When it's cold outside...

My puppy takes over the couch and bundles himself up under the covers. He's the cutest!

Saying goodbye to my best friend

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, a dog appeared in my life. All I remember of this dog was that it might have been black, it might have been big and it definitely chewed a chunk of my parents' orange couch off. If I remember correctly we were taking care of the pup for a family friend, but the incident with the orange couch swiftly ended that dog's time with us.
I tell this story because it quite possibly was the first time I became obsessed with owning dogs. At the time we'd had a cat for a while and I loved cats. But a few days (maybe even weeks) with a puppy brought out the dog lover in me.
Over the years we got a new kitten, a couple of fish and a cockatiel, but my pleas for a dog went unanswered.
But, when I was about 8 years old, we went to visit a litter of brittany spaniels. The wriggling mass of reddish-brown and white fur might have been the cutest thing I'd ever witnessed in my relatively short life. But it was one in particular, the apparent "runt" of the litter, who stole my heart (and the hearts of my mom and sister).
We took that little girl home and named her Kelly (after the uninspired name "Brittany" was tossed about). To this day I have no idea why we dubbed her that, but I generally called her Kellybelly. 8-year-old's will do that.
Two years later, my frustrated stepdad decided to get a new dog because Kelly was too "bullheaded" to be the bird dog he had wanted. That year Kelly was exiled from the most of the family's hearts. She was no competition for a younger, more amusing puppy. Yet, when everyone was drawn to Misty, our new German shorthaired pointer (who, incidentally, turned out to be even more unsuited for hunting), I would join Kelly on her bed. She would put her head on my leg and I would tell her about my day. That's when she became my dog.
Over the years we protected each other and I could always count on her to comfort me when it was called for. She would be there to keep my toes warm during the freezing winter nights in the mountains. When I had fights with my step-dad, I would usually escape to the side porch, where she would come running and shove her head under my arm in her version of a hug. She never failed to make me smile.
These memories are what I hold onto now that I am forced to say good-bye to my best friend. Home is not really "home" without her.
But the cycle continues. The night after Kelly was put down, I crawled into my own bed and promptly started to cry. Miyagi has generally slept on the floor because of my husband's allergies, but when allowed on the bed, he usually prefers to sleep on Travis' side and doesn't want to be touched. If you pet him he'll move farther away and if your feet are touching him, he'll often chuff at you and jump off in disgust. But that night, Miyagi got up and walked over to my side of the bed and stared at me. Eventually, he put his head on the bed next to my face and licked some tears off my nose. Then crawled in to bed next to me and I wrapped my arm around him, just like I had done so many times with Kelly. Instead of protesting, he snuggled closer. I will never forget Kelly. But it hurts slightly less knowing that I can build a similar relationship with Miyagi.

Minty dog biscuits

Dog breath is infamous for a reason. Let's just say that it tends to stink, a lot. Hey, so would yours if you never brushed your teeth!

Growing up with dogs have taught me many things, including what not to do when I got my own. I promised myself when I got Miyagi I would at least attempt to maintain good dental hygiene for him, especially after seeing my now-senior dog having trouble eating because her teeth are in such bad condition. Not only do cleaning your dog's teeth help their breath, it helps them down the road with basic health issues. Beyond brushing, an easy way to maintain your dog's teeth is to feed him crunchy treats that help break up plaque. Conversely, soft treats contribute to plaque and bad breath, so keep that in mind. My solution for Miyagi's bad breath is to make him crunchy treats that have mint and parsley, both natural breath fresheners, in the mix.

Tess' Tasty Treats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried mint
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons safflower oil (I used olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, mint and parsley in a large bowl. Add oil and water and mix thoroughly. Roll out to 1/4" on floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn heat off and let biscuits dry out in oven for several hours (I ended up leaving mine in the turned-off oven for about 8 hours). Store in refrigerator in airtight container.

The hardest part of this recipe for me was rolling the dough out, mainly cause I don't have a rolling pin or a pastry board. I made do with a cup and a cutting board wrapped in parchment paper. Other than that, this recipe is extremely easy.

Yes, this is a cookie cutter shaped like Scooby Doo. I am that geeky.

