he had fallen quite hard himself.   After three days, the original owner called again and said that he was miserable.  He would not eat, and he was generally depressed.  She asked if Webster could return, as he was heartbroken without the love he experienced.  His new mom welcomed him back into her loving home, and they have been together ever since.

Nominee #2 – Duke Richard II

Duke Richard II is 3.5-year-old Jack Russel mix, adopted from the Austin Humane Society.  At the time of his adoption, Duke was a scruffy dog with a long wiry white coat and a bad case of heartworm. His adoptive parents had him shaved shortly after they took him home and were quite surprised to learn he had TONS of spots underneath all that white hair!  Duke underwent heart worm treatment (that was a scary time) and is now healthy and happier than ever. Duke has the most personality of any dog I have ever known.  He loves to dance, cuddle, play, and keep the squirrels out of the yard.

Duke has a younger sister, Sophie, who was also adopted from the Austin Humane Society.  The two of them LOVE to play and wrestle, but most of all they love to spoon.  On a warm Austin day, you’ll find Duke swimming in Lake Travis and enjoying some Frosty Paws.

Like Spike, Duke is a working dog and very computer literate, writing his own blog.

Cici’s friend, Bruce wrote this poem for her:

Dog exists. Wherein lies the proof?
Inspired once again, this time by CiCi, the pink-bellied pit,
who consistently breaks local tail-wagging ordinances.
Yes God spelled backwards is Dog.
And we bow and say Wow!
God, many perceive to be in the heavens, but dog is on earth;
four legs on the ground. Yes, they say all dogs go to heaven,
however Dog is a bridge, between man’s instinctive nature, (the garden) and the mind, as Dog has adapted to please Man.
A wag of the tail, shining eyes, a playful gait and a grateful Soul,
all reminding us of a certain perfection. All of this encourages us not to take life too seriously, to be playful in the moment.

Nominee #5 – Snickers & Sonny Bear Miller

Snickers is a Fourche Terrier — a Westie/Yorkie mix.  He was adopted from a rescue in Chicago, IL. when he was a year old.  Snickers was very fearful and slow to trust when he was first adopted, but with time, patience, discipline and love, Snickers came around.  Now, he loves to run around Grant Park, chase his friends in the dog park and get as many belly rubs as he can from his Mom.

Sonny Bear is a Yorkshire Terrier who came to live with Snickers and his Mom in 2007, when he was only 6 months old.  He came from a home where he was kept in crate up to 20 hours a day.  The owner could not take care of him and asked if he could join Snickers’ family.  He fit in immediately!  Funny thing though:  His name was originally Snickers! For about a week, Sabrina had two dogs named Snickers, but changed Snickers II’s name to Sonny Bear.  It fits him to a tee!  Sonny Bear loves to play fetch, wrestle with his brother and play in the dog park.

Their Mom feels like the luckiest woman in the world to be able to provide a forever home to these two beautiful and loving dogs!

Nominee #6 – Oliver M.

Oliver is a 7 month old Beaglier, a mix between a Beagle and a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, and his parents think he’s the cutest puppy ever!  His cute face and ears get him out of most trouble.  Oliver is almost done with housebreaking, and he is a very fast learner, but he can be awfully stubborn!  Oliver has 2 cat siblings – one is an older brother, Steve, and the other is a same-age sister, Maya.  Oliver plays with his brother and sister very well – just like a puppy – biting, chasing, rolling around!  Steve is a bit of a loner, but we can tell Oliver and Maya will be life long friends.  When Oliver was a 6 week old puppy he had a black face, head and ears with some white markings.  Within the first 2-3 months his entire head and ears turned blonde! His parents could not believe he was the same puppy!  He loves sneaking into the bathroom to grab some toilet paper to chew on, as well as chewing up moving boxes!  Most of his relaxing time is spent with us in bed at night or next to us on the futon in the office.  Oliver is very social, and he loves being around people – Just HATES being in his crate!