Miyagi loved these a lot. He was kind of obsessed with them, and he's sort of a treat snob. You will not be disappointed with this recipe.

Quick update on life

I'm sorry for the long absence, guys. What can I say? Sometimes life just gets away from you. So here is what has changed so far:

~ I am gainfully employed again. I now work part time as a page designer for both the Suffolk News-Herald and the Tidewater News. Part time is great because it gives me a chance to get back into the flow of working. Part time is bad because it is obviously less money.

~We set a date for our wedding and then promptly had the date taken away from us. We are in a holding pattern now which is giving me all kinds of stressed feelings. Hopefully I will eventually get over them and there will be a wedding in the near future.

~I have not cooked a meal in a very long time, which is unfortunate since it was such a great stress relieving activity.

This weekend the fiance and I are dog-sitting the fiance's family dog, Dylan. He's a sweet and mischievous 16-year-old English Setter. It's been lovely to get a chance to teach Miyagi how to be with another dog without having to play with them. He needs this lesson because he has a habit of getting into sometimes painful trouble when he won't leave a dog who doesn't want to play alone. They are currently cuddling together on the couch. It was another feat altogether to get him to realize that the couch was not his, a distinction necessary when teaching him to leave Dylan alone when he wanted to sleep on the couch.

Miyagi and Dylan nap together on the couch

Lessons in dog training: Shake it like a Polaroid picture

When we got Miyagi, we first focused on building him a great foundation. The idea with training is when a dog masters something, you can often use that skill to help him master something else. A good training foundation includes not only "sit" and "stay," but also "down" and "leave it." With these basic commands you can gain control over your dog. For example, telling a barking dog to lie down will often snap him out of his new obsession and often get him to stop barking. "Leave it" is a super important tool if your dog is anything like Miyagi and likes to grab pretty much anything he can get his mouth on.

Now that Miyagi has relatively mastered these basic concepts, he's ready to move to more fun, creative tricks. Like shaking. This was no easy task since there's no natural inclination to lift a paw in dogs, but LOTS of repetition eventually led to this:

It definitely fills me with pride and excitement to see Miyagi mastering such concepts. It's also pretty funny. Now that his repertoire is growing, you can almost see on his face how he's trying to remember what he's supposed to do. Then there's the aha moment and he lifts his paw into your outstretched hand. Maybe I can get him to honor his namesake by doing "Wax on, wax off." What do you think?

Lessons in dog training: Working for food

I'm a general fan of Jon Katz's basic training philosophy: Research as many dog training methods as you can find information on, then decide for yourself what will work for you and your dog. As he writes in Katz on Dogs, "Each dog and each owner is different. What matters is what works for you and the dog you live with." I mentioned this philosophy in my previous post about my decision to crate train Miyagi. Katz explains that "We need a patched-together training method that understands the dog's nature and our own..."
One thing I've done research on is how feeding can make or break your relationship with your dog. This is actually a pretty huge area that is often intertwined with all areas of training. For example, many say hand feeding is the best way to quickly bond with your dog. An easy way to help a dog learn his or her name is to repeat it while the dog is eating. Even handing out kibble in exchange for good behavior (thus cutting down on overfeeding by cutting out treats) is often encouraged.
For Miyagi, all of these things are working. But one that I was highly skeptical of was the idea of making a dog work for his food. It seemed a little cruel to me, but I was having trouble keeping my high-energy pup entertained. Then I realized I was again putting my human emotions on my dog. Because I thought withholding food until satisfactory work was accomplished seemed cruel, I assumed I was hurting Miyagi by doing just that.
But dogs have always worked for their food, in fact many dogs are happier to solve a puzzle in order to partake of breakfast than to have it plopped in front of them (Miyagi often didn't finish his food because he got bored with it).
Having a dog expend energy mentally can often help him be calmer overall. So with Miyagi, I began feeding him by stuffing some of his kibble into a Kong ball.



The rest I fed to him during training sessions. Because of this, his training has also improved as he became more willing to work for a treat when he hasn't already stuffed himself with breakfast or dinner. Here's a video of Miyagi eating dinner recently.



Of course, Miyagi didn't quite get it at first. But now it takes him less than 2 minutes to pull all of his kibble out. This morning I stuffed the openings with peanut butter to challenge him more. It's been fun to see his mind click and suddenly figure out just what to do.

Crate training: A beginning

Well, I guess my first post strictly about training will be on crate training. Leave it to me to pick the most controversial topic among dog lovers. Well, maybe it's the second most since Cesar Millan's methods tends to create a deep divide among owners and trainers alike.

Here's the basic concept: When you're not around, crate your puppy. When you are going to sleep, crate your puppy. All of this keeps him from chewing or ingesting foreign objects. It also can keep the little guy from having accidents because generally dogs will NOT pee or poop where they sleep unless they have no other choice.
Why is this so controversial? Well, humans have a tendency to think of dogs as humans, and so dogs should of course have the same panicky feelings most of us do about being confined.
But the first thing every dog owner should know is that dogs are NOT humans and shouldn't be treated as such.
Secondly, most training methods have their own merit and should be chosen depending on your lifestyle and your dog's temperament and abilities. But it's also important to realize that when done wrong, any training method can also hurt your chances of having a happy and well-behaved dog.
I chose crating because I wanted to be able to crate Miyagi when he's a puppy so that at night he can't endanger himself or ruin something of ours. Puppies will naturally chew on anything they don't know. They use their mouths like we use our hands. It's better for Miyagi to just not be tempted.
Also, I've found that if done right, showing your dog that the crate is a safe zone (or "den") for them makes them happier and well adjusted. If it's a comfy place where they can get treats or hide if there is too much noise, than they will likely choose to go into the crate. In fact, in the 5 short days we've had Miyagi, we've already gotten him to walk in alone. Last night he walked in and promptly fell asleep. That is the goal for crate training: to create a comfortable and safe space for your dog. But if it's used as punishment or if they are left in there way too long, it can be considered cruel. Again, it's all based on how you implement the methods.
For a cuddly dog like Miyagi, the breakthrough was when we put a blanket and the fiance in there. Miyagi couldn't keep himself out of the crate and cuddled with the fiance for several minutes. Later, he walked right in and took a nap. Soon we won't even need to close the door to keep him in there over night (that's the hope at least).
Crate training is fairly easy, it just takes patience, lots of treats and a willingness to offer effusive praise every step of the way. The Humane Society of the United States offers this tutorial on crate training. But here are the basic tips I learned as we attempted to get Miyagi comfortable with his new hiding place:

• Buy a big enough crate. Generally it needs to be big enough for your animal to walk in and turn around. Too big and he or she will likely relieve himself in one corner and sleep in the other without being bothered. Too small and he will be cramped and the opposite of the comfort that you want to achieve.
• Tempt don't force. Use treats, his favorite toys or a blanket that smells like you to get him in the crate. Never push him in as it will just make your dog panic and associate the crate with a negative experience. Try not to shut the door until he seems comfortable in the crate. At first we hid treats in there so when he'd walk by he'd smell the treat and hop inside to get it. Later we used a Kong ball stuffed with peanut butter and treats to distract him while we closed the door and went to bed.
  
• Patience is key. The biggest problem in the early stages of crate training is that people can't seem to ignore a whining puppy. If you ignore your puppy long enough (most only need 10 -15 minutes in the beginning of training) he will eventually settle down and entertain himself. (***IF you are crate training overnight know that when he wakes up and has to pee, he will likely whine to signal you. This whining will likely occur after he's been in there for a few hours and is different from the whine he will likely do when you've just shut the door and walked away.***)
  
• Toys and treats make a crate a home. The best way to encourage your dog to enjoy the crate is to pick an item that he loves and only let him have it in the crate. For Miyagi this item is his bone. But we also hide a treat in there and toss his Kong ball in if it's during the day. Giving him things to do will distract from not being able to run around and make a mess of your home. For Miyagi, a soft blanket also created the welcoming retreat that he relies on when our couch is full of visitors and he's tired of laying on the wood floors.
  

So far, we've gotten Miyagi to go in there using temptation. Our next goal is two fold: I want to get him to go in there on command (to make bedtime easier). To do that, he needs to associate a command with entering and laying down in his crate. I'll update as he progresses.