Again, congratulations to everyone for being nominated.  Don’t worry if your favorite pet does not win the March vote, because all nominees will be included in future votes as well, just like the Hall of Fame for my favorite sport to watch on TV with Mom, baseball.  Once nominated, potential packmates will not be forsaken, as I want to grow my pack to its full potential.

Feel free to spread the word about your choice (be creative by using forums, posting on web pages, and calling all of your friends and family) and vote as often as PollDaddy will let you.  Re-visit this same post after midnight on the 8th to kickstart the voting.  We will announce the winner on Wednesday.  Good luck to all of the nominees, their friends and family.

Get your vote on!

The predictors out there have been pointing to a Portugese Water Dog strongly, but I hear there is still some consideration of a Labradoodle.  Either way, the First Lady has indicated that they will be rescuing their choice from one of the more than 250,000 deserving dogs needing a home currently residing in a shelter, rescue or foster home.  As I am sure you expected, this is a choice I strongly support.  Being a rescue dog myself, I wish everyone would find their four-legged family members from the same place.

VS.

The Portuguese Water Dog

They are muscular, medium-sized dogs that grow to be 35 – 60 pounds and about 17 – 23 inches tall.   They are very athletic and active, requiring exercise every day.  They really need a yard to play in, luckily the White House grounds MIGHT be just enough.  The gardeners may find some competition digging next to them in the Rose Garden, but it seems like a fine place for a dog to play!

This breed loves the water and is loyal, very affectionate, great with kids and not difficult to train.  Their breed has a reputation for being easy to get along with other breeds, however, they would need to be exposed to cats at an early age to be friendly to the felines as well.  They are also known as “PWD,” which stands for Portuguese Water Dog and not what I call Tax, which is Pretty Weird Dog.  They have an average life expectancy of 10 to 14 years.  Porties, another nickname, have a single-layered, non-shedding, hypo-allergenic coat and present those coats in black, brown, parti-colored, white or gray.  They also have more webbing between their toes than most other dogs to aid them in swimming.

PWDs were recognized as a by the AKC in 1983 as part of the working breed class.  They exhibit puppy-like behavior for their first two years of life.  They are also notorious chewers, especially if they are not exercised properly.   Unfortunately, they are more susceptible  from serious health problems such as, hip dysplasia, eye disease, skin conditions, immune system disorders and heart disease.  They are considered to be a rare breed due to their low population in the United States.

The Labradoodle

Since they are half of a Labradoodle, let me mention that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in America, and they have been for many years.  Myself, I have known some pretty good retrievers.  The second half of a Laradoodle equation is the poodle. Typically, poodles do not get the respect that they deserve.  They are hard-working, easily trained, non-shedding and loyal, all great traits that they bring to the mix.  Although some believe this to be a fairly new breed, they have actually been around for about thirty years.

A Labradoodle is a perfect dog for families with older, well-behaved children. (Hint, Hint).  They can play for long periods of time, they do not mind a little rough play,  and they are not pushy.  Labradoodles are extremely social dogs and immediately accepting of new people and dogs.  Because of this, they do not make very good watch dogs, so the Secret Service guys will still have jobs.  I have been told that Labradoodles like a life of organization and structure.  They are very schedule-oriented dogs, which is perfect for the White House.  How much of the President’s life is not scheduled, right?

Labradoodles have a thick, dense, non-shedding coat that can be many colors, from black to chalk.  Their coats are very easy to maintain, but not all of them are allergy-friendly.  The Labradoodle falls into the category of a designer dog, meaning that they are part of the latest craze or fad among dog breeds.  They have recently been recognized as a breed in Australia, and they are slowly working their way up in other parts of the world as their breed starts to adhere to a standard.  Labradoodles will not mind if the Oval Office has no corners.

Just a quick note from me directly to President Obama:  Dogs are excellent judges of character.  Keeping him around all day will tell you who can be trusted.  You are certainly going to want to have him around when Sasha and Malia start dating, so that they can judge potential boyfriends too!  Also, if you need me to visit the White House every once in a while to help keep him in line, I would be happy to.  Just remember that I do not like to fly coach, so sending Air Force One for me would not go unnoticed.