What's your opinion on crate training? As someone who has seen it go woefully wrong and has also witnessed the positive effects it has on our energetic puppy which has little respect for personal boundaries, I'm open to everyone's opinions. Training is a very personal experience and every person must decide on their own what is right and what is wrong for their pet. The key is to take in as many opinions as possible to find the right method for you.

Wax on, wax off...

So I apologize for my absence. Last weekend I went home and then on Monday the fiance and I adopted a puppy, so I haven't had much time to update this lovely blog. The first few days of having a puppy has been a mix of stressed panic attacks and wonderful moments. I grew up in a house with a cat, two dogs and a bird, so I'm no stranger to animal care. But, it's very different to adopt a puppy and take responsibility for another life, especially one so helpless.
At the same time, it's been great to see him grow and learn in such a short time.
Miyagi (after The Karate Kid sensei) is an 8-month-old lab/terrier mix with a cute wire hair beard, hence the sensei reference.
When we adopted Miyagi, we vowed to be very consistent and firm in his training. And there have been amazing moments when he suddenly got what we were teaching him. And it's so wonderful to just hang out with him. So, don't be surprised if you see some of my training experiences and stories about Miyagi.



What about you? Have you had a dog or do you own one right now? Feel free to share you stories about your pets or tips on training them here.

Movie review: "Wendy and Lucy"

For Christmas, my dad bought me "Wendy and Lucy." Little did he know I had been eyeing this film for months after seeing a trailer and reading a fairly positive review. His reason for purchasing it: "It's a girl and a dog on the cover. I figured, Beth will like this, right?"

I must admit, I decided to write a review of the film for today's post without watching it first, thinking it'd be a cinch. I've spent the last several hours trying to come up with the best way to adequately describe the film.

Overview

A gritty portrayal of a young person down on her luck, "Wendy and Lucy" is an independent film from Kelly Reichardt, starring Michelle Williams as Wendy and a gorgeous mutt as Lucy. But this movie was so much more than a film about hard times. It was a portrayal of life in small-town Oregon, as well as how humans react in the face of poverty. It is also, at it's very core, about a girl and her dog.

The film opens as train clacks by in the seeming wilderness. Our introduction to Wendy and Lucy is one of them at play, Wendy throwing a stick and Lucy romping around after it. It seems very innocent, until Lucy wanders off into a bunch of rough, outsiders around a bonfire. That's when you get your first close-up glimpse at the dirty face and worn clothes that Wendy is wearing. And so, in the first five minutes, Reichardt is able to easily and poetically put Wendy and Lucy's life of general poverty into a visual nutshell.

Wandering from town to town in search of work, the two have only each other when confronted by strangers and meager times.

Gut reactions

This, to me, seemed like the essence of the story: As Wendy and Lucy fall asleep in Wendy's broken down car, Wendy whispers, "Night, baby girl."

As I said, the film is first and foremost a poignant look at the love between a girl and her dog. Reichardt then steers it toward darker landscapes, as we are confronted with a grocery store clerk so set on doing right and following rules that he breaks the best friends apart, setting the real story in motion. You also glimpse the townfolk's reaction to this rough young woman sleeping in her car, the car repairman who is woefully ignorant of Wendy's troubles, the shifty homeless population that accosts the newcomer and (thankfully for the redemption of the human race) the congenial night guard who aids Wendy in her time of need.

In the end, if you're anything like me, you'll cry at the heartbreak, rage at the hypocrisy and smile at the small token of friendship that gives you the tiniest glimpse of the goodness we wish all people were capable of.

I think the beauty of the film lies in the grittiness of Reichardt's videography and lighting and in the gentle lesson that she lays out for the viewer, without shoving it down your throat. There's also a lovely circularity to the progression of the story, where the beginning is darkly mirrored by the events of the ending.

Bottom line

Watch it, but be prepared that it is not a happy-go-lucky film. And that is what's great about it, I think, that it's not the same old movie fodder we've been force-fed recently. But please soak up and enjoy the beginning. Because, even if you're nothing like me, I bet that when the film ends, you'll wish you could actually go back to the first five minutes of the movie, where a content Wendy is humming softly to her happy-go-lucky dog as they play fetch in the woods.

PS: I hung with this puppy again today and I'd really love to get her adopted. Spread the word to your friends, coworkers, people you pass on the street, etc.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a beautiful 1 year old German shephard mix. She's sweet and loves to gives kisses. She needs lots of exercise, but is always willing to squeeze onto your lap when she's taking a break. Please adopt her (you can get her for a discounted $59 that includes microchip, spaying, shots, leash, collar, training video, and free check-up at a local vet). She's been at the shelter for several months now.
Call Peninsula SPCA - 757-595-1399

Can you guess why we call her Cinnamon? This photp reveals her honey-brown fur a little better. And her ridiculously cute flop to her ear.

Happy Friday

Sorry for the late post, but I was driving to my mom's house most of the day. For today's post I will share a photo of Lucia, the weimaraner puppy that my mom bought in April. She's now almost a year and quite big. The best part about the photo? It includes the only snow I've seen this entire winter (including some that Lucia just had to eat). Enjoy!

For the love of a dog...

If you have ever tried to rent a house, you know how hard it is to find one that allows you to have a pet. For me it's twice as hard. Why? Because I try to find places where I can live with the pit bulls that I dream of adopting from the SPCA (like Puddin', a hyper, brindle female, at left). The least-regulating place I could find near where I worked had only 1 exception: No pit bulls. They don't care if you have giant dogs or tiny poodles, as long as it's not that single breed, you're okay. And in my area, pit bulls are always in the news, spiking last summer with the dogfighting case against Michael Vick (The case that put pit bulls on the front page ; Loving Vick's Pits). To me, this is just wrong. It borders on discrimination, only its a dog so I guess it doesn't warrant concern.

I'm sorry, but I'm tired of telling people that my favorite dogs to work with at the SPCA are pit bulls (they are actually either Staffordshire Bull Terriers or American Staffordshire Bull Terriers) and having them stare at me like I'm crazy. I'm tired of hearing that all pit bulls should automatically be put down. It's just stupid.

I'll be the first to say that dogs can be dangerous, especially when trained to be so. Most people get dogs for all the wrong reasons, refuse to train or control their dogs, or even specifically train their dogs to kill. But you can NOT label an entire breed as demon-dogs or dangerous. What you should be doing is actually punishing those people who are the cause of these problems. Why did this Neglectful Owner who starved his 16 pit bulls into being aggressive not get charged? Why is Michael Vick only getting a few months in jail for his involvement and funding of a dogfighting ring?


The funny thing about this 'man-killing, dangerous' breed is that they were originally meant to protect humans from bulls. The muscular bodies, heavy skulls and extra-strong jaws were designed by breeders to take on huge bulls and take them down when their owners were threatened. And it's this human-protecting instinct that caused the breed to also be so eager to please their owners. Which is why they are so easily trained to become killers, unfortunately. That is the real tragedy to me. In their quest to please their owners, they were willing to do something against their nature on command.

As a volunteer with the SPCA, I've had the opportunity to work with dozens of 'pit bulls.' It's that instinct to please that I've most noticed in these misunderstood, mistreated dogs.


For example, Charlegmagne (above) is a beautiful, white and brindle female Staffordshire Bull Terrier who got sick and depressed at the shelter so I got the chance to take care of her. I nicknamed her 'Charly,' (she is a girl, after all). She is so calm and loving. Her need to please is obvious. When I got ready to open her cage and I asked her to sit and stay. She did as she was told and accepted the peanut-butter treat (I totally recommend this kind, even dogs without an appetite will eat snacks with some peanut butter in them.) and daintly ate it. Then I got ready to take her outside for a walk. She was terrified of all the yapping dogs in the quarantine room but I was able to get her to walk outside (I've had to carry a few out because they get so scared). I sat down to rest while I waited for her to go to the bathroom and the next thing I know, this big, beautiful dog was completely curled up in my lap. She slept like that for a good 20 minutes snuggling her head into the crook of my arm, her legs almost falling off my lap onto the ground, light snores coming from her big snout. It was the worst part of my day to have to wake her up and walk her back into the shelter so I could finish my work with the others.

I challenge any person to spend five minutes with almost any pit bull at the shelter I work at and not walk away a lover of the breed. And it's ridiculous that I can't take one of these wonderful animals, like Charly, out of that scary and depressing environment just because of a stupid stereotype and uneducated regulations.